Peace was overrated.

  Kai’s limbs ached. His shoulder and chest throbbed. The red sun glared down on him.

  He still lived.

  His robe had reverted to its suit form. Had it saved the others?

  Something pulled him. Dragging him across the ground. He attempted to look at whatever held his arms. With his luck, it’d be an abomination. The agony in his neck stopped him. Trees surrounded him. He could see that much at least.

  The abomination-filled forest.

  More than half of his essence remained. His healing was slow but kept death at bay.

  Either seconds had passed, or he’d gotten blood while unconscious. Both hard to believe. Unless…

  “Told you,” Rusk said. “You’ll avenge yourself.”

  The tension drained from Kai’s body.

  “We hunted some abominations for your suit. Alira said the blood would keep you alive. How do you feel?”

  Moisture leaked from his eyes. He laughed and immediately regretted it. His body screamed in protest. Aches he didn’t know he had flared. The landing must’ve been harsh.

  Alira’s voice reached him. “What are you laughing at? Your ‘I’m going to die’ speech was distasteful. As if we’d let you.”

  Kai suppressed another laugh before croaking out a few words. “I thought you’d leave me. I told you to escape.”

  A grunt sounded, followed by Levi’s voice. “What kind of despicable cretin dies before fulfilling their contract?”

  Metal struck fabric. A muffled thump.

  “My apologies, lady,” Levi said.

  Alira spoke again. “You told us to survive, and we followed orders. Your robe cushioned our fall, saving us. We repaid the favour.” She huffed. “Is it so hard for you to trust us?”

  “My experience taught me dependable people are rare,” Kai said through the pain. “Trust comes before betrayal.”

  “How cynical,” Alira said.

  “Realistic,” Kai replied. “Where are we? Where’s Dakas?”

  “We’ve almost reached my former prison,” Levi replied.

  “Dakas isn’t far behind,” Rusk added.

  Kai scanned the passing trees. Someone let out a long breath.

  “I feel like I’ve been up for days,” Alira said.

  “You have, if we’re lucky,” Kai replied.

  “What do you mean?” Alira asked.

  “Maybe lucky was the wrong word,” he said, the croak finally leaving his voice. “Things are gonna get ugly.”

  “Kai.” Alira’s voice was stern. “You may be injured, but don’t assume I won’t hit you. What’s going on? Stop speaking in riddles!”

  He explained what Death God had commanded: forty-eight hours of sun, then forty-eight of night.

  “Ashes,” Alira said. “No wonder I’m exhausted.”

  “This damned sun has been baking me for far too long,” Levi said. “That’s why I’ve been…a little hungrier than usual.”

  “Your greed got us in this mess. But there’s no use crying over spilled blood,” Kai said. “We need to survive until night.”

  Levi grunted.

  “What happens at night?” Rusk asked. “Got a plan?”

  “Levi will show us his vampiric skills.”

  “It’s only right you recognise my—”

  “And make up for his selfish stupidity.”

  “‘Leave some blood,’ you said. Not ‘leave a lot.’ Just ‘some,’” He grumbled.

  Kai shook his head and regretted it. Agony spiked. He glanced down. The purple tentacle still protruded from his chest.

  Disgusting.

  Removing the filthy tentacle could cause him to bleed out before Rusk could patch him up. Better to tolerate the revolting appendage until he had enough blood to heal himself.

  He’d thought himself immortal in the Darklands. Unbeatable in his future kingdom.

  He was wrong.

  The surrounding trees thinned out. Stone scraped his back now. No more grass. They’d arrived.

  With Levi’s Domain, the cave offered a measure of protection. If they held out until night, they’d have a chance of survival.

  They stopped inside the narrow pathway of the cave. Rusk released his arms.

  Tired of being hauled like useless luggage, Kai sat up.

  He climbed to his feet with careful determination, leaning against the cave wall for support. The pain dimmed.

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  He scanned the cave with his spatial senses. Familiar shapes were inside: Shadow, Lilith, Merek, and the three Dark Horses.

  Relief flooded his aching muscles. Shadow got his message. It worked.

  If I can communicate through soul bonds over large distances…

  The possibilities. The advantages. The infrastructure.

