Chapter 360: Threats Carved on a Skin

The eerie glow of the approaching blood moon tinted the whole place in a red hue, and horses galloped within the haunting expanse of the autumn forest, with Ivan leading his men deeper into the colorful woods.

Twisted branches casted an ominous shadow on the horses, and the rustle of leaves underfoot followed the direction of the caressing wind.

Ivan’s crimson eyes surveyed the perimeter, his senses heightened by the impending danger that lurked within the forest vicinity. He has never ventured this deep into the forest, so the aura here was new to him – intimidating, oppressive, he could feel every toxic energy that emitted from the wind itself each time he inhaled, and without a doubt, he was sure Marius would be somewhere around here.

"We stop here."

Cassian stopped his horse when they made it to a clearing, and he glanced at the tree’s symbol on the scroll. None of the trees they’ve come across so far bore resemblance to what he was seeing presently, and another reason he suspected Carmela’s hideout was because his son had uttered it himself.

Her hideout had to be this tree on the symbol.

Tobias had gotten down from his horse, his vigilant gaze matching the intensity of the atmosphere, and he surveyed the forest.

"Let’s stop here and have a look around." Ivan’s voice cut through the silence as he dismounted from Blaze. There was a strange scent in the air that didn’t miss his sense of smell. It smelled oddly familiar, not in a good way, but his mind currently couldn’t process where he’s perceived such a scent before.

"Even if you can’t feel the energy from every single tree, look closely, and see if any of the trees bear these signs you see." Cassian explained, showing the intricate symbols to the soldiers Ivan had brought with them, and they all nodded in affirmation before scattering into the wilderness.

"I don’t have a good feeling about this place, the trees here seem to be watching us, it’s an uncomfortable feeling." Tobias murmured, refusing to stay oblivious to the fact that they were presently being watched. It was a hunch he couldn’t bring himself to ignore.

"Do any of you smell anything... odd?" Ivan raised an inquiring eyebrow, his suspicious frown making both men exchange clueless glances.

"Something odd like what?"

"I don’t know." His bothered eyebrows knitted, having discovered he was the only person perceiving this strange scent.

"Come with me." Was all he said to the two of them before vanishing with a blur of speed into the narrow pathway.

Tobias and Cassian followed, wondering what bad omen Ivan must have picked up, or was it Marius? It barely took them a minute before they arrived at the spot where Ivan was, and he was standing a foot away from what appeared to be the unmoved body of someone.

The sight alone had left them immobilized for a few seconds, but only Ivan had the guts to crouch down and take off the bloodied robe from the face of the victim, and his eyes widened to see it was no one other than Draven. The wave of shock that took over his system prompted him to back away, and Tobias finally stepped forward to study the lifeless body of Draven.

Cassian did the same, and he was the only one who wasn’t frozen with shock. He crouched down to scrutinize the wounded body, and all of Draven’s pale skin had been colored with his own blood. It was a gruesome death, and Cassian sighed when he lifted the head of Draven to examine it.

"His tongue was cut out, even his eyeballs were taken. Vampires don’t die easily, more difficult when that vampire is an overlord like Draven. From the looks of it, they tried every possible means to ensure he died with no hope of surviving it."

"But if Draven is here, and killed, then–"

"He’s still not the one we locked earlier." Ivan interjected, his gaze shifting to Draven’s wrist. "If he’s the Draven we captured, I see no cuff marks on his wrist. Even if it is possible to get rid of Duncan’s cuffs, the struggle, and the pain inflicted on that wrist must leave a sign around both his wrist – a sign he doesn’t have."

Ivan pointed out the details, and he crouched once more over Draven’s dead body to study the blood coating his skin. The scent he perceived earlier was vampire blood, and it made sense why he was the only one who sensed it – he’s the only vampire to taste his kind’s blood before, back then he was still seething with untamed madness, and for those who haven’t, they can neither detect the scent of their own blood.

"So you’re saying this is planned." Cassian concluded, and Ivan held back a tsk!

"He was used and dumped. I initially thought he was smarter than that, trusting Marius and that wife of his was the biggest mistake he made, and there’s no amending it." He moved the bloodied robe further down, exposing Draven’s chest and revealing the nasty hole he was sure was Marius’s doing.

The sight made him worried, he was filled with alarm, and thanks to the bond he shared with his wife, it was easy for him to detect when she was in trouble. He wouldn’t feel her presence if she was, but right now, he could, and that assured him that she was fine and still at the tent.

"It should take more than a year for Marius to recover his full strength, since his previous body had been ruined, but with the blood moon approaching, he could get stronger." Tobias informed them, reminding them of the effect the blood moon posed, and Ivan recalled what that clingy carnivorous plant his wife owned had said when they were in the tent together.

There’s no way he’d let his wife face such a scornful being by herself. This is a fight he would have to take care of by himself, and he was going to keep her safe even if it has to be the last thing he does in the world. As long as she doesn’t go far from the tent, she’ll be safe, away from Marius and his intrusive mind-spells.

"Hold on, there’s something written on his skin." Cassian suddenly added as he drew the robe completely from Draven’s body, exposing his naked self, and all over his pale, bruised body were words that seemed to have been carved with a knife, or a dagger, and it reads;

"THE CONSEQUENCES FOR YOUR MEDDLING HOLDS UNENDING TORTURE YOU’RE NOT PREPARED TO UNVEIL!"

Ivan scoffed at the threat written boldly on Draven’s stomach, and below was the word;

"CHOOSE WISELY, FOR THE PRICE OF DEFIANCE IS STEEP."

’If you were so bold to write me such meaningless threats, why not leave your destination too?’ Ivan thought to himself, a sinister smile curling his lips.

The game has just taken a different turn, and Ivan was more than ready to dance in the shadow of this impending confrontation.

"Your Majesty." One of the soldiers darted forward, and he pointed at the direction where he was coming from.

"We found the tree! And there’s strange people in it!"

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read