Johnny was in a daze.

He'd left the demigoddesses in the room, not that he had a choice, and had hurried up the stairs into another corridor. This one was plain, compared to the other one; too plain. Plain brick walls, plain wooden floor, small plain lamps every few feet. It was like a whole other universe here.

The corridor ended in a doorway on the other side there was a room, and this time there were windows looking towards a vast, dark ocean. It was still night time, Johnny noted and his heart sank. Hadn't he heard somewhere before that the creatures of the night were stronger… in the night? Seriously, how was he supposed to face a bunch of literally irresistible vampires that were out for blood—for his blood!

No, if not for me at least I'll do it for her.

And somehow that simple thought gave him the courage to walk tall and proud into the room. He'd been right about one thing. He had to face those vampires. And apparently he had to face them now.

Four pairs of blood red eyes turned toward him and he instantly felt the power of their gaze. Nu-uh, the voice from before was saying cheerfully. You ain't getting this chump, ladies. Since they were hoping to have him mesmerized, which he wasn't, it was a great surprise and shock to them when he started walking slowly around the room towards them. He looked surer of himself than he actually felt.

Please don't attack me, please don't attack me, please don't attack me…

"Well, let's see if I remember correctly," he said in a loud, joyous tone that gave you the feeling he was the one with the upper hand. He most definitely wasn't but who knows, maybe these vampire chicks were dumb enough to be fooled. Johnny knew from personal experience that girls would often surprise you… "Krissi, right?" he said and pointed a finger at the girl who'd brought him here. She was so mad that her hair twirled and twisted as if it were real fire. Her eyes were flashing with anger and a killing intent. "And… her posy," he finished and some of the vampires stood up, heading for him.

"I told them we should've locked you in with the demigoddesses," one of them said and raised her hand to strike a blow…

"A-a-a! Wait just one second," he said in a hurry and that made her stop just long enough for him to start talking. "I come in good faith, okay?"

"You know what; I think I might kill you just now. Sisters?" Krissi was giving him a hard time. Come on! He gritted his teeth and willed himself to will them to listen…

"Wait for just one damn second!" he said loudly. "I just want to tell you that killing or confining me would be a major mistake on your part."

"And why is that?" Krissi's eyes studied him for a moment. For a moment he felt naked and exposed, and vulnerable. It sucked...

"Well because," he started. And then he remembered something from earlier. Tell them who you are and they'll be yours. "You seriously don't know who I am?"

It seemed to confuse Krissi for a moment. "Who you are?"

"Yeah," Johnny said, trying to waste as much time as possible. He was slowly moving towards the couch and when he reached it he sat down theatrically. He looked at the girls and smiled. "Ever heard of Charlie's Angels?"

The vampires were baffled. They stared at him in disbelief—either he was the biggest sucker in the world who was just begging to be killed, or he was someone powerful, important or both. But they nodded, against all odds. They did know of Charlie's Angles.

"Well, they call me Charlie."

The room was as big as the one they kept the demigoddesses in. Johnny was sitting in the middle couch. There was a long tea table in front of him and on it there were all kinds of raw meat, Carpaccio's and sushi. There were also several bottles of red wine. These girls know how to eat… for vampires, I mean. But Johnny focused. He was on a rescue mission. He had to save the pretty girl from downstairs and free his father's (wait, he might not really be his father)—Dionysus's—followers and then run the hell away from here.

He was hyperactive and his concentration wasn't a strong point but when his eyes saw a knife, he started plotting with every single brain cell how to get to it without being noticed. Now that he had the vampires' attention things might go smoother than he first thought.

"You mind pouring me a glass," he nodded at one of the bottles and the girl scowled at him before she poured him some. He tried it. It was divine.

Wait a second, what was he doing?! Wine? Really? Well, it was true that he had a thing for alcohol, wine in particular, but it wasn't the time for that. That wasn't how he'd get the knife… was it?

Oh, stop whining and enjoy the fucking wine, boy, the voice in his head was saying, taste it, try it as a real wine expert, make sure they see every move you make. You know wine better than anyone. Feel it, have it, use it!

Feel it, have it, use it.

Johnny felt something stirring in the bottom of his stomach. When it reached the top of his head and the tips of his fingers he took the glass closer and closer to his mouth… he sipped. And suddenly, instinctively, he knew what to do.

