The Homunculus Knight

Chapter 36: Aftermath and Abomination

“DEATH! DEATH! DEATH! HE IS UNTOUCHED BY DEATH! Yet he is sworn to it, mind, body, and soul. With death, he is armed and armored; in death, he finds love! Champion of Death, untouched by it but bound to it. Paradox of silver and scars, I see you! I SEE YOU!” - Scribbled words on Jude the Sibylline’s cell walls.

Cole had passed out at some point, still holding onto Natalie, leaving her alone when the defenders of Vindabon finally arrived. Looking up at the soldiers, priests, and magi entering the ballroom, she asked. “What took you all so long?”

At the head of the relief force was a worried-looking Morri; he was clad in black mail and held a mace that dripped hoarfrost. Glancing around the ballroom wincing at the carnage, he approached Natalie. “Where is the Ashborn?”

Natalie pointed towards the body of Dietrich. “Cole got the Scarlet Knight, and I managed to banish the Ashborn. Dietrich isn’t dead, at least I don’t think he is; we might be able to get some information out of him.”

Morri gestured for some of his subordinates to check the incapacitated Vampire; Mina was among them. Approaching Natalie, Morri got down on one knee, grunting as he did, and put a hand on Cole’s forehead. The unconscious Paladin twitched, and Morri grimaced. “It’s bad, he’s paralyzed from the waist down, and that's just the worst of his injuries.”

Looking at Natalie, he said. “That sort of injury isn’t easy to heal… he might never recover full use of his legs.”

Natalie hesitated, trying to figure out what expression to show. She didn’t want to lie to Morri, and neither did she want to expose Cole. “He’s stronger than you think; Cole will be alright.”

Morri frowned and seemed to consider saying something but apparently decided against it. “We’ll get him back to the Temple and start sorting this mess out.”

Looking around the ballroom-turned-battlefield, Morri asked. “What exactly happened? The city wards reacted to something, and a few minutes later, we got word of some sort of incident here. I’ve gotten conflicting stories from different evacuees. Tell me everything you can.”

Natalie narrowed her eyes and looked to the werefolk, where Priests examined the unconscious Kistine. “Why didn’t the wards work? You said if another Vampire using my blood got into the city, you could activate the binding spells?”

A look of intense weariness washed over Morri. “Something interfered with the wards. We tried to trigger them when we realized something was wrong, but… well, when we get back to the Temple, you will see for yourself.”

Carefully lying Cole down on the ground, Natalie got up and said. “I’ll tell you everything I know, but I must do something first.”

The Vampire walked over to Ametza, who stood vigil over her unconscious mother, wounded cousin, and fallen kin. Ametza was still in her lupine form, watching as a pair of Priests fussed over Kistine and Jokin. Another Priest had collected Jaks’ head and placed it with his body and was freeing the soul. After a moment, the Priest looked at the body with unmistakable confusion.

Approaching cautiously, Natalie spoke up. “He’s already been freed; Jaks soul was released by Cole’s power, I’m guessing.”

Ametza looked at Natalie, tears flowing down the Werewolf's muzzle, exhausted pain clear in her eyes. Natalie bowed her head. “I’m sorry, those Vampires came looking for me. I… I’m the reason….”

A slight growl escaped Ametza, cutting Natalie off, and after a moment, the growl faded into words. “What Ash say, False?”

Natalie nodded. “I’m the host of a stolen relic, but its nature and the events around it are radically different. I… I lost my family; I didn’t sell them.”

Ametza nodded slightly and looked to her mother, deep amber eyes shut and more tears dampened fur. Slowly stepping forward, Natalie hugged the huge werewolf. The size difference was ridiculous; Natalie barely came up to Ametza’s gut. Still, Natalie offered what little comfort she could offer.

A low mournful howl escaped Ametza, a wolven note that stirred up memories of a dream. Slowly breaking the embrace, Natalie looked at her friend and said. “I… I spoke with the Carrion Lord.”

Ametza started and looked at Natalie with an expression the vampire assumed was shock; it was hard to tell on a wolf's face. Baring her neck to the werewolf, Natalie ran a hand along her Stigma. “I speak with Master Time when I sleep sometimes. When I was frozen, I saw him… in another form. He was a scavenger-god in a desert of bones.”

