That didn’t go as planned at all.

I’m staying put, minding my own business, hanging around one of the local elysiums. The one they put Summer in. Figure I might as well keep an eye on her while I’m still around. I do that and wait for the prince’s word.

One of those nights I go out, hunting. A man’s got to eat after all. So there I am, stalking, just the way I do – next thing I know that cocksucker Nosferatu turns up from nowhere, intending for bloody murder on my part!

Fortunately there’s still some fight in these old bones. Still, I’m painfully aware that I got lucky, mostly. First strike wasn’t as hard as it could have been. Had he chosen to do that, I’d be history by now. Gotta beef up my resilience some. Can’t have folks chewing on my neck and having some gain from it.

On him I find a little trinket. I’ll be damned for still feeling I need to stick to my word. Prince tells me it’s supposed to be some key – which she took under her wing for me, bless her soul. Pah! Either way. There’s no point in arguing with the blue bloods, so that’s just the way it is now. She’ll give it back once we know it’s safe. I’m guessing “we” means “her”. She ain’t one to trust anyone’s word much just by hearing it.

Does mean I’m no longer out of a job. With her Scourge down and no Sheriff around to keep her peace, I’m hired as the first and pretty much the only guy to perform as the latter, if for lack of a name to it. Service for a year and a day, she calls it.

Old Keene going steady. But one thing’s for sure: If she’s one to not keep up her end of the bargain, she ain’t getting off as easy as the last idiot.