Blaze in the Darkness | ✔

Chapter Twelve

Eventually, I crawled back through the snow. Ice clung to my cheeks where my tears had frozen. The moment my fire came back in sight, I shifted and jumped straight back in.

Memories of what I just witnessed flashed in the flames. Thoysal burying his blade in a wolf's chest, the group of attackers being rounded up and then ripped to shreds, the brown wolf's pained howl as smoke rose from his fur.

I whined and scratched my snout with my paws. Distraction was needed, and quick. Crawling out of the fire, I shifted back to my two-legged form once more and starting piling bits of wood on the fire. Every shadow seemed to hold a wolf dead or dying, looking at me with an agonised look in their eyes.

The flames almost licked the ceiling with how high I had built the fire. An idea sparked in my head. Thoysal was afraid of fire, and fire could be moved. I picked up several pieces of wood and moved them to the one entrance to the room. Once the pile was high enough, I put several glowing coals in its center.

I watched the flames. They'd protect me from him and his blade. Even now, I could see his silver dagger glimmer in the moonlight, covered in blood. My body shuddered at the image. I roughly shook my head to dispel the image and shifted back to hide in the fire. The fire was safe.

After what seemed like an eternity of me nervously nibbling on coals, the sound of footsteps echoed against the frozen stone. They came closer before stopping. I cautiously peeked through the flames, at the fire I laid before the entrance. Thoysal stood watching me, blade and blood gone.

He glanced at the fire before looking back at me. "You watched, didn't you?"

I watched, trembling. Those eyes were the same eyes that had been cold, nearly empty, as they searched for prey. The vampire sighed and said, "Such a battle should not have been seen by someone as young as you. I'm sorry you had to witness that."

He looked sad, but I wouldn't fall for it. I saw what he had done. How could someone who had been so caring and kind be so dangerous, so lethal? What if he suddenly turned like that on me? My momma had warned me to stay away from silver.

"If it's any consolation, I took no pleasure in killing them. I did so to protect the pack, and you. If I hadn't stopped them, they'd have found you and would have killed you, or worse." His soft words didn't comfort me any.

With another heavy sigh, he sat down. "The Emio pack attacked with a force of twenty-three wolves. This wasn't a serious attack. If it had been, they'd have used all their warriors, which is roughly around eight hundred. They will return.

"Oscen has ordered me to stay close, for when they attack again. This may take weeks or even months. I may be gone more than I have the previous weeks, as I will help run patrols along the border. If you want, I can ask one of the pack members to keep you company while I am gone," he offered.

I watched him in silence. After minutes of us watching each other, he nodded slowly. "It's a lot to take in at once. Until you feel safe enough with me again, I will stay here. I will not force myself upon you, not now you have seen what I can do. Take your time."

Thoysal shifted in his spot before going still, eyes closed. I continued my watch until my eyes closed on their own accord. Dying wolves and pained howls filled my dreams.

Footsteps echoed through the stone shafts. I paused in my coal nibbling to look, although I already knew who it was. Thoysal had returned from his patrol.

He glanced at the ash pile where the second fire used to be before looking at me. "Can I come in?"

'If you promise you won't hurt me,' I said. I'd been with him long enough to accept the fact that he'd attack people that were out to hurt him or me, but would never harm me. He'd never done anything that hurt me.

The vampire gave me a smile and walked in, passing over the remains of the fire. "Thank you." Once he reached his chair, Thoysal set about rearranged the furs for a few moments. He gave the chair a nod and settled down in it, satisfied.

"I am sorry for scaring you that night," he started. "I had to protect you and the pack."

'What if they return while you're out hunting?' I asked.

His lips curled up slightly, revealing the edges of his fangs. "I can still teleport. I would be upon them before they realized, but not before you were brought to a secure place.

I nodded, accepting his explanation. Rather have him near than two dozen of angry wolves. That reminded me, though. Tilting my head, I asked, 'Why did my momma tell me to stay away from silver?'

"It burns shifters such as you. We think it may be a curse that Daskil put upon you, the moon being silver-colored, but that is a mere theory. All we know that it causes extreme pain and even death."

My eyes went wide with shock. That wasn't the answer I had been expecting. I was glad silver was rarely found where we used to live. 'Wait, is silver common around here?'

"No. Our mines mainly produce gemstones, not metals. I may show you how the pack produces gemstones, how they cut them and make them beautiful. Do you like sparkling stones?"

As reply, I gave a rapid nod. I looked forward to seeing the gemstones he talked about. In the wild, nothing much sparkled, except for dew on leaves in the morning. It made me wonder what the stones looked like. Would it look just like dewdrops, but then in a stone? Only time would tell.