The vampire army was forced to fall back when the werewolves finally attacked, and once Archibald gave the final command, every vampire in the area engaged in a full on retreat. Soon the Night Hunter forces reached the mansion above the seal finding minimal resistance. Captains Wagner and Reinhardt led the teams tracking them into the forest, hoping to thin the crowd of vampires as much as possible.

Director Farrow, meanwhile, met three dhampirs and two crucivires at the front doors of the mansion with a squad of hunters behind him. The fourth dhampir, Cora Mires, lay dead in Gordon Brand’s arms. All of them had their swords sheathed, Durendal safely in the sheath Cora Mires still wore, and Alice had even given her brother the sheathe off her back so he could wear one of the Murumasa blades at his side. As Farrow walked up to meet the five warriors the Night Hunter Director noted the dead dhampir with solemn respect before raising his eyes to Agent Phoenix.

“Mission accomplished, I see,” said Farrow.

Gordon nodded, “We rescued Agent Phoenix, and two of the elder vampires are now dead. Archibald Jackanape is leading the retreat.”

One could detect an aggressive edge when Gordon mentioned the vampire clown.

“Understood,” Farrow replied, “Agent Phoenix, I don’t think I’ve ever been more relieved to see someone alive than I am to see you right now.”

Phoenix saluted, “Glad to be alive, sir. Do we have any medics available? Alice is injured.”

Farrow noted her missing hand, “I can send for one.”

“Good,” Phoenix turned to Alice. “You’ll be okay, right?”

“Yeah,” said Alice. “I’m good.”

“Good,” Phoenix turned back to Farrow. “Director Farrow, I request permission to help track down the fleeing vampires.”

Farrow frowned, but before he could speak up, Gordon Brand interjected.

“Running off again?” the elder dhampir asked. “So soon?”

Phoenix paused, surprised by the question, and then he sighed.

“I know,” said Phoenix. “I’ve been reckless, and that’s gotten me into trouble. I accept that, but I’ve been chained to a stone slab for over a week. I have an urgent need to get up and move, so I’m going, but I won’t run off by myself this time. You and Jasmine are welcome to come with me.”

Gordon hummed, considering it.

“Come on,” said Phoenix as he glanced at the dead woman in Gordon’s arms. “I know you have unfinished business with the vampires just as much as I do.”

Besides, thought Arthur, I have a particular scent in my nose I’m very interested in tracking down. He didn’t show it, but Alice and he were still connected mentally, and she gave him a curious look, wondering what he was referring to.

Gordon and Jasmine, meanwhile, looked at Cora. Then they looked at each other and came to a silent agreement as they turned to Director Farrow with determination in their eyes.

“Sir,” said Gordon. “I too request permission to join the hunt.”

Farrow considered it, then said, “Alright, I’ll authorize it.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Phoenix before turning to his sister, “Stay safe, Alice.”

Alice nodded, “You too, Arthur.”

###

Alice was taken to an area of the mansion’s courtyard sectioned off for the wounded. Many soldiers lay on mats as medics attended to them. One of those medics told Alice that it was too late to reattach her hand, but since she was a crucivire it would grow back. She’d just have to wait a few days.

Looking around, Alice eventually found who she was looking for. Jamar lay on the ground, sleeping, his features calm and peaceful. Kneeling beside him, she could make out the steady rhythm of his heartbeat with her enhanced hearing, so she knew he was okay. She did note that he was missing one of his arms, but at least he was alive. She also caught Robert’s scent, and it was fresh. He must have dropped Jamar off here, which meant they’d lived through this. Alice also caught Marcia and Hayden’s scents in the air. Both were faint, but at least the two of them smelled alive. Alice took some comfort that most of them had survived the battle.

Even so, the scent of the death wafted through the air, the blood of the dead staining the forest floor. Many people had died tonight, their victory hard won. She even caught a whiff of Cora’s scent where she lay with the other dead bodies. Just like Harry, Alice wished she could have gotten to know her better.

With these sobering thoughts in her mind, Alice lowered herself to sit crossed legged by Jamar. She closed her eyes and let her mind drift away for a much needed rest.

###

Landon Felix ran through the forest with his vampire servants, many carrying human thralls with them, including one little girl. The child had been crying as they fled the mansion, and Landon sent a telepathic command to make her sleep. As if losing this battle was bad enough, he didn’t need that sound grating in his ears.

They ran for what seemed like hours, all of them desperate to put as much distance between themselves and the night hunters as possible. They ran like the wind, trees going by in a blur, and had stopped once or twice only to feed from their human servants to replenish their strength. Otherwise, they kept running.

