Over the weeks and months that followed, she populated her lair with stolen goods, mostly creature comforts for her guests. Charlotte complained often and at length about her conditions but she occasionally had to admit that there were worst places she could staying. Callum was simply pleased to have his sister back, a fact that struck Laurel as odd, since they'd never been particularly close. In general, the boy's understanding of the world seemed warped. His thoughts were often feverish, imagining things that weren't there, people that didn't exist, voices no one else could hear. It seemed as though he was awake but still dreaming. 'What do you see, when you dream?' Laurel asked him one night.

  He was sat up and trembling. He reached for her and she embraced him. 'Devils,' he said, with a sob, 'there's darkness all around me, they show me things and hurt me if I try to look away. Sometimes I just try to stay awake and only pretend to go to sleep but it doesn't work.'

  'I used to pretend to go to sleep, as well.' Try as she might, Laurel couldn't help but remember Sarah as she recalled those times in her life. 'I wish I could accompany you in your dreams. I'd send those devils packing.'

  'They talk about you, sometimes,' he said, 'they were upset when you killed their friend, Zell.'

  Zelliana, she thought. A coincidence, probably. 'Well,' she said, 'you be sure to tell them that they're next.'

  Callum shook his head. 'They know they're safe from you, in the dream world, a place you can never go.' She hated how much of a blind spot it was for her and how little sense he was making.

  'But the things in your mind come out at night, so why don't they?'

  'They used to, back when it all started. Now, they stick around and I don't know how to make them leave.'

  'Have you heard of moon beasts?'

  Callum nodded, 'spectral dogs, dream hunters use them. I saw one once.'

  'You should dream of one,' she said, hoping it was that simple, 'it would chase all those devils away.'

  'I don't know how,' the boy whined.

  Laurel crossed over to his desk and retrieved some paper and coloured pencils. 'How about we fill your head with images?' She had no idea if it would help but doubted that it could hurt. He agreed eagerly and they got to work immediately. It had been a long time since she'd drawn anything but her technique was still flawless and she produced half a dozen vivid and colourful images for him. He supplied a few of his own before growing tired and heading back to sleep. Within an hour, she was snatching up the shades flowing out from beneath his eyes. The rest of the night passed with no sign of a moon beast anywhere in sight.

  Tamsin had taken to leaning on the rock wall just by the bars of her cell. 'Hey, babe,' she said, her thoughts poisoned with evil desires, 'miss me?'

  'That potion dream hunters use for acquiring moon beasts, what's in it?'

  The vampire rolled her eyes, 'don't know, don't care.' Her thoughts revealed some memories of the truth. The potion was a hallucinogen of some kind but it wasn't necessary, it was really only used because most hunters had learned techniques to otherwise stifle their dreams.

  'So what is necessary?'

  Tamsin smiled at that and said, dramatically, 'moonlight.' She laughed and her thoughts revealed that she genuinely didn't know. Of course, it was true that the one time she'd seen the birth of a moon beast it had taken place outdoors. 'What's it to you? You can't dream, dreamling.' The girl smirked, hoping to hurt her with the remark. 'Anyway, why are you keeping your bitch step-mother around? You should eat her,' she said, getting as close to the bars as she dared, 'but save some for me.'

  With that, she left. 'I'd like to take Callum outside, tomorrow night,' she said to Charlotte once she found her, in bed, dressed - or, rather undressed - quite scandalously.

  Her step-mother hastily covered herself and responded with anger. 'Absolutely not, it's far too dangerous.'

  'He'll be safe with me, I assure you.'

  'I'm afraid your assurances mean very little to me, girl.' She fixed her with one of her typical glares.

  'Well, this was really just a matter of courtesy. I'm taking him outside to tomorrow, with or without your permission.'

  'You horrid little bitch,' Charlotte let her anger get the better of her, and regretted it immediately. Fear shot through her blood once she realised what she'd said, enough to make Laurel hiccough.

  'Nobles ladies shouldn't use such language,' Laurel replied, simply, before leaving. The following hours were harder to get through than usual but, eventually, day turned to night and she went to retrieve her brother. Charlotte insisted on coming with them and Ben, in turn, insisted on coming with her. They walked a short distance into the woods until they found a clearing which glistened under the light of the full moon. Laurel made sure to show him the pictures she'd drawn again and they each told him stories to ease him into his sleep. He tossed and turned fitfully in his bed roll but no shades emerged. Eventually, something began to flood out from his eyes. Instead of inky shadow, however, it was silvery moonlight and she heard the others gasp as a moon beast began to coalesce on the forest floor. It yipped and danced around, startling the boy awake. A puppy rapidly growing in size, it leapt into his arms and he fussed it until it was too heavy. 'It worked,' Laurel said, almost disbelieving.

