As soon as I rounded the corner, I stopped dead in my tracks. I was still alone, as far as I could hear and see, but someone had left their room.

They’d also left their door thrown wide open, completely intentional. This set me on alert, even silencing my inner self.

Using the sleeves of my dress, I wiped as much of the gore I could from my face, feeling the now cold blood soak through the fabric. I did it again for good measure in case any had smeared, and cautiously continued down the hallway.

The main door was still open, and I could see the edges of pooled, melted wax. Something felt wrong, but I knew there was no other way out from the fledgling inn.

I understood now that having only one way in and out was on purpose. I imagined it made escape for unfortunate meals difficult.

Something tapped against the floor in a rhythm; twice, then once again. It was soft, like a finger against wood, but it boomed in the quiet that blanketed the inn.

Someone was here.

I could still try to sneak past whoever it was. Maybe it was just the other resident, finally checking out what had happened?

“I know you’re there, and you know I’m here,” a man’s voice said somewhere in the entry room.

I didn’t recognize his voice, but there were very few I would.

“There’s no need to hide,” the voice said. “I’m gentle, if you are.” A weight settled in my stomach, as though it were a strong, steely metal giving me strength. I was vampyr, whatever waited for me, I would overcome.

Confidence, or cockiness, pushed me to leave the darkness, to face my new challenge. I must’ve inherited part of an ego from the God’s blood.

“Hello,” his voice purred, everything but pleasant. “You’re quite mature for a fledgling I’d say.” The voice belonged to a tall man, blanketed in the darkness.

Two figures stood on opposite sides of him, but my attention was solely on him. He was one of Mirin’s merchants. I recognized the handle immediately, thanks to Galan.

The gold nearly sparkled amidst the black. It was strapped against his left hip, the same as the others. Brown boots that folded over the top reached his calf, containing the ends of his loose, black pants.

He wore a white shirt, tucked into the waistband of his pants. Three of his buttons were undone, revealing his chest.

“What do you want?” I asked him, remaining exactly where I was.

“Nothing horrendous, as you may be thinking.” He took a step forward, his shadows staying where they were. “King Mirin takes great interest in your kind,” he said, lips twisting into a grin. “He offers an invitation to his city for any of you.”

I schooled myself before I showed any reaction to that. “Thank you,” I said in a leveled, calm voice. “But I will have to respectfully decline the invitation.”

“Oh?” The grin hadn’t left his face, but his eyes briefly flashed to where I knew Aldous’ body lay. I couldn’t help but follow his gaze, allowing my eyes to quickly check the spot.

A new body lay beside the one I’d left.

I planted my eyes back on the merchant, keeping them firmly there. Was that the one who’d left their room?

“It would be wise to accept the offer, lady.” The man took a step forward, and this time, so did the others. I took it as a chance to get myself closer to the door, sidestepping back from them.

They were human.

Three sets of heartbeats pulsed in the room, faintly picked up by my ears. They moved with just as little grace as well.

“What business does a merchant have sending people to the King?” Maybe it was a stupid question, as I still really didn’t know much. I’d thought merchants were. . . merchants? The men that ran stores and sat in the trade market, and certainly not whatever this was.

The front man laughed at my apparently ridiculous question. “I’m no merchant.” He said gleefully, getting even closer. “It’s good to know I look the part, though.”

He seemed too comfortable in the presence of a vampyr. Like he was accustomed to him, as if this was an everyday experience. And maybe it was.

“This is an opportunity for you,” he tried instead, speaking as though I had little comprehension. “Isn’t that what you all try to do anyways? Sneak into Lonest?” He posed the questions like he already knew the answers, and continued on despite my silence. “This is your way in, little vampire.”

I wasn’t educated like he was, but I wasn’t stupid enough to be carted off to Lonest in his hands either. I had no business or interest in Lonest, and instinct told me I didn’t want to go there.

“My answer is still no,” I replied calmly, subtly getting closer to the door. They wouldn’t notice this; not when I moved faster than their thoughts.

“How old of a fledgling are you?” He asked, sounding genuinely curious. He remained where he was, oblivious to my movement. “You are unlike any I’ve met.”

