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However, so his nose to scent the wind Someone else was there, and whoever it was incited a deep uneasiness in him As Rand fell into track and hunt rasp all his human faculties He alsoabilities, so he had that plus the type of co that most animals didn't need in their daily lives
It took several decades of maturity to handle that mental straddle without strain He had that, but it still took more effort than usual The skill was rusty, since he hadn't needed to use it much until recently, first with the hunter and then with Cai
He'd drawn close enough to the campsite to realize what had set off his alarm bells Vampires Three of them Great With three humans He surmised they were servants because there was a different quality to their human smell that carried their blood link with the vampires He bore some of that scent hier scents Maybe because of the third mark
As he closed in on the group with stealth and started picking up snippets of conversation, he realized two key things They were looking for Cai And they didn't sound like they were friends Maybe that hy there was no sign of Cai
Cai, you awake? You have visitors
Rand didn't know if vaht out of their coffins perky and alert; others definitely not " their asses out way past full dark If he had to guess, he'd say Cai was the latter
Without any evidence of where the vaone, it was possible Cai had left and wasoff the whole thing But Rand wasn't certain If Cai was somewhere nearby, holed up and vulnerable
He thought of earlier today, the va in his mind's ear Whether Rand had wanted to live or not, the vampire had saved his life He had a code, which had more to do with his respect for karuy was an asshole, but if Rand left him at the ure out a way to zap him in the ass
But exactly what could fate do worse to him? He had no one left but himself
Just shut up, he told himself
"He's close I can sense it"
"You said that earlier, and we ended up going another bloody ten h Soy The sorcerer said the amulet would help, and it's as red as it's been thus far"
Rand, on his belly in the leaves and well-concealed by foliage, saw one of the vampires hold up a red-stone pendant on a black cord He was tall, with long golden hair plaited back to show a sharp-featured face, his slate eyes in concentrated slits The other male had short, choppy dark hair and a Goth fashion sense, an absurd choice for hiking, though his thick tread silver-buckled boots looked decent enough for the terrain If he hadn't been a vampire, he would have lacked any e But physical age was an unreliable h he was over two hundred
Scent always told Rand more about someone than they'd ever want to reveal Gold Hair smelled older, way older than Cai Maybe around four centuries The Goth was about three hundred The final roup fell somewhere in between
She was a dark-haired wo shoes, the only vampire properly dressed for the environment Her expression was steady, set Deterest threat of the three
In co Are and not unsettled by his surroundings Not by so much as an out-of-place hair, and he looked coldly intent upon their goal
The servants with them were one female and two males, properly deferential and quiet, unreear and looked capable of handling any physical threat launched by a mere mortal
Twilight grew deeper, darkness taking full hold Rand wondered where the vampires had stayed out of the sun, this deep in the woods, then surmised they or their servants had scouted out one of the narrow caves that creatures of stealth and good observation skills could find throughout theup and about this close to dusk probably reinforced their greater age, since Rand did know that older va out sooner after sunset, than their younger counterparts
Cai was outgunned, if they meant him harm But why come to harm him? Who have you pissed off, vampire? Other than me?
Can't keep all this charm exclusive to you
Rand let out a held breath He ake
Stay hidden, Cai advised If they haul me off somewhere, you don't need to worry about it It's been a pleasure, wolf Maybe our paths will cross again sometime
What? But ould they--