Mated (Book Two) E-Book

Bella Lore

• Herausgeber: Lukeman Literary Management
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Serie: Mortal
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 258

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

This is book #2 in a new paranormal romance series by bestselling author Bella Lore. "I couldn't stop reading." --Reader review (My True Mate) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ When her father suddenly dies, Winter Grace, 17, is forced to fly across the country and attend a mysterious prep school, an ancient castle in a fog-covered island on the coast of Maine. Nothing here is what it seems, and it isn't long before Winter, feeling a surging power for the first time, realizes that she is not who—or what—she thinks she is. But when Winter feels an inexplicable crush for an elusive and dangerous boy at the school, she realizes a greater destiny is at play. She knows the relationship might destroy them both—yet she also knows that they can never be apart. In this book, Winter and her crush embark on a dangerous quest to retrieve the magic relic and save their friends their school. Yet they have no idea of the fate awaiting them—or what they will need to do for each other to survive. Creating an unforgettable world of vampires, werewolves, shifters and magic of all sorts, a world of fantasy, love and sacrifice, this book will take you to another place, rife with shocking twists and turns. Fans of books such as Vampire Academy and Twilight and Crush are sure to fall in love! Future books in the series are also available. "The story was very well written and was unique as compared to other shifter stories." --Reader review (The Alpha's Mate) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Excellent from start to finish and leaves you wanting more." --Reader review (My True Mate) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Leseprobe

M A T E D

(Mortal, Book Two)

B e l l a   L o r e

Bella Lore

Bella Lore is the paranormal romance author of the MY TRUE MATE series, comprising five books; THE ALPHA’S MATE series, comprising four books; the REJECTED BY THE BETA series, comprising four books; 9 NOVELLAS BY BELLA LORE, comprising nine books;  and  the MORTAL series, comprising five books.

Bella loves to hear from you, so please feel free to visit bellaloreauthor.com to learn more and stay in touch.

Copyright © 2023 by Bella Lore. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior permission of the author. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Jacket image Copyright tomertu, used under license from Shutterstock.com.

BOOKS BY BELLA LORE

MORTAL

MORTAL (Book #1)

MATED (Book #2)

MATCHED (Book #3)

MARKED (Book #4)

MIXED (Book #5)

MY TRUE MATE

MY TRUE MATE (Book #1)

MY TRUE MATE (Book #2)

MY TRUE MATE (Book #3)

MY TRUE MATE (Book #4)

MY TRUE MATE (Book #5)

THE ALPHA’S MATE

THE ALPHA’S MATE (Book #1)

THE ALPHA’S MATE (Book #2)

THE ALPHA’S MATE (Book #3)

THE ALPHA’S MATE (Book #4)

REJECTED BY THE BETA

REJECTED BY THE BETA (Book #1)

REJECTED BY THE BETA (Book #2)

REJECTED BY THE BETA (Book #3)

REJECTED BY THE BETA (Book #4)

9 NOVELLAS

BOUND TO THE ALPHA (Book #1)

DESIRED BY THE ALPHA (Book #2)

FALLING FOR THE ROGUE (Book #3)

MATED TO THE ALPHA (Book #4)

MY TRUE ALPHA (Book #5)

PROMISED TO THE ALPHA (Book #6)

THE ALPHA’S BRIDE (Book #7)

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

CHAPTER ONE

Winter

Whenever I've pictured my death, it always had something to do with lying in bed, old and feeble, my grandkids gathered around me. That, or I figured I'd go out in a car accident like both of my parents.

I certainly didn't see myself leaping from a tower, holding the hand of a vampire, while people who want to kill us simply for existing nip at our heels.

Alec seems so confident that we wouldn’t drop to our deaths. That, somehow, we would—what? Float into the sky?

But here we are, plummeting. My stomach flies into my chest, and a scream rips from my throat. I grip Alec’s hand tighter, and it’s just like they say: my whole life flashes before my eyes.

My fifth birthday party. Seeing the ocean for the first time.

Reading in the tree in my backyard, the sounds of the neighborhood around me. Looking out the window and waiting for my dad to come home. Seeing the cop car pull up the driveway and knowing my life was about to change forever.

The dark ground rushes up to meet us. I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing for the impact.

