Author's notes:

2021-11-11: Hey, I would like to share a short preview of the chapter I'm currently working on. I will try to take a bit more time to write and publish the chapters from now on. Honestly, I feel like the last couple of them were not that great and overall could be considered a downgrade. However, as always, it is not up to me to decide. That's being said, I would really appreciate a bit more feedback, cause I feel like I am starting to hit a wall. Anyways, enjoy the preview.

2021-11-16: Hey, I would like to give you a small update on what is happening with the chapter. I must say that it is still far from being finished. However, it might be done quicker than I anticipated.

2021-11-17: Hey, I have managed to finish the chapter sooner. I think it should be enough to set the stage for a couple of the next fragments. Though as always, it is not up to me to decide. Enjoy the text :)

Don't forget to comment. I really appreciate your feedback.

Note that the dialogues written in italic are thoughts.

As always, I would like to thank you for everything. See you soon :)

Changelog:
[2021-11-11]: A preview was released.
[2021-11-16]: I have adjusted the current version of the chapter and added additional pages.
[2021-11-17]: The chapter was released fully.

Info: I will be trying to focus on finishing some of the stories, rewriting some parts.
Info: I have decided to put 'The war call' into its own separate story. There, I will be slowly rewriting it and adjusting. However, it will take me some time to do so.
Info: Overall, the current plan is for me to write 'My home is where my heart lies' and 'Family tree' alternatively. Between the updates of these stories, I will try to upload other texts. Maybe, just maybe, I will be able to finish some of the short stories. However, I truly doubt that. It seems that most if not all of the stories will be extended both in terms of the time and the number of chapters.

Schedule for the nearest future:
1. My home is where my heart lies.
2. Family tree.
3. The rise of the Blood Moons' servants.
4. Fully original story.
5. Story of one lost soul.
6. Will you look past my mistakes?
7. Last Christmas.

Bonuses' section:
A new story taking place in the Warhammer 40k universe.
A story regarding KaiKali (aka Akali x Kai'sa) (Will you look past my mistakes?).
Sometimes it's just better not to know (possibly rewrite).
Kiss the rain (more than likely rewrite).
Whispers in the Dark (extending beyond 2 chapters story).
Story of one lost soul (translation of 2 of my old texts - previously written in polish).
Story of one lost soul: The war call: rewrite.

References:
Elton John - Sacrifice

*bonuses will be worked on when I don't feel like writing the chapters pointed out in the schedule :D

** It is possible for me to change the schedule a little. So stay tuned for the upcoming information.

End of the author's notes.

Even though the raven-haired officer had finally entered Miss Tepes's office, her doubts had not faded away. Frankly, she would have been grateful if these thoughts could be - at the very least - pushed into deeper parts of her subconsciousness. She would love to be able to focus on the current situation. But, unfortunately, she found herself unable to do so.

Vayne found the council's leader standing right before her enormously large window with her back turned toward the entrance. She must have been looking through the stained mirror of the glass. Surprisingly enough, she did not turn around as soon as Shauna had entered the room. It would be improbable for her not to hear the officer's heavy footsteps. So, the idea was immediately discarded the moment it appeared inside Vayne's mind. Miss Tepes, to some extent, had surprised the RDT officer with her clothing. Or... at least at the very first glance. After all, considering the late hour, it was not oh-so-common for the people to wear a formal outfit. Yet, in the case of the white-haired vampire, that rule did not seem to be taken into account.

The snowy-white elegant shit and the matching onyx-black trousers looked more than good on the council's leader. However, at this point, it might have been a redundant comment. The raven-haired RDT officer was already convinced that this woman would look stunning even in rugs. So, Vayne decided to mindlessly stare into the vampire's frame for a couple of additional moments. After all, these moments had been generously given by Miss Tepes herself due to lack of her reaction.

"How long do you intend to keep staring at me?" Akali asked suddenly. Her voice could be described as a mix of boredom and annoyance with the current situation. "Must I remind you that it is, in fact, rude to stare at someone?" she admonished the officer.

"Sorry, Miss Tepes," the raven-haired woman responded instantly. However, she did not lower her head. Instead, she opted to close the distance between them a little. "Did you learn anything new?" she asked.

"Nothing of any serious value as of now," Akali commented, finally turning around to face Shauna. "Ah... I would have nearly forgotten. Your meal had been already delivered," she informed the officer. "Feel free to start eating. We can continue our discussion after you are finished."

