In the early hours of the morning, Conrad landed before Marlow House. He glanced down at the glowing lights of the distant city that slept peacefully beneath the old house’s sinister gaze. The city would be his next stop; first, he needed to inspect the house and make sure no evidence had been left inside.

  He strode through the overgrown front garden, the sound of his footsteps absorbed by the moss-covered path. The old house was more impressive in reality than it had been on video. Even in its rundown state, the aged structure held a certain majesty. Standing atop the tall hill, it looked out over the fledgling city like a weary guardian. Or perhaps it was more of a stubborn tormentor, a demon that refused to relinquish its clawed grip on the town. Most likely, it was neither. Mistwood’s residents probably never even thought about Marlow House. Even when they did cast their eyes in its direction it was little more than a speck in the distance. A vague shape that held no bearing on their daily lives. And yet this ruined building on the edge of their periphery that didn’t even qualify as being a part of their city had in one night become the most important building in the area, and most of them would never even know it.

  A single police ribbon had been fixed over the front doors, but it had come loose and now blew in the wind like a mediocre flag. Conrad tore it free and let it blow away completely. Its freedom was short-lived as it quickly became tangled in the branches of a tree. The doors had been boarded shut to prevent further trespass and a police notice warning people away had been fixed to the wood. With one swift kick, Conrad smashed the board in half and forced the doors open. Cold wind tore into the house and sent a tornado of dust swirling into the air.

  Almost fresh footprints stood out on the floor, and Conrad followed them into the now-famous dining room. Rat corpses littered the floor; many had decomposed down to their bones, but those that had not had been drained of blood had been the vampire’s only sustenance for who knew how long. The make-shift stake that had been used against the vampire was gone. The police must have taken it as evidence. That would need to be retrieved. There was nothing else in the room that could be used as proof of the vampire who had resided here. Only the rats which increased in number toward the back of the room.

  Conrad followed the rats through the dining room. There were other animals too; birds, squirrels, and even gophers. Conrad tried to calculate from all the corpses how long the vampire had been living in the house. If he’d been completely starved, drained of all blood, then these small creatures would have done little more than keep him awake. It would have taken months, maybe more than a year, before he could have gained the strength to drag himself across the floor. Animal blood was far inferior to human blood, which was why most vampires didn’t bother with it. However, there were so many little bodies in the room that the vampire should have been able to leave long ago. So, why hadn’t he?

  At the back of the room, Conrad found his answer inside a large rotten closet. The closet door had been smashed to pieces and inside was a heap of thick and heavy-looking chains that were coated with an oily-green tarnish. Conrad had a sneaking suspicion he knew what the chains were made of. He squatted down, careful not to allow his knees to touch the vile floor. Reaching out carefully, he pressed a single finger to the chain. His skin sizzled, and he snatched the digit back at once. Silver.

  Somebody had trapped the vampire here in this house. They’d drained his blood and used silver chains to confine him to the closet. The silver would have not only hurt him but drained some of the energy he’d gained from his animal victims. Conrad looked around at the animal graveyard he was standing in. It made sense now; he couldn’t move because of the chains. He’d been feasting on vermin for years just to stay conscious. But how had he broken free?

  Conrad returned his focus to the chains. He covered his hand with the hem of his shirt and carefully moved them, being sure not to touch the silver directly. They were long, probably long enough for him to have gotten across most of the room. The chains were unbroken, as were the manacles that would have gone around his wrists. They were still bolted to the brick wall at the back of the closet. Unless somebody had come and released him, there was no way he would have been able to escape.

  This entire situation was nothing short of bizarre. Conrad stood up, his mouth set in a grim line. Marlow House had only added to Conrad’s list of questions, and before he met with the local YouTube stars, he wanted answers.

  Each State in America was governed by a master who reported to the Nytarch. The Master of Pennsylvania was Sabine Delacroix. If the mystery vampire had been imprisoned in Marlow House for any official reason, then Sabine would know about it.

