Morthal had more problems than one underage vampire. A fire had killed a man's wife and child, and he'd moved in with another woman the very next day. Locals suspected the man of murder. They feared Jarl Idgrod Ravencrone was more concerned with having visions than helping them survive ghosts, vampires, and civil war, and everyone viewed the new wizard—Athene's best friend Falion—with suspicion bordering on fear.

It was funny what you missed while you were locked in a basement.

Athene and Babette checked into the Moorside Inn. Since Athene had assassinated their Orc bard some time ago, the innkeeper had hired a sheepish looking Imperial who plucked at his lute and muttered rather than sang, as if embarrassed for trying. From what she could remember of Lurbek, Athene thought this was an improvement.

"I don't imagine we'll find her just hanging around town," Babette said. "As I recall it's difficult to get used to the way the sun feels, and the way people act."

"I thought you could pass for a regular human fairly well."

"Now I can, but in the beginning it's difficult. Even when someone can't see what you are they know something's wrong. Some of it is eating well, and some of it is confidence. I had a soldier for a snack on the way here, and I act like a living child so people see a living child. I don't know whether Falion is feeding Agni, or what he's feeding her. Did he ever feed you?"

"Not really." Athene didn't count the pouches of blood he'd thrown into the basement as being fed. She didn't even know what animal they'd come from.

"So there's that. And then she's newly turned, so she won't have the confidence to appear as anything other than a newly turned vampire."

"Then we'll have to seek her out. Lami, the local alchemist, said the ghost has been seen at the burned out house where the family died."

"You don't think we have both a ghost and a vampire, do you?"

"I'm not sure I'm qualified to handle all that," Athene said.

Babette snickered. Then the smile dropped off her face. Athene realized that the inn had gone quiet. Two men who'd been singing a noisy drinking song over the shy bard's lute got up and walked off.

"You," a familiar voice said.

Athene turned in her chair.

"Hello," she said.

"You said I wouldn't see you again." Falion sneered, but his eyes were terrified. He crossed his arms and looked around the inn, possibly noticing he'd cleared the place out. Possibly not for the first time.

"Change of plans."

"I don't approve your changes of plans. Any of them. You need to leave. Now."

Jonna, the innkeeper, was suddenly between them. "Come on, friends. This doesn't have to be unpleasant. What's going on?" The look she gave Falion was kinder than the kind he'd been getting from other townsfolk, but still not pleasant.

"This… elf and I have history. Stay out of it, sister."

"You're siblings?" Athene looked between them. Now she could see it. "Maybe we chose the wrong inn."

"Of course not! There's no reason to leave. My brother was just going. Weren't you Falion? Weren't you just about to stop hassling some of the only customers I've had in the last month?"

Falion was shaking with rage. "Fine! Fine—"

"Where is she, Falion? Your apprentice?" Athene looked to Jonna. "You know the little girl he's taking care of? Have you seen her lately?"

"Lately? Of course, I… Well, not in the last few days. Not in the last week or more, actually. Falion, what's going on?"

The inn was silent. Three intense pairs of eyes stared the mage down. Athene felt success dawning, and then something happened she did not expect.

Falion turned and ran out of the inn.

Athene went after him, hearing Jonna's surprised shout behind her. But Babette was faster, tearing out of the inn and out of town ahead of Athene, and by the time she reached the ritual stones where she'd had been cured of vampirism she'd lost the little vampire and the mage. She panted and peered through the gloom. Nothing. There was a crackle that sounded like a giant spider, but even that was obscured behind fog.

She felt very stupid calling, "Hello?" to the marsh. But she tried for a while anyway.