Except it doesn’t come. We lift, and then we’re ...

Wait. No way.

I open my eyes, and instead of ground beneath us, it's water. Alec and I are flying over the river!

A disbelieving laugh spills from my lips. "We're flying!"

Alec's lips are pulled into a grimace. "I can't hold it for long."

As we soar over the water, I can't help but feel a surge of adrenaline that I've never experienced before. It's as if I've been reborn into a new, fantastical world. I glance over at Alec, his face etched with concentration as he struggles to maintain our flight.

"How are we doing this?" I ask, my voice barely audible over the rush of water below us.

Alec grunts, his eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of danger. "I'm a vampire, remember? I can't do it forever though!"

As we soar over the river, I can't help but feel a sense of freedom. For the first time in my life, I'm not bound by the limitations of my human body. I feel weightless and alive, as if I could fly forever.

I glance over my shoulder at the wreckage we're leaving behind. Hawthorn's main building is smoking, and several Silver Hunters stand at the wishing well tower, watching me and Alec escape.

"Even a few minutes is good!" I shout over the wind.

But we're already dipping. We reach the woods on the other side of the river, and it's clear Alec can't hold us up any longer. We sink towards the ground, and when we're a few feet above it, we crash hard.

My shoulder hits the packed dirt, and I try to tuck and roll, but I end up in a tangled mess. I groan, my head spinning as I try to catch my breath.

Alec lands gracefully beside me, his eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger. I hiss, the impact still jolting through my entire body.

“Are you okay?” he asks, his voice laced with concern.

I sit up, wincing at the pain in my shoulder. “I think so. Just a little sore.”

He nods, his hand hovering over my shoulder. “Let me take a look.”

He pulls my jacket down, revealing a large bruise already forming on my shoulder. He touches it gently, and I flinch at the pain.

“You’ll have to be careful with that,” Alec says, his voice low. “We don’t know what kind of trouble we might run into.”

I nod, feeling a twinge of fear in my gut. Escaping Hawthorn doesn’t mean things are over yet.

Alec stands up, his eyes scanning the woods around us. “We should keep moving. We don’t want to stay in one place for too long.”

I stand up, feeling a little unsteady on my feet. “Where are we going?”

“Anywhere but here,” Alec says.

It’s been a hell of a night, and between the two of us, we have enough injuries to kill one person. Luckily, we get to share them. He takes my hand once more, and we half run, half limp into the forest.

"Let me carry you." He stops to take me into his arms, his red eyes flashing and his dark brow knitting. As soon as he scoops me up, though, he grunts in pain.

I put my feet down before he can drop me. "You're too weak right now. We'll need to walk."

The red fades from his eyes, and he looks like a normal teenage boy again. "They'll catch us."

"Then we better hurry."

We make our way through the trees, each step a struggle. We know we're being hunted, and if we make it out alive, it will be a miracle.

But I'm determined to make it happen. I can't let the Silver Hunters catch us and take away our freedom.

We have to keep going.

"Which way?" I ask. The woods are so quiet that it doesn't seem right. It feels like we're being watched.

He sucks in a sharp breath. "We can't lead them to town. We can't risk bystanders being hurt."

"What about the police? Can we go to them?"

Already, I know what a stupid question it is. What are we going to tell the authorities? That the two of us go to a school for supernatural students, and that we're being hunted down because of that?

Alec shakes his head. "There's no one we can trust. No one who will believe us. We're on our own. The Silver Hunters are notorious for working with the authorities."

I take a deep breath and try to steady my racing heart. "So, what do we do?"

He stares off for a moment, then his gaze settles on mine. "We run."

I take his hand, and together we continue to pick our way into the trees.

"I'm sorry," Alec says as we climb over a log.

"What for?"

"I should have made you leave. I shouldn't have let you go back to the school."

"You wouldn't have been able to stop me." We reach a creek, and I scramble over the rocks in it.

Hawthorn hasn't been the most welcoming place, but there are good people there. Students and teachers who don't deserve to be attacked.

Thinking about the sights at the school—the blood and the fire—I shiver. I feel awful for running now, but we already returned to help. If we stayed any longer, we would be dead.

"I hope Brynn's okay."

