From the unlucky vampire Mary, Murphy quickly learned what had happened in Cadman City during the hour before the Astral Rift erupted.
But she hadn't known very much herself.
According to her, that day she'd been holed up with her lover, Mox, in a dark little house by the street, getting up to some naughty things that couldn't be described without getting censored. It was only their keen sensitivity to psionic energy that alerted them to the sudden shutdown of the Serenade Barrier.
Mox had then taken her to investigate all over the city, sticking to the shadows.
Well, that little detail made it clear that the stupid vampire who'd previously told Murphy to "eat his fill so he'd be ready for the road" was actually quite loyal to his family.
You could tell from his willingness to risk being burned by sunlight to investigate the danger for his family. Not every vampire would go out of their way to get involved in something like that.
Unfortunately, the unlucky lovers had clearly been dealt a terrible hand.
According to Mary, they'd barely made it outside before those shameless traitors jumped them, knocking them flat before they could even figure out what was going on.
Those bastards, who'd already defected to the Wolfsbane Clan, had not only shut down the city's barrier core but also stolen much of the family's wealth. Even the Corridor Guards and the patriarch's personal guards—people who were supposed to be absolutely loyal—had taken part.
Mox had been killed on the spot, and his vampire heart had been stolen. Mary had barely managed to escape with her life.
But it wasn't because the traitors had taken pity on a woman. They'd simply run out of time, so they'd tossed the gravely wounded Mary onto a rubbish heap