Page 14 of A Soul to Embrace

Jabez shoved the point of his elbow through one of the large glass windowpanes, then shattered his way inside. Being careful to avoid stabbing the bottoms of his bare feet with glass, he ducked his six-foot-nine height within the low-ceiling room, and had to crouch even further when he passed under a door frame to the back.

He found a decently sized satchel bag and shoved sewing supplies into it, including scissors, needles, and thread spools of random colours. He even cut off a few metres of black silky material.

From there, he left to hunt for anything else that could be of use. He found a leatherworker’s shop and stole an empty water sack, a pair of black leather breeches, and an expensive-looking hooded cloak that had wolf or bear fur on the shoulders as padding. At a clothing store, he took the largest tunic he could find, disapproving of its cream colouring.

Everything he found, he stuffed into his satchel or threw over his shoulder if it was too large. He even obtained fruit and vegetables from a store for easy eating, rather than having to constantly hunt with a bloodthirsty predator at his back.

Just as he was about to reach where the fighting was still in action – the skirmish loud, and the smell of smoke from multiple homes burning strong – he passed a library. He almost disregarded going inside until an idea flittered through his thoughts.

If she’s to learn, it’s better if I have materials to teach.

With that in mind, he broke in and spent a decent amount of time flicking through the different reading materials available. He grabbed a child’s storybook, then singled out two other reading materials he wouldn’t find too boring to read repeatedly. He refused to take anything containing romance, as he didn’t wish to put silly thoughts into thefemaleMavka’s mind.

Pleased with his spoils, he left when he knew he’d been gone too long.

Finally, the Mavka came into view. She was deeper within the village now, and at an intersection that gave her just enough room to move and attack.

Her physique had changed in the hour or so they’d been parted. Although all her bones were still exposed, she was no longer thin enough for him to wrap his hands around her waist with ease. It was hard to see in detail just how much she’d changed, but she would evolve even more as the night went on.

Once more, he leaned against a wall to watch, only to grunt when something sharp was pressed between his shoulder blades. He’d been expecting everyone to pass him, since he was shrouded in the shadow of an awning.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Jabez warned, as he peeked over his shoulder.

An armoured soldier wielding a spear had stark, frightened eyes as he looked up at Jabez’s daunting height.

“S-shut up, you filthy Demon,” he snapped out, before shoving harder and forcing Jabez to step forward so he wasn’t lanced. “Iwatched you lead that monster in here, and-and steal that little girl.”

“Well, Ihadno intention of intervening,” Jabez stated with a small smirk. “But I guess I am a little hungry.”

He stepped forward and swiftly ducked to the side as the soldier thrust his spear, stumbling straight into Jabez’s reach. He grabbed the male’s helmet so he could pull him closer, then with one hand on his head, the other on his shoulder, Jabez shoved his jagged fangs into the side of the human’s neck.

He drank from the man, and the soldier’s blood rejuvenated his senses against the exhaustion that had been weighing on him since the defeat at his castle.

Jabez had long despised eating the flesh of sentient beings like a disgusting cannibal, but draining them dry like a vampire had its uses – more so when he had his magic. He didn’t need humanity, as he was fully intelligent and fully formed, but he drank from this human as he would have a mindless animal.

He considered draining him dry, but decided not to. The Mavka may come across him, and he left the remains for her – if not, the male was lucky he’d live another day.

Now in a rather grand mood, Jabez leapt to a rooftop to be a spectator, completely out of the way. He pulled a stolen orange from his new satchel and threw its peels on the heads of the soldiers below him. With one leg swinging off the ledge of the house, he watched over the Mavka with the intention of intervening should she truly need aid.

She never did.

Formidable thing, isn’t she?he thought with a rather prideful sneer.Even with those teeth of hers.Actually, he thought that made her bite just as dangerous as any predator-skulled Mavka.

“Hurry up!” someone whisper-shouted below him. “We must kill the Duskwalker before it kills any more men. Go that way. We may be able to get behind it.”

Hmm, I forgot that’s what the humans call Mavka.He thought it to be a rather simplistic name, but merely shrugged.

Those who just spoke were slaughtered within minutes.

After many hours had passed, Jabez noted the amount of corpses in the wake of her destruction. He figured this should be enough food.

Long before the sunrise even began to crest over the horizon, he slipped from the roof and headed straight for the commander of this feeble army. The commander shouted orders until those around her backed up at Jabez’s approach from behind.

She turned to face him. She lacked a helmet, and he took in the surprisingly gentle and soft features of her sun-damaged, tanned face. Her hair was a shining blonde, her nose small, and her lips thin.

Just as she went to draw her sword, he cocked his head.

“If you wish to cease this bloodshed, I suggest you call back your men,” Jabez explained, looking past the now armed woman to the Mavka eating a corpse.

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