Carmie’s dark eyes opened slowly. As soon as they did, the crimson spot in her eyes, the one area of her body that failed to hit the sun barrier threshold, was exposed to a blinding burn that forced her to turn away from the white and orange gritty glass windows, which were open to the picturesque blend of oranges, yellows, and purples coming through the evergreen leaves. She was in an acacia cottage with a rough, cobbled, rock floor. She slowly sat up in the white sheets painted with apricots. Above her head, there were several orange sapphires, agates, and sunstones hanging from a square ring. On the string, the gemstones hung from were several copper rods of differing length and thickness. Some had holes, and some did not. Karis had always loved windchimes. Then, she remembered. Karis was dead. And so was she. Next to the bed, on the ground, was the black lace blindfold, embedded with carnelians and graced with floral patterns, that she wore over her eyes. She grabbed the blindfold and placed her feet on the cold, sharp floor. Carmie pushed onto the rocky ground and began searching for Karis.

While searching, several thoughts entered her head. Why was she still in her lace red dress and stockings? If this were the afterlife, she should have been naked, that’s what her mother had told her. If it were the afterlife, why was she still burned by the sunlight, and why were all the windows and decorations some kind of orange? Why was the ground so harsh and frigid? She was starting to have doubts about being dead.

All of this was dispelled when Carmie entered the kitchen and saw her. A girl with sparkling, bouncy curls that crowned her head with a charm that could only be rivaled by the girl’s dark blue eyes, like the ocean during a storm. Which sparkled with speckles like seashells of orange and pink. The girl was dark-skinned, with light brown spots and speckles covering her arms and face. She wore a yellow top that cuffed under her chest and waved down the rest of her torso like sunlight. And her lower half was that of a deer, a brown one with light brown spots and white fur that puffed out around her hooves. Now that Carmie was thinking about it, the girl had the fluffy, downturned ears of a deer as well. She seemed to glow and sparkle with the specks of sunlight that could make it through the clouds and the evergreens outside. Carmie watched with enchantment as she poured a jar of white powder, sugar, into a metal pot of bubbling, thick red liquid that smelled like strawberries. She was cheerfully humming to herself, with a voice that contained more bass than Carmie would’ve expected, but was still bright and calming.

Carmie’s cheeks warmed, and her skin tingled with the girl’s movements like she could feel the light from the girl’s sparkle refracting onto her skin. She took a shy step forward. The girl’s fluffy brown ear swiftly raised when she heard Carmie. She then turned around energetically.

“You’re awake!”

Carmie flinched, and she lowered her head to show the beautiful woman her respect.

“Are you an angel?” Carmie’s voice was skittish and quiet

“You mean cloud maiden?” The girl implored. Then, she smiled, and her eyes crinkled.

“We’re on earth, silly.”

“What?” Carmie demanded. “I’m not…”

“This is my home, I’m letting you stay until the hunters leave the forest.” The girl's voice was charming like shooting stars, but all Carmie was focused on were the meteors that headed for her heart. She took in the warm air and the smell of strawberries, then exhaled gently.

“Who are you, and what day is it?”

“I’m Cailah! And it’s the 5th of summer!”

Carmie felt her blood grow toxic in her chest. The 5th of summer? The attack was on the 3rd. Karis… She took another breath and whispered aloud the most important question she would ask.

“Have you seen my brother?” Cailah frowned, and her eyes turned downward.

“I saw three corpses in the direction I found you in. I haven’t seen another living person in seasons.”

The toxic blood then went acidic and fiery. Carmie’s lungs went cold, and she couldn’t breathe.

“I’m sorry.”

Carmie couldn’t move; she couldn’t do anything.

“Thank you for your kindness, Miss. I’m going to search for my brother.” Cailah’s eyes widened, and the sparkling stones within them shrank.

“The hunters are still out there! And vampires, too!” Carmie’s hands began to shake. And tears ripped through her chest and burned through her eyes. She covered her mouth to quiet the rapid, uncontrollable breaths she couldn’t stop from pulling apart her lungs. The salty water wet her cheeks and seeped into her mouth. Her other hand gripped nothing and shook violently. Then, warmth.

Cailah’s arms were warm. They were soft. Carmie trembled even harder as they wrapped around her. She cried like that for a long time. Until her eyes were too dry to continue and her lungs were too exhausted for anything but calm breaths.

“Why are you holding me?”

“Do you want me to stop?”

Carmie’s panic almost returned at the suggestion.

“No.”

After several minutes, Cailah let go of Carmie.

“You should go to the backyard; the fresh air will help you calm down.”

Carmie nodded a few times before going to the door on the other side of the room. The door handle was golden, and there was a stained-glass deer design on the top window. As she left the building, she felt her stomach contract painfully. She hadn’t eaten yet.

