Sebastian hummed as he made his way to the familiar apartment. He had waited for nightfall because this new body was not a sire killer. This time, to spice things up, he kept the crystal with the soul of Daniel Hollow around his neck. He wanted to see if keeping the soul close could affect the trapped soul.

So far, no unnatural breezes or screams had been heard, so he figured that the warrior was a vegetable. Which was a disappointment. But maybe the familiar place would stir him into action?

He pulled out the key and stepped inside the cozy rented home minutes later. The smell of the place hugged him and filled his head with comforting thoughts. One of the three men was a clean freak. His money was on Roberts.

Said man was in the kitchen making something delicious smelling. Sebastian regraded, making this husk a vampire then. A meal like this one would have hit all the correct spots.

“I’m home, charlatan,” called Sebastian with a devil-may-care grin. He received a scoff from the healer and a lazy wave from Hadrian. Who paused and sniffed the air.

“Dany, there is something wrong with your scent?” More asked than stated, the vampire. Ah, so that was how he had figured him last. He simply smelled the blood.

“Sebastian Black attacked me, but I drove him off. How are the children?” Sebastian went to sit on the kitchen table, and he rested his head on his hands. Suddenly, there was a hand on his forehead, and then he heard a loud intake of air.

“You got turned? How did you get turned? You kill dragons before breakfast!” The healer looked pale. Will you keep ignoring me? Thought Sebastian with great satisfaction.

“This is bad, your liver…” continued on Roberts. Sebastian sent him a winning smile, one improper on Daniel’s usually frowny face, and Edwin’s eyes narrowed.

“Why are you so calm about this?” Hadrian had gotten up from the couch and was now behind Daniel. There was nothing threatening about his stance. But there was a certain edge to him. “And why are you giving off necromantic mana?”

A mana sensor too? Couldn’t Sebastian catch a break? He needed to salvage this, and fast.

“Well, he infected me with his mana and…” there was a dagger pressed on his throat. He followed it and found that the was gripping it was Edwin’s. His red eyes were shining with the promise of pain. Sebastian shrugged.

“Tired of babying me, charlatan?” Sebastian’s voice was teasing, but he was looking around the room. The children were watching from a doorway and Hadrian had placed a hand at the back of Sebastian’s neck, a finger pressed against his pressure point.

“Where is Daniel?” Hissed Hadrian and Sebastian smirked.

“This is his body, but…” he said the last word in a sing-song manner. Then he snapped his mouth shut. The dagger was removed, but the older vampire’s hand was still there.

“Why are you even after me?” Edwin looked close to tearing at his hair. Sebastian liked that look at him.

“You inherited the kill order of one Fernand Polites. The council always has their sentences seen through,” well, Sebastian wished luck to the sucker who tried to go after someone protected by Hadrian Deranges. He truly did.

He felt the finger finally apply pressure at his neck and his head fell towards the kitchen table. It didn’t hit it, though, as Edwin broke its fall and gently laid it down. This was still Daniel’s body. They had to be careful.

“If the council is involved, then you are in trouble, Eddy,” Hadrian looked serious for once.

“We have to get Daniel back. But I have no idea how. I don’t think his soul is even still in his body,” Edwin sat down and ran a hand over his hair. “And he is a vampire now. That bastard…”

“Will Dany be fine, Harry?” Ben had crept up on them once Daniel had fallen unconscious and was now looking baffled at the three of them.

“He, well, it is complicated, kiddo,” Hadrian didn’t want to get the boy’s hopes up.

“He will be,” Edwin was past the point where he picked his battles on whatever they could be won. He had and was still nursing Daniel to health. He was invested in him. Letting him die was the last thing he wanted.

“But, I think I need some alone time with Black. Harry, take the children and go outside for a couple of hours,” Edwin knew just the thing. Necromantic mana might not be poisonous to vampires and necromancers, but it could still be used to cause pain without causing damage. Which was precisely what he required.

It would be the second time he had done such a thing. The first time had been with that wretch, Fredrik. But he was going to torture Sebastian Black to insanity and back if he needed to.

Daniel’s jokes never failed to get to him. His remarks about him and Harry made his skin crawl. And that nasty rumor he helped spread…ok, maybe he was going to make Sebastian Black pay for Daniel’s transgressions. But he was not going to enjoy it. Much…

“Well, if you are certain. Keep both shadows with you. Just in case,” Edwin nodded, and a shadow bled out of Ben’s and into his own. Two shadows for someone who was going to be tied up was an overkill, but it was not like there was going to be someone who got past Hadrian. And the children weren’t targets.

Luciano went to him and tugged his sleeve. He stared at the blonde boy and tried to smile, but it came out hollow.

“Remember, you are a healer,” said the boy as he patted Edwin’s arm. “And not a monster.”

Were his intentions so obvious that even a child picked them up?

“Find a good way, if you can. Without anyone dying,” added Rael. Always in agreement with his twin.

“I’ll do my best, but Daniel’s life is a priority. And sometimes, the means justify the ends,” Edwin didn’t like the disappointment in Hadrian’s eyes, but he was not about to lose a member of their family over it.