Grayson's Veil

Chapter 34

Grayson's ears perked at the sound of a wolf's howl. Even drunk off of virgin blood he was diligent.

He was not sure why, but he felt threatened by the sound. His lips curled as he growled at the echo that seemed to blanket the entire area they were in.

It was starting to feel like a warning.

A warning for them and for other wolves.

Grayson decided to run his horse, they needed to put as much distance as they could from the source of the howl.

It had been a few days of strict traveling for the trio. Grayson, Phoebe, and Avice only stopped to sleep and occasionally to rest their horses.

They went into town the first day since it was not far from the church to stock up on food and warm clothes. That was when they noticed the fire coming from the direction they just came.

Phoebe and Avice were concerned, voicing out opinions of trying to salvage the once peaceful sanctuary. Grayson objected without any room for negotiation. They tried to protest, but the intense glare of the ex-soldier sealed their lips. They knew their objective, and Grayson was already angry for the detours that had happened.

Grayson's eyes began to regain a little color, but was still incredibly pale. They were sensitive to the light so he had to keep his hood up until nightfall, avoiding all the people in the town when they had stopped.

After he had drank Sister Jane's virginal blood, Avice kept a close eye on him. The first taste was so addictive that many demons would kill innocent children to obtain more. But while he was keeping his symptoms at bay, the aftershock of being tortured by Uphir still clung to him. He could barely sleep for every time he closed his eyes he felt the straps around his body, Uphir's hand on his face trying to steady him, the needle piercing into his eye to take away one of his features that Eleanor loved so much.

The torture still continued even after he had escaped the demon physician.

With his hood up, Grayson leaned against the tree while the fire warmed his companions.

They were cold and exhausted.

Phoebe shuddered under her purple cloak, wrapping it tighter around her as she stared absentmindedly at the flames.

Avice sat on the other side of Phoebe, her back to the fire as she looked around the forest, half expecting some kind of ambush to happen.

"How do you feel?" Avice asked, tilting her head like her bird counterpart.

Grayson kept his head covered, starring at the sword in his hands.

Tapping her fingers against the forest floor, she tried again. "Are you feeling any after effects from drinking the nun's blood?"

Again, Grayson kept his head down and said nothing. He traced the hilt of his old sword, knowing the way it felt by heart but still wanting to feel it again like he had the very first time he held it.

Sighing, Avice tilted her head back. "Do you feel any ounce of regret?" she whispered.

The only thing that gave away that Grayson was listening was the slight tremble of his finger that was caressing the sword.

But the more he thought about how he attacked Sister Jane, the way he quickly slit her throat to get to her blood faster, the less he felt remorse over the scene.

"No... I feel nothing," he breathed. The crushing feeling that was on his chest lifted when he revealed his true emotions on the matter.

He did not care.