A Tear of Blood
In a land far away, a man sat in the dark of a church and prayed. He prayed for his parents and their lost souls, for his sister and her new disease. He prayed to stop the voices. They railed at him, screamed at him to do unspeakable things. And he always did.
Not that the things he did unspeakable things to didn't deserve it. On the contrary, they were quite deserving of the cruel justice met on the tip of his sword. A life taken in the name of justice for the millions of lives taken by the creature meeting justice. They were murderers and beasts, and they deserved every bit of what they got.
But the man sat in the church and prayed anyway. Just because he could do what he did, just because he acted in the name of justice, didn't mean that it was any more easy. He felt the need for redemption, believed that what he did was wrong, bitterly so. But he had no choice. If he didn't do it, he was hurt, and someone else paid the price.
Like his sister. She paid the price for his inaction. Because he had refused to eliminate Lucas when he'd had the chance, his sister had been infected with the disease. Because he'd given Lucas the chance, his parents were dead, slaughtered brutally in their own home. Soon, it would be his sister committing those unspeakable acts, trying to slake her neverending hunger for human blood. And he would have to eliminate her, or someone else would pay the price, someone else would end up like his sister.
"Nicolae, it's time to go." The soft voice called him from his prayers, and Nicolae stood slowly. A young man stood at the door, his hand outstretched to Nicolae.
"Yes, Jonothan, I know." He spoke softly, unsurely, even as he reached out and took Jonothan's hand. He was pulled against a cool body, a body far below normal body temperature. Nicolae was suddenly wrapped in the black of Jonothan's cloak, and he felt the disturbing sensation of the floor dropping out from under him, and then the floor was back, and they were standing in a hotel room.
"Lucas is here. He wishes to speak to you, Nicolae." Jonothan gently ran a hand through Nicolae's long black hair.
"Let him speak. He will be safe around me for this one night, in this one room." Nicolae pulled away from Jonothan and placed a small cylinder on the coffee table. "I won't attack him while he is here." Nicolae settled himself into a large, overstuffed chair, and waited.
He heard footsteps approaching, and he couldn't help the shudder that ran through him. Lucas, the Master Vampire was on his way to this room. Jonothan stood by his side and rested one long-fingered hand on Nicolae's head, and Nicolae relaxed. After all, why should he fear a Master Vampire when he had one of his own on his side?
The door never opened, but suddenly there was a man seated in the chair across from Nicolae. He held a glass filled with a suspiciously red liquid in one hadn, the other was idly propping up his head. His legs were crossed, he had an affected look of boredom about him. He was Lucas, the Master Vampire. Very little could actually hold his interest.
"You wished to speak to me, Lucas?" Nicolae managed to grind out, his temper inflamed by the very sight of the Vampire seated across from him. Voices flared up in his head, ordering him to for the kill, and Nicolae lightly touched his temple, trying not to show how badly he was affected by the loud, angry voices. Jonothan moved his hand slightly, and the voices cut out, thankfully.
"I merely wished to speak of your sister." The rich voice dripped with amused malice. "Of course, my dear Hunter, if you aren't well I can always come back some other time." The soft laugh did nothing but anger Nicolae even more.
"No, Lucas, we can speak. But you will say what you wish to say, then leave. I don't want you to dally about it, I want you out of my place of residence." Nicolae glared at the Master Vampire, not even trying to disguise his deep and burning hatred for the demonic creature across from him. Another gentle stroke to his hair from Jonothan calmed him once more, and Nicolae relaxed a little.
Lucas laughed loudly at the sight. "Tamed a Hunter for yourself, Jonothan?" His laughter cut Nicolae deeper than anything else had.
Jonothan noticed the flinch when Lucas laughed. "You are not here to speak to me, Lucas. Nor are you here to mock my charge. Either say what you have to say or get out. Just because Nicolae promised that he wouldn't attack you doesn't mean that I won't if you anger me." Jonothan glared at Lucas and continued to soothingly stroke Nicolae's hair.
