Somewhere else, a tense Arthur Langley declared that the situation was going to get very complicated.
He was shouting at a pale man. "You have no right to commit crimes in my town. This is not your territory."
The vampire gave an ironic smile. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"And if a deputy has a tragic accident, that's your problem."
The sheriff, irritated, named the victim clearly.
The vampire finished the thought for him. He simply sat down and said, "We tried to put the blame on somebody else."
The sheriff snapped. "The smell of a parasite like you drives me out of my mind."
The vampire shrugged. "The incompetence of your deputies is not my problem. Are you saying one of mine did this?" He narrowed his eyes and tried to intimidate him.
Arthur was unfazed. "There was no vampire here before you came. I know one of yours is responsible, and I will catch him."
The vampire laughed. "Try it and see."
The deputy gritted his teeth at the audacity of it. Provocatively, the vampire added, "If the pack wants a challenge, I'm ready."
Enraged, the sheriff lunged forward.
The vampire gave him a warning. Careful. It was a threatening look.
Arthur realised he was being intimidated. He turned back and gave the deputy an order. "Get this pale fellow out of my sight."
Later, at home with Jessica, Arthur sat down and explained it to her. A vampire had killed a human being in this town, and it was going to continue. We do not have the strength to face them.
Frustrated, he told her he could not even get a conversation with their leader. The one he had met was an inferior vampire, a foot soldier sent out to be seen with.
His deputy was just as frustrated. "I wish these creatures could be sent back wherever it is they came from. If I were a little younger I'd do it myself."
On the phone was a man named Chester.
"Is it done?" the man asked.
Arthur said in a low voice, "Yes, Alpha Chester."
Chester explained. Without proof, the Guild would take the vampires' side. He promised to send two wolf packs. But he also gave a warning. "In a direct confrontation, we cannot help you. This is bigger than a simple criminal nest."
The sheriff asked why they would choose Vignette. There was nothing valuable here.
Chester revealed the rest. It was not just Vignette. The same thing was happening in five more cities.
The Langleys were completely shocked.
The deputy asked angrily, "What is the point of the Guild's rules, then? If vampires can do whatever they want—"
Chester said he understood the frustration. "Catch the culprit, and you can end the vampires. Yes." He told Langley to keep his eyes open. Both of them agreed to it.
Then Chester asked a chilling question. "The issue is not whether the vampires will commit another murder. The issue is who the next victim is going to be."
In a noisy market, Callum was thinking to himself. Have to be careful.
The pocket was small. He had to keep something back for emergencies. The recent talk of murders and shapeshifters was making him restless. He decided it would be better to leave Vignette than to sit here feeling this uncomfortable.
But when he got home he remembered how much he had invested in this place. Leaving everything would be the worst case scenario.
He thought he would sell some items online. A little income would come in. But when he browsed, he found heavy restrictions on the magic forums. There was no access at all without a registered account, and creating an account meant giving up exactly the thing he was trying to keep.
A few hours later the enchanted sphere lying on the desk lost its power. Callum slammed his hand down on the notebook in frustration. Completely overwhelmed, useless, hands on his head.
He thought about reinforcing the house with some shields. He cast the spell to create a wall of purple lightning. There was the idea of a gravity wall that would deflect bullets as well. He could do that. But when he practised it he realised the wall would not sustain for more than a minute.
If the right resources were available, maybe something would come out of it. But every advanced application of spatial magic was under a red-headed woman. Archmage Duval. Because of her, Callum was severely limited. It was like reinventing a wheel with no base to build it on, trying to rebuild knowledge from scratch.
In a tool shop the smiling man behind the counter commented, "Taking something for protection?"
Callum gave an awkward laugh. "Considering everything, it's better to stay safe."
He was tense. Not just because of the murders. The Guild could turn up anywhere. Are they watching every move?
He picked up a weapon and thought about what projectiles would be effective on supernatural creatures. He went to the shooting range as well. People were testing sights. He tried it too.
Nearby, he heard two girls talking. Something about hammers.
Callum recognised them. It was the Langleys. They were doing renovating.
It was surprising. He moved forward.
Both girls started when they saw him. The younger one said, "Mr. Hall, you scare people like that."
Callum apologised. "Nervous about the recent murder?"
Jessica lamented. "Thinking about Joan. She used to come to our church."
Callum was confused. "Joan? I was talking about James Huddy."
Jessica said in a whisper that there had been another murder last night. A woman named Joan.
He really had not known. He had been busy since the morning.
Callum was shocked. There's some serial killer loose, he thought.
Jessica said they were thinking of closing the coffee shop down for a few days.
Callum gave his sympathy. "Let me know if I can be of any help." He said it with a friendly smile. "And just call me Chase."
Leaving the shop, Callum walked with quick, nervous steps, the weapon bag in his hand. How bad the situation has become.
One murder was one thing. But a serial killer who deals with shapeshifters — that was something else entirely.
The Langleys love this town. They don't want the Guild here. But if there are enough murders, that choice won't be theirs any more.
Looking at the information board, Callum decided that he had to prepare.
Both murders had taken place near his house. Something might happen again tonight.
There were two specific threats. A supernatural serial killer, and the inevitable arrival of the Guild's agents. Either one of them could be at the door at any moment.
He pushed his spatial senses to their limit. He packed his belongings into the bag. He carved circles into the ball bearings. He kept the weapons loaded. At any sign of the Guild, he would disappear immediately.
He looked at the bags. Leaving the house was going to hurt financially. He held the weapon tight. But this was the price of staying off the radar.
The range of the spatial sense was increasing. With a little effort even distant parts of town became visible. Jessica was standing near a window at the coffee shop, keeping an eye out. Clara, in a hooded jacket, was walking toward it. The sheriff was sitting in his department.
Callum let out a tired sigh. It was going to be a very long night.