The Village Preview Novels & Stories

I’m about to tell him exactly what I think when he shows me something else. A group of newborn vampires tearing a village to pieces. They kill everyone. The entire village is burned to the ground. Every building bar one. I recognise Claudel as he runs into the commotion. The vampires scatter into the surrounding landscape and leave behind a blood curdling scene of butchery and destruction.

When we reach the top of the hill, I turn back to the village, plopping down on my ass with a dramatic sigh. “This is what I wanted you to see.” He stands beside me for several moments before sitting down a few feet away, his eyes reflecting in the moonlight. Silverhide sprawls out in a wash of soft, flickering amber light and raised stone buildings nestled in fields of wheat and barley that shimmer in the light of the moon. The mountains rise around the village, the highest peaks still topped with snow, and above them? Stars fan out across the night sky in shades of the purest white to the richest blue. Violet waves of light dance against the backdrop of stars like ribbons of silk.

My purpose isn't inclined with Dandeline's personal life. The coachman took us beside the snowy road that leads to an isolated village before he ended his service. I wear my hood as we pass the road. There's a carved sign of Cardozen Vil. The village is quiet, the old and fragile houses tell me how mysterious this village is, but the chattering of the villagers isn't as dull as the place.

We agreed to keep it as an option and headed north. There were no sounds of merriment. We came over a slight rise and looked down on the village. There were thatched roofs with smoking chimneys, whitewashed walls and pretty little gardens. And in the middle was a square with a green. There were three piles of wood, each stacked around a stake in the ground, and three girls tied to each stake. Our girls.

After Lucas said that, he concealed Rayne's aura. After walking for some time, Lucas activated his Mind's Eye. Subsequently, he noticed that there was a village not far ahead. The village was not too huge, but to his surprise, there were humans staying there. "Let's go over there." Lucas pointed at the village and said slowly. Scarlet and Rayne nodded. Then, they headed to the village that was not too far away from them. The sight of the three of them shocked the humans in the village. The villagers had never seen such good-looking humans before. They were stunned and could only keep watching them.

“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.

The scent of smoke clung to the horizon before they saw the flames. Veyra gripped the reins tighter as her mare galloped alongside Jon's hulking black steed and Zarek's midnight-gray warhorse. The wind lashed through her braid, tangling it in wild strands around her face, but she didn't care. The village they rode toward—Thornveil—was a Moonfang border outpost, small and largely peaceful. Or it had been.

And ahead, something unexpected. A village. Hidden in the woods. Not primitive, not broken-down or savage like the stories had painted werewolves to be. It was beautiful. It had buildings. Real buildings. Beautiful, sturdy homes made of wood and stone. Children played by a small stream that ran through the center of the grounds. Adults worked on gardens, some sat chatting on porches. It wasn’t chaos. It wasn’t primal at all. It looked... peaceful. “This is it?” I asked, sitting up straighter.

"Selene, take point. Caleb, cover the rear. Everyone else, stay alert." They moved cautiously, their steps quiet against the cracked earth. As they approached the village, the air grew colder, and the faint sound of whispers reached their ears. It was a chorus of voices, indistinct but unnerving, growing louder with every step. The village was a ghost town. Buildings stood in various states of decay, their walls covered in black, vein-like tendrils that pulsed faintly. The streets were empty, but the whispers persisted, echoing off the crumbling structures.

Chapter 18 Third POV The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the small village nestled in the valley. The air was cool, the scent of the earth mingling with the last remnants of summer warmth. Life in the village continued as it always had—unremarkable, predictable, and tinged with the quiet resignation of those who had long since accepted their lot in life. But today, there was a palpable sense of relief in the air, a collective exhale of tension that had been building for weeks.