Chapter Thirteen

The Unmarked, Book One

Nov 20, 2025

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Dawn & Wolfe

By late afternoon Dawn and Wolfe had made it to Greywell. They did not need to show any documentation to enter the village. The acknowledgement of their Markings was enough for them to be allowed through the checkpoint. The guarded gates were more incentive to keep people inside the village, not to monitor who came in. Towns did not maintain the same protocol as the big cities. Cities such as Aura and Ardus were where Marked Members lived. It was also where all political and economic affairs took place. Small towns supplied the big cities with essentials and were located on the outskirts. Places like Greywell were where the unworthy lived.

Dawn had never been to Greywell, but it was no different than any other village. Villagers walked. Their arms unmarked and their clothing ragged. They were mostly farmers, fishermen, sailors and streetcleaners. Most of the homes were nothing more than small wooden shacks.

As they walked, villagers avoided eye contact. There was no mistaking who she and Wolfe were. Their Markings made it obvious, but so did the way they carried themselves: tall, poised and proud. She felt the stares of the unmarked drilling into her when they thought she was not paying attention. A couple of Third Orders nodded at them as they passed.

Dawn and Wolfe’s first stop was at the docks, to find out when the next ship was heading to Ardus.

“Tomorrow at Noon” the captain told them. He was a Guardian of Third Order. Normally, Guardians of their ranking did not have to purchase boarding passes if they had the proper authorization from their Governor. Lilly had left those behind for her, but Wolfe mentioned that it would be safer to purchase their passes and stay as confidential as possible.

Wolfe paid for their passes. Dawn had had a few coins tucked away in her satchel leftover from the Festival, but it wasn’t nearly enough to pay for their tickets.

After the docks, they decided to restock on all the supplies they had lost. They made an inventory of what they needed. They went from market to market. For every shop they entered, the owners dropped what they were doing or rushed away from customers mid-conversation and tended to them. They spoke with respectful tones, bowed when appropriate, and addressed them as Sir and Lady. Dawn let herself enjoy every moment of it.

Here, she was still a Guardian, not a fugitive.

By the end of the evening, Dawn had everything she needed. Wolfe bought her two new blouses along with two pairs of pants. He also bought her portable food, a pocketknife, a bedroll, a warm blanket, and a large pack. Though he did not spend a dime on himself.

“What about you? Don’t you need anything?” She pressed.

“I’ll be okay”.

“Because I’m not sharing” she said.

Wolfe smiled. “I’m not asking you to share”.

With all the things bought, Wolfe even managed to walk away with money to spare, despite everything she had bought. The shops she went to were meant for supplying travelling Guardians, so everything was ridiculously low-priced, compared to the shops in Aura. But there were hardly any villagers in the high-end markets. Either because they had no use for travel gear, or because they could not afford it.

“There’s an inn close by. We’ll be able to eat and rest” Wolfe said.

“You mean, I’ll be able to eat and rest.” She raised her eyebrow skeptically. She still had not seen Wolfe sleep nor eat. After experiencing what she had in the Woods, she began to wonder if Wolfe was… something other than human.

Wolfe smiled but kept looking straight ahead. Dawn glanced at him, taking in his profile, and asked him the question that had intrigued her since the moment she lay eyes on him.

“What happened to your nose?”

“What?”

“Your nose, it’s been broken. What happened to it?”

Wolfe stared ahead. “I…fell down some stairs when I was fifteen”.

“And you fell on your face?” Dawn asked, trying to suppress a laugh.

Wolfe looked at her and seemed as if he were about to laugh as well.

“What’s so funny?”

“That’s just a really lame way to get a broken nose”

Wolfe looked back at the road ahead. “Yeah. I guess it is”.

Because they were travelling Guardians, they did not have to pay for a room. They didn’t even have to give their names.

“One room, please” Wolfe asked. Dawn’s heart lurched to her throat, and she furrowed her brows.

