"Father," Duke choked. "What are you doing here?"
"Fixing a mistake," Miro snarled. "Did you truely think I would let you go?" Duke now struggled, trying to free himself from Miro's grasp. As the teenage damphir now looked over the room, he could see a trio of teenagers he recognized from school. As well as a dozen other bodyguards Miro had brought with him.
"Father shall I dispose of the girl?"
Duke raised an eyebrow, glancing at Wyatt curiously. He was befuddled why this unassuming teenager that was on his wrestling team would refer to Miro as his father. "Father?"
"Young Wyatt has shown much promise," Miro smirked. "I have adopted him as my rightful heir." Despite being choked, Duke now glanced at Wyatt, a laugh escaping his windpipe.
"His heir," Duke laughed, before Miro tightened his grasp. "My father named you his heir? And you believed him!" Duke now laughed harder, causing Wyatt's face to redden with anger.
"Shut up," Wyatt snarled, punching Duke in the stomach. The damphir now wheezed, gasping as he tried to catch his breath. "Tell me 'brother'," Duke smirked. "Have you taken a moment to think that maybe he has done this before? Are you truely so naive as to think Miro Tepes has not sought out my replacement in the past?"
"I said Shut up," Wyatt bellowed, the vampire prince now delivering a thunderous right hook to Dukes jaw, which drew blood. Duke now spit, blood soaked spittle leaking from his mouth as he taunted Prince Wyatt.
"Face it Wyatt. You'll never replace me."
"Sasha? Duke? You in here?"
Wyatt, Miro, and the other vampires now paused as Caleb Moreland entered. The demon hunter had noticed his friends leave the ballroom quickly and had gone to find them. Entering the darkened room, he now stopped, as he stared at the gathering of vampires. Instinctively he now reached for where his weapon was, his eyes going wide as he realized he hadn't armed himself tonight. That mistake was all the vampires would need.
Duncan now darted from the shadows, the elite vampire delivering a heavy blow. Caleb collapsed, his head spinning as Duncan now hoisted him over his head. "Dispose of him quickly," Miro stated. Duncan nodded, heaving Caleb through the window as Duke watched in abject horror.
"Check the body."
Duncan paused, looking to his master. They were five stories up, the boy would be nothing but a smear on the pavement at this point. "My Lord?"
"Check Duncan," Miro said quickly. "The Morelands have a reputation for avoiding death." Duncan simply nodded, approaching thw broken window as he cast his eyes downward. Turning towards Miro, the elite vampire now gazed atbhia master in astonishment. "My Lord he's gone!"
Caleb was furious as he now made his way up a side entrance. Although unarmed, he wasn't unprotected. A little fairy magic from Spark and a timely portal from Jim had saved the young hunters life. Caleb now crept towards the ballroom, armed with a shotgun, a machine pistol, and a pair of silver knives. Adjusting his hat, he now took a breath before looking at his lapel pocket.
"Go kick their ass," Spark smirked. Caleb simply nodded, before kicking in the door.
The vampires never saw it coming as Caleb burst through a side entrance. The vampires could barely turn as he now leveled his weapon at Duncan before squeezing the trigger. All Duncan could do is scream in pain as Calebs silver bullets now ripped through his body before he burst into flames. "DADDY," Cassidy screamed.
Chaos ensued as the surviving vampires now returned fire. Caleb ducked behind a table, spraying the ballroom with silver coated lead as Miro now hoisted Duke over his shoulder. The vampire lord would not fall to his hunter. Snarling he now sprinted for an emergency exit with Wyatt, Kyra, and Cassidy close by.
Seeing that his friend was in danger now drove the hunter to push himself. Quickly dispatching the remaining vampires, Caleb now sprinted towards Sasha, skidding to a stop by her prone body. "Sasha! Sasha! Wake up!"
Sasha groaned, grabbing her head as she tried to focus. "Ugh what happened," she groaned. Caleb breathed a sigh of relief, quickly checking his ammo before reloading. "Dukes been kidnapped," he said quickly. "Go find the others! I'm going after them."
Cassidy felt numb as she now sprinted behind Miro. Duncan, her father, her lover, reduced to ash by a teenage demon hunter. "Faster Cassidy," Miro bellowed. "Do not let Duncan's death be in vain. Our people have almost reclaimed our rightful spot."
"We should fight Father," Wyatt exclaimed. "End the threat of the Morelands once and for all!" Miro skidded to a stop, the vampires behind him almost falling over eachother. Wyatt now watched curiously as his father slowly turned to face him, his eyes a murderous mixture of red and black. "What did you say?"
"We should stop him," Wyatt stammered. "We have the strength and the numbers to end the threat to our people once and for all!" All was now quiet, the only sound to be heard was the distant sound of gunfire and the cries of dying vampires. With each passing moment those sounds now grew closer to the escaping vampires.
Despite shouldering an unconscious Duke, Miro now grabbed Wyatt, slamming the vampire prince into the wall. "Do you hear that son," Miro snarled. "That is the sound of death. As we speak my men, OUR men, are laying down their lives to ensure our victory. The battle is not here."
"But father."
"BUT NOTHING," Miro bellowed. "As we speak our elite forces are capturing a generation of wizards. Wizards who will serve the vampires for centuries to come! Do not let your pride in besting the Morelands or my ill begotten son from thinking clearly. We need only to return to our home and we have won. Now, come!"
Wyatt was silent, somewhat shaken by his fathers words. Miro had never spoken to him like that before. As he spoke Wyatt had felt the power, the rage, the brutality emanating from the Lord of the Vampires. Miro's strength seemed unmatched. Now Wyatt understood why his adoptive father was feared.
Exiting into an alley, Miro now spotted Romi, his personal familiar awaiting his arrival with a waiting limo. Sprinting towards the limo, Miro now called on his familiar to act. "Romi provide a distraction."
Romi nodded, reaching into the limo as he produced a hunting rifle. Flipping off the safety, he waited for his quarry to arrive, an arrival that would not take long at all.
The flaming corpse of a vampire now burst through the emergency door, quickly turning to ash as Caleb now emerged. Despite some minor cuts and scrapes, the teenage hunter appeared undaunted in saving his friend. As he now sprinted down the ally, Romi opened fire.
Caleb grunted as two rounds now pierced his side. Quickly ducking for cover the teenage hunter attempted to return fire, only for the vampires familiar to pin him down. With Caleb now tending to his wounds, Romi took the moment to fire upon a parked car, the resulting explosion scattering pieces of steel throughout the ally and creating a wall of fire between Caleb and the vampires. Satisfied, Romi now calmly entered the limo before turning the key.
Despite a pair of bullet holes, Caleb was still determined to save his friend. Grunting in pain, he now noticed the wall of flames between him and Duke. Closing his eyes Caleb now sprinted, leaping through the flames as he gave chase once more. Despite some minor burns, he had successfully navigated the vampires last trap.
Unfortunately Caleb was on foot, while the vampires were driving. Determined he now unloaded his weapons at the limo, desperate to try and stop Miro from escaping. The limo though would not be stopped, despite a couple of bullet holes in the windshield. As the limo now backed into the street, it shifted into drive. Caleb watching in anguish as his friend was taken, and promising that he would get him back.