Content warning for suicide threat

“Don't you know anything about vampires?”

The question has been looping in my head since he asked it, and I can't snuff out the spark of irritation it caused.

I am a dhampir: a human mother and a vampire father. But I've spent my entire life rejecting the half of me that was wrong. I never could lie to myself, to pretend I was fully human, but it was always my secret to bear until Ruel.

Now, though… “Don't you know anything about vampires?”

My knowledge of my own ancestry is on par with Apricus’ in that it is purely academic. Do I want to know anything about vampires? About myself?

Aldrich offered to teach me, not that I was tempted. I would reject Dragomir's offer the same way if it was ever given. I don't need an uncle to suddenly find me interesting — not after what happened to my mother. Not after what happened to Stanislaw.

But something about that question feels far more pointed than it has any right to be.
- From the investigation notes of Elżbieta

Cast:
Bitmap as Ksana the Spear
Cory as Apricus the Luminary
Jade as Viidra Matei
Mab as Elżbieta Wrona
Zachary as The Game Master

Produced by: Mab
Theme song: "Stray Not, And Be Safe" by Zachary Frederickson.
Sound effects: zapsplat, BBC Sound Effects Library, Soundbible user Tony Phillips, and Freesound users julianmateo, eminyildirim, treyc, and fastson
Other music: Kevin MacLeod and Ovani Sound

Find us on Twitter at SunlessReach, Tumblr at SagasoftheSunlessReach, and Bluesky at SunlessReach. Don't forget to post about the show using #SunReach.

Follow all of Standing Stones' projects @stones_standing