Cid immediately turned to Judith, his ears flattened and turned back, his tail flicking behind him, and a heavy hiss in his speech. “What is she doing in there?” he demanded.

“We heard she was with the two men when the bounty hunters hauled them in, figured she might let us know where the rest of them are hiding.”

“The rest of them?” Silvius said, “You mean the woman they kidnapped and the children they forced them to sire?”

“Not details I need to know unless their relevant to the circuit judge. That’s his call to make, not mine. I just want these vermin out of my county.”

“Then you may be in for a shock, reeve,” Jeanne said, “these aren’t the brothers.”

“Come again?”

“These aren’t the brothers. Not even close.”

“Listen, I’ve been doing this job a lot longer than most people, and with the suckers out and about I think I know how to tell them from a regular criminal. Look at their mouths, you can’t tell me they’re not vamps.”

Cid turned to Leonidas and said, “Why don’t you and Gabriel take a look.” The two walked up to the men’s cells and peered inside.

“Open your mouths!” Judith ordered. The two men reluctantly did as they were told and revealed their teeth had been sharpened to points along the front part.

Leonidas leaned in further before saying, “Where are their tongues?”

Judith again shrugged. “Probably rotting in the woods somewhere. The boys said they were trying to put an incantation on them. Some vamp-like spell or something like that.”

Jeanne saw Gabriel’s fists beginning to shake with rage as she stood there silently.

“That’s not how magic works,” Leonidas said, “there’s a lot more to it than simply saying a word at someone.”

“I don’t know, I don’t care, magic isn’t my thing. And that’s what the two told me.”

“And what of the baby?” Hypatia asked.

“What baby?” Judith replied.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

“Cyneswith had a child with her, where is he?”

“There wasn’t a child when I grabbed her, so it isn’t my concern.”

“How is that not your concern!” Silvius exclaimed, Kveldulf stepping in front of the man to hold him back. “These people are in your jurisdiction, that makes them your responsibility.”

“I’m going to put the needs of the people whose families have lived and died here for generations a lot higher than some bint who came here with her half-breed bastard child. And that includes you lot. Which I do recall getting some bounties in for people matching your description that I am choosing to not act on, given people around are convinced you all took out the Mason Gang. So if I were you, I’d take that much, turn yourselves around and leave this county before I change my mind.”

Cid’s ears slowly pointed upwards. “All right then,” he said with a growl, “everyone, prepare to move out.”

“But …” Jeanne tried to say before Cid turned to here.

We’ll be back, but today is not the day for this fight, he gestured.

Jeanne turned to Judith and walked out of the room. Once out of the reeve’s home Kveldulf asked, “I can assume we’ll be camping out tonight.”

“Correct,” Cid said firmly, “I don’t want that witch getting the jump on us if we can help it.”

“Where are going to be setting up camp then?” Gabriel asked.

“When we were looking for locations before I spotted a logging cabin in the woods,” Maeryn said. “It looked like we all could fit comfortably until we figure out our next move.”

“Good,” Cid said, “Let’s head there and consider our options.”

***

“Maeryn,” Cid said, a stunned look on his face, “what are log cabins like where you’re from?”

The Wolves stood at the edge of the woods and looked at a large estate surrounded by a motte and bailey fortification. The central keep was two stories high along the outer section, with a another two stories added to the central tower, with parapets lining the tops. The walls were rounded in shape, as opposed to the normal squared shape. The outermost wooden walls of the fortification were cut down to a quarter of their original size, showing much of the fortress to The Wolves.

“Architecture was never my strongest suit,” Maeryn replied. “If it’s not something I can hit with an arrow, it’s not a priority for me.”

“Fair enough,” Cid said, “You know the drill, people. Fan out, lay low and try not to burn the place before we leave.”

“I burn down one manor and you will not let me live it down,” Jeanne said.

“It was our patron’s home, and you higher than a cloud that night,” Cid said.

“Oh, that was a bad night,” Kveldulf said, drooping his head as he shook it embarrassingly.

“That’s enough,” Cid said, “let’s move.”

They crouched down in the high grass as they moved towards the outer wall. Cid, Jeanne, Maeryn, and Benkin by one opening, and Kveldulf, Silvius, Leonidas, Gabriel, and Hypatia on the other. Reaching the wooden barrier, Jeanne turned her ear up as she began to hear a noise. Hoarse breathing, fluid and uneven, mixed with shuffled steps along the gravel path. Jeanne closed her eyes tightly and cursed under her breath.

She turned to Kveldulf, crouching on the other side of the wall and saw he spotted the noise as well. Without waiting for Cid’s orders, she pulled out her hammer and gripped the handle tightly in her hand. Cid, situated near the opening onto the property, peered cautiously into the gap before turning back to the others. “We have zombies,” he said regretfully.