Zora stood frozen in the tall grass of the forest, her breath catching in her throat. She could have sworn that the arrow was fired on purpose.
The sound it made as it cut through the air was a sharp, terrifying hiss that she would not soon forget.
She looked at the silver-tipped wood buried in the tree trunk behind her and felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Had the Duke seen something?
Did he know she was a vampire? She felt incredibly lucky that the arrow had not grazed her skin or left a wound.
If it had, she would have been caught right there in the middle of the woods. Her body was not like a human's a wound that would take a week for a person to heal would have vanished from her skin in just a few seconds.
To an observer like the Duke, that would be impossible to explain.
She took a long, shaky breath and forced her heart to slow down. She had to act.
She couldn't just stand there looking like a supernatural creature. She exhaled slowly and began to move again, dragging the heavy deer behind her.
The grass crunched under her boots as she walked toward the Duke. She made sure her shoulders were hunched slightly and her eyes were wide, playing the part of a normal girl who had just been scared out of her wits by a near death accident.
The Duke stood tall, his bow lowered but his eyes still fixed on her. Those grey eyes were like polished stones, hard, cold, and calculating. He didn't look like a man who had just made a mistake. He didn't even look sorry.
"My bad," he said, his voice as calm as a still lake. "I didn't notice you."
Zora almost rolled her eyes right then and there.
It was the biggest lie she had ever heard. This was a man who could spot a tiny squirrel hiding in a bush from a hundred yards away.
He was a master hunter who could hit a flying bird without even blinking. The idea that he had failed to notice a girl dragging a large deer directly in his line of sight was a joke.
She felt a flash of frustration, but she quickly composed herself. She was usually very good at reading people and knowing their intentions, but this man was a mystery that she couldn't solve.
"It's fine, Your Grace," she said, making her voice sound a little bit breathless and high-pitched. "I wasn't hurt."
She tried to sound relieved, but inside, she was screaming with suspicion. She couldn't shake the feeling that he was playing a very dangerous game with her.
She felt like a mouse being teased by a cat that wasn't quite ready to eat just yet. She stayed silent for the rest of their time in the clearing, keeping her head down as she worked.
The sun was beating down on them, the heat of the afternoon becoming heavy and thick. It was a little past noon when they finally began the journey back to the mansion.
The ride was quiet, the only sounds being the occasional snort of a horse and the wind in the leaves. When they finally reached the large estate, they didn't head back to the stables. Instead, they stopped right at the front entrance of the massive stone mansion.
A group of guards was already standing there, their armor gleaming in the sun. They stepped forward and took the reins of the horses. Zora climbed down, her legs feeling a bit stiff from the long ride.
She watched as the stable men led the horses away to be brushed and fed. The Duke didn't say a word to her. He walked straight into the house and headed for his private rooms in the North Wing.
Inside his room, Damon was already waiting. The ginger-haired attendant had everything ready for the Duke's next appointment. There was a basin of fresh, cool water and a change of clothes laid out on the bed.
The Duke cleaned the dust of the forest from his face and hands and changed into a new outfit.
This one was even more expensive than the last, made of dark fabric with silver buttons that shone like stars. He was preparing to go to the palace for some royal business.
As he made his way out of his room, he paused at the door. He turned his head to look at the attendants and aides gathered in the hall.
He spoke to everyone, giving out his instructions for the rest of the day, but his eyes stayed locked on Zora.
It was a long, heavy gaze that made everyone else in the room feel invisible. By now, everyone close to the duke in the mansion knew that there was something different about this new girl.
The Duke wasn't hiding his interest in her anymore. He didn't seem to care about the gossip of the servants.
He was a man who held a great deal of power; his people were loyal and terrified of him, and he knew that no one could touch him.
Because of this, he didn't feel the need to hide the fact that he was keeping a very close eye on his new attendant.
What Zora didn't know was that the secret of her nature was already known by a few people in that very hallway.
Kyle, the Duke's vassal, stood nearby like a stone statue. He knew. Gideon, the personal aide, knew as well. Even the sorcerer from the market was part of this secret circle.
They understood exactly why the Duke was playing these mental games with her. Kyle had even seen the Duke intentionally give Zora a chance to feed in the woods by sending her off alone, but the vassal remained silent, his face showing nothing.
"I will go to the palace alone today," the Duke announced to the room. "No attendant is needed to follow me."
Zora and the others bowed their heads respectfully. She watched through the tall glass windows of the foyer as he walked out to a luxurious carriage.
