SWNOVELS Chapter 57
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Chapter 57
ANDREAS
I arrived just as Nadia was closing up her shack for the night. She gave me a questioning look and whatever she saw on my face prompted her to let me come in. She offered me some tea but I declined. I have some matters to ask and hopefully, she would be able to tell me more about it. Even the tiniest details would be valuable.
“It looks like you bear grave news,” she remarked, noting my troubled expression. I cast a cautious glance around, making sure no one was near enough to hear what I was about to say.
“You know the old families that thrived in the Kingdom of Eldoria before, yes?”
She stared at me for a beat longer before she nodded slowly. “I know most of them. Their names are recorded in the ancient journals that chronicle the history of Eldoria.”
The mention of the journal stirred memories in me. I have not seen that journal for a long time. I lost it at a war camp once upon a time when we were raided and everything was burned to the ground. Its pages held the names of families that thrived in the Kingdom. I do not know all the names of the people there no matter how hard I try to keep reading it everyday, however, it served as a grim reminder of just how many vampires the Kingdom of Veridia killed.
It served as the reason for me to keep getting stronger ever since I was a child—the moment I learned the truth about my identity.
The first time I met Nadia was when I was a child and still living in the palace. It was her who told me of who I truly am. It was she who hid my being a vampire using a spell that made me seem like human, hiding my vampire scent from every wolves surrounding me. It was her whom my family trusted enough to leave some things for me to use as I was the future of the Kingdom who was long gone. One of those things was the journal.
“What seems to be the problem?” she inquired when I went silent for a long while. She stared at me patiently. and then I let out a deep breath.
“Henrietta was turned,” I said. I looked at her and she did not even look fazed. If anything, Nadia’s reaction was calm, almost expectant. “I…I don’t know what’s going on. I think… she might be a vampire from the very beginning. A hybrid. Just like me.”
The words weighed heavily but Nadia sat on the chair in front of me. “It’s possible,” she acknowledged. “Just as
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it was for you.”
, almost white with old age
I met her “What are you trying to say?”
“Perhaps she was like you. Your mother was a vampire and your father is a wolf. Perhaps she asked a witch for help too. But we can’t know for certain unless you ask her.”
“Does that mean you have no idea about it as well?” I sighed, closing my eyes in defeat. “She did not know anything about it. All her life, she thought she was a half wolf, half human.”
Silence settled around us like a heavy shroud, thick with the weight of unspoken words. Nadia broke the quiet with a weary sigh, her footsteps measured as she retreated towards a dimly lit corner, where shadows danced in anticipation. With deliberate movements, she disappeared into what appeared to be a secluded chamber.
Minutes stretched into eternity before Nadia emerged, cradling in her weathered hands a familiar thing that stirred my memories from the past. Its once vibrant cover now worn and weather–beaten, bearing witness to the time that passed.
Nadia placed the tome on the wooden table, its ancient bindings creaking softly in protest as if it would break
any
my minute if handled recklessly. The flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows upon its weathered surface, illuminating faded scripts.
With trembling hands, I reached out to touch its timeworn pages, fingers tracing the lines of the book that was supposed to be long gone.
“How…?”
She smiled. “I am a witch, boy.”
“This book was burned to ashes, how were you able to make it as good as new?”
She chuckled. “I meant to say that I am a witch and we tend to keep things as they might prove useful in the future.” She then gestured her hand around us where I could see shelves and shelves of things she found
somewhere..
“I was trusted two books. I gave one to you. You can have this. But remember, that’s the last one. You better take
care of that.”
Grateful, I immediately took the book from her hands and started flipping through the pages. There were
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thousands of names but I kept an eye on Silvana. Henrietta’s dual heritage, born of a werewolf mother and a human father, sparked a glimmer of recognition within me. Could her father, like myself, have sought refuge, concealing his true nature with the aid of a witch’s magic?
I painstakingly sifted through the aged pages one by one, my fingers tracing each line with a sense of urgency as I looked at the names. The texts blurred together as I searched for the Silvana family, my heart pounding with anticipation for what I would find.
The flickering candlelight cast shadows across the worn paper as I reached the final pages of the journal. My eyes strained against the dim illumination, desperate to find any clue.
I somewhat understand how Henrietta’s feeling. The first time I realized I was a vampire, I did not know how to feel about it. It took a lot of time for me to finally accept who I am.
It was a race against time as I did promise Henrietta that I would be back the next day to give her the answers she needed. However, it was also a battle of uncertainty and doubt. Just when despair threatened to eat me up, my gaze landed on the name I sought—Silvana.
