Fria closed the door behind her and shivered. They were in one of the abandoned homes at the edge of the village. The family who used to live there had been some of the first to die of the plague, leaving the building abandoned. Using it made Fria feel a little sick, but she didn’t want to bring Ofnia home. She hadn’t told her Darian was a vampire, and she wasn’t sure how the Goddess would react to him or Fria’s mother.

Zan padded out and toward the fireplace and sniffed.

“I’m working on it,” Fria said.

Ofnia moved past her. “There are still logs,” she said, raising a hand. “That is all I need.”

An orb of flame burst from her palm. It struck the three logs in the fireplace, setting them aflame in an instant.

“That must be handy,” Fria said, watching as Zan curled up on a nearby rug.

“It certainly has its uses.” Ofnia inspected the small home, noting the two rooms in the back. “A family lived here once,” she commented. “They were taken by this new plague, correct?”

Fria nodded. “Some of them prayed for you to save them, I’m sure. Argus may still have the most followers, but the Goddess of healing must be sorely missed in Lonelen right now.”

She knew the words were hurtful and perhaps even cruel. But Radrick was dead, and she needed someone to blame. Who better than the person who sent him on his final quest? But Darian would not be here without Radrick’s sacrifice, if Ofnia is to be believed. And without him, I would have died in that forest.

“I wish I could have answered their prayers,” Ofnia said, settling into a chair, a hand resting on her stomach. “But I have been…preoccupied for the last few months.”

Fria pulled a chair from the corner and sat down across from the Goddess. “Preoccupied? You’ve been missing for years.” She thought of her brother, his devotion to her. He’d served with the Justicars since he was young. Rose through their ranks faster than anyone else. And that landed him a spot at the Goddess’ side. A position that got him killed.

“My brother,” Fria continued. “You said he was everything to you. Then why didn’t you go after the conduit yourself? Why send Radrick?”

Ofnia’s bottom lip trembled. “I could not join him, and we didn’t have time to spare. Atarax would have used the conduit if we waited. Someone had to get it, and your brother was the strongest person we had.”

“Couldn’t join him, or didn’t want to?” Fria felt heat rising in her chest. “You sent him on a suicide mission. But you knew that didn’t you? What’s one mortal’s life when compared to that of a—”

Ofnia shot to her feet, her fists clenched. “Do not,” she said, crackling energy rolling from her shimmering body, “tell me how I felt or what I did. Sending him to that fortress took months of planning. But if I could have joined him, I would have.” Her eyes glistened. “Even now, I would gladly give my life for his.”

The fire burning in Fria’s heart dimmed, leaving her with a deep chill. “But why, Ofnia? What could have kept you from going with him?”

The Goddess locked eyes with Fria. “I was giving birth.”

Fria’s mouth hung open, whatever she was about to say jammed in her throat.

“The system normally only allows the Gods to reproduce with each other, but Radrick was special.”

“Wait,” Fria mumbled. “The child was his?”

Ofnia settled back into her chair. “Yes. As I said, your brother was everything to me. Our love for each other kept us going, and now our son is my priority.”

“Radrick has a son…” Fria’s body grew heavy, guilt at her hasty words eating at her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think…I didn’t know…”

“You needed a target for your grief, and I am here.” Ofnia toucher her stomach. “But in order to secure my son’s future, Atarax must be stopped.”

“Your son, where is he?” Fria asked.

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“He is with me.” She raised her hand and an oily black sphere appeared. “Normally putting living things in an inventory is impossible, but there are methods to fool the system.”

Fria’s eyes widened. “The baby is in your inventory?” She stared at the writhing, black mass. “Is that safe?”

“Safer than carrying him with me,” Ofnia replied. “I know it’s not ideal. But inside my inventory he can sleep in peace. Though I must bring him out soon to feed him.”

“But he can breathe, right? And can he move around in there? What if he needs to relieve himself?”

Ofnia smiled. “Your concern warms my heart. But please trust that I only place him inside when I must. There is a crate I keep him in. He has air, and I can feel it when he begins to wake. I did not know how you would react to seeing me and hearing the news of your brother’s death. Until I felt secure, I did not wish to risk bringing him out.”

