Chapter 10
"Fuck," he muttered, rubbing his face.
A faint noise caught his attention. The shower was running. Morrigan? Siobhàn? He couldn't remember the layout of this place or who was supposed to be where.
Kazuo dragged himself out of bed, wincing at the various aches and pains that reminded him of yesterday's chase. He fumbled through his bag, pulling on a wrinkled t-shirt and jeans that had seen better days.
The wooden stairs creaked under his feet as he made his way down. The aroma of coffee and frying fish filled the air.
In the small kitchen, Siobhàn stood at the stove, her red hair pulled back in a messy bun. She wore an oversized long-sleeved shirt that hung off one shoulder, paired with tiny shorts that showed off her long legs.
Kazuo beelined for the coffee pot, pouring himself a generous cup.
She glanced over her shoulder. "Morning, sleeping beauty. Want some breakfast?"
"Depends. What are you making?" he asked, taking a sip of the strong black coffee.
"Fried fish fillet. Nothing fancy, but it'll fill your belly."
Kazuo's stomach growled in response. "Yeah, I'll take some. Thanks."
He leaned against the counter, watching as Siobhàn flipped the fish in the pan. "So, uh... where's Morrigan?"
"Shower. I know you heard the bathroom."
"That, I did."
"She's been keeping watch all night."
"Right," Kazuo mumbled. "Good to hear."
He was still trying to wrap his head around all this supernatural bullshit.
A few minutes later, Siobhàn slid a plate in front of him. The golden-brown fish fillet was accompanied by a slice of crusty bread and some sliced tomatoes.
"Bon appétit," she said with a wink.
Kazuo dug in, realizing how ravenous he was. Between bites, he asked, "So, what's the plan for today? Are we just... hiding out here?"
Siobhàn shrugged, leaning back against the counter with her own plate. "Your guess is as good as mine. Morrigan likes to play things close to the chest."
"Great," Kazuo muttered. "I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere with a vampire and a witch, running from other vampires who want to kill me, and I have no fucking clue what's going on."
"Welcome to my world," Siobhàn said with a dry laugh. "I've been with Morrigan for ten years, and I still feel like I'm fumbling in the dark half the time."
"Ten years? How'd you end up with her anyway?"
"Long story short? My family found out I was a witch, tried to 'cleanse' me. Morrigan saved my ass, but now I'm bound to her. Could be worse, I suppose."
"Shit," Kazuo said, not knowing how else to respond. "That's... rough."
"Yeah, well, life's a bitch and then you become a vampire's familiar," she said. "At least the health benefits are good. Immortal boss and all that."
Kazuo snorted, almost choking on his fish. "Jesus, you're fucked up."
"Says the guy whose blood is apparently vampire kryptonite."
They ate in silence for a few moments before Kazuo spoke again. "So, about this... protein in my blood. Any idea why I've got it?"
"Not a clue. Morrigan might know more, but she hasn't shared if she does. All I know is it's got the vamps in a tizzy."
"Fan-fucking-tastic," Kazuo grumbled. "I didn't ask for any of this shit."
"None of us did, mate," Siobhàn said. "But here we are. Best we can do is try to stay alive and figure out what the hell is going on."
Kazuo nodded, finishing the last of his fish. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks for breakfast, by the way. It was good."
"Don't mention it. I'm a woman of many talents."
As if on cue, the front door opened, and Morrigan walked in. Her pale face looked grim, her eyes glancing between Kazuo and Siobhàn.
"Pack your things," she said without preamble. "We need to move. Now."
"Wait, aren't you in the shower recently?" Kazuo asked.
Siobhàn rose from her chair before patting his back. "Let's go."
Morrigan ignored him, striding towards the living room. "Two minutes. Grab only what's essential."
Kazuo scrambled after her. "Hold on a second. What's going on?"
"I'll explain in the car," she said, snatching up a duffel bag. "Just move."
Cursing under his breath, Kazuo ran upstairs to grab his backpack. When he came back down, Siobhàn was already waiting by the door, a green suit hugging her curves.
"Let's go," she said, ushering him out.
They hurried to the garage, where a vehicle sat waiting. It wasn't the same car they'd arrived in. This one was all sharp angles and matte black finish, its body so low to the ground it looked like it might scrape the pavement.
"What the fuck is that?" Kazuo asked.
"Audi R8 X-treme," Siobhàn replied, sliding into the driver's seat. "Latest model. Year 3101."
"This is just...awesome."
Morrigan, with her white dress, took the passenger seat. Kazuo clambered into the back, barely settling in before Siobhàn fired up the engine. It purred to life, a quiet hum that belied the power under the hood.
They peeled out of the garage, the trees outside blurring into a green smear as she accelerated.
"Okay," Kazuo said, gripping the seat. "Now can someone tell me what the hell is going on?"
Morrigan was busy checking the ammo in a pistol and rifle. "We need intelligence," she responded without looking up. "To defend ourselves, we need to know what we're up against."
"And how do we get that?"
"We're going to see an old friend of mine. Aristotle."
"Where's this friend of yours?"
"Paris," Morrigan said. "Rue de la Huchette, in the Latin Quarter."
"You're taking us back to Paris? Are you insane?"
Siobhàn chuckled. "Probably. But Aris is our best bet for solid intel."
Kazuo leaned back. "So, what's the deal with this Aris guy? How do you know him?"
Morrigan finally looked up from her weapons. "I've known Aris for... a long time. We met in Athens during the Greek War of Independence."
"Jesus," he muttered. "Sometimes I forget how old you are."
"Aris was a freedom fighter," Morrigan continued. "Brave, idealistic. He reminded me of myself, long ago. We fought together, bled together. When the war ended, we stayed in touch."
