One day... one day it's here and then it's gone
How are you still holding on?
You've felt this way for far too long... waiting for a change to come
You know you're not the only one
-Lyrics to 'Talk' performed by Kodaline
Crimson Bonds Part 67
She tried not to stare. The last thing she wanted was to make her company self-conscious over where her eyes continuously drifted to. But then, she had never been so close to a Vampire, for one, let alone one with scales for his skin.
And so every now and then, Angela's gaze would settle upon hands that were folded together on the edge of the booth that separated them. For the umpteenth time since they had sat together in silence for the last five minutes, she cleared her throat and peeled her attention away to stare at the table instead.
Chuckling deeply, the Chinese Infected smirked behind the hood that remained over his head, "It's okay to look." He gestured to his hands, reassuring, "I'm used to it."
Hence why he kept his face concealed from the few patrons and wait staff hanging around the other end of the diner. Under normal circumstances he wouldn't have minded being noticed. However, there was nothing normal about this private meeting, nor the fact that he was in the middle of a search for his wife and brother-in-law.
With her blue eyes snapping up to meet his gold-and-onyx irises, the law student stammered sincerely, "I-I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to have this meeting start out on such a bad foot from me." Still, her gaze was drawn back to the finely textured, tiled pattern embedded into his fingers.
Chang grinned, "No harm done." He stretched a hand forward slowly as to not startle the living. "Go ahead and feel them." The corner of his mouth curling all the more, he added in good humor, "I promise not to bite."
Giggling nervously, Angela hesitated for a breath before she swallowed roughly to gather her courage and accept the offered opportunity. Tentatively reaching out, she ran her fingers lightly over the back of his hand and her eyes grew at the unique sensation.
Yes, the scales were cold. That much was expected. It was how smooth they were that caught her by surprise. The fine gaps between the squares were very subtle and yet very present at the same time to make it known that this was not normal flesh.
"Did it hurt... when they came in?" she heard herself ask when she dragged her own fingers back. A question that she hadn't expected to come out of her, since she normally never would have cared to learn about an Infected leading up to this get together.
Wufei shrugged, "If they did, I was not aware of it." There was a hint of fondness as he stared at his hands as he folded them together again. "I was unconscious in the last stage of my turning when they broke through my mortal skin."
In little more than a breath, Angela muttered, "I can only imagine how horrified you must have been when you woke to find yourself like that... especially considering how badly you tried to avoid..." Stopping herself short, she lowered her head in regret for bringing the subject up when she was well aware that he had attempted to take his life.
Forced back into those darker memories of his start into his new existence, the former warrior frowned deeply and sighed, "At first, I took it to be the ultimate betrayal on Anna's part, when in fact I had handled myself very poorly. She knew what she was risking by turning me, but she didn't care for her own preservation as much as she did mine."
The public case before the Vampire Council had been studied and the subject of debate over the decades following it.
No matter what arguments could be raised, those who sided against the immortals would always remain convinced that there was some manipulation involved that was being covered up as some mystic connection intended to keep a regular blood source. Thus Companions were given the cruel nickname 'Blood Banks.'
And just as those who stood opposed to Vampires could never be swayed, any who supported them believed the bond between them and their Chosen was not only real, but pure in its nature. Probably their best argument as such was that once mated with their Companion, the Infected never swayed in their devotion to their one and only... unless separated by death.
It was this very indecisive matter that now was now tearing McAdams apart thanks to her upbringing and what she had recently come to feel through her time with John.
When another long silence had settled, Wufei took the ball into his court to ask in sincere concern, "How have you been holding up with all of this, Angela? As someone who has been in your shoes before, I have to admit that you seem to be keeping yourself together better than I did. And you have many more challenges in your situation than I did, considering your lineage."
A sharp breath filling her lungs, the intern straightened rigidly and blinked her enlarged eyes. "I-I didn't realize that I was that good of an actress," she chuckled sadly.
Her bottom lip quivering, her eyes began to sting with tears as she whimpered, "For the first time in my life, I don't know which end is up. I don't have the answers. I'm terrified over how much this is changing me... even killing me."
