The room seemed colder after that.
Nathaniel did not comment. He just stared at the last untouched sample, a bowl of thick broth. He did not bother testing it.
Everyone stays alert tonight, he said finally. We sleep in shifts. No one goes out alone. If they are feeding this to outsiders, they are preparing for something bigger.
I glanced toward the window. The village lights flickered outside. Somewhere in the dark, something howled. It did not sound like a dog.
A chill crept over my skin.
Something is watching us. And it is still hungry.
Then the bottle of lana on the table began to hiss. At first it sounded like oil heating in a pan. Then it boiled violently, froth bubbling up the glass.
Sir Nathaniel stood so fast his chair scraped the floor. They are near.
He moved to the doors and windows, checking the salt lines he had laid earlier. A faint shimmer of warding magic hummed along the wooden frames.
Here. He handed me a small stone amulet carved with a protection rune and a symbol like an infinity sign. Keep this close. It has a spell on it that will hold most of them off.
My fingers trembled as I wrapped them around the knife. Sir Nathaniel had given all of us a spare blade. I never actually learned how to use one to defend myself, but I realized I didn't even have a choice anymore.
I looked at Sir Nathaniel as he tried to hand Zuriel a spare knife.
Zuriel grunted but didn't take it. I already have mine, he said, pulling his slim blade free and twirling his wand in the other hand. You taught me, remember?
Nathaniel gave him a brief nod before turning to Lucien. You sure you are ready?
Lucien tightened his grip. I did not sign up for field work. But I owe you. So yes.
Aswang? I heard my own voice shake. You are serious?
They are not myths, Nathaniel said, one hand resting on the glowing blue gem at his waist. They are very real.
Then everything exploded.
The tavern door burst inward with a deafening crash, wood and salt flying across the room. The ward shattered in a spray of magical sparks
That should not have broken, Nathaniel muttered, gripping the glowing blue gem in his belt. Only high rank blood can do that. Or we are at a place where they are much stronger. They probably have a great sorcerer or an aswang with them too.
Something stepped through the ruined doorway.
My breath caught in my throat.
It was tall and hunched, its body covered in wiry black hair that clung to its limbs like shadows. Its claws were long and jagged, gleaming under the flickering light. Two red eyes burned from its skull, wide and animalistic, locked onto us. Its jaw hung too wide, lined with rows of sharp teeth. Thick saliva dripped from its mouth. Beside it were big black dogs that looked like wolves.
That was impossible because we don't have wolves in my country. This must be another kind of aswang that can transform.
The smell of rot rolled in with them. It was like blood, fish, and dead rats. That was the smell of the aswangs.
High-blooded aswang, Zuriel muttered beside me, lifting both his wand and blade. This is not just some possessed villager or yanggaw.
A yanggaw still looks a bit human and can't fully control the hunger
Lucien. Zuriel. Hold them off, Nathaniel ordered as he stepped back, raising the gem. I will activate the seal. Just give me a few seconds.
He knelt and struck the floor with two fingers, whispering sharply. Salt spilled from his pouch and flared with light, racing across the tile in a glowing arc.
An aswang lunged.
Its claws scraped across the forming line of light.
It shrieked as its skin sizzled against the ward and recoiled, smoke curling from where it had touched the barrier.
My heart pounded so hard I could barely hear anything else. I was shaking. I wanted to help, but my body wouldn't move. My hands were trembling. I had never fought like this before.
And that was only the first one.
Zuriel sprang into action, his wand flaring bright orange as fire surged from its tip. He swept the flames down his blade, which was forged to carry his element, until it glowed red hot. With every slash, he carved blazing arcs through the air, weaving between two snarling aswang that crashed in through the window.
The sound of their claws on the tile was like nails on a chalkboard, a high-pitched screech that made my teeth ache as they scrambled toward us.
Lucien held his ground near the corner, knife raised, but his posture was uncertain. He was not trained for this. He never had been. But debt had made him answer Nathaniel's call. He barely blocked a swipe of claws and gasped.
This is why I said vampires are better!. They just drink blood. These things eat people!. At least a vampire gave me time to run once.
Zuriel whipped around mid swing. Wait, what?
Lucien groaned as he parried another strike. Long story. I will tell it if I survive.
They both suck, Zuriel shot back, breathless. Literally.
