The animal’s eyes dimmed, it let out a long breath, and collapsed to the ground.

I stared at the dead animal, to Mike, and then at the two dead women lying in puddles of their own blood. How had this happened? From what I’d learned about the wolves in my year of living here, they had made a pact with the vampires centuries ago. As long as the vampires didn’t try to take any more of the wolves land, the wolves would respect the boundaries of the Vale.

The wolves never came into the Vale. It was forbidden. After all, us humans “belonged” to the vampires. They needed us for our blood. Wolves were only allowed to attack humans who crossed the boundary.

This wolf coming into the Vale and eating two humans was going to seriously piss the vampires off.

Suddenly, someone started clapping from nearby.

At first, the clapping was faint, but it got louder when the person responsible stepped out of a nearby building and under a streetlight.

She was young—I guessed around my age or maybe a few years older—and tall. Her hair was long, dark brown with a hint of red, her features sharp and serious. Her cheeks had a healthy flush—she was human. But her clothes looked fresh and new. Designer jeans, boots, and a leather jacket that probably cost more than humans in the Vale earned in a year.

“Who are you?” I asked, eying her suspiciously.

“Annika.” Mike said my name under his breath, reaching for my wrist to stop me from saying anything more. “That’s Camelia—advisor to Queen Laila herself.”

“But she’s human,” I pointed out.

“No, dear.” The woman—Camelia—smiled. She reminded me of a snake ready to pounce on its prey. “I’m not a human.”

“Then what are you?” I asked.

“I’m a witch.”

“Oh,” I said, and everything clicked into place. I’d always assumed the witch who upheld the boundary was old—around the age of a grandparent. It had never crossed my mind that she could be a few years older than me.

“It’s good you’re here.” Mike stepped forward, addressing Camelia. “This wolf just came in here and killed these two people. The vampires need to be alerted immediately.”

“I’m well aware of what just happened,” Camelia said slowly. “I watched the entire thing.”

“Oh.” Mike’s brow creased. “Are the vampires on their way?”

“Not quite.” She smiled—as if she had a secret she was about to let us in on. “They will be soon—after all, they’ll need to harvest whatever blood is left from the two humans so it doesn’t go to waste.” She glanced at the corpses in distaste, and my stomach twisted at the realization that of course the vampires would milk as much blood from them as possible. “But first, I have a proposition for you.”

“For us?” My voice hitched. What could a witch want with two blood slaves? And why had no one else returned to the scene of the crime? I glanced around, realizing for the first time since the attack that the square was still empty.

Now that the wolf was dead, wouldn’t other humans want to return and see what had happened?

“I cast a small boundary spell around this square,” Camelia said with a wave of her hand, apparently noticing my confusion. “No one will wander here until we’ve finished our conversation.”

“Okay.” I stood straighter, unable to hide my curiosity. “What’s your proposition?”

She turned to Mike, her eyes hard. “I saw the way you fought off that wolf,” she said. “It was impressive—for a human. Therefore, my proposition is for you, and you alone.”

“Then why am I here?” I asked.

“As a witness.” She barely glanced my way before returning her focus to Mike.

I narrowed my eyes—this was sounding shadier by the second. “If you’re able to create a boundary spell to keep people from entering the square, then how did the wolf get into the Vale?” I asked. “Don’t you have a bigger version of the spell around the Vale to keep them from entering? Or does it not work with such a big area?”

“You’re a witness, not an inquisitor.” She rolled her eyes. “Shut up, and let me speak with your friend.”

“Answer her question,” Mike insisted. “Then I’ll hear you out.”

“Fine.” She huffed, her expression hard. “Yes, I do have a spell over the Vale to keep it hidden and to keep outsiders from entering. The wolves are the only ones who know the location of the Vale. Clearly, they’re working with a witch who was able to break through my shield.”

“But why would they do that?” I asked. “I thought the vampires and the wolves had a pact?”

“I promised to answer your one question, and I did,” Camelia said, and then she turned back to Mike. “Now, for my proposition.”

“Yes?” He lifted his chin, waiting for her to continue.

“I have a job I need to fill in the palace.”

“What kind of job?” he asked.

“I can’t give you the details right now,” she said. “But it’s a job that can only be completed by a strong, brave, young human like yourself. After watching you defeat that rogue wolf, I know that you’re perfect for the task.”

“Interesting.” He spoke slower than usual, as if considering it. “But what’s in it for me?”

“Money,” she said simply. “Enough to make sure that you and your family—” She paused to glance at me, and then returned her gaze to Mike. “Will be taken care of for the rest of your lives.”

Mike took a deep breath, and I wanted to tell him not to do it. Because whatever this “job” entailed, it must be extremely dangerous for Camelia to offer such a large reward.

“Don’t do it,” I gave into the urge to tell him, resting a hand on his arm. “You could get hurt. And besides—what could you buy with the money, anyway? Humans are barely allowed anything in the Vale.”

Camelia raised a brow. “I’m offering you the deal of a lifetime,” she said. “I can assure you, no human in the history of the Vale has ever received such an offer. Are you truly thinking about turning me down?”

“Not yet,” he said, crossing his arms. “But I’d like to negotiate.”

She leaned back, shocked. “Very well,” she finally said, a small smirk on her face. “What did you have in mind?”

“A lift on the ban of what I can purchase,” he said. “Because Annika’s right. If I’m going to have all this money, I should be able to spend it on luxuries I can enjoy.”

“You’ll have to purchase the items in secret,” Camelia said. “After all, if the other humans knew that you’re being given special privileges, it could cause a riot.”

“But I’ll be able to buy them?” He leaned forward, gazing at her hungrily. “As long as I keep it secret?”

“Yes.” Camelia nodded. “Of course.”

“Good.” He nodded and leaned back. “How long will I be away?”

“It shouldn’t be long.” She shrugged. “A week, at the most.”

“And how should I explain my absence?”

“The truth,” she said. “A top secret job at the palace. And that if you tell anyone the specifics, you—and whoever you tell—will be sent to the dungeons.”

I shivered, because even though the humans who were brought to the dungeons were never seen again, we all knew what happened to them. The royal vampires used them as a direct food source until they were drained dry.

Apparently, blood straight from the source was a luxury compared to the blood they took from us each month and refrigerated for the non-royal vampires to consume.

Mike nodded and turned to me. “You’ll act as manager at the Tavern until I return,” he said, his voice firm. “Inform them of what’s going on. Then, once I’m back, we’ll never want for anything again.”

“You don’t have to do this,” I begged him, tears filling my eyes at the thought of the danger he could be putting himself in. “We get along fine as we are. You don’t have to risk your life like this.”

“I’m not just doing it for myself,” he said. “I’m doing it for you, for the family I’ll have someday, and for everyone else at the Tavern. I’ll never get a chance like this again. I want to do this. No—I have to do this.”

“So you agree to our deal?” Camelia asked.

“I want to learn more about this task you want me to do,” he said. “I need to understand how dangerous it will be.”

“I will tell you.” She glanced at me again before returning her gaze to his. “In private. Now, come with me. You’ll be returned to the village once your job is complete.”

With that, she took him by the arm and whisked him out of the square, not even giving me a chance to say goodbye.