Nodding, Chang reached out again, this time to squeeze her arm that remained flat on the table surface. "Now that I can definitely relate to," he smiled comfortingly. "As much as I wish I could take that away, the best that I can do is answer any questions you have. Maybe my experience could help you sort this out a little better."
"How did get you through this?" Angela begged in a rush, rubbing at the wet trail running down her face. "What made you trust that what you felt with Anna was good and not some kind of power Vampires can hold over humans when you had feared her kind for so long before you met?"
Without needing a second to consider his response, Wufei stated, "When she had set me free to exist as I chose and in that freedom I realized that my greatest fear, above all others, was the thought of being without her."
The wind rushing out of her lungs at that, the mortal slumped back in her cushioned seat as though a weight had physically been lifted from her. He could have told her anything at all and she could have made a case against it...
...except for that very simple, profound sentiment as it was one she could relate to in her own situation.
Well aware that he had helped the living make a breakthrough, the scaly Vampire grinned sympathetically, "As easy as it is to say that, I know that where you are in your life right now makes it difficult to accept so lightly. And as John's father, I am unfairly biased in what you should do since condemning him to an existence without you would be his demise. So I'm not going to make any suggestions to what choice you should make."
Leaning forward, he told the young woman earnestly, "Just know that whatever that decision is, you'll have both of our support so long as you feel it's what you see as right for yourself. John wouldn't want you to feel obligated into being with him if that's not the path you wish to take. Like Anna had done in letting me go, he's giving you the space you require to come to your own conclusion."
Another terrifying concept for Angela- having to make such a call on her own while hoping it was the correct one. But somehow, she felt oddly good to know that it was all in her hands with her lover's blessing.
"What about Anna?" she breathed, a fresh batch of tears leaked from her eyes. "John told me about her condition and her kidnapping. Whatever happens on my part, I want to know that she's returned to your family safely."
Chang's smile fell away as he swallowed past the lump forming in his throat. "I really appreciate the offer," he nodded firmly, "However, there are... aspects of this investigation that need to be protected by my kind."
Namely Duo and the Preventers organization, two things that no mortal was aware of for many reasons. "For those factors, this needs to be dealt with on our end, spare one challenge that is hindering the search," the Infected commented while rolling up the long sleeve covering his right bicep until the silver armband wrapping it was revealed.
Angela gasped, a terrified expression flooding her face. "The registration laws? But... how is that hindering your search?"
Covering the tracker again, Wufei grumbled, "I have a feeling you'll find out soon enough. Until then, we should bide what time we have to continue this discussion." All the more perplexed, McAdams tilted her head.
His arms folding across his chest, the Vampire shifted gears and stated, "Speaking from countless past encounters with Hunters and anyone who had spoken against my kind, I have seen a strong connection between the hate for us and a devotion to God. Your mother never made an effort to hide her own strong belief that we are not of the Creator... that we're evil because we are not of His natural making."
Eyes growing wide, Angela fought to find her voice. When her efforts were in vain, she could only nod shallowly.
The corner of his mouth curling in a smirk, Wufei raised a hand and said, "I don't judge her, you or anyone for what they hold to be true. I merely bring this up because it's a belief that always confused me since every religion I studied teaches that the one and only God has a purpose in all that He does." With a shrug, he sighed, "I guess I fail to see how that doesn't include all of us."
Opening his right hand and holding it out, he explained, "God created man in His likeness." Then raising and opening his left hand, he continued, "Man created Vampire with what was thought to be a cure for Tuberculosis."
Purposely bringing his palms together, he asked, "Why couldn't it be argued that there's a bond connecting the two? If our existences weren't intended, wouldn't God have seen to it that there was only one being created in His likeness?"
"But that's just it. Infecteds are not of His likeness," Angela insisted, her firm faith solidified in that sentiment.
Chang raised an eyebrow. "My dear, what was I before I was turned?" he pressed, smirk growing. "In fact, were not all Vampires human once? Are they to be held responsible for being turned into what they are now? And is God not the greatest of all things- Love? Wouldn't that be what presides over an Infected finding their Other?"
