world will take.”
“What about the Lord of the Vampaneze?” Mr. Crepsley asked. “Have you any idea where he is?”
“Yes.” Evanna smiled.
Mr. Crepsley’s breath caught in his throat.
“But you won’t tell us, will you?” Vancha snorted in disgust.
“No,” she said, her smile spreading. Her teeth were long, jagged, and yellow like a wolf’s.
“Will you tell us how we are to find him?” Mr. Crepsley asked. “And when?”
“I cannot,” Evanna said. “If I told, I would change the course of the future, and that’s not allowed. You must search for him yourselves. I will accompany you on the next leg of your journey, but I cannot —”
“You’re coming with us?” Vancha shouted in astonishment.
“Yes. But only as a traveling companion. I’ll play no part in the quest to find the Vampaneze Lord.”
Vancha and Mr. Crepsley exchanged uneasy looks. “You have never traveled with vampires before, Lady,” Mr. Crepsley said.
Evanna laughed. “I know how important I am to your people, and for that reason I’ve avoided too much contact with the children of the night — I tire of vampires pleading with me to mate with them and have their babies.”
“Then why come with us now?” Vancha asked bluntly.
“There’s someone I wish to meet,” she answered. “I could seek him alone, but I prefer not to. My reasons will become clear in time.”
“Witches are so bloody secretive,” Vancha grumbled, but Evanna ignored him.
“If you prefer to travel without me, you may,” she said. “I will not impose my presence upon you.”
“We would be honored to have you as an escort, Lady Evanna,” Mr. Crepsley assured her. “And please do not take offense if we appear suspicious or unwelcoming — these are troublesome, confusing times, and we bark where sometimes we should whisper.”
“Well put, Larten,” she said with a smile. “If that’s settled, I’ll pack my things and we’ll take to the road.”
“So soon?” Mr. Crepsley blinked.
“Now is as good a time as ever.”
“I hope the frogs aren’t coming,” Vancha huffed. “I wasn’t going to bring them,” Evanna said, “but now that you mention it . . .” She laughed at his expression. “Don’t worry — my frogs will stay and keep things tidy for when I return.” She started to leave, paused, turned slowly, and squatted. “One more thing,” she said, and by her serious expression we knew something bad was coming. “Desmond should have told you this, but he obviously chose not to — playing mind games, no doubt.”
“What is it, Lady?” Vancha asked when she paused.
“It concerns the hunt for the Vampaneze Lord. I don’t know whether you’ll succeed or fail, but I have seen into the future of each possible outcome and gleaned some facts of what lies in store.
“I will not speak of the future where you succeed — it is not for me to comment on that — but if you fail . . .” Again she stalled. Reaching out, she took both of Vancha’s hands in her left — it seemed to have grown incredibly large — and Mr. Crepsley’s in her right. While she held hands with them, she locked gazes with me, and spoke. “I tell you this because I think you should know. I don’t say it to frighten you, but to prepare you, should matters come to the worst.
“Four times your paths are fated to cross with that of the Vampaneze Lord. If they do cross, on each occasion you will have it within your powers to make an end of him. If you fail, the vampaneze are destined to win the War of the Scars. This you already know.
“But what Desmond didn’t tell you is — by the end of the hunt, if you have faced the Vampaneze Lord four times and failed to kill him, only one of you will be alive to witness the fall of the vampire clan.” Lowering her gaze and removing her hands from Mr. Crepsley’s and Vancha’s, she said in something less than a whisper, “The other two will be
dead.
”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
W E SOLEMNLY FILED OUT of
“What about the Lord of the Vampaneze?” Mr. Crepsley asked. “Have you any idea where he is?”
“Yes.” Evanna smiled.
Mr. Crepsley’s breath caught in his throat.
“But you won’t tell us, will you?” Vancha snorted in disgust.
“No,” she said, her smile spreading. Her teeth were long, jagged, and yellow like a wolf’s.
“Will you tell us how we are to find him?” Mr. Crepsley asked. “And when?”
“I cannot,” Evanna said. “If I told, I would change the course of the future, and that’s not allowed. You must search for him yourselves. I will accompany you on the next leg of your journey, but I cannot —”
“You’re coming with us?” Vancha shouted in astonishment.
“Yes. But only as a traveling companion. I’ll play no part in the quest to find the Vampaneze Lord.”
Vancha and Mr. Crepsley exchanged uneasy looks. “You have never traveled with vampires before, Lady,” Mr. Crepsley said.
Evanna laughed. “I know how important I am to your people, and for that reason I’ve avoided too much contact with the children of the night — I tire of vampires pleading with me to mate with them and have their babies.”
“Then why come with us now?” Vancha asked bluntly.
“There’s someone I wish to meet,” she answered. “I could seek him alone, but I prefer not to. My reasons will become clear in time.”
“Witches are so bloody secretive,” Vancha grumbled, but Evanna ignored him.
“If you prefer to travel without me, you may,” she said. “I will not impose my presence upon you.”
“We would be honored to have you as an escort, Lady Evanna,” Mr. Crepsley assured her. “And please do not take offense if we appear suspicious or unwelcoming — these are troublesome, confusing times, and we bark where sometimes we should whisper.”
“Well put, Larten,” she said with a smile. “If that’s settled, I’ll pack my things and we’ll take to the road.”
“So soon?” Mr. Crepsley blinked.
“Now is as good a time as ever.”
“I hope the frogs aren’t coming,” Vancha huffed. “I wasn’t going to bring them,” Evanna said, “but now that you mention it . . .” She laughed at his expression. “Don’t worry — my frogs will stay and keep things tidy for when I return.” She started to leave, paused, turned slowly, and squatted. “One more thing,” she said, and by her serious expression we knew something bad was coming. “Desmond should have told you this, but he obviously chose not to — playing mind games, no doubt.”
“What is it, Lady?” Vancha asked when she paused.
“It concerns the hunt for the Vampaneze Lord. I don’t know whether you’ll succeed or fail, but I have seen into the future of each possible outcome and gleaned some facts of what lies in store.
“I will not speak of the future where you succeed — it is not for me to comment on that — but if you fail . . .” Again she stalled. Reaching out, she took both of Vancha’s hands in her left — it seemed to have grown incredibly large — and Mr. Crepsley’s in her right. While she held hands with them, she locked gazes with me, and spoke. “I tell you this because I think you should know. I don’t say it to frighten you, but to prepare you, should matters come to the worst.
“Four times your paths are fated to cross with that of the Vampaneze Lord. If they do cross, on each occasion you will have it within your powers to make an end of him. If you fail, the vampaneze are destined to win the War of the Scars. This you already know.
“But what Desmond didn’t tell you is — by the end of the hunt, if you have faced the Vampaneze Lord four times and failed to kill him, only one of you will be alive to witness the fall of the vampire clan.” Lowering her gaze and removing her hands from Mr. Crepsley’s and Vancha’s, she said in something less than a whisper, “The other two will be
dead.
”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
W E SOLEMNLY FILED OUT of
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