chapter 37

Chapter 37:

– Valerie –

I couldn't believe he actually wanted me to do this… 

Storm the Vatican and attack an actual angel? Alucard had lost his damn mind! I knew angels were real, obviously, but I'd never seen one before.

The first thing I had to figure out was how exactly I was going to pull this off.

I glanced down at what I had to work with—jeans and a cheap white t-shirt from some bargain store. No bra, no panties. Alucard hadn't even been considerate enough to get me any underwear. Not that I wanted him knowing my exact sizes, but still! It was the principle of the thing.

Standing on a rooftop a couple blocks away from the Vatican walls, I let out a sigh. I needed to move before I got spotted. I was sure the entire place was covered in security cameras, and there was still plenty of daylight left.

I took a deep breath and shifted into a swarm of bats, spreading them out as far as possible while I flew toward the top of the Vatican's walls. The second I got close, I spotted a guard nearby—rifle in hand, looking like he was on high alert for some reason. He was scanning the crowds below him, watching as hundreds of tourists came and went through the city.

Luckily for me, he was wearing a hat that blocked his line of sight from looking up. At least until he heard the fluttering of hundreds of wings.

"Oh shit!" he yelped, his head snapping up just in time for me to reform in midair right above him!

He tried to raise his rifle, but gravity was already doing its thing, and I came crashing down on top of him.

I hit him hard, with his head whipping backward and slamming against the metal railing of the tower. 

…I winced when I saw blood pooling from the back of his skull. That wasn't good. I might've been a killer when necessary, but I wasn't a murderer, and I sure as hell didn't want some random guard dying just because of me.

I didn't even really want to kill the angel I was here for. Just knock them out long enough for me to get a drink.

Reaching my hand over my heart, I summoned the Healing Grail. It appeared in my palm, filling with just a little bit of my blood. Not enough to fully heal the guy, but enough to stop the bleeding and make sure he wasn't going to drop dead from a brain injury.

Head wounds could be scary as hell.

I knelt and poured the blood down his throat, watching his injuries stitch themselves together enough to keep him stable. Then I looked at my next set of options.

And honestly, I only had one.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled before I started stripping him of his weapons and uniform.

I worked quickly, tugging off his vest, shirt, and belt, then swapping out my own cheap-ass outfit for something that at least would blend in. The pants were a little baggy on me, but with the belt tightened, they'd do. The boots were a bit too big, but I could move in them. Hopefully this disguise would work for me.

– Gabriel –

Gabriel sat on the pristine white floors of Heaven's throne room, her 12 white wings folded neatly behind her. She silently watched her older brother, Michael, who sat upon Heaven's throne with a composed expression, his attention focused on listening to as many human prayers as he could manage.

He wasn't their Father, and so he wasn't capable of hearing and responding to all prayers, but Gabriel knew he did his absolute best. Even as the weight of leadership bore down on him, he never faltered, never hesitated to offer what guidance he could to those who sought it. 

She was super proud of him for that!

Her thoughts, however, drifted to the troubling report she had just received from the Vatican. The devil Diodora Astaroth—the same despicable creature responsible for abducting and corrupting numerous nuns from the church—had somehow infiltrated the heart of the Vatican itself. His target had been Asia Argento, their saintess, but thanks to the timely arrival of Father Anderson, one of their most devout and skilled exorcists, the devil's plans had been thwarted.

Asia was safe thankfully.

Still, something about the situation gnawed at Gabriel. How had one of Heaven's most wanted devils managed to breach the Vatican? The Holy City was protected by numerous divine barriers, sacred wards, and the ever-watchful eyes of their most trusted exorcists.

For Diodora to waltz in so boldly, he had to have had help.

...And that was the part Gabriel did not want to admit.

She had been around for eons. She had seen the depths of depravity and greed humans could succumb to, but the current leaders of the church had all been deeply vetted. All corruption had been purged after that disgraceful Excalibur experiment, which had cost the lives of dozens of innocent children.

That left only one horrifying possibility.

One of her own brethren had let Diodora in... Another of her siblings had turned traitor to everything they stood for.

