I was sneaking into town because I needed my horse. At least that was how I was currently deluding myself. There was no good reason to be doing this in the middle of the day, that was how fast my reasoning broke down.

Really just trying to get this over with as fast as I can.

Another excuse. I had been observing for nearly an hour now, tracking all the foo– …people by scent. There wasn’t the slightest indication of what I had done several days ago. No one was overly worried, scared, or even talking about it. It was almost as if nothing had happened.

It happened.

Just don’t know what I did.

I still had not been able to figure out what had happened after I had tossed Onar my amulet. I had studiously avoided going anywhere near Onar’s farm because I was terrified of what I might find there. That had even meant taking the long way around to get to the bunkhouse.

Not going to keep wondering.

Get horse. Get out.

I dashed over from the treeline to the back of the bunkhouse the second I had a clear path. There were only two people out right now, Pepper-blood Reya and an unknown Jasmine-blood, male, healthy but definitely on the older side, probably didn’t spend a lot of time outdoors.

I nearly surprised myself with how much I could tell about people just by scent when I didn’t smother my senses. I had always known, but just ignored the knowledge because confronting this part of me was painful. Yet now that I needed it to get my horse out, it almost made being blind in the sun tolerable.

Almost.

It filled me with a strange sense of disconnect, my heightened perception shifting my priorities in unnervingly liquid ways. Constantly needing to remind myself that I wasn’t tracking an all-you-can-eat buffet, trying to single out the weakest prey, was tiring me out.

Observing. Not tracking.

Get horse. Not prey.

Hugging the wall, I eked closer to the little overhang that served as a stable. There was a second horse in there now for some reason, probably belonging to the Jasmin-blooded newcomer. I assumed he might be the Academy doctor, simply because his scent was too cultured to be that of a hunter or an Inquisitor. Also, he and Pepper– …Reya had just come from Uncle Tare’s place.

My leg hit something I wasn’t expecting to be there. It clanged to the ground. I held back a string of curses and waited, hoping that no one had heard. In front, Reya asked the Jasmin-blood to go inside while she took care of something. Then the Pepper-blood scent trail edged around the building, heading my way.

Aaaah… come on!

Just has to be Reya too.

I only made a half-hearted attempt to hide under the overhang that served as a stable. I could have done so much better. Maybe I wanted to be caught, wanted to be put on the spot for all that I had done. The shade provided me just enough vision to see Reya round the corner and stomp my way with murderous calm.

“Reya… wait… I…” I inched as far back as I could while the furious woman advanced. I tried to back myself further into a corner, but with that second horse here now, things were a little more cramped.

“Shut it!” she barked as she reached for me.

I tried to push her away, squirm out of her grasp, but with both of my gloves ruined, the claws on my hands exposed, I had few options that did not risk scratching her.

Really can’t hurt anyone else.

Before I knew it she had an arm under my elbow and I was lifted straight off the ground and carried away like a bag of grain. I kicked and screamed but it was no use. Reya’s hold was fiercer than I ever expected. Every time I had nearly squirmed out she simply adjusted her grip. Then she even placed a hand over my mouth to stop my screaming.

“Shut up!”

I froze, with two of her fingers stuck between my lips, brushing against my fangs. I could chomp down, suck her dry before she would be able to react. My tongue darted out, tasting her skin, stoking a primal need deep within me.

Shock at Reya’s actions edged itself past the craving. I clamped my teeth together. Her hand on my mouth was the most unexpectedly effective way to shut me up I had ever experienced. That she did something like this startled me more than anything. She knew what I was, had to know what I was capable of, and yet she had still placed her hand over my mouth like it was nothing.

Why does she do this?

Why isn’t she the least bit scared?

Who is this woman?

Not just some town healer, that’s for sure.

Still preoccupied with Reya’s far too near fingers, I was being carried through town. Upside down. It was disorienting. I could not see, so keeping the mental map of my surroundings straight during the day was already hard enough as it was. Now, with the ground facing the wrong way I soon lost track of where she was taking me entirely. I felt helpless. I hated being helpless. Desperate I tried to slither away once more.

“Gods above, you’re a mess.” Reya shut down my latest attempt at getting out of her grip with enviable ease.

She was dragging me past some kind of fence, through what I hoped was a small vegetable garden. I did not recognize any of it. She had taken me to a part of town I knew nothing about. Less than 10 houses and so blind I could still get lost in it. Even if I managed to squeeze out of her arms now, I doubted I would be able to get away, simply on account of not knowing which way to go.

