They’d hardly seen any since returning to the forest, or for that matter, Roush. They seemed to be giving them space. But now more came in from the west, hundreds dotting the sky, like locusts.

She looked at Rosa. “Do you see them?”

Rosa stared at the city. “The Dark Priest? See who?”

No, she couldn’t see the Shataiki. But they now numbered in the thousands, flapping in and circling the Horde city, indeed like vultures preparing to prey on the dead.

Silvie watched, riveted by the sight. Seeing the Shataiki feeding on the dead Horde in the valley of massacre had been the first time she’d ever considered the possibility that these beasts from hell had an appetite for flesh or blood. But in a world where evil showed itself in physical form, it made perfect sense.

Silvie knew the Shataiki could see them—they clearly were more interested in something else: the Horde. Johnis.

A particularly large beast, like the one who called himself Alucard in the Black Forest, perhaps Alucard himself, led the Shataiki in a dive. The black bats tucked their huge wings and streaked toward the earth, toward the center of the Horde city.

Silvie jumped to her feet, thinking that they had to do something. Something was up. Johnis was in trouble.

“What?” Rosa asked, standing. “You see something?”

Silvie tried to see what the Shataiki were doing, but they were too far away. They were flooding the city, she could see that much. None of the traffic on the main road seemed to change—the Horde could see nothing of the Shataiki.

But Johnis would.

“What is it, Silvie? You’re frightening me! Tell me!”

“Nothing.”

“What do you mean, nothing? You jumped up!”

“I thought I saw something on the street.” She sat down and drew her legs under her chin. “I was wrong.”

Rosa lowered herself next to Silvie, and they were silent. The sky was empty except for a half dozen Shataiki circling—sentries.

“So, you intend to be my daughter-in-law?” Rosa asked.

“I didn’t say anything about marriage. You’re right, we’re too young. I doubt he really knows I love him. I don’t even know. We’re both in the Guard! This is crazy. It’s . . .”

Rosa’s hand on her arm stopped her. “Of course you love him, dear. And of course he feels something for you. I can see it in his eyes when he looks at you. No use denying that. But it’s good that you’re cautious. We should see where this prophecy leads him.”

“Maybe it leads him to me,” Silvie said. She was sounding like a double-minded fool, perhaps because when it came to him, she was.

“We’re talking nonsense!” she cried. “He’s dead, for all we know!”

Rosa took her hand away, fingers now trembling. “So, what do we do?”