I stared at the stupid card, pressing it against the car hood with the dagger’s tip, completely at a loss as to what it meant. I understood the words perfectly, but not the subtext. Why leave a letter? To mock me? To provoke or anger me? If the intention was to scare me, it had failed miserably. Besides, Simon was a sadist, not an idiot. Why? What was his goal?

“Interesting letter,” Kate said.

“You have no idea just how much. Step back… behind the car. I’m burning this thing.” Carefully manipulating the dagger at arm’s length, I slid the card back into the envelope.

“Why such precautions?” the vampire asked.

“Better safe than sorry,” I replied. Or maybe that’s exactly what Simon wanted – confusion, delay...

“You barged into the ‘Fairburn House’ and made demands of the baron, yet a simple letter scares you so much you need to burn it? Should I be worried?”

Even Kate seemed tense. Was Simon trying to buy time? But for what? In the current situation, time worked in my favor. Tomorrow, clan fighters would arrive in Farnell.

“What’s it to you?” I asked the vampire.

I draped a handkerchief over the envelope and picked it up again, holding it between two fingers as before, and moved to place it on the asphalt. Just as I bent down, the “brick” shield flared with ether where a bullet struck it. The same magic ignited the envelope, and only after that did the echo of the gunshot reach me.

I jerked my wrist sharply, sending the paper flying onto the asphalt, but the next bullet ignored the shield entirely, tearing through the envelope, grazing my right trouser leg, and scorching my skin. I leapt sideways like a rabbit, raising the shield from my ring in front of me.

The halves of the envelope, sliced by another bullet, fluttered to the ground.

The following shots weren’t as precise. Only one bullet bounced off the shield, grazing the edge. Another pierced Martin’s windshield, right between the driver’s and passenger’s seats, while the last whistled too high and disappeared down the street. Still hiding behind the shield, I ducked behind Martin’s body.

“Could’ve warned me about this,” Kate said, crouching beside me. “My father assigned me to guard you. He won’t forgive me if I fail.”

“Duncan!” Knuckles shouted. I peeked out from behind the car and saw him jump out of the Cooper, clutching his submachine gun.

“Get back in the car!” I ordered. “Now! Move!” After making sure he obeyed, I answered Kate. “I’m not thrilled by the idea of being a ‘failure’ either. I don’t intend to die yet. Not before I deal with Simon.”

Considering the history of my clan’s relationship with vampires, I couldn’t help but add: “Still, I’m a little surprised. Doesn’t associating with an enemy harm Lucas’s reputation?”

“Enemies? Aren’t we all citizens of the same country?”

I plastered a “are-you-kidding-me?” look on my face, but Kate didn’t bat an eye. She hid her emotions well behind her large sunglasses.

“How does he plan to use me?” I asked.

“You’re so young, my lord, and already so cynical...” The vampire shook her head.

“Don’t play games with me!” I snapped. She was already cracking under the pressure of trying to figure out what had just happened.

An ambush, that’s what it was! The shield deactivated after the first shot, and that’s when the envelope ignited. No, not the envelope – the card! That’s why the paper felt so thick. Inside was an empty formula that had charged from the ether flare of the shield.

“Didn’t you notice there was a longer pause between the first and second shots?” I asked Kate.

“There was,” she confirmed. “Then the bullets came more frequently. What are you thinking?”

“It’s a good thing I had the sense not to put the letter in your pocket.”

The first shot was deliberate – it activated the hidden spell. After that, Simon was shooting blindly, knowing that the enchanted bullets would home in on the paper target, which in turn guided them through the shield. Supporting this theory was the fact that, as soon as the card was torn apart, the bullets started going wide. I glanced at the hole in my trouser leg. The cufflinks had expelled a small portion of blood magic, which was already working to heal the scratch. I helped it along just a little. The stone skin hadn’t activated. Was it the bullets that were special?

“Was that the author of the letter?” Kate asked.

“It was,” I confirmed.

“Care to tell me who he is?”

“Maybe,” I said, peeking out from behind the car. “Care for a little stroll?” I motioned toward the direction the shots had come from.

“I’m still waiting for an answer,” she said. Then the sharp lines of her red suit blurred, and I had to focus to keep from losing sight of her. I didn’t strain myself too much, though. Extending for show my hand with the ring, I peeked out from behind the car.

