Ascendant Path of a Lustful Vampire

Chapter 589: Who ever heard...?

”So you mean, you and many others have been acting as vigilantes with total disregard for the law,” Zaila said and her voice had a dangerous edge to it.

Van chuckled.

”Please, Captain. The law makes exceptions for extenuating circumstances,” she said.

”Not in this case, it doesn’t,” Zaila said.

”Well, it should. If the protection of the citizens of Khione is paramount, then exceptions to lax protocols must be allowed.”

”I’ll act like you’ve not confessed a crime to me and ask you just to tell me why you’re here so you can get out of my Study and we can both get on with our lives,” Zaila said in an exasperated tone.

Van leaned forward and placed his arms on the desk. Zaila frowned but said nothing.

”I have it on good authority that you had a long meeting with one of those bloodsuckers,” Van said, ”I assume a lot of important things were discussed. I’d like to know what.”

”First, I must say I don’t appreciate my Garrison being spied on. That’ll be the second thing you’ve admitted to today that I will be lenient enough to not take offense with for now.

Second, whatever I may have discussed with anyone is none of your business.”

”You must have learned by now what that particular band has been accused of back at Capital City. As such, it should be clear to you now that they’re not the sort of vampires you can delude yourself into thinking are ’law-abiding’. They are criminals.”

”So you say,” Zaila said and she almost bit her tongue because she knew instantly she had reacted as she shouldn’t.

Van smiled like he had learned something from her reaction.

”They have bamboozled you with supposed innocence, haven’t they?” He asked.

”I don’t get bamboozled!” Zaila snapped.

Again she bit her tongue to punish herself for such a reaction.

’What is wrong with me?’ She asked in her head.

Zaila was usually in control of herself— her reactions, her words. Today was proving to be an exception as she just felt... different. She found herself caring for and about people and things she never would have thought she would care about.

She worked hard to rein herself in but by the look in Van’s eyes, she felt the harm might already be done.

”You don’t have to be defensive, Captain,” Van said, ”I am not accusing you of anything.”

Zaila laughed at that.

”As if you had the authority to,” she said.

Van acted like he hadn’t heard her and just continued speaking slowly and carefully.

”Your moment of weakness—your kindness—was clearly exploited by those monsters. That’s what they do. Their ability to shift into human form— it’s indicative of their deceptive nature. That you believed the story they cooked up is no fault of yours.”

Zaila scoffed and wondered why she was still listening and hadn’t tossed Van and his trio of stoic Mages out of her Study.

Once again, Van pressed on.

”I am not here to judge you for that. But I do hope you’ll tell me where they’re headed so another won’t fall prey to their wiles as you have.”

Zaila paused now.

”What did you ask me?” She asked and for the first time since this meeting began, she looked confused.

”Where they’re headed,” Van repeated, ”Please tell us. We’re on their tail but the little chase in the streets yesterday showed they are quite capable. If we could head them off before/at their destination, it’ll be a big help.”

Zaila laughed, genuinely amused.

”You think I know where they are headed?”

”Well... yes,” Van said, and for the first time since they all began, he looked unsure.

”Well, I don’t,” Zaila said and as she did, it seemed to dawn on her that she truly had no way of knowing when/if she would ever see him again.

Zaila felt a bubble of loss bloom in her chest at the realization and her throat closed. Fortunately, she was taking deliberate care to compose herself so none of it reached the surface and was evident to Van or his Mages.

”You didn’t discuss anything about their destination?” Van asked, ”Nothing at all?”

”Nothing,” Zaila shrugged, ”It didn’t seem important.”

”Not important?” Van asked in an astonished voice and then his voice rose as he continued,

”You didn’t think it was important to know where a vampire infestation was heading next?! You didn’t think it was important what other corner of Khione they were taking their bloodsucking to?!”

”You better watch your tone when you speak to me,” Zaila said calmly but her eyes got colder and the temperature in the study dropped many degrees.

Van shivered at the sudden chill and cleared his throat.

”I apologize. It just... seemed like such an oversight,” he said.

