Three heavy knocks echoed throughout one of London's backstreets. While waiting, Lucious shoved his hands in his pockets. A quick glance over his shoulder told him that no one else was nearby. He wrinkled his nose. The stench of rotting meat invaded his acute sense of smell from a large half-opened bin a couple of feet away. He didn't care what or who laid inside.

Lucious glared at the metal door. He jerked his hand out of his pocket, ready to knock again when he heard heavy bolts being shifted on the other side.

About time, he thought and straightened his posture.

The door opened a fraction. "Why did you come here?"

Lucious scowled at the cramped space. Half a face of a short, dark-skinned vampire was the only thing visible. "You were the one who called me here." He forced the door open. "Tell me what's going on."

The scrawny, hunched over man studied him with eyes as dark as the unlit alley he stood in. "You know exactly what's going on!" Phil said, moving out of the way.

Lucious strode inside the dull, grey-walled office and collapsed into a chair. The soles of his boots stuck to the linoleum. Next to his foot, he noted a bloodstain and wondered who had pissed off the old man enough to bleed here.

"You are the informant. Tell me what's going on."

When five bolts locked in place, Phil ambled to his desk and eased into his leather seat. He entwined his fingers on the stack of newspapers and stared at Lucious as if searching for something.

Undaunted, Lucious returned the gesture. He didn't care how old Phil was or how influential. What mattered was the information he stumbled upon.

Phil ran a shaky hand across his balding head. "You don't know the Council is looking for you, do you?"

If his heart could beat, it would stop once more. "Why me?"

"I don't know. No explanations were given. If you are discovered, you must be brought to them."

Lucious pinched the bridge of his nose. What did the all-powerful Council want with him? As far as he knew, he abided by the common laws. There were no plausible reasons for their summons. "You said you found a new trail, so get on with it."

With a shake of his head, Phil replied, "You are a fool for not running when you heard the words 'Council' and 'looking for you' in the same sentence. But, I will entertain the need to find your sire's murderers. After all, you've helped me clean up a few of my messes."

The old vampire rummaged through a pile of coffee-stained paperwork on his messy desk. Not an inch of the surface could be seen under the mounds of papers, materials, and manila folders.

Does he even remember the original colour of his furniture?

Phil smirked and pulled out a note from the stack. He offered it to Lucious who reached into his leather jacket pocket and retrieved a small velvet case.

"Hope she likes it," Lucious said.

Phil traded for the box and hid it in his desk drawer. "She always does."

Rising to his full height, Lucious stashed the info away. He didn't dare to dream this was the last time he had to chase the hunters responsible for Anna's death. "Are you certain the information is correct this time?"

"It has been over a century, Lucious. No one saw it happen, and we have exhausted every avenue. I'm as good as the information given."

"You're right."

He turned to leave when Phil added, "Be watchful of the Council's hounds. They never fail in their hunt."

With an incline of his head, Lucious left. He had little time to find whoever the named person on the note was.

While listening out for footsteps, he made his way to the closest phone store. One of the halogen bulbs blinked on and off, but no human inside took notice of it.

The girl serving the customers couldn't be older than twenty-five. A bright smile graced her lips when he walked in. Her dead, bleached hair swayed from side to side as she bounced over, smelling of cheap cigarettes and overpowering perfume. "How can I help you?"

Her high-pitched tone summoned forth a headache he didn't have time for. "I need the cheapest phone you have."

The sales assistant pursed her lips. Seconds ticked by. She eventually ran over to the wall decorated with different mobiles. She pointed to four bulky models. "They range from ten to fifty pounds. Which one would you like?"

Lucious yearned for the end of their conversation so he wouldn't have to take her outside and silence her harpy-like screeches. He wasn't hungry from his recent feeding, but her voice drilled away at his sanity.

He took out two fifty-pound notes from his pocket. "I have informed you of what I need, child."

She scowled. "No need to be a dick, mate."

Lucious scanned the orange interior. The browsing customers had left, and he was alone with this impudent human. He lifted her face, gaining her attention. Her body relaxed once their gazes locked. Being undead had its perks. One of them was an ability to influence weak-willed humans to do his bidding.

A blue glow escaped through his irises, intensifying the effect of his hold. With minute force, her will to fight shattered. Once he was certain of his control, he drew away from her.

"Give me the cheapest one, human. The rest you can put on it as credit."

He handed her the money, and she scurried off, eager to please him. When she returned, he left the store and copied the minimal amount of contacts to his new phone. He took out the battery from his old device and discarded it into the nearest bin. The elders had countless ways of tracking. He wasn't about to give in without a fight.

He dialled the one person he could trust, and his friend answered after the first ring.

"Alexander, it's me."

There was a heavy sigh on the other end. "Where are you?"