I didn’t activate the shield, saving the charge, but I was counting on Simon – If he was still there – to think it was up. With the toe of my shoe, I swept the paper scraps into a pile, pulled out a vial of incendiary oil, opened it, and carefully let a sticky drop fall onto the paper.

I struck a waterproof match against the sole of my shoe and flicked it onto the scraps. The match landed a few inches from the oil stain, giving me just enough time to step back.

The fire consumed the paper and spread to the oil. It flared up as if gasoline were burning. Within seconds, nothing was left of the letter but ash.

I stepped back behind the car and waited for Kate. When the vampire appeared beside me, I was ready and didn’t flinch from the surprise.

“Gone?” I asked.

“Gone.”

“You’ve been watching me for a while, haven’t you?” I asked Kate.

“Since the morning.”

“Where was I?”

“The post office, the pastry shop…”

“Notice anyone else following?”

Kate shook her head uncertainly.

But I was certain there had been. Simon could very well have seen me visiting the post office. If that bastard knew about the telegram… I need to check if he intercepted it!

“Planning to shadow me all day?” I asked.

The vampire nodded.

“Wonderful!” I leapt over the hood of her roadster and opened the passenger door. “We’re going to the post office. Stop near my car so I can send my driver home. Let’s go, let’s go, this is urgent!”

Kate started the engine, the tires screeched, and I was slammed into the seat before being thrown forward against the dashboard as we came up alongside my Cooper.

Suddenly, I changed my plans. After all, Harry had done an excellent job on the car, turning it into a bulletproof fortress on wheels. Instead of sending him home, I ordered Knuckles to drive to the post office. I’d switch back to the Cooper once I had everything sorted.

Without lifting her foot off the gas or her eyes from the road, Kate demanded her share of the information. Specifically, she wanted to know who was hunting me. Considering she’d been tailing me all day, it wasn’t much of a secret anymore. If I didn’t tell her, she’d just ask the Hunchback or the old ladies. The only question was whether the vampire had already reported to Lucas or if they do a single daily briefing.

I could buy myself some time, but was it really worth it? All this secrecy was starting to wear on me.

“I sent a telegram to my family this morning, asking for help,” I answered, though not the question she’d actually asked.

“You think that prompted the assassin to act?”

“I intend to find out.”

The clerk who had taken my telegram earlier was still on shift and was filling out some forms for an elderly gentleman. As soon as he saw me, he started to panic.

“Larry, take over for me,” he muttered and immediately abandoned his station, heading for the staff-only area.

“Stop!” I barked.

The clerk bolted. Catching him was out of the question unless I wanted to break through the glass partition separating visitors from staff. Judging by her stance, Kate seemed ready to do just that, but I grabbed her sleeve just in time. Getting into trouble with security or the police would only make things worse.

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“You!” I pointed at the nearest clerk. “Call your manager! Quickly!” To make my words more convincing, I flashed the ring on my left hand.

The gentleman at the counter gave me a suspicious look, then glanced at the door the other clerk had fled through.

“The scoundrel was selling information from the telegrams,” I explained.

“Seriously?” the man asked.

I nodded and noticed the stack of papers in his hand. He followed my gaze and smirked.

“No one would pay for this, I’m afraid.”

The manager took far too long to appear – they were probably trying to figure out what was going on behind those closed doors. After about fifteen minutes, a clerk escorted me through the staff area to an office on the second floor.

Kate brazenly refused to stay behind and followed me upstairs.

Without a word of greeting, I placed my receipt on the desk.

“In the morning, I sent an important telegram to the Earl of Bremor. I suspect that your employee altered the text.”

“My lord, I assure you…” the manager began to protest.

“Check the text!” I insisted. “We’ll deal with apologies later.”

After about three minutes, it turned out there had been no telegram sent at all. The manager started apologizing again, swearing that he’d punish the guilty party, and so on. I, however, asked for a telephone. The manager offered me his own, so I had to make the call in his presence. Kate didn’t leave either, making sure to eavesdrop.

There weren’t many phone numbers I remembered by heart; I rarely called anyone at home. Most often, it was Logan. So, I dialed his number.

No call I had ever made had been so generously seasoned with crackling and hissing interference. Damn long-distance calls. This was exactly why I had chosen to send a telegram in the first place.

“Hello?” croaked a voice on the other end, sounding like a century-old smoker.

“Uncle Gordon? It’s Duncan.”

“What?”

