Green hills rolled on before them. White markers, angels, and flowers bunched on the slopes, gathered around grand, but small marble buildings.

“Who lives in a crypt?” Cel asked, taking a bite of a handpie. She offered some to Mouse. Most of the pastries had been handed off to Dayander, but a few remained.

Mouse took a bite. “Apple. We should take some to Spar. Who lived in a stable, speaking of strange living quarters, so we oughtn’t judge.”

“I’m judging the crypt-dweller,” Cel muttered under her breath.

A voice overhead laughed. “Quite unkind of you.”

Mouse whirled. Cel stood in front of him, arm out protectively, hand on her sword.

Perched atop a tall angel statue, Brittany peered down at them. Dressed in tan, tight pants and a black leather coat, she crouched, one boot on either side of the angel’s head. Mischievously, she smiled, then grabbed the angel by the neck and swung herself into its embrace. “To what do I owe the pleasure, Princess Moussaesa?”

“Princess Brittany,” Mouse replied.

“I did enjoy our match in the Arena. You’re a powerful woman, especially for a moon elf. If I didn’t know better, I’d suspect you actually were a man.”

Cel flinched.

“That was the blight, but thank you,” Mouse answered graciously.

Brittany giggled and tossed a wink at him. She draped a leg over the angel’s arm and kicked her foot gently, like a cat twitching its tail. “Whatever you say, big boy.”

He frowned. “You’ve been biting women.”

She smirked. “Well, isn’t that a bold accusation.”

“About as bold as the one Sabelyn shouted at me, except you’re the actual culprit.”

Brittany tossed her hair and settled back down. “Yeah, I did it. So what? Sabelyn hates you, but she doesn’t care about little old dead me. Good luck proving your innocence.”

Mouse closed his eyes, already exhausted. “I don’t suppose you’ll stop if I ask you to.”

“Mmm… probably not,” Brittany admitted.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Why are you biting women, anyways?”

Brittany opened her mouth wide and bared sharp canines at him. “It’s these vampire instincts. Can’t help it. I just get so thirsty.”

Mouse leveled her with a stare. “You helped it for the first few months.”

Brittany sighed, sagging in the angel’s grasp. Dramatically, she pressed a hand to her chest, the picture of desperate, failed determination. “A girl can only hold back for so long.”

This is going nowhere. She isn’t going to help us. He nodded, tersely, and gestured for Cel to lead the way back along the path they’d come on. “Thank you for your time.”

“Oh, Mouse,” Brittany called.

Midstep, Mouse paused.

“Keep this between us, you understand? It’s not as if Sabelyn will come after my ass like she rides yours, but I’d rather stay low-key.”

“Stop biting women, then.”

“Mmm… well, maybe…not.” She laughed uproariously.

At the edge of the graveyard, Mouse looked back. “Why do you only bite women who look like Clarita?”

Brittany stiffened. She narrowed her eyes. “What’s between Clarita and I is none of your business.”

“You’ve made it my business,” Mouse replied, crossing his arms.

She snarled, showing her teeth. Her canines bulged into fangs. “Mind you don’t get bit, princess.”

“Please. You’d prove my innocence,” Mouse said lightly. Flipping his hair over his shoulder, he sauntered off. Cel followed behind him, giving Brittany a faint nod as she left.

__

“Remind me again why we’re here?” Cel hissed.

Twilight hung low in the sky, night impendent. Moon already risen, the stars glittered through the dark on the far side of the sun. Mouse crouched in a bush, peering at Clarita’s room. Unlike Brittany, she lived in the palace with the rest of the princesses, on the far end of the wing from Mouse’s quarters.

Golden light glowed from her windows. Silhouettes passed by, attendants rushing around inside. The fox-eared attendant he’d seen at the very first ball moved to the window and peered out, then swished the curtains closed.

Cel nudged Mouse. “We know who it is. We know why she’s doing it. Why don’t we go to Felix and forget all about this mess? Sabelyn was never going to believe you, but he will.”

Mouse shook his head. “This isn’t about Sabelyn.”

“Then what is it about?” Cel grumbled.

“This is for me. I need to know.”

Cel looked at him. “Are you kidding me?”

“You don’t have to be here. I’m fine on my own,” Mouse said.

“Sure you are.” Cel shook her head and crouched again, sighing.

Mouse cast her a look from the corner of his eyes. “Is that why you’re following me? Babysitting duty?”

“Look, Mouse, your track record isn’t great. Maybe in a week or two, a month, we can discuss, but for now, it’s best if you’re supervised. Dayander agreed.”

“Of course Dayander agreed.”

“Even Felix agreed.”

Mouse froze at that. He turned and met Cel’s eyes. What happened to trusting me? “Felix did…?”

“If you were sane, you’d be grateful for it,” Cel replied, unapologetic.

“I am sane…” It sounds so futile when I say that. He sighed.

Above, Clarita’s room quieted down. The lights flickered out, golden fading to black. Mouse tensed. Any second now.

“I don’t suppose you brought dinner,” Cel asked.

“This is more important than dinner,” Mouse declared.

“So that’s a no, then,” Cel mumbled.

A shadow darted from tree to tree. A slender female silhouette in tight trousers passed in front of the moon. Mouse pulled Cel deeper into the bush and held his breath.

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