“You mentioned undead?” Jack asked Cain.

  Cain nodded. “The caravan was attacked by hundreds of undead. I know it’s hard to believe, but we were chased by them for over two days.” He looked down at Zia, who was starting to look anxious. “They… destroyed the caravan. We were the only two to reach Lundun. Over three hundred people.”

  “That’s terrible,” Anna said, covering her mouth with both hands.

  Jack scratched the back of his neck. “That would mean a necromancer.” He’d read historical accounts of necromancy in the Royal Library. “Did some of the undead have glowing blue eyes?”

  “Yes.” Zia and Cain answered together. Both nodded.

  “We never saw him,” Cain added, “but there must’ve been a necromancer controlling them. They used tactics. Bad ones. He wasn’t a general, but he was effective.” He shook his head. “The Guild and the guard don’t believe me. They think the pneumonia caused hallucinations. Say it was just another goblin raid. No one wants to believe there’s a necromancer out there.”

  “They didn’t believe me,” Zia said. “The Vircunt wouldn’t let us in his nice wagon.”

  Anna shook her head. Jack chuckled.

  Cain laughed. “There was a Viscount in the caravan that saved us? Is that what you mean?”

  Zia shook her head. “No. It was before the others. The black wagon stopped, and the men with swords gave you a drink of pink stuff, and some water and food.” She paused to think. “The mean man said something mean and left us.”

  “Bastard!” Cain spat, making Zia jump. “Sorry… a Viscount left us on the road to die?”

  Jack and Anna didn’t look surprised. Some nobles were like that.

  Zia nodded.

  “Did you hear them use the Viscount’s name?” Cain asked.

  She shook her head.

  “Was there a symbol on the side of the carriage?” Jack asked.

  Zia nodded. “A yellow bird carrying a key.”

  Jack narrowed his eyes, scanning his memories. “Was it an eagle, clutching a key in its talons?”

  She nodded again, then grabbed another biscuit.

  “That sounds like Viscount Rowlings…” Jack muttered. “He owns a large mansion in Swanwyk. Swanwyk Hall. That’s on the road to Brindlecross.” He knew Viscount Rowlings from his past life. He’d spent a few weeks at Swanwyk Hall as an Apprentice Scribe, searching the man’s private library for references to ancient elven texts.

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  “Viscount Rowlings,” Cain echoed, his left fist clenched in anger.

  ***

  Jack, Anna, Cain, and Zia sat at the kitchen table drinking tea and eating misshapen biscuits. But as the tea cooled and the biscuits dwindled, the silence returned, lurking like a question no one wanted to ask.

  Cain shifted in his chair, eyes moving to Zia, then to the half-empty biscuit tin. He cleared his throat. “So, what happens now?”

  Zia looked between them, confused. “What do you mean?”

  Anna set down her mug. “Where you live, sweetie.”

  Zia frowned. “Here. With you. And Jack. And Polly. And baby Richard.”

  Cain gave a soft laugh, but his eyes didn’t join in. “I promised you I wouldn’t leave. Remember?”

  She nodded. “You said you’d look after me. You promised.”

  He looked down at his hook. “I meant it. But things change. I can’t give you what you need. Not like they can.”

  Zia’s eyes brimmed with tears. “You’re leaving me? Ev-everybody leaves me.”

  “No! Not leaving. I’ll visit. As often as I can. If your mom’s alright with it.” Cain looked to Anna.

  Anna reached across and put a hand on his. “You’re always welcome here. Anytime.”

  Cain’s jaw clenched. “I’m going to work hard. Save up for a proper clockwork arm. Not this junk.” He tapped the hook. “Costs a small fortune, but it’ll make me useful again.”

  He didn’t say it aloud, but Jack suspected it wasn’t just about gold or glory. Does Cain blame himself for not being strong enough to protect them all?

  Zia hugged Cain. “You are useful. You saved me.”

  He smiled and ruffled her hair with his left hand. “Not for raising kids. You need more than a broken warrior with no coin.”

  “But I love you,” she whispered.

  Cain closed his eyes. “I love you, too, little warrior. That’s why I’m doing this. You’re safe here… better off.” He took a deep breath. “I can’t give you this… a loving family.”

  Zia looked over at her mom, then Jack, and then back at Cain. “Then you can live here too!”

  Anna chuckled. “I wish it were that simple.”

  “But it is,” Zia argued. “You… you can share Jack’s room like I share Polly’s.” She nodded, having solved the problem.

  Cain laughed at Jack’s expression of shock. “Tempting, but I’d eat you out of house and home.”

  Anna stood, brushing her hands on her apron. “Well then, you can at least stay for dinner. I’m not letting a man leave my house without feeding him first.”

  Cain looked moved. “You sure?”

  “Absolutely. You can help peel the carrots,” she replied without thinking.

  Cain laughed. “I haven’t got that attachment yet,” he said, lifting his hooked hand.

  Jack laughed. “Looks like I’m on carrot peeling duty.”

  Anna looked horrified. “Oh. I’m so sorry.”

  Zia looked confused.

  The giant adventurer chuckled. “If I can’t find humour in this, I might as well give up now.” He rhythmically tapped the hook on the table. “I can always become a drummer.”

  Anna, Jack, and Zia began preparing dinner while Cain watched. As Zia helped, she kept glancing back at Cain, as if she were trying to memorise him before he disappeared again.

  From there, dinner came together with an easy rhythm. The smell of roasting vegetables, spiced gravy, and fresh-baked bread soon filled the kitchen, wrapping the space in a cosy warmth. A stew simmered on the aether stove, and Cain couldn’t stop glancing towards it with the hungry reverence of a man too used to dried rations and trail meals.

  Polly and their father returned just before dinner was ready. After a few awkward introductions, they all sat down to eat a home-cooked meal.

  Cain took a long sniff of the food and sighed. “You know, maybe moving in wouldn’t be such a bad idea if I get meals like this every night.”

  Jack smirked. If Cain kept getting fed like this, they’d need to reinforce the floorboards.

  Zia giggled, her eyes bright. And for the first time, Jack saw her truly relaxed.

  So this was what healing looked like. Laughter over stew, mismatched biscuits, and the slow stitching of broken people into something whole again.

  The Kindest Vampire and it has what appears to be an interesting starting point for how the MC becomes a vampire. Very amusing.

  Rising Stars section of Royal Road, which can make or break a new fiction. That brings with it the haters, so if you read and enjoy the story, drop a Follow and a rating. I'm reasonably confident doing that won't backfire in the afterlife. :~)