Chapter Two

Chapter 3

“Hey, glad you could make it!”  Zayden exclaimed, pulling me closer for a hug. “Did you make anyone cry today?” I smiled at him.

“Nope.  Unlike you, I don’t like playing with my victims first...” The hotel room was brightly lit but had a true historic feel.  When given the chance, I always avoid rooms that are too modern. Even though I have adapted to the modern world, having grown as it has, I prefer the elegance and style that thrived in my era. In the corner of the room, the Protector, Delphine sat, as usual, with her nose stuck in a book.

Zayden chuckled and gave me a pat on the back.

“Either way, it’s good to have you back!” he said, before lowering his voice “Delphine can be a real pain... Sure, I know she has a serious job to do, but she is just no fun! I mean, she spends most of her time doing research. I mean geez, how much can there possibly be to learn?!”

As if on cue, the Protector closed her book, and stared up at the two of us.

“Zayden, you can’t just randomly go charging into battle. You have to prepare. You have to know the enemy inside out...you have to know their strengths, weaknesses, behaviour patterns....” her voice trailed off, but the werewolf interrupted.

“That is why we’re lucky to have an ex bloodsucker on our team! Aralynne is a walking, somewhat living encyclopedia of all things vamp! She can tell you all you need to know in a heartbeat.”

I saw Delphine’s jaw tense slightly when Zayden said this, but she didn’t dare argue with the facts. We get along well, but some part of her clearly hates having to work side by side with one of the many threats she swore to protect the human race from. The thought of me being a bigger help in some cases really bothers her.

Delphine stood up, putting the book back in its original place.

“Well, Zayden, if you remember correctly, without my research, we would never have been able to find the first shard of the Sword of Angels.” Instinctively, I protectively placed my hand on my silver dagger. The Sword of Angels was the sword used by Archangel Michael when the first Fallen Ones were banished. After that battle, the sword broke into five pieces, and fall to earth. Silver is already a strong weapon against vampires, but the Sword of Angels is powerful enough to destroy the vampire race for good.  We fused the shard with pieces of normal silver to form my dagger. That is what makes it so powerful.

Zayden merely shrugged it off.

“Speaking of which, your earlier text mentioned some good news, Zayden. Did you two figure out where another shard of the sword might be? Because right now, that would surely be great. I hate having to kill off vampires one by one...” I said, sitting down on the bed with crimson sheets. Why these two picked MY room to hang out in tonight, I don’t know, but I was certainly more comfortable in these surroundings.

An awkward silence followed, and I watched wolf boy bite his lip as he thought over whether to tell me or not.

“Well, no. I might have...stretched the truth a bit when I said that I have ‘good’ news... actually, it is mainly just news...depending on your reaction.”

I eyed him suspiciously.

“Oh? And what is so important?”

Delphine stepped in, saving our comrade from the possibility of upsetting me.

“You have been given another mission... You have to guard a certain little girl. Rumours are, a certain Moloch plans on turning her, and Seth has been assigned to make sure it’ll happen.” Her voice was calm, almost business-like.

I immediately felt my undead heart sink. There was no way I was going to accept. Not after what happened last time.

“There is no chance in hell, Delphine. When Seth is involved, it will be wiser if you or Zayden took the mission, and you know it.”

Zayden put a protective hand on my shoulder. Delphine just carried on with her instructions.

“No. When Seth is assigned... we know the girl is something special. When turned, the Moloch has greater plans for her. You have known him for hundreds of years. That gives you a greater chance of success when things turn ugly.”

“What she is trying to say, is that you are the best one for the job.”  Zayden added. There was a hint of sympathy in his tone. He felt sorry for me.

As much as it pained me to admit it, they both had a point. Seth and I have a history. I know him better than anyone else on this planet, maybe even better than he knows himself, but I am afraid of failing a second time.

Seth used to be different. Now he is a servant to Death, his right hand man, in fact, and lives to carry out the orders of his master. Those orders mainly involve killing and spreading chaos. A clash between us has always been inevitable- his job is to spread havoc, my job is to prevent him from succeeding.

I sighed. I knew the day would come that I would have to face him again. Yet, there was always a part of me that wished that day would never come.  Sometimes, the best thing to do is to leave your past behind you, or it will keep dragging you down. Seth was my past.

Without a word, I started packing up my things. I guess it was time to act human again.

“Any idea how long the mission will last?” I inquired. Who knows, maybe it won’t take that long.

“We have no idea. You will have to stick with her and try and figured out what the Moloch is up to. Zayden and I will handle the other requests. Your mission will end when you either eliminate the threat, or when you are completely sure that they have changed their minds. Either way, you shouldn’t leave that girls’ side until she is completely safe. “

Very well, then. Mission accepted. Like so many years ago, it is time for dark and light to collide. I was pretty confident that my side will win as it usually does, but at the same time, some part of me knew that my old friend will do everything in his power to make sure that that victory doesn’t come easily.