Gabriel bit her lip, her heart clenching at the thought. If it were true, how had they managed to aid a devil without falling? Was it intentional? Was it coercion? There were too many unknowns.

She needed to bring this to Michael's attention. He needed a break anyway; she could see the strain on his face even as he continued his work. Gabriel took a breath, ready to speak—

And then she felt it.

A jolt shot through her, and she froze. Her entire being trembled, her wings twitching in response.

"No… that's impossible…" she whispered, her hands clenching the fabric of her robes.

The Holy Grail.

She sensed it.

It was inside the Vatican.

That sacred gear, lost to them for over a thousand years, had returned!

This was a game-changer! Having its bearer within the Church's graces would provide Heaven with an immense advantage—morally, politically, and tactically.

"Michael!" she shouted, lunging forward and tackling him off the throne.

Her older brother let out a surprised "Oof!" as he hit the floor, his brilliant golden wings splaying out. He blinked up at her on top of him. "What in Father's name has gotten into you?" he asked.

Gabriel grabbed his shoulders, practically vibrating with excitement. "The Grail! I can sense it! It's in the Vatican!"

– Valerie –

I kept my head down and stuck close to the tourist crowd as I made my way deeper into the Vatican. My stolen security uniform did its job, keeping most people from giving me a second glance. As long as I acted like I belonged, no one would question me.

At least, that was the plan until I heard someone calling out.

"Hey, you!"

Fuck.

I turned to see two priests walking toward me. I forced myself to stay calm as they came closer, their expressions serious.

"What are you doing?" one of them demanded. "You're supposed to be more vigilant, especially after what just happened."

My heart pounded. Did they know? Had I already been found out? "What do you mean?" I asked, trying to sound casual.

The second priest gave me a sharp look. "Didn't you hear? We had an intruder."

Shit. That was bad. I forced my expression into one of mild concern. "An intruder?" I echoed.

The first priest nodded grimly. "A devil somehow managed to sneak into the Vatican. It tried to go after our saintesses."

You've got to be fucking kidding me. Of all the days for some bullshit like this to happen, it had to be today. Now the whole place would be on high alert.

The priests looked me over. "How have you not heard about this yet?"

Thinking fast, I gestured to the broken walkie-talkie clipped to my belt. "Dropped it earlier," I lied. "Guess its on the fritz. Is the saintess okay?"

They exchanged a glance before nodding. "Thankfully, yes."

"Good," I said, faking relief. "I'll get back to my patrol and be extra vigilant."

I turned to leave, but one of the priests stopped me. "Hold up."

I turned back, keeping my face neutral. "Yes?"

He narrowed his eyes. "...What's the saintess's name?" he asked out of nowhere. "And why are you wearing a man's uniform that looks far to big for you? I don't think I've ever seen a female guard like you around before..."

Shit.

I couldn't answer the question, and I knew my cover was blown. I had only one option.

I punched the closest priest in the throat.

He let out a strangled wheeze and dropped to his knees, clutching at his neck.

"Fuck!" The second priest reached into his robes and started pulling out a gun.

Since when did priests carry guns?!

Before he could fully draw it, I slammed my palm into the side of his head. His eyes rolled back, and he crumpled to the ground. I followed up with a kick to the first priest's face, knocking him out cold.

And then I remembered I wasn't alone.

Tourists were everywhere, staring at my display of sudden violence.

And then the screaming started.

"Terrorist!" someone shouted. People panicked, pointing at me as they scattered.

"Oh, for fuck's sake," I muttered. I snatched the unconscious priest's gun and bolted, weaving through the people as I ran deeper into the Vatican.

If Alucard was nearby watching this absolute clusterfuck, I was sure he was laughing his undead ass off.

…

I ran down the hallways, twisting and turning through the Vatican, trying to lose the exorcists on my tail. Or at the very least, find a freaking angel already so I could take my sip of blood and get the hell out of here. I couldn't believe how sideways this entire thing had gone.