He scanned the dark alleys he walked past. "Still in London. I got a new lead."

"Are you insane? The Council wants you captured, and you are strolling through the streets without a care?"

Lucious smirked at his friend's concern. "Don't worry. If this intel is correct, I can finally relax. Anna will have her peace."

"And if it's not and you're caught, what then?" Rapid typing accompanied Alexander's words. "Look, I can get you on a private jet, and you can lie low at my club for a while."

"I can't go. Not yet. What if—"

Alexander cursed. "Come here, and I will track down your new lead myself."

"I have to do this alone. I will meet with you once it is done." Lucious ended the call when he heard the beginning of a furious retort.

Tucking the phone in his back pocket, he headed for his hideout. Over the century, he learned that staying in the same place for long brought nothing but trouble. The elders weren't the only people who wanted him found. He wouldn't be surprised if whoever put him on their radar was someone he had pissed off.

With his vampiric speed, he fleeted through the dark alleys and into a few buildings in case he was followed. Having arrived at his apartment, time continued chipping away at the night's sky.

This is it. He took out the piece of paper that burned a hole in his pocket since he left Phil's office and read the name. His shoulders slumped. It didn't ring a bell. Once everyone close to Anna was scratched off the list, the names became a generic label. What did he expect?

Lucious strode to the fridge, pulled the heavy door open, and took out a beer. He popped the cap off. Taking a swig of the chilled contents, he collapsed on his torn divan to mull things over.

A strange flowery scent encompassed him, invading his mental shields with foreign energy. His right hand tensed around the bottle and the other shot to his aching stomach. He doubled over in pain and slid to the ground. The bottle burst in his firm hold, and he grunted as the glass sliced his hand. Beer mixed with his blood, staining an already dirty rug beneath him.

The stranger's energy retreated, leaving behind a unique connection.

He clambered into a sitting position and rubbed his gut. The pain subsided as fast as it came. He didn't like it. Many vampires swore the Council had witches working for them. The two races didn't see eye to eye at times, but there were a few rogues willing to bend the rules of their community to benefit themselves.

He took out his burner phone and dialled Alexander. Once again, his friend picked up without delay.

"Do you know any witches in my vicinity?" Lucious asked.

"What happened?"

"Something I didn't expect."

Alexander sighed. "Did you get cursed too?"

Lucious burst into laughter. With the way things were turning out today, it wouldn't surprise him if that was their next goal. "No, I am merely being tracked by one."

"I'm glad you have retained your sense of humour, old friend, but it's not the right time for it."

Lucious stood. Eyeing the ruined bottle of beer on the floor, he contemplated whether it was worth uncorking another one. "So, can you help me or not?"

Alexander grumbled something in Russian, and the sound of laptop keys came through the speaker. "Sorry, but the only witch that would aid us is here."

"You're not saying that to get me to come over, are you?" A shuffling noise beyond the door made him halt. This building wasn't well-populated, and he made certain no one lived on the same floor as him. He turned the phone off and slid it into his back pocket. Light on his feet, Lucious edged closer to the door, listening for movement outside.

Upon reaching the door, it burst off its hinges. A split second passed, and he was pinned to the ground by a vampire who was worthy of being a professional wrestler.

A cold, hard object pressed against his side, and he stopped struggling. The hounds carried weaponry with silver ammunition which, in the wrong place, was a death sentence to anyone of their kind.

Today is not a good day.

"Lucious Ellwood, you are hereby ordered to attend your trial tomorrow, and I am here to escort you." The vampire grasped Lucious' throat. "Any attempt to fight me will result in your immediate execution."

Lucious kept most of his body as still as possible. Meanwhile, he used his free hand to search nearby. His fingers found the broken bottle and gripped around the neck.

"Did I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly." Lucious lifted himself and mid-roll plunged the jagged edge straight into the hound's chest. The sound of cracking bone overpowered the loud explosion from the intruder's gun.

A scream tore out of the man's mouth as he scrambled away. His back hit the wall and with trembling hands, he reached for the glass bottle protruding from his ribcage whilst trying to aim his pistol.

Lucious didn't bother to stick around and wait. Where there was one hound, there could be another.

A curse left his lips, and he fled the building. He ran until fatigue swept over him, and his calves burned. There wouldn't be a single place where he would be welcome now that even Alexander heard the news. He was dead meat to the rest of the vampire community.

Lucious leant against the side of an office building and contemplated his next move. He had two choices: abandon his lead and figure out why the elders were after him or stay and try dodging the Council as he continued his search. Neither option appealed to him.

He slammed his fist into the wall, causing uneven red chips of brick to fall. The cut from the bottle had already healed and was replaced by a fresh layer of skin. No other choice remained. For the last time, he drew his phone out of his pocket and sent Alexander a message: 

I'm taking you up on your offer. L