"The same coffin?"
Shire froze for a moment, then immediately realized something and turned to ask Farolynch.
"You're a vampire too? That fellow tricked you too?"
Farolynch glanced at Shire.
"No."
"Then why did you sleep in my coffin?"
Shire found that rather strange, while Farolynch gave a rare grin and answered quietly.
"You've got it backward. You slept in my coffin."
While Shire stood stunned, Mulan suddenly laughed and asked him a question tinged with mockery.
"Do you know why Sandro went out of his way to find a special tomb in a special location, then brought that special coffin back here? Someone who wouldn't even explain the full price of becoming a vampire-would he really be kind enough to go to all that trouble for you?"
Shire wasn't stupid. His longing had simply clouded his judgment before. Hearing Mulan say this, he immediately realized that the vampire's reasons for using him might go beyond his position as the Baron of Shire.
"Exactly. Much as you suspect, though it goes deeper than that. Sandro is only a small fry. He did this because a higher-ranking vampire wanted to use you as a culture dish."
"A culture dish?"
Terror appeared on Shire's face. The term alone instinctively told him something was terribly wrong.
"When Sandro turned you, he didn't cut his own wrist, did he? He gave you some other source blood?"
"He carried a small jar of blood with him. He said he considered me a brother rather than a servant, so he would use the most precious blood to lead me into the night."
Before Mulan could say anything, Farolynch couldn't help snorting with laughter beside him.
"Hah! Just thinking about it is laughable!"
Mulan's expression was meaningful.
"In some respects, Shire, you must be talented too. Otherwise,