"You," the vamp said finally.
The vamps who broke the rules with capitol punishments were given the choice of how to die. Quickly, by his hand, or slowly by starving to death. Most chose quickly, though a few initially had tried to wait out death or perhaps, wait for him to change his mind, by starving.
"Your service was appreciated," Jonny said and stretched out to rest a hand on the back of the vamp's neck. He drew a knife with the other and rested it against the vamp's neck. "Rest in peace, Stefan." The words were not unkind though he kept his regret to himself.
An audience had formed. He preferred to kill in public, a reinforcement of his rules. Those surrounding him were silent. The vamp before him was starting to panic and closed his eyes.
Jonny slid the knife into the vamp's neck to pierce his artery and withdrew it. The vamp slumped, blood racing down his neck and into his lungs. He began to cough and then choke before collapsing onto the ground.
The death wasn't as fast as Jonny could make it with his magic, but each vamp he disciplined had to become an example for the rest. Jonny waited for the red glow of the vamp's eyes to extinguish before standing.
"Send his body and that of whomever he killed to Damian," he told Charles. "We need to talk after."
Charles nodded and motioned for two nearby vamps to grab the dead body.
Jonny glanced down and away.
He needed a Tracker, and he needed every vamp left for the looming civil war. But at the end of the day, they had to follow his rules. The future of his people was more important than the life of any single one of them.
Even if taking the life of one of his own for a mistake Jonny understood too well made him feel ill. He retreated to his bedroom, his dark mood further dampened by how his night had ended.