Let's get to it

Carmen's grandfather tightened his grip around the neck of the vampire he held suspended in the air, his voice as cold as death. "I will ask one final time. Where. Is. Carmen?"

The vampire, who I now recognized as Sydney's father, let out a choked gasp, his face turning an unhealthy shade of red as he struggled to free himself from the unyielding grasp.

His legs flailed in the air, and his eyes darted wildly around the room, searching for an escape. But there was none. Carmen's grandfather had him, and no amount of strength or cunning would break free from his grasp.

Sydney's mother, standing frozen beside the scene, watched with wide, terrified eyes, her hands trembling at her sides.

She clearly wasn't used to being on the receiving end of fear, but seeing her husband powerless in the clutches of someone stronger sent a wave of panic over her face. The arrogance she'd worn like a mask had slipped away completely.