“Mount up!” he called then, and the camp jumped into action.
We made our way through what remained of the Starless Forest, and as we neared the edge, I felt its grip leaving me, one finger at a time. I thought of what Adrian had said about the witches who had died there and did not realize how heavy of a burden it was to exist beneath that canopy until I was outside it and could breathe again.
My gaze shifted to Adrian. He rode a few paces ahead beside Daroc. He looked just as ominous as the red sky overhead—a powerful man with a long history, and I wanted to know what had made him. How had the history he felt so passionately about—Dragos, the witches, the Burning—shaped him into the Blood King?
Once I was at the Red Palace, I would find out.
The landscape of Revekka was much like Lara—rolling plains, mostly treeless with the exception of a few clustered pines. Beneath the sky, everything was tinged in a red hue varying from pink to crimson. It was beautiful but strange, and I wondered how long until I grew tired of it.
“We are coming upon the first village now,” said Sorin, drawing his horse beside mine. “It is called Sadovea.”
“Who lives there?” I asked. I wasn’t sure about the population of Revekka. What was the ratio of humans to vampires?
“Revekkians,” he said.
“Are they human or vampire?”
“You really don’t know much about us, do you?”
I did not honor his question with a response since it seemed to be obvious to him.
“Adrian only allows a select few the privilege of becoming a vampire,” said Sorin. I tried not to cringe at his use of the word privilege. “Those who go rogue and attack or change others without his permission are destroyed.”
Destroyed was not an exaggeration when it came to vampires. They were hard to kill, but hearing it from Sorin sounded far more ominous.
“What are his criteria?” I asked.
“You must be useful to Adrian if he is to grant your change,” Sorin said. “People petition him often when he holds court. You’d be surprised by their offers.”
I was intrigued, but more curious about Sorin.
“Why were you chosen?”
He smiled softly, and though he did not look at me, I knew it was sad, which made me want his answer even more.
But when he looked at me, he surprised me by saying, “Because I am useful.”
“You never give straight answers,” I said. “Why? Are you afraid to be honest with me?”
“I am not afraid, but you are not ready to hear what I have to say.”
“I would not have asked if I weren’t ready.”
He shook his head. “That is a lie,” he said. “You still believe we are monsters.”
“And?”
Nothing Sorin had to tell me about his past would convince me otherwise.
“Your humans are far more cruel, Isolde. You have no one to blame for our existence but yourselves. I fear the day you come to know it.”
I blinked at him, confused by his words, but before I could say anything, a horrified scream erupted. My whole body felt the shock of it. A familiar routine played out in front of me as Adrian turned to look for me before disappearing around a bend in the road with Daroc.
I expected to be told to halt, but instead, my trio created a perimeter around me—Sorin and Isac to my left and right, and Miha behind me.
“Come,” Sorin said, and we matched Adrian and Daroc’s pace as we headed toward the sound of the screaming. The path ahead widened and turned from a dirt lane into a stone bridge. Beyond the creek was a village. Pointed roofs and chimney smoke billowed from over a wall that encircled the town, but that was where the quaintness ended as a man raced from a heavy mist, through the open doors of the gate, terrified. When his feet could no longer carry him, he went to his knees, and when those would not work, he fell, facedown, and did not move again. I did not need to approach to know that he was dead or that he had died from whatever magic had killed my people, because his skin looked as if it had been eaten away as if he were freshly skinned.
Silence fell, and then Sorin said, “Welcome to Sadovea.”
A few of Adrian’s soldiers entered the village first, returning to report that whatever had attacked seemed to be gone. After, Adrian gave the order to search for the dead. He waited at the gate, and as I approached, he placed his hand upon my forearm, halting me.
“Can you handle this?” he asked, his eyes searching mine.
“I’ll be fine.”
I knew he meant well, but his question made me feel weak. No, I hadn’t been able to look upon my own people, but I had also been in shock. I knew what to expect now, so this would be easier…I hoped.