The attack came suddenly and from behind. Two figures with swords drawn rushed in, cutting a few vampires down as their captives fell with them. The rest turned, deliberately dropped the humans they were carrying, and drew their swords, but even that wasn’t enough to save them. The two enemies were cutting them down one by one, one with a blade that cut right through the others, and one with a blade set on fire.

Landon was about to turn and fight, when a third fighter came in from the side and attacked him with a katana. Landon’s sword sparked against the newcomer but the fight was over in seconds. With skill and precision, Landon’s opponent knocked his sword from his hands and struck downward to cut the vampires legs out from under him.

Landon shrieked as he fell on his back. Before he could react the enemy fighter above him plunged a cross shaped silver dagger into Landon’s wrist, prompting the vampire to shriek in pain as he was pinned to the ground. Landon reached up with his free hand, but the other man grabbed that wrist and pinned it with another dagger, eliciting another shriek. Finally, the stranger pulled out two more daggers and stuck them through Landon’s ankles, eliciting one final shriek. Now pinned and paralyzed as the silver burned his flesh, Landon looked up to see Agent Phoenix glaring down upon him. With fear pounding through his skull, Landon had trouble looking at the crucivire’s cross covered face.

A moment later Phoenix turned to see that Gordon and Jasmine had made quick work of the other vampires, their human thralls unconscious on the ground. Gordon ran to look for more fleeing vampires while Jasmine quickly found the little girl, unconscious. Jasmine then looked to Phoenix, nodded to him, and then knelt to pick up the child. With the girl in her arms, Jasmine then sped back the way they came to take her to safety. That was good in Phoenix’s mind.

The child didn’t need to see what was about to happen.

Looking back to Landon Felix, Phoenix knelt beside the immobilized vampire and gave him an icy stare. Landon looked up with terror in his eyes but mustered enough courage to spit blood directly onto the crucivire’s face, landing just under his nose.

Agent Phoenix hadn’t even flinched.

With a slow, deliberate movement, Phoenix brought the brought the back of his hand to his face and wiped the blood from under his nose, his eyes never leaving the vampire on the ground. When he finished, Phoenix let his hand fall to his side.

“You didn’t answer me properly before,” said Phoenix. “So I’ll ask you again.”

Phoenix pulled another knife from his belt, “Do you know what I do to vampires who kidnap children?”

Landon shrieked in terror, his torso wriggling back and forth as his arms and legs lay paralyzed, prompting Phoenix to give a small, pleased grin.

Back at the mansion, still sitting down, Alice observed her brother through the mental link, her face a mask of uncertainty as she discovered what her brother did to vampires who kidnap children.

“Arthur,” she whispered.

###

Later that evening.

Director Farrow sat in his office with a screen lowered from the ceiling to show the Night Hunter Council, their faces hidden in darkness. Farrow had just finished his report on the battle in the forest and was glad to relay good news to them for once.

“To summarize,” said Farrow. “We now control the mansion and the seal on all magic. Our forces have tracked down most of the vampires, though a handful of them escaped, scattering through the forest at the edge of Saint Vivia City. Even so, there are far less vampires in the world than there were yesterday. I think it’s safe to say that this is a complete and total victory for the Night Hunters.”

“Excellent,” said a council member. “I assume professor Halloway has begun studying the seal?”

“He has,” said Farrow. “And…”

“Good,” a council member interrupted him. “Have you found any clues on who built the mansion above the seal? I doubt it was the Aztecs or the vampires that did it, and I, for one, am curious as to how Victor Sorenson found it.”

“We did find some journals hidden away in one of the back rooms,” said Farrow. “It will take some time to go through them, but before we get carried away, there’s something else you need to be made aware of.”

“And what is that?” asked a council member.

“Night Hunters posted on the outer edge of the city have reported sightings of supernatural creatures.”

A pause, “Sightings?” asked a council member. “As in more than one?”

“I’m afraid so,” said Farrow. “In total we’ve seen a banshee, a wendigo, a water wraith, and a wild chupacabra.”

“There are that many supernatural creatures of different kinds all in one place?” said a council member. “What do you make of this?”

“It is my belief that the mansion, and the magic seal, were hidden by the power of a displacement spell for a long time. Now that the displacement spell is down, I suspect that the magic leaking out is attracting supernatural creatures to this city.”

The council remained silent for a moment.

“So,” said one of the shadowy figures on the screen. “What are your recommendations? It occurs to me that you haven’t told us what cover story you’ve given out.”

