Abe suited up in fresh clothing and cleaned his boots before returning to the foyer carrying a backpack filled with spares.

“Got something for you,” Ricky called from the armory doorway as Abe reached the final step.

“Oh?”

“Just get over here,” Ricky waited for Abe to arrive before continuing. “Middle stand. See it?”

Abe peered into the room. A simple timber cross stand held a sheet of woven metal atop it.

“Chainmail. Light, flexible, and you can wear it under your coat. It’s nothing overly fancy since I don’t have anything particularly fancy. But hey, it might help. It’s always best to take less stabby wounds, don’t you think?”

“I can’t argue with that,” Abe said, approaching the stand and delicately lifting the blanket of woven metal.

It was rather simple, closer to a capelet than a shirt. There were no sleeves, and the metal hung just below his abdomen and over his shoulders, with a chainmail cowl that he kept down.

“Thank-” Abe trailed off as he heard the rhythmic taps of heels against tiles and turned to the doorway.

She was coming.

“I better go,” Abe said, walking back toward the foyer.

“Good luck.”

Abe casually waved over his shoulder as he left the room.

Black stilettos carried Miss Nia down the stairs, but her usual dresses and gowns were replaced with tight, figure-hugging jeans, a black corset, and sheathed daggers at her sides.

“You look-”

“Different?” she said.

Abe nodded.

“We’ll be leaving my domain; it’s best to dress appropriately.”

“And the…” Abe muttered, glancing down at the elaborate, long heels.

“I’m a vampire, Abraham,” she smiled, running a finger across his jaw as she passed. “You don’t have to worry about me walking in heels. I can walk on water if I want; I’m not going to have any trouble in these,” she turned her gaze to the floating skull appearing from the armory behind Abe. “Ricky, do you have our crew ready?’

“I do, Mistress,” Ricky bobbled. “We’ve managed to refuel some of its deathly energy, and they have taken control. It is on its way here as we speak.”

“Come,” she said, walking for the doors.

Abe nodded to Ricky as he followed.

“I’m leaving you in charge, Kearn. Be sure to train a replacement who awoken for Elissa while I’m gone,” she said, passing through the doors. “And don’t forget the other preparations. I don’t think things will move as smoothly as we hope.”

“Of course,” Kearn bowed, but Miss Nia had already passed through the doorway and was making her way across the courtyard. He silently turned and walked back upstairs.

Abe’s pace quickened as he strode up beside Miss Nia as she made her way across the courtyard. She continued toward the clearing alongside the drive that ran along the manor’s side and stopped—glancing up at the sky.

“What are we waiting for?”

“Our ride and your future ship if you prove yourself.”

“My what?”

A rounded black hull came piercing through the fluffy, white clouds above.

“The submarine?”

“Correct. I had been meaning to pick something up for myself. This falling into our hands was rather convenient. Saves some coin. By the way, Abraham.”

“Yes?”

“You understand that Kearn is my general, correct?”

Abe nodded at the back of her head.

“Good. I plan to recruit a newly awoken ghoul to take Elissa’s place as my footman. You had been designated to take her place while she was to be promoted. At least until you could prove yourself. However, defeating her in combat changes everything. She was to become my new captain, but you have proven yourself far more deserving.”

“You’re going to make m-”

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

“Not yet,” she raised a hand. “You’re not ready. But once you evolve into a wight, I shall promote you to serve as my captain. With that promotion, you will be granted this vessel. But this title will come with expectations, and trust me, there are chaotic times ahead. You may end up cursing this gift.”

“No,” Abe shook his head. “I don’t care. I have zero intent to stay where I am. I promise you, I’ll prove myself. Well beyond a simple wight. You will see my potential. My power. Beyond even Kearn’s.”

“Oh, silly, I already do. Kearn is a great champion, but he isn’t special in the way you are,” Miss Nia turned, her red lips curling.

Abe swallowed.

“I haven’t ever created something as special as you before. What you and I have is unique; don’t worry about that. Not even Kearn gets the honor of feeding on my flesh like you.”

“Really?”

“He’s deserving of fresh blood; he has earned that much. But it is served in a goblet. You’re the only one I’ve honored by allowing you to drink straight from me. And you haven’t let me down.”

A surge of excitement ran through his veins at her words. Abe knew she held him in high regard, but he hadn’t realized the level of exclusivity she bestowed upon him, and it drove him wild. He had already determined to make her his own and to stand at her side. To make them equals. But this revelation only made that desire pound with renewed vigor. He wanted to own her, and there was only one clear path. He needed to become as strong as he possibly could. To evolve beyond what it meant to be even a vampire.

