7. The Born

Complete story — includes the ending

Fet and Dutch return to Dutch's apartment where they discover Nikki, Dutch's former roommate, hiding. Dutch brings her back to their hideout, fueling Fet's jealousy and anger over Dutch and Nikki's ambiguous relationship. Based on Fitzwilliam's information, Fet and Setrakian investigate an abandoned factory owned by Palmer and discover the Feelers' nursery. When Feelers attack, the mysterious strigoi arrives and slaughters them. He introduces himself to Fet and Setrakian as Quinlan, and says he is hunting the Master. Flashbacks reveal Quinlan's history as a millennia-old human-vampire hybrid who was a feared and vicious gladiator in Roman times. In the present day, Setrakian and Quinlan confront the Master, who is nesting in the factory, and also Eichhorst. When Fet dynamites the building, the Master escapes in the explosion. Quinlan angrily blames Setrakian and Fet for thwarting his opportunity to destroy the Master, then warns them to abandon the hunt to him. Coco Marchand entices Palmer into bed. Drinking heavily, a wounded and dejected Eph returns from Washington, learning that Zach barely escaped Kelly's clutches. Eph tells Nora that Eldritch Palmer is behind the Master's plan, and later vows to Fet that he plans to kill Palmer.