Zaila said nothing at first as she looked from Van to the Mages who she could see were shifting into attacking stances. She tilted her head to the side and the temperature continued to drop as she silently dared them to make a move.

The Mages realized they were locked in a staring contest with her and their eyes blinked rapidly. They trembled both at the cold and the battle intent coming off Zaila’s body.

Van realized what was happening and his eyes widened as he glanced back at them and waved his hands.

”Stand down.”

The Mages seemed relieved as they relaxed their stances. But they still shivered from the temperature and the way Zaila was glaring at them.

For the first time in a while, Zaila blinked and as she returned her attention to Van, the temperature returned to normal.

”I don’t fucking care if my actions or inactions seem like an oversight to you. I don’t answer to you,” she said with a scornful smile that curled her pretty upper lip over her perfect teeth, ”My patience is spent. Get out.”

”Captain,” Van said and remained seated as he got into the second and maybe most important reason he wanted this meeting, ”I believe that vampire band is up to no good. Even if they are out of Northern-Star, they are still in the Khione Duchy. And they can always return to wreak havoc.

For the safety of the Khione’s citizens, you must marshal forces from your Garrison to join our cause and hunt them down.”

”Why not go to the other Garrisons?” Zaila asked impatiently through gritted teeth, ”Why come here to impose your presence on me?”

”Because the other Garrisons are not as involved with this as you have become,” Van said.

”You mean they were not as stupid as I was to give audience to your drivel.”

Van flushed and his voice gained a hard edge.

”My Lady, it was your Garrison that captured the vampires and then let them go. It is your responsibility to right that wrong.”

”I’ll take it under advisement,” Zaila said with a smirk, ”I tell you now though, don’t expect an update.”

”Captain—”

”I asked you once,” Zaila said gently and dangerously as she nailed Van with her icy blue eyes,

”Don’t make me ask you again because I won’t use words.”

Van’s jaw tightened and then he stood to his feet. He glared at Zaila and his chest swelled like he had a million things to yell at her. But then, he turned away and toward the door that seemed to open automatically to let him out.

Adria was just behind the door and she stood aside for Van and his Mages to pass before walking into the Study and shutting the door behind her.

”Captain, may I ask...”

”You may,” Zaila answered promptly.

A few minutes later, Zaila had filled her Lieutenant in on all that she had discussed with Van and also filled herself a goblet of alcoholic beverage like she really needed something to calm herself after getting so riled up.

”And you really don’t know where they’re headed,” Adria said.

”I don’t,” Zaila said with a sigh.

”And you’re fine with that? Because, forgive me, Captain, but Mr. Kroon might have a point about the potential danger—” Adria started.

”He— they won’t attack anyone,” Zaila said firmly.

Adria didn’t miss the correction at the beginning.

”You trust him?” Adria asked and her tone didn’t sound exactly like a subordinate to a superior. The relationship seemed a lot more familiar than that.

Zaila paused and seemed to think of her response. Unlike Van, she couldn’t just be dismissive. Or at least, she didn’t want to be.

”He told me enough truths for me to give him the benefit of the doubt,” Zaila said.

”Hmm, I’m sure he did,” Adria said and even with the dangerous implications of the situation, she couldn’t just completely exempt a teasing tone from her voice.

Zaila’s lips twitched into a shadow of a smile.

”It was convincing in a way I couldn’t really explain to you,” she said.

”Yes, you did look very ’convinced’ in the recording,” Adria said, gesturing with her head at Zaila’s clenched fist where a part of the recording device peeked through.

Zaila just shook her head and then looked at her desk. She hadn’t had time to really take it in but she now realized all the things that had been thrown off the surface to the floor and scattered last night were rearranged now.

”Did you tidy up here?” She asked Adria.

Adria shook her head.

”No. It didn’t look like it needed any,” she said, ”Should I have?”

Zaila let out a little laugh.

”No,” she said, ”No, it’s fine.”

In her head though, she wondered,

’Who ever heard of a vampire who tidies up?’