Those questions opened a whole new insight that Angela had never considered before... just as many livings like her neglected to look into. It opened a door to a whole new world of insights to be thrown into the mix of an already complex battle of theories.
Never before had she thought a Vampire to be versed in theology, let alone for them to be so keenly interested in it to be able to make a compelling stand in his position.
It did prove one undeniable fact... she now saw that neither she, nor her mother, were right in every aspect of what they thought they knew about the mysterious race. And if they were wrong in some ways, they could very well be wrong in all of their preconceived judgments.
Seeing the young woman's wheels turning, Wufei eased back in his seat and muttered, "If only there were more like you to brave sitting down with one of us to hear our side, this world be a very different place." He shrugged, smiling solemnly, "Maybe there wouldn't even be a need for the Human-Vampire Treaty to guarantee that our kinds could co-exist peacefully."
His head shaking, he praised, "I really admire you for having the courage to call me, Angela. I can see how you make the perfect match for my son. You're not afraid to find your own way and answers in this existence, just like John."
A couple of bubbling giggles broke from the intern, her face brightening. "That... is the best compliment I've ever had. Thank you."
Suddenly, a shrill and pulsing beep filled the air. His eyes widening, Chang quickly removed his cell phone from his pocket. Silencing the alarm, he read the message flashing across his closed flip's exterior window. "I'm afraid that's all the time I have," he announced. "That's a good friend of mine warning me that some unwanted company is closing in."
"What?" Angela gasped. "Who? And how did they know where to find yo-" Cutting herself off as her jaw opened and skin paled, she figured out the 'how' on her own. This was what the Infected had meant when he said she would find out soon enough what the tracker on his arm was doing to hinder his search. Softly, she managed, "O-oh."
Politely bowing his head and rising to his feet, the warrior tugged the hood as far as it would allow to shield his face. "They're not after you," he informed. Dropping more than enough cash to cover Angela's tea refills with a nice tip for the waitress, he instructed, "Once you're away from here, just head for your car like nothing is wrong and try not to make eye contact with them."
Her heart racing in her chest, McAdams looked on the Vampire in deep worry. "Okay, but..." she whispered as she scanned the customers in the opposite booths to make sure they were not being watched, "...who are they?"
Wufei kept his attention on the dark world beyond the windows for any sign of movement in the shadows as he replied, "Hunters. They're protecting whoever took Anna. No matter where we go in the world, the team of us looking for her has not been able to sit still long enough to make much progress."
"Oh my God," Angela breathed, a hand flying over her mouth. The public registration. At any given time, anyone could access the location of every Vampire at will.
What her mother had fought so hard for had secured another mother's imprisonment. Regardless of the difference in their races, it was a terrible circumstance.
All the more concerned for the Chinese Infected, the intern pressed under her breath, "What about you? How are you going to get out of here if they're so close?"
Not the least bit agitated by his predicament, Wufei requested calmly, "Don't worry about me. "I'll be away before they even know I've slipped away." Turning his onyx-and-gold eyes away from the window at last, he met the mortal's gaze and grinned, "It was very nice meeting you, Angela."
Unable to help matching the warm smile, the living nodded, "Nice to meet you, too." Taking hold of her things, she spun her back to him so that she could slide out of the booth and climb to her feet. As she pulled her arms through her coat sleeves, she asked, "Now how are you planning on getting out of he-"
By the time she was facing where the scaly Vampire had just been standing, Angela was shocked to stillness when she found herself completely alone in that corner of the diner. Rapidly shifting her head around for any sign of him, she could not come across so much as a hint that he had ever been present.
Gripping a hold on her purse, the intern took his sudden departure as a sign that it was time she made herself scarce as well.
Quick in her pace for the main entrance, she followed her directions and put on airs that there was nothing out of the ordinary by waving 'good night' to the wait staff walking past to clean the sectional that she had just occupied.
In reaching the door and beginning to breathe in relief, McAdams's hand was an elevated heartbeat away from touching it before it opened abruptly from the other side. Two dark-clad men stormed through the entrance, nearly knocking the startled blonde over. All but tripping on her feet to step aside, she lowered her head to avoid their eyes.