I wouldn’t give him a response. This man should know nothing of me, and it was bad enough to speak to him now. I was in danger, no matter how the vampyr tried to deny it.

My options were to run, or kill. These men would not be easy to kill, and I had little experience in combat.

It also occurred to me that they didn’t know of me. They assumed I was just another fledgling, no importance or specialty to them- nor did they know where I came from. It was best to keep them under the same belief.

“Not interested in talking?” He asked, humming in disappointment. “That’s alright,” he continued, returning to his irritating smile. “We’ll get to know each other plenty on the way there.”

As if commanded by a silent cue, the men lurking behind him advanced. They were almost double his size, but mostly in bulk. Both men wore identical metal armor, a golden crest on their front.

If Galan were here, he’d have drawn his sword long ago, and would probably yell at me afterwards for being a fool.

“It’s a shame. I might’ve let you go simply for your maturity. But Mirin has specifically requested women.”

Run.

Before the so-called merchant could say another word, I was out the doors, hair whipping over my shoulder with my speed. I could hear them chase me for a moment, stopping at the doors only to see which way I went.

They wouldn’t chase me. My face would be recognized if seen again, and they would be prepared.

I was still running, despite not being chased. It was daring, to dash through these streets like a wild animal, but I was not prey.

Should I just leave Silbath entirely? I asked myself, barely noticing the world around me as it blurred past.

It was likely the wiser option- to leave and start somewhere else. But still I found myself running deeper into Silbath, to the other side of town.

I slowed down as soon as I saw signs of people. The guards were heavy here, at least one posted for each section of the roads.

Nightlife hadn’t dimmed on this side of the town, and it was lit enough to consider daytime. Harder to hide in light than shadows.I

My eyes drifted from building to building, drinking as many details in as I could. Even now, I was still remembering and comparing Reddon’s structures to the ones here.

These seemed so much more advanced. Different tools had built these, probably also using techniques Reddon had no knowledge of.

It didn’t strike me until now exactly how caged and secluded I’d been. I would’ve never known anything but that damn village existed. My heart began to hurt again when my thoughts drifted to what it’d taken to get here.

There was a gathering of people outside of a wide, two-storey building. It almost looked like it could pass for a home, but the drunken, stumbling people told me otherwise.

Curiosity snagged me before I could think twice on the matter. I could pass as a human long enough to get information.

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The buzzing chatter didn’t die down as I approached, and only a few glances were sent my way. My dark clothing blended with theirs easy enough to get by them without any confrontation.

I hadn’t braced, or thought to brace myself, for what it would feel like to be in a room full of living, breathing, obnoxious humans. I could sense their hearts, beating frantically within them. It was an erratic, jumbled noise, distracting me from anything else.

“You alright there?” A hand landed on my shoulder, snapping me from the daze I’d lost myself in.

“I’m a little lost,” I admitted to him, reminding myself to blink and breathe. He pushed on my shoulder slightly, turning me to look at him fully.

It was an older man, but still young enough to be working. He had a sword strapped to his side, as well as the head of an ax peeking over his left shoulder.

Gray had begun to sprout at his roots, though his trimmed beard remained fully black. Brown, aged eyes bored into mine while coldness crept over my skin.

“Where do you come from, girl?” He asked, his hand already moving to his sword. The immediate suspicion unsettled me, and I started doubting my ability to blend with them.

I hadn’t expected to be overwhelmed in the presence of so many people.

“I live here,” I said, trying to replicate the way they spoke. His eyes squinted for a brief moment, and I noticed the subtle clench of his jaw.

“You’ve got blood on your face,” he said, his hand still on my shoulder, gripping hard. “Don’t make me ask again.”

“I’ll say it again, so you don’t have to ask.” Forcefully, I wrenched myself from his grasp. “I live here.”

Something like a snort came from him, but he didn’t press any further. He backed off without another word, turning to leave me alone.

The room was densely packed with bodies that thrummed and vibrated in my ears, rattling me. I felt my throat constrict, as if I hadn’t just fed.

