Vampire Hunter D Fan Fiction ❯ God of Death ❯ Chapter 3: a fruitless search ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3: A fruitless search

 

As hard as she tried, she couldn't keep the fear from racing circles in her mind. She'd killed three vampires in order to obtain information of the Purifiers' next course of action but they gave her nothing, even when she'd splashed them with holy water. All they did was give her the name of the female vampire that was out for her blood. Lizbeth, Lucius's younger sister. But that was all they would tell her. Anything else they knew went with them to the grave. She didn't like been kept in the dark and that was why it felt like her heart was pumping crimson ice into her veins. After a long night of fruitless hunting and strenuous interrogation, she'd decided to go back and get some rest. Perhaps D had some news of the reason behind the recent attack.

 

But what she received when she arrived at her mill, she saw D's horse was not grazing in front of the house. What she did find however was unwelcome company. She dismounted and glared at the mob of brutal hooligans standing behind none other than Jeremiah and his nephew Ambrose. Her hand strayed to her sword, but she was stopped by the mob who were itching to make a statement with their drawn Magnum guns. She showed no trace of the fear that had been present earlier and glared at them with pure contempt.

 

`Still blowing off steam, I see,' she said calmly.

`Not at all,' sneered Ambrose. `We thought your quaint….residence pleasing to the eye so we brought along some friends to get a taste of your gracious hospitality.'

`Spare me the bullshit and tell why you're really here,' spat Melissa. Jeremiah raised a warning hand to Ambrose and the arrogant young man stepped down. He turned to the Huntress.

`We heard rumours in the city that Lizbeth and her men attacked you last night,' said Jeremiah.

Melissa narrowed her eyes. `What if she did?'

`So for once the rumours are true,' crowed Ambrose quietly. `The whole city has been absolutely buzzing about this.'

`If you believe everything that's carried on the wind, you're stupider than you look.' Her tone of contempt was edged with ice. Ambrose's eyes blazed with fury.

`Why you insolent little bitch!'

`That's enough, Ambrose!' snapped Jeremiah. Melissa was privately smug at how she so easily got under his nephew's skin for a moment before turned her cold glare on the elder.

`That still doesn't explain why you brought your tag-alongs with you, Jeremiah.'

Jeremiah sighed in frustration, his expression sterner than usual. `We need you to come with us for questioning.'

Melissa narrowed her eyes. `Are you arresting me?'

`No. But we need to know why those vampires attacked you and we need to know when they'll attack again.' Jeremiah saw defiance in her gaze and his tone became cold. `If you do not comply with our laws, Melissa, we will have no choice but to take you by force.'

She glared daggers at the mob briefly before she threw her arms out in a dramatic gesture. `Fine. “Question” me. At least I never grow bored with your methods of interrogation.'

The mob pounced her immediately, relieving her of her weapons and binding her wrists. She submitted to the rough treatment without another word. It was the same dance all over again. Every unprovoked attack by vampires on her lead to the same routine. She had grown accustomed to it, but it still irked her when they believed that the townspeople still believed that the vampires attacked her for no other reason than the fact she was a Vampire Hunter.

They roughly shoved her into the waiting wagon and Jeremiah and Ambrose climbed into the front seat. Ambrose sneered at her.

`I always look forward to our time together, Melissa,' he said. `It's so enjoyable. I hope we have a new whip though. The old one didn't leave a bruise.'

`Go fuck yourself, Ambrose,' snarled Melissa.

Ambrose frowned. `Such foul language is unbecoming for such a beautiful lady.'

`Fuck off.'

Ambrose grinned. `As you wish, my dear. You'll be sore by daybreak. Hopefully sore enough to ride home in tears.'

`One of these days I will have the satisfaction of destroying you, Ambrose.' The Huntress's voice was colder than ice when she said it. Ambrose's wicked grin darkened.

`Not before I have mine, Vampire Hunter Melissa.'

`I'm telling you, D, there's nothing here,' argued the parasite in the Hunter's left hand. D had rode out on his own mission an hour after Melissa had left the house. He'd been as successful as she'd been, but he'd found a trail that led from the abandoned chapel to a series of caves deep in the woods. They were black as pitch and glittered in the light of the rising sun. These were the Obsidian Caverns the Huntress had been talking about and D had a strange feeling that he would find some answers here.

`The trail ends here,' said the dhampir. `These Purifiers must be somewhere nearby.'

`If they are, they're probably in the deepest pits of this dank tomb,' growled the parasite. `Come on, let's call it a day and head back. Bet that luscious Huntress is back there.' He laughed shrewdly. `Bet she's stripping off that tight bodysuit of hers right now and we're missing the view.'

`That's enough.'

`Why don't you stick close to her?' the parasite said in a needling voice. `Is it that you can't stand to see her attacked again? Or could it be you're falling for the girl?'

`I respect her. She's a fine Hunter.'

`Have you seen her?! The girl's got legs up to her neck, a body that can tempt a priest to sin and the face of a dark angel. And you're telling me that you have no desire whatsoever to see her the way she was made?'

`I don't think of her in that way,' replied D.

`Just because she's a Hunter? Or because you're afraid you're going to give into temptation?'

D didn't answer as he rose to his feet. `The trail ends at the caverns but they don't lead in.'

`What's that mean?'

`That this is a deliberate attempt to throw us off the real trail.' He glanced up at the sun. It was reaching the noon arc. `There's nothing to be found here. Maybe she'll have some news.' He mounted his horse and rode back to the mill.

~*~

Melissa ached all over as she trudged back to her home, her back burning with pain. She'd been interrogated for five hours and every time they demanded an answer from her, she told them the same thing: that she didn't know why she was attacked aside from vengeance. Ambrose's smirk of glee was fresh in her mind. He enjoyed torturing her, and it sickened her. She snarled softly as pain jolted her. She'd forgotten how much pain a strip of tanned leather could cause and the searing lashes she'd endured only served to be a reminder of why it did so much damage.

 

She opened the door and saw the Vampire Hunter on the sofa, inspecting his blade for any nicks or dull spots. He raised his head as she shut the door.

`I take it your search was fruitless,' said Melissa.

D nodded. `What of you?'

`Just the name of the vampire that attacked me,' she said. `Her name is Lizbeth and she's Titus's best assassin.'

D was silent for a moment, processing this information. `Anything else?'

Just that I feel like shit, was what she wanted to tell him but she kept quiet on the matter. `No. That's all I could find out.' She turned on her heel and walked to her room. She was stopped by his voice.

`Are you all right?'

She frowned slightly. `Why do you ask?'

`Your hand's trembling.'

She glanced at her hand and cursed Ambrose for the efficient torture he'd visited on her. She clenched her hand. `Just cold,' she said, hoping she sounded casual.

`I see.' His voice was still soft as ever, but she thought she detected a trace of coldness.

`Well, I'm going to bed. Good night, D.' She shut the door to her room.