An Arrow in the Night

-Iya-

Iya crouched low to the ground, running her fingers over the tracks the creature had left in the dirt. The footprint couldn’t be more than a few hours old, the soft spring earth preserving it enough that she could tell the creature still suffered from the limp she’d given it the day before. Tracing the path in her mind, Iya began to move forward once more, passing through the forest with the silent grace her father had instilled in her for as long as she’d been able to walk.

The hours passed her by in noisy silence. Iya settled into the familiar rhythms of the forest as moonlight filtered through the canopy above, bathing her path in silver. Each new footprint brought her closer to her quarry, closer to finally catching up to the creature that had stolen him away. The rage that had haunted her own footsteps for the past seven days built in her chest, a cresting wave that threatened to overwhelm her. Iya forced it away, tucking it and the terrible worry that rode it away until after. After the creature was dead, after her father was recovered and safe, after this nightmare was over.

A sound cracked through the forest’s silence. The familiar rhythms shattered away, leaving Iya alert and still as she scanned the trees for movement. It had been several paces since she’d seen the last track, but that wasn’t unusual given the tangled undergrowth that sprawled across this patch of land. That track had been less than an hour old, but she hadn’t gleaned anything else from it. There was no fresh urgency or change of course that might indicate the creature had noticed she was still tracing every footfall.

Iya slowly lowered herself into a half crouch, sliding her father’s bow over her shoulders and stringing it with practiced hands. Nocking an arrow, Iya resumed her steady prowl, eyes constantly surveying her surroundings for any sign of her prey.

Motion flashed in the corner of her vision. Iya whipped around, barely registering the fleeing form before she released her arrow in one fluid movement. The arrow slammed into the creature’s back, eliciting an unholy scream from the thing as it tumbled forward. Iya darted through the trees toward the creature. She reached it in mere seconds, slamming her boot down into its wounded back as it struggled to rise. The thing whimpered, a woman’s face that looked so human turning toward her in utter terror.

She is not human. Iya nocked another arrow. She is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. A monster with an innocent face. An image of her father screaming at her to run as that thing tore into his throat flashed before her eyes. That rage surged, boiling over until she couldn’t see, couldn’t think around it. Iya drew her father’s bow back. The arrow’s fletching tickled her cheek as she aimed it between the creature’s terrified eyes.

Her eyes.

Her brown, very human eyes.

Iya’s fury guttered for a moment, allowing just a hint of clarity to shine through. She remembered only flashes from that night. The flickering torchlight, the way her father’s blood had smelled in the night air, the sound of flesh tearing and her father screaming. But the one thing she remembered perfectly was the creature’s glowing silver eyes.

Iya allowed her bow to lower just a fraction, the arrow still tense in her hands. She was about to speak when a voice sounded from her left.

“Oh, you stopped. Such a pity.”

Something slammed into Iya with enough force to send her flying several feet. She crashed into the base of a tree, a crack echoing through her skull seconds before pain erupted along her ribs. Air rushed out of her and her vision temporarily went dark. By the time Iya finally managed to suck down a breath, her vision had cleared enough to make out a vague figure standing over the woman she had shot.

The figure was dressed in black, allowing him to blend into his surroundings. She couldn’t make out the features of his face or his dress, just that he was several inches taller than she was and was shaking his head in disapproval.

The figure looked down at the injured woman, clicking his tongue in disappointment. “You’ve terrified the poor thing half to death.” Iya stiffened as the figure looked in her direction, his face still concealed in shadow. “Fear completely ruins the flavor, you know.”

He crouched beside the woman and carefully rolled her onto her side, crushing the arrow into her back. The woman cried out in pain, but the figure gently hushed her and bent to lift her off the ground. Sharp teeth glinted in the moonlight for a mere instant before he tilted the woman’s head to the side and bit down on her neck.

The woman didn’t even scream. Instead, she simply sighed and relaxed into the creature’s arms, allowing him to take her lifeblood away. Within a few minutes, the woman was dead and the creature was wiping blood away from his lips.

He spat a bit of blood into the undergrowth, disgust evident in his tone. “Such a waste.”

Iya stared at the woman’s body, horror freezing her blood and slowing her thoughts. One thought cycled on repeat in her mind, beating her with the realization of exactly what kind of Myth she had drawn the attention of. Vampire. Vampire. Vampire.

She didn’t even notice the vampire approach until he had looped around the tree and out of sight. “Now, little huntress. I have a few questions for you.”

Iya reacted on instinct. Ignoring the screaming pain in her ribs and the common sense dwindling in the back of her mind, she twisted toward the direction of the creature’s voice and spat on his polished shoes.

Snarling, the creature danced away before she could get a good look at him. “Well that wasn’t very polite, now was it?”

“Why under Kaliim’s holy sky do you think I would help you?” Iya hissed, each word sending shards of pain shooting through her injured ribs.