She was so brave back there, so strong. When we first met, she was so timid. Seeing my friend transform into a warrior willing to take on the Silver Hunters attacking our school makes me so proud.

I just wish I knew where she is and if she’s all right. Tears fill my eyes thinking about her.

Alec doesn't answer, and I can tell he has about as much faith in her safety as I do.

As we move farther into the woods, the darkness closes in around us. The only sound is our breathing and the crunch of leaves beneath our feet. But I can't shake the feeling that we're being watched. That there are eyes on us, waiting for the moment to strike.

When we reach the edge of the woods, Alec stops and puts his hand on my arm. We're somewhere outside of town, and a few lights shine through the trees, but it's mostly a rural area.

"We have to be careful now," he says. "Don't talk, don't make any noise. We can't risk being seen."

I nod and follow him, my eyes darting from side to side. We creep through a dark field, and I can't help but think that the shadows are conspiring against us, the trees reaching for us with their gnarled, grasping branches.

But we make it out of the woods, and Alec points to a small house a few hundred yards away. "There," he says. "We can get some rest and figure out what to do next."

I start to move towards it, but he pulls me back.

"Wait," he says. "We need to be sure no one is there first."

He takes a few steps forward, and I follow. The house is small and dark, a good sign.

He stops and holds up his hand, signaling for me to stay put. I do so, wrapping my arms around myself and studying the field behind us. It's cold, and my thin jacket doesn't do much against the autumn night.

It's crazy to think that, less than twelve hours ago, I was actually feeling like a normal teenager. I was on a date, enjoying myself for the first time in weeks.

And then the whole world flipped upside down. First with Heather and Alice. And then with the Silver Hunters.

Thinking about Heather and Alice still makes me sick. I genuinely thought Alice was my friend. She showed me kindness, took me under her wing when I came to Hawthorn.

And then she stabbed me in the back.

She filmed me defending myself against Heather and her friends and then gave Heather the video to show Gregory. Except they edited it to make it look like I was attacking them, instead of defending myself.

And there went another relationship I thought might grow. Gregory probably wants nothing to do with me now.

Maybe it was stupid to go on a date with him, anyway. Thinking about it now, I wonder if I was only trying to distract myself from my feelings for Alec—feelings he doesn’t seem to share.

And now, on top of that craziness, we’ve all been attacked by people who want to kill us.

I can't even imagine what's to come next, and I'm afraid I won't be able to handle whatever it is.

Alec circles the house, and I stay close behind him, my eyes scanning for any sign of movement. The windows are dark, and there's no smoke coming from the chimney.

"It looks safe," he says.

He moves closer, and I can feel my heart racing. If someone is inside, all our efforts will be for nothing.

But then he turns back to me and gives me a small nod, and I know it's safe.

We creep up to the house, and Alec tries the front door. It's unlocked, so we slip inside.

The house is small and filled with old furniture. But it's warm and dry, and that's all that matters.

There's a musty smell to the air, and I can feel the dust tickling my nose. We move through the living room and into the kitchen. Alec flicks on a light, and I can see the outline of a table and chairs.

"This looks like some kind of vacation rental or hunting cabin."

"One that hasn't been used in a while." I run my finger along a dusty table. "Luckily for us."

Alec opens the fridge. "At least there's bottled water."

He tosses me one, and I gratefully gulp down the whole bottle.

Alec leads me to the bedroom, and I collapse onto the mattress.

He lies down next to me, and I can feel the tension in his body.

I wrap my arms around him, and he shudders. "I'm so sorry," he says.

I close my eyes and press my lips against his forehead. "It's not your fault. We're alive, and that's all that matters."

We stay there for a few moments and then Alec sits up and looks at me, his eyes filled with determination. "We'll get through this," he says.

I nod, feeling a sense of dread in the pit of my stomach. I don't know what our next move is, but I know it's not going to be easy.

The sun will rise soon, and we will keep running. We will do whatever it takes to escape the Silver Hunters and their reign of terror.

"We could try to lay low for a while," I suggest. "Maybe the Silver Hunters will think we've fled the area and give up."

Alec shakes his head. "They won't give up. They'll keep coming after us until we're dead or captured."

I feel a shiver run down my spine at the thought.

