41. The Reverend

Cara's gaze darted around the room, searching the faces of those present to see if anyone had noticed the odd exchange.

"Reverend, what could we possibly have to discuss?" Cara asked, her tone steady as she withdrew her hand from his now-loosened grip.

"Your resurrection, young lady. It's nothing short of a miracle. This kind of miracle is very rare," Reverend Franklin said with a measured smile, his tone infused with both awe and curiosity.

"Yes, it is surely a miracle," Cara replied, feigning agreement.

"In all my years of ministering, preaching God's word, and performing miracles in his name, I've never had the privilege of witnessing or facilitating the resurrection of a dead person," the Reverend said, leaning in slightly as if trying to draw Cara into his awe.

And you never will, Cara thought silently, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Are you a Christian by any chance?" Reverend Franklin asked, his tone probing but hopeful, clearly wanting a specific answer.

A quiet chuckle escaped Travis before he quickly composed himself.

Cara's returning memories provided no evidence that she'd ever been religious. For a moment, her gaze landed on her mother, Arlene, who seemed indifferent to the answer. Rudy, however, was a different story. Reading his thoughts, Cara saw that he desperately wanted her to claim she was Christian—it would fit neatly into his narrative.

"No, I'm not," Cara said firmly. "I don't remember ever being one."

Rudy quickly interjected, trying to smooth things over. "Reverend, my stepdaughter suffered some memory loss after her resurrection."

"Really?" Reverend Franklin asked, shifting his attention back to Cara, his tone laced with concern.

"Yes," Cara said, leaning into Rudy's cover story. "I don't remember everything, but I'm certain I was never a Christian."

Rudy squirmed in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the admission.

"Well, that's no obstacle," the Reverend said, his expression brightening. "Sometimes God performs miracles for unbelievers to draw them into His fold. I'd like to invite you to my church this Sunday to share your testimony with the congregation. Please say you'll attend."

Cara read his thoughts with ease. Beneath his polished exterior, she saw the desperation—a calculated attempt to use her story to boost attendance at his church. Apparently, stirring up vampire hatred wasn't drawing in congregants the way it used to.

"Can I think about it?" Cara asked, deliberately letting her answer hang, much to his disappointment.

"Of course," Reverend Franklin said, his salesman-like charm unwavering. "But please, do consider it. Your stepfather will ensure you get to the venue."

"As I said, Reverend Franklin, I'll think about it," Cara replied coolly before turning and heading out of the dining room.

As she ascended the stairs to her room, an idea began forming in her mind—a way to ruin Rudy's night.

Reaching the top of the staircase, Cara slipped off her shoes to muffle her steps, then silently descended, moving past the dining room unnoticed. She headed straight for the kitchen and found Lucrecia by the staff exit. A maid lingered nearby, tidying up, but moments later, someone called her into the dining room, leaving Lucrecia alone.

Cara seized the opportunity.

Lucrecia, oblivious to Cara's presence, stood outside, inspecting her reflection in a small mirror from her makeup box. Lucrecia was adding and adjusting her appearance with a care that left no doubt in Cara's mind about her plans for the night.

Oh my God. This bitch is getting dolled up to get fucked by Rudy, Cara thought, her irritation flaring. Not if I can help it.

Moving swiftly, Cara approached Lucrecia from behind. Before the woman could react, Cara wrapped her arm around Lucrecia's neck, locking her in a chokehold.

Lucrecia struggled fiercely, slapping at Cara's arm and attempting to push herself backward to slam her attacker into the wall. But Cara anticipated the move and tightened her grip.

'Man, this bitch is strong,' Cara thought, her muscles straining against Lucrecia's resistance.

*[I'm as shocked as you that she hasn't passed out yet,]* Hagrit chimed in, her voice tinged with mild amusement.

'Oh, but she will,' Cara responded confidently.

Moments later, Lucrecia's body went limp in Cara's arms, her fight finally extinguished. Cara checked her pulse—still steady. With some effort, she dragged Lucrecia into a nearby storage room that had no cooling system, leaving her to rest there for the night.

Pulling Lucrecia's phone from her pocket, Cara unlocked it using Lucrecia's unconscious face and quickly composed a text to Rudy: "I just arrived at the hotel. Please come soon."

Cara smirked as she hit send. 'He's not getting laid tonight.'

*[Damn. You're evil.]*

'Whatever, Hagrit.'

Cara tucked the phone back into Lucrecia's pocket, came back into the kitchen, slipped out, leaving with a satisfied grin.

—--

—---

Cara returned to the dining room, now freshly bathed and dressed in a loose blue shirt and a pair of joggers.

The Reverend was still there, embroiled in a heated argument with Arlene about vampires and other supernatural beings.

Rudy, however, seemed checked out entirely. He sat at the table, physically present but he clearly wants to be somewhere else

Cara smirked knowingly. Poor Rudy. He's in for quite the surprise tonight when he gets to the hotel and realizes Lucrecia won't be there.

She caught Ashley's eye across the room. The two exchanged a brief glance, silently acknowledging the ridiculousness of the ongoing debate, as they both tuned in and out of the conversation.

"These creatures are not of the Lord. They are ungodly, hence they are creations of the devil!" Reverend Franklin declared, his voice rising with conviction.

Arlene's expression hardened as she shot back, "But if they were created by the devil, why did God allow them to exist in the world He made?"

"God often allows temptations and tribulations among His children to test their faith," Reverend Franklin responded without hesitation. "And that's what these creatures are—temptations and tribulations. We humans must stand against them and, if necessary, wipe them off the face of the earth."

Arlene blinked, visibly taken aback by his words. "So you're advocating for genocide? You can't seriously believe all of them are evil."

"But that's where you're mistaken," the Reverend countered, his tone laced with fervor. "They are all evil. Witches, werewolves, vampires, and any other abominations lurking in the shadows—they're all the same. They shouldn't be treated like human beings or given the same considerations. Yet here they are, roaming freely and even demanding equal rights! The worst of them all is that Joana Trier, the so-called vampire chief of Hemridge."

Cara's ears perked up at the mention of Joana. Wait—Joana is a high-ranking vampire? She kept her expression neutral, but the revelation stirred something in her.