“Perhaps I hoped you would feel something of a guilty conscience for forcing me to put that poor thing out of her misery.” The vampire sniffed, sounding deeply offended. “Terror and pain wreak havoc on my digestion.”

The body of the woman loomed in the darkness, but Iya refused to allow herself to look at it. “You were obviously watching. You allowed me to shoot her.”

The vampire snorted. “Allowed is a strong word. Did I move slower than I should have out of curiosity toward your intentions? Perhaps. But getting shot would have ruined my suit and it is one of my favorites.”

Iya twisted around the other direction, spewing curses as she frantically searched the trees for his figure.

“There you go, ignoring all manners again.” He chided. A sudden invisible force slammed into Iya, crushing her into the tree at her back once more. She screamed, her ribs searing in pain at the rough treatment.

After a moment of agony, the magic dissipated. Iya slumped forward, her lungs trying their best to draw air into her body while also restricting movement to her likely broken ribs. It was while she lay there, gasping like a fish on dry land that Iya finally registered the depth of her error.

How long have I been chasing the wrong monster? It had been at least a day since Iya had injured the woman and she’d been following that line of tracks for two days before that. Somehow, she must have lost the monster who stole her father to the trees and had picked up that woman’s trail instead. Despair and rage and pure panic crowded her mind, battling for dominance and control. How could she have made such a mistake? Father will be so disappointed.

Leaves shifted to her left and the figure of the vampire emerged, his face still shrouded in shadow. “I’ll offer you a deal, little huntress. You and this woman are in my territory, which means you are subject to my laws. Murder is punishable by slow and agonizing death under those laws. I imagine that does not sound appealing to you, so if you explain to me why you were hunting that woman, I’ll instead make your execution quick and painless.”

“I don’t make deals with men I cannot see.” Iya hissed through the pain in her chest and the guilt at her throat.

The vampire huffed a laugh. “You are bold for someone staring their death in the face. I like that.” And he stepped into a shaft of moonlight to allow Iya to make out his features for the first time.

He was clad in a well tailored nobleman’s suit, black with silver accents along the cuffs and lapels. Straight, dark hair fell to the small of his back and was pulled away from his face in a simple half tail. Moonlight gilded his high cheekbones and full lips, emphasizing his pale skin and obvious beauty. The feature that stood out to her most, however, were the silver eyes that glowed even in the soft light of the moon.

Every muscle in Iya’s body tensed at the sight of those eyes. Those eyes that had churned awake nightmares whenever she’d managed to get a few moments of rest. He taken the most important person in her life and stolen him away. The dead woman dragged at her attention, adding to the list of this monster’s crimes. Had he compelled her to lead Iya away? She hadn’t lost the trail at all, but had instead been toyed with like a cat playing with a blind mouse.

A scream of rage erupted out of Iya’s chest. Heedless of her wounds, she lunged for the vampire. The hunting knife she kept strapped to her waist found its way into her hands just in time for her to swipe it down his chest.

Moving faster than she could follow, the vampire dodged away from her and grabbed her wrist. He yanked her toward him, twirling her around so her back pressed into his chest with the knife pinned to her own neck.

“We are going to have to do something about those manners of yours, little huntress.” The monster murmured into her ear, something in his voice worming it’s way beneath her skin, forcing her muscles to relax.

Iya fought the sensation, bucking in his arms with all her might. She slammed her head back into his face, earning a grunt of pain as she slipped away from his surprised grasp.

Iya dashed toward the woman’s body to find her father’s bow. While her hunting knife could certainly wound a vampire, one of her father’s wooden arrows would actually be able to finish the deed.

Her father’s kidnapper didn’t let her get very far. His magic shoved her feet out from under her, sending her tumbling into the undergrowth. Pain pierced her chest, her broken ribs screaming at her to stop moving, stop breathing, stop doing anything at all. Iya did her best to ignore them, but the crippling pain slowed her enough that the vampire managed to tackle her from behind.

He wrestled the knife from her, tossing it far out of her reach before he pinned her legs beneath him and her hands above her head. She thrashed, but his supernatural strength far outweighed her own and was enhanced by his magic. There would be no escaping this time.

“You’re a violent little thing, aren’t you?” The vampire bit out through clenched teeth. Iya noticed with no small amount of pride that she had broken his nose, a trail of black blood dripping onto his fancy suit.

He caught her looking and flashed her a crooked grin. “Don’t worry my dear, my handsome features will be healed by the end of the night.”

“Fuck you.” Iya spat.

“What in all ten goddesses names did I do to deserve such vitriol?”

“You kidnapped my father!” Iya screamed at him.

The vampire blinked, his expression unreadable.

Iya was furious enough that she didn’t care. “I wasn’t hunting that woman, I was hunting you! I’ve been on your trail for the last seven nights. You broke the Cilaran treaty and took him from his own lands. I saw you.” Her voice was so infused with hatred it hardly sounded like her own anymore.

Everything about the vampire had gone cold, rigid. Even the silver in his eyes was iced over in hoarfrost. “That isn’t possible.”

