Blood!
Atlas's eyes shot open, his instincts screaming at him. Blood. A lot of it.
He quickly scanned his surroundings.
Baldric was still there. Edrik sat a short distance away, calm but alert, and Morganna was now sitting upright. Her body was cloaked in a shadowy aura, faint tendrils of darkness curling around her.
Atlas glanced at his system clock. Still in the middle of the night. Damn it!
He groaned inwardly. He'd barely slept for a few hours, hoping he'd wake up to morning light, but no such luck. Worse, the temperature had plummeted further, now hitting -65°C (-85°F).
The air was merciless, cutting through even the best gear like a knife.
"What's going on? Morganna?" Atlas asked, his voice hoarse from the cold.
The Vampire Queen said nothing, her piercing red eyes locking onto him with an intensity that needed no words.
Edrik spoke up, breaking the silence. "I suspect there's a Lord and their forces nearby. Likely wounded."