Relief flooded through me. Henrietta’s lineage lay before me, as though waiting to be unraveled.
“I found it,” I announced, my voice tinged with triumph. Nadia approached and placed a cup of tea on the table for me even as I declined her on her first offer.
However, my triumph was short–lived when I found none of Henrietta’s father’s name. Instead, there were two people under the name — Guinevere Silvana and Beyron Silvana.
“Henrietta’s father is not on the list.”
Nadia peered at the book, curiosity piqued. And then her eyes widened as she pointed to the name, Guinevere.
“I know one person of this name. However, she’s using a different name now. Not Silvana,” she said.
I furrowed my brows.
I
“She’s a witch, belonging to the Delfina coven. I think this is the same Guinevere Silvana.”
“What makes you say that the Guinevere you’re talking about and Guinevere Silvana are the same?”
Nadia looked at me and said, “Because the witch Guinevere is well known for being a vampire. If she’s a Silvana
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then that would make sense.”
A surge of relief coursed through me at the potential lead.
“Where can I find her?”
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Nadia gave me a knowing smile. “Where you can find the witches, that’s where you can find her, Andreas.”
“Evercrest,” I,muttered. Evercrest is another Kingdom dominated by witches, a kingdom steeped in the mystique of magic and a realm where witches thrived.
Nadia nodded and took a sip from her cup.
“Find her and you will find the answers you need.”
Dawn was fast approaching and I found myself in a place where I never thought I would find myself to go.
Evercrest is a Kingdom dominated by witches. Unlike Veridia and Eldoria, the humans tend to live closer to the witches as the latter would give them protection against the vampires and the wolves.
With my speed, it was easy to move from town to town until I was standing in front of the piece of wood that said: “Welcome to Evercrest“.
Evercrest looked more like a small town. The houses were not as ornate as the ones in Veridia but they looked more snug and calming. Perhaps it was because witches are closer to nature for that fact they they get most of their powers from nature itself.
I took a step toward the mark, however, I stopped as I felt the invisible barrier in front of me, preventing me from coming in. This is one of their protective measures against my kind.
“What do you need, werewolf?” asked a woman’s voice behind me. A witch, I thought. And the fact that she instantly recognized my kind is impressive.
“How could you be so sure I am a werewolf?” I asked, angling my head as I smiled at her. She instantly took a step back realizing what I was capable of doing. Witches are instinctive beings. They easily recognize a battle they can win from the one they can’t. Right now, it’s the latter for her.
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“Would you be so kind as to invite me into your town?” I said and she narrowed her eyes at me, full of suspicion.
“What do you want?” she asked, eyes still wary. Only this time, her hand was already on the weapon strapped to
her waist.
I raised my hands letting her know I did not mean any harm, however, the suspicious look was still on her face, her hands still on her weapon.
“I just want to talk to a witch named Guinevere,” I said.
The woman paused for a moment before she said, “What do you need from her?”
I smiled again. “That would be between me and her.”
“Then I can’t let you in. Go back to where you belong,” she hissed.
I was about to say my response when we heard another voice. This time, it came from the inside of the town.
“What seems to be the matter here
Carol?”
I turned to look who it was and I instantly knew that it was the Guinivere I was looking for. Not only does she look a lot like Henrietta’s father, but she also looks very similar to Henrietta.
Her brows raised as she looked at me. “And what is someone like you doing in Evercrest, warrior?”
I remained to raise my hands as I said, “I came to tell you about your niece, Henrietta Silvana.”
She froze but it was only for a short while. The slick smile was back on her face.
“I don’t know anyone of that name. You can leave,” she said and then turned. I knew she was lying so I know I
had to do what I needed to do.
“Your niece has turned. She turned into a vampire and I wonder if you could tell me how could that happen and
how I could reverse it.”
Slowly, she faced me. There was a glint of curiosity in her eyes at the mention of Henrietta’s name and her situation.
“You know her. So tell me what I need to do to help her.”
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She remained silent before her gaze landed to the woman was talking to me earlier. After another beat of silence, she said, “I believe this is a matter best discussed in private. I invite you to Evercrest, Sir Andreas.”
However, as I approached the barrier separating me from the kingdom, a sudden, searing pain lanced through my chest, accompanied by a sharp, jarring sound. I slowly looked at her and at her raised hand.
My senses reeled, and the world spun as I collapsed to the ground, darkness encroaching on the edges of my
consciousness.
Moments later, I found myself face–to–face with Guinevere, who crouched before me. “You will awaken soon. Kindly understand that this is necessary,” she reassured me.
Those were the last words I heard before succumbing to the void, the abyss swallowing me whole.