Though Heli absolutely refuses to sleep in the trunk, somehow they make it over on a ferry and drive deep into the countryside. Heli doesn't ask where they hid him and Jakah through customs. Part of him just doesn't want to know, but another suspects they bypassed it entirely and slipped off into the day through the work of Eugene's not completely normal vehicle.

The village they pull into is even smaller than the one near their home.

Aside from a couple lit windows the only place that appears to be open is a single inn. Eugene parks in front of it.

"This is the place, right?" He turns to address Jakah.

"Close," Jakah says.

"Close enough for today, I'm starved." Viken throws open the van door and slides out with a deep inhale as he stretches his arms.

"We didn't drive this long going home after we found him," Viken nods towards Heli, who exits the van after him. "And there was further to go."

"The weather was better then," Eugene answers. "And the route home was more straightforward. Someone's directions had us going around in circles a couple times." He shoots Jakah a glance.

Jakah shrugs. "The roads are all different now."

"We're here now, so can we see about some food and a room?" Taho asks.

"Yeah, let's do that," Eugene agrees. "Just grab the- where are you going?"

Heli looks up to see Jakah's already walking away.

"To find something to eat," Jakah calls. "I'll be back."

Taho shakes his head. "He's not going to cause more problems for us, is he?"

"He'll be careful," Heli insists.

Eugene grabs a bag from the front seat and sighs. "We gotta figure out how to feed you."

They enter the inn, a stone building of three floors. Inside is lit with orange light from overhead chandeliers, and a crackling fire in an enormous fireplace. Rough hewn beams cross the ceilings. Eugene walks over to a woman sitting at a desk, who glances up at him over her paperback book. They speak in low tones in a language that's familiar, but Heli doesn't recognise many words.

"How many languages does Eugene speak?" he asks.

Viken frowns as he counts on his fingers. "A lot," he concludes.

Eugene returns with a smile. "They have one open room, and it's not too late to get something to eat."

"What about-" Heli starts.

"I'll ask them for an extremely rare steak or something, don't worry," Eugene interrupts.

They follow a narrow wood-panelled hallway into a dining room. The furniture is also all wooden, the chairs heavy. A couple of the tables are occupied by men who look up as they enter.

"This place feels mediaeval," says Viken.

"It probably is," says Taho.

Eugene speaks for the group, and as promised a barely cooked piece of meat is brought to Heli, somewhat more cooked food for everyone else, along with a carafe of water for the table.

Heli is hungry, but he eats slowly. He shifts in his seat. Though he has ventured into society a couple times, it's always come terribly close to becoming a complete disaster. He's a complete fraud, acting like he was just another guest eating normal food at this inn. Viken talks animatedly, his voice the loudest thing in the room. The other patrons cast glances in their direction, but none of them say a word. How long would it be this time before someone notices there is something not quite right among them…

"Is something wrong, Heli?" Taho's voice snaps Heli's attention back to their own table. Taho slides the vegetables off Heli's plate and onto his own.

"Everyone keeps looking at us," Heli mumbles.

Eugene laughs. "Because Viken's loud and you're eating like a freak. Stop just sucking the juice out of the meat and chew it normally, please."

By the time Heli finishes, he's stuffed more than ever into his withered stomach. He follows the others up the stairs to their room slowly. Eugene unlocks the door and ducks through the low threshold. Taho and Viken sport a couple suitcases full of clothing and other overnight items.

The room is small, containing a single bed and a small couch. The ceiling is low but it's warm and clean and the furniture modern. A couple round mirrors hang over the sofa, and over the bed a painting of bright orange flowers.

Heli collapses onto the bed, letting his feet hang off the side.

"I feel heavy," he groans.

Viken flops down beside him. "I'm ready to sleep."

"I reckon we can find somewhere to get food and things tomorrow while you and Jakah are resting," Eugene flips on a small lamp on the bedside table. "Tomorrow night we'll head out. Do you know where it is Jakah is taking us to?"