Tall tables without chairs were littered about the room in random spots, no pattern to it. Short, square tables lined up close to the walls, dozens of chairs and stools shoved into every available spot, and each seat was taken.

One man raced back and forth behind a long, wooden countertop that reached from one end of the building to halfway across, bent by a rounded corner. This man held various drinks in his hands, shaking them together in a cup before slamming it onto the counter.

The drinks seemed random, and they were gone the moment they touched the wood, snagged by a hand through the crowd. Gold coins littered the counter, and more continued to appear.

“Excuse me,” I called to the man, having to raise my voice above the deafening clamor.

“What do you want?” The man asked without looking at me, still running up and down the length of the countertop, slamming drinks as he went.

“Is there somewhere I could stay for the night?” I asked as kindly as I could, but I was fighting irritation. The emotions I’d worked so hard to gain were against me now, and I almost wished they were gone again.

“If you’ve got money,” he said, giving me a brief glance before continuing his dance. “And it doesn’t look like you carry any on ye. Where’s your husband?”

My jaw clenched, and once again I reminded myself to breathe. Blink and breathe. “I haven’t got one,” I yelled over the noise. “And you’re right sir, I don't have any money.”

“The street then. Piss off.”

“Lass needs money?” Suddenly, my arm was being pulled, spinning me to face a man I’d rather not look at again.

He was overgrown, and barely kempt. Dried mud stained the front of him, as if he’d landed face first in it somewhere.

It took everything in me to keep myself in check. I blinked at him, disgusted, and stepped away. “I’ve got money,” he drawled in drunken stupor, leaning this way and that, as if his body simply couldn’t stay still.

“But I’ll want somethin’ in return for it,” he said while grinning, revealing blackened teeth.

“I’d rather sleep in the streets.” My lip curled involuntarily, even the vampyr revolted at the idea.

“Good.” He advanced on me, his smile stretching from ear to ear. “I don’t gotta pay ya then.”

The drunk reached for me again, and new instincts took over me. His arm flew to the side before it could touch me, his elbow bending the wrong way. I’d only lifted my own hand to swat his away.

His mouth opened wide, but nothing came out for a few moments. The alcohol must’ve blurred his pain, for all he said was, “Oh fuck!”

It caught the attention of the ones around us, which in turn had the entire room looking at us. Even the man behind the counter stopped pouring drinks, leaning forward to push a man out of the way to see better.

“Vampire!” Someone shouted, and the crowd took an audible breath, squishing together to get away from me.

“Help! Someone get one of King Mirin’s men!” The owner was shouting at his customers. Shit.

I hadn’t known I had strength like that, and it was definitely new. It’d also given me away instantly, which told me that it was normal for a vampyr.

It was time to leave Silbath entirely.

They didn’t fight me as I pushed through them, in fact they shrank away from me, stirring the ego I didn’t want to acknowledge.

“Don’t let it leave!” The owner yelled over the now silent gathering. I saw the wariness in their eyes, and still I met no resistance.

I could almost taste their fear, born from years of being terrorized and hunted. Their quickened breaths and heart beats excited me, making it ever so difficult to deny the bigger part of me.

I wanted to hurt them.

My teeth hurt as I clenched them, trying to fill my mind with anything other than their pulsing blood. The doors were only feet away from me when they swung open, a man dressed in fine fabric strolling in casually, as if he wasn’t expecting me here.

It wasn’t the same merchant as the one at the Greasy Dog Inn, but I recognized him anyway. I’d seen him on my way in, and from the look in his eyes when they landed on me, he knew me as well.

Double shit.

“You’re on the wrong side,” he said, clicking his tongue in mock disapproval. “Let’s step outside?” He offered, but I knew there wasn’t any other option.

It seemed Mirin had much more interest in Silbath than Galan had anticipated. It was possible for me to escape once outside, but my face would certainly be known now.

The likelihood of leaving Silbath without confrontation was low.

I gave him a single nod, and that smile turned smug. The man turned to his side, extending his arm exaggeratedly, pointing toward the door.

Pressing past him, the place remained silent, watching on in fear.