Farrow raised an eyebrow, “Cover story? The global cover story is your department. As for Saint Vivia City, what’s the point?”

The following silence was ominous.

“Do you need to remind you of your duty?” asked a council member.

“It’s not a matter of duty,” said Farrow. “I told you about the portal above the city, didn’t I? There isn’t a single citizen of Saint Vivia that didn’t see it. Trying to gaslight an entire city population into believing they didn’t really see something so gigantic isn’t going to end well for anyone. And if I’m right, and supernatural creatures are being drawn here, they’ll have more evidence of the supernatural to prove it to them.

“Honored council, we’ve got to face the facts. All the signs point to Saint Vivia City becoming a hotbed of paranormal activity. There’s no hiding that from its people. The proverbial genie is out of the bottle, and there’s no putting it back. I can’t say I have a plan in mind, but this situation is unprecedented. We can’t afford to conduct business as normal.”

The shadowy figures were silent for a moment, then one of them said, “The council will deliberate.”

###

Archibald Jackanape stood in the mindscape, surrounded by red clouds. The red council, the elders that ruled over the lesser vampires, weren’t showing their faces, but represented themselves as shadows in the crimson fog. As if this display would intimidate Archibald. He grinned. They should know better than that by now.

“You let the seal fall into human hands,” said the Red Council, like a chorus of whispers speaking as one.

“What choice did I have?” said Archibald, his grin never leaving his face. “With Victor defeated, I knew we’d all but lost. Perhaps I could have turned things around, but it was your idea to kill the remaining elders should Victor ultimately lose. What was I to do? Fight a crucivire and three dhampirs by myself? Need I remind you that Jacqueline was fighting through one of them, so it’s really a crucivire, two dhampirs, and another elder vampire. I haven’t lived as long as I have by fighting recklessly.”

“There was still Victor’s army,” came the whispers.

“A small army,” said Archibald. “Victor knew he couldn’t defend a position forever. He was betting everything on the ritual, and once that failed, it was over. He didn’t have the forces to hold off the night hunters indefinitely and he knew it. All he could do was accept his loss and plan to take back the mansion later. He might have had the numbers necessary to hold his position, but the rest of you weren’t willing to give him direct support. Were you?”

Archibald chuckled, “What a sorry council we make. Honestly, if we didn’t spend so much time fighting each other like a pack of rabid dogs chasing the same scrap of meat, we might have conquered the humans by now. I know you were all miffed that Victor found the seal first, but he found it fair and square. You could have helped him, and ushered in a new vampire age, but no. You all got hung up on the fact that it wasn’t your ritual being performed, that it wasn’t any of you leading this charge.

“Well, now look where we are. Humans control the seal, and we don’t. Honestly? What did you think was going to happen? That Victor would fail to complete the ritual but would hold onto the mansion? It’s not like he could put up the displacement spell again with his magic users dead.”

Archibald could sense the anger from the other Elder vampires, “We note that you don’t seem terribly unhappy about this situation.”

Archibald laughed, “And why should I be upset. I achieved my goal, after all.”

“And what goal is that?”

Archibald’s grin widened, “Why, I had a lot of fun, of course. Seriously, what else do you think I want? As for humans being in control of the seal, can you just imagine the possibilities? Getting that mansion back is going to be loads of fun. I’m as happy as a…well, you know.”

The red council seethed for a moment, and then retreated, “We shall deliberate on this matter.”

“I’m sure you will,” said Archibald.

And the elder vampire clown opened his eyes. In the real world, Archibald stood at the very top of a tall tree overlooking the moonlit bathed forest. Stretching his arms and his wings, Archibald jumped into the air and flew away, ready to search for more fun.

###

Alice retraced the steps the vampires took when they were taking her and Arthur from the mansion. Kneeling on the ground, she ran her remaining hand through the grass, searching for something she’d lost, something the other hunters hadn’t found before. She couldn’t blame them. After all, the attack on the facility had been devastating. It was a long shot to find something so small, but Alice had to try.

She was certain this was where it had fallen, thrown away by Lord Victor. After a few minutes, her hand finally touched something cold and metal. Pulling it out, she held up her father’s silver cross, trampled under the grass by hunters who hadn’t thought to look for it.

Without hesitation Alice brought it up and put it around her neck. Taking a deep sigh, Alice felt a great sense of relief. She didn’t know what she would have done if it had been lost. Holding it between her fingers, she wondered what Dad would have thought of all this, of the vampires, and more importantly what had become of Arthur. While she couldn’t answer that, Alice knew one thing.

Arthur needed her, now more than ever.