Chapter 20: A Shocking Rumour

The eyes of the vampire were black with fury as he watched the Cerc De Diavoli set the elaborate coffin in the chamber he had prepared. The worn tapestries hung listlessly on the stone walls, the crest too faded to discern the original castellan of their new lair. Indeed, all that remained of said origins were threadbare banners and a worn piece of parchment still bearing the remnants of a wax seal on its yellowed surface. The throne that stood on the dais in the far side of the room still bore the damasked velvet of a royal's tastes. Fickzo gritted his teeth, one of his fangs cutting into his lip. Blood trickled from his mouth and stained the bloodless flesh.

“That vile creature,” he snarled. “How dare she interrupt our sacred ceremony and force us to scurry into the ruins like frightened rats!”

It had been only a few weeks but the events that had occurred in London had left a bad taste in his mouth. The dhampir had not only thwarted his efforts but had also helped the Chastity Maiden to escape their grasp. She had ruined the awakening ceremony and forced them into hiding and his mistress was still trapped as a withered corpse residing within that coffin. It was an affront he could not ignore.

“If I see that woman again, I'll paint the walls with her blood,” growled the vampire. However when he said this, a chilling sensation swept through the room and he whirled to face the coffin. A withered hand had gripped the side and the corpse with blood-red hair was slowly rising from her slumber. His dark eyes widened in fear.

“My Lady, you shouldn't move! The awakening is not comple-”

“Silence!”

The words came out of those desiccated lips in a cold rasp that sent the fear of impending death through through the room. Fickzo fell silent and bowed his head in deep apology. The corpse glanced down at her body, flexing her spidery fingers.

“This body may be withered but it is still mine,” she rasped. “I do not need the blood of some church waif to restore myself.” She turned her head towards the vampire who had his head bowed. There were no eyes within the sockets of that gaunt face but the cold disapproval could be felt as keenly as if she were glaring at him.

“What I want to know is why you did not kill the dhampir. She was within our grasp and you let her get away.”

“My Lady, she was not alone. She had another with her. A vampire from the High Council.”

A hiss left her lips. “Those fools! First they rob me of my amusement and then they see fit to try and intervene in my awakening?” Her withered lips curled back to reveal fine fangs. “So they had enlisted her aid....this will not do...Fickzo!”

Fickzo bowed in response to his name.

“See to it that creature does not interfere again. The ceremony cannot be interrupted again. I will not tolerate failure.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

“Good...now the thirst is calling. Bring me something suitable to sate it....a nice, fresh, young maiden would be preferable.”

A cold smirk curved Fickzo's lips. “I shall see to it at once, Mistress.” He turned on his heel and left the room with the Cerc De Diavoli, leaving the withered woman sitting up in her coffin. A harsh sound like sand scraping glass floated through the room as she laughed.

“So, you still live, my rebellious child. I wonder if Fickzo is even capable of killing you. I truly hope not....it would be a shame if we could not have a nice little reunion before I rip out your pretty little throat.” That horrible rasping laughter filled the room again, a cold and sadistic fire blazing within those empty sockets. Awaiting her meal, she lay back in the coffin and gazed at the cracked ceiling, a twisted anticipation within her shrivelled, unbeating heart.

~*~

The walls were stained black, the coppery scent rising in the air like a macabre perfume. She could still see where it used to run in dark rivulets down the roughly hewn stone and into the rusted iron grates embedded in the floors. Partially crumbled skeletons lay strewn across tables or were slumped in crudely forged cages. The horrific tortures that were initialised here were centuries past, but the horrors of those last moments were still fresh in her mind. Many had died here that shouldn't have, ripped cruelly from the world that they never had the chance to see.

A chill ran down her spine that had nothing to do with the temperature of the dungeon. She could still hear the screams echoing in her head, the rending of flesh from bone...the disgusting trickle of blood running into the sluices she had hid in. She remembered it all like it had happened only yesterday. The sticky, warm sensation of fresh blood painting her skin. It was enough to set her teeth on edge.

A sound echoed in the dungeon and caused her to whirl around. Something was here. Drawing her blade, she approached with caution, following the source until it led her to a blank stone wall. She ran her hand over the gritty surface, her fingers sinking in slightly as they glided over a switch, practically invisible to the untrained eye. She slipped inside as the wall slid back to reveal a narrow staircase, immediately shutting behind her. It had clearly been designed to allow the owner of the castle to escape into the bowels of the foundations. She couldn't even begin to guess how deep it went for several minutes later, she had stepped into a strange chamber.

