Nightmares of bloodsuckers haunted Asher while he rested. No matter how hard he tried to focus on something else, memories of last night kept coming back. Fangs dripped with blood and venom. Snarls echoed in his ears. It didn’t help, being trapped in a clinic run by vampires.

Each time he awakened, he panted for breath, desperately clutching his chest. Asher wished he was strong enough to defend himself back at that pub. He’d killed vampires before, but never on his own.

Hunters normally traveled in packs. That’s what kept them safe. But Asher knew it didn’t matter what precautions they took. They’d all end up dead, eventually.

“Sebastian wanted me to bring you this.”

Asher jerked his head toward the door, giving Castor a hostile stare. The vampire held a foamy drink in his hand, and upon closer inspection, he realized it was hot chocolate dolloped with whipped cream and blue sprinkles.

“It’s an old favorite of mine,” Castor said.

Asher accepted the drink with caution. “Thanks.”

“I was turned only a year ago, so I understand your fears.”

Asher raised a brow. “A year? I haven’t heard of many newly turned bloodsuckers lately. Dunno why you’d want such a terrible fate for yourself.”

Castor’s downtrodden demeanor took him aback. The vampire fiddled with one of his cufflinks. “Sebastian’s a nice guy, and he’s no fool. Whatever you’re up to won’t work.”

“I tried to leave. You saw that yourself. Sebastian’s the one who insisted I stay and came up with this brilliant plan. I don’t like meddling with vampires as it is.” Asher sipped on his warm hot chocolate.

“Yet you still drove down to Nevermourn for those hunters.”

Asher blanched. “That’s different. I’m used to coming down here for jobs. It’s how I’ve survived. You don’t think I just live off berries in the forest, do you?”

Castor shrugged. “I’ve been out in those necks of woods before. There’s lots of fascinating things out there. Who knows what you’re really doing?”

“Why does it matter?” Asher slouched in the bed. “I just want to go home. I never wanted any of this.”

When Castor left his room, Asher was alone with his thoughts again. Sebastian didn’t seem like the type of vampire to attack a child, but Asher knew how those bloodsuckers lost control and succumbed to their natural desires to feed.

If Sebastian Wraith didn’t kill that child mage, then who did? Could it be another vampire? An ordinary human or wizard with a potion? A shapeshifter, maybe?

Soon, morning bled into the late evening. A kaleidoscope of purple, pink, and orange filled the sky as Asher channeled healing magic through his battered body. Weariness weighed him down, yet determination gave him the strength he needed to walk outside.

Asher convinced Sebastian he was well enough to travel home, and the sneaky bastard returned his jeep key to him. Yet, the vampire seemed hellbent on keeping him at the clinic.

“If your condition worsens, please don’t be afraid to return.”

“Yeah, sure.” Asher snorted. He’d rather die in his home than come crawling back to their blood bank.

“I’m serious. You’re too damn stubborn for your own good.”

“Don’t worry about me.” Asher waved a dismissive hand. “I’ll only be back when I find more evidence.”

“Just be careful getting back home,” Sebastian warned. “Those vampires who attacked you before might try to cause you trouble again, so be vigilant of your surroundings.”

Asher froze. “You mean, they might follow me home?”

“Yeah, it’s possible. Just stick to your main path and keep an eye out,” Sebastian said. “I’d wanted you to wait so I could track them down and have Castor distract them with a summoning from the Sanguine Council. But you’re determined to leave now, so I won’t stop you.”

Asher frowned. “Why would you do that for me?”

A look of bewilderment shone in the vampire’s crimson eyes. “So you don’t get yourself killed, idiot.”

“I won’t.” Asher grit his teeth in frustration, paranoia churning in his gut as he gazed out toward the snow-dappled trees. “Are you busy right now?”

Sebastian furrowed his brows. “No, why?”

“Well,” Asher shifted on his feet, anxiety clawing at his chest. He didn’t fancy the idea he had. “Would you like to escort me home? Don’t think this means I trust you either! I just need to get home safely.”

“Of course.” Sebastian failed to hide that slither of a smile. “I can follow your jeep in bat form. To see if any other vampires are tailing you, since that’s most likely how they’ll travel.”

Asher nodded as he propped open the door to his jeep. “Right, okay. Come on, I guess. I’d like to get home before the sun sets.”

“Lead the way.”

It was getting late. The sky’s lovely shades darkened as the sun descended behind the horizon. Asher careened through the familiar forest, keeping a close eye out on anything suspicious lurking in the protective boughs surrounding him.

Overhead, Asher spotted Sebastian in his bat form, soaring above the trees. The last thing he’d wanted was to bring the vampire home, but what if those bastards followed him? He only escaped thanks to that bloodsucking doctor. On his own, they’d have killed him.

Asher gripped the steering wheel, knuckles whitening at the memories that flooded through his mind. Even in a new country, without their control, vampires wanted to ruin his life. There was no escaping them.

