The blade of the sword whistled as it was sliced through the air. The whoosh from the fast quick movements moulded together to create one solid sound and with a heavy step forward, Jordan let out a grunt of effort, stopping his display.

"Show off." I mumbled, smirking as I picked my own sword, "this is how-"

"What are you two doing?" Dad walked in, stopping us both.

Jordan literally dropped his weapon, while I foolishly tried to hide mine behind my back. "Nothing."

"Just because it was a false alarm, doesn't mean you can all mess around now!" He scolded.

"We were, warming up, keeping, ah, limber?" I explained.

Turns out the sensors in place picked up all kinds of magic and supernatural; including the Van Helsings returning with the assistance of Toyo and some of the other Kasha. We weren't going to die; not yet at least.

'So now you want to train?" Dad taunted me, knowing how unenthusiastic I had been with his and Zane's torture lately.

"Yeah, train! Not be begging for death out of sheer exhaustion!"

He only laughed, which was horrible because in that second of distraction, he produced his own sword and lunged at me. I don't know how I managed to get mine up and block him, but I did and family feud just took a whole new turn as the three of us 'warmed up'.

Twenty minutes later, I'm doing a victory lap while Jordan stretches out his leg cramp and Dad struggles to catch his breath. I end up stopping by Dad, and Mum comes in with a jug of water and some plastic cups. Deja vu hits me, harder than Jordan could, and we're back in the gym at the Underground before Selene ruined it all.

Mum pauses as she hands me some water, studying my face. "What's wrong sweet heart?"

"We did this before." I mumble, the fear that takes over one I'm all too familiar with.

"What?" Jordan gasps, cringing as the other leg gives him grief instead.

"Remember, in the Underground? We had family time before everyone arrived and then-" My throat constricts and I nearly choke as I gulp down the water.

"Oh love!" Mum doesn't hesitate as she comes over to hug me. "It's not going to be like before and even if it is, we'll get through it again."

I want to believe her, but I don't know if we're having different flashbacks, because I barely got through it last time. I hold her tighter, lost in the memories I thought I had control over now as she and Dad battled the Lord Alpha.  In fact, the next half hour feels like I'm reliving everything. Our numbers have grown, everyone is ready to fight thanks to the false alarm and going back to the main gym area, Slayers outnumber the rest of us three to one. Everyone is gearing up, preparing, and I disappear up the stairs to sit on the platform that houses the Christmas decorations and replacement gym equipment. 

Everyone is all business. Some are training like I had been with Dad and Jordan earlier, Vesna is passing around dinner with the help of some others. We're all preparing for the worse and deja vu has my stomach churning. Demons are various species have come to help too, some older vampires and of course Paytah and his pack. I was surprised to see Oz earlier, the bear-shifter usually staying out of the supernatural politics. This was a big deal. They all knew the Treaty was in jeopardy and while so much is happening here, more is going on out in the rest of the world as sides are being chosen.

The crazy part is, no one knows about the woman who walks among them. The supernatural don't sense anything different about Huntington. She talks to the shifters and addresses the Slayers as she always had and always would. Because of how old she appears, they're not expecting the old Hunter to fight, with the staff of the Academy setting up their own line of defence for the final years still on campus. None of them know she is the reason they're coming, what they will die fighting to protect. I sit there for a few more minutes, and again that sense of not being alone has me paranoid. I give up watching everyone and eventually I slip away.

Logan is quickly following me.

“Where are you going?” He calls out.

“I don’t like being in there. If we’re attacked now, they will be sardines in a can.”

“They’re breaking up soon, night patrols. It’s barely eleven o’clock.”

“I know. Come with me?” I offer.

“I have to take the Huntington group down stairs. Where are you going? I’ll find you.”

“Library.” I decide.

Logan nods, coming closer he kisses my cheek. “I’ll be there soon.”

