Lucy looked up from the body she was draining of blood. She had gotten hungry whilst they were searching for a vampire with a soul.
Kenneth was standing a few feet away from her. He looked like he was listening to something.
“What is the matter?”
Lucy asked him.
“I can hear screams.” He replied, still listening.
Kenneth wondered if it was a human getting attacked by vampires or a vampire getting attacked by werewolves.
Either way, it was really none of his business.
“Let’s get going.” Kenneth said, walking away.
“No,” Lucy said, also listening hard, “someone might be in danger.”
Kenneth looked from the body she had just drained to Lucy’s face.
She had just killed a person and all of a sudden she wanted to play hero?
“He’s not dead!” Lucy protested, pointing at the body.
“Whatever’s going on there isn’t our business.” Kenneth said.
“It might be,” Lucy replied, blocking his path, “someone you care about might be in danger.”
Kenneth was about to tell her that aside from her, he didn’t care about anyone but the pleading look in her eyes made him change his mind.
Soon they were following the sound and came upon a group of vampires writhing in pain.
A man with a cross was standing amongst them, raising the cross like a sword.
There were three men who stood with the priest, one of them looked like he had fainted. On closer inspection, Kenneth realized that the man was dead.
“Stand back agents of Lucifer!” The priest yelled.
“He has a cross!” Lucy said, alarmed.
Kenneth looked at the priest closely. There was something off about him.
“Why are they still trying to fight him?” Lucy asked, noticing that some of the vampires were still trying to claw at the man.
“Some vampires claim to have a high resistance to crosses and other holy objects,” Kenneth explained, “but it never lasts for long.”
Lucy looked at the vampires writhing and trying to escape.
“Let’s get out of here before he puts that thing in our face.” Kenneth said.
Lucy looked around for a suitable weapon. She found a piece of broken glass.
“What are you doing?!” Kenneth asked.
The priest’s helpers were trying to stake a vampire whilst the priest struggled to hold up the cross and bring out a little jar of holy water from his pocket.
Lucy aimed the piece of glass at the priest’s chest and threw it.
It sailed through the air speedily and sank in the priest’s chest. He screamed out in pain and dropped the cross.
As soon as he did so, all the vampires took the opportunity and took to their heels.
Kenneth grabbed Lucy’s hand and took off before she would think of something crazier than what she just did.
“Why did you do that?” Kenneth asked when they were a safe distance away from the priest.
“They needed help.” was Lucy’s simple reply.
What she did was dangerous, but Kenneth couldn’t help but admire her kindness. He was beginning to remember why he had fallen in love with her in the first place.
“Thank you.” said a man’s voice before Kenneth could reach out to Lucy’s face.
They both turned to the source of the voice. It was one of the vampires that Lucy had just saved from the priest.
“Thank you.” the vampire said again, “we would have been killed if it weren’t for you.”
“Why were you attacking the priest?” Lucy asked.
“He … err…” the young man stammered, unable to come up with a reasonable excuse.
Kenneth groaned.
“Because he’s one of those dumb vampires that think they are above crosses.” Kenneth answered, staring at the man.
The man raised an eyebrow.
“First of all that was not why we did that,” the vampire replied, “the priest attacked a friend of mine.”
“What do you mean?” Lucy asked.
“He tried to exorcize her.”he replied
“But that would kill her.” Kenneth said, knowing that holy water, crosses and other items used for exorcism were deadly to vampires.
“The fool probably knew that.” The vampire continued, “I swear if I lay my hands on him I’ll…”
“He’ll probably roast you with his holy water.” Kenneth said under his breath, fully aware that the other vampire could hear him.
“What’s his problem?” The vampire asked Lucy.
“Nothing unusual,” she replied, staring daggers at Kenneth, “anyways I’m Lucy and he’s Kenneth.”
“And I’m Evan.” The young vampire said, shaking Lucy’s outstretched hand.
As they shook, Lucy made eye contact with Evan and her eyes glowed with a golden hue. Surprisingly, Evan’s eyes glowed too.
“He has a soul!” Kenneth said, snapping out of his disinterest.
