Undying

Chapter 13

Valdis woke up again as the sun set, she stood up fully healed of her injuries, courtesy of two new dead people and a day of resting undisturbed, and looked down at the cemetery grass below her. She had made the decision to stay out of her residence, excluding the part where she got a change of clothes that weren't cut up and covered in blood, and had decided that considering she should be dead; she'd stay in a tree in the cemetery. Of course now it was time to meet Henry. After jumping down and stretching she looked around and walked towards the exit that would lead her closer to the antique shop. The last few rays of light made her flinch a bit as she walked in and out of the gathering shadows but would heal soon after before anyone walking by could notice, which was a good thing because the last thing she needed was the Master Vampire figuring out she was alive by people talking about a 'strange burning skin condition'.

When she walked into the shop Henry was already standing in plain sight waiting for her. "You're early."

"Better early than being attacked right?" She tried to joke but the nervous thought that Master Vampire could find her any moment was weighing heavily on her. "What did they do when they noticed my body was gone?"

"I convinced them you were moved out to be incremented early, though Lucas did seem a bit suspicious." Henry gave her a cautious look. "He claims an old man with white eyes and red pupils followed him to work."

"Is he safe?" The last thing Valdis wanted was another innocent person's death.

"Yes, the others are safe too..." Henry glanced back towards another part of the shop hesitantly. "For now."

"You brought them here!" She realized and backed up a bit. "Henry, you better explain why you told them."

"I didn't tell them." Henry backed up a bit as he saw the glint in her eye. "Not about you... I just offered to 'hang out' with them after work, like we do occasionally."

"Let me guess, you want me to tell them?" She asked, but it came out more like a statement.

"It would be better if you explained." He visibly relaxed as he saw a faint trace of a cautious smile come to her face.

"Well then, if I'd have known I would be introducing myself as a vampire to everyone then I would have picked an outfit more suited to the part." She laughed lightly at her humor and Henry's puzzled expression of her change in heart. "Well then; let's not keep them waiting."

Henry nodded and led the way into the other side room where Lucas and Detective Martinez were leaning against the wall talking about work, which of course they stopped doing as they heard Henry and Valdis enter. She did have to admit, despite being slightly irritated at Henry for bringing them deeper into her dangerous world, she did enjoy the terror stricken looks on their faces.

"Didn't expect this did you?" Valdis flashed her fangs at them.

"Y-you but... Henry... We- what's happening?" Lucas stuttered as he tried to make sense of what he was he was seeing.

Jo however was more level headed, though fear was still in her eyes. "Henry, can you explain why she's alive?"

Henry looked down then back at them. "I think, it would be best if Valdis herself explained."

All eyes turned to her and Valdis leaned against the corner of the room. "Well, it's obvious I'm not human I'm guessing? Lucas, you seemed a bit suspicious of me; care to guess at what I am?"

"V-vampire...." He stared at her fangs. "B-but the... the silver...? Isn't that with werewolves?"

She smirked. "Everyone knows werewolves don't exist, but our weakness to silver gave way to that legend... A vampire caught in his monstrous from during a full moon, a foolish human thinking it was a half formed wolf, killed it with silver, and the rumors spread."

"Vampires don't exist either." Jo replied still looking skeptical.

"Oh really?" Valdis changed her eyes to their glowing red and glowered at her. "Tell me detective, if I'm not that, what am I? I'm not human, even you can see that."

She didn't respond and looked at the ground. Lucas however had drawn closer, his fear evaporating. "So, you were in a like... comatose state when we first found you?"

"Once the silver was pulled out I could heal a bit, but during the time I was still impaled, yes."

"How did you survive the other attack?" Lucas looked like he was about to burst with all his questions.

"Time, surgery, and some blood." Valdis said the last part a bit quieter.

Jo turned to Henry. "If she was the 'monster' you had been chasing then why was she still in the apartment and you no where to be seen?"

Valdis froze and glanced at Henry as he shuffled before speaking up. "There was an emergency, I needed to get home... I didn't want you to think I was abandoning my job."

"If it was an emergency I understand, what was it?"

"Abe was... he was choking, I could barely understand when he called... I got here just in time." Henry gave her what Valdis could only see as puppy dog eyes as he begged her to believe him, luckily she did.

"Well I hope he's feeling better." Jo turned to Valdis. "You however, have more explaining to do."

"Anything." Valdis replied calmly.

"Did you really need that doctor when we took you to the hospital?"

"No, in fact I used one of my little trick to make her think she'd taken care of my injuries, then she took me back out to you... no harm done to the human or their delicate mind."

"So now that we know your secret, care to tell us what really happened?" Jo crossed her arms with a challenging look in her eyes.

"Master Vampire happened, I don't know his real name, that's the only thing he goes by that I am aware of. You should also know that was who Lucas saw following him." Valdis looked back at her unflinching.

"Wait." Lucas interrupted. "There are two vampires?"

"No, one, there would be two if my father hadn't been killed."

"But you said-"

"I'm only half... I'm weaker... much weaker than Master Vampire." She looked back at them guiltily. "And because you started working on my father's case you are all in danger with only me standing between death and you. Once I'm gone you won't stand a chance of stopping him... I was already too late to get Hanson."

"You know what happened to him?" Jo stepped forward as she listened for the answer.

"How do you think I ended up in Henry's office?" Valdis saw the horror on their faces and shook her head. "It wasn't his fault. Master Vampire put him under his control... forced him to hurt me and kill himself."

"How do we know you aren't lying?" Lucas questioned.

Valdis gave Henry an amused look. "I have no reason to and considering Dr. Morgan has old guns and sharp knives lying about his shop that could be used to kill me I wouldn't want to get on his bad side."

"I wouldn't kill you." Henry frowned, the memory of the man Adam had made him kill coming to mind. "I don't kill anyone if I can help it."

"It was a joke Henry, learn what those are." She replied lightly, managing to get a small grin out of him. "Now, anything else I may answer for you? I have until dawn." "