Vampyre Paladin
By Brenda Stephens
Chapter 2
Part 2
I had followed the fiend’s stench through the back
streets of New Haven for at least an hour when it began to
fade at Thistleberry Drive. As I continued my search
another block, a gust of wind crossed my path with a new
scent on the air. I took a deep breath, filling my nostrils. I
closed my eyes and focused on the new scent, then
contemplated my next move. I was already losing the
fiend’s scent, but this new one was close, and I knew that
my expertise would be required. I wanted to push ahead,
drive forward in my pursuit of the fiend, but quickly
turned left instead and ran toward Thesden Avenue.
The new scent led me to a two-story white house,
small but nicely maintained. A lined stone path stretched
from the sidewalk to the front door. The walkway had not
yet been shoveled of the previous night’s snowfall, but
heavy traffic to and from the house had managed to
dishevel the fresh snow haphazardly, as if in emergency.
The attached garage was open with an older black Camaro
parked inside, at an angle and its back end exposed.
I stopped, cleared my mind, and dropped my gaze
to the ground. With my eyes closed and heart calmed, I
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