  His lips curved into a smile. A new tool. But he had to survive the current crisis to use it.

  They moved through the corridor in a line. Levi led, then Rusk, then Alira, then Kai. He’d be in a world of trouble if something attacked from behind. He shuffled ahead on shaky legs.

  Luckily, they reached the cave’s wide chamber with no issues.

  The sound of droplets hitting stone echoed through the darkness. Oil lamps in glass cages created small islands of light.

  “Where’d you get the lamps?” Kai asked.

  Lilith turned toward him. “Ashes. You look like crap.”

  Lilith sat cross-legged near the pedestal that had held the frozen tear. Shadow’s head lay in her lap, gnawing a large bone. Merek sat beside her. The Dark Horses loitered near the cave walls.

  He gestured to the tentacle in his chest. “You don’t like my new accessory?” He sighed. “Renzo had a few more tricks than expected.”

  “Told you, didn’t I?” Lilith replied.

  Kai grimaced. “You did.”

  A smug expression coloured her features. “I hope you’ll trust my information more in the future, boss.” She nodded toward the lamp nearby. “The lamps were already here.”

  Alira and Rusk moved to join them.

  Kai looked at Levi.

  The vampire shrugged. “I’ve had guests from time to time.”

  Kai didn’t want to imagine the kind of guests willing to spend time with a ravenous vampire in a dark cave.

  “Can you still set up your Domain here?” he asked.

  Levi raised his chin. “Of course. That’s why we came here, right?”

  “Right. You and I are the only ones capable of delaying those things until dark.”

  “Ha!” Levi’s chest rose to meet his chin. “Not so useless after all, am I?”

  “We’ll see about that.”

  A smug smile bloomed on Levi’s lips. He brought a hand to his mouth and sank fangs into his flesh.

  “You asked me to teach you about Domains, didn’t you, young Deathling?”

  Kai’s ears perked up. If he had his own Domain, they could probably turn the tables on Renzo and his pet monsters.

  “A Domain,” Levi said, adopting a scholarly tone. “Is an extension of your Soul Palace and Gift.”

  He opened his palm; a trickle of blood rose into the air, circling his body in a thin stream. “‘Gifted’ cannot create a Domain. The very attempt could kill them.”

  His chin rose a fraction higher, his smug smile grew smugger. “But I am no mere Gifted.”

  The circling blood darkened. Its scarlet hue becoming black. Levi brought his hands together as if in prayer. The stream of blood expanded further than logic dictated. The blood formed a dome, wrapping Levi in darkness.

  “Dark Fortress,” Levi intoned.

  The dome shot outward, covering every inch of the cave. The surrounding darkness grew darker still. Oil lamps flickered, fighting a losing battle against the oppressive artificial night. Kai’s gaze stayed locked on Levi, his sight untroubled and clear.

  Space in the cave transformed. Probably imperceptible to most, but Kai sensed it. Like everything around them became subject to Levi’s will. Stale air surged toward the vampire’s position. A faint aura radiated from his body, permeating the surrounding space.

  Levi released his hands, a smug smile still plastered on his face, his chin raised to an embarrassing height. “Impressed?”

  Kai threw him a bone. Levi’s confidence could play a huge part in their survival. He nodded.

  “What about me?” Kai asked. “Which trial do I have to pass before I can create a Domain?”

  Levi looked down his nose, then shrugged. “You should be capable now. We’re both similar, aren’t we?”

  Similar to this obnoxious vampire? Unlikely. But the prospect of creating his own Domain was enticing enough to entertain the shameful premise.

  “Why do you say that?”

  Levi scoffed. “Are you so ignorant of your heritage?” He opened his mouth, then seemed to think better of it.

  His feet shifted. “It’s not my place to tell. You should ask your Father.”

  Kai clenched his jaw. He could command the vampire to answer, but it was smarter to keep him in high spirits for the upcoming fight. Overusing the contract could sour their relationship beyond repair.

  Better to keep the vampire an ally than turn him into an enemy.

  Kai still needed to complete his end of the contract, whatever that was. Who knew what happened after that? The smart play was to avoid pissing Levi off. Kai probably wouldn’t control him forever.