  In the heart of Philadelphia, nestled among lively bars, clubs, and restaurants, stood the Liberty Dice casino — Sabine’s seat of power. Its neon lights flashed in hypnotic patterns, seducing passersby to try their luck within its walls. Most masters operated busy nightlife venues like nightclubs and casinos, establishments that provided a safe haven for local vampires to feed discreetly, away from prying eyes on the streets below. The gaudy lights, pulsing music, and copious liquor masked the true nature of these places.

  As Conrad passed through the casino, he spied several vampires observing the crowd, searching for potential victims or just keeping an eye on things for their master. Victims would be lured away to private rooms and fed upon before being returned to the main floor, seemingly unharmed and none the wiser to what had just happened to them.

  “I’m looking for Sabine,” Conrad said as he approached the nearest vampire. He gave Conrad a quick once over; vampires could always spot their own.

  “She’s in the cage room.” With a flick of his finger, he gestured toward a set of double doors behind the dual rows of slot machines. They were flanked by two security guards dressed in crisp black suits. “Flash your fangs at the boys, and they’ll let you straight through.”

  The vampire did not know who Conrad was otherwise he would have known there was nothing the men guarding the doors could have done to stop him from going straight through. Conrad gave him a grateful smile before heading for the doors. As he approached the guards, he flashed his fangs as the other vampire had instructed him to, and one of them nodded him wordlessly through.

  A narrow corridor, its walls adorned with the same garishly patterned carpet as the main casino, led to the cage room. As the doors closed behind him, the buzz of conversation and jingling of slot machines hushed to a distant hum.

  A sign next to the door said CAGED RAGE in huge red lettering that looked almost like a threat. Below it was a picture of a typical MMA cage that housed two faceless fighters. Conrad had met Sabine only once before, but her penchant for violent sports was well-known across the East Coast. It made perfect sense that she would host such events at her casino.

  Although the sign claimed there was no fight scheduled tonight, the unmistakable grunts and thuds coming from beyond the closed doors told a different story. As he opened the door, the scent of strenuous physical exertion greeted him. A hexagonal fighting cage loomed in the center of the room. The light grey mat was splattered with old blood stains; the once bright red now faded to a darkened hue. The scent of sweat and adrenaline thickened the air. Within the confined space, two weary human men grappled on the dirty mat, their flushed bodies slick with glistening sweat.

  A smattering of vampires watched the fight, they were spread around the room and filled less than a quarter of the black steel chairs. Sabine was sitting right at the front, as close to the cage as she could get. Her pink-dyed hair hung freely, curling lightly just above her shoulders, and her smoky eyes were fixed on the fight as though she were unable to look away, even if her life depended on it. Her lower lip was sucked into her mouth as she bit down hard. Despite the less-than-private nature of the room, Sabine sat with unapologetic confidence in very immodest clothing. She wore nothing beneath her black negligee, whose delicate fabric clung to her alluring curves. The sheer material revealed every inch of her body and left nothing to the imagination. The darkness of the fabric contrasted against her smooth, creamy complexion, creating a mysterious allure. The only thing shielding her intimate area was the head of a man who knelt in front of her, his hands gripping her thighs as he diligently used his tongue to satisfy her.

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Conrad felt a flicker of warmth in his cheeks as he raised an eyebrow and strode across the room. “And here I stand upon the grave of modesty,” he said.

  A hulking vampire jumped into Conrad’s path before he could reach Sabine. “Hold up, buddy.”

  Sabine tore her gaze away from the caged fight to see who had dared to interrupt her entertainment. Her eyes widened, not in surprise or fear but in intrigue at the unexpected visitor. Her lips quirked into a smile, and she said, “Stand down, Tucker. This is Conrad Sinclair, the Nytarch Medju. He’ll eat you for breakfast.”

