Wakefulness crept up on Luchaver slowly, so that his dreams began to blend with reality. In his mind, he was flying home with Kylie at his side, prepared to be a fulfilled lover and a hero among his people. When he became fully awake and realized he was alone in his ship, still parked on that stony ridge, a sense of sadness descended upon him.
Although he was quite habituated to sitting still over long periods of time, the vampire felt the need to stretch. The side of his spaceship melted open and he stood and took a few steps away from the cloaked ship, so that in glancing back the doorway looked like a hole in the air. He stretched up, arching his back, and then bent forward and touched the attached boots of his neoprene suit. He was hungry. He would need to ensure that he kept a firm g
