BloodRose

16. Rhea: Part 2

Garret could almost feel the anticipation rolling off of Alias. Despite the fact that vampires didn't need oxygen or blood to pump it through their bodies, both his breathing and heart rates had skyrocketed. In moments of distress or anxiety, a vampire experienced regression. Their emotions caused them to revert to a previous state. It was the same as a child sucking his thumb on the first day of kindergarten even though he hadn't needed a binky in a couple years. Vampires might start breathing heavily or their heartbeat might return out of pure emotion.

Alias was going through that process now and Garret was monitoring him the whole time. When the passcode was stated and the doors opened, Ambrogio welcomed its newest recruit. Members shook his hand and waved him through, pushing him towards the initiation that had been set up in advance. Garret had been confident that he would find leverage strong enough to make the vampire, Alias as he now knew, agree to his terms. His faith had paid off.

Alias frowned and opened his mouth to ask a question that Garret had heard several times already and had been expecting since they walked through the doors of the compound. He gave an answer before Alias could ask.

"Hannah is here, you just need to be patient."

Alias's frown deepened, but he said nothing.

They finally entered the room where the initiation would take place. Rows upon rows of Ambrogio members ringed the room. Alias faced them all, his features only hinting at his nervousness. Garret moved past him and settled into his place at the head of the circle, directly in front of Alias. He bowed his head like the rest and began to chant the ancient incantation.

Garret saw Alias sway and knew the wave was pulsing through the initiate. Garret had felt the same wave when he had been in the center of the circle only a few decades ago. The voices rose and fell in a mesmerizing rhythm and Garret felt himself getting lost in the spell, the words, the sound waves rolling around him and over him and through him. Alias wavered just long enough for Garret to notice. Despite the love-stricken vampire's longing......no.....need.....to get Hannah back, Garret could tell that joining a cult he knew nothing about was not his ideal way to accomplish that goal.

He would explain to him after the ceremony.

The chanting went on and on. Echoes reflected more echoes until the original voices were nearly indistinguishable from the ricocheted syllables. One by one the members left until at last only Garret and Alias remained and the ceremony was over.

"You're in." The words slid their way out of Garret's throat.

"Where-"

"Is Hannah? Yes. We're getting to that. First, there is something you should know." Again, Garret let anticipation and hope be his levers. Just before Alias could ask, he went on, "If you break the oath you are about to take, you will be sentenced to death. I will kill you myself.....after I kill Hannah in front of you." Unbridled rage swept over Alias and he again slammed Garret's back against a wall.

"You won't touch her." His words ground their way out between his gritted teeth.

Garret didn't hold back his smirk this time. "Don't think I won't."

Alias snarled and Garret raised his chin. He held Alias's gaze down his nose and slowly, the younger vampire relinquished his hold. As he backed away from Garret, his forehead creased.

"How would you kill me? Vampires are invincible."

"Not quite." Garret pulled a knife from behind his back. Alias studied it. There were a few hunters with these knives, but those were rare. Often times, the vampires they initiated into Ambrogio were young enough or lucky enough to never have encountered such a knife. He thinks I'm lying. Time for a demonstration.

With a flick of his hand, a struggling vampire was soon in front of Garret. Alias backed against the far wall. Knife in hand, Garret quickly stopped the chaos. As the vampire slumped toward the ground, Alias inched his way across the room. He examined the vampire for minutes, but in vain.

Garret's mouth pulled up ever so slightly at the corner and with his snap, the body was gone in seconds. Alias stared only at the ground, even as he stood. Good, he knows his place.

He handed Alias a piece of paper. The words were elegantly written in a style to mimic the old script it had originally been penned in. Garret barely even noticed as Alias said the words. All he could think about was the fact that he had what he wanted.

Which meant he could finally give Alias what he had been after this whole time, gaining even more of a hold over the newly initiated vampire. He turned and walked out of the room, Alias following quickly behind.

The corridors of the compound twisted and turned, but Garret had them all memorized. He took the stairs deeper underground, to the cells. Alias moved to come beside Garret, but the older vampire held up a hand to stop him. He could hear the anger in Alias's gait. What did he expect? Hannah is a failure. Did he think she was just in a comfortable suite somewhere? She betrayed us. She failed me.

They came to the last cell in Corridor B. Alias's hands flew to the bars as if pulled there. The figure crouched against the back wall cowered even lower and whimpered. Since her failure, Hannah had not been allowed outside. Sometimes the other members would come down here to mock her or beat her. Whatever it took, however many centuries it took to teach her how badly she had messed up. She was pale and dirty, her brown eyes a faded. Someday, eventually, she would be raised to full status again. Garret figured he would petition The Titan for that soon. Anything he could do to keep his precious weapon turned on his enemies. Until then, she was confined to this space. Alias strained against the bars. His voice was ragged as he spoke.

"Hannah. It's me, Alias."

A small movement came from the hunched vampire. He took that as encouragement.

"Please, Hannah. I need to see you. I need to know you're real. That you're here." He reached his hand through the bars, stretching his arm as far as it could go, "Take my hand. Please."

Slowly, the figure turned around. She kept her eyes on the concrete floor and moved to the edge of the cell where Alias stood. She didn't take his hand. She leaned her head against the bars, but made no attempt to reach him. Alias moved his hand to touch her cheek, used both hands and turned her head so that she faced him. Still, her eyes didn't meet his. He bent down and finally, she matched his gaze.

Understanding started to form in her eyes and a croak came out as she tried to speak. Tears found their way into Alias's eyes and he held her face more desperately than before. Garret watched from behind, but he doubted Alias would have noticed the end of the world in that moment.

Hannah finally managed one word. "Al?"

He nodded and as they put both of their heads against the bars, their tears fell to the concrete on both sides.

The tears still staining his face, Alias turned to look up at Garret, "How? How is this possible?"

"I turned her, before she died. We brought her here to initiate her and then she was obliged to follow orders. She petitioned to leave. It wasn't until much later that I realized she wanted to go look for you."

"Why is she here, in this horrible place?" The storm of Alias's eyes held a spark of condemnation, rebellion. Garret was quick to eliminate it.

"She learned that if rules are broken, someone must pay. If she decides to tell you her fault, that is her choice." Garret was certain that wouldn't happen. Hannah's nod behind Alias's back gave him confirmation.

"We'll get her out," Garret compromised, "I promise."

The resentment receded and Alias was once again consumed with Hannah.