We go our separate ways and the second I’m on the main level, the air seems to change. The Academy is quiet, and take care with how I walk so my steps aren't thudding through the corridor. Most of the lights are on the security setting, so the halls are dimly lit and shadows seem to take on a life of their own. Maybe they are, the Shadow Monsters seems to follow the Kasha around and right now we're taking all the help we can get. This was only confirmed seconds later, when one took full shape and was bold enough to dart across my path - swapping walls.

Even knowing I wasn't alone, I knew they were not what I was feeling. It was almost like I had a cloud over my head, stalking me. Maybe it was guiding me, because whenever I went to turn down a corridor or go back, something told me no. Walking into the library, I had no idea why I came here. Then again I had told Logan that too, and I wasn’t actually planning it then. I had wanted to go see Alfie, and walking in I’m completely confused. I don’t like this at all.  Since I am here, I decide to do a bit of reading from Alistair's journals like I used to.

Instead, I find V already in one of the reading chairs with one of the tablets that accessed the diaries of all our kind. He looked away from the screen too late and I was already beside him. He must have really been concentrating not to notice me and I catch a glimpse at the badly aged, black and white photo of Francis Winters on the screen.

"Hey." I greet, pretending I didn't see it as I take a seat on the chair to his left.

"Hello Darling Girl."

"What are you doing?"

He taps away for a moment before holding up Francis's diary. "Reading."

 "Anything interesting?"

"No, not really." He turned the device off.

We both just sit there, and I feel like I have to say something only I don't know what. Judging by the frown on his face, V was feeling the same way. The awkwardness soon left us and as I tucked my feet up to sit on them, our silence was greater than any conversation. 

"How many times do you think someone can nearly die, before Death catches up to them?" I finally speak.

"Who knows? I am technically one of the undead. Do his rules even still apply to me?"

We go quiet again, until I turn to look at him. "I've got, something, a feeling, following me and I can't stop myself from thinking that this is going to be it."

"You think Death is following you?" He sounds a little sceptical.

"Ever since I woke up at the hospital, there has been, something with me. I haven't told anyone, because I don't want them to worry." I confess, "What if I've used all my chances? They were able to save me after Reece practically drained me. You've killed me to try when trying to change me into a vampire, yet here I am and you even said you heard my heart stop when Alfie bit me!"

V stood up and came to kneel in front of me. Maybe I should have been scared, as the look on his face was unreadable. Instead, he took my hand in one of his. His blue eyes caught the light, and I didn’t see him as just a vampire; a really, really annoying vampire. I was seeing a friend and the way he frowned only showed his concern.

"If there is one thing I know about you my darling girl, is that you don't do what people expect or want, if you don't want to do it. Even if Death comes to collect you tonight, I have a feeling you will still be with us in the morning."

I had to laugh at that. “Thank you.”

“Any time.” He smiled, and gave my hand a squeeze. “You are after all the most infuriating and stubborn person I have ever met.”

Our bonding was short lived as for the second time tonight, the alarm sounded. We were up in seconds, and I followed V out into the corridor. What we weren't expecting to see a mob of vampires appearing in a purple ball of light up ahead and before I could blink, V had me back in the library and he shut the doors.

"They're not with us!" He whispered, looking around behind us in the darkness.

I had a dagger with me, and I'm guessing he had nothing other than his own vampire skills to use, which kind of put us in a really shit position.

Logan would be on his way here, but what if other sections were now under attack. Had the night patrols broke up or is everyone still going to be gathered in the gym?

"Come on, we need to get to the others." It was my turn to lead now and running down the aisle of books, we went to the back of the room. Feeling around in the dark, I found the picture frame on the wall and lifting it up slightly, I flicked the switch that instantly had a small section of the wall sliding open. "This will take us to the cafeteria."

"How?"

"There are heaps of tunnels through this place. I once got so lost when trying to sneak out, I thought I was going to die in here."

The passage is narrow and it's hard to move faster than a brisk walk. What kind of magic was teleporting in mobs of vampires? What else were they sending in?

"I guess now is one of those times when your ability to get out of any situation comes in handy. What if-" V goes quietly and he isn’t following me now.

