Bitterly cold winds brought mini-cyclones of autumn mulch whirling through the open door of a small cottage on the outskirts of Dun Na Gal town. Dainton, being the last inside, closed the door behind him.

Callie and Nico made a quick sweep of the upper floor while Sidney checked the kitchen and living room.

"No one's been here in months," Nico confirmed when he returned. "Nothing more than a trace of vamp scent in the main bedroom. Looks like they left in a hurry too, the wardrobe is full of clothes."

Sidney agreed. "There are signs of a struggle in the kitchen: a couple of chairs knocked over and dried human blood spatters across several worktops. Looks like the vamp escaped, but they took the human."

Dainton entered the living room, crossing the thick-pile carpet to the window in a hurry. "What next," he asked, pulling the heavy curtains closed. "The sun will be up shortly; you lot will be fine, but I need to get undercover."

"This place is as good as any. You should be safe in the cellar below the kitchen for the daylight hours. The rest of us are going to scout the area. We're getting close to a Master, I can feel a hint of his power."

Dainton concentrated, shaking his head after a brief moment. "We can't be that close, I don't feel a thing."

"You'll have to trust me on this, I can't lower my shield for risk of him feeling us in return. We'll be back in a few hours."

Backing up a few feet when Nico opened the door, letting in a stream of muted sunlight, Dainton nodded in agreement. He had no choice in whether he stayed or not now that the sun had risen.

"Just a thought," Nico said when they reached the end of the road, "won't the Master be able to feel Dainton when you're not around to shield him?"

Sidney shrugged. "I'm counting on it. Once Micah knows there's another vamp in the area, he'll send some men to deal with him. We'll be waiting. Come on, there's enough time to go to the top of the hill for a look around." She raced ahead, leaving Callie and Nico to catch up at their own pace.

Wait! Callie broadcast to Sidney. You're using him as bait? Why?

Not only do we need to find the camp, but we need help getting inside. The men Micah sends will be trusted by him, they won't be questioned when they bring us back. Before you ask, you're going to feed from them, thus giving us control over them. They'll take us straight to the camp and Micah won't have a clue we're even there.

Why Dainton though? Why not one of us?

Sidney chuckled, letting Callie and Nico catch up to her before she replied, "You have no idea how powerful you are, do you? If Micah felt even a tenth of your power, never mind what we have combined, every being under his influence, his supporters and anyone who owes him a favour would converge on us like a plague. Dainton is small fish to him. He'll send no more than a couple of men to take care of such a minor irritation."

"I assume you two were having a mind chat? I wish you wouldn't do that when it's important stuff, I miss half the conversation," Nico complained.

"You got the gist of it. Callie and I will be going into camp posing as human. I can shield our power levels to fool them into believing it. You need to stay outside with Dainton, I'm afraid. There's no way to disguise your wolf from whatever shifter forms Micah commands."

"No. Not a chance. Callie is not going anywhere without me to protect her. It was bad enough when she sent me away for the Demetrious escapade. I'm not letting her walk into that kind of danger unprotected."

Callie coughed, interrupting Nico. "I'm right here you know. I can make decisions for myself. Besides, we both know I'm more than capable of protecting myself. Do I need to remind you what happened the first time your wolf and I met? Or what happened to Demetrious?"

"Do I need to remind you what happened when you tangled with that demon?"

"Lucien..."

"No, the one Lucien saved you from. You rushed in without thinking and almost got yourself, and the young witch, killed. Permanently dead. It's not happening on my watch."

Hold your tongue, Sidney broadcast, hearing Callie's unspoken rebuttal before it left her mouth. You can make him stay when the times comes for us to leave for camp. Let him think he's won for now.

"Fine," Callie replied to both at once.