And what about the others? Are they even still alive?

Tears prick my eyes, and I wipe them away.

Alec stiffens, his gaze going to the window.

"What?" I ask.

His shoulders tense. "Dogs."

My breath hitches in my throat. The way he says it, I don't think he's talking about a neighbor's labradoodle, out barking at the moon. He means something way more sinister.

"Do you mean ...?" I can't even finish it.

The Silver Hunters have dogs that are tracking us.

"We need to go." He's up in a flash, despite his injuries, grabbing my hand.

We make it out of the house and into the woods, running faster than I ever thought possible. The dogs' barks are no longer a distant thing. Each yip is closer.

We run and run, my heart pounding in my chest, the fear coursing through my veins. I don't know what will happen if they catch us, but I know it won't be good.

"Hurry, Winter." He yanks me, but I trip on a root and hit the ground, my palms landing on a bed of pine needles.

Shouts fill the air and mingle with the barks. The Silver Hunters are close. If they don't yet know where we are, they will soon.

"We have to go." Alec is frantic, tugging on my arm, but my legs are shaking. I can't go any farther.

"They're here!" someone shouts.

I manage to get to my knees and turn around just in time to see a pack of hounds, several Silver Hunters behind them, filtering through the trees.

They've found us.

CHAPTER TWO

Winter

Ice floods my veins, and my legs feel like lead. It's impossible to move them. One of the Silver Hunters whistles, and there's a responding whistle in another part of the woods.

"You thought you could get away, hm?" A Silver Hunter approaches, and though they all look the same under the helmets, I recognize the voice. He was one of the hunters who tried to stop me in the wishing well.

Did they get the Golden Coin?

My heart squeezes.

If the coin is as powerful as Alec says, if it has the ability to grant immense power and wishes to whomever holds it, would the Silver Hunters even be out here looking for us? Wouldn't they be back at Hawthorn, making plans to fry bigger fish?

I lick my lips and take a step back. Alec presses against my shoulder. "Stay back," he growls.

The Silver Hunter looks at one of his buddies and chuckles. The hounds are straining at their leashes, several of the hunters using all their strength to hold them back.

"What are you going to do, boy?" The Silver Hunter steps closer, and I can see the glint of his sword.

There's nothing we can do. Alec and I are both injured and drained. Even though he's not bleeding, whatever magic is in those swords damaged him big time.

The head Silver Hunter advances on us. Alec charges forward, meeting him head on, but the man knocks him to the ground and grabs him by the hair.

"Leave him alone!" I shriek.

The Silver Hunter chuckles. "This is your chance to surrender."

My hands curl into fists. "Why? So that you can torture us?"

"Winter." Alec's chest heaves. "Get out of here."

And leave him with this spawn of Satan? Not a chance.

Weak and injured as I am, I can feel the energy building. The rage collects and swirls in my core.

The Silver Hunter knows it's happening too. His eyes widen, and he opens his mouth, probably about to warn the others. It's too late, though.

The strength of a hundred men powers through me, and I move without thinking. I barrel into the Silver Hunter, knocking him backwards so that he releases Alec.

My friend grunts and leaps to his feet. The Silver Hunter rights himself and then reaches for his sword.

Without thinking, I grab it.

It's probably super heavy, but when I'm in this state, I can't tell. I swing it above my head, releasing an incoherent battle cry.

The dogs must know they're in the presence of something terrifying. They bark and lunge forward, but the Silver Hunters can't control them. They slip off their leashes and take off into the woods.

I swing the sword at the leader, going right for the kill, but he blocks it with his forearm. Metal glints there, his armor having stopped the blow.

The other Silver Hunters are in shock, but they quickly recover and draw their weapons. My vision is blurring, my limbs moving with next to no thought.

They come at me in threes and fours, but I whirl and strike. Twist and throw.

Their cries fill the air, and they land on the ground around me, moaning and crawling in an attempt to get away. A few of them back off, disappearing into the trees like the dogs did.

"Winter!" Alec yells. "We have to go! There are more coming!"

He's right. Lights bob in the trees. A new wave of Silver Hunters will be here any moment.

The fury inside me is still boiling, and I feel sure that I can take them. But I look into Alec's eyes, and I know he's right. We can't take on a whole army of Silver Hunters.