Runes unlike anything she had ever seen before adorned the walls, mingling with the near black stains that splattered the smooth granite floor. In the centre was a strange sigil, a mark that brought to mind a total, bottomless darkness. But it was the person within the chamber that sent shivers of terror and fury coursing through the dhampir's body.

A woman with hair the colour of blood stood resplendent in a gown of shimmering velvet, encrusted with jewels. Her skin was pale as death and her crimson lips glistened in the flickering candlelight illuminating the bloodied room. Were it not for the cruel smile, the sadistic flame in her dark eyes and the sinister set of her features, she would have been considered an exquisite beauty. She broke the silence, her voice bringing to mind a darkness so deep it would drive men to madness, but also lured them to their unsuspecting demise.

“Ah, the half-breed spawn of my traitorous pupil and that b*****d noble. They caused me quite a bit of trouble when they hid you away. Tell me, did you hear their pathetic screams when I ripped them apart?”

“The only screams that I will be hearing are yours when I rip your throat out,” growled the huntress. The noblewoman laughed, a harsh sound like shattered black glass.

“Do you really think you can stick me with that metal toothpick?” She smiled cruelly, raising a crimson-taloned hand and gesturing to the dhampir. “Then come, little half thing. Let's see what one of your thin blood can do. Unless you are willing to quit this little farce and join me? Regardless of your birth, you are still part of my bloodline.”

“Go to hell!” The hunter charged the woman, her blade raised to slice her in two. But the moment her blade made contact with the noblewoman's flesh, she vanished. Her green eyes widened in shock. A trilling laughter echoed behind her.

“Where are you looking?”

“Damn you!” The dhampir slashed behind her and again, the noblewoman vanished. The dance played out for a few more minutes before the noblewoman appeared behind the huntress, a cruel smile on her lips.

“Too slow,” she sang. A crimson light flashed in the room and a scream ripped from the dhampir's throat as a fresh x-shaped gash bloomed on her back. She fell to her knees in great agony and glared over her shoulder at the woman who was crowing with laughter. There was a wild light in her dark eyes as she admired her handiwork.

“Does it hurt? What if I made it deeper?”

“F**k you!” The huntress rose to her feet and slashed at the woman who nimbly danced out of the way. Another scream shattered the air as another gash rended her flesh, overlapping the first. But she was not about to give up yet. She staggered to her feet, raising her sword and glariing at the woman. Her countenance was now that of a vampire and the blood-light in her eyes was one of unholy hatred.

“Die!” She charged the woman, lunging forth with her blade. This time, the blade struck home, impaling the noblewoman. But she merely stood there, a smile of pure sadistic pleasure on her sinister features.

“Look at how hot and bothered you are, little half thing. So incited with rage that you missed my heart.” She reached out and grabbed the dhampir by the throat, lifting her into the air as easily as though she were dealing with a sack of duck feathers. The huntress struggled to relinquish the vile grip but the vampire's hand seemed to be an iron claw preparing to crush her jaw. The talons on the woman's free hand elongated and the blood-light in her eyes was one of frenzied pleasure. The woman was truly mad.

“Let's see how long you can scream before I end your life.” With that, she sank her talons into the dhampir's chest and the huntress felt her throat tear as a scream of pure agony ripped from her lips.

~*~

“Kaileena! Kaileena, wake up!”

A voice of smooth velvet swept into her ear and her eyes snapped open. She gazed wildly into the familiar arctic blue eyes of the vampire lord who had her by the shoulders, his grip firm but soothing. His black hair fell around his face like a curtain of silk, framing his features which were etched with worry.

“Where am I?” asked the dhampir hunter shakily.

“You're in the hotel in Prague,” replied Vincent. “We checked into it last night, remember?”

“Prague?”

It came flooding back to her. The long and arduous flight, the constant flitting from shadow to shadow to avoid getting the vampire lord burned to a crisp by the harsh Czech sunlight, the wary but polite manner of the receptionist as they checked into the luxury hotel. She must have been so tired that she'd fallen asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. And yet, in spite of the gentle warmth of the opulent Baroque-style hotel room, she felt as cold as one already dead.

