Vampire Emeritus (Part #3) ✔

Chapter 7: Moral Panic

Silence enveloped us in its tight embrace. My heart thudded rhythmically within my chest, pumping blood through my body, filling my limbs with adrenaline and my soul with anticipation. Thomas put the computer down and walked into the living room. Sheila came closer to me, lingering by my side, words stuck on her tongue. William's glance jumped from Caiden to me and back.

And Caiden stared at me and only me.

"Tell me everything." I demanded.

"Alright." As if glad he could break our eye-contact, Caiden opened his laptop. "They have an 'event' page where you can see all the upcoming, well, human killing events. In two days, they're going to attack a house nearby, half an hour away, and Ian is leading the attack."

"What else?" I squeezed through my tightened lips.

Caiden lifted his gaze, "There's nothing else. Well, there's going to be four vampires, but other than that, the page says nothing."

"Alright, four vampires." I nodded. "We can take down four vamp-"

"Chloe." Thomas cut in. "It's in two days."

"So? It's not like we have to face an army." I paced back and forth.

"No, but it might give us away." Thomas came closer. "We can't risk that yet, not when the vamplings aren't ready to fight."

"William will train them." I looked at the ancient vampire. "Won't you?"

"Of course." Will nodded. "But they cannot be ready in two days."

"They don't need to be." I shrugged. "We'll go. You, me, Thomas and Tina. The humans will stay here-"

"That's four against four." Thomas jumped in again, pissing me off further. "Even if our numbers are equal, they're Sacred Order vampires, probably tougher and more skilled than-"

"It's four against three." I corrected him. "Ian is on our side."

All of them exchanged a glance and I wasn't included in their silent conversation. I tapped my heels on the parquet, waiting for them to share their precious opinion.

"Chloe, you don't know that." Thomas said, his voice surprisingly gentle.

Oh, so that was the point he would try to make.

I gritted my teeth, "I know that."

"And what if you're wrong?" He stepped forward, but I lifted my finger up in the air, stopping him. "Listen, I know you want to find him, and you know I've supported you for two years, but this is too hasty, too rash. You haven't even thought-"

"I've been thinking enough." I cut him off. "For two years, all I've done is think about it. This is the first real clue we've found. I'm going to act on it, with or without you."

Thomas let out a sigh, "Chloe. Four Sacred Order vampires is too much for us to handle."

"Yes?" I laughed. "Then, what the hell for have we been collecting all those weapons in the basement?"

"You have weapons in the basement?" William's eyes widened. "What kind of weapons?"

Thomas's lips tightened, "And what if we fail? What if they find out it was us and come after us? You've got two humans and ten insane vamplings here! They can't fight them off."

"We won't leave any evidence." I shrugged. "They won't know it was us."

"And what if we lose?" Thomas pushed.

"We won't."

"How do you know that?"

"Because!"

Thomas slapped the table, "Why?!"