"Yes, yes, I know. Don't worry, I'll say what I have to. Nicolae, I haven't turned your sister yet. I'm willing to make a deal with you for her safety." Lucas smirked when he watched Nicolae sit up straight in his chair, his brown eyes wide with hope. "The question is: are you really willing to do anything to save her life and her soul? To keep her sheltered from this brutal life that you lead?"
Jonothan's eyes narrowed, he sensed that whatever was coming he wouldn't like. But he also knew that Nicolae would do anything to save his sister, and would kill anything that stood in his way. Jonothan refused to be that something; Nicolae would have to make that decision on his own. So Jonothan remained silent.
"What do you want in return for her safety?" Nicolae leaned forward, hoping against hope that it was something he could afford to give.
And suddenly, the demon was right in front of him, his cold hand on Nicolae's face, the wineglass gone to Neverwhere. "My dear Hunter, all that I ask for is one night with you." The demon smirked down at Nicolae, whose eyes narrowed in anger, then closed in defeat.
"One night with me. And my sister will be safe?" Nicolae kept his eyes closed, his voice not shaking, to his credit.
"Yes, she will. I promise that. If you spend tonight with me, I will give your sister back to you in full health. I may be an evil bastard, but I do not break my promises. If I say that I will return your sister to you, I will, of that you can be sure." Lucas spoke quietly, staring down at the Hunter whose undivided attention he held. He delighted in the fear that Nicolae was unintentionally showing.
"And what if you do break your promise? What can I do to you then? I would kill you if you lied to me. I would kill you faster than you could blink." Nicolae glared dangerously at the Master Vampire.
"I will not break this promise to you. I would not destroy my honor in that manner. If I were to break a promise to you, who would trust me? No, it would be better by far to simply help you in this, and let it be known to all that I will do exactly as is required for me to get what I want. It makes a statement, don't you think?" Lucas smirked again, his green eyes filled with even more malice than usual.
"I don't care. I just want my sister to be safe." Nicolae looked up at Jonothan, his green eyes filled with fear. "Jonothan?" He spoke softly, unsurely, clearly frightened by the two options presented to him.
"Lucas, you will give us a night to consider this. That is not in question. Nicolae deserves the chance to make an informed decision, one where he doesn't feel as pressured as he might now." When Jonothan spoke, it wasn't a question. Lucas recognized that with a slow nod.
"One night is all you'll get, though. I can't afford to give you any more time than that. I'm taking a huge risk by even allowing Nicolae to consider for one night. If I wait any longer, my followers will feel that I am weak, and they might react accordingly, if you understand my meaning." Lucas vanished, leaving behind these words: "I shall return exactly twenty four hours from now, Nicolae. Be waiting with your answer."
Nicolae collapsed against the back of the chair once he was certain that Lucas was gone. "Jonothan, what do I do? I can't.I can't just leave my sister to him, but I can't accept his offer. What would he do to me for that one night? Jonothan, you know, don't you? What he would do.He'd hurt me. that isn't the problem though. The problem is that.I don't know if I can give myself over to him. If I can stop my Hunter's instincts for long enough to allow him to do whatever it is he would want to do to me. I'm not that powerful, right?" He looked up at Jonothan with wounded eyes, a single tear dripping down his cheek.
"You most certainly are that powerful. It is simply a matter of how you should choose to use that power that is in question. Should you use your power of will to do as he wishes, or should you use it to try and find an easier way?" Jonothan knelt in front of Nicolae. "I would, of course, support you in whatever choice you chose to make."
"Would you? Really? What would you do, Jonothan?" Nicolae stared at him, his eyes wide and trusting.