I test the sword in my hand, half tempted to keep it.

And then, remembering what it's probably done and what it stands for, my stomach turns in disgust. I would rather be unarmed than wield something so horrific.

Dropping the sword, I turn and run, Alec right beside me.

"I know a place," he pants. "Get to the river. Come on."

I follow him around trees and down a hill. The gentle roaring of the river calls to us, and Alec plunges into it without a second thought.

I hesitate for a second, remembering how deep and fast the river is around Hawthorn. I'm a great swimmer, but even the best need to be smart about what water they dive into.

"It's shallow." He goes ahead, splashing through water that comes up to his knees.

I follow, hoping that our crossing the river will throw the hounds off our trail. That is, if the Silver Hunters can even find their dogs after they ran off.

I don't want to take any chances. I just want to put as much space between us and them, and I want to do it as quickly as possible.

The water is freezing, and I tense as it pools around my legs. Fear is powerful, though, and I keep moving, keep following Alec.

Instead of crossing the river, though, he walks straight up the middle of it, which is crazy. We can't stay in this cold water all night.

Barks echo through the woods. The Silver Hunters must have found their dogs.

"Come on." Alec waits for me and grabs my hand.

My teeth chatter. We're walking against the current, our feet slipping on the river rocks. "We won't be … we won't be fast enough in the water."

"We don't have to be." He guides me around a bend in the river and points at a small waterfall. "We're going behind there."

"What?"

He doesn't stop to answer. He's scrambling over some rocks. The next thing I know, he ducks behind the waterfall.

I take a quick glance over my shoulder. Morning light is creeping across the river, the woods turning gray. We need to hide ASAP. We'll be too easy to find, running around in the morning light.

The water is like a thousand pinpricks, but I rush over the rocks and through it. And then, suddenly, it's gone.

Alec stands in a small cave, his chest heaving and his face pale. The space isn't much more than a yard deep, and the top of his head nearly grazes the rock above.

It's the perfect hiding spot. You'd never know this place is here.

My jaw drops in amazement. "How did you know about this?"

"I like exploring the woods." He puts a finger to his lips. "Shh."

I freeze, trying to tune in to whatever his advanced hearing is picking up.

Seconds pass and then I hear it. The distant sound of men shouting and dogs barking.

Alec takes my hand and leads me deeper into the cave. We scoot as far back as possible, and he pulls me close.

"We just have to wait it out," he whispers.

I nod, although if I'm being honest, I'm not sure how long I can stay in this tiny cave with Alec. I feel like I need to keep moving.

But then I notice his heart pounding against my shoulder, and the warmth of his body radiates through me.

I can't help but feel a flutter of excitement despite the situation we're in. Maybe it's the adrenaline, maybe it's the fact that we've just narrowly escaped death, but I'm drawn to him in a way that I can't explain.

Alec's arm tightens around me, as if he's sensing my thoughts.

"We'll be okay," he murmurs, his breath warm against my ear.

We settle in, and I close my eyes, trying to forget the danger that awaits us.

But the thoughts keep coming, and I can't help but wonder:

Will we ever be safe again?

The barks grow softer. The dogs and hunters are gone.

Sighing, I let my head drop forward onto my knees. My pants are wet, though, and I'm shivering. The only warm thing in this cave is Alec's chest.

"Here." He takes off his coat and wraps it around me.

I snuggle into it, the fabric still warm from his body heat.

"What about you?" I ask.

"I run warm."

"Do all vampires?" It feels like such a crazy question to ask. Just yesterday, I was still doubting that the boarding school my dad had shipped me off to as his dying wish was anything other than normal.

"Mostly."

We stay there, cuddled in the darkness, as the light on the other side of the waterfall brightens. We don't talk. We don't even move. We just wait and listen as the forest slowly wakes up around us.

After what feels like forever, Alec speaks, "We did the best we could do."

I look down, tears spilling from my eyes. "What now?"

"I ... I don't know."

I nibble on my bottom lip. I feel like such a coward fleeing Hawthorn, but I failed to retrieve the Golden Coin. Without it, we don't stand a chance.

"We should find the teachers," I say, lifting my chin. "We need to figure out what to do next."

