"......." Vincent was silent as he heard that.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"...Kalin is missing?" he asked her.

"And you suspect it's because of the close friendship you two have?" he asked further.

"......I see." he then said, Desiree being able to tell he was boiling inside with rage.

"Then we'll have to DO something about that, won't we?" he suggested.

"Such as finding Kalin and making those that took her regret ever making that decision."

Vincent just shook his head.

"That plan is extremely risky." he told her.

"So much can go wrong with it." he continued, having calmed down a smidgen, and it was replaced with concern for her safety and wellbeing.

"....surely there's a better way." he said further.

"What would this plan be, anyway?" he then asked.

"Have you thought that far into it?"

Vincent crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes. He was still seething mad, but Desiree could tell that he was internalising it with everything he had at the moment.

".....hm." he mumbled.

"It's almost impossible to make some sort of plan, when we don't know anything about our foes." he commented. "We don't know how they think, what their decision-making process is, what sort of internal hierarchy system they have, or what sort of equipment they're outfitted with." he continued.

"Sadly, hunters like them have evolved over time, and we don't know if they have something that can... say, see through a glamour disguise." he went on.

"That would make it pointless to put a 'decoy you' out in public to be captured as a trojan horse." he continued further.

"And, assuming Kalin HAS been caught by the hunters, we don't know how far in their plans she has a presence. Are we on a set timer right now, or do necessary conditions need to be met?" he went on, gritting his teeth and strengthening his own grip on his arms.

"...damn it all." he growled.

"What we need is someone that knows how they think."

Vincent stopped and thought for a moment.

"....true." he said. "Dominico may have some insight into this." he agreed.

"Perhaps I need to pay him a bit of a visit..." he said further, more quietly this time.

"Regardless, I appreciate you telling me this." he then told her. "I'm glad you didn't try and hide it from me, or wait, or anything like that." he continued.

"Don't worry, we'll find her."

"....." Vincent was silent as Desiree left.

He then brought up his phone, and sent a text to Sydney.

We need to talk. it read.

More specifically, someone needs to talk to Dominico about the hunters that have shown up. he then sent.

It would seem that Kalin has gone missing, and they are prime suspects. he continued to send.

He may have insight on them. he finished, giving Sydney time to read and process, before responding. He didn't want to inundate her with texts, after all.

"......." Dom was silent as he heard that.

"......what?" he asked.

"Are you... serious?" he asked her.

Sydney was silent and just nodded.

"Oh lord..." he muttered. "Oh, no. This... this isn't good." he said.

"I didn't think they'd go as far as THAT." he muttered. "That... yes, that's... actually a very real possibility." he told her. "May even be probable." he added.

"....hmmmmm." he then mumbled.

"Odds are she's still alive, though." he then said.

"They're serious, but they're single-minded." Dom replied.

"If I were to wager a guess, she might be a pawn for them to use, if they captured her." he said.

"If she's connected to Desiree or Jaden, then it strengthens that argument." he went on.

"I can't guarantee she's alive, or if she IS still alive, how much longer that will be for, but there IS a chance." he went on.

"We need to find them, and we need to do it NOW." he reasoned.

He then leaned back and looked to seriously be contemplating something.

"......" Dom continued to be silent for a moment, before he suddenly shook his head.

"Huh?" he muttered.

"Wait... wait, wait, wait." he said.

"Hold on a tic." he went on.

"Desiree's a vampire!?"

"I... I see." Dom replied.

"Well, given the circumstances, that makes sense." he said.

"Proof of love." he added with a small smile.

"But that really flies under the radar, though." he added. "I didn't even smell that she was a vampire." he admitted. "I smelled her mana, and her hunter trait." he went on.

"...and something else." he then added.

"But I'm not at liberty to speak about that, I don't think."

"...ahhh, I see." Dom responded.

"That does make sense." he said.

"Explains a lot, too." he added, before sighing.

"....and if the band IS aware she's a vampire, it makes sense why they're targeting her." he then reasoned.

"But if they know SHE'S a vampire, would they know Jaden's a dhampir?" he wondered aloud.