“You have a soul!” Evan said happily, “it’s hard to find vampires with souls around here.”
“Yes,” Lucy replied smiling, “do you have other friends that have souls too?”
“I heard female vampires rarely have souls.” Kenneth lied, trying to make Evan take them to a female vampire with a soul.
“Nah that’s a myth,” Evan said, “infact the friend I was talking about…”
“The one the priest nearly exorcized?”Lucy asked.
“Yes, that one,” Evan affirmed, “her name’s Agnes – she has a soul too.”
Kenneth and Lucy exchanged glances.
Things just got a lot easier.
“And this friend of yours, can I see her?” Kenneth asked.
Evan became suspicious. Why did they want to see Agnes?
“Why?” He asked.
Kenneth looked into Evan’s eyes.
“Take us to Agnes.” Kenneth said again. His pupils dilating.
“I will take you to Agnes.” Evan said, Kenneth’s hypnosis taking effect on him.
“Did you have to do that?” Lucy whispered to Kenneth as they followed Evan through an alley.
Kenneth pressed a finger to his lips, signaling Lucy to keep quiet.
“You guys are really slowing me down.” Evan complained.
“We’re sorry.” Lucy apologized.
“Old vampires.” Evan laughed.
Kenneth raised an eyebrow.
“You know old vampires are stronger and faster than younger ones right?” He asked.
Evan scratched his head, and realizing that Kenneth was right, he mumbled and continued moving.
Eventually they got to Agnes’ house. It was a decent apartment and the young lady was in the sitting room, still somewhat shaken by the events of the morning when Evan knocked on the door.
She opened the door to see Evan and two strange vampires with him.
“Hey Agnes.” Evan greeted cheerfully.
Agnes returned the greeting less cheerfully and then cast a questioning glance at the strangers with Evan.
“They’re friends,” Evan explained, “they saved me from the priest.”
“Oh my god,” Agnes said, snapping out of her rather dull countenance.
She ushered them in and asked them several questions about the priest and how they managed to escape.
” How long has he been hunting vampires?” Lucy asked.
“He just started this madness recently.” was Agnes’ reply. She looked into Lucy’s eyes and sure enough, her eyes glowed with the characteristic golden hue.
“She has a soul!” Agnes exclaimed, smiling.
“That’s why she wanted to see you.” Evan said, also smiling.
Vampires with souls were very rare and so whenever a vampire with a soul met one of it’s kind, it sparked a feeling of solidarity.
“Are there many vampires with souls in this city?” Lucy asked.
Agnes shook her head.
“Aside from you and Evan, I don’t know any other.” She replied.
“So the priest tried to kill you?” Lucy asked again.
Agnes nodded, trying to forget the experience.
“I don’t think she wants to talk about it.” Evan said.
“Of course,” Lucy apologized, “I’m so sorry.”
Agnes nodded and smiled at Lucy who returned the smile warmly.
“What do you mean you can’t do it?!” Kenneth yelled at Lucy who was sitting quietly on a chair across him.
“She has been through a lot recently.” Lucy said quietly.
“Is she the only vampire who has almost gotten herself killed?!” Kenneth yelled again, “why did she even go to a church in the first place?!”
“I can’t do it.” Lucy said again.
“What do you…” Kenneth started.
“Kenneth stop.” Nella said, interrupting Kenneth’s shouting. She was standing behind Kenneth.
“You have to do it Lucy!” Kenneth said, suppressing the urge to walk over to her, grab her by the shoulders and shake her.
“Kenneth,” Nella called again.
“But she’s so scared.” Lucy said, quite unshaken by Kenneth’s anger.
Kenneth couldn’t take it any longer. In the blink of an eye, he ran over to Lucy, held her shoulders and shook her vigorously.
“We’re all scared Lucy!” He shouted, shaking her, “I’m scared of losing you – again!”
Nella lifted Kenneth up in the air with a spell.
“Kenneth!” She shouted, glaring at him before hitting him hard against the floor
Kenneth got up, took one good look at Lucy and then walked out of the house, slamming the door noisily behind him.
.