With a sharp movement he twisted the glass and the wine went in the face of three of the vampires. He heard hissing, cries of pain and… was that sizzling? No—no time now. He bent down and reached for the knife just as the other vampire was jumping for him, fangs first. He turned and lifted his hand, thrusting the knife in her chest, all the way to her heart. His eyes were wide with horror and excitement when she exploded into golden smoke. Then he heard another burst and turned to see one of the vampires had become golden dust, wet with wine. The other two were screaming and cursing and hissing and it was so loud and so piercing and so outright scary, that Johnny found himself stepping back in disgust and fear.

What the hell was wrong with them!? Was that the wine? Had he done that?! No time to think about that now. He leaned forward and quickly grabbed two bottles. He looked at the vampires covered in some sort of golden liquid, and smoking from the wine. (How did it work like acid on them? And how were they drinking it then? Johnny's mind was whirling. He was a total mess right now but he had to save the girls from downstairs.

"Hey! Krissi!" he shouted, trying to get her to hear him over her wailing and cries of agony. He felt almost guilty having to do this. "Hey! Tell me how to put down the wards of the rooms."

"May you… rot in Tartarus for all of eternity," she spar out and finished with a… swear?—at least Johnny thought it was a swear—in ancient Greek.

"Tell me now and I'll make the pain go away!" Johnny shouted and another vampire burst into a golden cloud. Krissi screamed in pain and her bloodshot eyes went from the golden puff to Johnny and back.

"Make it… go… away," she pleaded with something like a roar. Johnny shook his head.

"Tell me now!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" she screamed and fell to the ground, her body was convulsing uncontrollably and for a second Johnny felt like he was the worst monster in the world. The other vampire turned to gold as well and now there was just Krissi, wailing and crying and screaming. Johnny looked around and found… a vase with flowers. He took the flowers out and then as fast as he could, he poured the water over Krissi.

The sizzling and smoking stopped and so did the convulsions. Her eyes were wide with relief and the lack of pain seemed almost hypnotic to her. For a moment her eyes flashed in purple but then they became red again. and this time they were filling with a translucent golden liquid. Johnny knew, he didn't know how but he knew, those were tears.

"Th-thank… you," she whispered and sighed. She closed her eyes for a moment and then she looked at Johnny.

"It's… a brother of mine who put the wards. He's on the second floor right now plotting," she said quietly. Johnny was overwhelmed, he didn't have to torture her to get the information he wanted!

Thank god, he thought. Gods, you numbskull! There's obviously more than one!, the voice conveniently corrected. Johnny nodded to himself and stretched his hand out to Krissi. She just looked at him in disbelief.

"Take me to him. We have to get him to remove the wards," Johnny said.

"We? You killed four of my sisters in less than an hour, you splashed me with poison and now you want me to help you free the prisoners I've worked so hard to catch?"

Johnny pursed his lips. Yeah. It was a pretty good summary of the events so far. He nodded carelessly and waved at her to catch his hand.

"Yes. And you will help me because I saved you from the wine and you were the one who attacked me in the first place. You pretty much brought this onto yourself, lady," he said and she stared at him. Yeah, it was a better summary of the events. She had nothing to say and she just took his hand and he helped her to her feet.

He didn't need to say anything else. The silent glance exchange was enough. She could see the two bottles of wine in his hands. He definitely had the upper hand now. She just waved for him to follow.

They were on the stairs when a bunch of vampires and a couple of guys ran down in the opposite direction. Krissi was confused and she pushed Johnny behind her before she stopped one of them to ask what's going on.

"Oh, some demigods have Helly and want to make an exchange for their friend," the vampire explained. Johnny gulped and his heart skipped a beat. It was them! They really did come to rescue him!

He was so happy right now that he didn't even realize what would happen if this vampire Krissi was talking to recognized him as the one they wanted to make the exchange for. That was until she looked at him with suspicion.

"Who's this, Krissi?" she asked.

"Oh, just a brother. He's new."

The other vampire nodded and smiled at Johnny before she ran off with the rest of them. Krissi turned to Johnny the moment he turned to her.

"Where are they going?!" he asked.

"They're attacking your friends," she said simultaneously.

Johnny's heart sank. Whatever he did, he couldn't let his friends die. Not now. Not ever! He had to help them…

But… wait a second. Johnny smiled at himself and wanted to hug his brain. I am such a freaking genius sometimes, he thought and pulled Krissi up the stairs.

"Come on," he told her. "We need to hurry!"