Vampires Realm Prophecy 01 - Child of Light

own course over the trees while her thoughts remained with Valentine. Dmitri would sport with him, just like Mia had said.
    She only hoped that their fight didn’t end as the last one between them had.

Chapter 35
    Valentine slowed to a halt in a clearing and looked at his surroundings. He was deep in the forest now. Dmitri had disappeared into the night shortly after they had entered the woods. He didn’t mind. He wanted a good hunt tonight, wanted to let himself go a little. He glanced back in the direction of the village. Mia would say things to Prophecy that were bound to cause questions in the girl’s head. Mia, for all her airs and graces, loved to stir trouble, especially where he was concerned.
    Bringing his attention back to the woods, he scanned the dense pine trees and sniffed the air. The smell of the trees and the damp earth flooded his senses, but he quickly tuned them out by focusing on the subtler scents. Animals had passed this way not long before and so had something else. He smiled. Dmitri.
    He started to walk again, heading in the direction that Dmitri had taken. He was about the leave the clearing when a noise caught his attention and his senses screamed danger. Not reacting fast enough, he growled in pain when claws slashed down his back, ripping through his shirt.
    Turning, he narrowed his eyes on Dmitri, who grinned in amusement. He dropped the satchel he was carrying that contained the empty canisters, stripped his shirt off and looked at it. It was ruined.
    “That was my only shirt,” he said, the frown remaining etched on his brow.
    “I have one to lend you, though your scrawny body will be swamped.” Dmitri laughed.
    Valentine threw the shirt to the floor and tensed his jaw.
    “What does it matter? Prophecy will prefer you like this,” Dmitri said, casually walking towards him.
    He gave him a look that conveyed how unimpressed he was but his old friend ignored it and continued.
    “New?” Dmitri nodded towards his chest.
    He looked down at the scar on his shoulder and touched it. “Werewolves.”
    “It has healed well,” Dmitri said and there was a flicker of guilt in his eyes.
    “Do not feel responsible for all of your kind, old friend.” He placed a hand on Dmitri’s shoulder and smiled. “Prophecy healed it.”
    Dmitri nodded. “Mia told me of your little woman’s power.”
    Valentine stretched and looked up at the moon and the stars through the trees. “I thought she would.”
    He knew what was going to come next. Mia wouldn’t have just told Dmitri about Prophecy’s magic and her past, she would have mentioned the things that he’d said. Fixing his gaze on one star in particular, he stared at it while he waited.
    Dmitri moved and he could sense the growing distance between them. It was a wise move on Dmitri’s part. Valentine clenched his fists, growing impatient and wanting the questions to be over with already. He didn’t want this talk. It had been bad enough when he’d told Mia.
    “Mia said you want to make the little woman wholly vampire.”
    The words were spoken in an unsteady voice, one that made him frown. He resisted his desire to tell Dmitri to keep his nose out of his business, and instead sighed.
    “I thought she would.” He brought his eyes down and stared at the leaf litter and broken twigs on the ground. There was no point in denying what Dmitri had said. He did want to turn Prophecy. He wanted her to forever remain as she was now and he knew that she desired the same thing. She’d made him promise to never let her grow old, and it was a promise he intended to keep.
    “You knew she wanted me to speak with you, no? This is why we have this hunt together?”
    He nodded and smiled at his friend. “I did. I knew it was inevitable. Mia pries into others business too much.”
    “I see your heart, Valentine, as clear as my love does. Have you told the little woman?”
    Valentine changed guises, forcing his canines to extend while his eyes switched colour. He roared at Dmitri, unleashing the frustration inside of him and the annoyance he felt over being questioned about his intentions towards Prophecy.
    “I did not think so.” Dmitri laughed, not at all bothered by the outburst.
    Shaking his head, Valentine’s teeth receded and he growled quietly under his breath.
    “Come, friend. I’ve not seen you sickening so much since we first met and you were under Lucya’s spell. Even then it was not so bad as the one this little woman has cast on