Free Encounters (The Elder Origins #3) by Bre Faucheux

travelling alone, thus making his life valuable to Jamison.
    “A life for a life,” he had said to her. “Jayden took charge of you. Now I must do the same when he is in need. We protect our own when they prove themselves worthy.”
    The trail east was farther than Madison had expected. Jayden and she could cover hundreds of miles within a day without feeling any pain in their muscles. But she hadn’t the slightest idea how much land Jayden could cover by himself. His journey thus far lead him farther and faster than she had been able to travel to the city Lyndon had fooled her into approaching. Although, Jayden knew he was being chased, and she recognized how his desire to live could serve as strong motivation.
    Each and every village or hamlet they came across was vastly different from the previous, and the languages far stranger.
    Things seemed darker in the lands that drew near. The woods were heavier and the people skittish. Any sound or hint of something suspicious, and they took to their homes. The forests breathe d a thicker air. The fog was crisp when it touched her senses.
    Everything about this land was foreign. Madison found herself fascinated by the structures. The castles were taller and more menacing. The sky created darkness, and yet there was vibrancy in the shadows of grey that cascading onto the villages.
    Jamison and Mahkah fell behind for a few hours, looking for any trace that Caspar was following them, or perhaps that Lyndon was falling away from Jayden’s trail. They returned looking quite pleased.
    “What do we do once he finds us?” she asked him. They stopped to take rest, even though none truly needed it. It was nearly three days since any of them had their share of blood. Madison could tamper the need, but she would soon need to give to its avidity. Her control of the thirst had increased since Jamison’s arrival. His presence soothed her. But necessities still lingered in the background.
    “There will be no need for him to follow us. Lyndon apparently informed Caspar of his failure to kill Jayden. They are together now. We only need follow them. They will take us directly to Jayden,” said Jamison.
    “We are no longer their main pursuit then?” she asked.
    “Mahkah got close enough to him to see Caspar’s intentions. They are no match for all of us. They stand better, at least in their minds, t o find Jayden. The people farther east are apparently quite aware of our kind.”
    “How is that?” she asked.
    Mahkah was first to answer her. “Caspar found his way farther east than any of us thought. These territories have not been untouched by his sickness nor his erratic nature,” he said. “He terrorized the people of these villages whilst trying to discover how to turn people in vampyrs. They have turned on each other in their accusations in pursuit of discovering vampyrs.”
    “How do you know this?”
    Mahkah looked at her quite amused. “Spirits talk, Madison. These people have been prone to terror. They know how to find our kind. We must tread carefully. The rayen may not be enough to protect us here.”

Chapter 6
     
    Four days after departure from the Rhineland
    Kingdom of Hungary (Modern day Romania)
    Near Newly Constructed Poenari Castle
     
    Fog drifted through the staggering hillsides cutting them in half. From atop the height of the terrain before her, Madison could hardly see anything beyond the white slivers that sporadically sliced the length of trees. She need not feel the bitter air touch her skin to know that a brisk chill filled the sky as harshly here as it did in England. The land held a spiritual atmosphere that was not becoming nor welcoming.
    An abandoned structure of stone materialized before her. It appeared as though a fortress was being built by the men who resided near these mountains. She guessed that the expanse of its presuming structure was meant to warn others from approaching it. But she was intrigued. A curiosity to explore it overtook her