Turning back, the internal security lights give this place a scrap of an orange glow and while his face is hard to see, I know he isn’t happy. As I open my mouth to speak, his hand is over it instead and he holds me as if to stop me moving too. Rather than struggle, I listen.

"Kill them all, but no one is to touch Portia or my Hunter. I want them both alive!" I know that voice.

Dracula.

"And the Hunter? Over ruled!" The Irish voice growled sarcastically, "you had your chance and how many did we lose from that little demonstration?"

The pair are still bickering as their voices weaken, and despite the stone walls separating us, the feeling of dread that follows evil still manages to seep through the cracks. 

"Who the fuck was with him?" I snap as soon as V lets me go.

"I don't know."

He turns me around and shoves me slightly to keep moving. We're going well until we get to a left or right turn and I can't quite remember which way to go. Closing my eyes I try to remember the layout of this place and I'm pretty sure we go left.

"Why don't you look confident this is the right way?" V must sense it instantly.

"It's been a while okay?"

I can't hear what he says, but that feeling is back and V must feel it too as we burst out of the passage. We're in the kitchen; I didn't screw it up. The white door of the walk in fridge makes me stop as I see the red streaks painted across it. V grabs my arm as I cautiously walk around the polished metal counter and he looks first. 

Two of the kitchen hands that had been helping Vesna from early are motionless on the floor, and we can't do anything to save them. They’re already dead.

"That feeling that you think is death stalking you. Was that it in the passage?" V asks as he goes to the nearest draws and manages to find a few butcher knives to arm himself with.

"Yeah. You felt it too?"

"That's not death Hunter. That's something much, much worse."

I sense the vampire before hearing it and turning, I'm ready. Not that it matters as V is already there, killing it before I can blink and as two more comes in, they are out of their league going up against him.

"How much worse?" I ask, like nothing had just happened.

"Oh, like we should probably get out of here and see if there are any flights straight to Hell to save time."

"Remember that little chat we just had? I don't feel like dying tonight." I took the meat cleaver from the draw and figured it would have to do until I could get something better.

"Yeah, well neither do I and self-preservation tells me to get the fuck out here!"

"You're already dead, what have you got to lose?" We leave the kitchen and creep out into the dining hall.

"Ah, just my life?" V snaps rather sarcastically. I ignore him.

There isn't anyone or anything in here. The power has been shut off and the green glow of the exit light from the other side of the room calls to us. My body is in over drive, each nerve and cell set to full alert as we creep around the walls of the room. All I can think about is my family and Logan. Logan who would be walking on his own to find me. I can’t be responsible for anything happening to him too and we’re nearly at the door when it bursts open. V grabs me and we drop down beside a table as the gun shots send shots of light into the room.

There are three Trackers and a Hunter, I can sense them and what comes in behind the group isn’t a vampire. For a second I think it’s an Alfie, but this has legs. It’s like an oversized lizard, and as it gets into the room and smashes apart the tables in its way, it’s not a lizard. It’s a dragon.

“Are you seeing that?” I ask V.

“I am not sure. Is that-“

“Yup!”

“We need to get out of here!” He tells me.

Dragons can only be summoned these days, like higher demons and other creatures no one actually wants here now. Then again, there is always going to be some idiot opening portals and maybe this one was left over from last year. One of the Trackers is sent flying out way and as he lands, he makes no noise. I crawl over and check his pulse, shying away from him as I discover he is already dead.

V doesn’t have the same hesitations I do and raids the body for weapons. Common sense catches up to me and I take his gun, trying to avoid the debris from the dragon’s tail taking out all the tables in the dining room. It’s not big, maybe elephant size, yet it acts like a bull in a china shop.

When the Trackers see me, they don’t ask questions and instead tell me what to do. “Head shots!”

Good in theory, but it’s able to deflect the bullets and as one lights up a flare and throws it at the beast, the scales will make our guns useless.

“That’s not working!” The Hunter yells.

