Heart of Ashes

The New Member

The three hunters stared at the door expectantly. The cavalry was due to arrive. He was late. Waylon checked his watch and looked up at the door. No one. Fiona drummed her fingers on the table and sighed as she stared into space. Evan repetitively ignited the flame on his lighter only to put it out again.

"Look, mate," he said eventually, "I don't know who you spoke to but I'm tired and I want to go catch some sleep, so he has five minutes."

"Five minutes my rear end," Fiona mumbled, "I'm going now."

She stood up and started making her way towards the door. Waylon jumped up, "Fiona! Fiona, please."

She shot him the finger, "Go to hell, Waylon."

She disappeared into the thrashing rain outside and Waylon began to feel hopeless. The vampire knew their faces, he knew their scents. Waylon stared at the door as he realised that the minute night fell, the vampire, Caine, would hunt them down. All because he'd failed to do essential research.

The doorbell tinkled and Fiona came back. She walked quickly towards the table and sat down. Her eyes were as wide as a startled cat's. Waylon raised an eyebrow at Evan but Evan just shrugged. A moment later the doorbell tinkled again and a man walked in. He was dressed smartly in a three piece suit. He rested his umbrella by the door and smoothed his slicked back,  black hair. He made his way to their table and hung his jacket on one of the chairs. He sat.

"You're late," Waylon used the toughest voice he could muster, he wanted to sound in charge.

The leaned forward on his elbows and smiled. First, Waylon noticed his fangs and then his Maragi red eyes,"Am I?" he said, "How inconsiderate of me."

Waylon glanced at the faces of his companions. Fiona's wide-eyed shock had been replaced with annoyance or maybe, even, anger. Evan was staring daggers at him.

"A vampire?" Evan hissed, "This is your idea of back up?"

Waylon blinked to clear his mind, "I... I..."

The vampire's smile widened, "Oh, it's not his fault. He didn't know, I neglected to tell him that, sorry. However, now that I'm here there's not much you can do about it, so shall we discuss what I promised."

"Why the hell should we trust you?" Fiona had turned her death stare toward the vampire.

"Because, I don't like Caine anymore than you do. He is a scourge to this planet and anything that comes from him is an abomination," the vampire said, "and I'm the only one sitting at this table who knows how to kill him."

Waylon leaned forward, "Start talking."

"Oh but I'll need your assurance that you can kill him. That you will kill him."

"We'll try our damndest," Waylon said.

"Waylon!" Fiona scolded, "He's a bloody vampire, he could turn on us at any moment."

The vampire nodded, "I could but that would be most inconvenient for me and my intentions."

Evan nodded, "I don't like this, at all. In fact, I loathe this but if we're going to defeat Caine, we'll need someone who knows his ways."

"That someone being me," said the vampire.

He hadn't given a name over the phone or much information at all. Just promises of an artifact, "What is it?" Waylon asked.

The vampire turned his head, "What is what?"

"The artifact."

The vampire's smile returned, "Ah, I have obtained a relatively rare suit of armour. The Armour of Vladimir Dracul, himself. Anyone who wears it becomes invincible while they're in it."

"Then why not use it yourself? " Fiona asked.

The vampire shook his head, "Oh no, I'm afraid that's not possible."

Evan frowned, "Why not?"

The vampire leaned back, "Killing Caine, myself, would have serious repercussions for me."

Waylon nodded, "Right, so where is this armour?"

He chuckled, "Safe. I will bring it when I'm ready."

Fiona's glare intensified, "And when will that be?"

A smirk appeared on his face, "Oh, my dear, all you humans seem to have a thing for asking the wrong questions. What you should be asking is how to kill Caine."

She blinked, taken aback, "What do you mean? We know how to kill your kind."

The vampire's eyes beamed, "My kind, perhaps, but Caine is... well, he's not like the rest."

Waylon tilted his head, "What are you talking about, vampire?"

He sighed, "You hunters really can be so ignorant sometimes. Caine is a true immortal. He cannot be killed unless you destroy his entire being."

Evan squinted, "Sorry?"

"You can kill his body but he will rise again. You can stab his heart, he will repair it. His mind, he will regenerate."

Evan's eyes went from narrow slits to wide, shining orbs, "You mean we need to burn him?"

The vampire shook his head, "Yes and no. He has been burned by the sun and he has come back. So no, you must not incapacitate and burn him, as a whole. You need to kill his body. You must cut out his heart, decapitate him and burn each part then, and this is important, you must bury them deep in the earth far away from each other."

Waylon pinched his brow, "And we are expected to do this alone?"

"Oh no," the vampires calm was eerie, "you will have help. There are many who wish Caine dead, each for his own reason but they will assist you."

Waylon was disgusted, "Vampires?"

"Naturally."

Evan's eyebrows flicked up briefly as he reached for the mug of coffee in front of him, "Well, there's nothing like a common enemy to.unite squabbling neighbours."

The vampire's calm smile returned, "Indeed."

Waylon raised his cup, "To the taste of victory."

The other hunters raised their mugs and repeated his toast in unison. The vampire was the last to say it but he did, never the less.

"Hey, vampire," Fiona said, "what's your name?"

His smile morphed into a grin, "My name is not important right this moment. Knowing it might put a spanner in the works of our plan."

She arched a brow, "And you expect me to trust you, when you won't even give a name?"

The grin vanished, so did the smile, "Oh, my dear, I do not expect you to trust me, but what choice do you have?"