Caius chuckled as he stood in front of the shut door of Alexia’s room. Even with the sound dampening, he could still smell her arousal... he had an almost perfect depiction of her back pressed against the wall.

For a second, he considered knocking on the door to see if she would be able to keep from throwing it open against her ’better judgement’. He eventually decided against doing that as he felt it was best he leave her to her thoughts.

Without fixing the buttons she had popped open, Caius turned away and walked the long way back to his room, his thoughts slipping quickly from that pleasurable moment to much more serious matters.

...

Come morning, Caius’s thoughts were still mostly occupied by the events of the night before and the cruel and aggressive manifestos of the Anti-Vampire Task Force being led by the cold Leonce Duval.

Caius attended two sets of meetings;

One with his Father, Alexia, and a couple of Hellsingers.

The other was with the Leopold Coven which he found his way to later in the day.

The details of both meetings were similar and despite only one side (The Leopolds) being in any actual perceived danger from the Task Force, the tension was essentially the same at both meetings.

Alexia took charge of recounting the events of the Function to Count Lucian Von Helsing, and she seemed especially to find it insidious that, while his guests had been making merry, Leonce Duval had been away, most definitely putting the finishing touches to the destruction of the six families.

"Simply scummy..." she had called it.

Lucian hadn’t been as irate as she at that detail. Caius guessed it was because his father felt that wasn’t a particularly rare thing to do when planning to launch a surprise attack. One must lull their target into a false sense of security and ensure they sense nothing amiss.

If anything, Lucian said he could imagine how much pressure Leonce had been under to ensure the official launch went well.

Because, ultimately, that was what last night had been: the official launch of the Task Force.

The blood of the six families announced to the Capital at large exactly what was coming and while Leonce no longer had surprise on his side, he didn’t need it. Because now he had their attention and whoever was guilty of wrongdoing likely now felt like a fire had been lit under their asses.

When Lucian said all this, he sounded very passive. By his tone, no one would have suspected that he was one of those who should now be feeling that fire under his ass. He acted like he had absolutely nothing to worry about.

To be fair though, Caius acted the same. He kept his worry for the other meeting with the Leopolds where he could much more freely discuss the matter on the ground and the coming danger.

"Oh, but I don’t think any evildoer needs to worry," Alexia said with pursed lips,

"I’m willing to bet my sword that last night’s display was for Leonce to get rid of Nobles he didn’t agree with."

That caused a shift in the room as all eyes were now on Alexia.

"Why do you say that?"

Alexia shrugged.

"A feeling," she said, "Something about the look he got when commoners were mentioned."

"So you think the Task Force is a front to deal with personal grievances," Lucian said with the tip of his fingers touching right above his lips as his deep black eyes regarded his niece.

"It makes sense, doesn’t it?" Alexia said, "I mean, he just happened to find one vampire in each of those six families? He attacked them and not one of them, or their security detail shifted, flashing fangs and claws?"

"They wouldn’t take their Vampires to a Function about hunting Vampires," Ceron, the leader of the High-tier Hellsingers said, "That would be stupid."

It was amazing how well Caius maintained a poker face at that.

"Okay. Maybe you’re right. But I watched the footage of the slaughter and not in even one of those families did a Vampire defend the Estate or Territory.

I’m telling you, they were all human," Alexia insisted.

...

Caius saw sense in Alexia’s words and so did the Leopolds when he relayed it to them. Kerwin Leopold went a step further to suggest that, if Leonce Duval was actually serious about hunting and killing Vampires, he would have turned his Militants on the Leopold Estate.

"He knows nothing," Kyre Leopold agreed.

"All the more reason to be worried, I say," Lyanna said with a deep frown. She had been allowed to sit in the meeting as, like Caius, she had been at the Function. Thanks to her gift, she also might have insights they wouldn’t.

"Hmm?" Kerwin questioned.

"It’s just— If it were a legitimate investigation, just laying low and doing everything we can to assuage suspicion would be enough.

But if Leonce is just going after those he doesn’t like, nothing we do will matter should he turn his sights on us."

"But what could we have done to piss him off?" Meline Leopold asked,

"I doubt our family has crossed his path."

"It might be just enough that you’re Nobles," Caius said in a low voice.

...

What Caius said was mostly him paraphrasing what Alexia had said during the meeting at the Von Helsing Estate;

"It might not even be a precise grievance. If I’m right, then Leonce Duval might have something against Nobility itself.

And such a person has been handed an Imperial Decree arming him to persecute thousands for even the most circumstantial evidence."

Lucian let that sit for a while and then said,

"Don’t jump to conclusions..."

His tone and the way he trailed off, however seemed to suggest an addendum;

"... Until you know more."

At least, that was what Alexia took his words and tone to mean because once the meeting was over, she was out of the Von Helsing Estate, heading to Capital City to truly integrate herself with the region besides just responding to Monster Hunting jobs. Most especially though, she was going to be investigating Leonce Duval as well as the six families who became his victims last night.

The Leopolds were not quite as free.

To investigate Leonce was to risk having his attention directed at them when it might not already be. If they let fear of what may happen trigger them, they could act rashly, revealing themselves to a Task Force whose vampire-hunting mission might not even be legitimate.

•••

Right when she was leaving the Von Helsing Estate, Caius caught up to Alexia.

"Want me to tag along?" He asked her lightly.

She looked to the side at him. Last night’s make-up was gone from her face and she was back to looking as she usually did; Perfect in beauty and with a severity in her eyes that showed she was not to be messed with. Her lips, a light shade of Navy blue turned up in a smirk.

"And you’ll be of any help?" She asked doubtfully, "I dare say I know the Capital more than you do and I’ve only been here two weeks."

That really wasn’t an exaggeration.

"Hmm," Caius said, "Are you sure that’s the only reason you’d object to me coming with?"

"Please," Alexia said and turned her face away from him before he saw the barest traces of a flush to creep up her face,

"You overestimate your effect on me. I just don’t want you slowing me down."

"Huh uh," Caius said and let out a wistful sigh, "Oh what I would give to see if your words ring true and come along anyway. Alas, I have an appointment."

"Then why even ask to come with at all?" Alexia asked, sounding a bit annoyed like something had been dangled in front of her only to be snatched at the last second.

"Why indeed," Caius said with a teasing smile and without a definite answer.

Alexia glared at him and then rolled her eyes before walking away. She was in a carriage soon and driving out as Caius just watched her leave, his smile still on his face.