It was late morning on the second day of the Luna Hunt.
Contrary to what was represented on the map, the trek to the nearest supply cave took much longer than the girls had anticipated.
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Denna asked for the dozenth time, leaning over to peek at the map.
Sloane glanced around, her brows furrowed in confusion. There was no defined path through these woods, and most of the trees looked identical to each other.
They could have been going around in literal circles for all she knew.
It'd taken her hours to figure out how the map worked last night before she could find the yellow marked shelter cave.
This time, she'd been pretty confident she was on the right path.
But she couldn't deny it any longer. She had absolutely no idea where they were.
They were completely and utterly lost. Even with a damned map in hand.
However, that wasn't the only concern that weighed Sloane's mind.
"Uhmm, Denna..." She trailed off, glancing around again. "Don't you think it's weird we've not bumped into any first years or any of the other girls yet?"
Denna stopped walking, also glancing around. Her brows furrowed slightly, it had clearly just dawned on her that they had been walking for hours with multiple breaks and hadn't seen anyone else in the woods.
"It is weird..." She muttered in agreement. "We stayed away from red marked zones, but that only keeps us out of monster territory..." She trailed off,
'It did nothing to hinder the first year predators.' Sloane thought the rest of the statement Denna wouldn't say.
Sloane's gut twisted uneasily as she adjusted the strap of her satchel so it was more secure around her back.
But satchel theft was the least of the dangers Evernight promised. Sloane knew it too.
"Tsk, tsk...they finally caught onto me." A mellifluous voice echoed from the trees, startling the girls.
Sloane's eyes widened in horror and she whirled around, frantically searching for the source of the voice.
She could have sworn, it sounded like a woman.
Denna tensed. "Who's...there?!" She stuttered, the tremor in her tone betraying her brave front.
Dried leaves crunched underfoot as a young man stepped out from behind the cover of a tree, barely a few paces away from them.
Sloane froze up in place, a cold chill of terror running down her spine.
The man had a lean muscular build, his eyes were the darkest red orbs, and his shoulder length brunette hair was braided at the ends.
A hood was pulled over his head, but it did nothing to hide the striking paleness of his skin, or his blood red lips.
'Vampire!' Sloane realized, tensing up. 'It was a fucking vampire!'
Sloane's heart thudded against her rib cage. The wheels turned in her mind. How would they get out of this one?
'Vampires were known for their speed. How far could they run, before he would catch up?' she wondered,
Deep down, Sloane already knew the answer to that.
Not very far, that was for sure.
Sloane exhaled sharply, forcing herself to cling to at least a semblance of calm.
Vice Chancellor Hannes had said the first years weren't necessarily intent on killing off the girls. That was proven last night.
If they offered something that pleased the vampire, he would leave them be.
But neither Sloane or Denna had any calming pills left on them. The only other thing they could possibly offer a vampire...
Sloane shivered in terror at the thought, hiding her wrists away behind her back.
"You!" Denna sneered, vines curling out from her bracelet and wounding around her arm, their sharp ends gleaming dangerously.
"It is ill-mannered to stalk a lady!" She seethed, "Our deal ended last night, what more do you want from me?!"
Sloane's eyes widened.
This...was the same vampire Denna had offered her blood?
The vampire rolled his eyes, in what Sloane could only conclude was boredom. "Don't kid yourself. I'm not the one stalking you."
"Then why are you here?" Denna was now confused.
"You don't even realise you're being used as bait, talking about stalking." He scoffed, waving a hand casually.
A strong wind swept past them, and a loud shattering sound echoed soon after. Sloane watched with wide eyes as reality literally broke apart like glass shards.
The similar trees all disappeared like they had never existed, to reveal a completely different rocky terrain.
"What the..." Denna's eyes widened, "What did you do?"
The vampire shook his head lightly. "You werewolves think you're the only ones with gifts, don't you?"
"Ciaran..." The feminine voice from earlier came again, this time in a drawn out whine. "Why ruin my fun?"
Something dropped down from the trees with a loud thud.
Sloane shrieked, stumbling backwards.
But it wasn't something at all. It was someone.
A woman, to be exact.
Tall, lean and curvaceous in all the right places. She was dressed similarly as the man, Ciaran, Sloane had heard her call him.
She rose from her crouch, pulling back her hood to reveal twinkling ruby orbs, and glinting sharp fangs.
Sloane's heart took another dive. She backed away warily.
Two vampire first years...
It didn't bode well for her and Denna.
"Armenia." Ciaran acknowledged, shifting his attention to the newly arrived, and equally pale company, "Using the tax brides to lure out a fifty point beast is cheating."
Armenia quirked a brow, her expression unimpressed. "Is it really? Or are you just worried about your little feeder over there?" She quizzed, gesturing at Denna.
Denna backed away, seemingly realising the odds were not in their favour at all.
Ciaran noticed the movement, turning to Denna. "If you still want to live, you should run now. You're right in the middle of a blaring red marked territory."
Denna froze up in visible terror, and Sloane's eyes widened.
"Oh, but where's the fun in that?" Armenia whined, pointing an accusing finger at Ciaran. "Do you know how much effort it took me to get them here?! You don't get to just let them go!"
Sloane understood it then.
This vampire, Armenia, had somehow lured them here, by making them take the wrong paths.
Ciaran had said they were to be used as bait for the beast guarding this red marked territory.
Her mind drifted back to the terrifying boar from last night and her heart shriveled.
If that was a ten point beast, she didn't think she wanted to find out what a fifty point beast looked like.
"Come on, Denna!" Sloane broke out of her daze, dashing over to grab a frozen Denna by the arm. "We're leaving!"
They'd only taken a step further when a tremor rocked the earth, throwing them off their footing.