Feverish skin connected to Ghost's lips as he pressed them to Pyre's throat. It was a bad idea to take blood from him in his condition, but without it, Stone and he would not win against the dhampir twins, at least not quickly enough to save Pyre. Ghost would try and flee with Pyre, but he did not know what powers the dhampirs possessed. If they had a means to follow, it would risk his master and his house. The best he could do was take as little blood as possible. The press of his fangs on Pyre's throat with intent resulted in light magic stabbing into his shoulder, the blade stopping only when Ghost did. 
"Bite me and I kill you, vampire," Pyre whispered into Ghost's ear, his mouth already there from Ghost's position. 
If they were all to live, Ghost had to make a wager here that he didn't like. To bet that Pyre wouldn't kill him even if he said he would. It was not a good one, he knew, but it was all he had. Ghost sheathed his fangs in Pyre's throat with a quick movement, and Pyre did the same with the blade of light through his chest from the back, just a hair from his heart. 
Blood flowed onto Ghost's tongue, strong, rich, and laced with Pyre's hostile light magic. It was only his throat's reflex to swallow that had him drinking any of it, because he was too afraid to move as Pyre held the blade within a jerk of carving Ghost's heart out. With a trembling jaw, Ghost sealed his lips on Pyre's neck and gave a soft pull that filled his mouth. When Pyre didn't immediately kill him, Ghost relaxed as much as he could and drank slowly. Pyre didn't have much to give with his injury, and his face fell on Ghost's shoulder as he passed out, the blade dissipating as he did so. 
Afraid he'd harm Pyre further, Ghost withdrew his fangs and leaned Pyre against the wall so he wouldn't fall face first onto the alleyway ground. Just a brush of his fingers on Pyre's forehead had his fingers blazing, and he hated that he'd taken the rest of Pyre's strength so that they could win. Ghost slid his hand down his arm for his magic, activating the spell as he carefully inserted a small metal pin into Pyre's good outstretched arm. It was a totem to link their power. 
This was needed to win, or he'd sooner waste away than take from Helia's father. 
Ghost stood and Stone joined him in circling the dhampirs with renewed conviction to end this. The first flakes of Alev's light magic hit Ghost, and he was careful to emulate only Pyre's magic as the spell pulled his essence from his blood. Taking more than that and looking into Pyre's mind would be a betrayal of the little trust they'd fostered. Pyre was a private and proud man, and Ghost could not touch that sacred space, even if it would save them. 
Ghost would not do that to Pyre, not as he had to Asmodeus de Fleur. That simple action, taking Asmodeus blood, stealing his mind and soul to infiltrate the Fleurs, had crushed both the man he'd stolen from and the master he'd fooled. It had been years, and the Fleurs were not the same as they had been. Ghost could not hurt Pyre or Helia in that manner. Rodney was a face changer who could copy, but Ghost could steal souls, and every theft came with a price.
The dhampirs changed pace as soon as they saw that the snow no longer affected Ghost, but Vice gave them no time to regroup. This had to end now. Ghost rushed Agni where he balanced on a second-floor ledge to best utilize his chains, throwing the dhampir off guard as he ducked and darted to slip past them. As soon as Agni realized they were too close to utilize his chain weapon, he dropped it to the ground for short blades that he had holstered to his side. Most kept a pair of mage-forged blades for situations just like this, but Ghost had no intention of fighting him, only keeping his attention up and ready to fight what was in front of him.
 Just as Ghost dropped on Agni with his deadly light magic in hand, he vanished. It was a skill only Vice possessed, the ability to funnel his magic into the void through Stone's connection and make him truly invisible. Decades of training had taught him to be silent, swift, and lethal. With no magic, nor any mage weapons to give away his position, he truly faded from existence.
Agni swung around with a barrage of dark moons to keep Ghost from striking at him white concealed, but Ghost had already dove straight for the ground. They needed only seconds, and Alev had raised light shields the moment Stone had disappeared with Ghost. Light magic only blocked dark, and with Pyre's blood flowing though his veins and his magic off in the void, Vice was truly a ghost. Slipping behind Alev was simple enough, as was positioning his useless metal blade, and only at the last moment of his strike, did Ghost fill the blade with dark magic and slice open Alev's throat. 
The scent of Alev's blood flew Agni down to his brother in an instant, and Ghost jumped away to Stone as they put Pyre at their back and remained at the ready. Ghost's dark magic had cut deep into a man who could only wield the light, but he hadn't struck to kill the dhampir, only wound him enough that they'd leave. Killing Alev would only have renewed Agni's vigor and bloodlust, and Ghost had no intention of drawing more ire down on the Sols nor drawing this fight out further.
Tears filled Alev's eyes as he struggled to breathe, showing that he was not suited for such conflict. The dhampirs had thought hunting down Pyre fun because it was an easy fight, but once faced with a real opponent, they showed their true colors. Even full grown as they were, they were nothing but sheltered children, dhampirs who had been forced to hide their entire life just to survive. If Riff was to be believed, they had no intention of attacking Talamayas, and killing unfortunate creatures who'd suffered like Stone and he had gave Vice no pleasure. Agni cradled his brother against his chest as he cast transportation magic to take them home, and Ghost did not regret letting them leave as they sank into the magic.
Vice wasted no time in going to Pyre's side, and Stone removed his shirt in an instant to tie Pyre's arm tight so that they could lift him for the transportation spell. Each second, he counted Pyre's breaths to make sure he was still alive, and he prayed that the man breathed for many more years to come. Stone reached into the void for a spell that could break through Talamayas' anti-magic, but the cries of the dead made him feel uneasy about Pyre's condition. Surely the lullaby of the lost wouldn't lull Pyre to them, but the eerie tune gave no one comfort. 

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Word Count : 1774