Chapter 11

As he walked back toward the village, it wasn’t lost on Snow that he was diving headfirst into this new patch of trouble, but it was acts like this, of gross human cruelty, that made him want to break the oath he had set down long ago. Back then, when he was disturbed by the power beneath his skin, he thought he had no choice except to leash it. But a run-in with a demon some years later shook that belief. Its words have never left him and always return to his mind when he sees the world tip so violently toward cruelty and chaos.

With a dangerous grin, the creature had said ‘Choices are everywhere. It’s just that some can’t see them.’ And it was right. At the time, he could not see a choice – all he saw was a curse upon him that had to be controlled. Snow refused to accept what he was to become. He only sought to understand it so he could make it serve him, rather than consume him. But that demon, On-High damn him, opened his eyes to more possibilities – showing him there is more than the two roads before him.

“You’re really going to pick a fight?” Titus suddenly asked as he caught up to Snow’s brisk march back down the road. A cold breeze was whipping at the magician’s linen sleeves and tussling his blond hair. It did nothing to cool the smoldering anger beneath his skin.

“I’m going to break his leash on Lia. Then… we’ll see,” Snow said it low as his hand came to his sword. Titus then noticed that Snow had left his gloves back in the cave. He stared at those lean, bare hands for a long moment as if they were unsheathed blades.

“My sword isn’t very good against magic,” Titus replied.

“It won’t be needed.”

Titus scoffed. “You never needed me anyway.” Titus stopped walking.

Snow only took a few more steps before pausing as well. He still had his hand on that elegant sword, but he had yet to turn around.

“Tell me the truth… why were you looking for a hired sword? Did you just want a servant to order around?” Titus’s voice had grown hard and when Snow turned, he found the man in a widened stance. He hadn’t drawn his sword yet, but he was ready for it.

Snow briefly scowled at the accusation. “I’ll answer your question if you answer mine. Admit it. You weren’t passing by when you saw her. You weren’t sleeping in a ditch when you heard I was hiring. … You’re one of them. You’re the perfect type. Another idiotic, idealistic dreamer ready to save the world.”

Titus’s face had become like stone. Snow waited for him to reach for that sword and charge him, maybe hoping to take him by surprise. They had only a few yards between them and surely Titus thought that hefty blade would cut through his rapier easily.

Instead, Titus replied, “Fine. Yeah. I joined the Saviors, but I’m not here for them. I’m here because of them. Because of Lia. She wasn’t like what they had told me. She wasn’t a monster. The day I found her was when I started to question things.”

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Snow wasn’t sure if he believed him. And he didn’t like the vagueness in his words. It wouldn’t be the first time the Saviors had tried to trick him. Maybe Titus was only trying to salvage this because he had yet to move Snow into position.

“One pretty face and you’re ready to abandon the world to creatures like her sire?”

“No.” Titus’s fists clenched. “But you’re right. The Saviors aren’t doing right by this world.”

“And how was is going to play out when we meet up with them?”

“I didn’t stop you from dealing with Waldron.”

“What if the next one we run into is an old friend? What then?”

Titus fell silent briefly before answering, “I wouldn’t let them harm you. I’d try talking to them, but I’d use my sword if I had to… now answer my question,” he demanded.

Snow didn’t believe it. He considered walking on. He didn’t owe anyone an answer for the things he did, but he said he would.

“As I said, even a dangerous vampire can be taken when he’s alone. I’ve been alone on the road for five years and I’ve had an unwelcome number of close calls that might not have been so close if I had a second pair of eyes watching my back. But my life is full of this,” Snow gestured back towards Lia’s cave. “I need someone who can handle themselves.”

Titus’s frame eased, his shoulders dropping by the tiniest of margins.

“You wanted a friend?” Titus asked with a touch of disbelief.

“I didn’t say that.” Snow shot back. “I meant what I said in Erbin. I want someone to watch my back. Not someone who’s going to put a knife in it.”

“Someone you can trust,” Titus added.

Snow was done playing this game. Even if what Titus said was true, that did not mean he could fully trust the man. Titus had lied and clearly had no problem quietly disobeying authority. Trust was out of the question. The fact that he had been part of those crusading morons only made it worse.

He risked turning his back on Titus to continue towards the village. The chilly autumn wind was still blowing across the fields, and it almost hid the steady crunch of Titus’s boots walking along the pebbles and caked mud of the road behind him. The swordsman stayed at a distance though. His pace never quickened to catch up until they were in the village square with the inn in sight.

The men found that a crowd had gathered near the tavern and Snow had a suspicion that the hunter had arrived conveniently on time to rid them of their monster problem.

“What do you bet it’s him,” Titus spoke up as he stood alongside.

Snow gave him a long side glance, “Do you think you might know this arsehole?”

Titus shrugged. “Only one way to find out.” He then walked forward towards the crowd and left Snow to follow at a leisurely pace. He watched Titus carefully to see if he would tip off this fraud to the danger coming for him.

As they drew closer, they could hear the townsfolk retelling the horror of finding the two men with their throats gutted. They talked of hardship for the families and feared that their children may be next. All the voices were stressed and desperate. It was clear now that the village had never faced this kind of fear before. The anxiety Snow met when he sat down with them over ghosts was nothing compared to this desperation in the face of a predator stalking them in the night.

“Easy. Easy.” A voice said over the din. Slowly, the crowd quieted, and Snow was able to catch a glimpse of this fraud.