Justina rubbed a hand down her face, a dull throbbing in her temples heralding an oncoming headache as she listened to Ransford’s tale. When she was selected to become a vampire many years ago, she thought she was leaving all the weaknesses of flesh behind. But apparently even the lords and ladies of the night still got headaches. It didn’t help that daylight was seeping through the side of the tent, which always made her feel vaguely off.

  “A demon?” she repeated. “You’re saying that you were attacked by a demon?”

  “Do you have hay stuffed in your ears?” Ransford snarled, a drop of saliva leaking out of his cracked lips. While most of his burns had healed, the skin on his face remained raw and broken. And he had been left bald as a newborn by the flames. “I was attacked by a demon! The foul creature was powerful beyond comprehension and nearly slew me.”

  She lowered her hand and sighed. “Are you certain it wasn’t just a demon summoner?”

  “There was no summoner!” Ransford picked up his golden goblet on the table and brought it up to his mouth. He took a long drink from the cup of blood. “It was a powerful demon. What aren’t you understanding?”

  “No uncontrolled demon has been recorded in the Bloodveil Empire for almost five centuries,” she explained patiently. “If this truly was a demon, then it is a catastrophe for the kingdom. The duke will probably have to mobilize all his forces to combat this threat. All while he is stretched thin battling a human rebellion in the north. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “Don’t talk to me like I’m a child,” Ransford snapped. “I barely escaped with my life, and the poor peasant family all met their doom at the hands of the demon. Even the locals I hired to accompany me were slain to a man.”

  “What exactly were you doing on the farm without your Crimson Guard?” she asked, her suspicion growing. “Also, if you spotted a demon, why did you attack during daylight instead of waiting for nightfall?” Every vampire knew to avoid combat during their day when they had severely reduced physical attributes. It was insane to take on a demon with such a handicap.

  “I was merely patrolling my lands,” he said, averting his gaze slightly. “The moment I saw that peasant family in danger, I knew I had to act. Even though it was perilous for me to do so during daylight hours.”

  “And the reason you left us behind?”

  He waved his hand dismissively. “I thought I could give some of the local men a chance to gain levels. What better way to win their favor? Or would you prefer me to antagonize the locals? Weren’t you the one giving me a lecture after my jest about feeding on a handful of peasant girls?”

  “In that case, I hope you don’t repeat your actions,” she said stiffly. “It would not reflect well on us if our lord was slain by a… demon.”

  “It was a demon!” he stormed, almost like a petulant child. “Once we slay it and take its head, my name will be immortalized in the empire. None will ever doubt my position again.”

  “If you’re certain, then I will send word to Duke Albrecht. However, only if you’re completely certain that’s what happened.”

  “Are you calling me a liar?” His features darkened. “Do not forget your place, Justina. I am the lord, and you are the servant. Never forget that. Or do I need to teach you another lesson?”

  Almost without thinking, she half-raised her hand to her face. After stopping him from preying on the young girls in Alderwick, he had corrected her behavior. Once he was finished, she was left with two eyes swollen shut and a broken jaw. If she hadn’t been a vampire, she might even have died from the beating.

  Lowering her hand, she took a steadying breath. While she could write her father in the duke’s court about what Ransford had done, she would be admitting that she couldn’t control this man-child. Most likely, her father would stake Ransford for his actions. But then she would be seen as a failure.

  “I will send Lucius to the duke,” she said. “He will raise the banners and call all the lords to hunt down the demon.”

  “Excellent,” Ransford said. “Obviously, as a lord, I will need to answer his call with my retinue. However, I order you to find the demon and slay her. Bring me her head, and I will reward you beyond your wildest dreams.”

  “You wish for the four of us to hunt down a demon?” she asked stiffly. “If there is one thing history has taught us, it is that every demon learns the ability to summon more of its kind. We may be vastly outnumbered.”

  “There will only be two of you,” he replied dismissively. “I require bodyguards should I run into the demon on my journey.”

  “Only two of us?”

  Was he sending her off to die? Or was this something else?

  “Yes,” he said. “I believe you and Augustus should be more than adequate to handle the threat.”

  She clenched her jaw, struggling to hold her tongue.

  “As you wish, my lord,” she finally said in a strained tone. “I will do my duty.”

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  “Excellent.” He stood up and drained his goblet. “Then leave me to recover. I do not want to be troubled by your presence further until you have the demon’s head.” He held up a hand to stop her from exiting the tent. “You know, it’s a shame you weren’t turned as a younger woman. Had you been, I may have allowed you to share my bed and avoid these dangerous missions.”

  “The missions do not bother me, my lord.” She spun around on her heel and marched outside, resting her hand on the pommel of the sword sheathed on her belt. The lord’s comments about wishing she were younger made her skin crawl. Something would have to be done to curtail his appetites in the future—assuming she survived the demon.

  Not that she believed a demon really existed. Most likely, this was an ill-conceived cover story for some heinous crime he’d committed. However, if he had murdered some young girls, it would finally let her move against him. The duke would not tolerate Ransford igniting another rebellion in the empire.

  She walked over to the campfire where the other four Crimson Guard sat. All were clad in finely wrought plate armor and wore their trademark red cloaks around their shoulders. And all kept their faces shielded from the sun with thick helms. While covering their skin did nothing to stop the effects of daylight on their attributes, it at least allowed them to avoid the unpleasant bright light.