"That would be fine, thank you," Shauna replied, flashing a small smile.

"Have a good meal," Miss Tepes uttered a pleasantry emotionlessly.

Then, the snowy-white-haired vampire came to her desk, retrieving some documents from one of many drawers. At least a couple of pages fell from a thick folder.

"Are you not going to eat?" the council's leader asked, fixing her sharp eyes on Vayne.

"Yes... yes, sorry for starring again," Shauna apologised, a little embarrassed, scratching her right cheek.

"So... please, proceed with your meal," the vampire said. "We do not have much time to waste," she added, shifting her silvery irises into the crimson red shade.

"Of course, Miss Tepes," the RDT officer whispered back, swallowing a decently-sized gulped that formed in her throat. "This woman can be intimidating even without really trying," she thought to herself.

Without anything to add, she came straight into the extra table situated in the left corner of the room. On top of it, her meal was waiting, covered with additional plates to keep the temperature. To some extent, the officer got surprised by the sheer size of the container. There was no way Vayne would be able to eat all of this alone.

"Have you eaten yet?" Vayne asked without thinking.

"Let me clarify your question," Akali sounded, not even taking her eyes off the documents she had been getting familiar with. "Did you mean to ask me whether my craving for blood was already satisfied? Or… you wanted to know whether I have eaten a meal similar to yours? No matter which one of these you truly meant, please be precise whilst asking questions. One might have gotten you wrongly," she added in a scolding manner.

"I just wanted to know if you still want to eat some normal food," the raven-haired woman responded cooly. "There's enough food for both of us. Not to mention that there're two plates next to the container. So, let me repeat the question and rephrase it a little. Do you want some food from this container?" she asked, pointing out at the table.

"If it makes you a little bit less annoying, proceed," the council's leader uttered coldly. "I would really appreciate a couple of minutes of silence. I need to focus on these documents."

"Fine, fine, fine," Shauna sighed. "I'm just trying to be nice. You don't need to act like a freaking iron maiden."

Without any response from Miss Tepes, the RDT officer decided to focus on the meal. Just a moment later, she lifted the plate off the container, releasing a strong scent as a result. The mixture of the spices was pleasant, yet as mentioned before, strong, defined.

"By any chance… do you know what it is?" Vayne asked, already forgetting about the vampire's request. "It looks like some sort of a stew, but I'm not entirely sure."

"Miss Vayne," the white-haired woman started in a low, cold tone. "Is that so challenging for you to remain silent for more than a couple of seconds, hmm?" she asked venomously. "But… maybe, it will be easier to answer your question. I was not informed about the container's content; however, based on the smell, I am certain it is lecsó. A little modified version, I would say, with more than a touch of cayenne pepper. On top of that, I can smell the mix of 3 different onions' types. To be more precise, shallots, sweet onions, and red onions were used as ingredients. If you are not a fan of spices, feel free to pour yourself some sodas, water, juices of your liking."

"Oh," the raven-haired woman softly gasped. "You've really smelled all of this? Or you're just mocking me?" she asked, scratching her nape.

"Ok, ok," the officer uttered nearly instantly as the realisation hit her. "You don't need to answer that silly question. But, of course, you're able to. I'll hand you over a plate in a moment," she informed the council's leader, a little embarrassed by her behaviour.

Beneath the thick layer consisting of chicken meat, red paprika, onions, and the source, the basmati rice was hidden. With every moment Vayne spent putting the food on the plates, her hunger was relentlessly reminding her about itself. The pleasant smell of the meal had already made her mouth salivate. But, frankly, it was a painful sensation that was oh-so-close to convince her to devour what was already served.

Somehow, the RDT officer had found enough self-control to overrule her mind. As a result of that, she found herself walking toward Miss Tepes's desk a couple of moments later. Shauna's grip that she had enforced on the plate was noticeable. After all, her knuckles whitened due to it. Even though the item did not weigh much, her hand was shaking. Shaking so much that it threatened to drop the item at any given moment.

"Here you are," the officer managed to mumble before handing over food to the vampire. "I don't know if you need any more spices. But… if you do, next to the container, there's a lot of them," she added, stuttering a little.