“Well you can bring him out now!” Fria’s shout drew an angry glare from Zan, who was doing his best to fall asleep.

“As you wish.” Ofnia rose to her feet.

She reached both hands into her inventory and the black sphere expanded. With a grunt, she pulled free a large crate. It stood about half Fria’s height, but was wide.

“His name is Carn,” Ofnia said as her fingers slid under the crate’s lid.

“Radrick named him after our father?” Radrick and her father spent most of their time fighting. She never would have guessed he would name his son after the man.

“It was a name we agreed on.” Ofnia lifted the lid. “I can no longer remember my parent’s names or faces, so we settled on naming him after your father.”

Fria inched forward and peered down. The interior of the crate was lined with wool, and a blanket took up the bottom half. Nestled atop it was a bundle of silk, a tiny pale hand poking through.

Ofnia reached down and scooped the bundle up. “He’s a heavy sleeper,” she said, the baby starting to stir. “Shhh,” she whispered. “Shhh.”

The baby was redheaded, just like Fria and Radrick. But his eyes were crystal blue, and his skin was pale, like that of his mother.

“He’s beautiful,” Fria whispered.

“I certainly think so.”

Carn turned, his chubby little face scrunching as he smiled.

“This is your aunt Fria,” Ofnia said, her voice taking on a light, childlike tone.

“Hello little guy,” Fria said, reaching out to touch the baby’s arm.

Zan perked up and approached, his nose twitching. When Carn saw him, he looked like he might start balling. But then Zan gave the baby’s hand a lick, and the little fellow started grinning.

“He’s Zan approved,” Fria said, watching as the wolf’s tail began to furiously wag.

“That he is,” Ofnia’s face grew darker, worry creasing her brow.

“Is everything alright?” Fria asked, noticing how the Goddess’ expression had changed.

“I am worried,” she replied, rocking the baby in her arms. “That is why I came here. I need allies, and I need them swiftly. The Aspirant Radrick gave his life for was where I planned on starting. But then perhaps Raphael or Aurel could be persuaded to help me.”

Fria thought of Darian. Watching him leave without her had been far harder than she had anticipated. But she wanted to help protect the village and the vampires he’d created. However, the thought of seeing him again, of fighting alongside him—it sent a jolt of excitement through her heart.

“Atarax and the other Gods are on the move. War is coming. Nothing can prevent that now. But I wish to save as many as I can, starting with my son.” She reached out and squeezed Fria’s arm. “And his family. But to do that, I need more people on my side. If you can help me locate this Aspirant, I ask that you please do so. For his sake, and ours.”

“I’m not sure that’s what Darian would want. Despite his…darker nature, I don’t think he enjoys killing.”

“Nevertheless, death and war are coming for us all.”

Fria scratched Zan between the ears, the wolf’s attention still focused on the writhing baby in Ofnia’s arms.

“If what you say is true, then I will help you find Darian.” She thought of her mother and the other vampires. What would happen here after she left? “But there are things I must do before I go. And there is something you need to know about Darian.” Fria sucked in a deep breath. “He’s not human.”

Ofnia nodded her head. “We wished to summon a human Aspirant, but sometimes these things happen.” She smiled. “What race did the system make him? An elf, or maybe an orc?”

She looked into the Goddess’ eyes. “A vampire.”

Her smile faded. “A vampire? But those don’t exist in this world.”

“Well, they do now.” Fria said with a shrug.

“You don’t understand,” Ofnia said. “The Index has a list of all races and their evolutions, and vampires are not mentioned once.”

“I’ve never heard of them either,” Fria said, wondering what had Ofnia so worked up.

“If he’s not in the Index, then maybe…” She looked up, her eyes narrowing in focus. “He might be more important than I thought.” She gave Carn a kiss on the cheek. “I wish to stay here for a few days, but then we must begin our search.” Her smile returned. “Thank you, Fria. Together, we might just be able to save the world.”