The Village Novels & Stories

Lilah’s POV : The village was small, nestled in the lush countryside of southern France. Rolling hills stretched out as far as the eye could see, dotted with vineyards, olive trees, and cottages that seemed untouched by time. It was picturesque, serene—everything we needed after the chaos we’d escaped. But no matter how beautiful it was, I couldn’t shake the heaviness that lingered in my chest.

~ ONE MONTH LATER ~ ~ A M E L I A ~ By some crazy miracle, I did it. I found the village. It proved to be more difficult to find than I had hoped. Nonetheless, I was here! Langdale - the name given to this village to be able to hide in plain sight, concealing their true identity from the outside world full of humans. A genius move made by whoever was in charge way back when the village, and more specifically the pack, was still growing.

“But since you haven’t done anything that warrants being locked up, I guess we can let you see sunlight.” She motioned for us to follow. We stepped out of the cage into the open air. The sudden breath of wind on my face felt like freedom. The village was a patchwork of survival. The huts were built from scavenged wood and stone, some of them stitched together with strips of animal hide and knotted vines. Crude, but not without effort. Smoke curled from chimneys carved into tree trunks. Children darted between buildings barefoot, their clothes worn but eyes sharp.

(Violet’s POV) It took three hours by skiff and another hour on foot to reach what was left of the village. No one called it by name anymore. On court records it was listed only as a “neutral burn site,” part of the rogue raids that swept through the lowlands during the last territorial surge. But I remembered what it was before that. I remembered the crooked rooftops and blue window frames, the scent of pinewood and boiled honey, the way children laughed through the square barefoot in every season, too wild for rules, too fast for grief.

Elian whispered a word he had never heard her use before. A word that made the feathers at their feet rise into the air. Then she said, “Whatever happens, don’t let the village count you.” Raven stared at her. “Count me?” But she had already started down the hill. 2. The Village of Missing Shadows The village was called Hollowmere. Raven learned this from a wooden sign standing beside the entrance. The letters had been carved deeply into the wood, but someone had scratched through the name until only fragments remained. HOLLOWMERE.

There was nothing to say. After an hour, we reached a village. It was small. A few dozen houses built into the hillside, their roofs thatched with branches and moss. Smoke rose from chimneys. Children played in the dirt. It looked like something out of a story, something that had been forgotten by time. But it was real. And it was full of wolves. They stopped when they saw us. The children froze. The adults turned. Every eye in the village fixed on me, and I felt the weight of their gaze like a physical thing.

"We need to talk." "What is it?" "Another attack. A village on the northern border. Everyone is dead." I felt the blood drain from my face. "When?" "Last night. The survivors say it was not wolves. It was something else. Something darker." I thought of Vorlag. Of his hunger. Of his need for a vessel. "Take me there." The village was a graveyard. Bodies lay in the streets, their faces frozen in expressions of terror. There were no wounds, no signs of struggle. It was as if they had simply stopped living.

Kaila noted as she looked around. "Yeah, there's basically nothing to see here." Bryan scoffed. "Well, it's a good thing we aren't here for sightseeing then." I rolled my eyes at them. "Let's find the Inn." Ignoring Bryan's and Kaila's comments, the village was actually quite tranquil and peaceful. There were children running around in the streets, playing without the fear of being hit by an approaching vehicle. Some woman walked past us with baskets of farm produce, chatting with happy smiles on their faces. They even have us free apples and avocados.

“We do not stop for tracks. We ride straight to the village. If the main group is already gone, we will have to take the rear and anything that's still burning.” Tova answered from the left. “South-eastern edge. The village is small. Mostly families who traded under our protection. If they chose this target, they wanted the message to land hard.” Sera’s tone stayed flat. “ The message is well received. Now it's our turn to answer it.” They covered the distance in grim silence after that. The smell of smoke reached them before the first houses came into view. Orange light flickered between the trees. The

CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE The village of Oakhaven lay nestled in a valley at the edge of the eastern territories. It was a small place, humble and quiet, far from the bustling capital and the centers of power. The people there were farmers, craftsmen, and herders who had lived on the same land for generations.