A Dangerous Touch

Chapter Twenty-One

Mal didn't really know what to expect when blinking around the world with vampires she barely knew. Maleficent knew this was a mission and it was going to be serious but these men had been friends for years or at least knew of each other, Bones and Vlad hated each other and Maleficent found herself always taking Vlad's side with him being her twin flame, but seeing how they worked together even with just swimming underwater after Ian watching his front and flank she could see they were actually a lot alike.

Maleficent was nervous, she didn't know what exactly to expect with these guys. She knew Vlad and Mencheres had vouched for her so they knew she wasn't an enemy, but that didn't mean they would welcome her with open arms. She thought they would be cold to her but instead they were more focused at the task at hand.

When they had made it inside of the cave, Ian took over as the leader of the group speaking quietly to the vampires.

"So, when I was here last time there were seven guards protecting Cain's body and his horn, I left here with the horn and their respect. If we are lucky the same blokes are here and will treat us with kindness, if they have Katie hopefully they'll just tell us and we can get her out of here." Ian turns away from the group and looks down the dimly lit hallway. "This way,"

Very rarely did Maleficent ever feel spooked about her surroundings but this was one time she was, she couldn't understand how something could feel so eerie. Maleficent felt as if she was walking towards the end of something, but she didn't know what it was. Maleficent closed her eyes and listened to everything around her, pushing past the noise of current companions and deeper into the cave. She could hear where water leaked in from the ceilings, footsteps of other vampires, and finally... one heartbeat.

"Someone in here has a beating heart," Mal whispers and Vlad turns toward her, nodding his head.

"Someone in here is alive with a steady heartbeat, let's head to it." Vlad says, gaining the attention of everyone in the group. He begins walking up to the front and passes Ian, who grabs his hand and pulls him back to face him.

"Let me go first, these people attack first and ask questions later. Vlad, you will kill someone if they approach you. You can't set anyone on fire here or damage the walls. It'll cause serious damage to Katie if she's here." Ian tells Vlad, his voice is stern and compelling but not disrespectful. Vlad brussels but only for a moment before nodding his head. Ian sees this and turns to Maleficent.

"Mal, we know that you have the same powers as Vlad, that goes for you too. Don't set anyone on fire." Ian says looking Mal up and down and Mal just shrugs.

"I won't kill anyone unless given permission."

"Good." Ian turns away and leads the group onward, Vlad falls back until he falls back in pace with Mal. They look forward but Mal can feel questions dripping off of him, so she turns her head and their gazes meet.

"Did you tell anyone about how you can transform yourself?" Vlad, the bastard, says it loudly enough that the whole group can hear. Bones, Katie's father, turns and looks at her.

"Transform? Into what exactly?"

Mal lets out a big sigh, she didn't really want to reveal all her secrets to a group of men she probably would never spend time with again.

"When Uma was kidnapped she knew Audrey was going to kill her, when I reached her she flung that last of her magic at me and now I can transform into a beast at will." Mal says, she shrugs her shoulders and the men stare back at her. Faces of confusion, humor, and curiosity match her straight face.

"Kinda like how a demon can shapeshift, but I can only turn into the one form I was given. Which is like..." Mal stumbles over an explanation "A grey vampire bat with huge wings."