In addition to the distinctive mark on the marshal’s chin, a few other things struck me. One, his suit had too many stitches for my tastes, and their tan color stood out rather garishly against the navy blue of his jacket. It was a show suit more than anything intended for a working man.

Second, he wore a crucifix around his neck like so many do, but it was disheveled and stuck upside down like he’d been running and never took the time to fix it. I may not care much for tradition, but if you’re gonna wear the thing, at least have enough pride in it to keep it right.

Lastly—and probably most important—was that he had his sidearm pulled and trained directly on me. I stopped like I’d been asked to do, just about to speak, when a second man appeared at the mouth of the alley.

“No sign of anyo—Who’s this?” He, too, pulled his gun, following his partner’s lead. He looked like ten miles of gravel road. His face was pockmarked, and I couldn’t tell if he had one freckle or a million.

He wore round, gold-coated spectacles that splayed out on the sides like they were two sizes smaller than his head. A little patch of fur dangled just under his lip, dancing as he spoke.

They circled me like wolves, eyeballing me boot to brow.

“That’s what I wanna know,” Birthmark said. “So? This is the point you tell us your name and what you’re doing so close to this body.”

He pointed to the corpse, which I could now see was a young man—about twenty or so. He had a thick head of golden hair. Now I really regretted not shooting that monster.

I put my hands where they could see them. Authoritative types like that sort of thing. Makes them feel powerful. Besides, last thing I needed was for one of them to get spooked and find out how useless their bullets were against someone like me. I’d leave that can of worms tightly shut for now.

“Reckon I could ask you the same,” I said.

Doesn’t mean I can’t get a little fresh with them.

“We’re not messing around, partner.” He said that last word as if somehow mocking me.

“Yeah, you returning to the scene of the crime?” the second marshal asked in a voice that sounded like a crackling campfire.

“I was just out for a little stroll,” I said. “Guess I should’ve taken the main streets.”

“Guess so,” the partner replied, no lack of scorn in his tone.

“Bit late for a stroll,” Birthmark said. He took a few steps toward me, and his pistol didn’t waver at all.

“Sleep and I have a bit of a strained relationship. Look, you gonna shoot me for taking a walk?” I asked. “There some curfew I’m unaware of?”

“Mighty well-armed too,” Birthmark’s partner said, ignoring the question outright. “Especially for a midnight promenade.”

I considered my options. It was true. Could likely draw and drop them both before either even pulled the trigger, but then I’d be left standing in the middle of an alley with three stiffs and no good excuse.

Could also tell them the truth. Though, if I had to put a dollar on it, they’d lock me up for being a few cards shy of a full deck, and I’d still get pegged for murdering this guy. Didn’t matter that he was covered in blood and I wasn’t. These kinds of lawmen don’t generally care about such frivolous details.

Or, I could lie. Pretty sure that’s a sin, but I wasn’t too sure it mattered anymore, damned as I was. “Alright. Fine. You got me. I was hunting owls.” Might as well keep the story going in case people talked.

“Owls?” they both asked.

“Taxidermied, they bring in a pretty penny.”

They both eyed me like I was the one stuffed.

“Owls?” Birthmark repeated.

“You know, hoo-hoo. Birds.”

“I know what a goddamned owl is!” he snapped. “Let’s say we believe that crock of shit. Can you prove it?”

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

I smiled internally. “Matter of fact, a gentleman about two streets over just gave me a ration of hate for perching myself on his rooftop. Guess I woke him. Gave him quite a scare. Could introduce you if need be.”

They both looked at each other now.

“Mind me asking what happened here?” I said before they could respond.

“None of your business,” Birthmark said.

“You’ll excuse me if I disagree,” I said. “A crime of this nature happening so close to where I’m staying seems to be just that.”

“You’re staying with the Voodoo Queen, that right?” Birthmark asked.

“I generally just call her Marie, but if we wanna use silly titles, I suppose so.”

“You got a sharp tongue on you, you know that?” Birthmark said. “What business you have with her?”

“My own.”

Freckles scoffed. He got so close, I could finally see the flesh-toned separation between his marks. “Word to the wise: don’t be making friends with the wrong types.”

“You know, when I was a boy, I heard someone say a word to the wise was unnecessary. It’s the fool who needs advice.” I closed the gap between us that barely existed. “And I ain’t a fool.”

Birthmark stowed his gun and slinked toward me to join his partner. “Well, you’ll have to excuse me when I say whatever happens in this city is the business of any US Marshal who wants to know.”

