The child's terrified eyes clung to Elira like a lifeline.
"Where did they take him?" she asked gently, lowering her hand from the calming gesture.
"In the ruins," the boy whispered. "By the old chapel. The ones with eyes like fire."
Caelum's jaw tightened, fingers curling into a fist beneath his cloak. "The Ashen Brotherhood," he muttered.
Elira frowned. "Who are they?"
"Vampires," the boy said simply, before collapsing into sobs.
Elira exchanged a long glance with Caelum, the uneasy truce between them solidifying in the cold night air.
"We will find him," she promised.
As they moved toward the ruins, Elira felt the pendant's faint pulse against her chest — a steady beat like a warning or a call.
Caelum's voice broke the silence. "There are truths you don't know, Elira. About your past. About the curse you carry."
She bristled. "I've heard enough lies already."
He met her glare evenly. "Then listen carefully. The night holds many secrets. Not all of them your enemy's."
A shadow shifted at the edge of the trees. The hunt was beginning.