  “Lucius,” she said, motioning at the young man. He’d barely known one hundred years as a vampire. “I need you to ride with all haste to Stoutoak Keep. Duke Albrecht must be informed that a demon has arisen near Alderwick.”

  “A demon?” Lucius said incredulously, half rising to his feet. “Don’t tell me that Ransford is still insisting on that ridiculous story.”

  “He is our lord, and we do not question him.”

  “The duke is going to stake him if he calls his banners to chase down a lie,” Lucius said as he finished rising to his feet, his armor clanking. “Not that I’ll miss him.”

  Justina knew she should discipline Lucius for disparaging Ransford, but their new lord had done little to endear himself to his Crimson Guard. While she was the only one to endure a beating, the others had been forced to do humiliating tasks far beneath their station.

  As Lucius headed to pack up his gear, she turned to the remaining three Crimson Guard. “Our lord has ordered Augustus and me to hunt down the demon. The rest of you will remain with him until he recovers before joining Lucius at Stoutoak Keep.”

  Augustus, the largest Crimson Guard by a wide margin, leaned forward and poked the burning logs with a stick. “We could be walking into a stirred-up hornet’s nest. Most likely, our lordling tried to eat a few peasant girls, and the locals torched him in revenge. If that happened, they’ll attack us on sight.”

  She couldn’t help thinking Augustus was right. However, they wouldn’t know until they arrived at Alderwick, which was about a half day’s ride from here. If Ransford had killed a few girls, then they would have a fight on their hands.

  I pray to Infernus that he hasn’t ignited another rebellion.

  The empire was already on the verge of tearing itself apart, with undead attacks in the south, a peasant rebellion raging in the north, and the mermen and Formorians raiding the east. The last thing they needed was another problem to deal with in the west.

  “We leave within the hour,” she said curtly. “Have everything packed up by then.”

  Virgil rose to his feet and gathered up his crossbow. He turned his helmeted head toward the lord’s tent. “I’m going with you.”

  “He has ordered that you remain with him.”

  “The codex states every group of Crimson Guard must be accompanied by one scout.”

  “I know the codex,” she said sharply. “We have our orders, and we will follow them.”

  Virgil looked like he was going to say something, but instead he slung his crossbow over his shoulder and marched to his tent. He disappeared inside without another word.

  Justina turned and headed over to her own tent. As she did, she mulled over the possibilities of what she might face. If Ransford had truly murdered some young peasant girls, then most likely they would be walking into a revolt. But if he was telling the truth, and for some reason a demon had pierced The Veil, then they would be facing an impossibly powerful opponent. One they most likely wouldn’t survive against.

  Her mood soured furthered as she realized she probably wasn’t coming back from this mission. However, she would do her duty to the Empire. And she would die to protect the people dwelling within its borders.

  Pushing her tent flap aside, she entered the gloomy interior. Her eyes immediately adjusted to the dimness. One of the perks of being a vampire was being able to see in anything but complete darkness.

  Justina moved over to her portable table and pulled out parchment and a quill. She quickly penned a short letter to her father informing him of the alleged demon and her orders to hunt it down. She agonized about whether she should say her goodbyes at the end of the letter, but instead simply penned her signature. There was no point in worrying her father needlessly.

  Rolling up the parchment, she wrapped a bit of string around it to tie it closed. With the letter in hand, she emerged from her tent and waved down Lucius. She then handed the letter to him. “Give this to my father, Julian, when you reach the keep.”

  Lucius stuffed the letter into his pouch and nodded. Then he hurried back to his tent and began to break it down.

  Justina returned to her tent to begin the process of taking it down. She spent the next half an hour packing up bedrolls, breaking down her table, and folding up tarpaulin and poles. She then carefully packed everything onto their pack mules.

  Once she was finished, she surveyed the camp. The other Crimson Guard were all experienced and had broken down their tents and extinguished the campfire. They would be ready to depart at her word.

  First, she planned to skirt around Alderwick and head directly to the farm where this so-called demon attack had occurred. At least that way she could gauge the veracity of the lord’s claims. Plus, she had no desire to walk straight into a group of enraged peasants. While she believed they could escape from a mob of poorly armed farmers, even a vampire like herself wasn’t invulnerable. Hard to kill, yes. But not invulnerable.

  Returning to Ransford’s tent, she announced herself outside by clearing her throat.

  “Yes?” the lord called out. “What is it?”

  She ducked her head inside. “Augustus and I are about to depart, my lord.”

  “I thought you had already gone.” Ransford looked at her with a bored expression. “Is there anything else, or are you just wasting my time?”

  “No, my lord. Nothing else.”

  Justina dropped the tent flap and strode over to her horse. With a fluid motion, she threw her leg over and pulled herself onto the saddle. Then she gave the beast a gentle kick. The horse cantered forward, while Augustus fell in behind her with a line of pack animals taking up the rear.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Lucius riding hard in the opposite direction. It would take him at least a week to reach the keep. And then another two weeks for the forces of the duke to begin to gather.

  If she truly rode to face a demon, then it would be just her and her companion. But she would do anything she could to protect the citizens of the empire. Even if the cost was her life.