The werewolf looked like she’d been physically hit, and the nearby Priests stared at Natalie with undisguised awe. Forcing herself to meet Ametza’s eyes, Natalie said, “Jaks has joined the Eternal Hunt. I saw Master Time… or the Carrion Lord, take him and send him to the stars. He said Jaks was with his mother and the rest of the fallen pack.”

It was hard reading a werewolf's expressions. Still, Natalie was fairly certain she saw Ametza’s face flit between shock, doubt, anger, confusion, grief, and finally, solemn acceptance. Ametza bowed her head, and the growling voice of a beast said. “Thank…you.”

Natalie looked away, “They came looking for me. I’m so so sorry, Ametza, for Jaks and… everyth-”

A huge lupine claw came out and poked Natalie in the forehead with enough force to make her stumble. “Stupid… Leech.” Ametza pointed at Dietrich and the Priests, wrapping him in blessed chains. “He and Ash killed Jaks… blood price falls on them… not you.”

Both vampire and werewolf looked at the Scarlet Knight, and Ametza growled. “Want to rip him… tear him…shred him. But… I won’t… won’t give into beast. Let…. let Temple do that for me.”

The very definition of lupine smiles played across Ametza’s muzzle, and she looked away from Dietrich. One of the Priests treating Kistine caught their attention and said. “This woman, she is a Shaman, correct?”

Ametza nodded, and the Priest let out a shaky breath. “I’m Priest Andrei of the Second Temple. Sworn to Mother Earth and the world’s wonders. I’ve worked with Shamans in the past, and I think I know what happened. She broke a contract with one of her spirits, sacrificing the bond to call on a lot of magical power. It's a dangerous technique that can cripple a Shaman who uses it.”

Ametza sucked in a deep breath, her size giving the expression a bellows-like quality. Carefully she moved over to her mother and examined the bangles on her wrists. Ametza shut her eyes in exhaustion and started to turn back into her human shape. Seeing this, Natalie quickly looked for Ametza’s clothes. When she couldn’t find any, the vampire grabbed a reasonably intact tablecloth and brought it to the werewolf.

Wrapped in the makeshift cloak, the now-human Ametza gave Natalie a nod of acknowledgment. “The spirit she used was Many-Eyes-Many-Threads. One of Mother’s more powerful and unpredictable spirits. I think she broke the bond to help the Paladin. Many-Eyes is a spirit of spiders, manipulation, and secrets.”

Morri joined them, looking between the vampire and werewolf. “I need to know everything that happened here. Can you two please tell me know.”

Ametza’s face twitched, and she growled. “If you tell me how two fucking Vampires broke into the city's grandest event, then sure.”

Looking decidedly uncomfortable, Morri looked around the ballroom. “Follow me to the Temple, and we can talk there. I can get my colleagues to treat your mother and cousin. We… can also prepare the fallen for interment.”

The werewolf looked ready to argue, but Natalie put a calming hand on her shoulder. She’d never seen Morri look this disturbed; events had rattled the old Priest, and he seemed unwilling to elaborate in public. “We’ll tell you what we know. I was unconscious for much of the fight, but I think Ametza can fill in the gaps.”

Morri nodded, and they prepared to leave the DeMello estate. Waiting as Cole was loaded onto a stretcher and taken with them by two soldiers. The estate was quiet as they left, seemingly evacuated of anyone not wielding spell or steel for the city. Outside the estate was a different matter. Confusion, rumor, and general panic seemed to infest the crowd clambering for information. Cole was placed into a coach. Natalie, Ametza, and Morri followed, sitting across from the unconscious Paladin in the large carriage.

As the carriage door clicked shut, Morri let out a tired breath. “Now, will you tell me what happened?”

Ametza and Natalie looked at each other, and the vampire started. “Well, we figured out who the Heart-stealer is….”

They arrived at the Temple just as the two women finished their story. Filling in details for each other and trying to give the Hierophant a clear image of what happened. Morri just listened in silence, rarely asking for clarification or fine details. As the carriage rolled to a stop, Morri rubbed his face with a tired hand and opened the door. A pair of healers helped move Cole into the Temple, taking one of the side entrances close to the clinic. Natalie and Ametza watched as Cole and Kistine were taken for treatment; neither had gained consciousness.

