Chapter 54

Mark

Vash looked just as pissed off as she did the first time I met her, holding the cross around her neck. Unlike the rest of us, she never recited prayers. As she said, silver bullets and poise were enough of a prayer. She didn’t try to save people from turning after being bitten. She preferred to put them out of their misery.

I leaned against the wall beside her as she crouched down and lit another cigarette.

“I thought you were cutting back.”

“I thought you were over her,” Vash said. “Seems like we both lied.”

I winced. “Do you think it was enough?”

Vash took a long drag. “I think if he’s that attached to her as a blood source… it was more than enough, and we should all be ready. I asked for more silver. Do you still feel him?”

I shook my head. “Not exactly.”

She nodded and took another drag. “What are you going to tell the chaplain about it?”

I shook my head and crouched down. I held out my hand. She didn’t hesitate to pass me the cigarette. I took a deep drag.

“I thought you were done,” Vash said.

“I thought I believed,” I said. “But I’m starting to see where you stand.”

“I bet, after taking Communion,” Vash said.

I paused but took another drag. It was as close as I had ever gotten to confirmation that Vash had taken Communion. I eyed the rings on her fingers. She had one for each finger. Each of them was a gleaming silver with different markings. I used to think it meant she had been in service to the Church longer, but now, I was certain it was just a measure of her spiritual rank among hunters.

No chaplain wore silver rings like ours. And we were the only people in this group of hunters to have rings like these.

I handed the cigarette back to her. “What did you tell them?”

“The truth,” Vash said. “We have bait. We don’t know when we’ll need to spring the trap… The clean-up crew went to the area and questioned if we killed any vampires at all.”

Lucian’s words echoed through my mind.

Don’t you think it odd that any human should have the abilities you do?

“He knew about Communion.”

Vash sucked on her teeth. “Christ.”

“He said that if I went any further that I would break her mind.”

“And you believe him?”

“It’s different when you’re in someone’s head,” I said. “I know you understand that.”

Vash said nothing for a second before she nodded. “I do. So now what? You’re going to let your little crush get us all killed?”

My lips twitched. “I don’t plan on dying so easily, Vash. He’s going to come no matter what we do.”

I felt a ripple in Trinity’s mind. I turned my head. I could almost feel his influence. It wasn’t the brute force that I had imagined it should be after seeing Trinity’s memories. It was gentle, barely a caress of his mind to her, but so deeply effective.

“He’s reaching out to her.” I winced, trying to figure out what he was doing. Pain started building at the base of my skull.

“Hey,” Vash said, grabbing my shoulder. “You shouldn’t be pushing yourself this hard.”

“Maybe,” I said. “But we both know that the church isn’t hoping that anyone who takes Communion to live more than a few years.”

Vash took another drag. “Five at most.” She paused. “In your case? Two.”

I winced. “You’re sure about that?”

“You’re tangling with an ancient force with barely enough information to keep your head above water. You think that cross is going to keep you alive or that they care? Think again. You’re going to burn yourself out… and if you don’t, they will.”

“Is that why you stopped praying?”

She finished the cigarette. “One of the many reasons. What’s the plan then?”

“I’ve already had the news released that Trinity is here,” I blinked. “I’m… playing both sides.”

“You think he already knows.”

“I know he does…” I winced. “He… put a hook in me.”

Vash cursed. “Fucking hell, Mark, you’re asking for it.”

“I’m keeping it contained,” I said. “He can’t hear us now. He’s busy with Trinity.”

“What’d you learn?” Vash asked. “And if you tell me you let that son of a bitch into your mind and haven’t carved that hook out, and you have nothing to show for it, I’ll be pissed.”

Vash pulled out another cigarette and offered me one. I pulled out a flask of holy water and whiskey and took a drink. It was the best thing for nights like these.

“He has an attachment to Trinity,” I said. “He wanted to kill her, but he couldn’t. I want to know how far that goes….”

I saw that in her memories of being on that cross in that dark room with him standing over her.

“When he had her captive, he had plenty of chances to kill her, and now he’s posing as her boyfriend. Trinity says she needs to know the truth… Well, hell, I do too.”

“… because he’s not like what the scriptures say?”

“He’s too… elegant.”

She snorted. “How romantic, but I get what you mean. We’ve never met a vampire his age before, though.”

“We haven’t. And he has a grudge against vampires. He seems more like a lone wolf than a vassal.”

She frowned. “He’s affecting you. I can hear it in your voice.”

I winced. “Probably. I’m pulling pretty actively now… He’s not some sort of advanced force, but there’s someone else here that is. I don’t know if she was there in that group or is still somewhere, but there’s a good chance that whoever is behind her is just going to send more people.”

“So, what are we doing? Enemy of my enemy or gunning everyone down?” She took my flask and took a drink. She huffed. “Weak as fuck. You need more whiskey.”

“I like to keep my head.”

“You say that until he finds that hook and starts fucking with you.”

“I don’t think—” I gasped as I felt him yank on the hook I had on his mind. “Vash, fuck—"

I reached out to her and shut my eyes as my headache returned. The pressure on my head increased. Vash vanished, and suddenly, I was seated in a chair in an old-time parlor, like I was in some sort of castle. My heart lurched as I realized that I couldn’t move. Then, the door opened behind me. He rounded the chair and took a seat across from me. My heart raced.

I heard Vash speaking to me from outside the door. “Mark! Say something, goddamnit!”

“I could let her in,” he said plainly. His lips curved into a smile. “Though, I think you know that would kill her.”

“Don’t,” I heard myself say, echoing around me and reverberating in my chest. I heard Vash’s voice grow softer. Her presence in my mind pulled back, but I felt her still hovering outside the parlor in my mind.

I looked around the room before looking at him again. He was dressed like an old-time aristocrat.

“She is quite… protective of you.” He tilted his head. “As you are of her. I’m intrigued to know why you have such an affection for Trinity in her place.”

I blinked at him. “Vash?”

He cocked an eyebrow. “An interesting name. Her mind is… quite interesting if you cared to take a peak.”

“Stay out of her head.”

He smiled. All in human teeth and viciousness. “If it suits my purposes….”

“What is it that you want?”

“You cooperation, of course,” he said and lifted a silken ribbon. I went still as I watched him play with it, twining it around his fingers. I followed it towards me and found the other end of it wrapped around my wrist.

My heart raced. He’d taken over the connection.

“You are quite talented, but you must remember that I have been alive far longer,” he said. “My powers far exceed yours… stolen as they are.”

“Stolen…”

He smiled. “You’ll learn the truth soon enough. For now, continue with your petty games. I will come to see Trinity soon. She had better be comfortable.”

He stood, still playing with the ribbon. “I think… I’ll keep this for now.”

Then, he vanished. I sucked in a deep breath and opened my eyes to the night around me and Vash. She stared at me. Her eyes glowed softly with holy light. It faded as I focused on her.

“Well?”

“He found it,” I said.

She grit her teeth. “Strong bastard.”

“He knows you.” She went still. “I don’t know if that means he has a hook in you or… if he just….”

I shuddered, and she set her jaw. “He’s tasted my blood.”

My eyes widened as I stared at her. “What?”

“When he killed the vampire away from me… It had to have been then. There’s no other explanation.”

I wasn’t certain of that. I took another swig and stood. “We should get back. He said he was—”

I went still as I noticed the light of the holy barrier a few feet away. It flickered. It wavered. Then, it grew thinner.

“He’s here.”