"I don't," Heli answers as sits back up. "He told me getting near Jaan would be impossible, I have no idea what he's thinking."

"Are we sure we trust Jakah that much?" Taho asks.

"I do," Heli says.

"Of course you do."

"We don't have any reason not to," Eugene agrees. "Staying home wasn't an option anyway."

He pulls some night clothes out of his luggage and the three take turns washing up.

"It's a good thing we don't all have to sleep at the same time," Taho remarks. "Who wants the- nevermind." He glances to the sofa, where Viken is already curled up and asleep.

Eugene pulls a blanket from the bed to place over him. "You'll be okay for a few hours, right?" he says to Heli.

Heli nods and Eugene switches off the light. He and Taho are quickly asleep themselves, their deep breathing falling into a steady rhythm.

Heli slides open the curtain and opens the window. He leans out, resting his arms on the frame as he gazes out into the night. The sky is clearer than it had been at home, the moon only partially obscured by the wisps of a few clouds. The air is cold. He shouldn't leave the window open for too long.

Movement below catches his eye. He watches the figure as it walks along, coming closer until it's just under the window. It seems to look from side to side, and Heli recognises the top of Jakah's head. He's a little too far for Heli to pick up on his energy but he doesn't want to shout and risk waking everyone. He taps his forehead, as if that will help the message carry further from his own mind to the one below.

What are you doing?

Jakah jumps, and looks up. He spots Heli and waves.

"Come down here."

Heli checks to make sure the window is securely open before jumping down to the alley below.

No sooner does he plant his feet on the ground is he knocked off-balance by a swift punch to the chin. He stumbles back.

"What was that for?" he hisses.

Jakah raises his fists as he bounces on the soles of his feet.

"Fight me. Go on, hit me back."

"Why would I do that?" Heli manages to step aside to avoid another hit to the face.

"You're out of shape," Jakah says, landing another punch on Heli's shoulder. "If you can't even defend yourself against me, you'll just get your ass kicked by the Shadows again."

He's not wrong there. Heli's hit a few more times before Jakah convinces him to even try striking back. Jakah laughs as he easily dodges. He skips around Heli's back.

"You're going to have to be faster!"

Just another thing he has to work on. Heli's starting to wonder if there was ever a time he actually had been able to keep up with the rest. Surpassing them at anything certainly doesn't seem right. Jakah is outpacing him in every turn at both strength and speed. He motions for Jakah to stop and leans into the wall of the inn, out of breath.

"You've been concentrating on mental things," Jakah gives Heli's forehead a flick. "So we need to focus on physical aspects, too and toughen you up some."

Jakah's still bouncing around even though Heli is winded and can't argue.

"You said we would never get close to Jaan in a million years," Heli says. "I'm assuming we're going somewhere dangerous if you're making me do all this."

Jakah frowns but he shakes his head.

"Jaan…" he starts. "Do you remember what Jaan really wanted most out of life?"

Heli shrugs. "He wanted a lot of things."

"Yeah, well…he was the first to leave us. It was the 20s by then. We used to go out to jazz clubs, and watch everyone pulling up in their long cars and fur coats, and one night he just walked away. I asked him where he was going, and he said he was going to find his fortune."

"He was going to find it in this tiny village? That doesn't make any sense."

Jakah laughs. "He's definitely not here. I don't know where he is actually, but I have an idea about who he's with. I'm hoping what's here, or near here rather, will help us."

"Are you going to have to fight them?"

"I hope not. But you never know," Jakah grabs Heli's arm. "Do you want to call it a night?"

"No, let's keep going. I have to get my stamina back up, it seems."

Jakah grins. And then once again nails Heli right in the chin.

Heli's face is well healed by the time they return to the little room, though he can still feel the ghosts of Jakah's punches. Jakah draws the curtain, shutting out the early rays of morning light.