Jokin had woken up and refused to leave his brother's side, tears pouring down his face. The werewolf’s jaw had regenerated, but it looked pink and misshapen, clearly not finished healing. Ametza went to her cousin and hugged him, leaving Natalie and Morri alone. Offering a silent prayer to the grieving family, Morri gestured for Natalie to follow him.

After a moment's hesitation, she did, following the armored Hierophant towards the arch sanctum. As the great doors of the religious chamber swung open, Natalie covered her nose; a foul smell filled the normally pristine room. She looked to Morri with a wordless question, and he grimaced. “Burning feathers, one of the worst smells in the world.”

Other than the smell, something was most definitely wrong with the arch sanctum. A palpable feeling of shock and pain oozed through the Aether. Even without a Paladin’s ability to peer into the Aether, Natalie could feel the emotional discharge. It was so potent and concentrated she doubted any but the most magically blunt people would notice.

Nervous looking Priest wandered around the chamber, checking runes carved into the floor and casting spells in a constant low hum of magical power. At the arch sanctum’s center were Nyami and Glynn. The two Hierophants engaged in fierce conversation. Reaching the edge of the central ritual space, Natalie’s gasped upon seeing what had become of it.

A shadow was painted onto the floor. A stain on the stone and metal that wasn’t effected by light. The shadow was splayed across the ritual circle in the same space where Natalie had added her blood to the city wards. Stretched and distorted, the shadow depicted a humanoid figure in pain, with arms and legs bent as if they’d been thrashing. But those signs of torment were only secondary features, for the shadow had wings.

“The guardian seraph?” Natalie whispered. “Something happened to her?”

Morri nodded. “The city wards are badly damaged, and the Guardian was wounded. Something attacked her and ripped a hole in our armor. We should have the wards repaired within a few weeks but for now… Vindabon is susceptible to attack.”

Eyes never leaving the angelic shadow, Natalie asked. “What could have done this?”

Glynn ended his conversation with Nyami and answered. “An Archdemon or Fell God, only something that powerful could do this. The Final Gates have been opened slightly, and the Anchorite felt it. We need to be ready for a Demonic incursion; if the Dark is acting so overt, then this might not be the end of things.”

Morri responded. “An incursion already happened; the Ashborn used itself as a medium to open a Hellgate. Or at least that's what the ball’s survivors say.”

The quarter-elf looked momentarily sick and was ready to ask for more details, but Morri cut him off. “The Paladin and other capable people repelled the attack. I’ll inform you all later; right now, I need to speak privately with Natalie.”

Frowning, Natalie followed Morri as he retired to his offices. The former Rest-bringer looked like he’d aged twenty years in the last six hours. A palpable air of stress leaked off him, and it unnerved Natalie. She’d not known Morri long, but he’d always seemed resolute and unshakable.

Once inside the office, Morri locked the door and cast a spell on it. Natalie’s ears popped slightly as she’d come down a mountain, and she winced in surprise. Nodding to himself, Morri gestured to a chair. Natalie didn’t take it, concerned by his behavior. “What is this about Morri?”

The Hierophant went over to a lockbox new to the room and picked it up. Setting it on his desk with a grunt. A key and magical incantation unlocked the box, and a puff of icy air escaped it. Opening the cold-enchanted chest, Morri pulled something out. The smell of frozen meat and halted decay reached Natalie’s nose. Morri held a human forearm in armored hands. Shutting the box, he set the arm on its lid and just stared at it.

The forearm was large, well-muscled, and horribly scarred. Even blue with frostbite, the pattern of wounds was familiar to Natalie. Stomach dropping, Natalie sucked in an involuntary breath. Morri just stared at the arm and said. “I checked his arm when we arrived to help; it was missing its scars.”

Looking at Natalie with the cold hardness she associated with Cole’s wrath, Morri growled. “What did you do to him, Natalie? What unholy power did you use to keep him alive?”

Natalie just blinked for a second and snorted with laughter. Nerves turning fear into bitter humor. “I didn’t do anything, Morri; his nature was as much a surprise to me as it was to you.”

Stepping closer and examining the severed limb, Natalie realized something. “He said he lost the arm fighting Dietrich; how did you….”

Morri slammed a mailed fist against his desk. “What is he, Natalie? What is Cole?”

Glaring at the old Priest, Natalie snapped. “That is not my story to tell. Ask him when he awakens.”

