Asheron sought next to Damian in the car as the guard, who's name was, Kev, drove them to their house. He also noted that this was the same guard who seemed to have taken great pleasure in shocking him at the club.

No one spoke, the only sound being the occasional sound of Damian scratching the bandage around his head. 

"Stop scratching." Asheron said finally.

Damian removed his hand from his head instantly and smiled sheepishly. 

Asheron could still smell the slight scent of blood coming from his head. The vampire guard had hit him too hard. He was worried Damian might actually have a concussion.

Asheron didn't have time to worry about him anymore because it didn't take long before they arrived at his house. Asheron jumped out of the car immediately.

"Damian you stay in the car." Asheron said and was about to close the door when a strong grip stopped him.

"No, he comes to." Kev said deadpan, in an annoying nasally voice.

Asheron frowned and yanked his arm away.

"But he's injured. Everyone in the house will be on alert if he walks in smelling like blood. Including Vlad."

"I was assigned to watch the both of you. So he comes too or I call Lord Elmesse and tell him you're not cooperating." 

Asheron tsked and the thought crossed his mind that he should just take the guard out. But he didn't want to have to deal with Elmesse about it later.

Instead he looked at Damian intensely.

"Stay close to me."

Damian began to nod but winced and just settled for a thumbs up.

They entered the house. It was quiet. Not even a maid came to greet them.

Only a day had passed but the whole atmosphere in the house had changed. It was thick and suffocating.

 It was Vlad.

"Aloise?" Asheron called pushing down the growing feeling of anxiousness.

"Yes?" Came a soft reply from the dining room followed by a slurp.

Asheron let out a sigh of relief. 

"Nothing just...what happened to the servants?"

"Uhm, no clue I came down and no one was here. I had to fix my own meal, can you believe it!"

Asheron smiled. 

"Ok, just stay there. Is Vlad back?"

"Yes I think so..."

Asheron looked up the stairs. He then exchanged looks with Damian, who reached into his jacket. There was a pause and then he looked back at Asheron with a half smile. 

He still had his gun. At this knowledge Asheron at least felt a trickle of relief.

"Thank you Alois."  Asheron said quietly as he started up the stairs followed by Damian and Kev.

The closer they got to Vlads part of the house the more unbearable the air felt. Damian had to stop for a moment with his hand covering his mouth. 

Asheron felt a prickle of anger. Vlad tried to mark this as his territory. But it was still his house.

The temperature cooled and Asheron moved down the hall with more force in his step right until he was at Vlad's door. He threw it open and it was as if he had crossed a barrier. The air was normal here.

Damian was right behind him. He gasped for air, like a person who had been underwater, and stumbled into the room onto the floor.

Kev had also been effected. When he came in he leaned against the wall.

Asheron looked around. Aside from Vlad not being there the room was normal. It almost seemed unused.

The only thing out of place was the large black suit case that Vlad had arrived with. It was sitting at the foot of the bed.

Asheron approached it ignoring the unease he began to feel. 

He knelt down and flipped the locks. The one on the left and then the one on the right.

He paused with his hand rested on the handle.

"Father?"

Asheron flicked his wrist flipping it open.

His eyes widened and before he could completely process anything he had jumped back into the door way.

Damian gagged and turned his. 

"What- what the hell..?!" Kev stumbled back.

There was body. Twisted and mangle and dried.

And still alive.

It was a vampire, drained of blood.

Asheron looked at it's sunken face that was mostly a skull and it's limbs, broken so that it would fit into the suit case.

It let out a wheeze and Asheron took another step back. 

He didn't know what he expected. But it wasn't this. 

Whatever Vlad was, if he would do something like this. He was no longer a vampire. 

For the first time, Asheron could imagine what a rabbit must feel knowing wolves exist or rather what a human would feel if they knew they were prey for the monster called vampires.

There came a sudden scream down stairs.

Terror coursed through him in an instant.

It was Alois. 

Vlad had still been in the  house after all.