"I would do as I thought best. I would follow my heart. But I cannot tell you what your heart says. I will assist you in any way that I can, however. You know that, Nicolae." Jonothan leaned forward and hugged Nicolae gently. "I wish that I could make this choice for you, my love, but I am afraid that I cannot. Do as you think is best for your sister and for yourself. And keep this in mind: Lucas's idea of safe may differ greatly than your own. He might not mean that she will be safe in this realm, or even that she will be safely alive. He might mean that she would be safely dead, or safe in some random level of Hell. He has lived for longer than your bloodline has existed, and is a master of deceit without ever telling a lie. Keep all of that in mind."
"I know.but I have to believe that he really would give my sister back to me if I do what he asks of me. I just don't know.Jonothan, I don't know!" Nicolae let out a faint cry of anguish, and Jonothan crushed Nicolae to him.
"We have twenty four hours to decide, Nicolae. There is no need to force yourself into a panicked state now; all you need to worry about is getting some rest. I'll be here when you wake up, now just sleep. Please." As Jonothan spoke, a hint of Power crept into his voice, and Nicolae slumped into unconciousness, a deep and calm sleep supplied by Jonothan's magic.
Once he was certain that Nicolae wouldn't awaken, he left the room with a swirl of his black cloak. He wandered the town, looking for some criminal to feed on. He needed more time to decide what he would do, he couldn't think when he was under that much pressure. He didn't want to feed, but feeding would release a good deal of the stress he felt, and he would be able to think a little more clearly, as he always did once he fed. The energy boost always helped.
Once he'd found someone, he fed quickly, making sure that the pedophile wouldn't get up ever again. That was one criminal off of the streets, he would never hurt another child again. "Jonothan." The voice startled him, and he turned quickly to face the apparent threat. Much to his relief, it was no true threat.
The voice came from a young man of about seventeen with long blue hair and an easy smile. "Hello, Kristopher. How are you this evening?" Jonothan watched the young man carefully.
"I'm alright, I suppose. I've been better. How is your charge doing?" Kristopher walked a little deeper into the alley, his eyes tracking Jonothan's every move.
"Nicolae is not well. His parents were murdered. His sister was taken. Lucas will, at some point in time, pay for all of this. I don't feel that that time is near, however. Nicolae isn't ready to deal with that. He can't kill him; he isn't quite powerful enough yet." Jonothan sighed heavily. He rested against the alley wall, ignoring the slowly cooling corpse beside him.
"I'd heard about that. Nicolae can't kill him, Jonothan, but you could. I would help you with it, if you asked it of me. I would do anything that you asked of me. You know that." Kristopher stared at Jonothan, an expression of pure adoration on his face. "I love you."
"Kristopher, now is not the time to bring that up. I need to help my Hunter, I do not have time to worry about some juvenile mortal following me around declaring his undying love for me. How can your love for me be undying when as a mortal you will simply fade away at some point, like all mortals? You will be dust before I have even reached the peak of my power. I cannot deal with that right now." With that, Jonothan left the alley, his eyes swimming in tears. Kristopher stood numbly watching him go, tears dripping down his face.
Jonothan returned to the hotel room, ignoring the clerk that asked him if he'd had a pleasant time. He was furious that Kristopher had followed him, again, and didn't want to go back to Nicolae in that condition. But he didn't have a choice, he couldn't leave Nicolae in that state for long, Nicolae hated to be vulnerable, and would most likely be furious with him for leaving him alone while in a spell-induced slumber.
When he reached the room, Nicolae was curled up in the chair, his arms wrapped around himself. Jonothan casually lifted him and carried him over to the bed, then woke him with a simple word. Nicolae looked up at him, a slight smile on his face. "I thought we agreed that you wouldn't do that to me anymore. Did you change your mind?"
"No, Nicolae, I said that I would never do that to you unless circumstances demanded it. And demand it they did. You needed at least a little bit of rest before we tried to figure out what you would do. Don't you agree that your mind feels much clearer now?" He smiled and sat down next to Nicolae.
