paramount to the vampire race, and many would have liked to hinder it. Until recently, he'd been embroiled in research to attempt to create a cure against the bite of a feral vampire. They’d infected healthy vampires and turned them into mindless killing machines that fed on vampire blood. Months ago, they'd found out such a cure already existed—it was in Chloe’s—and in all of the Eirikrsons’—blood. At the moment that included her, her brother, her ancestor Eirikr himself…and perhaps Eirikr’s psychotic daughter.
Chloe had been kind enough to provide a vial every time someone had asked for her blood in order to save ferals, but they hadn't yet managed to synthesize it. That was Levi's next mission.
Some would have loved nothing more than to stop him. There were sups who hated vampires, for one. Vampires were the ultimate apex predators, second only to actual gods. As most of the major gods had long left their world, they were at the top of the food chain. Many didn't like that. They wouldn't have minded if their entire kind was affected by the feral curse. Ferals, while possessing all the natural raw strength and speed of a vampire, were considerably easier to kill than healthy immortals in possession of all their mental capacities. And of course, some vampires simply hated Levi enough to stand against him, no matter what that entailed.
"I haven't lifted the protection measures because every day the number of enemies we have increases as they recruit Eirikrson haters, and we don’t know from what front they’ll come at us next time. If you need body lotion, order it online and have it sent to the postal box. Ruby and Sylvan will pick it up on their regular run into town."
Those two were the only slayers could head out. Although there was a valid reason for that, Mikar still resented them both.
The self-appointed queen who'd been moving against Chloe and the rest of them from the shadows for months would try to attack again. It was just a matter of when. To ensure that Oldcrest remained impregnable, Levi had had the magic shields at the borders reinforced with a spell that only allowed in those who'd been invited by one of the residents of Night Hill. He’d personally extended that invitation to every student, teacher, and member of staff, but they couldn't invite anyone in turn. Greer, the witch who'd performed the spell, theorized that if a resident was holding hands with an intruder, they could technically enter together, but the security risk was minimal. However, if their adversaries could get their hands on a resident of Night Hill, that would be another story. Levi probably didn't believe that any amount of torture would get Mikar to break, but there were other ways their enemy could manage to get what she wanted. Spells, hexes, manipulation. They couldn't afford to risk it.
Ruby technically didn't live on Night Hill: she'd taken residence in one of the caves at the base of Cosnoc, the forbidden eastern hill where Chloe's ancestor, Eirikr, was trapped. As for Sylvan, he was just visiting. Levi hadn't ordered Mikar to stay put—he didn't ever attempt to order him around. He asked, and Mikar complied. He knew his utter boredom wasn't reason enough to risk his friends' lives.
"It's not just about the lotion." Chloe pouted. "I like Oldcrest. This is my home. But I don't like feeling like a prisoner here. We're strong. We shouldn't have to hide."
"We aren't hiding, darling. But it stands to reason that our comings and goings are monitored. Plenty of people want to hurt you, and it's far easier for them to snatch you up out there than while we're safe at home. If you'd like to go anywhere, I'll take you. With adequate security, it's not a problem."
Other than Mikar, Levi had only two slayers—warriors trained specifically to serve him, back when wars between vampire lines were common. Ruby and Sylvan were the remnants of a bygone era. Mikar had been added to their rank, and he certainly had adequate training to fill the roll, but the three of them still weren’t an army.
Technically, Chloe had more slayers than Levi. There were at least half a dozen Eirikrson slayers still alive, but all were traveling with her elusive older brother, Tom. That said, the last few centuries, Levi had engaged the services of various vampires, ranging from assistants to bodyguards, investigators, and spies. They weren't sworn to his service the way the slayers