I make three more visits to Nikom in the days that follow. A few people have spoken to me, if only just to say hello, but it's a good start. I'm getting better at focusing on their faces rather than their auras. Though my progress is encouraging, I must not forget to use caution at all times.

As my fourth visit comes to an end, I pause to watch several young boys play some sort of chasing game in an open area at the end of the main street. The smallest boy, who seems to be doing most of the chasing, stops to catch his breath.

“You guys . . . are too . . . fast,” he says, holding his sides. “Can't someone else be chaser?”

His friends gather around him, some of them laughing. “We're just trying to help you get faster, Arem,” one of them says.

Glaring, the boy Arem pounces forward, grasping the arm of the nearest boy. “There!” he shouts, darting out of the way. “Now Ric is chaser.”

His strategy impresses me. I watch a moment longer before moving on. As I pass a group of people huddled outside the post office, I overhear something that stops me mid-step.

“It's official. Noble-lords are headed this way and should be here by the end of the month. They're convinced a number of Soulless have moved north. They say the monsters are to blame for the plague that is slowly covering the land, killing crops and livestock. It won't be long until our fields, and our people, are infected as well.”

The conversation continues, but I hasten away, the words pounding in my head. Noble-lords. If some are truly on their way, I'll have no choice but to move on. A time will come when I will have nowhere else to hide. There is one part of the conversation, however, that makes no sense—the supposed connection between the Soulless and the scourge creeping over the land. I have never heard such a thing before. My kind have no effect on crops, and although animals can sense us, they do not simply drop dead in our presence. None of this matters, however. The Noble-lords will use any excuse to hunt us down.

I enter my hut and take a moment to look at my few possessions. None of them are necessary or sentimental. I could leave them all behind right now and not give them a second thought. Yet, for the first time in a long time, I don't want to move on. This forest has been kind to me, and my interaction with the people of Nikom, however brief, has been a relief to my loneliness. To leave now would mean having to start over somewhere else, perhaps in a place less welcoming, or forcing myself into seclusion again. But what other choice do I have?

Turning on my heel, I make my way to the northern edge of the trees, hoping the sunset will inspire me.

I settle into my regular spot with a clear view of the sky, which catches more oranges than pinks tonight as if the heavens are lit with waves of fire. Letting out a long breath, I make my decision. I will go farther north beyond the mountains. The lands there are colder and less hospitable in more ways than one, but if I wish to stay out of the Noble-lords' clutches, it is the only solution.

***

The sun has come, glaring at me, yet it doesn't burn like it's supposed to. It is warm and pleasant. My heart begins to race with a strange excitement. My eyes fly open. I'm still lying on the soft ground beneath the night sky. Light is nearby, but not from above. I sit up, looking to the southeast. I stare at a strange gleam piercing through the darkness like a beacon.

It's an aura.

Leaping to my feet, my entire body tensing, I run. I've never seen anything so glorious. My pace increases with each step; the monster inside me is in control. I won't be able to stop it even if I want to.

I pause at the edge of a meadow. The source of the aura is lying near the center, welcoming me like a hearth fire. My desire to take it is impossible to withstand. Any humanity that has stopped me on previous occasions no longer exists. I move slowly despite my eagerness, drinking in the golden brightness, feeling its effects even at a distance. I will soon be whole again, if only for a short time. I will need another.

I drop to my knees beside the motionless figure lying on the dewy grass. I reach out, breathing deeply, savoring this moment when my suffering will finally be lifted. As my fingers brush against warm flesh, a trace of the precious aura jolts through my body. A vivid shock of emotion throws me backward, silencing the monster within me.

I lie on my back for ages, unable to make sense of what happened. Trembling, I push myself up and force my eyes to see past the brilliant aura to the face behind it. A maiden, young and beautiful, lies there. Twigs and leaves are tangled in her auburn hair. Her ivory skin is bruised and spotted with dirt, the sleeve of her left arm torn, revealing a gash caked with dried blood.

The all-consuming urge I felt before is replaced with something I did not think I possessed—the same emotion that shocked me so violently when I touched her skin. Compassion. It must have come from her.

Moving slowly, I crawl closer to her, confused and fascinated at the same time. The warmth of her aura washes over me once again, but instead of wanting to take the helpless soul before me, I have a desire to protect it. I do not understand this feeling, but it is there all the same.

For what seems like hours I continue to watch her, not sure what to do next. She cannot stay here. Another thought slams into me, making me inhale sharply. If I was able to detect her brilliant aura from a distance, other Soulless will do the same. They could be amassing this very moment. I can't allow her to be harmed.

