He supped too long in the trenches. Feasted in the camps.

And now he has broken the truce. He has set foot on our soil. He wants the entire world for himself.

What he wants is another war.

The tallest one’s talon twitched—an extraordinary physical action for a being so steeped in deliberation, in elemental stillness. Their bodies were simple shells and could be replaced. Perhaps they had become complacent. Too comfortable.

Then we will oblige him. We must remain invisible no more.

The headhunter entered the chamber of the Ancients and waited to be acknowledged.

You have found him.

Yes. He tried to return home, as do all creatures.

He will suffice?

He will be our sun hunter. He has no other choice.

In a locked cage in the western tunnel, on a floor of cold dirt, Gus Elizalde lay unconscious, dreaming of his mother—unaware of the peril awaiting him.

Epilogue

EPILOGUE

Kelton Street, Woodside, Queens

Kelton Street, Woodside, Queens

They regrouped at Kelly’s house, Nora bringing Zack home after Eph and Fet had cleaned up the mess that was Matt, burning his remains under leaves and brush in the backyard.

Setrakian lay on the fold-out sleeper in the sunroom. He had refused to go to a hospital, and Eph agreed that was out of the question anyway. His arm was badly bruised but not broken. His pulse rate was low, but steady and improving. Eph wanted Setrakian to sleep, but not with painkillers. So before going in to check on him after nightfall, Eph opened Kelly’s kitchen liquor cabinet. He picked up a bottle of scotch, once his crutch, and set it aside, pouring the old man a more gentle brandy.

Setrakian said it wasn’t the pain that bothered him. “Failure keeps one awake.”

The mention of failure reminded Eph that he had not found Kelly. Part of him wanted to believe that this was still a reason to hope.

“You did not fail,” said Eph. “The sun failed.”

Setrakian said, “He is more powerful than I knew. I suspected it, maybe…dreaded, certainly…but never knew. He is not of this earth.”

Eph agreed. “He is a vampire.”

“No—not of this earth.”

Eph was worried about the old man having taken a blow to the head. “We hurt him, bottom line. We marked him. And now he’s on the run.”