What?

Wolfe noticed her expression and grinned. “One room, two beds, please”.

The innkeeper, a small little old man, began to apologize profusely.

“All the rooms with two beds have been taken by Third Orders on duty. If you wait, I can make an exchange for-”

“That won’t be necessary” Wolfe said. “One bed will do”.

Dawn cast him another glare.

The inn keeper nodded and handed them the key and promised that all their needs would be tended to, all they needed to do was ask.

He had servers take their packs up to their room, everything except Dawn’s satchel with the box. She didn’t want to leave it out of her sight.

“Why didn’t you let him get us another room?” she whispered at Wolfe as they followed the innkeeper to the dining room.

“Like I said, it won’t be necessary”.

“No?”

“If you haven’t noticed, I’m rather accustomed to sleeping on the ground. I was also looking forward to testing out the new bedroll”.

Dawn scoffed. “Really? You’ll sleep on the floor?” she asked dubiously.

Wolfe raised an eyebrow at her. “Unless you wanted to share the bed with me…”

Dawn felt her cheeks flush and she looked away. “Enjoy the ground” she said quickly.

Wolfe chuckled.

He’s toying with me… Dawn thought, her embarrassment resulting in a racing heart.

Music and chatter had been heard from the check in desk, but the moment she and Wolfe entered the dining room, the entire hall fell silent. People huddled over their tables, staring at their food. There were no tables available, but the innkeeper shooed away a group of people that sat at a large table by the windows. As he wiped it clean for them, Wolfe leaned toward her “and this is why I hate being a Guardian” he whispered. Dawn watched him with wide eyes. Did he hate the fact that he was feared?

“That’s how it’s meant to be” she said as they sat down. The innkeeper bowed and hurried to fetch a server for them.

“What? To have people tremble in their shoes when you enter the room?”

“They’re not people, Wolfe. They’re unmarked, unworthy”.

“Yeah, and I guess were not really people to them either. We’re monsters”. He said, leaning back in his chair. “My job isn’t to be a joy killer. It’s to enforce structure” he motioned around “this looks a lot like joy killing”. He sat straight up again. “I am not a joy killer!” he said loudly as he pounded his fist onto the table. “I am a joy bringer!”

Some villagers cast glances at them. Wolfe had spoken loud enough for everyone in the room to hear him. Dawn had never felt to embarrassed. “What are you doing?” she hissed.

He stood up. His voice dropped to a whisper. “Remember Dawn, right now, you’re even lower on the scale than anyone in this room. Would you like me to kill your joy too?” he asked and walked away before she could answer.

Dawn slouched in her seat and crossed her arms. He was right. Not only was she viewed as a criminal which made her unworthy, she was considered a heretic. The only thing she was worthy of through the eyes of the Code was a public and humiliating death.

Wolfe asked a man for his guitar, and the man practically dropped it because of how quickly he gave it over. Wolfe sat on a stool and adjusted the strings. Now all eyes were fixed on Wolfe, and people seemed to be holding their breaths. No one moved. This was probably the first time they had seen such a sight.

Wolfe cleared his throat. “Hi” he said and gave his most charming smile. The people shuffled in their seats. Wolfe pretended to ignore the tension in the room as he tuned the guitar. Then he strummed the strings.

He played some chords until he had an upbeat melody going, and then began to sing. His voice was raspy but compelling. Wolfe sang a silly song. It was about a girl who wanted to practice her kissing skills before her wedding day, so she went down to the pond and kissed a fish. It was the stupidest song Dawn had ever heard, but she could tell that the audience recognized it, because smiles were spreading on their lips.

It was a fast-paced song, and by the end the crowd was clapping in rhythm and singing the lyrics out:

Oh boy! She found a fish to kiss!

Oh boy! She thought it’d make good practice!

Oh boy! Into the pond she went!

Oh boy! Over the fish she bent!