“I heard you screaming from the far side of the room. I had to stop the help from rushing in to see what was wrong.” The vampire lord looked at Kaileena with deep concern. “You must have had a horrific nightmare to thrash about like that.”

“Nightmare...” The blood-stained chamber, the cruelty of the noblewoman and the injuries that had been inflicted were still fresh in the dhampir's mind. She slowly sat up and pushed Vincent's hands off of her, her own hand unconsciously tracing part of the scar on her back. It had been several centuries since that night but the memory lingered like a strong and tasteless perfume. Vincent noticed the way she stroked her back and his gaze softened.

“It wasn't a nightmare, was it?”

“No...” Kaileena glanced out the window, her eyes darkening as she remembered that night. Had it not been for the fact that she had managed to kick over one of the candelabras near Elizabeth and set her aflame, she most likely would have died. Still, she would never forget the madness and cruelty of that woman, nor the pain and suffering she had put her through. “Though, the way she was back then, it might as well have been.”

“Kaileena...”

“I will kill her, Vincent.” Her eyes gleamed a brilliant crimson then, her fangs bared as she gritted her teeth. “I will make sure no one else suffers at her hands. No matter what it takes, I will paint the ground with her blood and feed her body to the flames of Hell.”

Vincent felt a strange sense of foreboding when he saw the look on her face then. It seemed that she was determined to follow Elizabeth to the grave in order to destroy her. This was the third time he had witnessed such hatred in her and it instilled a certain amount of fear within him. In spite of her strength and her skill as a Vampire Hunter, she grew too hot-headed when it came to Elizabeth. He had seen this first hand that night they infiltrated the Cerc De Diavoli's hideout. The rage that she had exhibited then had been nothing short of demonic. And there was also the mark to consider. His gaze trailed to the exposed crest on her wrist. The vine writhed like a black worm on her skin, seeking to stretch out and entwine around her arm. She covered the mark with her hand and looked at him, the anger still in her eyes.

“Forget what I said. I was rambling.” Her voice was stony as she said this and then her gaze softened. “I'm sorry if I frightened you.”

“You didn't frighten me,” said the vampire lord. “But if you end up having another nightmare like that, I'll have to stay in the room with you.”

“Uh, I value my privacy, Mister. There is no way in hell I'm letting you stay in the room with me.”

“Are you afraid I'm going to do something inappropriate?” A smirk curved Vincent's lips. A faint tinge of pink warmed her pale cheeks.

“No! I just....I'm used to having the room to myself. Force of habit, you know.”

“That's too bad. You might have been able to see me half-naked again.” That smirk widened and the pink darkened to crimson.

“Keep your thoughts on the case and out of the gutter, you creep!” Kaileena whacked the vampire on the arm, eliciting a chuckle from him.

“All right, all right. I'll behave.”

“Good! I mean, you better behave!” She cleared her throat and shoved Vincent with enough force to push him off the bed. The vampire lord fell to the floor with a grin on his face.

“Now, get out of here so I can have a shower and get dressed! We have work to do, remember?”

“All right, I'm going!” He rose to his feet laughing and waved to the dhampir as he walked out. “I'll be in my room when you're ready.” He shut the door behind him and she sat there with her arms folded over her chest.

“Great, stuck in the most romantic city in Europe with a perverted vampire lord. Jesus, what have I gotten myself into?” She shook her head and rose to her feet. “Oh well, at least he's got a sense of humour. It would drive me crazy to have a stiff for a partner.”

She climbed out of bed to have a quick shower. Stepping out of the steamy room ten minutes later, she gave her body a once over. She was getting slack in her fitness again, which was not good for someone in her profession. Her eyes roved the scar on her back and her lips curled back in a venomous snarl.

“Elizabeth....I swear on my grave I will f*****g kill you.”

She heard a knock on the door and jumped slightly. She'd been so lost in thought she didn't hear anyone coming. Hearing the vampire lord calling to her, she quickly got dressed and grabbed her coat. There was no time to dally. There was work to be done.

Vincent was already waiting downstairs for her and he led her to a car that was parked outside the hotel. Climbing into the vehicle, the vampire glanced at her, his hand resting on the wheel.

“So how do we track down your friend?”

“Incubii are not so easily found, Vincent. He's hiding in Snagov for a reason.”

