Asheron was down stairs in an instant.

As soon as he was there, what he saw was Vlad dragging Aloise by the hair towards the door as he kicked and screamed.

"Vlad!" Asheron yelled his eyes wide with terror.

Vlad paused and slowly looked back. His eyes were lifeless and dull. Asheron knew in that moment nothing he said would get through to him.

"Father watch out." Damian said stepping next to him with the gun.

"Wait-." Before Asheron could stop him, Damian fired the gun. 

The bullet zipped forward and grazed Vlad's arm. 

There was a beat of stillness as Vlad looked down at the wound and then at Damian. But in the next moment Vlad was next to Damian.

 He swung his arm, hitting Damian in the chest. He flew back into the wall and hit his head against the wall with a sickening crack. He slid down into a slump leaving a trail of blood.

Vlad didn't stop there.

  Next he was at the top of the stairs, where Kev was standing, ripping into his neck with his teeth.

The only thing able to keep up with Vlad was Asherons eyes, he was too fast for him to react in time.

Before Kev's decapitated body could fall down the stairs Vlad was gone again.

"Ash." Came Alois' weak voice from the floor.

Asheron turned. One moment he was looking into his brothers teary blue eyes and in the next, the world spun, and he was looking into black ones.

He felt a flash of confusion as Vlad released his hands from the sides of Asheron head and he fell to the floor unable to move. 

Asheron was left facing the stair case, where Kev's head and body lay.

From behind him, the front door opened letting in a flood of light.

All he heard was the sizzling of skin and Aloise' shrieks.

Asheron fought as hard as he could but it was no use. He couldn't even get his pinky to move.

He could only lie there as Aloise' voice grew fainter, until only the lingering smell of burned flesh was left in the house.

"Damian." Asheron said in a croaked whisper.

Mixed in with the burning smell was Damian's blood. His head had already been injured before now with the new trauma, Asheron was afraid there would be more serious damage.

"Damian." He said alittle louder. He didn't get a response.

Asheron could only lie there and think. Think about Aloise' and Damian... and Vlad. 

What was he?

Where did he take Aloise?

Eventually Asheron lost track of time his mind swirling with the same questions over and over again.

Suddenly the front door was thrown open letting in another flood of light. 

Asheron tensed for a moment, thinking it was Vlad coming back to finish the job, but he soon relaxed sensing a familiar presence.

"What in God's name..."

Soon Asheron saw Lord Elmesse face appear in his view. Elmesse surveyed him for a moment before glancing towards the door.

"Someone help me. The rest of you search the house." Asheron heard several footsteps go in all directions before he was then propped up into an odd backwards sitting position.

Lord Elmesse made a pained face.

"You may feel a slight... discomfort." Before Asheron could speak, his head was twisted and he was facing forward. He winced, feeling the loose muscles in his neck.

Asheron tried to move only for his muscles to spasm with the effort.

"You need to heal, I'll take you to the car."

Lord Elmesse lifted Asheron to his feet and started for the door.

"Wait." Asheron croaked out shifting his eye to the side. "Damian."

Lord Elmesse looked at the unconscious Damian who was slumped against the wall. Blood dripped from his head. A bit too much blood. His eyes flickered to Asheron and then away.

"Right, someone will take him to a hospital."

Asheron felt a moment of relief but then tensed up again.

"Vlad he-." Asheron started.

"We know." Lord Elmesse led Asheron quickly into a black car. "Your scientist told us that Vlad had been taking vampires. It seems there's something you don't know about going on at your facility."

Once they were in the back seat Elmesse opened a small space on the side and pulled out a clear bottle. It was filled with dark red pills. 

He handed them to Asheron.

"These are blood pills. These will help you heal."

Asheron looked at them for moment, glancing at Elmesse, before tossing them into his mouth. 

Elmesse watch him swallow the pills and then sighed, rubbing his hand over his face. He looked exhausted...and afraid.

Asheron narrowed his eyes at him.

"What else happened?" He asked cautiously. He almost didn't want to know.

Elmesse looked ahead, letting silence fill the car for a moment.

"They're all gone." It came out in a whisper.

"...Who?"

"The other nobles. I don't know how...how he got to them so fast. I don't know what Vlad is doing to the vampires but, you and I are the only nobles left."

Asheron thought back to the vampire he had found in the suit case and shuddered. He wondered if he should tell Elmesse or if telling him would make any difference.

"I knew, I knew something was wrong with Vlad. I could feel it but I-." Elmesse shook his head.

Asheron thought for a moment. 

"Have you gathered all of your men?"

Elmesse nodded. "They're following behind us."

"Good, let's go to my research facility."

Elmesse turned to him wide-eyed.

"You want to go to where Vlad is?!"

"Yes." Asheron said flatly. "He has my brother."

"Your brother! If Vlad took him outside in the daylight then isn't he-."

The temperature in the car dropped.

"I won't believe it unless I see it." Asheron said letting out a breath to calm himself. "I'm not saying we fight him. It would be impossible. We just need to distract him as we rescued the others. We can use your men as decoys."

Elmesse paused for a moment and Asheron thought he wasn't convinced.

"I know the layout. If Vlad was keeping a large number of vampires in one spot I know where they would be. I know the exits and the hidden passage ways."

Elmesse remained quiet before grinning wearily. 

"Use my men as decoys? I've never heard you say something so heartless."

Asheron raised and eyebrow. "Is that surprising?"

"It is. I have always thought you were a bit softhearted despite your cold facade. Which is why it makes the others want to bully you. Which is why..." Elmesse glanced at Asheron. "We made you take in Vlad. I had plenty of rooms but still I...You can hate me for this if you want."

Asheron closed his eyes and sighed.

"You're being awfully chatty all of a sudden. I don't have time to hate you right now. All I want is my brother back. Do you agree with me plan or not?"

Elmesse smiled. "I agree." He gave a command to the driver. "I suppose if we do manage to save the other nobles they'll be indebted to me. How can I let such an opportunity go?"

Asheron shook his head but the corners of his lips lifted. It seemed Elmesse's spirits were lifted. He wish he could say the same for himself. 

He wanted to be able rescue Aloise' without having to face Vlad again, but he knew the odds of that happening were very slim.