"Why are you so conflicted out of a sudden?" the snowy-white-haired woman asked, whispering. "Oh… I must have surrounded myself with my aura, have I not?" she asked rhetorically.

"What… what kind of aura?" the officer murmured quietly.

"It would require a bit of explaining," the council's leader responded nonchalantly, shrugging. "It is not worth the time. So for now, you do not need to know everything about my kind," she added, flashing a quick smirk. "Is it better now?"

"Yes, in fact, much better," Vayne uttered in a whisper-like manner. "Enjoy your meal," she threw quickly before turning around and walking toward her plate.

"Enjoy your meal, Miss Vayne," the vampire's voice went silken.

"Get to that plate and start eating!" Shauna began yelling at herself in her mind. "Stop thinking about her voice, about her body, about her damned smile!"

Soon enough, the meal had been eaten. The raven-haired woman had made a mental note to thank Aria for picking the dine. When she turned around, her gaze automatically focused on the desk where she had seen Miss Tepes for the last time. Surprisingly, the council's leader was not sitting there anymore. Then, she looked at the enormously large window. It was so sad that once again it was raining. The literal glass wall was stained by rain droplets. Once again, the vampire could not have been spotted near the stained glass. Thus, Vayne was forced to look around more carefully.

Though it took her a couple of moments, she found the white-haired woman in the end. She was standing next to the bookshelves, located at the far right end of the room. One of these volumes was resting in the open palm of the vampire. It was an enormously thick tome which cover had been already marked by the passing time. Based on the grimace currently covering her beautiful face, she did not like what she read or found out.

"What are you reading?" the RDT officer asked, uncertain whether she should do so.

"Ehh," Akali sighed, averting her gaze off of the book. "I tried to check one of my speculations. But, unfortunately, it turned out to be a fruitless endeavour," she added, slowly taking off her half-glasses.

"Do you even need glasses to read? Or… you're just trying to allure me even further?" Shauna asked before she could even think through her idea. "Nevermind… forget what I spoke," she quickly corrected herself, panicking a little.

"Could you please stop drooling already?" Miss Tepes uttered coldly. "If I were you, I would rather focus on anything else than me. But, after all, it is not the best policy for the future to bid on something that one can not obtain, reach, get," she grunted.

"Point noted," the onyx-haired woman replied. "Can we proceed to the case? After all, you wanted to talk with me and the doc when we'd be up," she whispered, casting her sight low.

"It would certainly put our precious time into better use," the council's leader commented. "Do you want to wait for Adria?"

"The real question is whether we need her expertise for now?" Vayne hummed. "If not, I think we can start right now."

"Fine, then," the vampire said emotionlessly. "Aria, please wake up, Dr Michel," she added.

"As you wish, Miss Tepes," the synthetic voice sounded instantly.

"Take a seat, Miss Vayne, then," Miss Tepes commanded whilst pointing out at the chair near the desk. "I do think there are some fundamental aspects that you are not exactly aware of. So, we will try to solve that minor setback."

"What exactly you're referring to?" the curious RDT officer questioned whilst slowly making her way toward the chair.

"What is your perception of the current state of the case?" the vampire asked. Within moments, Miss Tepes reach her massive armchair, situating comfortably on it. "Tell me what did you see. Then, tell me, what do you think about that mess as a whole?" she continued asking questions whilst tapping with her fingertips.

"Well…," the raven-haired woman sighed heavily. "I'd love to say that the 'mess` as you rightfully called it didn't affect me at the slightest. But, unfortunately, it'd be a lie," she started. "As of now… I'm not entirely sure if I can trust what my eyes have seen. Of course, the surgically removed meat pieces could point out some cannibal or cartel doing shady business. But then again, they'd have never let the bodies be found. I can see the slightest possibility for some gangs to leave their victims' bodies on full display. But, honestly, I certainly do think they'd only do so with one or two dead, not 12," the officer provided her point of view.

"You are still trying to classify this crime into some RDT's category, are you not?" Miss Tepes looked at the raven-haired with dissatisfaction hidden in her silvery eyes. "I would suggest looking a bit deeper. The rules you have been so thoroughly taught are nothing more than a limitation for you, now."

"I don't think a cannibal is standing behind this massacre," Vayne commented loudly, raising her voice significantly. "I think someone ordered these chunks to be extracted only to cover something. But, for… for me, it can still be the work of some degen-level vampires," she added, mumbling a little.

