The road stretched wide under a warm autumn sun. Long gone were the forested roads of the North. Now it was rolling hills, gold-tipped and endless, as they journeyed south toward Vorthane. The trip had been blessed with mild temperatures and sunny weather since they had set out six glorious days prior. Wagons creaked softly beneath supplies and laughter, wheels kicked up dust that danced in the sunlight.

  Lioren walked beside a wagon, eager to stretch muscles stiff from riding. Her hands were folded neatly behind her back, listening. Not scanning the distant hills. Not hunting. Just… listening.

  From their cart just ahead, Tomas and Kale were locked in a heated argument about something from their youth. Something about who pushed who.

  “I’m telling you, I was pushed out of that tree.” Tomas hollered from the back of the wagon. His voice thick with mock outrage.

  “No,” Kale called from the driver’s seat, voice lighter than Lioren had heard in days. “You slipped like the butter-fingered mess you are. I watched it happen.”

  “Because YOU shook the branch.”

  “Only because you were about to drop a frog on Mira.” Kale’s ‘big brother’ voice was starting to emerge. From the cart behind, Lioren could hear Mira sigh in exasperation.

  “”It was a harmless frog!” Tomas defended, covering his face with a hand as he tried to contain his laughter.

  “She was five,” Kale shot back. “And you screamed louder than she did when you hit the ground like a sack of potatoes.”

  “I dislocated my shoulder because of you!”

  Lioren rolled her eyes at their dramatization of rogue amphibians and lack of dexterity. She shook her head with the ghost of a smile. She didn’t know what was worse—Tomas’s storytelling or the fact that she liked the sound of his laugh more than she should. As if her thoughts summoned his gaze, Tomas shot her a look with his stupidly adorable lopsided grin.

  “Oh please, your pride was bruised more and then you cried.” Kale drawled out the last word with an exaggerated shoulder movement.

  “I did not cry. I winced… with dignity.”

  “Do you want a brother?” Mira asked Jessabelle from the cart behind. “Cause you can have mine.” Lioren turned her head back to watch Mira and Jessabelle laugh together. Jessabelle smiled with a sympathetic response as she looked back at the two bickering toddlers. Her gaze landed on Lioren who gave her a polite wave as Tomas and Kale launched into who handles pain better.

  With a slight chuckle, she slowed her pace, trying to distance herself from their arguing. They were finally laughing together again and as much as Kale got under her skin, it was nice to see Tomas have his friend back. Even though Kale still watched her when he thought she wasn’t looking—his eyes on her almost as much as on the road.

  Mira and Jessabelle’s cart caught up to her and Lioren resumed her normal speed. The horse gave a startled huff as it passed by her. Everytime. Lioren thought as she fell into stride next to Mira and Jessabelle’s wagon.

  “Lio, what’s worse. Being related to an idiot, or being in love with one?” Mira shot her a knowing glance and Lioren flushed slightly.

  “I’m not in love with Tomas.” She shot back, a little too quickly and Jessabelle giggled again.

  “She didn’t say you were.” Jessabelle said with a wink and Mira laughed.

  “That’s not—” Lioren broke off in a sigh, regretting slowing down enough to get ambushed. “Nevermind.” Lioren dropped her pace again to let the wagon put some distance between them.

  “Oh wait!” Jessabelle hopped down mid stride and casually took Lioren’s arm as she approached. She beamed a smile back at Mira whose laughter faded to curious observation as the wagon pulled farther ahead.

  “I was wanting to ask you something,” Jessabelle’s voice dropped low but just high enough to be heard over the stomping of hooves and squeaky wagon wheels. “How are you feeling?” Her blue eyes were searching but reserved. She had asked similar questions over the past couple of days but rarely did they get a moment to just talk freely with Tomas and Mira constantly checking on her. It was nice. Tomas and Mira hovered, Jessabelle listened.

  “I’m fine.” Lioren told her with a smile. An almost genuine one at that. “In fact, the past couple of days have been the closest to normal I have felt since…” She trailed off, her hand brushing over her ‘bite’ wound. Jessabelle followed the movement and patted her arm gently.

  “You seem happier.” She fixed her gaze towards the horizon where the sun was slowly descending. “Still having any weird feelings.” She murmured under her breath, her arm tightening around Lioren’s.

  “Yea, they are still there.” Lioren admitted after a beat. She let her gaze fall to the dirt road. Minding the ruts so she wouldn’t stumble. Lioren had finally confessed about her feelings—or lack thereof—shortly into their journey. The pressure of keeping a mask on was almost unbearable with Tomas’ lopsided smiles and Mira’s ever-present support. Jessabelle was a cold glass of water after a long, and arduous journey. It only helped that she knew of Kaelrix and that something had changed within Lioren after that night.