The crazy thing? These exorcists weren't using normal bullets. Oh no. They were shooting fucking laser guns at me. The white beams scorched through the air, burning just a little whenever they managed to hit my arms or legs. Honestly, it wasn't as bad as I'd expected. It stung, kind of like holding my hand over a candle for a couple of seconds, but nothing that wouldn't heal in an instant.

I ducked behind a pillar, gripping the pistol I'd stolen. I'd only just figured out it was a damn laser gun too, and when I returned fire, I aimed for their legs. I wasn't here to kill anyone, after all. I was the intruder. Didn't mean I had to make things worse than they already were.

I glanced up and spotted an air vent a few feet ahead. Perfect. I fired a couple of shots, melting the bolts until the grate fell.

Then I jumped up, shifting into a swarm of bats to slip through the opening.

"Shit! The intruder's a vampire! She's in the vents!" someone shouted.

Well, I was officially exposed now.

"Get back here, monster!"

"We'll kill you for daring to invade the most holy place on Earth!"

I flapped through the vents, ignoring their shouts behind me, until the noise faded into the distance. Once I was sure I'd lost them, I stopped, shifting back to my normal form. The vent was a tight squeeze, so I kicked the cover open and dropped about twenty feet to the chapel floor below. It looked empty.

"Eeep!"

Ok. Not empty...

I turned my head and found a teenage nun with long blonde hair staring at me with wide green eyes.

"Hey there…" I said awkwardly, dusting myself off. They need to clean those vents more often. "Sorry for randomly dropping in."

"Who are you?" she asked nervously, taking a hesitant step back.

"I'm Valerie. And you?"

She blinked in confusion. "You don't know who I am? You're not after me?"

"…No?" I raised an eyebrow.

She studied me a little more before replying, "My name is Asia Argento." Then she glanced at my eyes, frowning slightly. "Are you… a vampire?"

I smirked and flashed my fangs. "Yep. Well, half of one, technically. I'm a dhampir. Long story, and I definitely don't have time for it right now. Your friends are still hunting me, so I should probably get going." I paused, tilting my head. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could find an angel around here, would you?"

Asia's face scrunched up in confusion. "No, the angels always disguise themselves as humans so they can blend in. No one is supposed to know who they are…"

I sighed. That was going to make this a lot harder. I'd have to rely on my other senses to find one.

I turned to leave, but Asia suddenly called out, "Wait! Can we talk for a bit?"

"Huh?" I looked back at her.

She fidgeted, clearly nervous but also curious. "I've never met a vampire before… and you don't seem too bad if you're not going to hurt me."

I shrugged. "I don't hurt good people. I work for an organization that tracks down monsters."

Her expression brightened. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

Asia hesitated, then asked, "Then… how come you're in the Vatican?"

I sighed again, fidgeting in my oversized stolen clothes. "It's… complicated."

Asia tilted her head at me. "Oh... Do you want to talk about it?" she asked so innocently I was actually taken aback. She sat down at one of the pews and patted the spot next to her.

I gaped at her for a second. My eyes flickered between her and the door at the front of this small chapel. Ah, fuck it, why not? I sat down on the bench next to Asia.

"So what do you want to talk about?" I asked her.

She blushed a bit. "I don't know. Um, what's it like being a Dhampir?"

"It's pretty awesome. Kind of like being a real-life superhero. Sometimes it feels like I can do anything." I told her. Then I asked her what it's like being a nun.

Asia smiled softly, saying it was very nice, although sometimes it was kind of boring. "I don't really have any friends around my own age," she admitted.

Now that I thought about it, I didn't really have any friends around my own age either. I mostly had love interests...

"I could be your friend," I said, smiling at the lonely girl. "Although we probably wouldn't be able to hang out very often..." I added with a chuckle.

She chuckled as well and shook her head. "Probably not. I'm sure I'll get in trouble for being friends with a vampire... but... okay." She smiled at me.

After that, the two of us just sat there and talked—about random stuff mostly. Neither of us really watched TV, and Asia was apparently always forced to wear the same outfits, so I told her about some of my favorite fashion trends and the best shops in London and New York. She seemed really happy to hear about the "outside world."