Slowing above the manor, the floating submarine began to lower toward them. The unawoken but tamed ghouls that served the manor lowered ropes caught by them. They mindlessly took the robes and hitched them to giant metal rings dotted around the property.

Gradually, the vessel continued to lower until it hovered beside the manor.

“Let’s go,” Miss Nia said, and with a wave of her hand, weightlessness overcame Abe, and he began to float into the air whilst bat-like wings grew from the Mistress’s back and carried her up to the vessel’s deck.

Waving his hands helplessly, Abe tried to find his balance. He floated a meter over the deck, and she waved her hand against him. His weight returned, sending him crashing down.

Groaning, Abe peeled himself off the deck and was greeted by two mindless ghouls dressed in scruffy, loose clothing covered in dodgy patchwork—looking like zombie pirates meandering across the sub’s deck.

As Miss Nia passed them, the ghouls groaned and lowered into bows—evidently, not completely mindless. Reaching the open hatch, she stepped over and let herself drop.

Abe followed, saluting the groaning ghouls as it seemed appropriate.

“They cleaned it?” He twisted his head with an intrigued frown as he walked through the metal corridor. He could hear fluids running through pipes as he climbed through the vessel, following Miss Nia.

Side hatches that had been closed last time were now open, housing ghouls within the compartments. He turned to catch the eyes of a few as he walked, not that they gave him much in return.

He was surprised at how alive everything looked, well, as alive as a flying submarine full of groaning ghouls got.

His eyes widened as he reached the control room. The entire far wall now had a transparent film, providing live feeds from around the submarine. Abe had been able to direct the sub well enough, relying on his senses, but having sight of their surroundings would be beyond useful if they were under attack.

There were a handful of ghouls within the control room manning various instruments. But for as dumb as they looked, they seemed to know what they were doing.

“Unwoken are unsuited for thinking, but they can be trained quite effectively to complete individual tasks. However, they are completely incapable of covering the role of another. That inflexibility makes their usefulness limited. Although, as long as the orb is functioning, and we’re in control of it, travel will be possible.”

“Why not awaken more of them?”

“The cost of it all. I’m not sure how much you’ve learned about spirit wells and deathly energy, but the higher you evolve, the more you cost to feed. We’re limited here. The barony is, that is. It only produces so much deathly energy, and rather than waste it on a small army of ghouls, I save it for other things. Because of that, we’re stuck with these newborns.”

“So, the stronger I get, the more expensive it becomes to keep me around?”

“Yes, but don’t worry. You’re worth it. But I have to make choices. The ghouls in here are useful enough to pull levers. The same goes for the manor. They can complete menial tasks at a fraction of what it would cost me to have awoken ghouls do it. It is a complicated art of managing resources within a domain. Know that it revolves around possessing a powerful well. Or multiple, if you are lucky enough. Now, stand back.”

Abe did as commanded, ignoring all the questions he had for now.

Raising both hands over the orb, a gust of wind and energy swelled around Miss Nia and the orb. Soon, it was blowing away anything not tied down while small streams of purple static danced around her. Currents of black and white energy began to flow up through the submarine and into the orb.

Abe’s jaw lowered as he watched the shadowy energy of death streaming into the orb. The ghostly white being carried by the black currents formed shapes, and his eyes widened further as he realized they were faces.

Why are there faces in there?? What the hell is that stuff?

The worms began to wiggle, crawling out from their nests and filling his veins.

The purple returned to his eyes, and the energy around him was illuminated. And it wasn’t just the orb; instead, both Miss Nia and the smoky streams of black and white glowed purple.

Is this deathly energy? That isn’t it, is it? Those faces, those aren’t people, are they? No, they’re not souls, are they?

Abe shook his head and stepped back.

His heart thumped excitedly at the thought. The black streams were pure power. Souls were power. Consuming them meant power.

He was hungry.

Why? I’m not a fucking monster, am I?

The side of Miss Nia’s lips curled into a smile, and she turned to him. “You’re hungry, aren’t you, my child? Do not fear; it is perfectly natural. These souls have passed. Their lives were extinguished. Please understand that this is all part of nature. Now, their purpose is to fuel us. To help us grow stronger.”

“But I-”

“Silence. There is no room for self-doubt any longer. You’ve grown past that, Abraham. Be confident in what you are, for you are near perfection,” she turned to him, her smile pushing up her pale cheeks as a glimmer caught her eyes.

He gritted his teeth and nodded. Her words fueled desire, and it was all he could do to restrain himself.

“Good,” she said, waving a hand. “Now, calm down. I can’t have you getting so excited in here.

Abe swallowed and tried to calm his racing pulse.

“So then, are you ready to visit Lantern?”