“It’s Duncan,” I raised my voice.

“You’ve got the wrong number. Duncan doesn’t live here.”

“I am Duncan!” I had to shout.

“You’re Duncan?”

God help me…

“Yes! Uncle Gordon, I’m in Farnell.”

“This is Evie. Where are you?”

“Evie?” What awful reception. “Tell Father I’m in Farnell!”

“You’re in Carnell?”

“Farnell! The Duke’s domain – Farnell!”

“Farnell, out west, by the sea?”

“Yes! Evie, tell Father: ‘Grand Hunt.’”

“A Grand Hunt in Farnell?”

“Yes!”

“The prey?”

“He’ll know. I need help. Urgently!”

“Grand Hunt, Duncan, help urgently,” Evie repeated.

“Yes. Thanks, sister.” I hung up, and my chest felt slightly lighter. Though...

“Send an urgent telegram to this address,” I said to the branch manager, pointing at the receipt, “and I’ll drop all my claims. Handle the bribe-taker yourself.”

“My lord, I assure you…”

“I believe you,” I cut off the chief postmaster. “But excuse us, we need to go.”

“Grand Hunt?” Kate asked outside. “What does that mean?”

It means more than just a couple of men will show up.

I checked my watch. Almost noon. The train to Farnell leaves Avoc in half an hour. They won’t make it in time. Simon has gained about ten hours on us. Whether he decides to fight or flee, I can only guess.

In any case, the Lindemanns will dig in that direction, and they’ll use the information to their fullest advantage. I simply can’t bring myself to believe in the pure intentions of bloodsuckers.

Previously, I had the upper hand with a clearer picture of what was happening. But the further things progressed, the murkier that picture became, and now I was forced to act on foreign ground. The Lindemanns clearly had the advantage here, and I couldn’t stop them from obtaining the information they needed.

And Lucas had repeatedly, almost insistently, offered his “help.”

“Lord Loxlin!” The vampire interrupted my thoughts.

“Just Duncan. And let’s drop the formalities.” I paused. “Do you know where Davie Pain lives?”

“Valentine’s favorite? You know him!” Kate’s voice was laced with intrigue. “That note practically reeked of poison – or rather, old grievances. Who is he, Duncan? Not your brother, by any chance?”

“He’s not my brother! Will you tell me where he lives?”

“I’ll need to consult with my father. This information is dangerous for both you and us. Valentine doesn’t forget insults.”

“Tomorrow, several powerful warlocks will arrive in the city, and they couldn’t care less about the grudges of a single vampire – even if he’s a prince. Your father offered me help. Here’s his chance.”

“Nevertheless…” Kate gestured toward a phone booth a few meters away. “This won’t take long.”

“Fine,” I agreed. It wasn’t like my wishes mattered to her at all. “I’ll wait in the car.” I motioned toward the Cooper, parked a couple of cars down from her Martin.

The phone call took the vampire only a few minutes. During that time, I managed to exchange a few words with Knuckles and bring him up to speed on the situation.

“My father agreed,” Kate said. “Shall we take mine?”

“Not this time,” I said, opening the back door of the Cooper. “After you.”

“Oh, what a gentleman!” Kate said with a smirk. “Smuggler’s Bay, Newsom Street, one-seventeen.”

“Smuggler’s Bay?” I asked in surprise. “That’s a criminal district.”

“Are you surprised that a hired killer lives in a criminal district?”

“To be honest – yes. I thought he’d want to get closer to the upper echelons of society.”

“You’re welcome to look in other places. Farnell isn’t exactly a large city.”

“Sure, just the third-largest by population,” I said sarcastically. “Let’s go, Clint.”

The drive to Smuggler’s Bay took half an hour, and we spent another hour wandering around the district looking for the cursed Newsom Street. When I spotted a pair of constables, I told Knuckles to pull over.

“Excuse me, constables, could you tell me where Newsom Street is?”

“Never heard of it,” one replied.

“Isn’t that in Shiny?” the other suggested.

“Thank you kindly, gentlemen.”

Getting back into the car, I turned to Kate. “Out.”

“Oh, Duncan, how sensitive you are,” the vampire said, switching to a flirtatious tone. I reminded myself that she was a master vampire—at least three centuries old.

“You knew exactly where it was and wasted time. Why? No jokes, Kate—the constables aren’t far, and I’m sure they’d be happy to escort you out.”

“It was for your own safety.”