"Then, please, provide me with your thoughts, speculations," the vampire uttered, turning her voice silken again.

"I've already done so," Shauna commented, grimacing slightly. "The reasoning behind my decision was already provided. I don't believe anyone would have butchered 12 people and left them to rot. So what would they gain by doing so?" she opted to ask the question of her own.

"In fact, you can gain quite a lot," Akali responded emotionlessly. "Being the person who pulls the string from the shadows can be beneficial. Someone is currently pulling the strings from the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to enter the stage," the vampire explained briefly. "But, let me ask you another question, shall we? Is it possible that both of these theories are – at least to some extent – correct at the same time?"

"So… you're trying to connect these two scenarios, hmmm?" the officer hummed. "Still, I don't see the link between them. Why would some cannibals cooperate with vampires? It doesn't make much sense to me."

"Have you ever witnessed how the degenerated vampires are feeding?" the leader uttered coldly. "Just I have thought," she added once the RDT officer denied. "These elements are not considered a part of our society, our species. All the degenerates are destined to be killed if their blood status can not be uplifted. Thus, they are mostly living in the shadows, hiding from the agents of the council. It is more than fair to state that most of the time, these units are starving. So, the moment they can hunt down prey, they are going all in. These poor souls would not allow so much blood to be wasted. And… as you might remember, the crime scene looked like a slaughterhouse," she spoke up her mind in detail.

"You're providing a conflicting input, Miss Tepes," the raven-haired woman made a comment. "On one hand, you've suggested that the degenerated vampires could be working with some cannibals. However, on the other hand, you're stating that it's virtually impossible. So what kind of a game do you play, Miss Tepes?"

"The answer is simple; I do not play any," the snowy-white-haired woman responded coldly. "I am just trying to make you think about the alternatives. Someone wanted you and the whole RDT to believe that the degenerated vampires could be responsible for that crime. Maybe, that someone hoped for tension between humanity and the council to arise. Thus, of course, it is, but the mere speculation. However, there are several hints and leaks left at the crime scene. The missing chunks of meat, at first glance, we could think about cannibalism. The bite marks were left to plant a seed of doubt. And… the last, but not least, the ethnicity of the dead. All of them were black. A clear point for the racism."

"More and more, it looks like a riddle of a sort," Vayne sighed heavily. "Then… which of these was left unintentionally?" she asked, putting some hope into the vampire.

"Frankly… I am not sure as of now," Miss Tepes whispered back, frowning. "There is a possibility that all of these were only allowed to be found to confuse us. Even though in the very first moment… argh… nevermind," she cut short her response.

"What did you want to say?" the RDT officer asked, curious.

"Nothing," the council's leader replied, grimacing a little.

Before the raven-haired woman had time to ask yet another question, the knocking sounded.

"Come in, Adria," Akali instantly invited the doctor into her office.

Just a moment later, the door opened, revealing Dr Michel's frame. In comparison to Miss Tepes, the brown-haired woman was clothed casually. Her outfit consisted of a dark-grey, long-sleeved tee and navy-blue baggy pants. Her short hair had been recently washed up, thus had not enough time to dry out. A decently-sized dark bag could be spotted under her eyes. Apparently, she had not slept well. Without much time, makeup had been considered an utter waste of time.

"You have not slept well," the white-haired vampire stated, focusing her crimson-red eyes on her agent. "Is it safe to assume that your nightmares are penetrating your dreams again?"

"Yes, ma'am," Adria replied instantly, sighing heavily. "I must have forgotten to take my medications. Yesterday was quite an eventful day, after all."

"We will talk about it later, Adria," the council's leader stated, making her voice softer. "Please, take a seat next to Miss Vayne. We have already started our discussion, though I think nothing major has been concluded as of now."

"Affirmative, Miss Tepes," the doctor uttered, hissing a little. "What would you discuss, Miss Tepes?" she asked once she situated herself right next to Vayne.

"I have not managed to find out much, at least not as of now," Akali started. "However, there are some minor details that I found intriguing."

"What do you mean by that?" Shauna demanded the answers.

"Hush, Miss Vayne," the leader scolded Vayne in a cold tone. "First of all, all of these men that were butchered had been employed at the same time. Precisely speaking, it happened only 2 months ago. Secondly, they lived in the same neighbourhood in one of the poor outskirts of this city. Thirdly, only one of them had a family, and they had not been informed about his death yet."