Another aswang crashed through the side wall, drooling, its mouth stretching far wider than it should.
I backed away, panic swallowing me whole. My blade slipped from my grip and clattered somewhere across the floor. My chest tightened until every breath felt thin and sharp.
This is not real. These things are not real.
Then a voice echoed in my mind.
(Summon the book.)
It was my voice, but older. Clearer. Both strange and familiar. But that was impossible, because it wasn't me.
(You need it. Now.)
I do not know how, I thought desperately. I do not know what you mean.
(No answer.)
Just the roar of blood pounding in my ears.
Then heat flared behind my eyes, sudden and sharp, like a match struck inside my skull.
I gasped and stumbled back, clutching my head. The room tilted. The light warped. The smell of blood and rot vanished as if someone had wiped it away.
The world blinked out.
And I was standing on cracked marble, shadows rippling at my feet.
A vision took hold of me.
In front of me lay a knife. It was old, beautiful, and scary. The blade looked like it was made of clear crystal, with bits of fog moving inside it. Symbols moved across the handle as if they were alive.
As I stared, I saw people or maybe souls? trapped in fake dreams around the blade. Each one was lost in a lie. Time moved in a strange way around them. Their magic flickered and grew weak, pulled away by something I couldn't see
The knife pulsed.
It felt aware.
It knew me.
It wanted me.
Then everything went dark.
I could not move.
GEHAN!!!!, Zuriel screamed.
It pulsed. It wanted me.
Then the vision shattered completely.
My eyes flew open just as a massive aswang leaped toward me, black fur bristling, blood red eyes locked on mine, claws outstretched.
I slammed back into my body, falling forward. The tavern rushed into my senses like a blow to the chest. My knees hit the floor hard. My vision spun.
And the aswang was right there, flying at me with claws raised.
I could not move. I could not even scream.
GEHAN.
Zuriel was too far away.
I shut my eyes.
I heard the impact.
But it was not claws tearing into me.
Something else had stopped it.
A large hand caught the aswang's wrist mid strike, gripping it effortlessly. The creature snarled and thrashed, but in one swift motion it was hurled across the tavern like a ragdoll.
Zuriel skidded to a stop in the middle of casting another spell. That strength, he muttered under his breath. That is not normal.
I opened my eyes.
He stood in front of me.
Tan skin. Golden eyes. Long navy blue hair cut in a wolf style that brushed his shoulders. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing intricate tattoos winding along his arms.
Nikolai???
He looked down at me and grinned. Hi, Gehan. Looks like we meet again.
My chest still ached from the rush of fear. You.
He gave a small nod. Still running into trouble without me?
Before I could answer, three more aswang lunged toward us.
Sir Nathaniel raised the glowing blue gem at his waist.
Now.
He lifted his hand and unleashed the spell. A massive wave of light burst from the crystal, slamming into the creatures. They were blasted backward, howling as they were hurled out through the broken door and shattered windows. The air shimmered as the barrier snapped into place around the tavern.
For a moment, all we could do was breathe.
Lucien dropped to one knee, panting. Why do they always look like they want to eat me and shred me into pieces?
Zuriel sheathed his knife and lowered his wand, but his eyes never left Nikolai.
He stared at him hard.
Then he walked over and positioned himself slightly in front of me, just enough to stand between us.
You know him?
I nodded slowly. He saved me once. Back when I was tied up, he untied me and fought the cult. Remember when I got kidnapped before you both found me.
Nikolai lifted a lazy hand in greeting. Not looking for credit. Just doing what I do.
Zuriel's jaw tightened. Right. His teal eyes scanned Nikolai carefully, taking in his stance and his calm posture.
Zuriel had spent years hunting monsters and tracking threats with Sir Nathaniel, so he could read danger in the smallest movements. It looked like he didn't like or trust Nikolai.
It was weird, but I trusted him a little because he felt familiar and probably because he helped me.
And something about Nikolai his timing, his strength, and the way he appeared exactly when I needed him made Zuriel uneasy. Even I found it weird. But with everything strange happening to me, I didn't have time to worry about it
Sir Nathaniel stepped forward, brushing blood from his coat. We will talk later, he said firmly. That was not the last of them.
Zuriel did not reply.
But he did not take his eyes off Nikolai.
Not even for a second.