Reya pulled open a door and dragged me through. While my eyes adjusted, a little Mushroom-garlic-scented gremlin-snack looked up at me all confused. Then I was carried into the next room.

Wait? Gremlin? Ari?

Before I could figure that out I was dumped on the ground in front of another pair of feet. Not expecting to be dropped like this I rolled badly, suppressing a hiss of pain.

Not hissing again, not in front of Meg.

I twisted myself into an awkward backwards sitting position and looked up at a Lemongrass– … Meg that seemed every bit as confused as I was. She was holding the little nibble on one arm while struggling with a sheet of cloth in the other.

“Get her decent. And don’t let her out, because then the doctor will want to see her,” Reya addressed the Lemongrass-and-cotton-scented Meg. Then she shivered, rubbing her hands together. “Gods above she’s cold.”

‘s why I don’t just touch people.

And room temperature’s not that cold!

No. No. My natural body temperature was not important right now. I needed to figure out what was going on. “Wha­–” I tried.

“Ari! Go get your dad!” Meg cut me off by calling out to her daughter, then put her other kid down right next to me. “Vale?” Then she straightened again and addressed Reya while she put away the cloth. “What is going on?”

“Caught her trying to sneak out her horse. Just keep her here for now and get her sorted out. I’ve got to get back to the doctor before someone accidentally tells him we’re harboring a vampire.” Reya explained.

Wait? Harboring?

Does that still mean…

I chewed my lower lip as I struggled to keep up with what was transpiring. The Jasmin-blood I had smelled accompanying Reya had been the doctor then. But harboring me… Reya had told me she would rat me out if I made even a single misstep. I had clearly made several. Yet she was trying to keep me hidden from the doctor, even after what I had done…

Still no idea what I’ve done to Onar, but it can’t have been anything good.

What is going on?

I tried to insert myself into whatever was transpiring. “I can–”

Reya lifted me off the ground by the collar of my shirt, single-handed, as if that was the most normal thing in the world, and slammed me against the wall. “Explain?” She sneered. “I doubt it.” She brought her face within inches of my own. “I wonder girl, you heal fast but you do feel pain, don’t you?”

I nodded, too shocked to do anything else but comply with this woman. I had thought I was beginning to know Reya. I knew nothing at all.

Why’s she so strong?

“I put my neck on the line for you girl. And what do you do? Not. Even. A day!” Reya snarled. “Don’t push me. Or I might just find a knife and see how long I can keep carving you up.”

Don’t know what I did!

I winced. It felt new, this show of weakness to a stronger predator. But it was honest, and even after all that had happened I still could not bring myself to lie to Reya again.

Reya dropped me and turned back to Meg. “This idiocy’s gone on long enough. Tell her Meg, I’ll send Rafe or Eryn over the second I can do so without the doctor growing suspicious.”

Tell me what?

No, asking about that wasn’t important right now. Reya had just told Meg to tell me, so I would find out in a second. What mattered was that Reya was clearly desperate to keep me away from the doctor. I had to know why, before the Pepper-blooded avalanche stormed out.

Had I done something in the healing that would make a doctor suspicious?

“What’s the doctor want from me?” I choked out, picking myself up from the ground once more.

“Tell her? But…” Meg faltered, completely ignoring me.

“Divine’s arse, I don’t give a shit Meg. Tell her. I’m done covering for Onar’s ass.” Reya cut her off, already heading for the front door. Then, surprisingly, she addressed my question. “Doctor wants to know where the hell we’ve managed to snag a hunter that’s this proficient at healing. Course we couldn’t tell him you already left with your horse right sarding there.”

Wait? Competent?

I’m not competent. I barely even remember what I did.

Unless…

“I could explain?” I ventured.

“You? Talk to the doctor? Hah!” Reya scoffed, shook her head. Holding her temple she sighed deeply, before eyeing me with intent. “Though I suppose…” She jabbed a finger my way. “No vampire bullshit!”

‘m not a vampire!

“No demon bullshit,” I agreed with her.

Really, I’ve hidden myself for years. I know what I’m doing.

It’s you people that keep shouting vampire and demon at me all the time.

“Ugh. Fine!” Reya relented. “Get her decent. Make sure she covers…” She gestured towards my claw-tipped hands before spitting out the last of her sentence. “That!”

Then Reya stormed out, leaving me alone with a shocked Meg and the um… nibble… um… Trip?

I had no idea what to do with myself after that. No clue what was going on. I really hoped Meg did know, though glancing up at her face it did not look like it.

Guess at least Reya’s this forceful to everyone?