Chapter 33.

  Lost Soul.

  Theodren and Reina left the warmth and glow of the fireplace behind as they followed Madame Black up the stairs. “I’m sure you two are just exhausted. So I’ve prepared a nice warm bed and a bath for you both.” She purred, guiding them towards the room at the far end of the dimly lit hall. The pair gave each other worried looks as they followed the innkeeper into the room. A simple four poster bed was pushed against the far wall of the room, set with clean looking blankets. It looked almost as inviting as the large wooden tub filled with warm and soapy water, sending coils of steam into the air to catch the firelight.

  Theodren turned to her, affecting a facade of polite gratitude. “This is a splendid room, I’m not sure we can afford such generous hospitality.” The innkeeper waved away his concerns. “Not a trouble at all dear, having you here is all the payment an old woman like me needs.” she chuckled. “Now you two settle in, and I’ll have breakfast ready when you wake.” Theodren nodded. “Thankyou madame, The food was just what we needed, I feel I may sleep for days.”

  A malicious smirk flashed across her face for only a moment before she turned to Reina. “Have a lovely rest now you two.” she said as she made her way out of the room, closing the door behind her, The latch giving a soft click as it locked into place.

  Reina turned on him. “We are NOT staying here.” She whispered. Theodren looked at her quietly for a moment, a plan forming in his head. “No, we’re not.” He agreed cryptically. “What does that mean!?” She hissed.

  His shoulders set. “That woman had the blackest soul I’ve ever seen. Even darker than Hardwright’s.” Reina’s frustration turned to a quiet anger. “She’s not our monster to slay Theodren.” He stared at her as she continued. “This isn’t your town and these aren’t your people. We can’t risk exposing ourselves just for strangers we don’t know.

  Her logic was sound. Their best course of action was to sneak out the window and find a new inn somewhere more reputable. They had a purse full of coins and no need to embroil themselves in someone else’s trouble. But before he could agree with her, he felt a change.

  Vitae began flowing into him. He looked around for a source but there was nothing in the room with them, he examined the feel of the Vitae, like a tailor examining cloth before it merged with his own spring. It was… young, vibrant. Untainted by the burdens of a life long lived, but what he saw at the end of the length of Vitae was a white bolt of terror. This was the essence of a child.

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  As he looked around, his eyes went still at the floor. Though he was two floors above them, he could still see the forms of Vitae in the basement. The black form of the Madame was visible in the basement alongside the others. But where once was eight, now sat seven. The littlest one, was now absent.

  The fire in the small hearth grew to an inferno as Reina shielded her eyes from the sudden light. It was as though a massive wellspring of fuel was dumped on the blaze. Reina blinked the spots from her eyes to see Theodren’s shoulders heaving in rage.

  “Does no one but me, know the fucking VALUE OF A LIFE!?” He snarled. Darkness retreated from where he stood in the room, as if not daring to enter his presence.

  Reina winced. The relative calm of his soul was gone, replaced by a vicious thirst for violence, for punishment, for retribution. His rage was overpowering with the names of his slaughtered friends joining the whispers that assaulted her mind.

  She fell to her knees as they called for vengeance against the old woman, vengeance against Hardwright, and… vengeance against her. Her shadows lashed at the room around her while fear filled her soul. She clutched Theviana, crying at the disturbance into her chest as her eyes rose to find Theodren, Retribution in hand, stomping toward the door.

  “No. Wait!” She cried, throwing out a hand that would never reach him , but her shadows did. Darkness flew at his back but parted around him as if deflected, slamming into the door instead, driving it shut.

  He glared at her. “That woman deserves justice.” He hefted the hammer in his hand. “And I’m going to give it to her.” Reina relented with a shout. “Fine! Kill her! Bash her head in you great oaf!” Theodren paused at her sudden outburst. “But what if there’s more people? Who’s helping her? Why is the city collecting their horses?” All of these questions fell from Reina’s mouth and landed on Theodren like hammer blows.

  She was right. There were too many things he didn’t know. She rushed across the room, shoving Theviana into his arms. “She needs us to keep our heads on straight.” Retribution changed from hammer to budding vine in an instant, gently placing a suckling peach in the baby’s mouth to soothe her cries. “Now.” she looked him dead in the eye. “What will you do?”

  Theodren’s face was screwed tight in a grimace as he waged war within himself for the self control he needed. Ultimately, reason won out. Theodren gave a great sigh like the sound of air being pushed out of a bellows.

  “I’m going to let them take me.” She blinked at him. “You can’t be serious.” He sighed once more. “She killed a child, Reina.” She took a step back as he continued. “Just now, I felt it. She was… terrified.”

  Reina considered this silently for a moment. “So we tell the city guard, get them down here.” Theodren shook his head. “If they’re not complicit they’re at least aware of it. How would they know to get the horses the victims left behind? No. What’s happening here is evil and I will not stand for it.” He handed her Theviana and their shared coin purse. “Go. Find somewhere nearby to hole up. Come tomorrow…” his fist clenched. “There will be punishment.”