Now Carmie’s legs were weak, and she saw a small gray rabbit. She had split up in the forest with Cailah for foraging. No one would know if she drained this creature. She pounced on the rabbit, and before it could even jump, she sank her fangs into the creature's skin and felt its blood pool into her mouth. She instantly felt her weakness dissipate. She normally would’ve considered herself above rabbit’s blood, but at this moment, it was delicious. She lost herself in the feeling of the blood flowing down her throat, and soon, the rabbit was empty. She was still hungry. She looked around rapidly and saw something that made her heart stop. Cailah was watching.

The outdoor air had suddenly gotten thicker. Carmie pinched and picked at her arm while she looked at the ground. It was the sharp clenching of Cailah’s teeth that snapped her out of it.

“I- I’m sorry, was that your pet? I didn’t mean to, I was just hungry, and it was right there, I should’ve been more patient, I’m sorry.”

“When did you plan to kill me?” Cailah demanded coldly.

“What? Why would I kill you?” Cailah scoffed, and her eyes narrowed.

“Vampires have worked with hunters to kill Fauntaurs for centuries. They’re cruel and manipulative, and they only care about a good meal.” One of Carmie’s eyebrows raised, and she squinted at Cailah.

“Vampires haven’t worked with the hunters in 75 years; they betrayed us and killed the former king and queen.”

“Liar.”

“No! I’m being honest, even if I were with the hunters, why would I want to hurt you?! You saved me!” Carmie insisted. Her legs started to feel weak, and her lips started getting numb. She took a moment to focus on the smell of the rabbit and was horrified. The smell of garlic.

“Shit! Why are the animals in your backyard poisoned!” Cailah’s left ear flicked, and she tilted her head to the right.

“The hunters poison all the wildlife in this area…” Cailah’s voice shook, then a single sparkle returned to each of her eyes. Both her ears flickered, and she narrowed her eyes and smiled.

“Wha…” Carmie started, but the garlic started to hit her. Hard. Her numb lips and tongue swelled, making it impossible to form words, and she felt dizzy. The world around her turned black, and the last thing she saw was Cailah looking over her.

***

Soft. Warm. When Cailah woke up, she was lying on something that shifted slightly and felt like her grandmother's old blanket. The blanket that her grandfather had made from Fauntaur fur. She didn’t open her eyes. Instead, she rubbed her cheek into the soft mass, then felt a sharp pinch on her cheek. 

“Ow! Karis-” Upon opening her eyes, she did not see Karis, with his playful, sunburnt eyes; she saw Cailah.

“Don’t cuddle on me like that.” Carmie’s eyes widened, and she sat up sharply, her entire face burned.

“I’m sooososososososososooooo sorry.” Cailah’s sparkling eyes gazed away from Carmie.

“Don’t worry about it.” Cailah’s cheeks were slightly pink when she placed a small flower tiara on Carmie’s head. The flowers were simple strawberry flowers that Carmie recognized from her garden. They had 5 white petals and a messy yellow center. Carmie put her face in her hands and stayed like that for a few moments while Cailah’s ears tilted. She could imagine Karis teasing her for the way her skin tingled and her face burned.

“Are you upset I killed the rabbit?”

“No, I’m actually making you strawberry blood substitutes.”

“Really?” Carmie’s face lit up; she had always loved the taste of strawberries in blood.

“Yes, but I left them at home.”

Carmie’s eyebrows raised, and she blushed. Home… What did that mean? Was Carmie sharing a “home” with Cailah now? 

“I should hunt; getting real blood will be better for me.”

“Feed.” The sparkle was gone again, so suddenly that Carmie almost flinched. She looked up, her eyes meeting Cailah’s form behind the veil. Cailah nodded. Carmie drew her fangs and gently sank them into Cailah’s flinching wrist; her blood was sweet and nutty, with a slight edge that she had never tasted in a living creature before. It was so very warm and smooth, and Carmie couldn’t believe the flavor she was experiencing came from a live person. After just about 10 seconds, just as Carmie was about to take another sip, Cailah screeched quietly and grabbed her wrist back. Carmie made a high-pitched, sad sound. Cailah smiled, and her eyes took on a different kind of sparkle, like that of an aurora. Her cheeks were pink again. Carmie couldn't even think straight and gently lifted her dark hand to Cailah’s spotted cheek. Cailah’s lips opened just enough to allow her gasp to escape her. Carmie licked her upper lip and closed her eyes blissfully. Cailah froze for a moment and looked at the ground. 

“The garlic’s still in your system; you should rest.”

“I’m sorry, I should’ve just gone hunting, you’re ok right?” Cailah took an arm around Carmie’s shoulder and positioned Carmie on her fur. The air in Carmie’s lungs left her, and she blushed, but closed her eyes anyway. She truly was tired, but anyone would be after feeling the softness of Cailah's fur. Soon, both Carmie and Cailah had fallen asleep.

“Rize, Your mission is simple: find Prince Carmiah and kill the Fauntaur who has stolen him.”

“Yes, Sir.”