Under the cover of darkness, to my delight, Velador and I snuck out of the castle on horseback, after I helped myself to a member of the dungeon. With my ascension to matriarch, I won’t require frequent feedings, which would make operating inside a human country all the easier.

We traveled light and quick through the city. It felt freeing and I already began to like this plan of his. We traveled north for some time until we arrived at the mountains close to dawn.

Those ...