Returning her glare, Morri snarled. “How do I know you aren’t lying? How can I trust you, or even him, if you’ve been hiding a secret like this!”

Letting out a disgusted noise, Natalie gestured vaguely toward the clinic. “Because the evidence is literally carved into him! Have you known anyone in your life with that many scars? Anyone who could still move or function while being so mutilated? And even if it wasn’t, shouldn’t your own God's favor be enough evidence? No one can fool a God, not even the greatest powers in the world. So do you really think he or I could manage it?”

Morri’s face twitched, and he returned to staring at the limb. Noting how cold had been used to preserve the forearm, Natalie repeated her earlier question. “How did you get this, Morri?”

The Hierophant didn’t answer, and Natalie pieced it together. “Oh… Dietrich gave it to you. You… you knew what would happen.”

Flashes of Ametza’s crying face, Cole’s broken body, and Jak’s headless corpse danced behind Natalie’s eyes. Long talons of black blood grew from her fingers, and she snarled. “You goatfucking jagger! What did you do!”

Morri reached into his desk and pulled out two things, a plain black mask and a sheet of paper. The paper had a drawing on it of Natalie. The drawing was surprisingly well done, depicting Natalie with haunted eyes, her hair down, and dried blood on her face.

Tapping it, Morri explained. “The League keeps certain means of communication open with the Duchies. A method to ensure diplomacy and de-escalation even during times of war. Through one of those means, a known agent of the Archduke contacted the Priests of Uncle Trickster. Claiming a dangerous traitor possessing a powerful relic was hiding within Vindabon.”

Letting her claws shrink away, Natalie snatched up the drawing and looked at it closer. Something about it itched at the back of her brain. Looking at Morri, eyes wild with anger, she thought of Scapin’s words back at the ball. “Those lies… Scapin sold those to the Temples… And you all actually bought them?”

Morri shook his head. “I did not; it seemed impossible with your Stigma. But… the arm raised some questions. The Vampire's argument swayed my fellows in the other nine temples. Not enough to hand you over, but enough to set a trap. I protested but was overruled, and the Gods were strangely silent about this, something my colleagues took as consent.”

Slumping into his chair with a clatter of armor and creak of joints, Morri looked to Natalie. “The plan was to let the Vampires into the city and use the ball as an opportunity to expose the truth.”

Shocked by this admission, Natalie practically screamed. “How stupid could you all be! It's your fault all those people are dead!”

Morri hung his head and answered. “Yes, it is, but we weren’t complete fools. There was some dissent among the Hierophants. A faction of us agreed to the plan but decided to… improvise. Once the two Vampires were deep inside the city, we would activate the Wards and bind them. With them in our custody, the truth could be ascertained, and if needed, we could use them to capture you.”

Eyes widening in understanding, Natalie cursed. “Jagged hearts… the wards were broken then. You couldn’t capture them!”

The Hierophant nodded. “Everyone lost, the temple, the vampires, the league… This was a calamity, and I expect the Temples will suffer for our foolishness, as we should.”

With a weary sigh, Natalie looked at the severed forearm and said. “Who else knows about that?”

Morri glanced at the limb and winced. “A Hierophant of the Fifth Temple. Troupe Master of the Quicksilver Players in Vindabon. He was who made contact with the Vampires and informed me of what was happening.”

Shaking her head, Natalie grunted. “We’ll need to speak with him soon, but we should wake up Cole first. If his secret is exposed, he should get the opportunity to share the whole truth with you and whoever else.”

As she shook her head, Natalie realized something, her silver clip was still in her hair. Which wasn’t abnormal; she only took it out to sleep. Glancing down at the drawing, Natalie realized the depiction of her had its hair down. A very odd choice if the artist hadn’t seen her like that. Especially with the blood on her face and the destroyed expression. Natalie had only looked like that once…

That chain of thought reached its conclusion, and Natalie nearly dropped the drawing. “THE BONES! THERE WEREN’T ANY BONES!”

Morri was startled by her outburst, and Natalie slapped the drawing on the table. “Scapin, the smarmy Vampire with the smile, he’s the one who gave this to you, right?”