  Jessabelle remained quiet, giving Lioren the space to continue if she needed to.

  “The nightmares are still there.” Lioren gaze fell to the rolling hills. Wind rippled the tall grass in a golden ocean. “Still the same. Flashes of red. Something chasing me. And…”

  Lioren faltered as those gnashing teeth snapped behind her eyes. She took a shaky breath and Jessabelle squeezed her arm, knowing it wouldn’t bother her. Tomas helped during those nights when she would wake up in a sweat, heart pounding, breath coming in gasps like she didn’t know which would be her last.

  She and Tomas all but slept together now. Even after she almost took out his eye with a dagger. He was never more than an arm’s length away. Kale turned into even more of a warden after that. He insisted she sleep unarmed in the event another nightmare caused her to get violent. Begrudgingly, Lioren agreed and now Tomas slept with her blades. It was a miracle he got any sleep since he spent most of the night watching her.

  Lioren’s unoccupied hand reached reflexively to where she usually carried a dagger. But now, she found more peace in not having murder weapons on her. Her blades remained on their wagon, safely tucked amongst her travel pack.

  “The urges.. are getting stronger.” Lioren whispered, nervous as to what Jessabelle would say. She watched the sky absentmindedly, as if she didn’t hear Lioren.

  “Which one? The urge to kill, or the urge to take a certain someone to bed?” She glanced at Lioren with a playful smile. Lioren pulled her hand away and Jessabelle let it go as if she was done holding Lioren’s arm anyway.

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  “This is serious, Jess.” Lioren hissed, irritation flaring inside her hazel eyes. “What if I wake up covered in blood or something?” Lioren didn’t want to entertain the idea of how she would come to be covered in blood. But a dark corner of her mind hungered for it.

  Jessabelle’s eyes lowered but her soft smile remained.

  “I guess it would cause a lot of chaos, don’t you think?” Jessabelle placed an arm around Lioren and gave her a squeeze. “We will find an outlet, be patient.” Lioren nodded but the growing hunger in her stomach only tightened its vice.

  “Have your meditations not helped?” She asked after a moment of messing with her dress.

  “Only when I am actually alone to do them.” Lioren snorted. It’s hard to find your center with Tomas’ loud chewing, Mira’s insistent questions of what is that pose for? Or does it actually work? Kale was the only one who left her to own devices as long as she wasn't pulling blades on friends.

  “What about the flowers?” Jessabelle asked, her gaze moving to the lead wagon. Lioren followed her gaze and shuddered.

  “Still can’t stand to be close to them.” Lioren pulled away from Jessabelle, who let her go, and stretched to release the tension in her shoulders.

  “Well, if it starts to get too bad, you can always sleep in a ring of wolfsbane.” Jessabelle teased, but the words hung strangely in the air long after she stepped away. Lioren smiled, grateful she knew when to end the conversation. She let Jessabelle catch up to the wagon with Mira and watched as she hauled herself up without missing a beat. Mira looked back at Lioren in concern but Lioren just gave her a wave to say she was fine.

  Now back to silence.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  The sun had just disappeared behind the distant hills when the caravan came to a stop by a cluster of trees and a small creek. The last of the wagons were being pulled into a semi-defensible half moon shape as the horses were being led to the creek to drink their fill. Lioren found a less rooty spot to set their bedrolls as the first of the night's campfires were ignited. A chill had settled as night set in. Frost would be on the grass come morning.

  Flutters of movement on the other side of the creek caught Lioren’s eyes. Shifting grass that seemed to move when no breeze blew. Her eyes narrowed and she stopped moving, willing her eyes to focus on whatever shapes were trying to blend into the shadows. Tomas looked at her, then followed her gaze.

  “If you’re trying to brood mysteriously, ten out of ten. Very intimidating. I’m terrified.”

  She didn’t laugh.

  “Wait… you’re serious?” Tomas straightened, trying to look important.

  Her eyes were fixed on the movements. But as she continued scanning the hills, the movements ceased. Lioren tilted her head to the side. Something primal crawled up her spine, hot and electric. Hunt. She closed her eyes and dug her nails into her palms. There is nothing to hunt. She whispered to herself, her voice low and breathy as she tried to shove the urge back down.

  Something was out there. Like a blink, Lioren spun around startling Tomas who dropped a trail ration, her eyes searching until she found him. Roan was just settling down near the blockade of wagons with Jessabelle when Lioren stormed up to him. He flinched slightly under her intense stare and Jessabelle looked up, concern darkening her face.

  “We are being watched. Across the creek, on the first hill.” Confusion furrowed Roan’s brow as he glanced between Lioren and the far hill.

  “What did you see?” He asked, voice suspicious but a firm hand from Jessabelle had him don a more serious expression.