"Ok, but how is all of this going to help us in solving the case?" the impatient RDT officer complained. "Wait… you're not suggesting that it was set up from the beginning?" she asked after a moment of hesitation.

"Frankly, I do not know whether the speculation is correct or not," the vampire uttered. "However, as of now, it is the only clue that we can investigate a bit deeper."

"I think it's a good idea to focus on something at least marginally connected with the situation," Dr Michel sounded, humming. "Do we have any sort of information why that man's family wasn't informed yet? Is it just some sort of RDT procedure, or did someone forget to drive there?" she opted to ask some extra questions.

"I can verify that," Akali said confidently. "Ehhh, unfortunately, there is nothing there. Surprisingly, the contracts are not available in our database," Miss Tepes stated after a couple of moments of intensive typing. "However, it should not be much of a hassle. A couple of guardians can handle the situation without any major problems," she added.

"Aria, please inform Lucious to gather a team," the vampire referred to the AI. "I would like them to obtain the original versions of the butchered mens' contracts. Additionally, please, grant them access to the additional vehicles and armoury."

"As you wish, Miss Tepes," Aria replied immediately. "The permissions were granted successfully," she informed the leader a moment later. "Can I be of any additional service?"

"No, for now, I need to deal with other matters," the white-haired woman responded, dismissing the assistant. "Thank you for your assistance, Aria. I appreciate that."

"I am honoured to be of service," the AI uttered instantly. "After all, it is the purpose of my creation."

After the synthetic voice finally faded away, the silence was allowed to take back its reign over the office. But, that reign did not last long. Maybe a minute passed with the council's leader buried deep in her thoughts before she turned back to her keyboard. Then, for more than a couple of the following minutes, the snowy-white-haired vampire continued typing frantically. It was evident that the woman tried to find something desperately.

"Has she just realised something?" the raven-haired woman asked rhetorically inside her mind. "Did she miss something when she had looked into these files initially?" she continued to ask questions which surprisingly she found herself unable to utter.

"So… what's the plan, boss?" the exhausted agent finally broke the silence. "Do you want us to drive into that neighbourhood and ask around?"

"Certainly, I want to get there," the leader whispered back, holding her voice slightly. "However, you are not coming with me, Adria. Go get some extra sleep. Soon enough, I will need your knowledge and expertise, which means you need to be in top condition. And… as you already know yourself, currently you certainly are not," she finished uttering slowly.

"Why… why are you pulling me from the open case?" the doctor asked, stuttering a little. "Yeah, it's true that I've slept badly. But… I can be useful nevertheless," she tried to convince the vampire.

"I do doubt that you honestly believe what you said," Akali commented, continuing to speak in a whisper-like manner. "We are not required to take a personal part in each and every operation I am planning. Therefore, this case will not be a single action, a single battle. Thus, before the one standing behind that crime opts to reveal itself, we will participate in a series of missions and actions. I have no doubt regarding this. So, please go rest some more. You certainly look like a one who needs it," she finished, marking the end of the dispute, conversation.

"Shouldn't I have a word in that matter?!" Dr Michel asked, raising her tone significantly. "If I say I can do it, then I'm perfectly fucking fit to participate in the action!" she thundered.

"Enough!" Miss Tepes snapped coldly. Even though she – by any means – did not thunder, the result was very similar. Adria nearly instantly froze whilst Shauna wanted to run away. "I really do appreciate your devotion, your willingness to get back onto the field even if not in the perfect condition. However, I am not going to put my agents at unnecessary risk. If the crime's mastermind watched us, you would be marked as a prey, target immediately. And… please, make no mistake, that one will be closely spectating our every move from now on," she explained in detail.

"Can you… can you… switch… off the aura?" Dr Michel managed to mumble. "I… I… understand and will follow the orders."

"It is not an order," the vampire started, deactivating her aura. Instantly, the enormous pressure and the horrors lurking around the council's leader vanished, faded away into oblivion. "It is just a mere friendly suggestion."

"As always," the doctor commented, grimacing a little. "Fine, I'll stay behind and rest a little more," she added, giving up.

"What about me?" Vayne asked immediately. "Am I required to come there by myself, or alongside you, or one of your other agents?"

