Smoke coiled around his living room as his father drew his lit cigar back to his lips.  Asher noticed the man’s bruised knuckles, how he was missing one finger on his right hand.  Long ago, a monstrous vampire bit it clean off when his father attempted to steal his fangs.  At least, that’s what he told Asher all those years ago.

“If you ever need my help, reach out to me.  I’ll come, no matter what.” Mr. Odowix blew another puff of smoke into the air.

“Why didn’t you come here in the first place about his job?” Asher asked.

“I was tied up with a hunt.  You know how it is,” he replied.  “That’s why I needed your help with Sebastian.  That bloodsucker outsmarted all our vampire hunters so far, but you’re different from them.  You know how to strategize.”

“Mmh.” Asher nodded, unsure of how else to respond.  “Was it also because it’d be harder to track me, considering my illegal status?  I’m basically a ghost here.”

“You’re not an official hunter, so the other council members won’t suspect you. That’s part of why you’re the perfect man for this job.” Mr. Odowix smiled. “You’ve been in a slump lately and I think a challenge like this will ignite that spark back in you.”

“Spark? It’s not like I’m a firefly,” Asher scoffed. “Is this what you think of when hunting? Challenges? A fun sport?”

Something dark crossed Mr. Odowix’s face. “Well, what do you consider it?”

“A job.” 

Duke sprung from his lap, eagerly padding over to the front door, wagging his tail. Morning sunlight pooled in from his closed curtains when realization struck him like a death curse. 

Asher masked his shock as he rose from his couch and fetched his coat. “I’m just going to take Duke out real quick. It’s his usual potty time.”

Mr. Odowix nodded. “I’ll be heading out here shortly as well. I appreciate you letting me crash overnight.”

Asher smiled. “Of course, Dad. You’re always welcome in my home. You know that.”

Cold wind crept through Asher’s bones as Duke merrily trudged down the porch toward the icy lawn. Amid the skeletal trees, a familiar vampire bat swept down to them but before Asher had a chance to warn Sebastian, footsteps creaked behind him. 

“Asher?” Mr. Odowix called out. 

On impulse, Asher conjured a hex at poor Sebastian before he transformed. A block of ice encased the vampire bat. Asher tensed up as Duke sniffed at the frozen bat and hurried to snatch him up, stuffing poor Sebastian down into his coat’s inner pocket. 

“You alright?” His father crossed the snowy lawn, coming up behind him. 

“Just a damn snow rat startled us.” Asher forced a chuckle. “ I hexed the poor bastard and it fled into the woods.” 

“You be careful out here, okay?” Me. Odowix patted his back. “I’m heading out, but I’ll try to drop by and bring breakfast or something again.”

“Sounds good, Dad.”

Once Asher moseyed back into his cabin, he resealed his barriers and double checked that his father was truly gone. Only then did he pluck out the magically encased Sebastian-icicle. 

“Crystal balls, what have I done to you, Sebastian?” Asher gripped the icy block in his hand, which hadn’t even melted the slightest. His magic kept it frozen solid. “Please, forgive me.”

Asher gently placed the frozen bat upon his coffee table with the lit candles, praying it would help to thaw him out. The hex he used did not have an immediate remedy. It typically lasted until the next nightfall, but Asher didn’t wish to keep him confined that long. Sebastian had his clinic with vampires who depended on him and Asher feared someone might come searching for him if he didn’t return. 

As he paced his living room, Asher pondered over spells to help modify his hex. Those kinds of spells weren’t his specialty but he acted purely on a whim, not even thinking of the consequences. He just couldn’t let his father see Sebastian. 

The vampire would’ve faced a far frightening fate, perhaps even death. 

Duke stared at Sebastian on the table, whimpering softly. He rested a paw on the table near him. 

The candles’ flames did nothing to melt the magical icicle that imprisoned Sebastian. Part of Asher had hoped it might help. He needed someone who specializes in fixing hexes or maybe even a fire mage. 

Memories flooded back to him of Sebastian’s vampire buddy who’d just turned recently. Castor Vale. He was a fire wizard. 

“I think I know who can help us.” Asher tucked Sebastian’s frozen bat in his coat. “Let’s just hope your buddy doesn’t roast me to death for doing this to you.”

Asher plunged back out into the blustering cold with his loyal husky in tow. They climbed in Asher’s jeep and he cranked up the heat before driving through Nevermourn’s snowy mountain terrain to town. 

Every so often he checked on Sebastian, hoping that the heat would melt a little of the ice. It didn’t. 