"Of course. You're always right, Jonothan. I never doubted that you did it with my best interests in mind." Nicolae smiled sweetly and trustingly at Jonothan.
Jonothan sighed, that trust would one day get him in trouble, of that he was certain. "Nicolae, what do you want to do?" Jonothan felt Nicolae freeze, he could feel the fear radiating off of Nicolae.
"If I were to accept what Lucas wants me to do, Jonothan, what would he do to me? You know, don't you? After all, you were his sire. You did turn him all those centuries ago. What would he do to me?" Nicolae stared at Jonothan, his green eyes suddenly piercing. He wanted to know what it was that Jonothan had trained Lucas to do in situations like the one they were approaching. He wanted to know what his kind friend had been like before he had changed his ways.
"He would torture you. Of that I am sure. I don't know what else he may do to you. For all I know, he could have something horrible in mind." Jonothan spoke quietly and carefully, staring down at Nicolae, his eye contact never wavering. Nicolae paled a little.
"What choice do I have? I would rather that my sister be safe, even dead, then have her become one of those blood-sucking bastards. No offence meant, of course." The last was added hastily, as though he'd only just recalled that he was talking to a Master Vampire.
"None taken. I'm well aware of the fact that I'm a blood-sucking bastard. I'm not ashamed of that fact. And I understand your sentiment. But I'm afraid that you wouldn't live out the night with Lucas. He doesn't know how much you can take, and he might over do it and kill you, even if it was accidental."
"But I don't have that choice. I'll do it, it seems to be the only option open to me." Nicolae sighed sleepily and snuggled back into the bed. "But right now, Jonothan, I don't want to worry about that. I want to sleep. Wake me around noon? I don't want to wake up before then. Please." Nicolae closed his eyes and was asleep before Jonothan even had the chance to answer. Jonothan didn't mind, he would do anything to help Nicolae through his plight, even if it was something so basic as waking him up when he asked. But right then, it was only four o'clock in the morning, and Jonothan was tired. He lay down next to Nicolae, on top of the covers, and closed his eyes, promising himself to wake up at eleven o'clock. That way he'd have time to get lunch for Nicolae so that it would be ready when Nicolae woke.
* * *
Nicolae woke to the tempting smell of greasy pizza. Jonothan normally made sure that they ate healthily, he only allowed Nicolae to eat junk if he felt that something was going on that would perhaps eliminate him. That alone told Nicolae how serious Jonothan had been when he'd said that Nicolae might die during this coming night.
The day flew by quickly, and before Nicolae knew it, it was nighttime, and Lucas was there, a cruel smirk on his face. "Have you come to your decision, Nicolae?" He stood there in all of his menacing glory, glaring daggers at Nicolae.
"Yes, Lucas, I have. I will agree to be yours for one night. I don't want to, but I know that it's what I have to do to make sure that my sister is safe." Nicolae was trembling as he sent Jonothan away, and surrendered himself to Lucas for the night.
* * *
It was after dawn the next morning when Lucas finally left Nicolae. He returned briefly to deliver Nicolae's sister to him, then was gone again. Nicolae was unconscious in his bed, blood pouring out all over the place. Jonothan placed his sister under a sleep spell then turned his attention to Nicolae.
He didn't know if he could save Nicolae, at least, not the way in which would be acceptable. He could always Turn Nicolae, but he didn't know how his Hunter's blood would react to the change. He stood there, staring at the bloody mess on the bed, conflicted by his indecision. Suddenly, he knew what he had to do. Nicolae had to live, he could not die. He was one of the most powerful Hunters, he couldn't die. But.he could be turned. Jonothan was sure that the Powers would not be angry, not if Nicolae lived. Even if it was only in the strictest sense of the word.
With that thought in mind, Jonothan approached the bed slowly. He gently touched Nicolae's cheek, his eyes following a trail of blood that started at Nicolae's eye and fell down his face. Ironically enough, it seemed like a tear of blood.