"They'll probably be asleep for a while," Heli looks over at the figures of Eugene and Taho on the bed.

"Just squeeze onto the couch, I don't think Viken would mind," Jakah offers.

Heli slides to the floor and puts his head on his knees. "You're joking right? If Viken wakes up next to a corpse he might actually stake me."

"Ah, you're right." Jakah throws a blanket over Heli's shoulders and sits down next to him. He leans into Heli, resting his head on Heli's shoulder. "I don't mind though."

When Heli awakens he's alone, and under the covers of the bed. He pulls the duvet over his head in the hope no one will notice his breathing.

"YOU'RE UP STOP PRETENDING!" Viken whips the covers off Heli. "We've got to get going, hurry up."

"I don't wanna," Heli tries to snatch the blankets back. Viken tosses them across the room. Heli rubs his eyes and falls back onto the pillow. "It's too cold."

"What? Jakah isn't complaining. I thought you were all cold-blooded like some kind of reptile."

Heli opens his eyes and sits up. "Cold-blooded?"

"Yeah, you know, like a snake. Come on, get dressed otherwise Eugene's going to stuff you into another box."

Their next destination is not far, Jakah promises, but there was still somewhat of a drive ahead of them. They set off even deeper into the country, until not even a farmhouse is in sight. Instead the silhouette of a large building emerges from behind the scattered trees. A river reflects the lone flickering light burning in an upper floor window. The gardens give the air of having once been finely tended, but are now overgrown with frost covered thorny vines.

"What is it with you guys and castles?" Eugene remarks. He parks the van beside a crumbling empty fountain.

"It is a thing with vampires isn't it?" Jakah cranes his neck to look up at the castle's rounded towers through the windshield. "The three of you should wait here, we don't want him to think we're bringing an offering."

Eugene turns off the engine and the headlights. "Is there something we should do in case it goes badly?"

Jakah shakes his head. "If we don't come out by morning, you can probably assume we're dead."

"Wait, what?"

Jakah pulls Heli out of his seat and towards the castle door. They ascend the stone steps but Heli already wants to turn back.

"What if they don't understand what we're saying?"

"He will."

Jakah has barely raised his hand when the door swings open. A wispy figure stands before them, a tall candle holder in its aloft hand. Long white hair contrasts with a velvet black dress which shimmers with silver embroidery. She glares at them with large red eyes.

"We're here to see M. L-," Jakah says.

The woman's eyes narrow. "He is not expecting you."

"Can you make an exception?"

Her sour expression doesn't lighten but she steps aside so they can enter. They follow her through the cold hallways to a library. Cobwebbed shelves of books cover the walls. Next to the burning fireplace a man sits in a large chair. Golden wavy hair falls down his back and he leans forward, reading in the fire's light. He wears a long robe, his crossed legs are covered with knee-britches and silk stockings. He looks up as they enter, and he doesn't appear surprised.

"I don't often have visitors," he says. "What brings two of Lamia's pets here?"

"We came to ask - how'd you know we're connected to Lamia?"

"You may leave us." M. L- dismisses the woman with a wave of his hand and closes his book.

"Lamia keeps a coven of beautiful youths and carnival freaks. You all have the same air about you. There was another set of you who came to me, not more than five years ago or so."

"Who?" Heli blurts out. "Are they still here?"

"Their names I do not know, and no, they are not here. All I can tell is that there was a red-headed fellow with a face like fresh dough, and a tall lithe one who accompanied him. But you are not here about them."

"Right, we…" Jakah pauses. He seems just as thrown off by this news as Heli is. He takes a deep breath and starts his request again. "We came to ask for your protection."

M. L- tilts his head. "That snake Lamia is not enough?"

"She's trying to kill us."

"Oh ho!" M. L-'s laugh booms through the library. "Surely you know better than to involve me in scuffles with Lamia. What do you really want?"

Jakah squares his shoulders. "Your protection. Just long enough until we find someone else."

