Bad News, the Sleaze Queen's Here! Handsome Murphy, Run!

The gnolls' attempt to open an astral rift and bury Shadow Valley was stopped. It wasn't in quite the way the Big Bird Squad had hoped, but the fact that the rift ultimately failed to open all the way still counted as a small contribution from this squad to the raging battlefield.

As for Dragonflame Lina's arrival, that was purely an accident.

Not long ago, she had set out with Lady Natalie and a group of Witch Hunters to look for signs of the Twilight Order in the Dark Mountains. She'd found nothing, and was idly planning to slack off when Murphy sent her a mission through the quantum communications in her Wayfarer armor.

The target was clear: Bloodscar Priest Old Manson.

Lina's first outing after becoming a vampire had almost gone perfectly—if that damned astral wolf lord hadn't suddenly appeared.

This time, Lina had really been dragged into Murphy's mess. As a psionic ruler, she had nothing to do with the astral wolf pack. But the blood of the Sinborn that Murphy had given her had also made her a "target for revenge" for Silver Wolf Helsong.

As for why a demigod like Silver Wolf would seek revenge on a vampire lord in the mortal world, there were plenty of reasons.

She had a terrible relationship with the Endless One, and the Endless One was Murphy's partner.

She had a terrible relationship with her father, the North Wind God Su, and Su was also Murphy's partner.

She couldn't catch the slippery Endless One, and she couldn't beat her own wild father. So Murphy became Queen Helsong's punching bag.

But before Helsong could land a heavy blow, Murphy dropped an evil god right on the edge of her territory in the astral realm. Anyone who thought a bastard like the