The night was silent and heavy with tension as Ezra, Olivia, Gen, and Natalia approached the clearing in the woods outside First City.


    They were getting closer to the secluded bunker that served as the Maguire coven''s hideout.


    After their attack on the coven a week back, the coven had gone to ground. It had taken Natalia''s resources to track them to their current location.


    The bunker was a fortress of reinforced concrete, designed to keep intruders out and its secrets safe. Tonight, it would be breached.


    As they neared the entrance, Natalia held a hand and they stopped. Ezra frowned. The woman had taken control of the operation and as she was the most powerful vampire present and a representative of Griffin''s authority, Ezra couldn''t protest.


    "You don''t need me for this now, do you?" She asked, raising an elegantly sculpted eyebrow.


    "No we don''t." Ezra said stepping forward. "We''ll take care of this ourselves."


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    "Good." Natalia nodded. "Olivia can sing her song from here. You two would be the sword for this operation. Remember. No killing. Capture only.


    Count Griffin wants to interrogate them personally."


    Ezra eyed the woman before nodding. It wouldn''t be that hard. When fighting vampires, everything was fair game except the heart.


    Vitality floated at the edge of his peripheral vision and he turned sharply to see a form vanishing. "Delh." He growled.


    "They already know we''re here." Gen eyed where the astral projection had been with a savage grin. "This means they have time to prepare. This will be fun."


    "Doesn''t matter." Ezra nodded to Olivia. "The oue will still be the same."


    At his nod, Olivia began to sing softly, her voice weaving through the night like a ghostly melody. Tiny waves of red, green and blue suffused the entire area. Now, the Maguire coven won''t be able to teleport away.


    The vitality in her voice resonated with the air and the trees around them, casting an invisible that trapped their enemies in ce. She had enough fine control of her song to leave Ezra and Gen out of the effects.


    With a nod, Ezra turned away. Beside him, Gen stalked like a hungry lion, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of movement. As they reached the heavy steel door, they could feel the tension crackling in the air.


    "Get ready," Ezra whispered, his voice barely audible over Olivia''s melody. He ced his hands on the door and pushed. After a few seconds, he confirmed his suspicions.


    The fortress was custodian made. Ordinary vampires couldn''t get in by using their strength.


    He removed a hand from the door, leaving just one in ce. Darkness cascaded out of his arms, seeping into the super tiny space where the door rested on its frame.


    The door was a foot thick but it still had to be opened. His darkness quickly epassed the door. He took hold of his vitality and infused it with the darkness. The darkness solidified thinly over the door.


    With a flex, Ezra began pushing using the darkness. The vitality fueled strength of his darkness pushed the door, making it emit tiny squeaks.


    After a few minutes, the door gave way and fell down with a huge crash. With the door gone, they could see a long, dark hallway.


    With a nod, Ezra waved and they slipped inside. The bunker waspletely dark as they moved through the narrow corridors. Olivia''s song continued to fill the space, a constant reminder of their n.


    They finally reached the central chamber, where Lucien and his three wives, Delh, Marissa, and Isolde, stood waiting at different points.


    Lucien''s eyes glowed with a mixture of fury and determination, as he red at them. Delh and Marissa, who could teleport, were visibly straining against Olivia''s song, their powers rendered useless.


    "You caught us off guardst time. This time, we''re ready for you." Delh spat from where she stood.


    "You think you can trap us here?" Lucien snarled, his voice echoing through the chamber. "You''re fools to challenge us here."


    Ezraughed as he stepped forward. "We''re not here to trap you, Lucien Maguire. We''re here to end this... rtionship between us."


    Before Lucien could respond, Gen''s web thwapped and dragged her in the blink of an eye. Shended in front of Isolde, knowing that she was the weakest of the vampires in the Maguire coven at the second ring.


    Marissa tried to defend herself, but Gen was the more experienced vampire. Her speed and ferocity were overwhelming. With a swift, brutal strike, Gen decapitated her, removing her from the fight.


    Lucien roared in anger, his fists crackling with fire as he charged at Ezra. But Olivia''s song grew louder, more intense, and he faltered, his powers flickering and weakening under the song.


    Delh cursed. Desperate to escape, she attempted to teleport, only to be met with the crushing reality of Olivia''s soung binding her in ce.


    Genughed as she surged forward, engaging Marissa in a fierce duel. The weakened Marissa fought back with everything she had, but Gen''s battle lust proved too much.


    Within moments, Isolde was quartered, leaving only Lucien and Delh, who were fighting Ezra, standing.


    Lucien, realizing the tide had turned against him,unched a desperate attack at Ezra. Ezra was ready, sidestepping the blow and countering with a strike of his own.


    Delh disengaged and turned to meet Gen. The two shed fiercely, their movements a deadly dance of strength and skill.


    Ezra twisted out of the way of a pir of fire. His darkness shot out, grabbed Lucien''s legs and pulled. Lucien crashed to the floor and Ezra grinned as he kicked the downed vampire.


    Lucien quickly rolled to his feet. He emitted white light which sank into his skin. In a moment, he disappeared from view.


    "Using your chameleon, huh?" Ezra chuckled. "Smart."


    With a twist, his tail erupted from the base of his spine and coiled around an invisible object. With a yank, Lucien faded into view, missing his head. His body stood for a few moments, before sinking to its knees.


    His neck bubbled, trying to regenerate but Ezra knew he was down. It usually took time for heads to regenerate.


    Delh, seeing her husband defeated, let out a cry of despair and fury. Gen took advantage of the momentary distraction and in a moment, Delh was subdued.


    Ezra stood, surveying the site of the battle. "Hmmn. Less damage this time."


    He took his phone out to call thedies waiting outside. It was time to secure the prisoners.


    As the call went through, Olivia''s song finally faded, the silence that followed filled with a sense of victory.


    They had struck a significant blow against the Silent Hand, but the fight was not yet over. There was still much to be done.