Clarita turned to Brittany. “Did you bring any other vampires with you?”

Brittany paused. “Well, maybe… mm, no. I don’t think so.”

“You don’t think so?”

Brittany shrugged. “The lines between undead are shakier than people realize. There’s plenty of undead who might be classified by beating-heart folk as vampires that we don’t recognize as vampires. Lots of blood-drinkers among us. I can’t say for sure that there’s none among my regular retinue.”

She glanced over her shoulder, where the palace loomed in the distance. “Besides, we aren’t that far from the palace… or the city. It could be one of my attendants, or it could be a local undead. I don’t think it’s fair to suspect my attendants without more proof.”

Mouse sighed. “So we have no leads.”

“We can ask the princess when she wakes up a bit,” Spar suggested, glancing out at the ocean.

“Guess so.” Mouse swung his hands. He stared off into the distance, past the crashing waves into the infinite blue. Really killed the beach day vibe right there. It’s hard to run around and laugh when there’s people getting bit unconscious.

Clarita sighed beside him. Her ears drooped. “Should we go home? If there’s a dangerous undead running around, it’s not safe to stay around here.”

Mouse nodded. He clapped his hands together, then cupped them around his lips. “Everyone! Gather ‘round!”

Clarita jumped, startled.

Leaa, Eleda, and Toni caught up, Toni at a light jog, Eleda not even breathing hard, and Leaa not breathing at all, her green-toned chest oddly motionless.

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“What is this, a backcountry meetup? There’s no need to shout,” Toni criticized him.

“The mermaid princess has been bitten. We should return to the castle,” Mouse replied.

Leaa and Toni both looked at Brittany.

“I was with you when it happened! It cannot be me,” Brittany repeated yet again, annoyed.

Toni raised an eyebrow, but didn’t reply.

“A single undead? That doesn’t seem too dangerous,” Leaa ventured, tossing her petal-hair out of her eyes.

“You’re a plant, you don’t have blood. You aren’t in danger at all, of course it doesn’t seem dangerous,” Toni shot back.

Leaa took a step back and bowed. “My apologies.”

“Princess Toni, there’s no need for that tone,” Mouse chided her. “Can you fly ahead back to the others and let them know?”

“Just because I have wings doesn’t make me your scout,” Toni snapped.

Mouse raised his eyebrows. He and Brittany exchanged a glance. “Then, someone else?”

“I’ll do it,” Spar offered.

“Could I have a ride? The sun has dried me something awful,” Leaa asked.

“Ah, I don’t…” Spar muttered, glancing aside.

Brittany grinned. “I’ll carry you.”

Clarita shot her a glare and opened her mouth. Halfway there, she caught Mouse’s glance and shut her mouth, turning aside instead.

She does still care, Mouse realized, and he bit back a smile. It’s not as hopeless as it seemed at first.

“Then, please,” Leaa said, reaching out.

Brittany scooped her up as Spar took off. He didn’t bother to revert to his horse form over the short expanse of sand, but ran, pale feet digging into the sand.

Mouse walked alongside the princesses, hands behind his back. Again, he listened, but all he heard was the roar of the surf and the rushing wind. No thumping, no strange visions. Did I just have to get out of the palace? Is that what it took?

“—se. Hey, Mouse.”

He turned. Brittany tipped her head toward him. “Excuse me,” he said to Clarita, and hung back to walk with Brittany.

Brittany leaned in, over Leaa, and whispered, “How do you think it’s going?”

“What?” Mouse asked.

She nodded at Clarita. “You know.”

Now? Of all times? “Well, I think the attack on the mermaid really put a damper on this whole thing.”

“I didn’t—”

“I’m not saying you did, but… still, it didn’t help.”

Brittany sighed. In her arms, Leaa furrowed her brows, confused.

Mouse smiled. “I think you do have a chance, though. We’ll have to be careful, take it slow, but she clearly still cares about you.”

Brittany tried to pump her fist, remembered Leaa, and caught her before she dropped. “Yes!”