n this region for decades. He's an arrogant jerk, but h

the n

alazar. She will

. "What's you

as impassive as ever

After all, your relationship with Portland has k

ll my requests for meeting

hat's co

of my people. With Portland's removal, there's a chance we might face trouble not

She'll probably just keep things as they are, maybe

nce she takes office, the Collat

ree

ha

he Human Collateral. And in exchange, they w

hard. "You

s the Vampire Collateral. He

s to race. "Bo

's a boy." He

d they held in exchange for me. I wonder what he's been through, what it's like for him now that he's grown

the subject, and I f

antha Stark? You wer

ng the abrupt shift in conversation. "Re

at night, he and a few friends were partying near the river. Feeling bold and foolish, they da

e child learns the danger of the southern border-it's ingrained in us from birth. We all know exactly where our territory ends and

," I murmur,

ons with several council families. He lobbied for retribution, arguing that their disappearance justified it. But he was reminded that the good of the many outweighs the good of the few-a principle Vampire soc

ng my disgust. "How dare

Just last week, while you were busy pretending to be Human, we came dangerously

leaning casually against its edge, almost

hing I've trained myself to do in m

were interrogated by Werewolf guards-treated like spies at first,

order breaches over the years, and most of the time, the

's the question, isn't it? You see, most of the co

I've heard enough stories about him to k

He was always clear about his lack of interest in ne

, somethin

The Werewolves are as secretive as ever. But we have way

change in the

rhaps I should have chosen you as my successor. Mic

, he'll probably stop partying with his councilman buddies and

ontinues. "The change in the Werewolves

cho, trying to pi

heir power structure isn't exactly sophisticated. Werewolves are

y system might not be much more advanced, and how dogs

oys returned, I requested a meeting

but be intr

ost cryptic. "I was curious. Mercy i

t to commemorate the bloodshed during the Nova. The same kind of artwork

, not sure I

ticism. "He's not weak. Far from it. He

ease. "Why are you

waiting for something to click. I stare back, bu

ding?" I ask, the suspicio

Yes, we've been enemies for centuries, but we've tried to negotiate. There were five interspecies marriages between Vampires and Werewolves, and during those unions, there no border skirmishes,