In a land far away, a man sat in the dark of a church and prayed. He prayed for his parents and their lost souls, for his sister and her new disease. He prayed to stop the voices. They railed at him, screamed at him to do unspeakable things. And he always did.
Not that the things he did unspeakable things to didn't deserve it. On the contrary, they were quite deserving of the cruel justice met on the tip of his sword. A life taken in the name of justice for the millions of lives taken by the creature meeting justice. They were murderers and beasts, and they deserved every bit of what they got.
But the man sat in the church and prayed anyway. Just because he could do what he did, just because he acted in the name of justice, didn't mean that it was any more easy. He felt the need for redemption, believed that what he did was wrong, bitterly so. But he had no choice. If he didn't do it, he was hurt, and someone else paid the price.
Like his sister. She paid the price for his inaction. Because he had refused to eliminate Lucas when he'd had the chance, his sister had been infected with the disease. Because he'd given Lucas the chance, his parents were dead, slaughtered brutally in their own home. Soon, it would be his sister committing those unspeakable acts, trying to slake her neverending hunger for human blood. And he would have to eliminate her, or someone else would pay the price, someone else would end up like his sister.
"Nicolae, it's time to go." The soft voice called him from his prayers, and Nicolae stood slowly. A young man stood at the door, his hand outstretched to Nicolae.
"Yes, Jonothan, I know." He spoke softly, unsurely, even as he reached out and took Jonothan's hand. He was pulled against a cool body, a body far below normal body temperature. Nicolae was suddenly wrapped in the black of Jonothan's cloak, and he felt the disturbing sensation of the floor dropping out from under him, and then the floor was back, and they were standing in a hotel room.
"Lucas is here. He wishes to speak to you, Nicolae." Jonothan gently ran a hand through Nicolae's long black hair.
"Let him speak. He will be safe around me for this one night, in this one room." Nicolae pulled away from Jonothan and placed a small cylinder on the coffee table. "I won't attack him while he is here." Nicolae settled himself into a large, overstuffed chair, and waited.
He heard footsteps approaching, and he couldn't help the shudder that ran through him. Lucas, the Master Vampire was on his way to this room. Jonothan stood by his side and rested one long-fingered hand on Nicolae's head, and Nicolae relaxed. After all, why should he fear a Master Vampire when he had one of his own on his side?
The door never opened, but suddenly there was a man seated in the chair across from Nicolae. He held a glass filled with a suspiciously red liquid in one hadn, the other was idly propping up his head. His legs were crossed, he had an affected look of boredom about him. He was Lucas, the Master Vampire. Very little could actually hold his interest.
"You wished to speak to me, Lucas?" Nicolae managed to grind out, his temper inflamed by the very sight of the Vampire seated across from him. Voices flared up in his head, ordering him to for the kill, and Nicolae lightly touched his temple, trying not to show how badly he was affected by the loud, angry voices. Jonothan moved his hand slightly, and the voices cut out, thankfully.
"I merely wished to speak of your sister." The rich voice dripped with amused malice. "Of course, my dear Hunter, if you aren't well I can always come back some other time." The soft laugh did nothing but anger Nicolae even more.
"No, Lucas, we can speak. But you will say what you wish to say, then leave. I don't want you to dally about it, I want you out of my place of residence." Nicolae glared at the Master Vampire, not even trying to disguise his deep and burning hatred for the demonic creature across from him. Another gentle stroke to his hair from Jonothan calmed him once more, and Nicolae relaxed a little.
Lucas laughed loudly at the sight. "Tamed a Hunter for yourself, Jonothan?" His laughter cut Nicolae deeper than anything else had.
Jonothan noticed the flinch when Lucas laughed. "You are not here to speak to me, Lucas. Nor are you here to mock my charge. Either say what you have to say or get out. Just because Nicolae promised that he wouldn't attack you doesn't mean that I won't if you anger me." Jonothan glared at Lucas and continued to soothingly stroke Nicolae's hair.