The wood of the carriage was polished until it looked like glass, and it bore the proud crest of his dukedom.
Kyle climbed onto a brown horse and rode beside the carriage, acting as the Duke's constant shadow as they moved toward the center of the capital.
The carriage arrived at the massive, golden gates of the royal palace a short time later.
The guards recognized the Duke immediately and opened the gates without delay. Avner stepped out of the carriage and walked into the palace with a very clear purpose.
He walked through the long, marble hallways, and every servant and guard he passed bowed low to the floor. He didn't stop until he reached a private meeting room.
This wasn't the large, cold throne hall where the King held public court; it was a warm, beautiful room meant for private talks.
Avner sat down in a soft, velvet chair and waited for the King to arrive. He was only alone for a few moments before he felt a presence that made his brow furrow.
The door opened, and Duke Orson Chandler of Ghreman walked into the room. Orson was a man who knew how to carry himself.
He looked every bit like a dignified noble, his face set in a serious, professional expression.
But the moment his eyes landed on Avner, that serious face vanished. A small, mischievous smirk appeared on his lips, as if he had just thought of a funny secret.
There were many empty chairs in the room, but Orson ignored them all. He walked straight to Avner and sat in the chair right next to him. He even grabbed the edge of the chair and pulled it closer, invading Avner's space.
"Can you behave yourself?" Avner said, his voice already full of annoyance.
"I missed you, Avner," Orson replied, his voice playful and light. "How can I possibly control myself when I finally get to see you after all this time?"
Avner fought the urge to roll his eyes. He didn't want to give Orson the satisfaction of a reaction.
He decided to simply ignore the man and stared ahead at the far wall. But Orson was not a man who allowed himself to be ignored. He leaned back in his chair, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"I wonder why you returned so quickly from your righteous expedition," Orson said, his voice a low drawl. "Did you not find what you were looking for? Or did you perhaps find it way too fast?"
Avner didn't say anything, but the muscles in his jaw tightened.
"I wonder why you chose that particular town," Orson continued, sounding like he was talking to himself. "And I wonder why you even bothered to enter such a small, nobody village like Gayle."
At the mention of the village, Avner's eyes grew dark and dangerous. He turned his head slowly to look at the other Duke.
"One day," Avner said, his voice a cold whisper, "I am going to send the bodies of all the spies you keep around me back to your estate in a box."
Orson didn't look scared at all. Instead, he let out a short, sharp laugh. "If you do that, I will simply exchange them for the bodies of your spies that are currently hiding around my own lands."
It was no secret among the three dukes of the kingdom that they all kept constant tabs on one another.
They lived in a world of secrets, and they were always watching to see if one of them had found an advantage. Usually, they kept their rivalry professional, but today, Orson seemed determined to push as hard as he could.
"Hmm," Orson said, leaning in closer to study Avner's face. "I wonder if it was a something you found in that village... or perhaps a someone."
He watched Avner's face like a hawk, looking for even the smallest change. Most people found Avner's expression impossible to read, but the two of them had spent their lives studying one another.
Orson didn't miss the tiny, sharp flash that appeared in Avner's eyes at the mention of the word 'someone.' A slow, triumphant smile spread across Orson's face. He knew he had hit a nerve.
Before Avner could say anything to defend himself, the heavy wooden doors at the end of the room swung open.
There was no announcement and no music. The King walked in quietly, followed by the Crown Prince. The King was a middle aged man with hair that was beginning to turn grey at the temples.
His eyes were a striking golden color, and they seemed to hold the weight of the entire kingdom.
The Crown Prince looked like a younger version of his father, a photocopy in every way, except his hair was a dark, rich blonde. Both of them had those same piercing golden eyes.
The two dukes immediately stood up from their chairs and bowed respectfully to the King. They then exchanged a brief nod of greeting with the Prince.
As they all settled back into their seats, the atmosphere in the room changed completely. Orson's playful smirk was gone.
All of his teasing was replaced by the cold, dignified grace of a Duke of the realm. He sat perfectly still, looking as serious as a stone.
The King sat at the head of the table and looked at the two men. He didn't waste any time with polite conversation. He looked between Avner and Orson, his expression heavy with concern.
"I suppose you two have heard the rumors," the King said.
The room went completely silent. Outside the palace, the city of Feldon was busy and loud, but inside this room, the air felt heavy with the secrets that were about to be shared.