If you think her breath smells

When you hear the wedding bells

You’ll know it’s because she went and

Found a fish to kiss!

Wolfe ended the song with a dramatic stroke of the guitar strings and the crowd erupted into a chorus of cheers and laughter. Wolfe stood, gave an exaggerated bow, and handed the guitar back to its owner. As he headed back to her, people smiled at him and some even gave him words of compliment. The hall filled with music and conversation once again.

Wolfe plopped into his seat. “Now isn’t this so much better than sitting in a room filled with fear?”

It was. But Dawn wasn’t sure if she agreed with it. Guardians and unmarked weren’t supposed to be friends, or even friendly with each other.

Wolfe rolled his eyes at her. “Come on Dawn, lighten up a little!”.

A servant girl appeared at their table. Wolfe asked her for two mugs of ale and their most popular dish.

“What’d you think of my song?” he asked once the serving girl scurried away.

“It was terrible”

“I was watching you. You were smiling”.

“Yeah, because it was hilariously terrible”.

Wolfe smirked.

“Do you sing?” he asked.

Dawn chuckled. “No way. Lilly always tried to get me to but…” she caught herself. She didn’t want to think about Lilly. Feelings of betrayal started swirling in the pit of her stomach.

“When did you have time to learn the guitar?” She asked quickly, wanting to change the subject. She was curious though. Becoming a Guardian was a full-time devotion. She knew that from firsthand experience. She couldn’t fathom when she’d have the time to learn an instrument between training, studying and travelling.

“Well, if I can be honest with you, I don’t really know how to play the guitar, I just know some songs. The rest is just confidence” he said with a wink.

“That wasn’t my question.”

Wolfe sighed. “I played songs ever since I can remember. Home wasn’t a very happy place when I was growing up. Mom and dad fought a lot, and my brother was just a pain. I’d often cry myself to sleep. But every night, my mom would sneak into my bedroom and play the guitar for me and sing me songs. It was her way of trying to cheer me up and show me that despite everything, she cared. Sometimes I’d pretend I was still sleeping and just listen to her, and other times I’d get up and sing with her. When I was old enough to hold the guitar myself, she started teaching me the songs. I think eventually I was the one who started playing to cheer her up after a difficult day. We did that every night until she…until I started leaving on missions”.

All of Dawn’s attention was focused on Wolfe and she took in every word, every expression, because it was the first time he had opened up about himself. No witty comments, no elusive answers. It was the most human thing he’d done since they’d met.

“Do you miss her?” Dawn wasn’t sure why she asked, but she sensed longing from Wolfe.

“With every fiber of my being” he answered.

The air felt thin. Dawn waited for him to say something more, but at that moment the serving girl returned with a bowl of some sort of fish stew, a basket of bread loaves and their mugs of ale.

“Let me know if you need anything else” the waitress said nervously, covering her stomach with her serving tray.

“We’re okay, thank you” Wolfe said to her and smiled. The waitress blushed. She curtsied – pointedly avoiding Dawn’s gaze – and rushed away from the table.

Dawn glared at Wolfe. “You’re too nice to them.”

“It’s called being polite. You should try it sometime”.

Dawn ignored his comment and stirred her food. It smelled awful, but she didn’t expect anything else from a fishing town.

“So, you’re not musically inclined in any way?” he asked. The moment of intimacy they had shared was gone.

Dawn shook her head. “No. Not really”. She noticed that he wasn’t eating, simply sloshing his spoon around his bowl.

“I’m guessing your sister is the artistic one?”

Dawn smiled, though bringing up her sister brought a pang of pain, because Scarlet was in danger, and even though it wasn’t Dawn’s fault, she still somehow felt responsible. She let out a quiet sigh. At least soon she was finally going to see her sister. It had been too long.

