The night felt heavier than usual, pressing down on Mary as she sat by the dying embers of the campfire. The air was thick with unspoken tension, her mind replaying every word the mysterious figure had spoken.
"You are the heir. The last descendant of the ancient bloodline."
The words echoed in her mind, refusing to let her rest.
Lela sat nearby, sharpening her blade, her gaze flickering toward Mary every few minutes. She was worried. Mary could feel it. Lela had always been her protector, even before she knew she needed one. But now, after what had been revealed, Mary wasn't sure she could even protect herself—from her own blood, from the truth.
She clenched her fists, frustration bubbling beneath her skin. She wasn't some ancient ruler, destined to bring back a lost race of monsters. She wasn't a harbinger of darkness. She was just… Mary.
Or at least, she wanted to believe that.
Loosie, who had been silent for most of the evening, finally spoke up. "So… what do we do now?" Her voice was soft, uncertain.
Mary let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding. "I don't know."
Lela set her sword down with a little too much force. "Well, I do. We keep moving. We don't let this… thing control you."
Mary looked at her, eyes filled with uncertainty. "What if it's true? What if I really do have their blood?"
Lela's jaw tightened. "Then we make sure that it doesn't change who you are. You're not one of them, Mary. You're you. And no prophecy, no bloodline, no ancient curse is going to change that."
Loosie nodded. "She's right. Maybe you do have their blood, but that doesn't mean you have to follow whatever path they wanted for you. You get to decide who you are."
Mary wanted to believe them. She really did. But the doubt in her heart refused to fade.
Suddenly, a rustling in the trees made them all snap to attention. Lela grabbed her sword, Loosie reached for her bow, and Mary… Mary felt the magic stir within her, as if reacting to the unknown presence.
A figure stepped into the firelight, their cloak billowing slightly in the wind. This time, however, it was not the same eerie being that had confronted them earlier. This figure was shorter, their posture less ominous, but still dangerous.
A woman.
She had short, silvery hair that gleamed in the moonlight, and piercing violet eyes that scanned them with sharp intelligence. Her armor was sleek, form-fitting, built for speed rather than brute strength. And at her hip, a wickedly curved dagger rested, its blade dark as the void.
"Finally found you," she said, her voice calm but laced with something unreadable.
Lela didn't lower her weapon. "Who are you?"
The woman smirked. "The one who's going to stop you from making a very big mistake."
Mary tensed. "What mistake?"
The woman took a step closer, her gaze locking onto Mary's. "Trusting the wrong people. Thinking you can run from what you are."
Mary's stomach twisted. "And let me guess—you're here to make sure I 'embrace my heritage,' too?"
The woman let out a soft chuckle. "No. I'm here to make sure you survive it."
That caught them off guard. Lela lowered her sword slightly, but her stance remained wary. "Explain."
The woman sighed, crossing her arms. "You think the ancient ones are your biggest problem? They're not. They're only half the equation. The real problem is that you exist."
Mary frowned. "That… doesn't make sense."
The woman's eyes darkened. "To them, it does. You're an anomaly. A danger. The fact that you even exist is a threat to the balance of power. And trust me, there are people—very powerful people—who don't like that one bit."
Lela and Loosie exchanged glances.
Mary swallowed hard. "And who are these people?"
The woman smirked. "Vampire hunters. The kind that don't care if you're good or bad. The kind that see your blood as nothing more than a target."
A chill ran down Mary's spine. She had encountered hunters before, but if what this woman was saying was true, this was different. This wasn't just about eliminating vampires. It was about eliminating her.
Lela took a step forward. "And how do you know all this?"
The woman met her gaze without flinching. "Because I used to be one of them."
Silence.
Mary's breath caught in her throat. Loosie visibly tensed. Even Lela, who was normally unreadable, looked momentarily caught off guard.
"You were a hunter?" Mary asked cautiously.
The woman nodded. "Once. Until I realized that not everything is as black and white as they wanted me to believe. Some vampires are monsters, yes. But some… some are just trying to live. And some, like you, are something entirely different."
Mary's mind raced. If this woman had once been a hunter, then that meant she had insight—information that could help them.
Lela, however, wasn't so easily convinced. "And why should we trust you?"
The woman sighed. "You don't have to. But I'm your best chance at staying ahead of the people who want you dead. And trust me… they're already coming."
Mary clenched her fists. First the ancient bloodline, now this? How many enemies could she possibly have without even knowing it?
She took a slow breath. "If what you're saying is true… then what do we do?"
The woman smiled, but there was no joy in it. "We prepare. We learn everything we can. And most importantly…"
She locked eyes with Mary.
"…we make sure you're strong enough to survive."
Mary felt something stir deep inside her—fear, yes, but also something else. A determination.
No matter what came next, she would survive.
She had to.