Countdown to Disaster

Damien paced around his bedroom tensed up. Every second ticking by felt like a countdown to their inevitable end. Harlan's ultimatum drew nearer, and with only five hours left, he knew he had to do something. The others had scattered after what Anya had done to Kai, but now wasn't the time to brood or fight.

It was time for action.

Quietly, Damien slipped out of his room. He moved silently through the mansion's halls. He had a plan, a desperate one, but there was no other choice.

As he approached the front entrance, a soft voice stopped him.

"Damien?"

He froze with his hand on the door handle. Turning slowly, he saw Anya standing at the top of the staircase with worry on her face. She walked down the steps, with her eyes locked on him.

"Where are you going?" she asked quietly.

Damien sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm going to see Harlan."

Anya's eyes widened with disbelief. She hurried down the last steps, reaching him before he could move. Her hand grasped his arm, holding him back. "Are you out of your fucking mind? You can't go there alone."

He glanced at her hand on his arm but didn't pull away. "What choice do I have, Anya? Kai's weak. Zephyr's busy keeping an eye on him, and you… you don't seem to care what happens." 

Her grip tightened. "You think I don't care? Of course I do, but from the reactions on your brothers faces, running off to Harlan alone seems like suicide!"

Damien shook his head. "Harlan's not bluffing. If we don't give him that boy's aunt, we're dead. He'll bring everything down on us—hunters, witches, supernaturals, all of them. He's not just threatening us. He's already moving pieces into place."

"This Harlan guy can't bring all that to Burdly alone," Anya argued. "I don't know who he is or what he's capable of, but I'm sure he's not that powerful…"

Damien tightened his jaw as he looked away. "He doesn't need to do it alone. There's someone else… someone with even more reach."

"Who?" Anya asked.

"Agatha Greybourne," Damien muttered, almost like saying her name was a curse.

Anya's brow furrowed. "Who's that?"

He turned to face her fully. "She's the one who governs Burdly's balance—between humans and supernaturals. For generations, her family's kept order, enforcing the laws. They've overseen the deaths of hundreds of thousands of supernaturals, especially the ones who don't fall in line."

Anya's eyes widened. "She sounds like a nightmare."

Damien nodded. "She's more than that. She's a human, sure, but she's untouchable. She's killed and imprisoned more of our kind than any other human in history. Agatha likes to call them 'non-conformists.' The ones who refuse to follow the rules get hunted. The rest go into hiding to avoid her."

"If she's just human, why hasn't anyone killed her yet?"

Damien scoffed. "Because no one wants to start a war. Killing Agatha would ignite a full-blown conflict between supernaturals and humans. It'd drag everyone into it. But if my plan doesn't work with Harlan…" He paused. "War is exactly where we're headed."

There was silence between them. Anya crossed her arms. "And what's your brilliant plan, Damien? You really think you can convince him?"

"It's not about convincing. I have something he wants. And I'm going to use it."

Anya's eyes searched his face, she was deeply concerned. "What if it doesn't work?"

Damien met her eyes. "Then you need to prepare for the worst. If I'm not back by morning… it means you're gonna have to fight."

Anya inhaled deeply. "Damien, just… be careful. Your brother's can't afford to lose you."

"I know, that's why you have to promise me you won't tell them."

Anya held his gaze for a moment longer. She didn't trust his plan, but she knew she couldn't stop him. "I promise."

Then, Damien turned and walked out of the mansion. Once Damien was outside, he made his way to the estate's garage, choosing one of the black 1967 Mustang parked inside. As he drove, Damien pulled out his phone and dialed Harlan's number. It rang twice before he picked up.

"I hope you're calling because you have the kid's aunt?" Harlan said. "Tell me you're bringing her to me."

Damien's hands tightened around the steering wheel. He took a deep breath, forcing his tone to remain calm. "I have her," he lied. "I'm coming to Burdly now. Give me an address."

There was a pause on the other end before Harlan replied, his suspicion was clear. "123 Hawthorne Lane. Don't make me wait, Damien."

The line went dead.

Damien clenched his jaw and tossed the phone aside. He was going to meet Harlan face to face after so many years. He wasn't ready for it, but it had to be done.

——————————————————-

Meanwhile, Zephyr watched as his brother lay weakened. Zephyr knelt beside him with his eyes full of concern.

"How are you feeling, brother?" Zephyr asked softly.

Kai groaned but managed to speak. "Weak... but a bit better."

Zephyr reached for a blood bag he had brought and handed it to Kai. "Here, drink this."

Kai shook his head, pushing the bag away. "No... I need human blood. If I'm going to feel better, I need it."

Zephyr wasn't in support of this, but his voice remained calm. "There's no way I can get human blood for you, Kai. We made a vow, remember? You broke it, yet you have the audacity to ask for human blood."

Kai didn't back down. "Do you remember what Dad always said?" He said with a low voice. "We're vampires. It's not our fault we have to feed on humans to stay alive and strong. We're just hungry."

Zephyr's expressed softened, those were exactly his father's words. Kai saw his brother's resolve faltering so he used this chance to completely break his resolve.

"Please, Zephyr," Kai pleaded. "Human blood is the only thing that'll get me going again. I need it."

Zephyr's jaw clenched as he looked down at his brother. After a moment, he nodded.

"I'll get you human blood," Zephyr said quietly. "But this is the last time. After this, you stick to the blood bags in the freezer. No more."

Kai nodded weakly. "I understand. Thank you, brother."

Zephyr stood up. He needed to find someone to keep watch over Kai while he was gone. His first thought was Damien. But when he went to find him, Damien was nowhere to be seen.

Frustrated, Zephyr made his way to Anya's bedroom. He knocked on the door, and after a few moments, Anya opened up.

"Zephyr," she said. "What's wrong?"

"I've been looking for Damien everywhere," Zephyr said. "Do you have any idea where he is?"

Anya hesitated for a moment before she lied, "No, I don't."

Zephyr stared at her, he sensed something off. He suspected she was lying, but now wasn't the time to question her. He exhaled and made his request. "I know what I'm about to ask is... bizarre. But I need you to watch over Kai."

Anya's response was abrupt. "I'm not going to do that."

Zephyr pleaded with her. "Please, Anya. I just need to get something for him. I'll be back in less than an hour, I promise."

Anya crossed her arms. "And what exactly are you going to get?"

Zephyr hesitated. "I'm... I'm going to get him a human to drink from."

Anya had disappointment written all over her face and countenance. "This late at night? Zephyr, I don't know what you see in Kai, why you keep caring for him the way you do. He'll be the death of you."

"I would die a thousand times for the sake of my brothers. Good or bad."

Anya sighed and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You're a good brother, Zephyr. I just hope Kai would do the same for you."

She looked him in the eye. "One hour. If you're not back by then, I'm leaving him, and I don't care what happens to him."

Zephyr nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Anya."

Without another word, he left the mansion and climbed into his blue Cadillac parked near the entrance.

"I guess it's just me and you then, just like before." Kai said with a devious smirk as he caught a glimpse of Anya entering his bedroom.