Heli looks from Jakah to M. L-. Neither blinks nor do they break the gaze they're holding with each other. After a few moments, M. L- stands.

"I will consider it. For now you are welcome here. And you may tell the mortals waiting outside to come in. No harm will befall them."

M. L-'s companion shows them to an empty bedroom. It's surprisingly tidy considering the run-down state of much of the castle. Heavy curtains cover the tall window, and the room is fitted with fully-made beds though the blankets are covered with a coat of dust.

"Everything will be satisfactory, I hope," she says stiffly.

"Things could be a bit-" Viken starts but is interrupted by an elbow in the ribs.

"It's great, thank you," Eugene says.

The woman gives a slight bow of the head and closes the door.

"Please don't try to provoke them," Eugene hisses.

"We can just air things out, it's fine," Taho adds.

"I'm so tired though," Viken sighs as he plops down into a red velvet chair next to the fireplace. "Can we get a fire going too?"

While the others are crawling into bed, Jakah grabs a lantern, lit with a candle and slips out the door. Heli follows.

"I think it'll be okay if we explore a bit," Jakah says.

They pass through dusty corridors and cobwebby doorways. Most of the creaky doors open to empty rooms and unoccupied beds. Moonlight filters through panes of stained glass, many of which are completely uncovered, allowing them to take in bizarre scenes of mediaeval knights and grotesque robed skeletons. They find themselves back in the library, the fire still lit but M. L- nowhere to be seen.

"Good, he's not here." Jakah sets the lantern down and walks over to a bookshelf. He scans the titles then slides a volume off the shelf and flips open the cover. "So what did you think?"

"That was a weird way to describe Shion."

Jakah laughs. "Yeah, it was." He replaces the book and pulls out another.

"But they're not here now. And neither is Jaan."

"Nope, but this will be a good vantage point to figure out who has him."

Heli tilts his head, confused.

"He came to Lamia's masquerade. We weren't introduced, and I was actually surprised he seemed to recognise us. He knows a lot of people and has a lot of connections. We just need him as a foot in the door. You know how formal the old vampires are about everything."

"That must have been after…" Heli lets his voice trail off.

Jakah shakes his head. "No, you were there."

He was? He tries to imagine what a masquerade in the castle might have looked like, but comes up empty.

"I don't remember, at all."

"Hmm," Jakah settles on a book and sinks down into M. L-'s chair. "There's a lot of weird books here, huh? Want to sit down and read something? Or look at something, rather?"

"Not really."

Jakah shrugs. Heli watches as he flips through the book's pages.

"That's the only reason? I'm assuming there were a lot of other candidates you could have chosen from the party guests."

"He seems nice," Jakah doesn't look up from the book. Heli can see his mouth set into a frown.

"You're hiding something."

Jakah sighs. "I'm not. It's exactly as I said. M. L- is old, rich and knows every other old, rich vampire on the continent. If Jaan went to look for high society, one of them is going to know where he is. Makes sense, right?"

"Yes. What happened at the masquerade?"

Jakah does look up, but not at Heli. "You took off and I didn't see much of you. I guess at that point I shouldn't have been surprised. I can't say what you were up to. For my part, it was pretty boring."

He turns back to the book, slouching over with his back to Heli.

He clearly didn't want to talk about it anymore, so Heli opts to drop the subject. Instead he takes a look around within the perimeter of light emitted from the fireplace. On the end of one of the shelves hangs a yellowed map. Fading brown ink outlines the world in two spheres, the exterior decorated with ships and sea serpents. A date in the corner reads 1770.

Jakah appears to actually be interested in whatever book he had picked up, and Heli isn't going to take the lamp from him, so he wanders from the library and into the dark hallway. It's not really hard to see since most of the windows are uncovered, but he stumbles into a bench once after turning a corner. He climbs up one set of spiral stairs to a narrow room. At one end is a small table upon which sits a vase holding a singular, dried white flower. Black cloth covers a square portrait hanging above it. Heli considers taking a peek underneath, but is distracted instead by the view through the window outside. This high up, he can make out the intended design of the gardens. Shadows of crescent moons and a labyrinth spreads out below. When alive, it must have been bright with colour when the flowers bloomed.

