The Immortals

FOURTEEN - Kill'n'Drink

"The Immortals?" Victor's voice reverberated with confusion as he absorbed Timothy's revelation.

A flicker of disorder danced in his eyes for a fleeting moment before transforming into a snide grin that twisted his features. "Now, now, Timothy, I know when deceit is being spun."

Removing his foot from Timothy's chest, Victor seized him by the collar and forcefully hoisted him upright, a display of his commanding strength. The air grew heavy with an impending sense of doom as the hybrid's face transformed, his eyes emanating a menacing glow and his sharp fangs glistening in the dim light.

His grip on Timothy's neck tightened, a vice-like hold that threatened to choke the very breath from his victim's lungs.

Timothy, desperate to conceal the fear that threatened to consume him, fought to maintain a facade of composure.

"Why would I fabricate something so obvious?" he managed to utter, his voice strained as he futilely attempted to break free from Victor's unyielding grasp. "They lie in wait, concealed somewhere in the country. Davos, Solomon, Aurelia, Cyrus, and Lucretia - your first five vampires - they have been tracking your every move for a while now."

Victor's mouth opened in astonishment, only to quickly close again as he processed the shocking revelation. "But how? I haven't laid eyes on them in over nine centuries..."

"They seek vengeance, Victor. And I deeply regret the serum incident, but how can I possibly defy vampires so ancient?" Timothy's remorse was palpable, his voice heavy with regret.

The ancient hybrid scrutinized Timothy for a moment, his grip on him slowly loosening. As he released his hold, Timothy staggered backward, his hand clutching his throat, desperate for air.

"I never particularly liked you, that much is true. Especially after the way you turned me and slaughtered our comrades. But I am not foolish enough to conspire against you willingly. You have proven your immense power time and time again. I swear upon my life, Victor Black, I speak the truth," Timothy pleaded, his gaze fixated on the floor, unable to meet the penetrating stare of the older immortal.

Before anyone could utter another word, Antonia materialized in a flash, her expression resolute as she brandished a wooden stake.

"Do not kill him, Victor" she asserted, ready to defend Timothy at all costs.

Victor, however, found amusement in her appearance, a subtle smirk forming on his lips as he crossed his arms.

"You're a tad late, Antonia. We were just settling the matter" he drawled.

Antonia blinked, taken aback, and her arm, with the wooden stake still in hand, fell to her side. "Oh."

Her trembling hand relinquished its hold, and the wooden stake descended towards the earth, only to be intercepted by Victor's swift and calculated movement. With an uncanny agility, he snatched the stake from its mid-air descent, piercing it deep into Antonia's abdomen. A strangled gasp escaped her lips, mingling with a pained groan that resonated through the air.

"Victor, what ...?" Antonia managed to utter, her voice laced with disbelief and agony.

"Don't you ever dare attacking me again!" Victor growled, his tone a mixture of annoyance and warning. "T'was the second time you have defied me. Learn your place."

He released his grip on her and retreated a couple of steps as Antonia extracted the stake from her abdomen, gasping in pain. However, the wound quickly sealed itself, leaving only a faint scar.

"Hands up!" a commanding female voice echoed behind them.

The three vampires turned around to face the source of the voice and found themselves confronted by two detectives, one male and one female, each brandishing a gun.