Realising she was shaking she allowed him to steer her to a simple wooden chair. To hell with the creature she wasn't going to let the vampire get the better of her. Hastily she began to construct a white circle of protective light. It had been a while and the circle swam like a frail vapour in her minds eye.
"Shall we start again," the priest implored. "Perhaps reassess our preconceptions so that we can move forward." He gave Jess a pointed look. "Work together."
"Work together. Why would I want to work with that."
"Because I am the only one that can help." The vampire stepped forward. The protective circle around her stayed. She felt a small burst of satisfaction.
Ryland gave a small cough. "We have been watching you for some time."
Her eyes narrowed on the vampire.
"Since when did a vampire work for the Commision?"
"What makes you think that I would work with the Commision?" Alex moved around to sit on the chair opposite her. She tried not to focus on the fabric stretching tightly between his legs. He smiled at the sudden rush of blood she felt flush her cheeks.
"Disgusting," she said under her breath.
His smile widened. His lips parting, leaving just a glimpse of his canines. Her heart rate picked up. Struggling she focused on the white light around her, making it pulse whiter, thicker.
"Disgusting?" He lent back into his chair and stretched his legs out in front of him. The heavy boots on his feet virtually touching her own. Instinctively she shrank away. Folding his arms across his chest, his biceps contracted under his smooth lightly tanned skin. Her eyes traced the line of his powerful shoulders, up to neck where the straight line of his colarbone met in a dip. His throat jumped as he swallowed and she raised her eyes to meet his.It was a mistake, his eyes were dark and liquid, his face anguished. It took her breath away.
"Jess?"
She started, realising that Ryland must have been asking her something. "Have you even been listening?" Not wanting Ryland to see that the vampire's beauty had distracted her she nodded.
"Of course I have." The vampire gave a disbelieving snort and she scowled at him. Ryland was watching her, gentley stroking the skin under his chin in thought.
"So what do you think of the prophecy?" the priest asked.
"You know how I feel about mumbo jumbo," she said standing and move away from the creatures precence.
"But surly you of all people should realise that time is just a thin vail which you can walk through. If visions of a fifth race have been seen, it has to mean something."
"Fifth race conspiracy theories sit on the same shelf as UFOs and alien abduction. They're the product of on overactive popular imagination."
"That might be true but I have reason to believe that the Vatican holds documents on this."
"The Vatican," her interest was pricked. It had been seven years since she had been shown down into the vaults that held some of the most precious and rare documents on human civilisation. Some hidden away because of there disagreement with the Roman Catholoc faith.
"I have actually seen the early codices," Rylands eyes shone with enthusiasm. "Hard evidence for what I have been arguing for over twenty years."
Jess noticed the vampire go suddenly rigid.
"What's wrong with you?"
He pressed a finger against the softness of his lips. "Something's wrong," he glanced at Ryland and then at his watch. "There is no singing." Tilting his jaw upwards he sniffed at the air. "Damn. Get her out of here."
The stench of burnt iron chocked her. Coughing she clutched at her stomach as she felt Ryland's hand tighten on her arm. He swang her back towards the door they had come through.
"To late," Alex lisped. She turned to him, realising his sudden speech impediment meant the creatures fangs had extended. That was bad that was very bad because she had seen vampires and a vampire with it's fangs bared meant one thing - death.