“And what reason would that be?”

“It's...complicated.” The dhampir quickly changed the subject. “Look, the point is that he will not come out into the open so freely. We'll have to go to him.”

“So where is this village located?”

“It's a fair way from Prague. But it's very likely he's hiding in the catacombs beneath the Black Church.”

“Then we better get started. I managed to get your weapons trunk into the car without being noticed by the public.” He grimaced at the large container in the back seat. “Is it really necessary to bring it?”

“We're not in London anymore, Vincent. The Czech Rebublic and Romania are untamed compared to the British Empire. We'll have to tread carefully and be on our guard at all times. The people here are very suspicious of outsiders, even tourists.”

“I see. I've never travelled to any other part of Europe apart from Spain or France so this is new to me.”

“Just stick close to me. This is very dangerous ground we're treading now.”

The conversation then switched to the case while the vampire lord made the very lengthy trip to Snagov. They hadn't been able to make a connection between the victims apart from the fact that they all seemed to be women of ill repute; prostitutes, junkies and homeless, all forgotten and regarded as the dregs of modern society. It didn't seem like fifteen hours had gone by but by the time they arrived in the quiet community, it was nearing sunrise again. Vincent cursed the traffic getting out of Prague but the dhampir assured him that it wouldn't take long to find the church. Sure enough, after taking out several pieces of easily concealable equipment from the weapons trunk, the church was right in front of them. The vampire lord didn't really know what to expect. It looked like an ordinary house of worship to him.

Kaileena walked through the doors without hesitation and Vincent quickly followed her. The interior was rather dark and he could feel the history within its walls. Nothing seemed out of place apart from a large tombstone bearing the familiar etching of the infamous Vlad Tepes Dracula on the stone. Vincent looked at this etching closely while the Vampire Hunter looked around for any possible entrances that could not be plainly seen.

“Jesus, Alaric, did you have to make it so damn difficult to find a way in?” she growled. The vampire lord laughed softly and she glared at him. “Something funny?”

“It looks nothing like him.”

Kaileena blinked. “Huh?”

“The portrait.” The vampire gestured to the etching on the tombstone. “Not even close to his features.” The dhampir took a couple of seconds to register this and then shook her head with a slight chuckle.

“Well the time that likeness was created, it was at a time where men sought to demonise their darkest enemies....a practice that seems to hold true today in the more subtle form of haters.”

“Blame the internet for that one.” Vincent walked over to her to help locate the hidden entrance. The dhampir seemed rather adamant about the possibility it was here. After an hour of searching, the sun had risen on a new day and they could hear the hustle and bustle of people rising from their beds to start work or go to school. “S**t, now what?”

“I'm thinking!” hissed Kaileena. She knew full well that the locals would not take well to a vampire and a half-breed lurking in their sacred church. She growled in irritation. “Damn it! There is nothing here. Nothing that can indicate we can get into the catacombs. Nothing but this f*****g tombstone!”

She kicked it in her frustration and there was a sharp, metallic click of two parts locking together. The slab beneath her feet started to shift and she immediately leapt back to stare in disbelief as the stone slid back to reveal a staircase leading into an ancient maze of tunnels. She shook her head.

“Remind me to kick his a*s for being too damn clever,” she muttered before she descended the staircase, the vampire following close behind. No sooner they had gotten to the bottom landing, the slab slid back into place, trapping them beneath the church floor.

“Now what?”

“There's no choice now. He created this door, he knows a way out of here. Now come on, I want to give that smart a*s a piece of my mind.”

The vampire lord chuckled and walked behind the dhampir as she felt her way through the dark tunnels.

It felt like they'd been in the catacombs for an eternity. Every corner felt the same and every turn felt like they'd performed this action before. And the darkness was so pitch black that you could poke yourself in the eyes and not see yourself blink. Vincent had no trouble seeing in the dark but Kaileena was struggling. Even though she was more advanced in her bloodline for a hybrid, she still had trouble when it came to night vision.

“I can't see for s**t down here,” she growled. “I swear if I managed to get my hands on that limp-dicked a*****e, I'm going to-”

She suddenly stopped mid-sentence, freezing in her tracks. Something was very off here. She could feel something just five feet ahead of them....and the air was ripe with the stench of blood, sweat and s**t.

