Avner finally reached the place where he was staying. It was the best inn in the town of Lardin. The building was old but very well kept, with clean floors and thick walls that kept out the noise from the street.
He had taken one of the biggest rooms on the top floor. As soon as he walked inside, he felt a bit of relief to be out of the public eye. He took off his heavy cloak and laid it over a chair.
Then he removed his outer coat. He reached for his shirt and undid the top two buttons to breathe easier, then folded his sleeves up to his elbows. He sat down at the wooden desk in the corner, looking over some papers.
A moment later, there was a knock at the door. His vassal, Kyle, walked in.
Kyle was Avner's right-hand man and his most trusted helper. They had been together for a long time, and Kyle was more like a friend than just a servant. He was the only person who truly knew how Avner thought.
Kyle bowed deeply as he entered, but Avner did not look up from his desk.
"How are we going to get her to come to the mansion?" Kyle asked.
He sounded a bit worried. "She refused the offer. Most girls would have said yes right away for that kind of money, but she didn't seem interested at all."
Avner looked up then, and there was a small spark in his eyes. He looked very calm, as if everything was going exactly the way he wanted. "She will come on her own," he said. His voice was very sure, and he didn't feel the need to explain any further.
Kyle did not ask anything else about that. He knew his master very well. He knew that when Avner made up his mind about something, he always found a way to get it. If Avner said the girl would come to the capital, then she would.
"Can I ask why you didn't just kill her?" Kyle asked after a short pause. "Or why you didn't tell the others what she is? I knew something was strange the moment you decided to join this search for supernaturals. You don't usually care about these things."
Avner leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers on the desk. "Because there is something special about that one, Kyle. I want to find out what it is. I have seen many vampires, but she is different. I need to know why."
Kyle just nodded. He didn't always understand his master's curiosity, but he respected it. "I will go and have them get your meal ready," he said. He bowed again and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
After a little while, Avner heard a scratching sound at his window. He stood up and opened it.
A large black raven was sitting on the ledge. It had a small, folded letter held in its beak. Avner took the letter and opened it. He read the words quickly, his face staying very still.
Once he was finished, he walked over to the small fireplace in the room and dropped the paper into the flames. He watched it turn to ash until there was nothing left to read.
He took a small bowl of grain from a side table and fed the bird. While he was doing this, the door opened and Kyle returned with his dinner. Without turning around to look at him, Avner spoke.
"We are leaving in two days," Avner said. "We will go as soon as our remaining envoy arrives at the town"
He could have left the town right away since he had already found the girl. But he wanted to stay a little longer to send a message to his senior aide. This was all part of his plan to lure Zora to his home. He wanted everything to be ready for her arrival.
_____
In the village, Zora was not feeling calm at all. She was pacing back and forth in her small house, her mind full of questions.
She couldn't stop thinking about why the soldiers had come to her house specifically. Gayle was a decent sized village with many houses, but they had walked straight to her door. It felt like someone had pointed them in her direction.
Did someone in the village tell on me? she wondered. She felt a bit of panic in her chest. Do they suspect that I am not human? She tried to tell herself that she had always been careful, but she couldn't be sure.
Now that they had searched her house and found nothing, she hoped the danger was over. But she was still worried. When the sorcerers finally arrived in the town, would they come to her house too?
She didn't know what to do. Running away felt like a bad idea. If she left the village now, it would look like she was guilty of something.
Besides, the roads were full of soldiers, and she would have nowhere to hide. She felt like she was trapped.
Maybe I can just avoid them, she thought. If they go to the town, I will stay in the village. If they come here, I will go to the town. It was a frustrating way to live.
She felt angry that other supernaturals had been so messy and violent. Because of them, the kingdom was hunting everyone, even those who just wanted to live a quiet life.
She finally stopped pacing and picked up a book, trying to focus on the words. She decided she would just have to face whatever came her way.
The next day, Zora went to the market. She wanted to hear if there was any news about the search. To her surprise, it was a very normal day.
People were talking about their farms and the weather, just like they always did. The day after that was the same. Everyone was still waiting for the sorcerers and the royal envoy to arrive, but life was moving along slowly.
The people in Gayle knew it took a long time for people to travel from the capital to their small part of the world.
That afternoon, Zora was in her shop. She was tidying up the shelves and putting away some new beads. Suddenly, a very fancy carriage pulled up right in front of her door.
It was a beautiful carriage, made of dark wood with silver trim. It looked much more expensive than anything she usually saw in the village.
A man on a horse was riding right next to it, looking very serious. A few neighbors stopped to watch, curious about who was visiting the small fabric
shop.
The carriage stopped, and the door
opened. Zora stood up quickly, thinking it might be a wealthy lady who wanted to buy some lace.
But she froze when she saw the man who stepped out. It was the same Duke who had been in her house. He looked just as handsome and cold as he did before.
Zora swallowed hard, but she tried to act normal. She gave him a polite welcome as he walked into the store. He was a very tall man, and he seemed to take up a lot of space in the small shop. He looked around at her rolls of fabric and the small jars of beads on the counter.
"I would like a fine gift for my mother," he said. His voice was deep and very calm.
Zora tried to smile. "Of course, your grace. I can help with that. What kind of things does she like?"
"Something elegant," he replied. He didn't look at the shelves. "You make the pick."
Zora was a bit confused. Usually, people liked to look at everything and choose their favorite colors.
She had no idea what a noble lady in the capital would want. She didn't know if she liked bright colors or simple ones. It was very hard to choose a gift for someone she had never met.
What a headache, Zora thought as she started to look through her best items. She could feel the Duke watching her every move. She knew this wasn't just about a gift for his mother. She had to be very careful and not show that she was nervous.