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I shudder at the thought. It’s only by the grace of god that these four wouldn’t do that, and even then I can only really be sure about Solon. He’s the outsider in this group, and outsider to the vampire world in general. No one likes a bounty hunter that makes a living in trading vampires to witches in exchange for magic.
And yet, Solon is here. Perhaps because he’s more powerful than the rest of them, maybe because of being the first turned vampire, or maybe because of the magic he’s accrued.
Or maybe he’s only here because you’re here, I tell myself.
At that, Solon looks my way and beckons me over. “You’re a part of this, Lenore. Come over here.”
I swallow, feeling nervous all of a sudden in their presence, especially when Kaleid, Natalia, and Dracula all look at me at once, their eyes piercing. To see them in the Red World was one thing, but to have them in the real world, in my hotel room—I’m aware of how dangerous this group could be to someone like me.
Fuck, I better be doing the right thing.
Kaleid smirks, as if he heard me. “We were just discussing the plan. Since you and Solon left so abruptly yesterday, you missed out on what I’d talked to Valtu and Natalia about. But, I have to say, you’re both looking the picture of health now.”
“Far less ugly,” Dracula comments, eying Solon.
“So what’s the plan?” I ask, folding my arms across my chest.
“The four of us will leave tonight,” Kaleid says. “We’ll take my jet. It’ll take us as far as Tromso in Norway, above the Arctic Circle. Our father had been living in a village, hidden in the Red World, but he’s moved on. Further north. Into deeper worlds.”
“There are deeper worlds?” I ask, but just as the words leave my lips, I hear Jeremias in my head. We are in one of the many worlds available to you, dear daughter. Worlds that exist, if only you know where to look.
“Ones that Skarde created himself,” Natalia says in her monotone voice. “Some, like the Red World, we have access to. Others we don’t.”
“So how do we get access, exactly?” Solon asks. “Because getting dropped off in the Arctic Circle and just sniffing out the woods like bloodhounds doesn’t sound like much of a plan.”
“It’ll work,” Kaleid says determinedly. “I can always tell where father has been. It’s been a long time for you, Solon, but I have no doubt it will be the same. Perhaps even stronger. You’re not, well, diluted in the same way I am. We’ll pick up the trail, we’ll find out where he entered the other world.”
“And again, how do we get access?” Solon asks. “If his worlds aren’t open to everyone, what makes you think they’ll open to us?”
“Because of her,” Dracula says, eyeing me intently. “Because we have his bride.”
A wave of revulsion washes over me.
“He’ll know we’re coming,” Natalia notes.
“I’m counting on it,” Kaleid says.
“Uh, excuse me,” I say, raising my hand. “Bait speaking. If he’s going to know we’re coming for him, then why wouldn’t he wipe us all out?”
Natalia shakes her head. “He would, I’m sure. If he could. But we don’t think his new army can leave his world. We would have seen them already.”
“Okay, but the Dark Order was his army too and they got on a fucking airplane to get me,” I say.
“Actually, the Dark Order travel through interdimensional space. Much like your father does,” Kaleid points out.
“How do you know that?” I ask.
He blinks at me, and for a moment I can’t read his expression. It’s enough though that Solon is studying him closely, a line between his brows. “Everyone knows that about Jeremias,” he says. “You’re new, Lenore. You have a lot of catching up to do.”
“Well, she better do it quick,” Dracula says, playing with the shiny silver Rolex on his wrist. “Because if we leave tonight, that doesn’t give us a lot of time to prepare.”
“And how do you suggest we prepare?” Kaleid asks, crossing his arms. “There are no maps to study. No battles to plan out. We just have to go and see what happens.”
“This is the worst type of plan,” Solon says in a low voice.
“I forget you don’t know how to be spontaneous,” Kaleid says. “Listen, we don’t need weapons, we don’t need anything.”
“Well I at least need to pack,” I tell them.
Natalia laughs. “You think you’re going to bring a suitcase up there? Silly girl, this is not that kind of trip. We will be hiking through the woods for who knows how long. And once we’re in the other world? We have no idea what will be waiting for us.”
“Oh great,” I say, pasting on a fake smile. But I’m still bringing my toothbrush. Vampires don’t have to worry about putting on deodorant or brushing their teeth, because they never get obnoxious body odor and their teeth never get stained or decay. But I’m still part human and I refuse to be the stinky offensive one of the group.