A comfortable silence fell over Dawn and Wolfe. Wolfe lounged in his seat. One hand holding his mug, the other resting on his knee. His hair was ruffled, and a relaxed smile spread across his lips. His green eyes took in his surroundings. She remembered the energy that had built up between them when they had talked and danced that first night. The charge in the air when he held her. The rush of hanging onto his solid form as they rode. The lure of his voice when he sang and told stories. The outdoorsy smell that captivated her.

I’m here to rescue you.

It seemed that Wolfe was always there in her moments of dire loneliness. At the festival, in the cell, in the Woods…

And now.

Dawn wanted to be held by him. She wanted to feel his warmth and get lost in his embrace. She wanted his touch to loosen the tightness in her chest, and for his arms to shield her from the horrors of this world. She wanted to be submerged in his smell, his voice. She craved for the feel of his hand gripping her waist and for the brush of his fingers against her skin.

Her heart slammed against her chest and her cheeks felt hot. Her eyes fell to his mouth. Her head swam. Wolfe absently licked his lips. His lips. Of all the things she craved…

No.

No.

She took a deep breath and looked away. She was lonely, and Wolfe was attractive. That was it. She wouldn’t let herself do something stupid because she felt empty inside.

It was time for Dawn to leave. She pushed her bowl aside, finished her ale in one long swig, and stood. “I’m going to bed” she announced.

Wolfe’s attention snapped back to her, and he tilted his head to the side. “Already?”

Dawn shoved down the urge to stay with him.

“Already” she said and walked away.

Wolfe slumped in his chair. The inn emptied while the mugs of ale on his table multiplied. But the alcohol had no effect on him. The pang in his chest was there; his heart clutched in the grasp of an icy fist. The quieter it got, the louder the voices in his mind became. Cursing him. Shaming him. But nothing was worse than the regret he felt.

He couldn’t look at Dawn the same way anymore. He felt like she held a piece of him in her grasp, but he knew that was an illusion. It didn’t change the fact that he felt twistedly connected to her. He wanted her, and yet every time he looked into her eyes, he couldn’t help but remember Violet, and know that Dawn felt absolutely nothing towards him. Even worse, he couldn’t bear seeing how, in some way, he had violated her.

He hated Violet. She had known that this would happen to him. How it would tear him apart and eat him up. Slowly. Painfully. This type of torture was what Violet reveled in. But he hated himself even more. Because, once again, he had willingly stepped into her cruel trap.

It would be a lie to say that Wolfe hadn’t tried to take his life, several times, since he’d received his abilities. But the magic did not only protect him from others’ physical harm, it protected him from his own. Ironically, emotional pain was not part of the deal. His mind could be tortured, and there was nothing to do but long for the death that would not come soon enough. Only old age could free him. And that seemed like an eternity away.

He had tried to get Violet to reverse the spell, but she claimed she could not. So long the Epathi touched his flesh, he would be trapped. He thought of Dawn, how easily she could slip her ring on and off, and he fantasied about being in her place, taking the ring off, and letting the poison run its course and take his life. An endless sleep. He could not remember the last time he had slept. He could not find rest. He could not escape his horrid thoughts even for a night. Eating and drinking did not matter either. He had tried starving himself to death, only to realize that he did not grow hungry, nor thirsty. He ate and drank from time to time, but no food, no drink, had any effect on him. Everything tasted stale in his mouth.

The pleasure of a woman’s touch was short-lived. In those intoxicating moments with a woman’s body between his arms, he could let all his hurts flow out, but numbness replaced pain. How many broken hearts had he left behind? How many relationships had he destroyed because he had nothing to give? How many coins had he spent on village whores? How many times had he crawled into Violet’s bed because the pain was too much, and he needed to stop feeling?

Wolfe dropped his head into his hands. He pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes, so hard that circles began to float behind his lids. His life was an endless cycle of mistakes, regret and misery.

The only thing he held onto was the hope of a rumor. A rumor of a man who held all authority over Man, Dark Keeper, and Shade. The only person who could free him from this wretched magic.

It was also the man he was supposed to kill.

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