Chapter 4—Haven

Sukaria slowly opened her eyes. She was lying on a soft, comfy bed in a log cabin. She slowly sat up, expecting there to be pain in her stomach where she had been hit the night before.

But there was no pain. She looked down. Tere was a bandage where the wound should have been.

She gazed around. Jonathan was on a bed a few feet away and was just beginning to stir. His wounds were also bandaged. He looked at her, confusion in his eyes. One thought rebounded both of their heads.

Where are we? Sukaria slowly stepped out of bed and padded silently toward the door. Jonathan followed her.

Sukaria pushed the door open. She saw Xhar sitting against a tree. He was wearing a red short-sleeve shirt and brown shorts. This struck Sukaria as odd for a Guardian, who usually dressed head to toe except for their faces, and even these were sometimes helmeted.

Sukaria strode toward Xhar, questions streaming from her mouth.

"Who are you? Where are we? How did we get here? What-"

"Hey, one question at a time. How about, you ask me, I ask you, etc."

"Okay, I'll go first. Where are we?"

"This is Haven. This is where I live. Alright, who are you and why are you here?"

"I'm Sukaria and this is Jonathan. We were sent by the Wolf King. Why did you help us?"

"Two reasons. One, you did no harm to me. Second, being a Werepyre has taught me a lot."

"What's a Werepyre?"

"We look something like a cross between a Vampire and a Werewolf. We're led by Wolfwing, the King of the Werepyres. Most people hate and shun us."

"Why?"

"I don't know. But that's the way things are. That is why I live out here."

"I don't understand."

"Neither do I. Most Vampires and Werewolves attack me on sight. But I don't regret my decision. I'm glad to be a Werepyre."

"I wonder what it would be like," said Jonathan.

"It's an amazing feeling. It's impossible to describe. Now, why did the Wolf King send you two after me?"

"I'm not sure. He just said that we should kill you. And it's not like you're a Vampire or anything."

"Yeah, I've never been to Safiria's Castle or the Wolf Lair since I became a Werepyre. I mean, I am a Vampire slayer and I do hunt Werewolves—don't worry, I won't slay you—but I've never known the Wolf King to send people after an individual slayer. This is practically unheard of."

"Yeah, when we questioned him, he became angry and told us not to question his orders. He just told us that is was vital for our mission to be carried out." Then Jonathan spoke.

"So what do we do now?"

"We go find the Wolf King. I want to know why he's after me."