CHAPTER TWO
SAVIOUR

As I stood there he pulled a torch from his jacket before shining it at me which made my eyes wince due to my head injury, as it glowed i realised it was ultraviolet which confused me "take off your clothes" the hooded man said confusing me "excuse me" I asked confused I had never met the man before now he wanted me to undress I knew that he wanted to make sure I wasn't bit but we were out in the open and it was cold.

"No why should I?" I asked placing my hands on my hips "just do it" the man said beginning to get angrier with me so I slowly took off my jacket before taking off my shirt and trousers as I stood there in the cold as he shone the light over my body making me turn around checking for bites until he turned off the torch.

I stood there in the cold, wearing only my bra. "You can put your clothes back on," he said, his back already turned.

As he spoke, I quickly gathered my clothes from the ground and started to dress. "Do you always ask strangers to undress in front of you?" I asked, managing a chuckle, though it was mostly a reflex to the shock still lingering in my mind.

He didn't find it funny.

"Okay, I'm decent now," I said, zipping up my jacket.

But as he turned to look at me, everything around me began to spin. A wave of dizziness hit, and before I could steady myself, everything went black.

Quinlan's Point Of View

Annoyed, I began walking away from the human, wanting to put distance between us. I had no interest in her or in dealing with humans, but as I walked, I heard a thump. I turned around and saw the girl lying on the ground, unconscious.

Sighing, I walked back to her, placing my fingers on her neck to check if she was still alive. She was. With a resigned breath, I scooped her up into my arms and began walking back toward the hotel. One of the humans there—someone I was working with—was a doctor. He could help her.

I walked for what felt like an eternity until I reached the hotel where we were hiding. Carrying the girl in my arms, I climbed the stairs, her long red hair flowing behind her. As I moved, I could hear her heartbeat pulsing steadily in my ears, the blood rushing through her veins. It took all of my willpower to suppress the urge to bite her. My thirst for blood was just like that of the Strigoi, but my bite didn't turn humans—thanks to the human part of my DNA.

I ignored the nagging urge and continued up the stairs until I reached the living room, where the professor was waiting. He stood at a table, reading Occido Lumen, a medieval manuscript that Abraham Setrakian believed held the key to defeating the Master.

"Who's the girl?" Abraham asked as I gently laid the girl down on the couch, careful not to cause her any more harm.

"Where's the doctor?" I asked, kneeling beside her and gently pushing her cherry-red hair away from her eyes.

I looked at her face; she was pale, likely from blood loss—and probably from lack of food as well. I stood up, walking over to search through the clutter that had accumulated in the hotel. Amid the mess, I found a first aid kit and a bowl of water.

I returned to her side, gently wiping the blood from her forehead, watching each droplet turn the water red as it fell into the bowl.

The sound of footsteps approached, and soon, Fet entered the room.

"Who's the girl?" he asked, his gaze fixed on her.

"The exact same question I asked," Abraham replied, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Fet.

"Should you be doing that, given your particular weakness for blood, Mr. Quinlan?" Abraham asked.

"He'll probably just drink her blood from the bowl once he's done," Fet added sarcastically, clearly trying to provoke me. But I ignored him. I knew how he felt about me—how he didn't trust me—but trust didn't matter as long as I completed my mission.

He was right, though. Normally, at the sight of blood, I would have drained it dry. But this human... she was different.

After finishing, I rose from the ground, taking the bowl of blood with me. I stared into it as I walked to the sink, before tipping it out, watching it swirl down the drain.

I threw everything into the bin, then stood in front of the mirror for a moment, staring at my reflection. I was confused—bewildered, even. This wasn't me. For some reason, I felt an overwhelming protectiveness for this human, someone I had only met a few hours ago. I had long since learned to avoid attachments, especially with humans. The last time I let myself become distracted from my true mission, it cost me dearly—too dearly in ways I couldn't afford to revisit.

I turned on the cold tap, letting the water run until it was as cold as it could get. Even then, I wouldn't feel the chill in my skin, but I needed something—anything—to snap me out of this madness. I splashed cold water over my face, the shock of it barely registering, and then looked at myself again in the mirror. There was no escaping what I was becoming.

With a final glance at my reflection, I turned away and headed back to the others, waiting for her to wake up.

Ellie's Point Of View

As I began to wake, my vision was blurred, and the moment my eyes opened, a sharp pain throbbed through my head, causing me to instinctively press my hand to it. The pain was probably from the head injury I had sustained before I collapsed. As my vision slowly cleared, colors began to sharpen and distinguish themselves.

It didn't take long for me to realize I was no longer in the same place. A group of people stood nearby, watching me. It took a moment to gather enough strength to sit up. I glanced around again, this time taking in my surroundings more clearly. I was in an abandoned hotel. The place looked worn down, decaying, as if it had been forgotten by time itself.

I glanced at each member of the group. One was an older gentleman with a cane, his expression tense and disapproving, as if my presence disturbed him. I could tell he didn't trust strangers. The other man, with jet-black hair, stood silently, his arms crossed, watching me closely. I scanned the room, searching for the man who had saved me, but he was nowhere to be seen. He was tall, with skin as pale and cold as ice, his hair dark and unkempt. Strange markings covered his skin, and his figure was draped in a long black cloak, obscuring much of his identity.

After a few moments, I placed my hand on the couch and pushed myself up, trying to stand. The man with the black hair immediately moved to help me.

"Thanks," I said, finally steadying myself.

"Where am I?" I asked, glancing around the room, trying to take in my surroundings.

"You're safe now," he replied, his tone calm but guarded. "I'm Fet."

He extended his hand toward me, offering a handshake. I hesitated for a moment, unsure, but eventually, I took it. Realizing I wasn't going to be safe on my own, I accepted the gesture, grateful for his help.

End Of Chapter 2