A pall of fog enveloped him as he flicked his fog lights on, nearing his little cabin. Sebastian faded from his view. Part of him wondered if he got lost out there.

Only the roaring winds and tires on the pothole-riddled roads could be heard. Then, an inhuman shriek pierced Asher’s ears. He flinched, whipping his head from left to right, expecting those terrifying vampires to emerge from the shadows. Tremors raked his small frame as his grip on the steering wheel tightened.

Asher craned his neck toward the window, straining to see amid the impenetrable fog. Did Sebastian encounter those other vampires? Were they battling it out up in the sky as bats?

It was that damned doctor’s fault for getting involved. If he died for his recklessness, that was on him. Perhaps he’d already taken flight home or wound up lost in the woods after taking shelter. Asher didn’t give a damn what happened to that bloodsucker. He was just curious, that was it.

After a serpentine curve, Asher pulled off onto a narrow strip of gravel pavement. Familiar tree markings were difficult to make out amid the fog and snow, but he recognized the old symbols carved into the trees’ barks. Magic imbued the markers, warding off any wicked intruders. Vampires could still cross, but it limited their powers. It kept Asher safe in his little cabin.

Once he parked, he wasted no time climbing out of his jeep. Wisps of icy snow landed all around him, kissing his reddened cheeks. Asher tugged his scarf closely around his neck. He gazed up at the gunmetal gray sky, searching for Sebastian. Did he get lost? Injured from the snowy weather?

As if on cue, a blur of black swept down from the trees. It flew so fast, Asher couldn’t even see where it landed. Not until a sickening crunch sound filled his ears. Asher whipped around at the source, eyeing the little bat in horror as it grew. That godawful crunching sound must’ve been the vampire’s bones and other organs reshifting into vampire form. Within seconds, the bat-like features faded as Sebastian’s familiar figure emerged in the snow.

“Are you alright?” Traces of concern filled Sebastian’s crimson eyes.

“Yeah, of course.” Asher stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I heard something out there. A shriek.”

“A raven attacked me.” Sebastian adjusted his cape. “Pitiful little bastard thought he could overpower me.”

Asher snorted. “It’s not surprising in these woods. The animals don’t like outsiders trespassing.”

“Well, it only lashed out when I stopped it from swooping down on your jeep.” Sebastian shifted on his feet. “I think it wanted to attack you. Which is strange. Ravens aren’t usually aggressive like that.”

That was very peculiar, yet Asher tried to mask his worries. Instead, he scoffed. “It must’ve smelled all the vampires on me. Mistook me for an outsider. I need to check on my dog, so you can leave now. I’ll be okay.”

“Of course. Goodnight, Asher.” Sebastian remained beside his jeep, snowflakes pelting him.

Asher frowned, but turned to make his way up to the porch. He gripped his keys tightly in his hand as he glanced back. Sebastian hadn’t moved. So, Asher hastened to get inside his cabin and slam the door before double-bolting the locks. Magical energy pulsed around the latches. But Asher hurried to the window, barely missing it as Sebastian transformed into a bat once again and soared off into the night.

Duke padded up to him, eagerly nudging his side as Asher reached down to scratch him behind his ears. “You hungry, buddy? I’m sorry I was gone for so long. Come on.”

After Asher poured Duke some of his favorite dog chow and got him some fresh water, he sought comfort on the couch. Sebastian’s weird encounter with that raven was fresh on his mind. Why would it have targeted him? Unless, could it be possible his theory of the killer being a shapeshifter was true?

Despite how bone-tired he was, Asher pushed himself off the comfy couch to skim through his spellbooks. He needed to read up more on shapeshifters. In the middle section of his bookshelf, he found the one he desired. It listed all the wicked creatures ever spotted in the country of Marusticia.

Before diving into it, Asher lit some candles and planted them around the coffee table. Then, he fetched a fuzzy blanket to curl up with. Duke finished up with his meal and came to lie down beside him. Warmth cradled him as he read through paragraphs of a shapeshifter’s history in the past wars between wizard-kind and vampires. Some would masquerade as their foe to instigate an attack.

While a shapeshifter could look like a vampire, it couldn’t feed on blood. It couldn’t steal someone’s powers or memories. However, they could mask their voice to sound just like the one they were impersonating. They could shift into a wide range of beings, like animals.

Panic struck him at the thought of how close that killer could’ve been. Gods, had Sebastian not convinced him he needed a lookout, he might’ve ended up dead on the side of the road. What did that creature desire? Did it just want to stir up more disputes between their kind or was there something else at play?

Sleep did not come to Asher that night. He laid awake with a constant desire to check outside, just to ensure nobody lurked around his cabin. Yet every time he climbed out of bed to peek out the window, paranoia coiled around him like a venomous snow snake.

Shadows slithered through the swaying trees, moaning in the wind. Even his old little cabin shifted when the blustering gale worsened throughout the night, but he swore he saw a figure out by his jeep. It vanished right as he blinked. Perhaps it was his tired mind playing tricks on him, but Asher suspected something else was out for his blood.