Nodding, Morri looked taken aback, and Natalie bit her lip so hard a droplet of black blood welled up. “That bastard has been following us since Glockmire! It was him in the cell, the one Cole killed. When he died, he didn’t have bones; he just dissolved into ash. I thought it was strange then but didn’t think much else of it. I’d cleaned off the blood when Cole woke up, and Dietrich isn’t the type to draw and….”

Realizing she was rambling, Natalie looked at Morri. “We need to get Cole and heal him quickly; this is important.”

Confused and a little alarmed, Morri said. “The healers are working on him but considering how wounded he is? A severed spine, broken leg, ruined kidney, and so much lost blood aren’t easily treated.”

Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Natalie sighed. “You want to know what Cole is? Well, help me with this, and you’ll get a better understanding.”

It took much arguing and pleading to get Cole’s unconscious body free from the clinic. The healers were loath to let such an injured patient leave them. It took Morri’s influence and Natalie’s tacit threats to skulk about the clinic in all her undead glory to get them to relent. Cole was lifted onto a wheeled medical cart by a quartet of workers and left in Natalie’s care.

Returning to the apartment proved to be a challenge but not an insurmountable one with a Vampire and Priest working together. The Temple had pully lifts to access the higher levels. Natalie’s enhanced strength was enough to haul even Cole up a story.

Once in the apartment, Natalie got Cole into the bathtub. His suit had been cut away by Dietrich and the healers, leaving him clad only in drawers and bandages. The Paladin barely stirred through the ordeal and didn’t respond even when Natalie filled the tub with warm water. Morri watched this with morbid curiosity, concerned about what the Vampire was planning. Once the tub was filled enough that Cole’s head barely stuck out of the water, Natalie turned to the Hierophant.

“He told me how to do this in case he was brain damaged or paralyzed. I even practiced it once on his insistence, so let me be clear I don’t want to do this, and I’m only doing it because I see no current alternative.”

Then without warning, she pressed Cole’s head under the water. Shocked, Morri ran forward, and Natalie held up her free hand and glared at him. “He trusts me, and Master Time is at least willing to help me, so find a chair and wait.”

Cole didn’t trash or fight back; he simply lay in the water as a steady stream of bubbles came up from his mouth. When the stream stopped, Morri reached for his mace. Natalie gave him a withering glare. “If I was trying to murder the man I love, do you think I’d do it in front of a powerful Hierophant? Even one as incompetent as you?”

Morri looked stunned by her razor words but didn’t contest them. Natalie knew they weren’t strictly fair. Morri had done his best to mitigate a situation somewhat beyond his control. But his best hadn’t been good enough, and people had died. Morri deserved a little salt in his wounds; it was the least Natalie could do for Jaks and the others.

Holding Cole down, Natalie touched his neck and nodded. Letting go of him and letting his head surface above the water, Natalie gestured for Morri to check Cole’s pulse. The Hierophant stripped off a glove and obliged. His eyes widened when Cole’s death was confirmed, and silver fire blazed in his pupils. “You… what have you done!”

Natalie was tired; she’d been through a lot this night. Slumping against the tub, she let a hand rest in the warm water and said. “Do you know how the Duchies break in new Vampires?”

Morri looked at Cole’s corpse, trying to understand what was happening. His instincts were at war with the information he’d been given. “They feed a loved one to the new Vampire. Binding them to the court with guilt.”

Nodding, Natalie played with the water absently, “When I was turned, Cole came to rescue me. He fought past Strigoi, Rattlers, Varolac, and everything else the Feeder could throw at him. He lost eventually, worn down by fight after fight, and they tossed his unconscious body into my cell. I’d just been turned, and I lost control. I killed him, Morri; I devoured his blood and sat in that wretched cell for hours, hoping to die.”

The water in the tub started to turn pink; Morri saw this and frowned. He knew what Natalie was saying, he knew what she was implying, but it couldn’t be possible. Streams of cloudy red worked up from beneath Cole’s bandages, dying the water a disgusting hue.

Staring off into the middle distance, Natalie murmured. “But I didn’t die, and he came back. He came back to me, and we both escaped.” after a moment’s hesitation, she smiled. “Master Time has a strange sense of humor, doesn’t he?”

Staring at Cole’s corpse, hand still on his neck Morri rasped. “What do you mean?”

Letting her hand slosh in the blood-tainted water, Natalie said. “He’s the God of Death, and he made an Immortal his champion.”

