CHAPTER 2

Edmund

"They won't give us free access to roam the town and the outskirts, you know that, Edmund," Kano tells me.

I frown. "Tell me something I don't know."

It's, of course, a statement that doesn't require a reply. I sigh heavily, wondering what our best course of action should be. I look around. We camped out here in the middle of the woods, away from the shifter town. We're protected by the lake on one side, and the mountain on the other. There is only one way they could attack us if they found out where our location is. We're as safe as it gets here. But I know that as long as we're close to them, we're far from being safe.

This feud between the shifters and the vampires goes way back. I think farther back than any of us can even remember. Sometimes, I think we're fighting someone else's war, not ours. But it is our history. It is not something we can just turn our back to. We know it. They know it. And this war keeps on raging.

"Do you have an idea where we should start the search?" Kano asks me.

The previous night, I went on the lookout, leaving the others to set up camp. That was when I met and saved that human girl.

Instantly, the moment I remember her, my mind brings up her image, the way she was trembling in front of me, but at the same time, trying to seem brave. Not every human would have the balls for that. Metaphorically, in this case.

"Edmund?" Kano calls out to me, and the girl's image disappears.

"Yes," I nod. "I didn't manage to find anything. The town is well guarded. There is no getting in, unless we get someone on the inside."

"Yeah," Kano snorts. "Good luck with that."

I think to myself for a moment. Maybe that girl might help us. She isn't a shifter. But then… What is she doing with them? It didn't seem like she was one of them. They were going to attack her, or something even worse. Yet, she returned to that same place. The shifter town. It just doesn't make any sense.

"Patience," I tell him. "This is our only chance to find the well," I remind him. "We have to take our time. We have to find it. Otherwise…" I haven't finished my sentence, but Kano knows exactly what I'm referring to.

We need that source of energy. We have stopped drinking human blood. Well, most of us have. It was a pact we agreed to and now it seems that we got the short end of the stick in that deal. The humans are safe. We, however, are not. Not in the sense that we are in danger, but rather in the sense that we cannot sustain ourselves on animal blood alone. It doesn't have enough nutrients. We need more. So much more.

So, we have two options. One of them is to simply turn our backs to that pact and start attacking humans. But that will have devastating consequences to every single being on this earth, not just us and the humans. The shifters will be affected, the werewolves, the merfolk, the fairies, everyone. All the creatures that ever roamed this earth and that are still here. It is a delicate balance that needs to be upheld, and if one side turns their back on this, everyone suffers.

Our second option lies in one of our old legends. Heck, many vampires believe that we're here for nothing, that it doesn't even exist. But I've always believed that where there's smoke, there's fire. At least it's worth checking out to see if that well truly exists. If it does, it would be the answer to our prayers.

However, we're not the only ones after the well. Legends say whoever drinks the water from it, is rejuvenated instantly. It works on any special being, not just vampires. It's no wonder then that the shifters won't give it up.

But the question is… do they even know where it is or are they just pretending? That is what I've been wondering all this time. Because they aren't more powerful than any other shifter clan we've encountered. And those who are drinking from the Well of Salubrity would be unable to hide their physical supremacy over any other clan of their kind.

As Kano has already pointed out, maybe they are just good at hiding it. But I doubt it. No one is that good.

"We will stay here as long as necessary," I tell him something he already knows. "We have to find that well."

"You know you can count on us," Kano assures me, with a nod.

"I know," I press my hand to his shoulder and squeeze him in a conspiratorial manner. "You've been my right-hand man forever."

Neither of us says anything to that. My scar is enough of a reminder of a time when I trusted in the wrong vampires, despite Kano's advice not to. I allowed myself to be blinded. It is so easy to do when you want to believe in the goodness of others. Then you realize you've been lied to, that the ones you trusted the most were the same ones who were about to stab you in the back. Trusting the wrong vampires almost cost me my life. Luckily, I had Kano by my side and now, this scar which will never disappear.

Maybe it's for the better. I need a reminder not to rush into things, not to trust everyone. It was a lesson I paid for dearly, and it could have cost me even more.

"Let's go see what the others are up to," I suggest.

We headed for the small group, gathered around a makeshift bench. Some of them are smoking. The others are just sitting there in silence. I know they're all impatient. I can smell it in the air. It is infested with despair, because we all know how close we are to becoming a dying breed. Vampire clans have been slowly disappearing off the face of the earth for many reasons. One of them is the fact that there aren't many female vampires left who are available. We have to transform humans, but with that pact still in place we have to be careful about it. Being a vampire has become more difficult nowadays than anyone could have imagined.

Being the vampire king… Well, that is a whole different story altogether. You can't mate with just anyone, but you have to mate all the same. It is a conversation I've had many times with Kano. A vampire king must mate with a vampire princess, at least. A vampire queen would be perfect, but I haven't met any of those in ages.

As soon as we approach the small group, everyone stands up, showing respect. I nod quickly, signaling them to sit back down. They do. I can see the impatience in their eyes, the desire to get on with it.

"We have to do this very carefully," I remind them, although I'm sure they all know this. "So, we'll split into two search parties. There's twelve of us, so that means that there will be six groups." I wait to see if they will say anything to that. They don't, so I continue. "You all need to try and find the well. I know that feels like we're searching for a needle in a haystack, but unfortunately, all we have to go on is that it is here, in this area."

"But it could be gone," Halim, one of the group members, tells me.

"I know," I nod. "That is a possibility as well. It may not be there anymore. It may be hidden under layers and layers of earth. It might be overgrown, or completely nonexistent. Let's hope that's not the case, because…" I sigh heavily, not really sure what to tell them.

At that moment, I felt Kano's reassuring hand on my shoulder. He takes over.

"We go as if it's still there, waiting for us," he tells everyone.

I smile at him, appreciating the help. "Exactly," I picked up. This is all I needed. "We need to stay positive. The well is here. We just need to find it."

I can see that everyone felt that surge of hope. It's not just for us. It is also for those we left behind, those who are counting on us to find the well. Failure is not an option.

"When do we start?" Halim asks again.

"I think it's best we search at night," I tell them.

"But we can barely see at night," he frowns.

"It's either that or we might as well walk into town and let the shifters know we're here," I shrug. I know my tone was uncalled for, but so was his comment.

Of course, we can't fucking see at night as well as we can see during the day. But it's not like we can waltz around, doing whatever we want around here. We're outnumbered and not wanted. That makes it dangerous for us to be seen. Keeping a low profile is a must. I thought I already explained this, and I'm in no mood to explain it again.

"We start tonight," I tell them. "Choose your partner. You'll all report in the morning. Any questions?"

I look around. Some of them are avoiding my gaze. Halim first. The rest return it, revealing that everything is clear. They understood the assignment.

"Alright then," I nod.

I turn around and walk back to my tent. It provides little privacy, but it's not privacy we're here for. It's something else, something that might be our salvation.

I keep thinking about the possibility of the well not being there. The shifters might already know this and be unwilling to tell us. After all, why would they tell us anything? We've been enemies for such a long time now. I doubt anything would change that. I'm not here for that. None of us is.

We're here because this is our last resort. This is our last means of saving our clan. If we don't manage to find what we're looking for, we'll be trampled by the foot of time, and left to rot, as if we never existed.

These are the thoughts that are swarming inside my mind as I close my eyes. I won't sleep, although my body is begging me to. It has been worn out by the sun, by the warmth of the light around us. Our bodies, although now able to withstand the rays of the sun, weren't made for it. We simply endure it now much better than before.

There is so much we've had to endure, but I fear there is more. So much more.