“Scales, we need something stronger, sharper!” One of the others yell.

What we’re not expecting is to see a shadow come up behind it, jump over its thrashing tail and get up onto its back. We all stop and scramble backwards as V raises the sword, which he slams into the dragon’s neck. The creature roars, bucking like mad and the vampire loses his grip. Much like the dead Tracker, he is thrown across the room and now the beast is really pissed off with the sword sticking out of its neck.

The other Hunter drops his gun and the Tracker closest to him starts to fire off shots to distract the monster as the Hunter gets the sword. It sees him and spins around, knocking his legs out from under him and while the guys try to distract the dragon from killing that one, I take my chances and use that as the distraction, tearing the sword down and out of its neck. Dark blood spurts out from the wound, and feels like sticky sludge on my arm.

Instantly it turns to me and expecting it, the sword is up and with all the energy I have, I hack at its neck near the wound already there. Again it roars, and as more blood leaves it, the creature begins to retreat. Bullets work now and as it falls, the sound it makes tells us we won. The Trackers high five and check on the fallen Hunter, while V comes over to stand beside me as I dare go closer to the beast. I’d never seen one like this before and as its last breaths come out in painful gasps, I almost pity it.

“It’s humane to kill, unless you want it to suffer before death.” V tells me.

A silver eye looks up at me as it’s reptile like nostrils blow air hard. It doesn’t struggle or fight now, it just waits, knowing its fate. The creature was acting on instinct, probably doing whatever its master told it. Had it been raised like Alfie, would it have been so vicious? Thing is, this isn’t Alfie and if we hadn’t stopped it, it would have killed us.

This is war.

V takes the sword from me and finishes it off. I look up at him and he only shrugs. I’m glad he did it.

“Come on, this whole place is under attack. Are you two okay?” One of them asks us.

“Yeah, we’re good.” I tell him. He passes me the gun and V gets one too.

We move out, and I follow their lead, yet when they go back towards the gym, I want to go the other way. What if Logan had gone there?

“Logan was going to the library, I need to find him!” I whisper to V as we stop at a corner.

“Safety in numbers Hunter.”

“That’s why you’ll come with me?” I ask hopefully.

How he had become my companion and the fact we were working together like the best kind of team was beyond me. 

“You’re going to get me killed aren’t you?”

“Better you than me?” I smile.

He bares his fangs, making the other Hunter stop and look at us. “Problem?”

“Yeah, we’re going this way.” He shakes his head at my decision.

“No. We need to regroup and-“

We’re already running before he can finish. I hear them curse, but they don’t follow. The abandoned halls now have a much creepier edge. It was kind of like walking through a shopping centre after hours and the silence was deafening. Flickers of movement on the walls, told me enough and as we sensed vampires ahead, I nudged V and he gave me a boost onto the top of a cabinet housing old magic relics. He disappeared, I don't know where, but he clearly saw the Shadow Monsters do their thing as the groups patrolling the halls were taken care of by them.

"I guess we chose the right allies?" He whispered, helping me down; not that I needed it.

We kept going and I never really appreciated how big this place was until now. Even sneaking out of it all those other times never felt like this, and as we made it to the stairs that would take us to the library level, we hear talking, not fighting. I look at V and he shrugs, and going down another corridor, we hide behind a pot plant because that will work out well.

"Is the building secure?" A woman asked.

"Two wings in the East are confirmed as empty. A guard station has been put in place and once we have the order, we will take the gymnasium. The others are waiting at the front entrance." The second female spoke with a military precision and ducking around a corner, V and I waited for the duo to pass; which they did.

What we weren't expecting was for Dracula and a rather small man of some kind of Asian descent to appear behind us as we went to keep moving.

"We want Portia. Hand her over and we may let you live to see our glorious new world!" The man spoke in Cantonese. Considering how bad I was with other languages, why I knew this startled me. What was even worse, was the fact I knew his name.

"Jian." I managed to get out.

"You've met?" Dracula asked, a hint of curiosity obvious.