"Yes, yes, I know. Don't worry, I'll say what I have to. Nicolae, I haven't turned your sister yet. I'm willing to make a deal with you for her safety." Lucas smirked when he watched Nicolae sit up straight in his chair, his brown eyes wide with hope. "The question is: are you really willing to do anything to save her life and her soul? To keep her sheltered from this brutal life that you lead?"
Jonothan's eyes narrowed, he sensed that whatever was coming he wouldn't like. But he also knew that Nicolae would do anything to save his sister, and would kill anything that stood in his way. Jonothan refused to be that something; Nicolae would have to make that decision on his own. So Jonothan remained silent.
"What do you want in return for her safety?" Nicolae leaned forward, hoping against hope that it was something he could afford to give.
And suddenly, the demon was right in front of him, his cold hand on Nicolae's face, the wineglass gone to Neverwhere. "My dear Hunter, all that I ask for is one night with you." The demon smirked down at Nicolae, whose eyes narrowed in anger, then closed in defeat.
"One night with me. And my sister will be safe?" Nicolae kept his eyes closed, his voice not shaking, to his credit.
"Yes, she will. I promise that. If you spend tonight with me, I will give your sister back to you in full health. I may be an evil bastard, but I do not break my promises. If I say that I will return your sister to you, I will, of that you can be sure." Lucas spoke quietly, staring down at the Hunter whose undivided attention he held. He delighted in the fear that Nicolae was unintentionally showing.
"And what if you do break your promise? What can I do to you then? I would kill you if you lied to me. I would kill you faster than you could blink." Nicolae glared dangerously at the Master Vampire.
"I will not break this promise to you. I would not destroy my honor in that manner. If I were to break a promise to you, who would trust me? No, it would be better by far to simply help you in this, and let it be known to all that I will do exactly as is required for me to get what I want. It makes a statement, don't you think?" Lucas smirked again, his green eyes filled with even more malice than usual.
"I don't care. I just want my sister to be safe." Nicolae looked up at Jonothan, his green eyes filled with fear. "Jonothan?" He spoke softly, unsurely, clearly frightened by the two options presented to him.
"Lucas, you will give us a night to consider this. That is not in question. Nicolae deserves the chance to make an informed decision, one where he doesn't feel as pressured as he might now." When Jonothan spoke, it wasn't a question. Lucas recognized that with a slow nod.
"One night is all you'll get, though. I can't afford to give you any more time than that. I'm taking a huge risk by even allowing Nicolae to consider for one night. If I wait any longer, my followers will feel that I am weak, and they might react accordingly, if you understand my meaning." Lucas vanished, leaving behind these words: "I shall return exactly twenty four hours from now, Nicolae. Be waiting with your answer."
Nicolae collapsed against the back of the chair once he was certain that Lucas was gone. "Jonothan, what do I do? I can't.I can't just leave my sister to him, but I can't accept his offer. What would he do to me for that one night? Jonothan, you know, don't you? What he would do.He'd hurt me. that isn't the problem though. The problem is that.I don't know if I can give myself over to him. If I can stop my Hunter's instincts for long enough to allow him to do whatever it is he would want to do to me. I'm not that powerful, right?" He looked up at Jonothan with wounded eyes, a single tear dripping down his cheek.
"You most certainly are that powerful. It is simply a matter of how you should choose to use that power that is in question. Should you use your power of will to do as he wishes, or should you use it to try and find an easier way?" Jonothan knelt in front of Nicolae. "I would, of course, support you in whatever choice you chose to make."
"Would you? Really? What would you do, Jonothan?" Nicolae stared at him, his eyes wide and trusting.