Alec is quiet for a moment. "I don't know if we'll be able to do that, Winter."

"Isn't there anyone we can find to help us?" I ask. "The teachers were at some sort of event. We can find them."

"Unless the Silver Hunters ambushed them there."

My chest lurches. Of course, that's what happened. After all, I'm pretty sure the Silver Hunters set up last night's event in order to draw the majority of the teachers away from the school.

Where's Professor Trowles? Headmaster Stroud? Any of them?

"We're on our own for now," Alec says.

I swallow hard, knowing he's right. We are on our own.

But even so, I'm determined not to give up. I won't let the Silver Hunters win.

"We'll find a way," I say, squeezing Alec's hand. "We'll find a way to get the Golden Coin and save Hawthorn."

Even though I'm the one saying it, I know it might be pointless. Based on what I saw, the wishing well is insanely protected. Plus, there are Silver Hunters swarming all around it.

Alec nods, but it's hollow. We both know our troubles aren't over yet.

But at least we have each other.

"We'll get through this," he says.

He pulls me to him, and I let myself sink into his embrace, feeling the warmth of his body and the steady thump of his heart.

We've escaped death tonight, but who knows what tomorrow will bring? All I know is that I won't be letting go of Alec's hand.

CHAPTER THREE

Tyr

Stopping at the faded brick alleyway between the art gallery and some pseudo-New Age shop full of pointless crystals and sticks of herbs, I breathe in deep and center myself.

This is it. This should be the place.

So, why isn't the gateway here?

Frowning, I walk along the cobblestones and into a small courtyard. It's quiet, nothing but the gurgling of a fountain fills the air. Even the sounds of the city are muted here.

"Damn it," I hiss.

Apparently, you can't trust the word of someone you met in an underground werewolf bar. The entrance to Dyad Marketplace should be here, right past the—

Something glimmers in the bricks on the other side of the fountain. Something bright and shiny.

Striding across the courtyard, I approach the bit of metal stuck in the wall. A grin breaks across my face.

"Perfect." Placing my fingers on the thin strip of metal—something that would appear completely innocuous and meaningless to any basic person walking by—I speak the incantation. "Aperta obidier."

The ground beneath my feet rumbles, and a huge, stone door takes shape from the bricks. As I stare, transfixed, the door slowly slides open, revealing a large, stone room. A staircase spirals down into the darkness, and I take a deep breath.

This is it.

I descend the stairs, my footfalls echoing in the darkness. A few turns later, I'm standing in a grand room, its ceiling twinkling with starlight, a huge golden door at its center.

This is it. This is the Dyad Marketplace.

I approach the door, and it slowly opens with a creak. A huge room—no, more like an underground arena—stretches out before me. It's filled with merchants and shoppers, a bustling center of activity. I take a deep breath and step inside.

The smell of exotic spices and perfumes fills the air, and a cacophony of noises assaults my ears. Everywhere I look, there are strange creatures and objects.

Tall, hulking figures move between the stalls and shops. Some are dressed in robes and cloaks; others wear fearsome metal masks. They're all hairy, with sharp, gnarled teeth, claws for nails, and yellow eyes.

In the middle of the room is a large tree, its branches and roots curving up and out into small, wooden homes, shops, and offices. Strange creatures move about the tree, some even walking on its branches. Their scaly bodies, huge claws, and long tails are made of stone. They move along the branches and walk on them, climbing from one shop to another, their tails swinging behind them.

My eyes are drawn to a small booth manned by a gaunt man with a long, gray beard. I approach, and he looks up at me with a wry smile.

"Ah, a new customer. What can I do for you?" His gaze lingers on the scar running up the side of my neck, but I don't mind. It's clearly from a knife, and it makes people think twice before engaging with me.

"I'm looking for someone who's an expert in ancient artifacts," I tell him.

He nods, his eyes twinkling. "Ancient artifacts? Like what?"

Already, my patience is wearing thin. "The kind that are of historical value. Can you help me or not?"

He pulls out a small card and hands it to me. "This is the address. Go there and you'll find what you seek."

I take the card, my heart pounding. Finally, it seems like I'm getting somewhere. "Thank you," I say, slipping the card into my pocket.