“Something died here...and very recently,” said Vincent quietly.

She drew her sword and began to creep towards the source of the ominous presence. The stench of death grew stronger with each step and she felt like her nightmares were coming back to haunt her. Her grip on the sword was so tight her knuckles were turning white. Her heart was thundering in her ears and her mouth was dry with fear. But still, she had to see what had happened here.

She followed the stench of death to a small room to the right of the tunnel. The odour of rotting flesh was completely overridden by the smell of blood. It hung here, rich, thick and incredibly potent. A soft growl left her lips and her eyes flashed a brilliant crimson. She could already feel her canines elongating into vicious fangs and she covered her mouth and nose to block out the scent. She couldn't lose control, not here.

“Kaileena, are you all right?” The vampire lord glanced at her, a slight frown on his face. She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, forcing herself to shift back to her human visage. Once she was sure she was in control again, she removed her hand from her face and turned to Vincent.

“I'm fine. Let's find out what's behind that door and get the hell out of here.” She drew her sword and rested her hand on the door. Taking a deep breath, she flung it open.

Inside, strewn across the stone floor, was the body of a dead man...or at least, that's what she thought it was. The victim has been ripped open, starting from beneath the jowls and stopping just above the male's shrivelled privates. The face had been torn apart so badly that none of the features were recognisable and bone gleamed wetly with blood. Some of his fingers had been picked clean of flesh and others were missing altogether. A ring of plated gold and set with an onyx sat on his finger, the only possible clue to his identity.

“Jesus, what the hell happened here?” muttered Vincent. “This body looks like an animal has been at him.”

“Most likely has,” replied Kaileena. “Romania is territory to creatures that live only in the depths of your darkest nightmares.” She approached the corpse, trying not to let the scent of blood take over her senses. She knelt next to the body, examining the extent of the injuries and trying to verify a time of death. After a few minutes, she glanced over her shoulder to the vampire lord who was surprisingly very much in control of his baser instincts. Lucky b*****d...I can barely rein that side in.

“This man died last night. I can't determine the exact time but this body hasn't been here more than a few hours.”

“The method of killing doesn't match the previous victims,” said the vampire.

“He's not another victim of the case. This was a random attack.”

A low growl rumbled through the tunnel and both of them froze.

“Please tell me that was you trying to scare me,” muttered the dhampir.

“Sadly no.”

She felt something lurking in the shadows behind them and her neck prickled with tension. Nodding to the vampire, she whirled around to face her attacker. Her leg whipped in a vicious arc to connect with the lurker's face, causing the shadowy figure to stagger back. Vincent took the chance to slip behind their opponent and lock his arm around the figure's neck, holding him in place. A flash of steel cut the air as the Vampire Hunter aimed her infamous blade at the stranger's neck.

“Hey, hey, hey! Easy on the necklace! That's Macedonian gold, you know!”

Kaileena froze at the voice that yelped in the darkness. That strong, slightly nasal albeit irritating voice.

“Alaric?”

“Saints be fucked! Kai, is that you?”

A single ball of light flashed into view, bright enough to illuminate the entire tunnel. The silhouette was stripped away from the stranger to reveal a tall, lean man....well, he appeared to be a man at first glance. Small opalescent horns protruded from the mane of dark red hair that framed a slightly boyish but handsome face. Small talons extended from his fingers and toes and a long tail that forked at the tip swished back and forth from his black snakeskin leather pants. His large amber eyes were fixated on the blade that was aimed at his neck.

“Jesus, you could have knocked before you came in here. Don't you know that werewolves come around here every now and then​​?” He glanced at the corpse on the ground. “Looks like humans still have a little problem with curiosity.”

“Let him go, Vincent.”

Vincent released the creature who brushed himself off, straightening his large gold necklace and smoothing his wavy crimson mane.

“Thank the gods.”

The dhampir's fist flashed out and socked the creature square in the jaw. The male staggered back, rubbing his chin and glaring at the woman.

“That's for not telling me about the passage beneath the mock crypt in your last letter,” she said flatly.

“How the hell I was supposed to know you were going to show up?” snapped the incubus. “You haven't been in this neck of the woods for five hundred years, Kai. Not since-”

“I know,” she cut him off. The vampire lord glanced at them. She shook her head and sighed. “Sorry. But you are too damn clever for your own good sometimes.”