"Ehh," the white-haired woman sighed, annoyed. "Miss Vayne, could you not wait till I finish my conversation with Miss Michel?" she asked coldly. "It does not matter. So, replying to your question. Yes, you will come with me to check this lead. No additional people related to the council will be involved in that mass. I would want to have a glimpse of hope of finding something crucial there. However, the odds of it happening are very marginal. Yet… if you want to stay here, feel free to do so. I will not require you to follow me, at least for now," she spoke, turning her voice emotionless once again.

"There's no way in hell for me to stay here and wait!" the RDT officer responded, irritated. "You've basically grounded Dr Michel a moment before, and now you're pretending that I can have a say in that matter? I'm coming with you!" she stated confidently. She stood up abruptly, causing the chair she had previously sat on to fall onto the thick carpet.

"Fine, then this meeting is concluded," Miss Tepes exclaimed. "Adria, it seems we need to have a talk once I am back. So, please, for the time being, try to gain as much rest as you can. And… do not forget about your medications," she informed the brown-haired woman.

"As you wish, Miss Tepes," the doctor responded, defeated.

Without anything more to say, the vampire stood up and headed straight toward the exit. Even a single glance was not sparred toward Vayne. It could mean that the leader did not care whether the officer was coming with her or not.

About an hour later:

For Shauna, it would be a challenging task to find proper words to describe the neighbourhood they entered. Although it could be simply described as poor, and it would more or less outline the problem, it would not do. The regression in terms of wealth could be easily noticed the further away they got from the city centre. The sad and grey reality of the clustered blockhouses was depressing. To add to that already horrifying scenery, these buildings complexes looked like they would benefit from some renovation. Unfortunately, the only source of light here was a few street lamps scattered all across the neighbourhood. Still, through the dimmed glow coming from these lamps, Vayne could spot that the outer layers of many buildings had already begun to crumble.

"Damn, these blockhouses look miserable," the raven-haired woman commented a couple of moments after they had exited the car. "I bet most of the folks living here are unemployed."

"It might be true, actually," the vampire replied, looking around, searching for something. "Follow me," she uttered an order, heading toward one of the buildings clusters.

"Do you at least know the address? Please, tell me that you do," Shauna asked. "I'm freezing," she allowed herself to complain.

"But, of course," Akali simply replied. "I would not leave the office before obtaining that crucial piece of information. And… about your complaints. You could choose anything from the wardrobe, and you have chosen the thinnest jacket possible," she commented.

"Hey! I don't need to look oh-so-formal all the time!" the RDT officer grunted. "It's not like she looks sexy in that long peacoat," she allowed herself to add deep inside her mind.

"Is that so?" the white-haired vampire hummed. "Still, you could have expected the temperature dropoff after heavy raining," Miss Tepes commented. "Please, keep your mouth sealed for a couple of moments; I need to think through something."

Even though Vayne did not like the request, she still opted to respect it. So, as a result of it, a couple of following moments were spent in complete silence. Only from time to time, the flickering of the street lamp would make some noise.

Soon enough, they reach the neglected staircase leading to the largest cluster nearby. The signs of a recent rain could still be spotted. The cobblestone staircase was slippery due to the still-water covering each and every step.

Unfortunately, the fog began forming, already severely reducing the line of sight.

"He lived in that cluster?" Finally, Shauna decided to break the silence. She did so, trying to waste time. "What do we know about his family? I'd assume it's consisted of his wife and some kids, right?" she continued to ask additional questions.

"You really do not like silence, do you, Miss Vayne? But, of course, you do not," the white-haired woman uttered emotionlessly. "If you really want to know, he had a wife and 6 children," she provided a piece of information.

"And… let me guess, he was the only one earning any money?" the RDT officer asked even though deep inside she already knew the answer.

"Actually, his wife's contract is in our database," the council's leader uttered a response. "She has been working as a waitress for the last 2 years."

"Well, that was unexpected," the raven-haired woman stated.

"The more you know about life, the more you realise that it is too complex to fully comprehend. Socrates once said – I know that I know nothing," Akali responded.

"Do we really need to go down the road of quotations?" a little confused officer asked.

"No, we certainly would not want to delve deeper into that stream," Miss Tepes stated, getting closer to the nearest interphone. "But, we should get back to our task."

"Be careful! I smell fresh blood," the vampire nearly hissed in a low tone a moment later.