He heads back downstairs, trying a couple closed doors as he turns down another hallway, but they're all locked. He passes by one very large, open room with a rectangular shape in one corner. As he approaches, he sees it's the front of a grand piano. He leaves the ballroom and heads up another staircase, trying to make a mental note of the route he needs to take back to the guest room. The air is becoming grey and hazy, a sure sign of the coming dawn. The last thing he wants to be is hopelessly lost, though he may already be there. How many floors had he gone up?

"Is there a little mouse outside my door?"

Heli freezes. A door to his right creaks open. M. L- emerges, dressed in a long robe and silken slippers. He smiles.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"No- I…actually," Heli starts. He should ask for directions back to the guestroom, but he has other questions first. "Why did Shion and Noa come here?"

"Who?"

"The red-head and the tall kid."

"Ah, yes." M. L- steps aside and motions for Heli to enter the darkened room. He closes the door. "Your friend truly amazed me tonight. I thought I'd get another of Lamia's little pets asking for the same thing as the last. Instead, he asked me to protect you from your enemies, with whom I have no quarrel, at least at present. Terribly bold of him to implicate me in your family problems. What does he actually want?"

Heli frowns. Jakah may be out of his depth trying to win over M. L-. At least he seemed to understand just how dangerous and powerful Lamia actually is. He has every right to turn them away. Yet for some reason, he hasn't.

M. L- glides over to a dark chaise and takes a seat, his head tilted as he waits for Heli's answer. If he is trying to change the subject, it's not going to work.

"Jakah isn't trying to make you fight with Lamia," Heli says. "But if Shion wasn't asking for your protection, then what did he want?"

M. L- nods, his smile not wavering. "An insightful young man, that one." He pauses and leans back. He lets his gaze settle into the distance. For every second he doesn't say anything else, Heli grows annoyed.

Finally, M. L- finishes his reply.

"He asked me for the secret to walking in the sunlight."

Heli's mouth falls open.

"That…that's not possible?"

M. L- turns his head to face Heli. Heli can feel his thoughts tumbling out, and the feeling of complete disbelief. M. L- had to be lying.

"How can you be sure?" M. L- continues. "Have you stood in the light? Just how do you know you will burn, after all?"

"Of- of course I'm sure," Heli stutters. "I already know that it hurts."

He has never heard of any vampires who could allow the light of the sun to touch their skin without at least feeling pain. He knows this firsthand. He had witnessed the smouldering flames erupting on Solon's skin, even before he'd completed the full transformation. It just felt like a given fact. Vampires burn in the sunlight. Yet, M. L- is implying otherwise…

M. L- stands and crosses the room, throwing open the curtains adorning a narrow window. Sunlight streams into the room, and Heli side steps back into the shadow by the wall.

"But have you stood in the light? Can you really, absolutely, be certain?"

M. L- is behind Heli before he can even blink. He grabs Heli's arm and pushes him back towards the beam of bright light. In one quick motion, he pushes up Heli's sleeve. Sliding his hand over Heli's, M. L- raises it in front of the glass and turns his palm up to face the sun.

Needle-like prickling spreads across his skin almost immediately. Within moments wisps of smoke rise from his arm as it blisters. Small flickers of flame erupt from under the fabric of his pushed-up sleeve as his pale skin turns deep red, then burns into patches of black.

He struggles against M. L-'s grip, but he's pinned to the wall.

"Do not think this is a natural state of being," M. L- says. "This is a curse. A punishment, on a divine level."

He lets go and Heli stumbles into a dark corner of the room, pressing his charred arm to his stomach in an attempt to staunch the bleeding. He sinks to the floor.