Nerves churned in the pit of Asher’s stomach as he drove into Nevermourn’s town. Fog swarmed him like an army of ghosts when he reached the clinic. Asher wished he didn’t need to step inside. The thought of entering that blood bank brought goosebumps to his arms. 

However, he sucked it up and braced himself for the worst. He brought Duke with him, hoping his companion would help keep the vampires away. As they made their way toward the entrance, Duke growled but Asher gently calmed him. 

“Um, hello.” Asher greeted the vampire nurse behind the desk. 

She smiled at him, casting a worrisome glance down at his dog. “Can I help you with something? Are you here to donate blood?”

“I’m actually looking for someone. Castor Vale.”

The nurse tilted her head, suspicion crossing her crimson eyes as she pointed down the hallway. “He was helping with some patients. Just be careful. One of them was a binge drinker. Better yet, wait here and I’ll grab him for you.” She sprung from her seat. “If anyone comes in, just direct them to a waiting room.”

Asher frowned. “Yeah, okay.”

Once the nurse descended down the hallway, he plucked Sebastian from his pocket, grimacing. He quickly stuffed him back when he heard the nurse and Castor’s voices mingle coming up the hall. 

“What do you want?” Castor asked, crimson eyes seeming to burn through his soul. 

Asher gulped. “It’s about Sebastian. I need to speak to you privately. If that’s okay?” 

Asher didn’t want to come off as demanding, knowing how vampires hated that. They loved to be in control. 

“Has something happened?” Castor’s menacing glare morphed into genuine fear. “Did your hunting buddies get to him?”

“Almost,” Asher admitted. “I can explain more but-“

“Come on.” Castor gestured for him to follow, leading him into an unoccupied room. Once he shut them in, he reclined against the door. “Now, tell me what the fuck is really going on.”

“Sebastian arrived just as my father was leaving my home. I couldn’t let him see Sebastian. So I, uh, panicked.” Asher eased poor frozen Sebastian from his coat, biting on his trembling lip. 

“Gods.” Castor pinched the bridge of his nose. “You hexed him? Why didn’t you undo it?”

“I can’t.” Asher shook his head. “The hex only fades after so many hours unless fire magic combats it. I can only fix things after those hours have passed.”

“Hells bells.” Castor conjured a fireball into his palm, letting the flames flicker a moment. “Hold him tight, okay? Keep your hands close to his face. If I’m not careful, I could accidentally burn him.”

“This won’t hurt him, will it?” Asher asked uneasily.

“No, he’ll be fine as long as you hold tightly.”

As instructed, Asher gripped the frozen ice block and steeled himself for the powerful burst of magical flames to course through it. He grit his teeth, strengthening his hold as he felt the ice slowly melt against his fingertips. 

Sebastian stirred in his hands, and before Asher had a chance to place him somewhere safe, the bat grew. It startled him so suddenly that he instinctively flung poor Sebastian at Castor, who narrowly missed catching him. He crashed onto the floor mid-transformation. 

“Son of a bitch,” Sebastian grunted as he pulled himself off the ground. “Why the fuck did you throw me like that?”

Asher tensed. “I’m sorry, you frightened me! I didn’t expect you to try turning so soon.”

“You froze me for almost an hour!” Sebastian rubbed at his temples. “Damn brain freeze.”

“Sebastian, I’m sorry. I really am.” Asher bowed his head in shame. 

Asher glanced up upon feeling Sebastian rustle his fingers through his hair. The vampire’s piercing crimson eyes met his. He looked exhausted and partly like he wished to rip his throat out. 

“It’s okay. I forgive you.” Sebastian gently pulled back. “You did that to keep your father from seeing me. I appreciate that. You could have ratted me out to your hunting buddies but you didn’t. But please, next time, find a better solution other than freezing me.”

“Of course.”

“Why the hell were you back in Nevermourn?” Castor raised a curious brow at his friend. 

“We’re investigating those murders together,” Sebastian said, as if that explained everything. 

“Well, I was meaning to tell you. I read more through that spell book last night,” Asher admitted. “There’s somewhere I think we ought to check out. The author mentions it a lot, and by flying, it’s not very far.”

Sebastian nodded. “Sure. What place is it?”

“It’s an abandoned hospital,” Asher explained. “Apparently, vampires were experimented on often there by hunters and I’m thinking maybe one of those hunters from then could still be around.”

“Stay the hell away from that place, Asher. Do you hear me?” Sebastian glowered, with traces of malice in his tone. “It’s not safe.”

Asher reeled on his feet, taken aback by such a cold response. What was hiding in that old hospital?