"No." Comes my answer as Jian looks between the three of us, before speaking in perfect English.

"This is her, the Hunter you want?"

He was rather slender, lean, smaller than Dracula by good head and completely bald. Looking at V he clearly had no idea about what was going on and was more concerned about Dracula since his eyes never left him. 

"Yes."

"Too bad. You had your chance!" The Irish voice from before sounds out. 

Dracula looks unimpressed with this interruption. Two men who are in complete contrast to each other, with one being black and the other practically albino, appear in the dark corridor. Instantly the mood shifters from uncomfortably to pure danger.

Oh this is bad.

"You and I girl have some unfinished business! Take her somewhere to wait for me, this is not up for discussion." His tongue slides across his teeth, ignoring is companions. "That is the vampire working with them. Pass me the silver-"

A sharp pain tears through the back of my skull and then everything goes into darkness. I'm going to kill that son of a bitch or at least that's my first thought as I wake to find myself being carried through the corridor. I don't move, giving my body the time it needs to adjust to my current surroundings before I attack.

"He is a lost cause. Once the Treaty is destroyed I am so out of here. We won't have to do what they say anymore." My holder whines.

"I know! We finally get to be the vampires we want to be. I'm going to go find my ex-girlfriend and make her sorry for ever breaking up with me!" His companion's rather nasal voice sounds too excited.

"Cause nothing says, look what you're missing out on by turning up on her doorstep, dead with fangs and wanting to suck her blood." I answer him.

"She won't have a choice. I'm going to compel her and hey!" The pair stop walking and the idiot drops me. "Knock her out again!"

"Yeah, quick, get in another cheap shot. That one clearly wasn't good enough, or is that what you do to impress girls? If so, you're doing it wrong."

The one who had been holding me lunges; his face wrinkling as he bared his fangs. My boot slams into his chest, sending him into his friend while I reach for the nearest door handle. I can't believe my luck as I go into one of the science labs and picking up the meter long ruler, I snap it in half. It's now the closest thing I have to a stake and it does the job well.

I end up cornering the love sick guy and try to get some answers. "Who are those vampires?"

"They are like the first vampires. They're going to destroy your stupid rules and take over the world!" He declares.

"Please, do you know how many say that?" He barely looks my age, and the infant state of his vampire abilities is obvious. It's like that warehouse all over again "How long have you even been a vampire?"

"Three months."

"I'm going to kill you now, unless you're willing to join the winning team." I offer.

"I already am." He laughs.

"Not from where I'm standing."

Rather than accept my offer and try to see reason, the idiot ends up staking himself as he rushes for me and sends the ruler into his heart. It has a blunt end, so it would have been painful, but the force he came at me with seals his own fate. Without thinking, I go back the way we came, yet Dracula and friends have gone. So has V. Looking around, there isn't a sign of any dust or blood, so that means they haven't actually killed him; yet.

“Elise!” Logan calls and with him is Jordan and Chris. “What happened to being at library?”

“Ah, vampires happened moron.”

“What is all over you?” Chris wrinkles his nose in disgust and steps back.

“Dragon blood. Vampire dust and-“

“Dragon what?” Jordan asks.

“Later. They have V, we have to go save him!” I declare and find my gun still down by the pot plant.

“He is a vampire. Do you forget all the shit he has put you through? This is karma!” Jordan argues.

“Yeah, but-“It wasn’t that simple.

“No. We need to get ready for when Drac gets here. You know he will come after you.” The other duo nod, and I can’t stop the bitter laugh that escapes me.

“He’s already here. They all are. Jian, Drac, Quinn and Garrick are the ones who took V!" I blurt out.

"Who?" Logan asks.

“The ones behind this. There are two girls too, twins, Adina and Brielle. They were on their own, separate to the guys." Even as I’m saying their names I can't stop myself and how I knew them, I had no idea.

"Adina and Brielle?" We all jump as Drew joins in the conversation with his brothers with him.

"We're wasting time!" I argue. “But yes, that’s them.”