"Is he a vampire too?"
"No. He's human, but... different. He's lived far longer than any normal human should."
"How's that possible?"
"That's his secret to tell, not mine."
"I've met Aris a few times," Siobhàn piped up. "Crafty old bastard. Knows everything about everyone in Paris. If anyone can help us figure out what Les Ombres Sanglantes is up to, it's him."
Kazuo rubbed his temples. "Okay, so we're going to see your ancient Greek spy friend. Great. But won't the vampires be looking for us in Paris?"
"Of course," Morrigan said. "But they won't expect us to go back so soon. And Alex's place is... well-hidden."
"Fan-fucking-tastic," Kazuo grumbled. "So what's our plan once we get there?"
Morrigan turned to face him. "We gather information. Find out what the Marquis is planning. Then we figure out how to be two steps ahead of him."
"And how exactly do we do that?"
"One step at a time," Siobhàn said, her eyes fixed on the road ahead. "First, we survive the trip to Paris. Then we'll worry about the rest."
Kazuo slumped in his seat, watching the countryside fly by outside the window. He'd wanted a big story, something to make his career. Now he was in the middle of a vampire war, running for his life.
"Be careful what you wish for," he muttered to himself.
As Kazuo stared out the window, his phone burst into life. The vibration startled him, and he fumbled to pull it from his pocket. His stomach dropped when he saw the caller ID. "Shit. It's my boss."
Morrigan turned. "Don't answer it."
"I have to," he said, his thumb hovering over the screen. "If I don't, he'll know something's up."
Before Morrigan could protest further, Kazuo hit the answer button.
"Hello, Antoine."
"Kazuo, where the hell have you been?" Antoine's voice crackled through the speaker. "I haven't received any updates on your report. What's going on?"
Kazuo couldn't tell the truth, but he needed a convincing lie. "Sorry, boss. I've been... deep undercover. Following a lead on the Lefebvre case."
"Undercover? Why wasn't I informed?"
"It was a last-minute decision," he improvised. "I got a tip about a secret meeting. Couldn't risk blowing my cover by checking in."
Antoine's sigh was audible even over the phone. "And what did this 'secret meeting' reveal?"
"Nothing concrete yet," Kazuo said, aware of Morrigan and Siobhàn listening. "But I'm onto something big. I just need a little more time."
"Time is a luxury we don't have, Tanaka. The higher-ups are breathing down my neck. They want results."
"I know, I know. Just give me until next week. I promise I'll have something substantial by then."
There was a long pause on the other end. Finally, Antoine spoke. "Fine. Next week. But if you don't deliver, I'm pulling you off this case. Understood?"
"Crystal clear," he said. "Thanks, boss."
He ended the call and let out a long breath.
"Well," Siobhàn said, "that was some grade-A bullshitting."
"Yeah, well, let's hope it buys us enough time to figure this shit out."
Morrigan's eyes were still fixed on him. "You realize you can't go back, don't you? Your boss is likely compromised."
"I know. But what choice did I have? If I ghosted him completely, he'd know something was wrong."
"And now you've promised him a story until next week," Siobhàn pointed out.
Kazuo leaned back in his seat. "Yeah, well, with any luck, we'll have some actual information by then. Your friend Aris better be as good as you say he is. You forget, my informant was killed because of this vampire shit."
Morrigan turned back to face the front. "He is. But remember, what we're doing now is far bigger than your story. And far more dangerous."
"No shit," he muttered, staring out the window again, watching the French countryside blur past. "Just a change in topic here, can I ask you a personal question, Morrigan?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"It's been bothering me for a while. Why aren't you affected by the sunlight? Vampires are suppose to burn up in it, right? Yet here you are, plenty of light streaming through the window and you seem just fine."
"It's not as simple as that. Some of us have adapted. The old tales you've heard don't apply to everyone."
"Some? I don't get it."
"Not all vampires are the same. The old ones like me, already evolved. The new ones are still affected by sunlight."
"How long are we talking about when you say 'new ones'?"
"Less than 100 years old. After that, our cells evolve to resist the sunlight."
"Wow, I never knew vampires evolve like Pokémon."
"You'd be suprise," she said, smirking. "We're a lot more complex than you think."
"You don't say."
"Yep. But here's the kicker, most new vampires don't live past 100 years," she continued.
"Really? Why?"
"Lots of things. Being hunted by humans, hunted by vampires, death by suicide."
"Suicide? That's neat. Why would other vampires kill themselves? Don't you guys live forever?"
"Technically, yes. Physically at least. Still, lots of new ones kill themselves because they cannot remove their attachments from their previous life."
"Meaning?" Kazuo asked.
"Meaning, some vampires, when they see their loved ones die without them, they'd rather kill themselves than live a meaningless life," Morrigan said while staring out the window. "Imagine outliving your spouse, children and grandchildren. After that, you have nothing to live for. You go mad because of the lonliness, then, you live the rest of your life in isolation or, with most vampires, kill themselves."
The idea of outliving everyone he cared about, watching them age and die while he remained unchanged, was horrifying. Kazuo couldn't imagine the loneliness and despair that would drive someone to end their own immortal life.
"Is that why you don't seem to have anyone?" he asked, trying to gauge her emotional state.
Morrigan turned back to him. "Pretty much, yes. That's why if you become a vampire, you have to remove any attachments you have in your previous life. It's like starting a new one from scratch."
Is that the reason why she lived for so long? By severing her ties with her past self? Kazuo wanted to pry deeper, to know more about her story, but he hesitated. Maybe it's not the right time yet.