  Vampires all around the room stiffened at the sound of his name. Tucker backed away, lowering himself back into his seat, not taking his now cautious eyes from Conrad.

  “Thank you for the introduction, Sabine. However, I won’t be eating anybody for breakfast. This fellow is doing more than enough eating for us all.” Conrad tipped his head at the man kneeling between Sabine’s legs.

  Sabine smirked and delivered two brusque taps to the man’s head. He withdrew from her groin and looked up at his master. “Take a break, Mommy’s got work to do.” The man scarpered away, head bowed, not looking at anybody as he passed. Sabine’s negligee slipped down over her nether regions. She didn’t bother to check that she was covered. Conrad found her confidence admirable even if her class was lacking.

  “Mommy?” Conrad said, eyebrows raised.

  Sabine’s smirk only lengthened. “Do you need a mommy, Conrad? Or are you here because I’m in trouble, in which case maybe I should call you daddy?” Her eyebrows flicked up playfully.

  Conrad wondered if her attitude would have been different had he arrived after her gentlemen friend had finished tending to her needs. He could still smell her arousal, and the pinkness in her cheeks suggested her passion had not yet faded. He gave her a patient smile, impressed by her lack of fear. Few masters were bold enough to joke with Conrad, let alone flirt with him. It was refreshing. “My advanced age rules you out as a candidate for my mommy, I’m afraid, and as for whether you are in trouble, that remains to be seen. I do rather hope not since I’d hate to ruin what looked like was rather a fun evening for you.”

  “Clear the room,” Sabine said without raising her voice. The vampires rose and made their way to the exit without question. The humans in the cage stopped fighting and looked at her. “Yes, you too. You can have a rematch tomorrow night.” She turned back to Conrad. “We’re having a tournament for the familiars. The winner gets to receive the Midnight Kiss.”

  “Fascinating,” he replied, though it was anything but. “Are you familiar with the events that took place in Mistwood on Halloween Night?”

  Sabine nodded her head, her pink locks swinging gently around her chin. “Of course. An incident like that does not occur in my domain without my knowing about it.”

  “What action have you taken?”

  “None. The Nytarch told me you were being sent to handle the matter. Do sit down, you’re making me uncomfortable looming over me like that.”

  Conrad took a steel chair that was within reach and settled down next to Sabine, crossing one leg over the other. “I found silver chains in Marlow House. The vampire had been detained there.”

  Sabine sat up erect, his words shattering her repose. “By who?”

  “I was rather hoping you could tell me that.” Conrad didn’t bother to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

  “It wasn’t done on my orders. I would never imprison a vampire in a random old house where anybody could find him. I may have a relaxed style of rule, but I’m not dimwitted. I keep my prisoners far closer to home.”

  “Perhaps one of your elders ordered it?” The masters divided their domains between elders who governed smaller provinces like county sheriffs.

  “I doubt it; however, if they did, they will not be an elder for much longer. I do not abide stupidity. Mistwood falls under Gage’s jurisdiction. I’ll summon him.”

  When Gage arrived, his face was fixed in a surly scowl. He was a tall vampire with a dark complexion. His black hair was braided into neat cornrows that cut perfectly straight lines across his scalp. He was dressed rather like a banker in an exquisite three-piece suit that screamed of luxury. A diamond earring twinkled in the light as he approached.

  Conrad was standing by the cage when Gage stomped into the room, but the elder’s focus was solely on Sabine, who remained casually seated on her steel chair.

  “I seem to have interrupted you. Did I misinterpret your request that I come urgently?” he said, his haughty tone impossible to miss.

  “It was not a request. It was a command. I have some questions for you,” she said, her voice lacking the playfulness it had contained before.

  He pursed his lips and looked down his nose at his master. “Maybe you’d like to get dressed so we can talk?”

  Conrad stepped away from the cage, positioning himself closer to Sabine. “Do you usually speak to your master with such arrogant disdain?”