“Who are they?” Chris asks Drew.

"They died over a hundred years ago. They were opera singers and when turned into vampires went a little crazy. They started to turn children and would treat them like dolls; even once they'd killed them." He shuddered at the thought.

“What were the other names? Quinn and Jian or something?” Chris keeps talking.

“Um, well, there was Pied Piper; Quinn He was around during the industrial revolution in London and set up his own factories on the outskirts of the city for accessing the blood of pregnant women and virgins. It was big business and the vamps were willing to pay. He would employ any female that suited his criteria looking for work and-“

“Can we do story time later?” I snap, growing frustrated. Stupidly have one thing on my mind now.

Saving V. 

Again.

If it's not too late.

"How do you know their names?" Logan asks now.

"I don't know. Just like how I have no idea how other things have happened." I give him a look that has him going quiet again and he knows I’m talking about Huntington.

I start walking and they follow with Drew still giving us a history lesson. Each had a reputation that would put most vampire activities to shame. They were all vampires from a different time, most ranging from seventy to a hundred years ago and while their acts were, deranged and sickening, I knew Cain wasn't behind their creation.

He stopped with Drac, yet they all had the fact they were once dead in common instead. Who the hell keeps bringing back these assholes?

Thanks to modern technology, the guy’s ear pieces kept us in contact with the other teams. Turns out, the vampires had disappeared and that was something I really didn't like. I also wasn't impressed with the Van Helsings determination to have a rematch with Dracula. 

We made it to the front of building and forming a circle around the main doors, another team were due to be meeting us there once the sweep was complete. Three minutes went by and we were met with silence. Even the women had mentioned the front of the building, yet it was completely deserted. It was then my feeling returned and looking around, I could see nothing out of the ordinary, which only made it worse. They wouldn’t just leave.

We were missing something.

"Look around, if they're using magic, there has be a clue or something!" The boys all nodded, following my order. 

We might be able to sense their shield, or find a marking left by their witch. Jordan and Chris carefully opened the front door to find the outside just as empty and barely a minute later Jordan whistled to get our attention. In the garden, between two shrubs, bones had been piled up. I didn't know if they were animal, human or something else, and as I kicked them, I didn't really care either. At least whatever they were trying to channel would have some technical difficulties and two more of the same piles were found too. While we couldn't pinpoint what had changed, we knew something had.

It didn't take long the thunderstorm of gunfire ruined the silence of the night and as we left out position on the porch and started to run along the outside of the building, a group of at least twenty vampires now blocked our way. We had guns loaded with silver bullets. They didn’t and seeing a few of their faces before they were reduced to ash, the vampires were all so young. There was no trying to reason with them easier. They were blood thirsty, deranged and brainwashed. Hopefully they’d find some peace in the afterlife; if vampires got that.

Logan was beside me as the three Van Helsings prepared to go first around the edge of the building. We could hear the fighting that awaited us, and yet the urge to go back inside was nearly overwhelming.

“You okay?” He asks.

“I need to go back inside.”

He hesitated, before nodding. “Jordan, retreat!”

“What?” My brother turned to look back at us and his jaw dropped.

Behind us a centaur came across the car park. The horse shaped body was over eight feet tall and the man like creature that rose up from it was a force to be reckoned with. His arms were bigger than my whole body and one of those deadly hooves looked like it could us in half.

“Oh shit.” Chris gasped.

Its demonic head turned slightly in our direction, before it pounded his fists against its chest like a gorilla.

“Well, this just keeps getting better and better.” My sarcasm isn’t appreciated and none of us move, wondering what its eye sight is like.

Clearly it wasn’t all that great as it stomped towards us, yet it didn’t seem to be reacting to our presence. Maybe it had bad hearing too, at least I hoped it did because my heart was beating out of control. The fight around the corner had got its attention and we managed to avoid being stood on as it passed. None of us had ever seen anything like that before. It stunk like mould and the stump of a tail wasn’t very horse like. It was more like bony, spikes and as it came near me, I realised its flesh was decaying. No wonder it stunk.