To my surprise, Asia hadn't left the Vatican's walls since she was a baby. When I asked her why, she told me that it was a secret and that she couldn't tell me. I didn't bother to pry because we all had our secrets.

There was knocking at the front of the chapel and I stiffened. 

"Saintess! Are you okay!? We have another intruder in the Vatican! This time it's an evil vampire! She injured multiple people already!" they called out from the other side of the door.

Asia shot me a pout after hearing that and I held my hands up. "I made sure not to hurt anybody too badly…" I whispered to her.

Asia turned her head towards the door. "I'm perfectly fine! The vampire is not here! Search somewhere else!" 

"Ok, be safe Saintess!" they replied before I heard multiple footsteps moving in the other direction.

Asia breathed out a sigh of relief and gave me a wry smile. "I'll probably get in trouble for lying to them like that later…"

"I'm surprised you did," I told her and asked why she did that?

Asia blinked and looked thoughtful. "I dont know. When I look at you I just get a warm feeling for some reason."

I gulped. "It's not a crush or anything is it? You're a very pretty girl, Asia, but I can't date anyone underage." Sometimes you gotta just be direct when letting them down…

Asia turned as red as a tomato and smacked me on the arm! "N–No! It's not that!" she whined cutely. 

I couldn't help but snicker, and internally I admitted to myself that I kind of felt the same way when I looked at her. There was definitely something going on between us…

I opened my mouth to tease her again when I suddenly coughed. Warm liquid spilled down my lips. There was a large bayonet knife stabbing into my chest...

"PUCHI!"

Asia looked horrified before she screamed!

– Dubbiel –

Dubbiel folded his arms as he stood near the edge of the grand hall, listening to his sister Puriel ramble on. She was practically vibrating with excitement. "Isn't this great, Dubbiel? Our big sister Gabriel will be here soon! The Sephiroth Graal user is in the Vatican! This could be a historic moment!"

He barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Puriel was naive, even for a young angel. She still saw the world through rose-colored glasses, while Dubbiel had long since grown disillusioned.

He always had sharp instincts—survival skills that let him live through the Great War, despite having only two wings. And those instincts were screaming at him now. The Sephiroth Graal randomly showing up in the Vatican? That was an obvious trap. His oldest sister had figured him out.

Gabriel knew he was a traitor.

His benefactors had warned him that this day might come. He had to escape before she arrived. But if he fled empty-handed, they wouldn't protect him. He needed leverage. He needed to succeed where that fool Diodora had failed.

Asia Argento.

Puriel continued rambling about how wonderful Gabriel was, completely unaware of the growing tension in the room. Dubbiel glanced at her, his grip tightening. She wouldn't understand. She wouldn't listen if he explained himself. None of them would. The loyalty ingrained in them from birth ran too deep.

His expression hardened. "Sorry, sister."

In a single swift motion, he summoned a glowing light spear in his right hand and thrust it into her back.

Puriel shrieked, wings spasming as she collapsed to the marble floor. Golden-tinged blood pooled around her as she struggled to turn her head, eyes filled with agony and betrayal.

"Dubbiel… w-why?"

He hesitated for only a fraction of a second. He had considered finishing her off, but it would be a waste of time. She wouldn't be getting back up anytime soon–if ever, and Gabriel was already on her way.

Without another word, he spread his wings and took off, flying through the halls towards the small chapel Asia was known to frequent!

XXX

Thanks for reading!!!

I have a patreo n. My subs can read advanced updates of my stories ahead of standard release and even check out pics for some of the more naughty chapters. 

Link:

Patreo n .com (slash) Starwaves

Here is the list of Current Advanced Chapters:

The Fallen Gamer ch 323-327

The Blood Queen 39

The Fox Hole 68

The Titan 30

The Fox Hole 67

Thunder and Black Wings 14

The Fox Hole 66

The Blood Queen 38

The Fox Hole 65

The titan 29

The Fox Hole 64

Thunder and Black Wings 13

The Fox Hole 63