CHASE

Chapter 36

     "Stop!"  She shook her head.

     "Believe me! The archives! They have everything on file, I heard them. Now I know! I only survived because you exist. They destroy my kind because they also draw all their blood. Ah! Harmand! I swear I destroy him for touching you!"

     She looked at the recent prisoner. Eva walked away stunned until she felt her conscience unoccupied. Had a restless night of insomnia. She hadn't found the ideal position for hours. And the sun had not yet risen. As a result, she got out of bed. She watched the hallway ahead of her for likely unwanted presences. On her feet from there she went down to the downstairs compartment. She turned a deaf ear to Harmand's growl and stopped beside Orsmund where they stared. The other two vampires ignored her. They were already beyond dead. A state derived from the recurring tortures. The Viking was very kind when he watched her. Although Eva manifested unbelief.

     "I always thought it was the moon that pulled me from home."  It brought a huge smile to Orsmund.

     "Yes. And maybe that's why we met. Sorry for getting into your head. I can allow Harmand to hear you, but not me!"

     The Viking tilted his face to the back of the gallery.

     "Okay."  Eva tolerated it.  "What made me make such a decision? I never imagined myself leaving my parents even though they abandoned me."

     "They didn't abandon you, believe me! You even said they suffocated you!"

     He laughed.

     "I was always the one who took care of you when you ran out the window even before we met. You had no idea of the dangers of nocturnal predators. I only exposed myself because you would commit an irreparable stupidity when you wanted to reach the moon."

     He let out a laugh.

     "If I hadn't been there when you climbed the tree, I don't know if it would have been a pretty fall."

     "If, really, it was like that..."  She was surprised.  "I'm grateful. And what happened afterwards?"

     "You said that as much as you loved your parents, you didn't feel at home. You wanted to travel even though they wouldn't let you. Ah! And you whispered that you were born at the wrong time!"

     He laughed once more.

     "I'll look for what they hide from me!"

     "Beware!"  This time he uttered audibly. Which caused an agitated click in Eva's deepest memories.

     "I grew up and I know how to take care of myself!"  She hurried on, hurt hidden at the shock of the sound of his voice.

     Orsmund remained crestfallen. He would have to control his anger. It was useless for him to break the chains when, clearly, he would suffer his own death. And that would be of no use to him. He and Eva didn't see each other for days. Concerned, he put his exceptional hearing to use. Armored glass also specialized in atrophying sound waves. But the vampire struggled, equally, through the scent. He knew she was there, but not what could be conspiring. Until one night, when a group of men appeared, one element stood out. His clothes wafted through Eva's perfume. It seemed strange for someone to smell like that with the aroma so intense. When one of the rules was the prohibition of involvement between members of the same team. They believed that emotions could put missions at risk. They didn't want to harm their goals. Orsmund had a lot of information about them. Thanks to the dawn in which he had the happiness of one of the associates committing the mishap of crossing his eyes. Just out of curiosity. This incident resulted in the Viking's advantage, who extracted a set of confidential data from him. During a certain time. Unfortunately for the individual in question, this mistake led to a sentence. After being discovered, collectively, in agreement, they punished him with a fatal punishment. Which served as an example for future indigents. Needless to say, that the vampire assumed he paid for his bad decisions. This system had been in existence since he took down Grerft. The guy he was now focusing on was, precisely, João.

     The next night, Eva appeared, surreptitiously. Orsmund immediately sniffed the air. He detected no other odor that did not belong to her. Precisely because she had showered before coming. The Viking narrowed his eyes.

     "What are you up to?"

     He scolded her severely.

     "About what you told me about them controlling me forever, shameless."  She pointed.  "Explain that to me better!"

     "I saw in your memories the day you woke up with a folder of papers beside you. That object that seemed insignificant to you belonged to them. I saw the symbol engraved there. The circle with the two stakes crossed in x."

     "Their mark..."  She murmured.  "I didn't pay any attention to it. I got rid of it. It's amazing how you could see something I don't remember!"  She added.

     "They wouldn't bother investing in you if..."

     "If what?"  She pressed.

     "Obviously they bet you would be a unique case. A portion of my blood runs through your veins. For example, did you ever get sick? I thought so. It strengthened you and they want to study you. Become one of their experiences."

     "I see..."

     "They have been chasing me for decades. I think they came to me through Harmand. The day they captured me I was with you. For this, I ask you to forgive me! For my bad choice! I never thought that you would be given importance and I only compelled you to forget. So that you had a normal life ahead of you as an ordinary human."

     "However, this action resulted in a hell of nightmares!"  She censored.

"Well, I was wrong. During that mess, the last thing I wanted was to make you suffer. Until they put you in here and you ran away. Yes, you've been here, and I thought you were dead for never coming back! Although you turned them around when they tried to bribe you with that briefcase. Although they lost track of you for a while otherwise you wouldn't be here right now."

     "I'll find out about it, in detail!"

     "Now, tell me! What are you planning?"

     "Nothing much..."  She looked sideways.

     "You're getting involved with one of them, aren't you? I know! You still don't know the rules? That's dangerous!"

     "It's complicated, but it's been easier than I thought to seduce him."  She smiled confidently.  "I've been farther from getting him to bed. I'll get to the archives and get you out of here!"

     "No!"

     He growled.

     "I don't want you to sleep with anyone or risk your life for me! I'll find a way myself..."

     "How?"  She interrupted him.  "Look at you! What can you do other than just being there to survive? I can do it for you, but most of all I do it for me!"

     "Beware!"

     He begged.

     "What do you think I've been doing? I just hope the next time we see each other you're out of that box!"

     "Eva!"

     He pleaded.

     However, she had already set off in a race to avoid further admonitions from Orsmund. She had gotten that idea into her head, and no one would stop her. Her stubbornness could run very deep. And it would be an almost impossible job for anyone trying to dissuade her.