My eyes searched across flickering lanterns and small fires. Clusters of people shared pots of soup and loaves of bread while sitting near covered wagons and stacks of crates.
“This must be where traveling merchants and caravans come to stay,” I said to Steifan as we stopped walking.
“And other sorts,” he added, eyeing a pair leaning against a nearby wall in dark cloaks, their faces lost in shadow. They had no visible weapons, but instinct alone told me they were not to be trifled with.
We kept walking, observing the small camps while keeping our ears open for mention of the witch.
A young woman hurried out the gaping doorway of an ancient stone home. She clutched a wrapped bundle against her chest, her eyes shifting around nervously. Scented smoke wafted from within the home, which glowed with flickering firelight.
I stopped across the street from the home as the nervous young woman scurried off into the night. “Something tells me we’ve found what we’re looking for.”
A merchant sitting near a fire to our right looked up at us. “If you’re searching for the witch, you have found the place. But be wary, those dwelling in these parts are protective of her.”
I nodded my thanks. “I assure you, we mean her no harm.”
A little thrill of excitement trickled up my spine. If these people would protect her, maybe she was a real witch, and a helpful one at that. Just as witches could curse and maim, they could also heal. This might very well be the only chance Steifan and I would have to meet one. If she could help us with the Nattmara, then all the better.
I led the way across the street and looked into the open doorway.
The woman sitting cross-legged in front of the fire was already looking up at me. Her dark eyes, like flecks of onyx set into a pale face, matched her long black hair. She appeared young, I would guess around twenty, and wore a long white dress that looked almost like a night shift.
She watched me warily. “I sensed someone coming, but I did not expect a hunter. Why are you here?”
I stepped through the doorway, making room for Steifan. The feel of magic made me catch my breath. This place was strongly warded, and I knew instantly I had only been able to step inside because she let me.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “How could you tell I was a hunter?” We had intentionally left our armor with our horses, not wanting the witch to believe we had come to kill her.
She seemed small huddled behind her fire, the yellow light giving her an ethereal look. “I can sense what you are, just as much as I can sense what he is not.” She bobbed her chin toward Steifan.
Did that mean she could sense that I was a vampire’s human servant? I didn’t have the nerve to ask. “Are you really a witch?”
She bared her teeth. “Some say I am. What is it to you?”
It seemed I had angered her. Wonderful. A witch cursing me on top of everything else was all I needed. “We are here to ask for your help. Something hunts us, and we do not know how to defeat it.”
She stood, and she was just as small standing up as I had imagined. “The hunters are the hunted? How poetic.”
I was getting the feeling that she wasn’t fond of hunters. If she was a real witch, I couldn’t blame her. While we had stopped hunting witches decades ago, there was a time when we killed them as indiscriminately as vampires.
I glanced at Steifan, who shrugged. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of this woman either. Staying any longer was a risk, but . . .
“Look,” I said, stepping toward the fire, “I have never harmed a witch, in fact I have never met one. Any quarrel we might have is between our ancestors, not us.”
She stepped up opposite me on the other side of the fire, so that we mirrored each other over the flames. “Does our ancestors blood not run through our veins? Have hunters ever paid us reparations?”
She had me there. “If you cannot help us, we will leave you in peace.” I stepped back. If she wasn’t going to help us, I’d rather not make her angry. There was no telling how powerful she might be.
Suddenly she smiled, and it lit her entire face. “A hunter willing to back down, how refreshing. What is your name?”
“Lyssandra,” I answered, hesitating.
“I am Ryllae. What is it you would like help with?”
Her sudden change in mood had me grasping for words. Finally, I managed to ask, “You were testing me, weren’t you?”
“Can you blame me?”
I shrugged. “I suppose one cannot be too careful. Does this mean you’ll answer my questions now?”
“It means we will trade information. You have many secrets, Lyssandra.”
“Lyss,” Steifan interrupted. “Some secrets might not be worth sharing.”
He was right. She had already implied that I was different from Steifan. If she wanted to know what I was, I would be a fool to tell her. If she sold me out to the wrong person, it could get me killed.
Of course, it wouldn’t matter much if Egar killed me first. I recalled the sensation of him clouding my mind, how helpless I was standing before him, and my decision was made.
I stared into Ryllae’s dark eyes. “Fine, if you tell me what I need to know, I will share whatever secret you wish, but only if you have the answers I seek.”
She inclined her head. “A fair trade. Now ask your question.”
I