“Hey, I got it all, remember? Smarts, charm, incredibly good looks. How could you forget, darling?”

In spite of herself, she shook her head and laughed. “You haven't changed at all.”

“I don't change for anyone, sweetheart.” He glanced over at the vampire and raised an eyebrow. “Hey, who is this you brought? He's damaging my reputation of being the most handsome guy in Snagov just standing there!”

“This is Vincent. He is my partner in a murder case we are trying to solve.” Kaileena sighed. “...But it's gone beyond a simple serial killer, Alaric. Elizabeth's back.”

Alaric went pale where he stood. “You gotta be f*****g me.” His entire demeanour changed in an instant. “We need to get inside before the werewolves come to pick off what's left of the corpse. No one will find him here. Or bother to look.” He gestured for them to follow. Vincent was slightly hesitant at first but when Kaileena proceeded to follow the incubus, he was quick to do the same. It didn't take long for the male to lead them to a large chamber beneath the catacombs. From the structure and the apparent presence of a vestibule at the front of the room, it used to be some kind of underground chapel. But now it was lavishly furnished with all manner of exotic furniture, drapery and filled with the scent of rich and pungent spices. Alaric locked the doors behind them and turned to Kaileena who was looking around the area.

“Your hideout is a lot more comfortable than I remember.”

“You weren't here when I decided to redecorate. Old chapels are all well and good but this is the twenty first century! Gotta live a little, you know?”

His demeanour changed again when he walked towards a computer in the corner of the room. Within seconds, his fingers were gliding over the keys, pulling up file after file and his amber eyes were roving each page with deep intent. Vincent got the distinct impression that there was more to this creature than met the eye.

“I want to know the full details about the case. Don't leave anything out.”

Vincent proceeded to speak to the male about the recent string of murders in London and their findings. The missing hearts, the state of the bodies, the sliver of metal that Kaileena had extracted from one of the corpses. Even about the Church of Virtue. But when the vampire lord began to speak of the dhampir's involvement with Nevermore, he was swiftly cut off by Kaileena speaking about the recent attempts to kidnap the Duchess. Alaric listened very carefully, his pointed ears twitching from time to time.

“I see.” Alaric turned to the dhampir. “So you're after Elizabeth again, huh?”

Kaileena didn't confirm nor deny his statement. But the look on the incubus's face told the vampire that he had already suspected the truth.

“Kaileena. I know it's not my place to speak against this, but you have no idea what you are up against. She may be a corpse at the moment but she is still incredibly powerful. Do I need to remind you about what happened that day you tracked her to her old castle?”

“I need no reminders,” snapped the dhampir. “The f*****g scar on my back and the cursed mark on my wrist are grand reminders as they are.”

“It's still too dangerous to face her. You're a skilled Vampire Hunter, I'll give you that. Hell, you've taken down some of the most notorious demons without breaking a sweat. But to kill the Blood Countess, whose name is whispered even in the most light hearted tales of her reign? Even you aren't that foolish.”

“She needs to pay for what she's done, Alaric. I'm not letting another girl die because of this.”

“Is that really the reason you're doing this? Or are you motivated by revenge?”

“That b***h took everything from me,” she growled darkly.

“That's still no reason to throw your life away. And not everything was lost that day-”

“She destroyed my life in Romania and is now terrorising London. You really think someone so damn depraved deserves to live after what she's done?! After what she did to Father and Mother?!”

“Kai, your parents are alive!”

She froze where she stood. It looked as though all the blood had drained from her face. Vincent was staring at the incubus with wide eyes at this declaration.

“That's not true....” she whispered. “I saw them....I saw her kill them!”

“There have been rumours among the townsfolk of a noblewoman and lord matching your description. They have even been seen by people wandering the streets at night...they bear silver crosses engraved with ivy and bearing twin amethysts.”

“The same crosses they gave to each other on their wedding day...” Kaileena was in a daze. Her eyes were staring at nothing and her hands were shaking violently. After a few moments, she lunged at the incubus and seized him by the shoulders, thrusting him against the wall. A small dagger was at Alaric's throat and the look on her face was one of such intensity it was frightening.

“Where are they?” she demanded. “Where were they last seen?”

“They were at an inn last I checked. On the outskirts of town near the local cemetery.”