The night was cold, but I remained untouched by it. The man’s breath fogged into the air before him, and I almost missed when mine would do the same.

“I’ve been looking for you since you arrived, vampire.” They way he said it wasn’t aggressive, but rather relaxed. He wasn’t in a rush to ship me off to Lonest like the other one had been.

“Have you?” I asked, unabashedly annoyed by his presence.

“Yes,” he responded, happily ignorant.

“I suppose you want to take me to Lonest.” It wasn’t a question; I was only speeding the conversation along. We walked side by side in the street, only because I knew running again wouldn’t have the same outcome.

This had been my chance, and I should’ve left.

“I suppose I do,” he agreed, keeping stride. “That is my job after all. Are you going to try and convince me otherwise? It’s interesting to talk to one of you for once.”

This one spoke with a more dignified accent, rolling his syllables. “But need I tell you that you don’t have a choice?”

I paused at an intersection, standing on the corner. He’d only taken a few steps before noticing, turning on his heel to look back at me.

Under different circumstances, I’d say he was handsome. I understood why I’d heard women speaking of him and the rest of Mirin’s men.

He was tall and lean, a sharp face curtained by rolling, dark curls of hair. He wore the same clothes I’d seen him in before, though this time he wore a hat.

It was oddly shaped, almost like a triangle, with a single, wide golden feather sticking from the back.

“Do you not fear my kind?” I asked him earnestly, curious as to why he didn’t flinch like the others.

“No,” he said, and I knew he was being honest. “Not when I know how to kill you.”

Somehow, it was comforting to know I could still die, but I wouldn’t let him know I felt any sort of way about this revelation. “Should I bother asking you anything, or will you be the same as your kin?”

“I’ll answer yours if you answer mine. It’s a common courtesy, but I’m sure it’s the same where you come from.” Caution roared in my ears as I stared the human down.

I could feel the dark emotions and urges threatening to take hold of me. Anger swelled in my chest, violent and dangerous beyond what I knew. It hated that I existed to hinder it, and its venom seeped into my ears like a voice whispering what to do.

I caught myself before I took a breath to steady myself. Of course I didn’t need the air, but I found it helped to combat the vampyr. I needed to be extremely careful with what I asked, and what I answered.

Breathing was out of the question. I didn’t know if any vampyr could do it, and didn’t have enough time with Galan to have been able to ask.

“Why is Mirin interested in vampyrs?” Either way, I knew I’d be carted off to Lonest. Though I was gaining hope that I’d be able to escape on the way there, it would depend on a lot of factors.

“I know nothing of my King’s personal desires and whims, vampire. I follow orders and that’s the extent of my knowledge on the matter.” He stayed where he was, but he leaned against the side of the building, crossing one leg over the other. Bullshit, I thought.

“Now, how long have you been a vampire? Must be quite some time,” he implored, still smiling.

I chewed on the answer for a while. “It’s been some time, yes,” I told him, deciding to give just as little information as he had. Let him guess.

He nodded his head, his lips twitching as if he knew I was playing with him. It felt like he was doing the same to me, possibly stalling and wasting my time until more of him arrived.

When I said nothing else, he held his hand out, motioning in forward. “Well go on,” he said. “Your turn then.”

“What are you, if not a merchant?” I asked him, which seemed to surprise him. His smile faltered for a moment, caught off guard.

“Ah, Ferlan revealed that to you?” The smile hadn’t returned, but the smugness had. “I am one of his royal commanders, as are the others.”

It made more sense, and it made my plans of escape even less likely. Unless Galan showed up now, I most likely would end up in Lonest.

I wondered if Galan knew, and this had simply been a way to end a monstrosity. Dump it where it can’t escape.

“Where do you come from?” He asked me, using his turn.

“Somewhere you wouldn’t know.”

I watched as the grin slowly spread across his face, white teeth visible through parted lips. “I think I do,” he said. “Mirin has been waiting for one of Ascelin’s pure ones to make an appearance.”

“I’m the first?” I asked, hesitant now.

“Oh, certainly not,” he laughed. “He sends plenty out, we just never find them.”