  “Great. I’ll ask him when he visits for dinner.” He shook his head. “So, Vamp, you gonna tell me how to create a Domain or not?”

  Levi’s eyebrows rose. His mouth gaped. “What did you just call me?”

  Kai frowned. “What, Vamp? You’re a vampire, aren’t you?”

  Levi shook his head, contempt written all over his face.

  “‘Vamp’ is a term we vampires use amongst ourselves. It’s not for you, Deathling.” He scowled. “To hear such a word come from your mouth!” He snorted.

  “Fair enough,” Kai said. “I’ll wait for the day you consider us kin.”

  “Unlikely,” Levi replied.

  “The Domain,” Kai replied, his voice hard.

  Levi sighed. “The first time is the hardest; you’ll need help. But you can do it alone afterward.”

  “Help?”

  Levi nodded. “I imagine you’d need to pray to your Father.”

  Of course. Kai had to reach out to his absent Father. The bastard who left him to grow up an orphan in the slums. A response was unlikely.

  He dropped to his knees and clasped his hands in devout prayer.

  “Do I need to speak the prayer out loud, or...?” he asked.

  “Speak? You’re truly a whelp,” Levi said. “Gods care little for your words. You must pray with your soul.”

  “Got it.”

  He focused inward. Searching for the soul bond that linked him to Death God. He stopped.

  “Thanks,” he said.

  Levi blinked. Then nodded. Kai continued searching.

  Minutes passed. Nothing. He didn’t know whether to be glad or disappointed. Soul bonds meant control. He’d learned that firsthand.

  As far as he knew, gods bonded their Gifted to them. But why was he untethered to his Father? Strange.

  Another mystery unsolved. Kai sighed. He wouldn’t have a Domain anytime soon.

  Or maybe he could pray to Space God?

  No. Flaunting stolen goods in the victim’s face was a bad idea. Even worse when the victim was a god.

  Kai’s hands separated. He pulled himself to his feet, muscles protesting.

  Levi had joined the rest of the crew around the pedestal. They sat cross-legged like students waiting for a teacher.

  Levi glanced at him. “No answer?”

  Kai shook his head.

  “Not surprising,” Levi said. “Death God’s hard to get ahold of until you don’t want to meet him.”

  “I’ve got something else I need your help with,” Kai said.

  “Oh?”

  “As a voracious vampire living in a cave, you’ve got a blood stash, right?”

  Levi’s face darkened. His voice came out hard. “The blood I have left is not for you.”

  Kai expected some resistance, but not this much. He changed the subject. “How immortal are you in your Domain’s false night?”

  Levi’s face lost some of its previous darkness. “Ninety-nine percent.”

  “And that means?”

  Levi let out a long breath, then straightened. “I heal fast, and any blow that doesn’t kill me isn’t something to worry about.”

  Kai glanced at Alira; her eyes focused on Levi. Rusk paid no attention; he examined Lilith, a thoughtful look on his face, probably appreciating her keen fashion sense. Lilith smiled back. Merek stroked Shadow’s dark fur.

  “And you can beat Dakas alone?” Kai asked.

  Levi’s jaw tightened. “Probably.”

  “Two monsters and the schemer behind them?”

  “What are you getting at?”

  “We’re the best ones to fight them. Nobody else can heal through the reflected attacks.”

  Levi nodded. “Unfortunately, you’re in no shape to fight.”

  Kai returned his nod. “That’s why I need the blood, Levi...or we’ll all die here.”

  Darkness returned to Levi’s face. “No. That blood’s only for emergencies.”

  “What do you call this?”

  Levi’s face twisted. He stared into the darkness.

  “I could command you,” Kai said, “but I’d prefer your cooperation.”

  Levi closed the distance between them in a split-second. Kai didn’t see him move, nor did he dodge. Levi’s finger pierced his chest below the protruding purple tentacle.

  Pain exploded. Kai gritted his teeth.

  “You don’t understand. It’s—”

  Heavy footsteps sounded outside the cave.

  Kai didn’t need to use his spatial senses to understand what that meant. Renzo and his pet monsters had arrived.

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