“Of course,” I said sarcastically. “Best intentions! How could I forget?”

“Newsom isn’t in Shiny; it’s in New High. And number one-seventeen is entirely owned by Valentine. Only his trusted people live there. Storming in without recon would be reckless.”

“Knuckles, you heard the address?”

Sparrow slammed the accelerator pedal to the floor.

“Bad idea,” Kate muttered, shaking her head.

“The bad idea was trusting you,” I shot back.

Number one-seventeen turned out to be a twelve-story building with a large parking lot and a doorman built like a draft horse. Valentine’s lackeys lived well, apparently. I decided against barging in and pitched an idea to Kate.

“If you’re so worried about my safety, you could cover us like you did with your Martin.”

“There are enchants all over the place,” Kate muttered.

“Try anyway. Knuckles, lock the doors.”

Kate and I got out of the car. Her red outfit didn’t draw any attention from the passersby, and judging by how one lady almost walked right into me, I wasn’t particularly noticeable either.

“Getting into the building unnoticed won’t work,” Kate warned. “The doorman isn’t a fool.”

“Let’s take a walk,” I suggested, offering my arm to the vampire.

I wasn’t planning on storming the building; it really was better to wait. But the doorman surprised me. Kate’s masking didn’t work on him. The moment we approached the entrance, he bowed.

“Lord Loxlin, Miss Lindemann, Sir Valentine is expecting you.”

The doors opened before us.

“Not today!” Kate said, and for the first time, her voice betrayed genuine emotion. The vampire firmly tugged at my arm, and I didn’t have the strength to resist.

“Wait!” I commanded, but Kate persistently kept pulling me away. “Stop already!”

“Miss Lindemann,” the doorman called after her. She finally reacted to his voice. “Sir Valentine asks you not to be afraid and to collect your sisters. They are not needed here.”

“Go home,” Kate ordered me.

“What? Absolutely not. Something very interesting is going on here!”

“Father sent my sisters to check out Davie’s apartment,” she explained.

“And they got caught…” I realized. “Call your father,” I said, pointing to the phone booth across the street. “I think it’s worth going in.”

Lucas gave his permission, though Kate tried once more to dissuade me.

Sir Valentine met us directly in Simon’s living room, sitting in his leather armchair with a book in hand ‘Venomous Insects of South America.’

The apartment could have been called cozy, with its abundance of rugs and warm brown lacquered furniture tones, if not for the wall-sized shelf filled with glass aquariums. It would’ve been fine if Simon kept fish, but instead, there were spiders crawling behind the glass. Some of them were the size of a pug.

But the room wasn’t just full of creepy crawlers. On either side of the armchair lay two tied-up and beaten women dressed in black, gags forced into their sharp-toothed mouths. Standing over each captive was a vampire in a black suit, confidently pressing the prisoner to the floor with one polished, lacquered shoe.

“You took your time,” Valentine said, closing the book and tossing it onto the table.

Unlike Lucas Lindemann, this father preferred dark suits, black cufflinks, and matching stones in his rings. His hairstyle was eerily reminiscent of Simon’s – or maybe it was Simon who modeled himself after him? It certainly seemed that way.

Judging by Valentine’s tone, we weren’t going to be offered a seat. So, I plopped down onto the sofa next to his armchair, forcing him to turn his head to look at me. Kate, however, didn’t dare repeat my move and remained standing. In the event of a fight, that would give her an advantage, but I had no such illusions. If it came to combat with this monster, he’d smear me across the carpets like a thin layer of butter. My best defense right now was boldness and the reputation of my clan.

“Clearly, you weren’t taught proper manners,” the vampire muttered.

“I was taught to start an introduction with a greeting, not with accusations,” I countered.

“You’ve got quite the sharp tongue, l-lord.” He practically hissed the word “lord,” dripping with contempt.

“As you say, s-sir,” I mocked him in return.

Valentine squinted and stretched his hand toward me, his fingers wiggling slightly bent and spread apart. The gesture was all too familiar. I’d bet anything my dagger would react to this bastard with pure hatred.

“Cramping in the fingers?” I asked casually.

Valentine, clearly irritated, redirected his hand toward Kate, and the vampire swayed. She gripped the back of the sofa, her claws piercing the leather. I think I understood what she was feeling. Only, when Simon tried the same thing on me back then, he’d had to physically touch my head to make the spell work.