Iya screamed in fury and hatred, thrashing against his hold with all her remaining strength. He held firm, only allowing her enough room to avoid her head smacking into his face once more.

When her pain once again outweighed her anger, the vampire leaned in until his face was only a few inches from her own. “Listen, little huntress.” He hissed. “Seven days ago, I was at my fortress in Vladenhaven preparing for the blood moon. I haven’t been anywhere near Cilara since the summit well over a fortnight ago. I certainly haven’t kidnapped any old men.”

“Liar!” Iya snarled.

The vampire snarled right back at her. “Believe what you like, little huntress. But I did not take your father. It seems you have mistaken me for another.”

“I know what I saw, monster. If you don’t give him back to me, I swear to the gods above and below that I will destroy you and everything you hold dear.” Iya seethed, panting against the pain in her ribs.

The vampire cocked his head, looking her up and down before saying in a bored tone. “Will you now? That seems like it would be difficult considering you’re entirely in my power at the moment.”

Iya snarled again, but the vampire just shoved away from her. He stood, brushing dirt and dead leaves from the fine material of his trousers. She tried to follow him, but his magic kept her pinned to the ground.

Delicately dabbing at the blood streaming from his nose with an embroidered handkerchief, the vampire gave Iya a dirty look. “I’ll have to kill you, you know. For injuring the woman and for ruining my favorite suit.” He paused to tuck the now filthy handkerchief back into his pocket. “But, assuming you are telling the truth and aren’t entirely delusional, it would seem that someone did commit a great crime. Breaking a treaty is almost as grave a crime as murder. What is your father’s name? After your execution, I swear to report the crime to the proper authorities and bring them to justice.”

“His name is Pavel Fedorov, you fucking asshole.” Iya spat.

The vampire froze, going still in the way only an immortal Myth can. He slowly turned to look at her, his silver eyes flashing with some unrecognizable emotion.

“Did you just say Pavel Fedorov?” He asked, his tone deadly quiet.

Iya wanted to rake her fingernails down his handsome face, but instead she just nodded.

The vampire blinked, slow and steady. Silence fell for several long moments, the only sounds were the gentle hum of the forest and Iya’s own labored breathing. Then without warning, his magic lifted away from her entirely, leaving her to gasp at the sudden freedom.

“Under my right as Lord Nicolae Bloodborne of Vladenhaven, I hereby pardon you from any wrongdoing accomplished this night.” The vampire declared in quick, clipped words. Then he spun around and began to stalk away into the night.

Iya scrambled to her feet, doing her best to ignore the sharp pain in her ribs. “What? Wait, where are you going?”

“To find your father!” The vampire called Nicolae replied over his shoulder.

Iya stopped in her tracks. “But I saw you take him-”

Sighing loudly and dramatically, Nicolae spun around and began to prowl toward her. “Think, little huntress. Why would I kidnap your father only to stash him somewhere while I lead you on a wild goose chase during one of the most important vampire events of the season, only to reveal myself after you nearly kill an innocent woman? What purpose could all of that possibly serve?”

“Why don’t you tell me, monster?”

Nicolae reached her in that moment, stopping close enough that she had to tilt her head up to meet those hideously beautiful silver eyes. “It serves no purpose because it didn’t happen. I didn’t take your father. But someone-” he cut off the denial Iya was about to snap at him with a hard look, “is trying to make it look like I did.”

“Why would anyone want to do that?” Iya asked.

The vampire tilted his head to one side as though he was considering his next words with care. “Because Pavel is an important political figure in my queen’s court. And because he is my friend.”

Iya staggered away in shock. “That’s impossible.”

“I have not lied to you a single time this night, daughter of Pavel Fedorov. And I am not lying to you now when I say that I will find who took your father and tear them to shreds. I’ll even let you help, if you so desire.” His silver eyes pulsed with an earnest light.

Iya stared at him, trying to pick out the truth from every line on his face. Something about his open words and the violence in his tone told her that he spoke true. She shoved the implications of that aside for the moment, forcing herself to consider the offer he was making.

Could she trust him? Of course not. Vampires were even more skilled at manipulation than the Fae these days, with their bargains and treaties in exchange for willing human flesh. But in the end, it didn’t really matter. If Nicolae was telling the truth, then someone or something else had taken her father and she had allowed any clues to slip away from her days ago. As much as she wanted to deny his aid, she had lost so much time already. She couldn’t afford to lose anymore.

Feeling as though she was making a deal with a devil straight from Hell itself, Iya offered a hand to Nicolae.

The vampire lord gave her a grim smile as he took it. “May I know the name of the lady who is to join me on this noble quest?”

She eyed him before deciding lying would be pointless. “Iya.”

Nicolae sketched a bow. “Well met, Huntress Iya. May your arrows fly as straight toward my impersonator as they did tonight.”

Biting back a retort, Iya sucked in a deep breath and followed him into the night.