“That right?” I whistled. “A marshal. Woo-wee. Didn’t know I’d stumbled into the presence of greatness. Sorry if I don’t bow.” I pointed to my hip. “Old war injury.”

“You don’t look old enough to have fought in any wars.”

“That’s a mighty fine compliment, Marshal. You ain’t so bad yourself.”

His lips became a straight line.

“I don’t like you,” he said. Each word was bitten off at the end.

“Well, that ain’t nice,” I replied.

“Shut it, roughneck. This ain’t the frontier no more. While you’re here, you play by my rules. That clear?”

“Crystal. Can I go now, or you wanna arrest me for tripping over the same corpse as you did?”

He seemed to consider the question, eyeing me up and down. “Get the hell out of here!”

I started to walk, but he pressed a hand against my chest. I almost broke it off at the wrist but controlled myself, lightly brushing it aside instead.

“Good night, Marshal.”

Birthmark growled, almost dyspeptic with incredulity. He pressed his finger against my chest. “We’re watching you. You and your friend. We get even the slightest inkling you’re involved in this or Senator Cartwright disappearing, and you’ll be heading eastbound on the next train out. Got it?”

I tipped my hat to them, and they backed away. When they were almost back to the street, I called out, “Hey! Thanks for the advice.”

“Fuck off, cowboy.”

I left them at a calm pace. That was a close one. In most towns, you get caught near a body and that’s proof enough for a hanging, even if you didn’t do a damn thing. But these were trained men from more civilized places. My guess, the body I’d seen wasn’t the first to pop up, and they’d just watched my arrival into town.

Missing senator. Bodies. Crimes had to add to a good sum for marshals to travel this far out. The clues were starting to stack up.

I waited until I was out of earshot, then answered Shar before she blew a gasket. She was yammering on about something, but I cut her off.

“Vampires,” I said. “That why I’m here?”

“As always, your observation skills astound me,” she bristled. “Perhaps instead of trying to kill that beast, you might have followed it and found where the rest are hiding.”

“And maybe I’d have known to do that if you told me why I was here earlier.”

“As was my intention.”

“Well, be faster with your words, Shar. Life’s a shootout. You shoot or get shot.”

“Do not lecture me about the nuances of life,” she said. “You jumped the gun, Crowley. But now you have witnessed first-hand the die cast over this infested city. Bodies are piling in the shadows.”

“Got it. So, you want me to take out a brood?”

“They are not your concern.”

“Oh, you’ve got to be fu—” I caught my tongue and leaned against the wall. Always games with her. “They’re dropping people in alleys, and you don’t want them gone?”

“Their fate is inconsequential,” Shar said. “That was a youngling. Mostly feral. And when a brood grows bold like this, it means the Betrayer is near.”

“Who now?”

“It is from his blood by which all vampires originate. The first to taint their kind. Rarely do they make their presence known, but he is somewhere in Crescent City.”

I sucked through my teeth. “Let me get this straight. You want me to take down the Vampire King?”

“In no uncertain terms, yes.”

“Well, that’s more straightforward than you usually are. What’s the catch?”

“It is out of necessity I am blunt. You have never faced an enemy like this, Crowley. Many Hands have tried, over the years, to end the curse. All have failed.”

“You son of a bitch, Shar.”

“I beg your pardon,” she thundered.

“You’re plucking at my heartstrings,” I said. “A real challenge. You know I can’t say no to the chance to be your best.”

“You can’t say no, period.”

“Semantics.” I stood tall and straightened my Stetson. “You’ll have his heart on a platter. And any other blood-sucking fiend I pass on the way. Any tips on finding him?”

“Power,” she said plainly. “Follow power. His brood is extensive.”

At that, her form wisped away, and the mirror became mundane once more.

“Follow power?” I grumbled. “You’ve gotta be kidding me.”

A straightforward task and target was a pleasant surprise, only for her to return to her riddles right after. I wasn’t shocked. Shar hid her ignorance behind an air of superiority. I wondered if all the angels were the same or if I just wound up with the biggest pain in the ass below the White Throne.

Oh well. I was itching to get started. For real this time. No chance of winding up caught in some conspiracy or having to kill a possessed being who didn’t actually mean harm.

Find me a vampire who hasn’t murdered somebody in cold blood, and I’ll find you a man who hasn’t sinned. And murderers, I got no problem killing.

Time to start chucking stones.