“Should we?” Nigel pointed his gun at it, and I looked back to the front door.

“No.” I mouthed, and keeping my eyes on the creature, I turned and started to run.

I was the first inside and the second I was in, the door slammed shut. I couldn’t get it to open and outside the banging quickly stopped. Running over to the window, I tried to smash it as the guys scattered and the creature came back.

“Elissse!” Alfie came up behind me.

“We need to get out there!” I tell him.

He head butts the glass and grabbing onto him, he can’t seem to zap us out of there either. There has to be another way out and all I can think of it going outside from the other wing of the Academy and then running back around. We keep moving. I think about my parents and Zane. Huntington. Where were they?

Everything felt strange, like none of this was real, but as we came across another group of vampires, I knew it was. At least I had Alfie now and it didn’t matter what we’d come up against because we could defeat it.

“Left.”

The voice was little more than a whisper on the breeze, and I blindly followed it.

“Left.”

“Right.”

“Down.”

Alfie obediently stuck by me and as we went down the stairs, I didn’t think and kicking open the door that went into the infirmary the two twins shot up from where they had been leaning over a body, strapped to the bed.

“Elise, get out!” V yelled, and the two vampires looked only at Alfie.

That didn’t sit right with me.

“Alfie, go and help Same Blood.”

“Alfie help Elise.”

“That is an order.” He looked torn, yet he left.

“Get out bef-“ The taller of the duo turned to V and punched him hard, hard enough to silence him and the welts all over his body told me they hadn’t been playing dress ups.

I thought my luck was bad, V had it so much worse.

“You are Dracula’s toy.” Her voice was soft, feminine with a hint of being completely deranged. It was different to how they had talked in the corridor.

“Sure, we’ll go with that.” I kept my hand at my waist, feeling the dagger’s handle. I’d lost the gun when running back inside. “You two are the psycho’s that attack kid’s right?”

The duo looked at each other, and they were practically identical if not for the slight height different. Long black hair with that pale vampire skin matched to the vampire stereotype and I dared to take a step closer to V. Then another and seeing the leather strap, I quickly sliced through it. The pair didn’t even flinch, it was like they had hypnotized each other and reaching over, and I freed him of the other.

Walking near the pair, they didn’t seem so big and bad. They didn’t have the same intimidating aura that Drac had and while their crimes were more sick and twisted than something noteworthy. There were a lot of horrible people out there and when they were turned into true monsters, it only made it that much worse as their evil had a new outlet.

Just like the young idiots who had managed to temporarily knock me out and also stake himself, I decided to take a cheap shot. Screw honour of fighting in physical combat, I use guns. Why try and make this a fair fight?

The shorter one found herself turning to dust as for the second time tonight I put metal through a neck. Blood sprayed over her sister, and adding to my collection, over me too. Red, crazy eyes found mine and as Adina opened her mouth, the most horrible, high pitched scream I have ever heard left her. I imagine Banshee’s sound nicer than this and with no other option other than covering my ears, she took her opportunity to knock me over. Fangs ran down my arm as she failed to actually bite me, and it hurt.

Like really hurt.

With her shutting up, my ears were still ringing, and finding my feet, kicked her away from me. The woman hissed, before coming again and this time, we fought. She was fast, knowing all too well how to use what abilities being vampire gave her. My arm was burning and sliding across the floor, I found my knife again and this time as she charged she managed to kick me in the stomach. I flipped over, nearly stabbing myself as I refused to let it go and as she came close to kick me again, the blade went into her foot.

She screamed, trying to move away and bringing my hand up, I went for whatever I could get, hitting her knee I felt bone as I sliced at her desperately. As she fell, she went to make the same high pitched scream and throwing the blade, I took my chances. It hit her in the shoulder, and scrambling to get up, V’s hand clamped over her mouth before he bit into her neck.

