“Well girls we’re heading out for a hot date night. Need anything else before we leave?”

“Yuck dad. Leave before I barf.” Gabbrielle said in a fake sugary sweet tone.

The smile fell from her face as the man turned and left.

“I swear that man’s annoyance is rapidly exceeding his value.”

“Oh, come on. He’s not that bad. An idiot, but not a bad father.” Henrietta giggled.

“I hunger for popcorn. Get me some before your annoyance exceeds the value you bring me.”

With a mock salute, “Righty-ho boss man… or woman I guess.”

Henrietta then left for the kitchen. When she found that the popcorn box was empty, she left for the store to get some. While the punishment for defying Samuel orders would be bad, that would just be physical pain. Her boss was much more imaginative when taking her ire out on others. As for being murdered, that would be a mercy compared to either option. And if she was quick all three options would become less likely.

After several minutes had passed with no sign of Henrietta, Gabrielle went looking for what the holdup was.

When she found the kitchen empty and the back door left open, to say she was displeased would be an understatement.

“That stupid little imp.” Gabrielle gritted out through her teeth.

“I know right.” An electrically distorted emanated from around him.

Gabrielle whipped around to face her attacker while shoving her elbows into their ribs. She felt the ribs give under the strike.

Unfortunately or fortunately depending on which party in this interaction you ask, she turned the wrong way. Destroyed the wrong side of the ribs. She chose left when the masked figure was righthanded, which opened Gabrielle’s back up to a strike.

The knife drove between her spine and skull, skewering the brain afterwards. Smoke blasted out of the entry hole temporarily blinding the killer. Luckily Henrietta was not in the headspace to take advantage of this fact.

Instead…

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“OMG!!!” Henrietta called out from the door, revealing both that the killer had company and where it was.

The masked figure decided that discretion is the better part of valor and ran.

Henrietta chased after him, but eventually lost him.

“F*CK!!!” Henrietta shouted into the void before trudging back to the house dreading the phone call she had to make.

***

We next find our friend group sitting around a campfire in the woods.

“Did everyone ask their parents?” Samuel queried his group.

With a manic grin Henrietta responded, “I asked them real hard.”

“This boy not have any.” Chad grunted.

Eli and Harry both just gave simple nods.

“Good, cause we’re here till Nightfall.” Samuel told the assembled group before continuing. “Now onto our next order of business. Henrietta, I could forgive you for defying orders or letting my wife die, but not both. Did you at least get any information on our attackers?”

“I told you that b*stard was wearing a mask made of silver. You know that my vision couldn’t pierce it.”

” Tsk. I am afraid that is just not good enough.”

“Wait! I can…” Henrietta started before being silenced, and rather permanently at that, by a large red talon piercing through the roof of her mouth. Everyone traced the talon back to its source, well everyone but said source, Samuel.

“Well now with that out of the way. Let’s move onto suspects.” Samuel said with a grin.

“It could be the vamps that go to our hosts’ school. Those wh*res have the knowledge to know what we are, how to hide from us, and how to kill us. It could be that serial killer, the drucula or something. He likes to kill sinners and practically screams something supernatural. Or that magic cop that’s running around. However, I’m thinking something closer to home.”

His eyes panned across the three remaining members of his court, “Every person here knew everything those vamps knew and more. It could have been Cassondra as she was the one with Silith and is the only one to have seen this boogeyman, but my gut tells me no.”

“It could be you Slever, but you’re a sniveling brown noser.” Samael the 5th stated while focused on the aforementioned demon’s physical form, Harry.

“It could be the cowardly nerd, Yellaw.”

“You think I killed my own blood.” Yellaw, aka Eli, interrupted his prince.

Samael’s stare turned to ice, “Two things. First, never dare interrupt me again. I only tolerated you in the past as you were my general’s kin and that is the case no longer. Tread carefully. Secondly, I only brought up the possibility that you did.”

“Now onto my closest friend, Guntar. We have been together since we hatched. I hesitate to even accuse you as simplicity and loyalty were always your defining traits, but all great traitors are the ones you least suspect. Anything to say?” Samael questioned his large friend.

Guntar lifted his head and met Samael’s gaze, “Trust. No trust. Your choice.”

“Well said my friend. Here’s what we are going to do. This guy does not attack in groups, so we split up and each walk in a circle intersecting at camp every hour on the hour. Anyone gets attacked we converge at their location and finish the b*stard off. Anyone not there… well let’s just say you better be there when I get there. Sound good?”

Everyone agreed, even knowing how annoying this was gonna be as they all had the feeling that dissenters would be sent to meet Cassondra in oblivion.