She removed her blade from his neck and released him roughly. Vincent looked at the woman, rather disturbed by the expression of utmost agony on her face. After a few minutes, she turned on her heel and walked towards the door.

“Where are you going?” asked Alaric.

“I...need some air.” With that, she walked out of the chapel, slamming the door behind her.

~*~

Kaileena sat on the edge of the window gazing out at the scene happening just below her. There were people in the streets, hawking their wares to passers by and tourists milling around the various street performances occurring in the square. She spied a group of girls dressed like the tavern wenches she read about in folk tales tapping out the steps to a sprightly jig, a seemingly effortless display although the dhampir knew it would have taken years of practice to know the dance off by heart. But she took no joy in the lively display. Her mind was elsewhere, her eyes gazing at nothing as her thoughts spun in a ever tightening spiral that threatened to loose itself in a torrent of emotive denial...

“There you are.”

She jumped slightly and whirled her head around to see the vampire lord standing in the shadows of the church tower. Unlike her, he was unable to sit in the unforgiving sunlight. Vincent pushed himself off the railing surrounding the enormous bell in the centre, walking towards her until he was on the edge of the pool of light streaming through the window.

“I've been looking all over for you.” The vampire ran a hand through his long black hair. “Do you make a habit of disappearing the moment you get information that interests you?”

Kaileena didn't answer him. Instead she turned her gaze back to the vista below them. The slight smirk that was on the vampire's face faded, the joking demeanour now completely gone.

“It was what Alaric said, wasn't it?” he asked softly. “About your parents.”

“...I...'' She sighed and lowered her head. “I don't doubt Alaric's information. But it's still so hard to believe...” She clenched her fist tight enough for her nails to cut into her palm. The rich smell of blood floated on the light breeze. “I remember....all of it...so vividly. I remember Elizabeth ripping out my father's heart. I can still see my mother being tortured and eviscerated on the backs of my eyelids. The possibility of them being alive...it's just inconceivable. And if they truly do still live....” She gritted her teeth, pushing off the windowsill and landing on the floor. She grabbed her coat, brushing past the vampire lord.

“Where are you going?”

“I need to know. I need to find out.”

“Then I'm coming with you.”

“This is my affair, Vincent. I can't have you get involved.”

“You involved yourself in mine even though you didn't have to,” argued the vampire. “What if it's a trap?”

“They won't try anything at this time of day. Too many people and too open.”

“A good time for us to find out what the real truth is.”

“I trust Alaric's information. He would never deceive me.”

“We agreed to do this together, Kaileena. Let me come with you.”

“No!” snapped Kaileena, whirling on him. Vincent froze in his tracks, surprised by the outburst. The dhampir's expression softened. “I...I have to do this alone. I'm sorry.” With that, she turned on her heel and ran away as fast as she could. The vampire lord cursed softly as she left, realising that she had intended to leave while it was still light. The only time he couldn't follow her.

Fine. Let her have her personal drama. He turned on his heel and made his way back down the tower and into the catacombs. She got involved in my family business without my permission, even though it did end up saving Mother's life by warning Vlad. If she's going to be a fool and go about this alone, then that's her business.

He opened the door and walked into the incubus's chambers, still fuming over the Hunter's disregard for his feelings. Alaric turned away from the computer, seeing the vampire enter his lair.

“Where's Kai?”

“Out chasing ghosts,” he replied tersely.

Alaric sighed. “I should have known. She's always been like that. Ever since she was a kid.”

Vincent grunted slightly as he sat down. “So she's always been a stubborn fool.”

“You don't know the half of it, Vince. Or do you prefer being called Lord?”

The vampire blinked. He had never had a nickname before but it had a nice ring to it. “Um, Vince is fine, I guess.”

“Heh, grew up stiff and formal huh?” Alaric leaned back in his chair, tracing idle patterns on his necklace.

“You don't know the half of it,” the vampire lord echoed Alaric's previous reply. In spite of himself, he found himself relaxing around the creature. “You've known Kaileena for a long time?”

“Going on five hundred and twenty-nine years,” said the incubus proudly. “Met her while she was hunting a werewolf clan in this neck of the woods. She wasn't always the relaxed and cheerful dhampir she is today.”

“She didn't seem all that cheerful when she saw you.”

