Crimson Oath
A Fantasy Romance by Chizzy
Chapter Five – Shadows Beneath the Morning Sun
The dawn came pale and reluctant, spilling its weak light over the forest. Mist coiled around the trees, curling low across the earth like breath from sleeping giants.
Avaline rode between Kael and Lycian in uneasy silence. The old path wound through dense woods, the air damp with moss and rain. Birds called in cautious bursts, as if even they feared to break the stillness that hung over their small company.
Kael led the way, his cloak brushing the ferns as he moved with an almost unnatural grace. He did not tire, did not stumble, and though he rarely turned to speak, Avaline could feel his attention on her—watchful, measured, and strangely protective.
Behind her, Lycian's horse snorted and stamped, restless beneath the werewolf's steady hand. His presence filled the space like wildfire: untamed, hot, impossible to ignore.
"You trust him too easily," Lycian murmured, leaning closer as they rode. "A vampire's mercy always comes with a price."
Avaline glanced at him, her jaw tight. "And yours doesn't?"
He smiled, teeth flashing white in the dim light. "I never said I was merciful."
Kael's voice cut through the mist. "Quiet. We're not alone."
The air changed. The forest stilled. Even the horses sensed it. Kael drew his blade in a single, smooth motion; the steel gleamed like liquid moonlight.
Figures stepped from between the trees—four, maybe five. Hunters. Human, but carrying weapons laced with silver and salt.
"Bounty men," Lycian muttered. "They smell the gold on monster blood."
The leader raised a crossbow. "Step aside, girl. The beasts are worth more alive, but we'll take them dead if we must."
Avaline's pulse thundered. She didn't move.
Kael's eyes darkened, a red gleam flickering beneath the calm. "You'll touch her over my ashes," he said softly.
In a blur, he was gone from her side—reappearing among the hunters like a gust of smoke and death. Lycian leapt from his saddle with a snarl, steel clashing against claw.
Avaline could only watch, helpless and awed. The fight was fast, brutal, beautiful in its terror. When it ended, the forest was silent again—save for the quick, uneven sound of her breathing.
Kael turned to her, his face pale and streaked with blood that wasn't his. "You shouldn't have stayed," he said.
Her voice trembled. "You think I could leave you?"
Something flickered in his eyes—something that broke through the cold, even for just a heartbeat. "You should," he whispered.
Lycian wiped his blade and looked at her. "He's right about one thing, princess. This road will eat you alive if you're not careful."
"I'm not a princess," she said.
He chuckled. "You might be before this is over."
Avaline looked between them—the vampire with sorrow in his eyes and the wolf with mischief in his smile—and felt that same pull inside her veins again, stronger this time, aching like a tether stretched too tight.
Maybe the seer would have answers. Or maybe the journey itself would change everything before she even reached the ruins.
She wasn't sure which frightened her more.
To be continued....