"A certain myth says that a maiden sacrificed herself to a vampire, resulting in his doom in the morning light," M. L- steps forward into the rays of the rising sun. "And ever since, all vampires were afflicted in this way."

Heli blinks into the brightening room. His mind is reeling, unable to completely register the fact that M. L- is standing fully in front of an open window, without so much as a spot of singing on his own skin.

"How…how did you then…"

"There are many things I pondered about this. If the moonlight comes from the same star, why does the daylight harm while the moon heals? I still fatigue and greatly diminish during the day. Yet, here I can stand where others cannot. What did I do to acquire such power? Maybe, it is simply a mercy just as divine. A reward for great virtue. Such are the mysteries of our kind."

He closes the curtain and walks back to his chaise.

"This is the same as I told your friend. He seemed satisfied with this answer and they left."

Heli shakes as he stands. So Shion was looking for a way to survive in the sunlight. For all his words, M. L- hadn't really explained much of anything. Did Jakah come here because he knows about M. L-'s abilities as well?

"I don't expect you to understand about virtue," M. L- continues. "Not when you're keeping three mortals about you. Though I suppose it is convenient to partake in a willing harvest."

"It's not like that." Heli says, indignance growing in his voice. "We're not using them for food."

"Do you not drink human blood? Surely there would be too much in the means of temptation-"

"I can't," Heli interrupts. "I can't drink human blood."

M. L- surveys Heli up and down. Heli clutches his burnt arm, his jaw clenched.

"I can tell you are honest, at least," M. L- laughs. "I have decided. I will grant you my protection, until you find what it is that you seek. For now, you should return to your friend."

Heli nods. His head is spinning as he crosses the room. He feels disconnected, like he's floating slowly though he's also acutely aware of each footfall on the cold stone floor. And he has to hurry. The castle floods with light from the uncovered windows. Each open door he passes is a new hazard on his stinging skin.

He finds the guest room and slowly pushes open the door. Viken, Taho and Eugene are still asleep. Heli assumes the lump under a blanket at the foot of one of the beds is Jakah. He drops into the chair by the fireplace, avoiding the narrow beam of light shining between the curtains. He leans his head back and stares absentmindedly into the flames. He focuses on the flickers of orange and yellow, and the pain still radiating over his arm.

Viken wakes first. He rolls out of the bed with a groan and stretches his arms. He looks down at Eugene and sighs.

"How can they sleep so well in here?" he mutters. He turns rubbing his eyes as he spots Heli. "Any idea what time it-"

He stops as his eyes fall to the growing blood stain on Heli's shirt.

"What happened to you?" His eyes widen as he approaches.

Heli peels his arm from his clothes. It's still bleeding, and he doesn't see any signs of healing. "Burnt," he mumbles.

"You don't say. Jeez, I think Taho packed a first aid kit, hold on." He rummages through their luggage until he finds a metal box and pulls out a roll of gauze.

"M. L-," Heli says as Viken begins wrapping the burns on his forearm. "He can stand in the sunlight."

Viken pauses for just a moment. "How?"

"I don't know," Heliesung says. "It doesn't really sound like he does either."

"Is this how you found out?" Viken gives the gauze a tug.

"He said Shion asked him how to do it," Heli's voice trails off. "If he figures it out…"

"Vampires that can walk in the sunlight," Viken mumbles. "It's pretty scary to think about."

"Yes, but," Heli says. "You know how things are. Sometimes I can't help but think things like, all you have to do is open the curtain when I'm asleep, and it'll be all over for me."

Viken gives a small nod as he finishes with the bandaging and repacks the first aid box.

"That's true, but you don't have to worry about that."

"You said it yourself, I have too many weaknesses."

"Sure, but you still don't have to worry. As long as I'm around, I'm not going to let any sunlight in. Okay?"

Heli nods. Viken clasps his shoulder and offers a half-smile.

"And if I'm not around, well, life isn't really worth living without me, is it?"