“She's got a different way of showing affection compared to most people. The bruises I get from her are all out of love, buddy.” He waved away the suspicious frown. “Once you get to know her as long as I have, you'll understand what makes her tick.”

“If I even stay around her that long.” He was once again starting to have doubts about the dhampir. Even though he had vowed to stick with her, he was starting to wonder if he could even live up to that creed.

“She's not as unstable as she seems, Vince.” Alaric shook his head. “She's had it rough. I only met her when she was twenty eight in human years, still a baby in your lifespan, and she's a very kind and compassionate person. She's just hard to read at times because she lets her emotions guide her and hide what she's really thinking. Like when she hunted down that werewolf clan I was talking about.”

“She's been a hunter for that long?”

“Yep. Ever since old Mordekai got himself bit by that vampire. Staking your old man at ten years old would f**k with anyone's head. She's a hell of a lot stronger than people give her credit for. And I'm not talking about physical strength. If anyone else experienced the s**t that she's been through, they would be living out the rest of their days in an asylum with part of their brains cut out. But she's managed to keep sane and use her experiences as motivation for what she does.”

“I see...” However, there was something nagging at him. “You mentioned something to Kaileena before she cut you off. What was that about?”

Alaric's face paled and he lowered his head. “...I don't think she'd like me talking about it.”

“She's not here,” pointed out Vincent. Before Alaric could protest, he urged him on. “She had a vivid nightmare while we were in Prague. She refused to speak of it apart from the fact that her nightmare wasn't just a random dream. Every time Elizabeth is mentioned, she grows erratic, unstable. I need to know why she gets set on edge by just the mere mention of Countess Bathory.”

The incubus wanted to protest but then sighed. “It's because she is aware of her link to Elizabeth. Vengeance is part of her motivation for wanting her dead but she is also driven by this desperate....she wants nothing to do with the Bathory bloodline. So she decided to kill Elizabeth to sever the link. But she was too young, too reckless. Elizabeth saw right through her and wounded her badly. When Kaileena came to my doorstep, she was covered in blood, and burns, barely alive.”

“Burns?”

“Elizabeth would have killed her that night, no mistake about that. But Kaileena had managed to knock over a candelabra and set her on fire. She barely escaped with her life.”

“Jesus Christ...”

“Not in that household,” laughed Alaric sarcastically. “But ever since that night, she's been obsessed with making Elizabeth pay for that wound.”

“Wound?” Vincent's mind flashed to the scar he'd seen on Kaileena's back. His eyes widened. The incubus nodded.

“That's the one,” confirmed Alaric. “Kai is forever haunted by what happened to her parents. And that night. And that's why it's so dangerous for her to hunt Elizabeth. She's too prone to those emotional lapses. She flies into a rage too easily when she even hears a whisper of Elizabeth.” The incubus looked at the vampire lord who had an expression of worry on his handsome countenance. Alaric rested a taloned hand on the vampire's shoulder.

“Look, I don't know you but I can tell you care a lot for Kai. So I'll ask you to do something for me.” He tightened his grip. “Do whatever you can for her. She needs someone to pull her out when she sinks into that mire of rage. Don't let her do this alone.”

“I made that vow to myself before I even set foot on Romanian soil,” said Vincent firmly. “But I can't follow her now. It's broad daylight out there.”

“Ah, that's where you're wrong. You can still tail her.”

“What are you talking about?”

Alaric grinned and rose to his feet, walking over to a blank wall. Pressing a small switch hidden in the bricks, the wall slid open to reveal a long tunnel. Vincent blinked in surprise.

“These tunnels run in many directions like a web underneath Snagov. It used to be a sewage system back in the old days but they decided to build the town over it.” He looked at the vampire lord who was already on his feet. “Go get her, tiger.”

“Don't call me that,” snapped Vincent. “....Thank you.” He grabbed the sword that Kaileena had loaned him. He paused briefly, resting his hand on the rough stone to glance over his shoulder. “Hey, can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Why are you in hiding?”

Alaric blinked and then shifted his feet before rubbing the back of his head in a sheepish manner. “I uh, I have an overly active libido. There was a brothel in town that served both humans and demons. The honeys there used to give the best XXX jobs before I XXX them in their XXX...I accidentally broke some bones doing so.” Vincent blinked at the answer and shook his head.

“I'm sorry I asked.” He slipped into the tunnels, intent on catching the dhampir's scent.