  “Movement. Against the wind.” Her voice was short, her eyes hard, the urge simmering beneath her skin.

  “Lio, what’s wrong?” Tomas caught up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Without a second thought, she shook it off and leveled him with a stare. He flinched back like the electricity circulating up her spine shocked him.

  “We are being watched.” She paused, Tomas’ eyes widened as he looked around before asking where. Roan had stood up but Lioren placed a hand on his chest. “If you go look now, they will know we see them.” Her voice had grown cold, calculated.

  “You think it's bandits?” Roan stepped back, out of reach of Lioren as he tried to meet her stare. Jessabelle stood up, but her focus was Lioren. One look was all she needed to see. Her eyes widened as she wrapped her arm around Roan’s.

  “If she saw something, we need to act like it’s real.” Her eyes flashed again to Lioren who was internally shaking, her face deadpan. Hunt. The urge slithered from her spine to coil around her chest. Breathe. Lioren willed herself as the coil grew tighter. Her limbs were becoming phantoms as she wanted nothing more than to run… and kill.

  “Lio..?” Tomas reached for her shoulder again but hovered as Jessabelle shot him a look.

  Hunt!

  FINE!

  Just like that, the coil released and Lioren took a deep breath and straightened up. She gave Jessabelle and Roan a smile and pointed across the creek.

  “How about I go check it out?”

  “What?” Three simultaneous voices questioned her as she turned to go retrieve her bag.

  Roan was the first to step forward, alarm darkening his face. “Alone? Absolutely not. We don’t know how many are out there—if it’s bandits, you could be killed.”

  The three followed her as she stepped around other members who were watching them with worried eyes.

  “And if it’s not bandits?” Lioren said smoothly, dipping gracefully to pick up her blades and fasten them to her hips and thighs. “If it’s a fox or a twitch of grass, then you’ll all sleep better knowing we’re not being hunted.” She gestured to the many observing faces.

  “But what if it is bandits?” Tomas’ voice cut through the dusk behind her. Sharper. Fear wrapped around the edges. “What if you don’t come back?”

  Lioren paused. Just briefly.

  “I will,” she said, too simply. Like it was just a casual moonlit stroll.

  “That’s not good enough!” Tomas stepped into her path. “You’re still recovering from almost dying.”

  “What’s going on?” Kale arrived, Mira just behind him, both drawn by the rising tension.

  Lioren ignored Kale and looked up at Tomas, the firelight behind her making her eyes darker than they should be.

  “I’m the one who saw them.”

  Jessabelle raised a hand gently, the diplomat now. “We could send Roan or someone else—”

  “No.” Lioren’s voice was firm and sharp enough to cut flesh. Jessabelle rocked back slightly, unease blooming across her face. “I am more than capable of scouting. You of all people know that.” She pointed at Tomas, Kale and Mira all in turn. Her patience started to waver as the coil began to tighten again. “And you,” Lioren rounded on Jessabelle a little too hotly, “said I needed an outlet. Well this is that outlet.” Jessabelle took a step back and Tomas flashed her a confused look.

  A tense pause.

  “No,” Kale said, voice like a snapped rope.

  Lioren turned, her gaze locking onto his like a drawn blade. Mira flinched. Roan’s jaw twitched, but he said nothing. Jessabelle’s mouth pressed into a tight line, her fingers curling around her dress. Tomas looked like he wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake sense into her—but didn’t.

  “Not by yourself.” Kale moved away to retrieve his hammer and shiny new shield. Mira left to grab her bow and came back with a shy but determined smile.

  “Well, I was looking forward to a quiet evening not dying, but this is fine.” Tomas shrugged, his eyes still creased with worry but he also left to retrieve his gear.

  Lioren stood still, eyes locked on Kale as if he was a snake and any sudden movement would make him strike.

  The shock of his response felt like an ice bath. Her mind had gone quiet and the urge that was a burning fire only moments before was now a dull ache in her bones.

  “You… agree with me?”

  Her voice barely made it to her own ears. Her friends gathered around; battle ready for the first time since that awful night.

  “Not exactly,” Kale shrugged and moved toward the creek with Mira close behind. “It’s not a smart move, but I can tell there is no stopping you. Besides, if you are wrong, I will get to say ‘I told you so’ personally.” It sounded like an insult, but it felt like a teasing jab between friends. Lioren blinked slowly at him as Tomas gave an exaggerated gesture for her to go first.

  “Fine. If I am wrong,” Lioren approached Kale until she was inches from his face. “You can tell me ‘I told you so’. Once.” There was no smirk or twinkle in her eyes but it was close enough for Kale to let out a huff and wave her forward.

  Lioren exhaled slowly, her eyes fixated on the distant hills. Her mind quiet, her body ready.

  The hunt was on.