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SEBASTIAN CUT THROUGH a snowdrift on his way to the Fae District. The cold didn’t bother him. His hood protected his face from the icy flakes that were falling with greater frequency. Fledglings without masters were huddled inside their small stone or brick houses. It was too cold for them to risk going out to hunt. They needed blood to survive, yet they were too weak to venture out into the blizzard that was forming. He listened to their moans of hunger and cries of despair as he made his way to a bridge that would carry him across the river.
As a master vampire, it was his duty to make sure the fledglings didn’t lose control, even if he hadn’t sired them. Guilt followed in his wake like an invisible shadow as he left the lesser vampires behind. Leaders had been chosen by each kiss, but none of them had the strength to rule their small families. Too much of their energy had been leeched from them by the Energy Tax for any of them to be able to rise to the level of master now.
Lord Kreaton and his allies had promised that Nox would be a safe haven for the supernatural community. Maybe it had been to start with, but now it was like living in an endless nightmare that no one could wake up from.
Sebastian put on a burst of speed and raced to the area near the elven woods to begin his search for a partner again. It soon became apparent that his hunt would be futile tonight. The woods were quiet. Even the few fairy lights that were usually twinkling were absent.
Wind caught the master vampire’s cloak and it billowed around him. He drew it in close to his body to stop it from flapping around as he reviewed his choices. A name had been floating around in the back of his head as a possible candidate. Maybe it was time to pay the fairy a visit. Sebastian didn’t know exactly where Padavion lived. All he knew was that her house was somewhere near the edge of the fae woods to the west of the District.
The weather was worsening by the second. It could take him hours to find the exiled fairy. He thought about asking one of the skeletons that drove the carriages to take him to her house, but decided against it. For all he knew, they could report back to their creators about the passengers they ferried around. He couldn’t allow the Immortal Triumvirate to discover that he was in the city just yet.
With his decision made, Sebastian took off running again. Wind blew snow into his face, trying to blind him. The flakes seemed to move in slow motion as he raced across the Fae District. His boots left deep depressions in the snow, but they would fill within minutes, leaving no trace of his presence behind. No other vampire would have been able to keep up with him, except for Lord Kreaton, of course.
It only took Sebastian a couple of minutes to reach the fae woods. He stopped on the edge of the forest and listened for any sounds of movement. It was quiet, apart from the falling snow and nocturnal animals and birds. He sensed living beings hidden in their underground burrows, but none of them were fairies. Only beasts and monsters dwelled in this area, so he moved on.
The snowstorm gradually grew worse. The leafless trees did nothing to shelter him as he slogged along the edge of the woods. Sensing a magical being a few hundred yards away, Sebastian moved closer to it. His enhanced hearing heard something rushing towards him far faster than a normal beast could move.
A huge creature appeared in the gloom. It had the head, legs and hooves of a bull and the body and arms of a human. A gold ring pierced the monster’s nose. If Sebastian hadn’t been infused with incredible strength and power, his head would have been chopped off by the weapon that whooshed towards him. Instead, he leisurely sidestepped the attack and watched the enraged minotaur stumble to a stop. “That was not a very welcoming greeting, monsieur,” he said chidingly.
“Filthy bloodsucker,” the minotaur spat. His black fur was coated in ice. His breath frosted with each exhale as he clomped on cloven feet towards the intruder. “Your kind hunt in our woods, killing everything they can catch,” he said accusingly.
“I haven’t come here to feed, so you needn’t worry,” Sebastian told him.
“You shouldn’t have come here at all, leech,” the minotaur said with a snarl. Sharp horns protruded from his bull-like head. He pawed the ground and hefted his gigantic axe with muscular arms. “I’m going to slice your head off and burn your remains to ash!”
This time, Sebastian didn’t sidestep the minotaur when he raced towards him. Instead, he stepped forward to meet the angry beast. He caught the axe by the handle and tore it out of the monster’s grasp. He grabbed hold of the ring in the creature’s nose and yanked his head down, then stared into his furious eyes. He unleashed his ability to bedazzle his prey and the rage drained out of his foe.
“What do you need from me, master?” the minotaur asked in a dazed, subservient tone.
Sebastian was quietly amazed at how easily he’d ensnared the monster and released him. “Do you know of a fairy called Padavion?” he asked.
The minotaur nodded and straightened to his full height. He turned and pointed to the north. “Her cottage lies in that direction, master,” he said. “Be careful if you approach her. She doesn’t like visitors.”
Sebastian inclined his head in thanks. “Merci. Go about your business and forget I was here,” he ordered.
The minotaur bowed his head in submission. Sebastian sprinted away before his charisma could wear off. Padavion might have set magical defenses in place if she wanted to keep visitors away, so he slowed down when he was out of earshot of the minotaur. With all of the power he’d gained from his alliance with Kade and Raum, he couldn’t perform magic, or dispel enchantments.
As he headed northward through the deepening snow, Sebastian quested with his enhanced senses. He couldn’t feel any magical beings anywhere in the area. Even the animals and birds were absent. He knew he was getting close to Padavion’s territory when he saw a skull nailed to a tree. It had belonged to a bear and it was a definite sign that the fairy didn’t want to be disturbed.
He slowed to a walk and finally sensed a living being ahead. He paused for a moment when he suddenly sensed another lifeforce appear. Someone else had just arrived, which meant they’d used teleportation. The visitor had to be a strong magic user. Sebastian debated about whether he should approach Padavion now, or if he should speak to the visitor. If it was a woman, she might prove to be a suitable match for him.
His decision was made for him when he moved closer and picked up on a familiar scent when the wind shifted direction. The half fae woman who had ensnared him with her beauty was the visitor. “How did she manage to get here?” he whispered in confusion. She was only half fairy and he didn’t know what her other half was. He’d assumed she had only weak magic, but perhaps he’d been mistaken.
Hope surged inside him at the prospect that the woman he was becoming obsessed with might be his match. The only way he would find out would be to watch her and see just how much magic she possessed. Spying was something he’d become accustomed to, but he usually directed it at his enemies. This time, he would be spying on someone who he hoped could become his closest ally.