I froze as he fed and her eyes slowly closed as they rolled into the back of her head. The second he was done, he snapped her neck, before twisting again with a grunt and tore her apart. The grey ash of the vampire stuck to his wounds and the wet blood over his chest. With a snarl he wiped his chin on his arm, leading a new red trail on his body.

“You okay?” He asked a little breathless. His teeth were stained with Adina’s blood and the wild feral look about him, reminded me who he was truly was, truce or friendship or whatever the hell we currently in place aside.

“Yeah.” I swallowed hard, dropping to my back as I fought to catch my breath.

“Your arm.”

Turning my head I looked over at it. The bitch had really made a mess my forearm and groaning, the pain caught up to me. “I’m fine.”

Now I needed Alfie to come back.

“You okay?”

“Nothing I can’t handle.”

Sitting up, he was now over by the basin, using paper towel to wipe does his chest and face. Once clean he helped me up and I was dragged over to the sink where he inspected my arm and washed it out. I let him, it hurt, a lot and didn’t want to risk any vampire germs getting in.

“V, I know who all those vampires are. How?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know who they are. Magic was in her blood though; I think it was a Necromancer who bought them back. A normal witch wouldn’t have left a calling card like that and it would have to be a strong coven to perform the ritual to get them out of where ever they went when they died.”

“But that is an extinct practice of magic!” It was outlawed before the Treaty came into play and one of the only things that has always been frowned upon in all societies.

“They’re all here to destroy the Treaty. I don’t think a banned form of magic being used should come as a surprise.” He answered sarcastically.

“True. I saw a Centaur too.”

“Interesting.” He agrees, bandaging my arm. I didn’t miss the way he pricked his finger and smeared some of his blood over the wound. My body was reacting to it, I could feel the tingly healing sensation already.

Something else occurs to me then. “How do I keep ending up with you? I got split up from my brother and Logan, again, and end up saving your ass again.”

“Just lucky I guess?” V smiles and walks over to one of the storage cupboards. He finds a green t-shirt that is part of the operating scrubs and slips it on. “Do I look ready to go, kick some ass?”

“No, but you’re just going to get covered in blood and who knows what else anyway.”

By the time we get out the front, there is the carcass of the Centaur and no sign of the guys. The fighting has silenced and we creep around the edge of the building to find the side much the same; littered with bodies and not all are of the demonic kind. V grabs my arm as I can’t’ stop the building hysteria in me and start to check each one of our people for any of my friends.

“They’re not here. Keep moving.”

“How do you know?” I try not to cry.

There is so much death around it’s hard not to sink into a depression over it. Every time I blink I confuse it with that meadow from last time, and everything I have in place to deal with this kind of crap is starting to weaken.

He taps his nose. “Your demon is with them, Jordan’s blood is over on that wall as well as the snakes.”

That wakes me up.

V lets my arm go and while I apologise to the people I’m not raiding for weapons. I notice V doing the same, only he doesn’t seem to care about the dead like I do and we keep moving. Every part of me is on edge, I have never been more aware of the sound of our steps or breathing. There isn’t any gun shots now, and something must be on fire judging by the orange glow that awaits us.

The grandstand by the oval is on fire and the battle has changed. It’s all hand to hand combat now, a few still have guns, but they’re being used for hitting things, not shooting. For the most part, swords and axes seem to the choice. Demons fight demons, and bursts of flames and magic shoot up between species as they fight. People fall and don’t get up, vampires disappear into thin air as they’re turned to dust.

I didn’t think V would be right, but taking their flight to hell would be easier than what we’d just walked into.

“Shit.” I cursed, clueless as to what I could actually do to help.

One more person in that mess wasn't going to make a difference and I couldn't see anyone I knew nearby. Instead V made the decision for me. “There he is.”

Dracula stood with Quinn and Jian on the roof of the pavilion, watching the battle with pure delight all over their faces and in that moment he turned to look over at us. His smile disappeared as he glared instead and leaping down from the roof, he started to march towards us.

“Would now be a good time to run?” I ask V.

“I think so Darling Girl.”