‘Ba-dump,’

Morri pulled his hand away in shock. At Natalie’s insistence, he put his hand back on Cole’s throat and felt.

‘Ba-dump ba-dump ba-dump.’

He knew what to expect and where Natalie’s story was leading, but still, the word fell from his mouth. “Impossible.”

Cole twitched like a dreamer awakening. Natalie slipped her hand deeper into the water and found the Paladin’s hand. Whispering to Morri as she did. “Apparently not.”

The Homunculus Knight awoke with a spluttering gasp; coughing up water, he thrashed in the tub, returning to life. With a great groan, Cole sat up and opened his eyes. He saw Natalie and smiled, his teeth pink with his own blood. Then as he blinked away the sleep of death, he realized Morri was with them. Looking at the Hierophant and back at Natalie, he tried to decipher what was happening.

Resting a soothing hand on his broad chest, Natalie explained. “They found the arm you lost outside Vindabon. Morri had questions, and I figured seeing you return was the best option.”

Blinking away spots, Cole nodded jerkily. Morri stared at him, trying to process what he’d just witnessed. “Cole… what are you?”

Cole laughed, a gesture that turned into a cough. Spitting up some water, he ran fingers through his damp hair. “I’m an abomination, a Homunculus created to defy the natural order of things.”

Turning his attention from the stunned Hierophant, Cole squeezed Natalie’s hand. “I'm so sorry; I didn’t mean to-”

Natalie cut him off. “I’m okay; Master Time explained what happened. When I woke up, I was back in control.”

Cole released a relieved breath and said, “Would you mind grabbing me some clothes? Discussing all this while I’m near naked in a tub would be… odd.”

Nodding, Natalie ran to grab him some garments while Morri looked at Cole. The Hierophant grabbed Cole’s head then, and the room's temperature dropped a few degrees. Pulling back like he’d been burned, Morri muttered. “Your spine and your kidney! They are healed!”

Glancing at Morri’s hand, Cole raised an eyebrow. The old rest-bringer sat down in a chair nearby and shrugged unabashedly. “I needed to check to make sure you were actually alive. That this wasn’t some elaborate trick.”

Leaning back in the tub, Cole put shakey hands on the lip. He was healed mostly, but the amount of damage he’d suffered was extensive. It would take a few days to fully recover if he didn’t drown himself again to speed things up. “How long was I gone?” He asked, curious to see how much stress he’d put Natalie and Morri through.

Taking a second to understand the question, Morri stroked his mustache. “You were dead for a few minutes at the most. Fire-in-iron, it's strange to say that.”

Frowning, Cole stretched his muscles and tested the damage. His serious wounds were gone; only blood loss and minor injuries plagued him. “I don’t usually resurrect that quickly. Drowning is faster than most methods, but even then….”

Head in his hands, Morri muttered. “A homunculus? I’ve encountered a few of those in my time, but none like you.”

Cole made an amused snort. “I’m something of a unique project. Isabelle wanted to play god and create life, and she succeeded.”

Frowning, Morri asked, “Isabelle? The Vampire Ghost you carry with you? She created you?”

Natalie returned then with some clothing. Taking it gratefully from her, Cole dried off and got dressed. Too tired to care about social niceties as he stripped out of his soaked drawers and slipped into the clean fabric. Natalie tried desperately not to notice how nice Cole looked nude and glistening from the bathwater. Both lovers had found their libidos’ augmented by each other's proximity and passion.

The three of them sat down in the main room and explained their parts of the story. Cole briefly explained his origin and nature. Then, he described the fight with Dietrich and Scapin, offering a few guesses about their plan and nature. Morri went next, admitting his culpability in events and how Cole’s severed arm had made him doubt things. Cole reacted to the story with cool indifference, not matching Natalie’s anger but instead trying to see the larger picture. For her part, Natalie skimmed over her meeting with Master Time, leaving out the more personal details before telling Cole her theory about Scapin.

Digesting this poisoned feast of information, Cole leaned back on the couch and mused. “The Gods didn’t interfere with the plan to let the Vampires into the city? None of the ten temples got so much as a sign?”

Morri shook his head in the negative. Cole massaged his aching skull, thinking to Kistine and hoping she would recover. “So either whatever damaged the wards was powerful enough to intercept all ten God’s messages or letting the two infiltrate the city was necessary.”

