MANIC

“I was buried by my people as the last one of us,” the vampire continued. “I was instructed to avenge my fallen kin whenever I awoke. That was their last mandate to me.

“I was terribly confused when I woke up. Everything was so different from when I had gone under, and I wondered how long I had been asleep for. And then I realized that there weren’t any of my people left in the town. The wolves had solidified themselves and overrun the whole town.”

Emilia noticed the snarl when he saidwolves. It was the first time his voice had changed cadence. There was something here. She felt worried but restrained from asking questions. Still, she felt a cold jab of fear.

“Moonwood is a wolf town now, it seems,” he said coldly. “Their species used to be a small group, huddled together under the cover of trees, roaming and hiding, without territory. Not anymore. There are so many of them, I can smell them no matter where I go.

“That’s all well and good. There couldn’t have been a better time for me