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  She watched her step-mother carefully as she initially met the situation stoically before breaking down in tears, embracing her son and the guard dog he'd conjured up. 'He did it,' the boy beamed, looking at his sister and encouraging his mother to look too, 'just like Laurel said he would, he chased the devils away.' Her step-mother looked at her through tear filled eyes and almost wanted to thank her. Instead, she said nothing and simply showered her boy in kisses. The following nights proved the creature's worth as he stood guard, lapping up the shades from Callum's eyes and snatching up any that slipped through like a champion ratter. She was very happy for her brother but now so much angrier with the hunters who'd killed the other poor dreamer, since this was all they'd have had to do.

  What eventually followed was a discussion of their future together, which Callum was not present for. Ben advocated strongly that they should return to the King, explain that they had found a cure for Callum's condition and that she should recant her confession to adultery.

  'You make it sound so simple,' Charlotte said, bitterly, and her thoughts immediately revealed to Laurel the news she was about to break to her loyal bodyguard and bed partner. 'The thing I won't be able to explain very well, however, is the fact that I'm pregnant.'

  Dozens of thoughts ripped through Ben's mind in an instant, mostly shock and fear but a little happiness as well. He was too stunned to speak.

  'So,' she said, feeling vulnerable, 'either I maintain the pretence that Callum is a bastard, or a bastardise your son or daughter.' Her words suggested she was given him a decision but her thoughts revealed that she had already made up her mind.

  Again, he struggled to find any words.

  'I want to marry you, Ben, because I love you.' It was true, and it stung. Feeling so much love, from a woman who'd given her nothing but hate her whole life, hurt more than she'd like to admit. 'I can't go back. The King wouldn't take me back even if I did, and I won't lose you.' Instead, the plan was to receive a pardon. 'Laurel, for the sake of your brother, if nothing else, I want you to convince the King to grant me a pardon. Then, we'll be able to live with my parents and leave you to,' she wanted to say many impolite things, 'your own devices.'

  'Okay,' she said, 'but you must permit me to see my brother.'

  'Once a year,' she returned, almost immediately, 'and not on any special occasion apart from his own birthday.' She steeled herself for a lengthy argument but Laurel refused to give her one, as much as it pained her to go from seeing him every night.

  'Fine,' she said before leaving them to a more adult discussion. She waited until nightfall and made sure Tamsin was well fed, snatching a common bandit up from the countryside. After that, she flew across the country to the capital. The royal palace was well patrolled and well illuminated and it might have prevented her from sneaking in were it not for the fact that her mastery of blood was so much greater than it had been when she'd last visited. She warped her body into all sorts of shapes and twisted through the halls until she arrived at her father's bedroom. She picked the local with ease and went to his side, whispering, so as not to wake his mistress, 'father.'

  His eyes opened and his thoughts were hard to handle. He was initially startled, though he played it cool and sat up as silently as he could. But then the fullness of his feelings towards her became clearer. He resented her, and so much more. Things she only guessed at were revealed to her in an instant. He'd not loved her mother at all, and their marriage had been at his own father's insistence. The man had known that she was the target of a vampiric stalker and the plan for dealing with it had been discussed at length. They'd let Laurel become a dhampir, hoping to use her in the war. It was expected that she'd be a boy and serve as crown prince, then eventually king.

  Worse still, the plan had also been for him to stay married to Clarice and for her to continue to live as a vampire, simply imprisoned. Her father, however, had soured on the whole endeavour, chased her mother's sire away and dragged her into the sun. He'd loved Laurel, but only a little, and the feelings had faded as her unnatural habits had grown. Horrified by the revelations, she stumbled back from him, spoiling her effort to be still. She wanted to say, scream even, a dozen different things but she had to restrain herself. 'I figured out a way to treat Callum,' she said, barely finding the words in good time.

  He exhaled and she shut out his thoughts. 'I know, or suspected as much. There are fewer nightmares. Fewer sieges, fewer missing persons. I assumed you'd figured out a way to contain them.'

  It sounded like praise and she chose to believe it was, though she remained too upset to stray into his thoughts. 'Well, at first, I just helped to kill his nightmares. But he has a moon beast now. It will help him.'

  The King arched an eyebrow at that. 'Interesting. Some dream hunters and wise men believed that would work, but none of them could ever achieve it.'

  'So,' she said, 'I've come to ask you to pardon his mother.'

  'Nothing would please me more,' he said, smiling, 'but I shan't be taking her back. Arrangements have already been made for my next marriage.'

  'She only wants a pardon.'

  'And do you want nothing for yourself?' At that, she felt compelled to read his mind. He expected her to ask for a pardon of her own and he was not averse to granting it.

  Instead, she simply wrapped her arms around him. 'Hold me for a while,' she said, tears falling freely, 'like you used to.' When his arms closed around her and she felt a hint of affection, she dared to press him. 'Take me back into your family, pardon me for my crimes and return me to my old life. Then, I will pledge myself to defend you and your kingdom for eternity.'

  'Done,' he said, 'it shall be done.'