The atmosphere in Fiona's shop grew tense as Gethin walked through the door. He looked around the room, fixing Fiona with a challenging look. I felt awkward, like a piggy in the middle.

"You think I'm the one you can't trust?" Fiona's voice was cold, her eyes locked onto Gethin. "It's not like it's my past that's full of dodgy decisions."

Gethin's jaw clenched. "I'm here to keep this town safe, Fiona. That includes from those who use dark magic."

I felt like a sapling caught between two storms. My friends had a history I wasn't part of which had destroyed their trust in each other.

"Fiona thinks someone is extracting arcanite from the land," I said, trying to steer the conversation back to safer ground. "Someone who doesn't care about the balance."

Gethin's gaze flicked to me, then back to Fiona. "And you think that's me?"

"Not necessarily," she said. "But you can't deny your pack would benefit from arcanite's power."

"And you wouldn't?" Gethin shot back.

I felt increasingly uncomfortable.

"I've seen what happens when arcanite is abused," Fiona said. "It taints, it destroys. I'd never be part of that."

Gethin didn't look convinced. "And yet you have some of it in your possession."

Fiona's face hardened. "Only to protect Bella."

I wished I could escape the standoff. What had happened between these two to cause so much animosity? It had to be more than a teenage crush, as Gideon had suggested.

I cleared my throat to try to distract them from the staring match. "We all want what's best," I said. "It's not about blaming each other."

They both turned to look at me. There was a moment of silence. Then Gethin nodded.

"You're right," he said. "If we're going to protect this town and find out who's really behind this, we need to work together."

I felt the tension in the room ease as Gethin agreed. Fiona's gaze, which had been as hard as steel, softened. I spoke before the peace was shattered.

"Fiona," I said. "You were going to say who you thought might want the arcanite before Gethin arrived. Who do you suspect?"

Fiona's pale grey eyes narrowed as she considered her response. A shadow seemed to pass over her face.

"I have my suspicions," she said. "And one path leads to Gideon."

Gethin shifted his weight, and I knew he was waiting for me to respond.

"As a golem," she continued, "he is different. Arcanite enhances traits. But what if it could do more for him? What if it could give him something he doesn't have?"

Fiona pursed her lips and looked out of the darkened window. "A soul," she murmured.

I shivered.

"You think he might want to use arcanite to give himself a soul?" I asked. "That's, I don't know, it's weird."

Fiona turned back to me. "Gideon is happy with his craft, with his life or so it seems." She trailed off, leaving the unspoken 'but' hanging in the air.

"Gideon has always been kind and protective," I said. "He's not power-hungry."

"Maybe," Fiona said. "But what creature doesn't want more? To be whole? To be human?"

I thought about Gideon, his silence, his deep eyes. Was there any truth in what Fiona was saying? Could he want to be more than he was?

Gethin's voice cut through the silence, accusatory and sharp. "You're only blaming Gideon because of your argument with him. It's convenient, isn't it?"

Fiona's face remained blank, but her eyes flashed dangerously. "My personal issues with Gideon have nothing to do with this," she said, her voice controlled but frosty.

I shuffled uncomfortably, feeling the tension between them grow again. Their animosity was so strong.

"But it's a reason," Gethin persisted, standing his ground. "A reason for you to accuse him rather than face up to it yourself."

Fiona held her ground. The shadows in the room seemed to gather around her like an army. "My argument with Gideon is over him misusing arcanite, the same thing we're all worried about right now."

I could see Gethin wasn't convinced, and I couldn't blame him. Fiona was a master at diverting attention away from herself. But then again, so was Gethin. They were both good at keeping secrets.

"Guys," I said, before things escalated any further. "We will get nowhere by arguing. Let's focus on what we know."

Gethin looked at me and nodded once. He turned back to Fiona.

"I'll be watching everyone," he said. "Including you."

Fiona just smiled, a thin line of her lips that didn't reach her eyes. "As will I," she said.

"I get Gideon might want arcanite if it gave him a soul," I said, my voice steady despite the unease knotting my stomach. "But there's no way he could be the shadow lurking in the forest, so we need another idea."

Fiona and Gethin exchanged a glance, a silent conversation passing between them. Then, as if choreographed, they turned to me and said in unison, "Vampire."

The word hung in the air like a bat suspended in flight. Vampire. It seemed so outlandish, yet the gravity with which they presented the notion sent an involuntary shiver down my spine.

"A vampire?" I echoed incredulously. "Here in Llyncroft?"

Fiona nodded solemnly. "It's rare, but not impossible. And with arcanite at stake."

Gethin cut in, his tone laced with authority. "Vampires crave power. Arcanite could make them virtually unstoppable."

I considered this for a moment, my mind racing. From my understanding of pop culture, vampires were creatures of the night, steeped in darkness and mystery. I guess that aligned with the shadow I'd seen in my vision.

"But why now? Why reveal themselves after all this time?" The questions tumbled from my lips before I could contain them.

"Desperation," Fiona replied curtly. "Or opportunity."

Gethin folded his arms across his chest. "We've had a peaceful coexistence with various beings for centuries here. A vampire's presence could disrupt that balance."

I couldn't argue with their logic. It made a chilling sort of sense. But still.

"Gideon's not a vampire," I stated firmly. "He crafts with fire, he's not confined to the shadows."

Fiona tilted her head slightly, conceding the point with a graceful nod. Gethin's eyes softened as he looked at me.

"We're not saying he is," Gethin assured me. "But we can't rule out the possibility of a vampire using him or any of us to their advantage."

"And there's a vampire in the village?" I asked.

"He runs the pub," said Fiona.