Page 51 of Ashvale: The Vampire's Thrall

I ran to Novalie’s room first and found it empty, so then I tried the library—also empty. I let out a slow breath. I was going to need to focus if I wanted to find her.

I closed my eyes and tried to let the world fall away as I listened for her. I dismissed the snatches of conversation I heard through the walls, trying to narrow in on her voice.

Nothing.

Fuck. Where could she be?

I wracked my brains and decided to check the hall used to serve food. It was unlikely she'd be there, but I wasn't sure what else to try.

I reached the doors in mere seconds and scanned the tables for her. Most were empty, but... Wasn't that the girl Novalie fancied? Sarah? Sienna?

Siera, I finally recalled as I strode to her table and pushed my hair behind my ear as I stopped before her, a human gesture meant to set her at ease. It worked, sort of.

"Have you seen Novalie?"

Her eyes were sharp as they assessed me before deciding I wasn't asking because I wanted to hurt her. "Not since this afternoon."

I blew out a breath but nodded my thanks and walked back out the way I'd come, but heading towards the back door that led outside instead of upstairs. I needed air.

What if she'd gone to the nearest town? I bit my lip as the cool air rushed over me, and I relaxed. Normally, Novalie wouldn't do that—but who knew what this drug might make her want to do?

The wind shifted direction and I turned to go back inside when a rich scent carried to me on the breeze.

Blood.

It had an undercurrent of citrus, like Novalie's shampoo and I stood there for a second, unsure what I'd find in the woods if I went looking. We may have had a rocky start, but I liked Novalie. I didn't want to find her dead—and it was definitely her blood I smelled and not anyone else's.

I walked reluctantly into the trees, the moon providing a sliver of light but mostly I had to rely on my senses to make it through without falling and accidentally staking myself on a branch.

The smell of blood grew heavier and I froze when I heard Novalie's cry of pain—did we have this all wrong? Was someone hurting her?

I didn't waste any more time, just dodged the trees as I ran to her. Fear was an acrid taste in my mouth as I found her inches away from the clearing I'd stumbled across before. Blood slicked her arms and she was dangerously pale, pinned to the floor of the forest by two thick branches through her palms and a blade through her shoulder.

I dropped to my knees and reached for one of the branches as she snarled at me.

"No! Leave it in."

I hesitated, confused as I took in the wildness of her eyes and the sheen of sweat on her forehead. "Who the fuck did this? Let me take you back to the castle.” I frowned as I got a better look at the blade. It was her own.

"Don’t take me back there,” she panted. “I can’t control it—”

“Emerson told us what happened," I cut in and she growled as I got too close, her teeth snapping dangerously close to my arm. "Did you do this to yourself?"I asked quietly and she sobbed.

"It fucking hurts, Nora. It's hunger like I've never felt it, like it'll tear me up and consume me if I don't drink."

I sat down next to her at a safe distance, amused by the plethora of nicknames for me that had emerged today. I didn't mind though, not really. It felt like... belonging.

"It's okay," I soothed. "It'll pass. I'll stay here with you the whole time."

"Thank you," she whispered and I let a small tendril of magick slip out of me—water to clean away her blood and a small gust of wind to blow away the scent of it, no doubt the smell wasn't helping her hunger any.

“Why did you take it?” Maybe if we knew what the appeal was, we could better shut this shit down. "Do you remember who gave you the drugs?" I wanted to distract her, but it was also an important question that couldn't wait.

"I-I wanted to be strong. Like you. They said it would make us feel strong, like an undead, but we could still have the sun.”

Well, fuck. I could kind of understand the temptation now—but what those bastards weren’t telling their customers was that alongside the increased strength clearly came an increased hunger. Magick always had a cost.

“Who gave it to you?” I winced as her arms continued slowly seeping blood, the smell of it slightly strange like the drugs had altered it in some way.

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