Fate's Vinculum

Chapter 3.

When Zoë returned, she was glad for two things—one was the fact the dog was gone and her carpet was clean. Secondly was the fact Marc looked less like an animated corpse and more like a human being. His cheeks even had some color to them, letting her know he had fed more. Marc had even covered the nasty wound to his neck with a large gauze pad.

"Sorry," she said, taking note that he had squeezed into some of her clothes. "Not all the blood came out."

Marc began to take off the tight pants. He gave her a rueful smile. "I figured. It is what it is."

Pulling his pants on, he then took off his shirt. Zoë's eyes fell to his chest where silver necklaces hung from his neck. Angry pink welts sprung up wherever the jewelry touched his skin.

His choice of necklaces was interesting. One was a dragon, its wings outspread. Situated so it would fall over the dragon's body sat a cross. When the pair settled, it gave the effect that the cross had wings. Zoë also didn't fail to realize that there was an angry, blistered red mark where the necklaces naturally fell against his neck. It looked painful, like a burn mark.

Marcus slipped his black shirt over his head, staring at Zoë evenly. Knowing Zoë was much too polite to say anything, Marcus answered the question she wasn't confident enough to ask.

"Most people associate silver with werewolves. Two things; one, werewolves don't exist. Two, it's silver that hurts us."

Zoë swallowed, trying not to blink, feeling afraid. Marcus fanned out his coat and looked it over, growling deeply. After a moment, he poked his finger through a hole in the elbow. "Aw, come on. This was my favorite coat!"

Zoë didn't say anything. Throwing her a playful smile, he pointed at her. "And don't point out that I have one exactly like this."

"What happened tonight, Marc?"

The smile slipped away from his face. Swallowing loudly he looked away, hands on his hips.

Zoë raised her eyebrows. The burn marks to his face were now barely noticeable, pink areas of fresh skin. "Or rather, what happened today? You were burned. I assume you were outside in daylight for some reason?"

The vampire scoffed but didn't speak.

"Marcus? C'mon. It's me."

The vampire sighed, looking back at the young woman. "The less you know the better."

"You can't show up here, nearly dead, force me to get a dog for you–"

Anger lit his green eyes. "I didn't force you to do anything–"

"--and not tell me what happened, Marc!"

Marc made his way to the door. "I shouldn't have come here. Sorry."

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Don't worry about it."

When Marc opened the door, Zoë rushed forward and slammed it shut. Glaring up at him, she kept her palm against the door. "If you leave, I'm coming with you."

Marcus flat out laughed at her. "What part of, 'the less you know, the better' did you not hear?"

"You know what I think?"

Marc sighed and looked at the ceiling, shaking his head. "No, but I'm sure you're about to tell me, aren't you?"

Zoë ignored him. "You're running away from whoever attacked you."

"Yes and no," he answered honestly, holding up his index finger.

"Whoever did that to you had to have been as powerful as you are."

Marc looked at her and pursed his lips.

"So, if you're running away, that means you're running from someone, right?"

Marcus jerked the door open, but Zoë slammed it shut again, pushing all her weight against it. Now Marc glared at her.

"Someone is tracking you, Marc. That means your dumb ass might have led them right here. I have to come with," she added, a triumphant flicker to her eyes.

Marc laughed and looked at her incredulously. "If they were here, you'd know."

Zoë crossed her arms, tapping her foot.

"We're fine!" he insisted. "If they were here we'd be dead already. They're not really the type to wait."

"They?"

Marcus looked angry at his own slip-up.

"Fine," Zoë pressed. "If you leave, they might show up. While I'm still here."

The briefest flicker of consideration skittered across Marcus' face. Then his face became set in indifferent stubbornness, even though his green eyes told a completely different story. "Well, if they do, it'll be good for you that you don't know anything. You'll be fine."

"I'm guessing whoever has you spooked–"

Marcus laughed and interrupted her. "Hey! I am not 'spooked'! I don't get spooked! I'm the one that does the spooking, thank you very much."

Zoë rolled her eyes. "Fine–whoever beat the shit out of you–"

"There, that's better."

Zoë shoved him as he laughed some more. "Would you shut up already?! You are so infuriating!"

Marcus grinned at her. "But you love me, don't you?"

Sighing heavily, Zoë shook her head. When she replied, she gave the smallest smile. "Yeah, I do. Which is why I'm coming with you."

The smile drifted off Marcus' face. "Absolutely not."

"Fine, then let me just go grab my bible and–"

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, but I would."

"You haven't got the balls."

Zoë raised her eyebrows. "Care to try me?"

Marcus scowled.

"Look, Marc. The way I see it, either I stay here and am a sitting duck, or I come with you and you might be able to protect me."

Marcus didn't reply.

Zoë shrugged. "Whatever. It's your conscience on the line for the next hundred years when you hear in the news I was murdered."

The vampire motioned Zoë aside. He then opened the door for her, glaring. "You're literally the worst. I don't know why I put up with you."

Zoë gave a bow and smirked. "Thank you for opening the door for me, kind sir. Who says chivalry is dead?"

Marcus rolled his eyes. "Just shut up, Z.Z.."