Baron Helder’tron received the scroll from the temple runner with thanks even as he tipped the boy. He sipped his brandy and gazed over the lagoon to the north. This open air bar on the slopes of the hill was really very pleasant. He approved.

He checked the scroll and broke the seal. After reading the missive he checked the time, then called the waiter and ordered another brandy.

* * *

In the residential area behind the merchant quarter another temple runner rang the bell of a large family residence. When the doorman answered the runner handed him a scroll. The doorman looked down his nose at the urchin in question but passed her the customary tip with rather poor grace.

Not wishing to disturb his master at this time in the morning the doorman passed the scroll to the butler with a brief explanation. The butler for his part understood perfectly why his subordinate had handed him the scroll but he still ticked off another mark against the doorman.

He checked the scroll and noticed it wasn’t for the master but for one of the young mistresses. He elevated an eyebrow in surprise and debated with himself for an instant before heading to the master bedroom. He found his master sitting on the edge of his bed clutching his head while his valet finished mixing a disgusting concoction in a tankard.

The butler benefiting from long experience waited by the entrance while his master downed his favourite hangover cure and shuddered in disgust. He watched as his master then downed a second tankard. This one a fifty fifty mix of brandy and water. Only then did the butler approach his master with care not to make any noise.

Velox’tarbus eyed his butler blearily noting the sealed scroll. “Yes, what is it now?”

“A scroll from the temple sealed with the dungeon’s seal for miss K’tara.”

“What does the temple want with that ungrateful minx?”

The butler maintained a discrete silence and waited patiently while his master rubbed his eyes, hawked and spat into a spittoon by his bed.

“Give me an hour. Tell the minx to meet me in my office in one hour’s time. I’ll give her the scroll then.”

* * *

K’tara dawdled reluctantly as she made her extremely slow way to her father’s office. She just knew she was going to be into another lecture citing her ungratefulness to her parents. They always tried to convince her that the disgusting old geezers they found for her to marry were truly something to welcome, to be grateful for. Honestly how could they have expected her to say yes to Victer’sino. The disgusting old pervert was old enough to be her father’s father and he drooled constantly. Her mother told her he was disgustingly rich, but there were limits.

A blank faced footman threw open the door as she approached and she slunk into the office to see her parents sitting side by side behind the desk and glaring at her with evident displeasure. She drew in a deep breath, squared her shoulders and did her best to glare back.

“You’re late! What have you been doing to gain the attention of the temple?” barked her father.

K’tara’s brain scrambled to accommodate this diversion from the normal way these visits proceeded. “N-nothing, why?”

Her mother looked down her nose at her and pointed at a scroll on her father’s desk. “Then why is the temple sending you an official scroll?”

K’tara eyed the scroll in bemusement, “for me? What does it say?”

Her father snorted in disbelief while her mother rolled her eyes. “We don’t know. It’s addressed to you. It’s an official scroll and it is sealed.” He paused for a few seconds. “Well girl! Pick it up, open it, read it and tell us what the temple wants from you.”

K’tara jumped, then she reluctantly picked up the scroll and opened it. “Um, Mary Silvestre wants to see me at the temple tomorrow morning at nine thirty. Um, that’s all it says.”

The two ambitious people sitting behind the desk looked at each other and pondered the possibilities inherent in this situation.

“Very well K’tara, you’d better be certain not to be late tomorrow,” ordered her father. “Run along now your mother and I have things to discuss.”

* * * INTERLUDE 1 * * *

“Stop it with the firewood already!” demanded Asa stamping her foot. “Mama’s told me off for dirtying my dress and I had to change.”

Asa was obviously feeling quite irate as she scolded her brother’s companion Alaric the Erdmännlein.

Said brother was standing with a wide grin on his face by the open front door of his parent’s home. Their mother was watching the scene with bemusement. At the garden gate Solde watched her best friend wave her finger in the unrepentant Erdmännlein’s face.

“Ooo!” Asa stamped her foot again and glowered at her audience before turning and flouncing down the garden path to her friend, her tail lashing behind her. Once she got there she looked back at the stunned adults. “Well?”

“Where did that fox tail come from Asa?” asked her mother.

Asa looked over her shoulder and blushed, she returned her attention to her family jamming her fists on her hips, “It’s his fault for making me angry. It’s hard to keep it from popping out at times. It and my ears.”

By the time Asa had finished her excuses the tail had vanished and her dress was once again falling correctly.

“Ears? Since when have you been able to sprout a fox tail Asa,” demanded her mother. “I suppose I’ll have to see about altering your clothes.”

“Um, well Markus and his friends were discussing that anime thing in Berlin, you know the one next month. And they were talking about how that fox girl cosplayer last year was really cute. Then those blue screens offered.... um.” She trailed off as she noticed the looks on the faces of her audience.

“So what did you say yes to?” asked Markus.

“Um. Spirit fox... Kit... Kitsune. Um.”

Beside her Solde bounced on her toes with pricked ears and wagging tail. “Me too! Me too!”

* * * INTERLUDE 2 * * *

Mary watched the scene on the opposite side of the road dispassionately. She watched her neighbours appear cautiously.

« Lissa go find mr blind sniper ’an make sure you know his scent. Don’t want to be blindsided again. Feel free to make your displeasure clear to him if you want. Time to go home. »

With that Mary moved carefully down the sidewalk and crossed back opposite her driveway. “Hey mama, headin’ home. Too noisy round here,” she said as she passed her mother who was standing near the edge of their property.

* * *

Half an hour later Mary answered her phone. It was Tod checking to see where she was and wanting to know why she hadn’t visited as agreed.

“Figure havin’ a sniper tryin’ to kill my bodyguard an’ hearing the bullet go past kinda put an end to any visits.” With that she disconnected and switched off her phone.

Tod cursed and tried to phone again only to be diverted to voicemail. He looked across at commander Meadows. “Now what sir?”

Meadows heard the brief call with resignation. “Check with Harris, find out what he was seeing and why he attempted to take out our principal’s bodyguard. You did tell him about the girl’s invisible bodyguard didn’t you?”

“Yes sir I did.” Tod toggled his communicator and waited.

“Harris reporting.”

“Harris, what the hell happened out there tonight?”

“Sir. An unknown individual came out of the Kato property and two unknowns appeared close to the principal and opened up in full auto. I attempted to stop a murder.”

“Harris, you were informed about our principal’s bodyguards, why did you shoot them?”

“Sir, they used excessive force against an unarmed man.”

“Damn it our principal doesn’t trust us any more and that ‘unarmed man’ is a vampire and he is still moving. At least you missed the bodyguard.”

“Yes sir, but I’m sure my bullet was deflected somehow.”

Commander Meadows sighed. “Get us another sniper. Harris will have to explain himself to command. I’ve got to go and try to reassure Mary and her mother.” Meadows turned to lieutenant Partlow, “well, time to make amends and introduce ourselves to the neighbours. Come Anna, time to pretend to be husband and wife.”