The crew pulled themselves to their feet. Shadow stood beside Lilith, chewing on blue snake meat. They remained near the pedestal in the centre of the chamber. Merek stood beside the horses.

  Lilith approached a nearby bone pile. Shadow tracked her movement. She crouched, fingers stroking the bones. The bones came alive. Colliding, spinning, rising.

  She approached another pile, repeating the process. The clacking bones rearranged into two humanoid skeletons with wolf-like skulls.

  Kai shot a questioning look at Levi.

  The vampire shrugged. “What can I say? Demon Wolves are vicious and territorial.” His eyes moved to Shadow. “It’s a miracle you tamed that one.”

  If Shadow mourned his dead brethren, he didn’t show it. He kept chewing.

  Kai examined Lilith’s skeletons. They weren’t likely to win a battle against Renzo’s monsters, but they’d make a good distraction at least. Reflected damage meant nothing to regenerating bones. Useful for breaking past Dakas’s Gift.

  Alira cupped her hands together. Ice materialised with crinkling sounds. Her hands moved toward Rusk. Offering. He retrieved an ice cube and tossed it into his mouth. He smiled as ice crunched under his teeth.

  Kai scoffed. “You turned down delicious snake meat for this? Eating ice is like eating nothing.”

  Alira’s glare locked onto him. “Water is life. And ice is better than poison.” Chin high, she walked to Lilith, hands extended. At least they’d stay hydrated.

  Merek stroked Butcher’s dark tendrils as Alira offered him an ice snack.

  Alira looked toward Kai and Levi. “Want some?”

  The two undead shook their heads in unison.

  She rolled her eyes. “Suit yourself.”

  Rusk focused on weaving a black corset. Lilith watched him work. Merek wore a troubled expression as he studied the others.

  Kai’s shoulders relaxed. They’d bought themselves some time. Night couldn’t be too far away. Lack of food wouldn’t be much of an issue. His crew were disciplined enough to fight for their lives on an empty stomach.

  But he couldn’t extinguish every worry.

  When night came, they’d lose their defensive advantage. Open ground favoured Dakas. The Silas trick wouldn’t work.

  “Boss?” Lilith’s voice cut through his thoughts.

  He met her gaze. “Yeah?”

  “You planning on leaving that there?” She pointed at the ground.

  He followed the trajectory of her slender arm.

  Dakas’s tentacle lay on the stone. Rot had set in. Boils emerged. Black pus leaked.

  “I know you were in a rush before, but…” She grimaced. “You might be immune to corrupt flesh, but what about us? We could get infected.”

  I can’t be corrupted?

  That was welcome news. The other part was troubling.

  He frowned. “Dakas’s tentacles can corrupt people?”

  Lilith shrugged. “Corruption is a mystery. But I’d rather be safe than sorry.”

  She had a point. Silas would make quick work of the rotting flesh, but he had to guard the corridor. Kai’s gaze landed on Shadow. The wolf’s fire-breathing was the next best option.

  He approached the rotting limb. No telling if it still had Dakas’s Gift, and Shadow wasn’t immune to fire as far as he knew. Kai swiped at the tentacle with his dark blade. A shallow cut opened, oozing more black pus.

  No cracking sound.

  “Shadow,” he called.

  The dark wolf studied him.

  “Burn this. Don’t eat it.”

  Shadow padded over. He sniffed the tentacle and recoiled. Then, he opened his jaws. Fire poured out, engulfing the tentacle. It bubbled, blackened, and shrivelled before becoming ash.

  Kai crouched down to stroke Shadow’s head. “Good boy.”

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  Shadow’s tail whipped. As Kai stood, the wolf returned to Lilith’s side. She handed him a bone.

  Kai scanned his crew, searching for signs of corruption. Nothing stood out. Though he had little idea of what to look for.

  He rejoined Levi beside the corridor, anticipating another attack.

  No rest for the wicked.

  He glanced at his right arm, at his chest covered by his shirt. He still felt alert and stronger than usual. His suit still brimmed with soul essence. Whose blood did Levi give him? Why was he so aggressively defensive about it?

  He needed answers.

  Renzo was ignorant about vampires, or he’d expect a night attack. He could be bluffing, but Kai had seen nothing about vampires in Renzo’s book collection. There wasn’t much that snake didn’t know.

  This was Kai’s chance to grasp the information advantage.

  But Levi wasn’t the most forthcoming. Getting more information would need a little finesse. Kai turned to the vampire.

  “You fast enough to dodge Dakas’s attacks?”

  Levi sneered at him. “I’m faster than you. Won’t end up with a tentacle in my chest.”

  Kai bit back a response. Levi might’ve been faster on foot, but he couldn’t beat his teleportation speed. Regardless, this wasn’t the time to point that out.

  He forced a smile. “Your speed is impressive; I’ll give you that. But shouldn’t you be more worried about getting corrupted?”

  Levi’s brows furrowed. “I’m an undead Demon.”

  Kai’s brows mirrored Levi’s. “What’s your point?”

  Levi snorted. “Did your brother teach you anything?”

  “He said the system muzzled him. And we had more important things to discuss.”

  Levi sighed. “Demon corruption differs from human corruption. When Demons die, they soon become abominations. I’m undead. My situation’s different.”

