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"No worries It’s a forgivable mistake," Ghastek said "However, it will cost us a day and the use of five vampires"

"Humor me"

"Oh I intend too I’ve had a stressful day and breaking this farce open will prove a wonderful way to vent the pressure"

The va" Tracy’s vaht a hint of humor in her voice

I couldn’t care less if he liked it As long as his var, it would buy et away

The old road led deeper and deeper into the forest The trees grew taller and thicker, their long lihbors out of the way Mist swirled between the trunks, first an ethereal haze shied the road, laying in wait It sed the sounds: the hoof beats of the horses, the creaking of the cart, the occasional sigh from the deer in the back, all seerey slabs of rocks tinted with moss I halted The Dude The cart rocked to a stop

"There is a path leading north just past the arc We go on foot from here" I hopped off the cart "I need one of you to carry the deer"

A purple bloodsucker crawled up on the cart Sickle claws sliced at the rope securing the ani it over its shoulder

"Which ill you be colade is north east from here" I pointed to a tall oak to the left

Curran pulled me close

Ghastek’s vampire rolled his eyes

"Reet the information, and run like hell out of there"

"See you in a few hours"

I brushed his lips with rabbed rew thicker Moisture hung in the air, tinted with the odor of rotting vegetation and fresh soil Somewhere in the distance a bird screamed No movement troubled the still woods No squirrels chattered in the canopy, no s except for vaside the path, their e between the trees

The path veered right and opened into a slade Tall pines fra at the sky A carpet of dark pines needles sheathed the ground Here and there rocks trust froht there" I pointed to the center of the glade The vampire unloaded the deer and hopped aside

"I suppose ait until the ot it" I sat on a fallen pine

The vampire’s shoulders rose up and down Ghastek ht as well treat this seriously" The va yello pointed at a tall birch on the left "OP there" A claw lade "OP there Give me a perimeter assess start and scrambled up the tree The third dashed into the bushes Only Ghastek and Tracy reht, her vampire sat on my left Peachy

A minute passed Another

Ghastek’s vaar were true, it would revolutionize necroend, they’re the spirits of warriors who rise frouard their buried possessions They see the future, they control the elements, they shapeshift into aniiants"

"Not at the same time," I told hiiants Not at the saiant for to this fallacy?"

I leaned forward "What would you have done if you had found a draugr in Norway, Ghastek?"

"I’d try to apprehend it, of course"

"Suppose you live in a sr is nearby You bring hiame once in a while and you hope to God he leaves you the hell alone Now soner shows up on your doorstep and explains to you how his going to go annoy this terrible creature for the sake of ’necromantic science’ You try to explain to hiood idea, but he treats you as if you’re a childlike idiot"

"I never treat people like infantile idiots," Ghastek said

I looked at him

Tracy cleared her throat carefully

"Go on," he said

"Would you take this foreigner to this undeadit off or would you steer hio away eventually?"

"That’s a sound theory, with one exception I’ullible"

Fine "Bet me"

The var is a hoax, I’ll owe you a favor"

"And if he’s real?"

"Then you will bring me a quart of vampire blood"

"And ould you need vampire blood, Kate?"