The outskirts of Winoka, like everywhere else across Minnesota in October, got dark early. A few family farms had tractors with bright headlights working late to finish the harvest. But beyond that, light was scarce in this part of town. Noise was even scarcer deep in the groves and away from the highways.

Exactly the way Evangelos liked it—dark and quiet. A good environment for wrestling with these unusual emotions.

First, fear. It had been a long time, and in another dimension, since Evangelos had felt fear. Before the prey had grown and turned to hunter. But in this world, there was something to fear—these beaststalkers. Going to their gathering had been a huge mistake, and nearly a disastrous one. Unfortunately, curiosity had won out.

The second emotion was relief. Evangelos knew the emotion from the trails of memories traced from Australia, through dozens of other countries across this world, all the way to this town of Winoka. It was a feeling not far from the surge of blood to the head that came with victory, and akill. Relief. What Evangelos felt when Father’s new wife spoke up and halted the proceedings. Up until that time, it was increasingly likely a fight would break out, and too much would be revealed. But now, that moment could wait. If it came at all.

Relief. A gift of sorts. Did that mean this woman deserved some sort of…gift in return? Evangelos pushed the thought down deep. Gifts like mercy were illusions of this world, not anything real. There were no allies here.

No friends.

No friends? Then what was a person who did not want to kill you or hurt you? Who wanted to help you?

This unbidden voice brought up the third and most uncomfortable of all these new emotions—doubt. This doubt, this other voice—it was an unfortunate side effect of how Evangelos lived. Learning more about the people who lived here provided a better disguise, and better intelligence—all the better to hurt Father—but it also meant more memories, more thoughts, more voices inside, more of these new emotions.

The girl—the new child of Father, the sister to Evangelos—she brought out the most of all three emotions. Fear, because she had come closer than she probably realized to saving their grandfather, and Evangelos hoped this young stalker-dragon never learned that. Relief, because Evangelos had gotten away, and was assured of greater strength next time they met. And doubt…why?

Because she’s your sister.

Quiet!

Evangelos craved quiet, wanted the voices silenced. Only quiet could nurture the sorrow, the rage, close the gaping hole where a soul should have been.

This girl was not a sister. This girl was what Evangelos should have been—what was taken away by an incompetent mother and an uncaring father.

Mother was lost. But Father…

Father will pay.

So close, now. Evangelos had spent enough time in Winoka now to learn which house was the Scales house. And Father’s work took him to the hospital often, near his new wife. But Evangelos still had not really seen him properly, never been close enough to read memories. Father moved quickly and furtively from house to work, and flew quickly to the cabin when in dragon shape. He was being careful, that was for certain. And of course, so was Evangelos.

Spindly claws clenched at the thought of Father. The stench of a twisted dimension swirled off the black scales. It was almost laughable, this name. Evangelos. “Messenger of light.”

There was a message, all right. But light had nothing to do with it. Delivery was forthcoming.

Miles away, several farmers stopped cold suddenly in their fields. The scream wasn’t something you heard: It was something felt in the blood.