Nodding, Morri remarked. “I know which option I prefer. I’d rather this be the Gods playing a long game of Legions than a Fell God unleashing its wrath.”

Exhaling with exhaustion, Cole said. “If Scapin was really that Vampire in the oubliette, then that solves one of my problems and opens another box. It explains how the Duchies knew about me but doesn’t answer what he was doing in Glockmire and why the rest of the Court didn’t know.”

Morri offered. “When I met him outside the city, he claimed to be of the Ashen Door. Maybe he was additional security for the Alukah? It would make sense for Dietrich and his subtle counterpart to work together to retrieve it.”

Frowning, Cole shook his head. “If protecting Glockmire’s treasure was his purpose, then he’s supremely incompetent. I can imagine a Scarlet Knight not noticing a brewing coup but an Ashen Agent? No, something else was in play. The puzzle keeps getting bigger, and we are missing too many pieces.”

Natalie interjected then. “Ashen Agents? I’m guessing some kind of Vampire spy?”

Cole nodded, and his partner let out an annoyed sigh. “Lovely, just lovely.”

Standing up then, Cole helped Natalie get to her feet. “Interrogating Dietrich will be crucial. But before that, I need to settle another matter.”

“What would that be?” asked Morri, pulling himself up with the clatter of mail.

Frowning, Cole said. “Liam Louon is the Heart-Stealer and justice for his victims is long overdue. The Graf and others in House Louon know what Liam is and still protect him. That debt of stolen time must be settled..”

Morri grimaced. “The city is still in shock. Even if you have adamant evidence, tonight would be a poor time to attack one of the city's most powerful families. It would be tossing rocks into an already disturbed pond. ”

Cole seemed to consider that for a moment. Then a hard look came across his face. “I fought a Scarlet Knight and an Ashborn to defend this city. I’ve literally died multiple times to fulfill my duty and keep its people safe. Right now, I don’t particularly care what is convenient for the nobility of Vindabon. People have been murdered, and the killer needs to answer for that.”

Nodding, Morri shrugged. “Fair enough; I can see the merit in striking when the iron is hot.”

They moved toward the apartment door, but when they reached it, Cole turned to look at Morri. “The Temples of Vindabon owe weregild to the Shohgard pack, and everyone else harmed tonight. I don’t care what shape it takes but make sure those scales are settled.”

There was a brittle hardness to Cole’s voice that only Natalie detected. As they left the apartment, she pulled him aside, gesturing for Morri to give them privacy. After a moment's hesitation, the Hierophant left them, offering a warning as he did. “I’ll keep what I learned tonight secret for now but eventually, the Hierophants of at least this temple will need to know.”

Cole offered a grunt of acknowledgment and grit his teeth. Cupping his cheek, Natalie whispered. “What’s wrong?”

The cold steel in Cole’s expression melted away, and he relaxed into her touch. “Its… it's been a long evening. Twice I thought I’d lost you tonight. And I failed; I failed Jaks, Kistine, and everyone else who suffered for my weakness. If things had gone slightly differently, then… I don’t want to imagine what might have happened.”

Natalie headbutted Cole lightly, driving her forehead into his chest with almost feline exasperation. “Because of me, a pair of extremely dangerous monsters infiltrated Vindabon. The city wards are damaged, and we’ve probably made enemies of most of the nobility. I lost control and exposed myself as a monster. Jaks is dead, Kistine might never wake up, and now your secret is exposed. On top of all that, my dress is ruined, and we’re never getting invited to another ball.”

Rumbling in confusion, Cole looked at Natalie, and she smiled up at him. “If we are going to stew in our self-loathing, we might as well do it together.”

A snort escaped Cole, and he leaned back against the temple walls. The cold stone was a balm on his worn body. As he did, the temple bells started ringing.

‘BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!’

Cole counted the deep notes and let out a breath of surprise. “It’s midnight.”

Natalie got up on her toes and kissed Cole. They shared that kiss for a long moment. Natalie broke it with some old words. “Yesterday was cold; today was dark; tomorrow will be neither with you.”

Cole answered in the second part of the solstice poem of Lovers, “Yesterday my heart was empty; today it is open; tomorrow it will be filled with you.”

They kissed again as the last echoes of the temple bells faded away.