"I would do as I thought best. I would follow my heart. But I cannot tell you what your heart says. I will assist you in any way that I can, however. You know that, Nicolae." Jonothan leaned forward and hugged Nicolae gently. "I wish that I could make this choice for you, my love, but I am afraid that I cannot. Do as you think is best for your sister and for yourself. And keep this in mind: Lucas's idea of safe may differ greatly than your own. He might not mean that she will be safe in this realm, or even that she will be safely alive. He might mean that she would be safely dead, or safe in some random level of Hell. He has lived for longer than your bloodline has existed, and is a master of deceit without ever telling a lie. Keep all of that in mind."
"I know.but I have to believe that he really would give my sister back to me if I do what he asks of me. I just don't know.Jonothan, I don't know!" Nicolae let out a faint cry of anguish, and Jonothan crushed Nicolae to him.
"We have twenty four hours to decide, Nicolae. There is no need to force yourself into a panicked state now; all you need to worry about is getting some rest. I'll be here when you wake up, now just sleep. Please." As Jonothan spoke, a hint of Power crept into his voice, and Nicolae slumped into unconciousness, a deep and calm sleep supplied by Jonothan's magic.
Once he was certain that Nicolae wouldn't awaken, he left the room with a swirl of his black cloak. He wandered the town, looking for some criminal to feed on. He needed more time to decide what he would do, he couldn't think when he was under that much pressure. He didn't want to feed, but feeding would release a good deal of the stress he felt, and he would be able to think a little more clearly, as he always did once he fed. The energy boost always helped.
Once he'd found someone, he fed quickly, making sure that the pedophile wouldn't get up ever again. That was one criminal off of the streets, he would never hurt another child again. "Jonothan." The voice startled him, and he turned quickly to face the apparent threat. Much to his relief, it was no true threat.
The voice came from a young man of about seventeen with long blue hair and an easy smile. "Hello, Kristopher. How are you this evening?" Jonothan watched the young man carefully.
"I'm alright, I suppose. I've been better. How is your charge doing?" Kristopher walked a little deeper into the alley, his eyes tracking Jonothan's every move.
"Nicolae is not well. His parents were murdered. His sister was taken. Lucas will, at some point in time, pay for all of this. I don't feel that that time is near, however. Nicolae isn't ready to deal with that. He can't kill him; he isn't quite powerful enough yet." Jonothan sighed heavily. He rested against the alley wall, ignoring the slowly cooling corpse beside him.
"I'd heard about that. Nicolae can't kill him, Jonothan, but you could. I would help you with it, if you asked it of me. I would do anything that you asked of me. You know that." Kristopher stared at Jonothan, an expression of pure adoration on his face. "I love you."
"Kristopher, now is not the time to bring that up. I need to help my Hunter, I do not have time to worry about some juvenile mortal following me around declaring his undying love for me. How can your love for me be undying when as a mortal you will simply fade away at some point, like all mortals? You will be dust before I have even reached the peak of my power. I cannot deal with that right now." With that, Jonothan left the alley, his eyes swimming in tears. Kristopher stood numbly watching him go, tears dripping down his face.
Jonothan returned to the hotel room, ignoring the clerk that asked him if he'd had a pleasant time. He was furious that Kristopher had followed him, again, and didn't want to go back to Nicolae in that condition. But he didn't have a choice, he couldn't leave Nicolae in that state for long, Nicolae hated to be vulnerable, and would most likely be furious with him for leaving him alone while in a spell-induced slumber.
When he reached the room, Nicolae was curled up in the chair, his arms wrapped around himself. Jonothan casually lifted him and carried him over to the bed, then woke him with a simple word. Nicolae looked up at him, a slight smile on his face. "I thought we agreed that you wouldn't do that to me anymore. Did you change your mind?"
"No, Nicolae, I said that I would never do that to you unless circumstances demanded it. And demand it they did. You needed at least a little bit of rest before we tried to figure out what you would do. Don't you agree that your mind feels much clearer now?" He smiled and sat down next to Nicolae.
