Chapter 5 – A Dangerous Secret
Aria could not sleep.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw him—Lucian's crimson gaze, his face caught between hunger and restraint. His words haunted her: One day, I won't be able to resist.
The healer's hut smelled of herbs and dried roots, but tonight even their comfort failed her. She wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and paced, her mother long asleep in the next room.
Aria knew she was being reckless. She should tell someone—warn the townsfolk, confide in Father Elias at the church, or even alert the guards. That was what a sensible girl would do.
But the thought of betraying him felt unbearable.
When dawn finally broke, pale and weak through the mist, she forced herself into her daily work. She visited the sick, delivered poultices, smiled at neighbors. Yet everywhere she went, she felt eyes on her. The townsfolk whispered, and not just about illness. Hunters had been sighted on the western road.
That evening, as Aria fetched water from the well, a shadow fell across her.
"You've been asking too many questions."
She turned sharply. It was her childhood friend, Jonah. His brow was furrowed, his eyes sharp with suspicion.
"I've heard you wandering at night," he said. "People talk. What are you doing out there, Aria? It's not safe."
Aria clutched her bucket tighter, her heart hammering. "I only gather herbs—"
"Herbs don't glow red in the dark," Jonah interrupted. His tone was low, accusing. "I saw you with him."
Her blood ran cold. "Saw me… with who?"
Jonah leaned closer. "Don't lie to me. I know what he is."
Aria's lips parted, but no words came.
Jonah's eyes narrowed. "If you're hiding him, you'll doom us all. Do you understand?"
And then he left her trembling by the well, the night pressing in heavier than ever.