  “What business is that of yours?” Gage flicked his eyes up to Conrad, shooting him a look of dismissive snobbery.

  “Gage, this is Conrad Sinclair, he’s here to investigate the incident in Mistwood.” Sabine’s mouth curled into a smile as Gage’s face slackened.

  “I… I… I didn’t realize you were coming,” the attitude fled from his tone, and he dipped his head in a small bow of deference.

  “What can you tell me about the incident?” Conrad said.

  Gage shook his head cluelessly. “I don’t really know anything about it.”

  “You don’t really know anything. So, you do know something?”

  “No. I know about the video, and I know where it happened, but that’s all.”

  “This incident happened in your jurisdiction, and you didn’t think it was your responsibility to investigate it?” Sabine said. She sounded like a cat teasing a mouse it had caught in its claws. “A vampire was exposed on the internet in one of your cities, and you have done nothing about it.”

  “The video was deleted. The problem solved,” Gage sputtered, he gesticulated rigidly in his feeble attempt to defend himself. He turned to Conrad, suddenly pointing viciously at Sabine. “She’s the master here! This is on her! She never takes anything seriously, she just plays around with her sex slaves and her toys!”

  The deafening silence hung heavy in the air, suffocating Gage with the weight of his mistake. As he slowly lowered his shaking hand, a lump formed in his throat, and he audibly gulped. He opened his mouth to speak but quickly thought better of it, knowing that any words he said would only worsen the situation. Conrad stared at him coldly, silently reprimanding him for his outburst.

  Sabine allowed the silence to stretch on for several moments longer until Gage started to shift uncomfortably on the spot. Then, finally, she spoke, “And, yet, I know the names of all four of the humans involved in the incident. I know the name of the investigating police officer. I know the evidence number that the wooden stake was logged into the precinct under. I know the hospital room number that Ethan Weller is currently being treated in. And I know exactly where each of the four humans lives, works, and goes for fun,” she said softly, listing off her points casually, like learning the information had been no big deal.

  Conrad looked down at her in surprise. “You said you hadn’t taken any action.”

  “I haven’t. But I gathered all the necessary intelligence in case you decided to leave the matter in my hands.”

  Conrad made a small noise of approval. Her hands seemed more than capable of handling the matter, however, Conrad’s orders had come from the top, so he could not leave the matter to Sabine.

  “I find it disturbing how quickly you were willing to betray your master,” Conrad said, turning back to Gage. “That kind of disloyalty is not desirable.”

  “Maybe if you’re a good boy and you tell us why the vampire in Marlow House was detained using silver chains, I might forget about your little outburst,” Sabine offered, affecting a mocking tone that increased the frown lines on Gage’s forehead.

  His tongue snaked across his lips, and his blazing eyes were fixed on the floor. “I don’t know anything about that. I haven’t been to Mistwood in years. No vampires live there, there’s nothing for me to do there.”

  Conrad glanced down at Sabine. “It’s true,” she said. “Vampires pass through Mistwood, but they hardly ever stay.”

  “So, you’ve nothing to offer us?” said Conrad.

  Gage shook his head. “I don’t know anything.”

  Conrad sighed and turned away, annoyed that he’d wasted any time on the toad of a vampire.

  “Gage, the next time you disrespect me, I’m going to put you in my cage, and whoever ends your sad little life will take your position as elder. Now, be a good little boy and run along,” Sabine said, dismissing her underling with savage glee. As far as Conrad was concerned, he’d gotten off lightly. Any subordinate who spoke to or about Conrad in such a manner would be his subordinate no longer. One rotten apple left in the bowl would infect the rest of the fruit.

  “I don’t trust him,” he said after Gage had left.

  “He’s bitter because I got promoted over him, but he’s not stupid enough to have allowed an exposure breach.”

  “Maybe.” Conrad was going to keep an eye on him all the same. Something about the elder reeked, and Conrad wanted to know what it was.