  “I’m immune because I’m a Demon?”

  “No. Well, yes.” He huffed. “You’re immune to that monster’s corruption because you’re an undead Demon.”

  “Human corruption can’t affect Demons? And shouldn’t I be an abomination, not undead?”

  “No, human corruption infects lesser Demons. But it makes them sick. The corruption starts after they die.” Levi shrugged. “And your lineage probably stopped your transformation.”

  Kai frowned. “If human corruption makes Demons sick before they die - and dying turns them into an abomination - the outcome’s the same. And probably?”

  Levi scowled. “One: It’s not the same. We can heal sickness, but nobody can heal corruption. Two: What do I look like - a Death God priest? Ask your devious kin how your lineage works.”

  “You don’t care about getting sick because you’ll heal?”

  “No, I can’t get sick because I’m undead.”

  “How did you become undead? Shouldn’t you have become an abomination when you died?”

  “I never died, and I wasn’t born a Demon. Your Father granted me undeath.” His jaw clenched. “The price was steep.”

  Kai wanted to dig deeper, but Levi was getting agitated. He’d learned a lot. Dakas couldn’t sicken or corrupt him and Levi because they were undead Demons. The rest of his crew weren’t so lucky.

  Death God’s lineage made him immune to corruption after death. Probably.

  Some of Levi’s answers raised more questions. What was Levi before he became a vampire? Was making him a vampire part of the contract that entwined them?

  He pivoted. “How do humans get corrupted?”

  “I don’t know or care how humans get corrupted.”

  “Shouldn’t you care about drinking corrupted blood? Might not turn you into an abomination, and you can’t get sick. But it can’t be good for you.”

  Levi scoffed, chin rising. “You’re not the only one with a lineage. Mine protects me from impure blood. I can drink without worry.”

  He rubbed his chin. “It’s unfair you know my lineage, but I don’t know yours.”

  “You’re Death God’s heir; it’s obvious. My lineage is none of your business.”

  Kai conceded the point. His curiosity about Levi’s lineage paled in comparison to his curiosity about the blood.

  “You’re more impressive than I thought,” he said.

  Levi suppressed a smile, his chest expanding.

  Kai continued. “You’re ninety-nine percent immortal in your domain, right?”

  Levi glanced at him. “That’s right.”

  “How immortal are you at night?”

  “A hundred percent.”

  Kai scoffed. “Even if I cut your head off?”

  Levi’s expression darkened. “Why? Planning to try?”

  Kai spread his palms. “Just a question.”

  Levi’s eyes narrowed. “Even if my head’s cut off, I’ll…” His brows crinkled.

  “Survive?” Kai offered.

  Levi nodded. “Exactly. Even if you cut off my head, I’ll survive.”

  “You were about to say ‘live,’ weren’t you?”

  “No, I wasn’t.”

  “Then you realised you’re undead, so—”

  Levi bristled. “I wasn’t!”

  Kai grinned. “Technically, I’m not sure an undead can ‘survive’ either.”

  Levi exhaled. “Whatever you say.”

  Kai chuckled. “Immortality’s a powerful advantage. Why haven’t the vampires taken over?”

  Levi made a derisive sound. “Night only lasts a few hours. My kin are smart enough to consider the other hours in the day. Better to stay hidden.” He lifted his chin. “They have riches, blood, immortality. They’re content.”

  ‘They’? Not ‘we’? Interesting.

  “What about power? Legacy?” Kai asked.

  “They have more than enough power. You just don’t see it. As we intend.”

  Kai stroked the silver ring on his right hand. The vampires had a secretive society pulling strings behind the curtain? That kind of network was valuable. He could learn a lot from them.

  “How have you guys kept your secrets for so long?”

  Levi shrugged. “By not answering every question a Demon asks.”

  Kai smiled. “We’re on the same side, aren’t we? I wanna keep my plans concealed. Makes sense to learn from an expert.”

  Levi’s chin rose an inch higher. He cleared his throat. “It’s simple: kill witnesses or hypnotise them. The second way is cleaner, less evidence.”

  Kai nodded. “Smart.”

  Levi revealed a proud smile.

  Kai attacked in his moment of weakness. “Whose blood did you share with me?”

  Levi frowned. “It worked. That’s all you need to know.”

  “Do we need to keep doing this? I could command you to tell me. I just wanna know who to thank.”

  Levi sighed. “It’s my Father’s blood. You should get on your knees and cry at the honour.”

  There had to be more to the story. His father must’ve been powerful. If Levi wasn’t born a vampire, what was his father? But Levi wouldn’t share more voluntarily. Kai let him keep his secrets. For now. Reluctance to discuss family was something they shared.

  His father was probably a bastard too. Yet Levi still revered him. Kai understood. He revered Death God despite everything.

  The time until night was unclear. They didn’t even know if this was the first or second day of sunlight. He inhaled a long breath.

  “Kai,” Levi said.

  He looked over. “Yeah?”

  Levi clenched and unclenched his fist, revealing a wide grin. “Night has fallen.”

  Kai’s lips curled into a grin too. He turned to the rest of the crew. “Get ready. It’s time to hit back.”

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