"Of course. You're always right, Jonothan. I never doubted that you did it with my best interests in mind." Nicolae smiled sweetly and trustingly at Jonothan.
Jonothan sighed, that trust would one day get him in trouble, of that he was certain. "Nicolae, what do you want to do?" Jonothan felt Nicolae freeze, he could feel the fear radiating off of Nicolae.
"If I were to accept what Lucas wants me to do, Jonothan, what would he do to me? You know, don't you? After all, you were his sire. You did turn him all those centuries ago. What would he do to me?" Nicolae stared at Jonothan, his green eyes suddenly piercing. He wanted to know what it was that Jonothan had trained Lucas to do in situations like the one they were approaching. He wanted to know what his kind friend had been like before he had changed his ways.
"He would torture you. Of that I am sure. I don't know what else he may do to you. For all I know, he could have something horrible in mind." Jonothan spoke quietly and carefully, staring down at Nicolae, his eye contact never wavering. Nicolae paled a little.
"What choice do I have? I would rather that my sister be safe, even dead, then have her become one of those blood-sucking bastards. No offence meant, of course." The last was added hastily, as though he'd only just recalled that he was talking to a Master Vampire.
"None taken. I'm well aware of the fact that I'm a blood-sucking bastard. I'm not ashamed of that fact. And I understand your sentiment. But I'm afraid that you wouldn't live out the night with Lucas. He doesn't know how much you can take, and he might over do it and kill you, even if it was accidental."
"But I don't have that choice. I'll do it, it seems to be the only option open to me." Nicolae sighed sleepily and snuggled back into the bed. "But right now, Jonothan, I don't want to worry about that. I want to sleep. Wake me around noon? I don't want to wake up before then. Please." Nicolae closed his eyes and was asleep before Jonothan even had the chance to answer. Jonothan didn't mind, he would do anything to help Nicolae through his plight, even if it was something so basic as waking him up when he asked. But right then, it was only four o'clock in the morning, and Jonothan was tired. He lay down next to Nicolae, on top of the covers, and closed his eyes, promising himself to wake up at eleven o'clock. That way he'd have time to get lunch for Nicolae so that it would be ready when Nicolae woke.
* * *
Nicolae woke to the tempting smell of greasy pizza. Jonothan normally made sure that they ate healthily, he only allowed Nicolae to eat junk if he felt that something was going on that would perhaps eliminate him. That alone told Nicolae how serious Jonothan had been when he'd said that Nicolae might die during this coming night.
The day flew by quickly, and before Nicolae knew it, it was nighttime, and Lucas was there, a cruel smirk on his face. "Have you come to your decision, Nicolae?" He stood there in all of his menacing glory, glaring daggers at Nicolae.
"Yes, Lucas, I have. I will agree to be yours for one night. I don't want to, but I know that it's what I have to do to make sure that my sister is safe." Nicolae was trembling as he sent Jonothan away, and surrendered himself to Lucas for the night.
* * *
It was after dawn the next morning when Lucas finally left Nicolae. He returned briefly to deliver Nicolae's sister to him, then was gone again. Nicolae was unconscious in his bed, blood pouring out all over the place. Jonothan placed his sister under a sleep spell then turned his attention to Nicolae.
He didn't know if he could save Nicolae, at least, not the way in which would be acceptable. He could always Turn Nicolae, but he didn't know how his Hunter's blood would react to the change. He stood there, staring at the bloody mess on the bed, conflicted by his indecision. Suddenly, he knew what he had to do. Nicolae had to live, he could not die. He was one of the most powerful Hunters, he couldn't die. But.he could be turned. Jonothan was sure that the Powers would not be angry, not if Nicolae lived. Even if it was only in the strictest sense of the word.
With that thought in mind, Jonothan approached the bed slowly. He gently touched Nicolae's cheek, his eyes following a trail of blood that started at Nicolae's eye and fell down his face. Ironically enough, it seemed like a tear of blood.