wonderland

Chapter 8:

It's the next day, I awake in my guest room feeling a bit better than yesterday but still feeling drained. I remain laid down and glance at the clock on the nightstand to read 8:15am.

No ones coming to save you.

I shut my eyes trying to push the mere thought of Sekiro out of my head.

Your blood was divine.

I get up quickly bringing my hands to my face and recollecting myself. I get up, grab clothes and enter the bathroom within my room and prepare a bubble bath to soak in. I glance at my reflection in the mirror as I wait for the tub to fill and glance at my neck.. Jason's healing abilities.. It's like I never got bit in the first place and I couldn't be anymore grateful. Once in the bath I lean my head back on the edge and take a deep breath, flushing out all the negativity that I can and just enjoy myself. I don't know how long I'm in there but I shut my eyes to relax and when I open them again I hear a knock in the other room.

"Who is it?" I ask, calling out.

"It's me." Jason says aloud.

"Come in!" When I hear the other door open I call out to him. "I'm in the bath. There's bubbles you can come in here if you need to." He opens the bathroom door and enters.

"How long you gonna be?"

"Why?"

"I want to talk about what's next. Figured it'd be just you Ash and I to start."

"I can finish up." He nods being polite with his eyes. "I'd need you to go the the room though if that were to happen."

"Right." He exits immediately and I can't help but smile at his awkwardness. I get out and change into some nice clothes before exiting and heading with Jason into the hall. "Your hairs still damp you know."

"It'll dry it's fine." I reply as he touches my ends. "So why just the three of us?"

"Your brother and Simon aren't really needed to be honest. I wouldn't involve you but seeing how you're in the middle of all this it's only necessary you're here for this."

"Good to know I'm of some importance."

"I didn't mean it like that." He says rolling his eyes and I smile knowing that irked him a bit. We enter a small drawing room where Asher waits on his phone, sipping a cup of coffee. "Where'd you get coffee from?" Jason asks as I sit down.

"Stole it from the kitchen during their morning prep. Doesn't beat the coffee shop though."

"Good morning everyone." I look up as Mrs. Malarky enters the room. "I hope you don't mind me sitting in on this, I'd like to help if I can."
I look at Jason who shuts his eyes in annoyance but Asher speaks up.

"It's fine, right?" Jason nods slowly, sitting down as Mrs. Malarky does. "Alright, so I was thinking what exactly do we know about Sekiro and his clan?"

     "They're a vampiric clan within the human realm that has typically stayed under the radar as it's been growing in numbers." Christina says aloud as she crosses her arms. "There's also the Ro-"

     "I've been targeting a lot of their clan for a while." Jason interrupts her and she looks a-bit taken aback by it. "Usually Sekiro wouldn't reveal himself. He likes to hide behind his army." He pauses. "We don't know the reasoning behind him turning Elijah either which doesn't help us understand why he attacked Ana."

"Elijah told me his reason." I whisper hating to admit it. The three of them look at me in surprise. "Sekiro offered him money in exchange for turning him. He played Elijah because he was greedy.. throwing me under the bus with him."