Page 42 of Caller of Crows

It didn't take long for the mortal on the other end of the conversation to respond. "Memorial."

Altair tucked the phone away in his jacket.

He would deal with this.

A crow appeared on his shoulder, its familiar presence reassuring.

Altair patted its head.

"Stay here," he ordered the bird. "Guard the mortal."

The bird cawed and ruffled its feathers, unhappy about the prospect. None of his crows enjoyed being underground for long. For that matter, neither did Altair, but it was safe down here, away from the sun.

"I'll relieve you of your duties before dawn," Altair promised.

The crow didn't look pleased, but it didn't protest.

Altair gave the mortal one last glance, then left the room, locking the door behind him.

* * *

Altair sent one of his crows to watch Sven's home, and a couple more to hang out at the Memorial Hospital. If the situation changed and became critical, he would be informed. Until then, he had other business to take care of. For one, Mordyn needed to talk to him about potential buyers for Sven's blood.

"Did you find a market for us?" Altair asked the other vampire when Mordyn sat in the chair across from Altair's desk.

"I've found interest, yes," Mordyn confirmed, reaching inside his coat and retrieving a small tablet. "But none of the buyers will commit without tasting a sample."

"That was to be expected." Pure mortal blood was rare, after all. No one would buy without making sure the supply they were getting was real first. "I'll provide you with some small samples to take with you on your next trip."

Mordyn gave a small nod, his eyes lingering on Altair.

"Something on your mind?" Altair inquired when his old friend didn't speak.

"Not really."

"You seem restless."

"Well…"

Altair tilted his head and regarded his friend. Mordyn was usually very vocal about his opinions, so his hesitation was unusual. "Out with it," Altair ordered.

"There's something else that's making people reluctant to buy from us," Mordyn admitted. "Someone else is offering pure mortal blood, and they're selling it at a ridiculously low price."

Altair's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"They're practically giving the blood away." Mordyn gave a frustrated sigh. "I didn't taste the blood myself, but apparently, it's amazing. People are saying it's the best blood they've ever had."

Altair scowled. "How do they get away with selling it so cheaply, then?"

"No idea. Maybe there's something wrong with it. Maybe it's synth, after all. Just really good synth."

Altair didn't believe that. Vampires could be just as dumb as anyone else, but not when it came to blood. Any vampire would know if the blood they were drinking was fake. "That's not it. They must have a mortal. Or several of them, if they can produce enough to sell on the cheap."

"That's what I was thinking."

"Do you have a name for these sellers?"

"No." Mordyn hesitated. "They're keeping their identities concealed because this shit is illegal as fuck if you don't remember."