Elizabeth's voice was calm but urgent as she ushered Sarah and Damien toward the door. "Palmer will probably need your help with whatever is happening at the estate. You both should go to him."
Sarah hesitated, her brow furrowed with worry. "But what about you? It's not safe here. Can't you come with us?"
Elizabeth shook her head, her smile gentle but firm. "It's fine. Those creatures won't be coming anytime soon." She gave them a gentle push toward the door, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Go. Hurry."
Sarah glanced back, her expression torn. "Don't do anything rash… We'll be right back," she said, her voice tinged with unease.
Elizabeth chuckled softly, her eyes glimmering with nostalgia. "Oh my, you remind me so much of Suzanne. Now, hurry along. I'll be fine." She waved them off, her figure growing smaller in the rearview mirror as the car sped away.
Back at the Montgomery estate, chaos reigned.
Lilith rose to her feet with languid grace, the stake impaled in her chest seeming like little more than a minor inconvenience. With a sickening squelch, she pulled it free, tossing it aside like a broken toy. Her cells began to reform instantly, the gaping wound in her chest sealing itself with an almost audible hum. She brushed a strand of silver-streaked hair from her face, her dark red eyes glowing with predatory amusement.
"Big bro Elias," she purred, her voice dripping with mock hurt. "This isn't the best way to greet your little sister after all these years. How awful." She pouted, her lips curling into a cruel smile. "And I thought big brothers were supposed to protect their cute little sisters."
Her eyes narrowed, and dark vein-like patterns spread beneath her skin, pulsing with an eerie crimson light. "Maybe if I eliminate every one of these pests," she said, her gaze flicking to Kael, "you'll come back home nicely." Her smile widened, revealing sharp, glistening fangs. "Starting with that hot one over there!"
In a blur of motion, Lilith lunged at Kael, her speed so fast that the air crackled in her wake. Kael barely had time to react, his vampire instincts kicking in as he sidestepped her initial strike.
Kael countered with a swift kick aimed at her ribs, but Lilith twisted mid-air, her body contorting unnaturally to avoid the blow. She landed gracefully, her movements almost feline, and retaliated with a spinning kick of her own. The force of the impact sent Kael skidding backward, his boots carving grooves into the ground.
Before he could recover, Lilith was on him again, her claws slashing through the air like blades. Kael blocked with his forearms, but Lilith's strength was overwhelming. With a snarl, she grabbed his arm and twisted, the sickening sound of bones snapping filling the air.
Ivy appeared in a flash, her movements a blur of silver and crimson. She drove a stake toward Lilith's heart, but the younger vampire caught it mid-thrust, her grip unyielding. With a flick of her wrist, she snapped the stake in two and backhanded Ivy with enough force to send her crashing into a nearby wall. The impact left a crater in the stone, dust and debris raining down around her.
Lilith turned her attention back to Kael, who had just healed his broken hand. "Hoh, how interesting," she mused, her voice dripping with mockery.
She lunged again, her claws aimed at his throat, but Kael ducked and swept her legs out from under her. Lilith flipped mid-fall, landing on her feet with inhuman agility. Before Kael could press his advantage, she vanished, reappearing behind him in an instant. Her claws sank into his back, tearing through flesh and muscle with brutal efficiency.
Ivy recovered quickly, her eyes blazing with fury. She launched herself at Lilith, her movements a whirlwind of strikes and feints. The two vampires clashed in a flurry of blows, their speed and strength making it almost impossible to follow their movements. Lilith, however, was clearly toying with them. She dodged Ivy's attacks with ease, her laughter ringing out like a chilling melody.
She grabbed Ivy by the throat and slammed her into the ground, the impact cracking the earth beneath them. "Thanks for the meal," Lilith said, her voice a sultry whisper as she bared her fangs, ready to drain Ivy of her blood.
Kael, despite his injuries, charged at Lilith again, his movements fueled by desperation. But before he could reach her, she snapped his neck with a casual flick of her wrist. His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless. "Don't interfere."
Ivy lay weak on the ground, her strength fading as Lilith drained her blood. The younger vampire's eyes glistened with joy as she savored every drop, her hunger insatiable. Kael and Kole lay unconscious nearby, their bodies broken. Valen, still struggling to regenerate, could only watch helplessly as the Montgomery household teetered on the brink of collapse.
For the first time in centuries, the Montgomery estate tasted defeat.