That was when she saw the shimmer of pistols and other weaponry on their hips that were shielded enough by their opened jackets to everyone else keeping their gazes up.
Hunters. This was Angela's first encounter with them.
Swallowing roughly, she stayed in the entryway to watch them stalk towards the private corner that she and Wufei had been sitting in. With heavy falling feet, they abruptly turned the corner to head for the bathroom doors further past the empty booth in search of their prey.
Hands shaking, the law student struggled to not hyperventilate as she pulled her hood on and hurried through the diner's door. Descending the porch steps two at a time, she threw her purse strap over her shoulder and stuffed her hands into her coat pockets.
Cautiously lifting her head again, McAdams took in her surroundings once she reached the security of the well-lit parking lot. Through the swirl of light snow that had just begun, she narrowed her eyes at the thick line of trees beyond its perimeter.
Under the light of the half-moon, there was movement in the shadows. More Hunters. Nearly a dozen of them. All standing by in wait for the call to storm the diner once their associates inside confirmed that they had their Vampire.
Angela fell into the driver's seat the moment she was able to open the door. Nearly dropping her keys when she extracted them, she shoved the ignition key into its home and brought the vehicle to a soothing purr in its start up.
Navigating her way out of the lot, the living forced herself to look no further into the wall of trees encasing the little diner. Centered on the road ahead of her, she was only able to fill her lungs again when she pulled onto the busy main highway knowing that there were no tailing headlights behind her.
"My God," she whispered shakily as she removed a hand from the wheel to push her hood back. 'All of those people for one Vampire,' she thought to herself. It was a harsh glimpse into one of the darker realities for the immortals.
She now had an idea of what it felt like to be preyed upon by people with the intent to harm... or worse.
Pulling off to the side of the road, Angela parked her car so that she could catch her breath and process her harrowing escape. At the buzz from her pocket, she jumped in her seat with a sharp cry. Still trembling, she removed her cell phone to read the text displayed across its screen.
'All clear. Drive home safely. Contact me again whenever you need.'
Wufei Chang. He had stayed behind to make sure that she got away soundly.
The adrenaline wearing off, McAdams dropped her phone into her lap and stared out ahead to the highway before her without actually seeing it.
A Vampire had risked his own well-being to look after her. Not only that, he had accepted and respected her... even though he knew that she would never have done the same for him not long ago.
Covering her face with her hands, Angela released all of her pent up emotions...
...And she cried.
* * * * * *
Materializing before the new safe house in a burst of brilliant color, Wufei took in the abandoned residence and sighed as he removed his hood. In the damp dirt by his feet, he noted the tracks moving towards the run-down cabin only a trained and enhanced pair of eyes like his own would have picked up.
Heero had returned from his hunt only minutes ago.
That meant another important discussion was about to take place.
Preparing himself for the second heart-to-heart that day, Chang began to walk towards the residence when the world before him disappeared into a sea of darkness. Halting in his tracks, a wide splash of red glowed through the black a few feet ahead.
His eyes narrowing on the shadowy figure crouched in the center of that illuminated crimson, Wufei gasped sharply. As his vision made out the details, he realized that at the being's feet were strewn about bodies.
Straightening itself slowly, the growling beast's jaws and hands were dripping blood. And from behind a fall of thick bangs, a pair of violet-and-silver eyes pierced the dark to glare dangerously at its observer. Howling, the lithe monster sprang forward in a headlong rush for the stricken Vampire.
Wufei raised his hands defensively when his surroundings melted back into the forest once again. Panting, his enlarged eyes searched all around for the deadly beast that had set itself upon him... but he was nowhere to be found.
Almost falling forward from the shock of what he had just seen, the scaly Infected let out a shuddering breath at the thought of that hauntingly familiar face. He didn't want to believe what he saw... there had to be some kind of mistake.
But in the end, Chang couldn't deny the terrifying reality of who had set upon him. Swallowing roughly, he had to whisper it for his own ears what his heart reluctantly knew to be true.
"Shinigami."
TBC...
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