I lift her in my arms and carry her from the meadow. She weighs next to nothing, yet touching her has its own effect on me. I feel powerful with purpose and also terrified that this frail creature has somehow usurped my carefully constructed willpower.

As we near my hut I know I cannot bring her here. She needs someone more experienced to tend to her wounds and, deep down, I fear that my desire to protect her will vanish at any moment. I decided to take her to Nikom. The shopkeeper mentioned a woman named Swen who rents rooms. I hope she'll be able to look after the girl.

I sense the approach of dawn. My gaze flits upward, seeing only a few clouds to obstruct the first rays of light. I must hurry.

I make it to town just as the sun peeks over the mountainous horizon. The streets are empty, for which I'm grateful. I don't know what I'd say to explain my predicament. The two-story house around the bend comes into view. I climb the porch steps, the girl still motionless in my arms. Should I knock and leave the girl while I disappear into the shadows? After a moment of debate, I do just that.

I set the girl down carefully, feeling an immediate sense of abandonment as she leaves my arms. Squaring my shoulders, I rap my knuckles against the wooden door and then hasten to the cover of the bushes at the end of the walkway.

The wait is agonizing. Every moment she's exposed is an opportunity for another monster to appear. The door finally opens and a small, frizz-haired woman peers out. Her eyes widen at the sight of the girl on the porch. She ducks back into the entryway, calling for someone. Moments later, a middle-aged man joins her. The two of them gesture and whisper, both looking up and down the street. Another moment passes before the man picks up the girl and takes her inside.

I expect a feeling of relief to come, but it doesn't. Though she is safe for now, it won't last. Her aura is simply too noticeable. I can see traces of it shining through the windows, and I still feel its warmth. But what more can I do?

If I wish to protect her, an endeavor which seems to have abruptly become my sole purpose, I must somehow integrate myself into her life without drawing too much attention.

Widow Swen better have another spare room.

***

By the time I return to my hut to collect my few possessions and arrive back at Nikom, the sun is full in the sky with not enough clouds to offer much shelter. Even with the cover of my cloak and hood, the sun's rays make a brutal effort to burn my skin. I hasten to the widow's home and knock on the door for a second time. The man who carried the girl inside opens the door.

“Yes?” he says stiffly, looking me up and down.

I resist the urge to glare at him. “I've heard Widow Swen takes in travelers. Do you have room for another?”

“May I ask how you heard about this place?” he asks, leaving my own question unanswered.

I frown for a moment, trying to remember the name of the shopkeeper. “It was Ory, the merchant.”

Looking disappointed, the man steps back. “How kind of him to mention us. Come in.”

I follow him inside, taking a quick assessment of my surroundings. The foyer leads to a wide hallway that connects to a staircase. She's up there. I move toward it but the man steps in my path.

“The first night is free,” he says, “but anything after will be a Silver per night. Hot meals are extra.”

“I understand,” I say, holding onto my patience. “May I see my room?”

“How long do you plan to be here?” he goes on.

“Near a month,” I reply. “I'll be getting a job here in town to pay the rent.”

“Not many jobs available, I'm afraid,” he says, not sounding the least bit sympathetic.

My patience will not last much longer.

“Stop pestering the poor man, Hermis,” a voice says. The two of us are soon joined by the widow. Her aura is dimmed by age, yet the warmth it gives off is as strong as anyone's. She looks at me with twinkling eyes. “Forgive my nephew. I'm sure you'll find work somewhere. You are welcome to stay here for as long as you like.” She suddenly gives me a wink. “I'm not one to pry, so your business shall remain your own. All I ask is for you to keep a civil tongue and be inside at an honest hour.” She offers her hand. “Agreed?”

I hesitate before grasping her hand, which is cool to the touch. “Yes. Thank you.”

She smiles and then turns to her nephew. “Take him to the blue room.”

Without another word, though with a noticeable scowl on his face, Hermis turns and leads me up the stairs. We stop at a room that is called the blue room for obvious reasons. Everything—from the carpet to the curtains—is some shade of that color. I feel as if I've stepped into the sky. Hermis doesn't linger, to my relief. I don't know why the man is so disagreeable, but the less I see of him the better.

Turning away, I arrange my few belongings, all the while trying to determine where the girl is in comparison to my room. She is near, that I know. I wonder if she has awakened yet. I wonder if I'll ever be able to focus on anything else. It's strange, and almost comical, that for a second time someone has managed to change the course of my life, and there seems to be nothing I can do about it.