Zea was still perhaps about fifteen minutes before her face twitched. Then she looked at her hand that grabbed Josephine’s and flexed it before spitting out a small, thin, crumpled plastic like material out of her mouth. It had covered over one of her back molars and when bit down hard, like she did when she felt the sting on her hand, it released a neutralizing drug. Granted, the drug was still experimental as she was paralyzed far too long to her liking.

She let out a sigh. Josephine was at least a predictable hunter. She had prepared in the scenario the hunter wanted to take her alive. Perhaps in exchange for the other hunter however, given her conversation, she didn’t think that was a possibility anymore.

Zea was aware of the many arrays of weapons, magic and technologies deployed by the Order. House Eagle had been trying to develop counters in case the Order no longer held up the Accords of Sidreal—which was only a matter of time. The ever growing threat of the EC was more of a priority and most of her house research team was more focused on that, however many that were left.

Another door that was close to her desk opened up.

“I like her.” Elizabeth stood in the doorway. She crossed her arms and had a big smile. “Your guest and you sure made a ruckus. I held back the newbies from coming up as you asked.”

“Of course.” Zea turned around and cracked her neck by moving them side to side. “You sound like you don’t approve?”

“Well, I did say it was a stupid plan to let that hunter into the mansion,” said Elizabeth.

“It was a risk well worth it. What of the two with you? Did they agree?” asked Zea.

Elizabeth shrugged. “The sunproof and her witch-boy, who knows? We’ll see in a week,” she answered. She walked into the room and looked around, taking time to sniff the air. “What did you find out with our new friend?”

“She’s a renegade,” said Zea without skipping a beat.

“Oh, this is interesting. Our other new friend didn’t mention this. Anything else?” Elizabeth’s smile grew wider and fluttered her eyelashes at Zea.

“She has an enchanted gun,” said Zea. Oddly named Excalibur, though Zea, but she would not mention that. She wasn’t sure that what she actually read and translated was correct.

Elizabeth sighed. She mumbled something under her breath before looking back up to Zea. “Enchanted guns, enchanted shit. Who cares?” she said tiredly. She noticed Zea’s face expression doesn’t change. “Should we be worried? Do you want the research team to look into this?”

Zea shrugged. “Maybe if the Order have their witches start having their guns shoot out magic bullets that burst into flames.”

“I believe they call those grenade launchers,” laughed Elizabeth but then frowned. “But those annoying gnats do have their blessed bullets.” She got up and clasped her hands. “I only heard that last part in your little tuffle with this hunter. I doubt she’d adhere to it but, judging that you’re not going after her, she agreed to go to the auction?”

“I planted the thought so, yes, she will if the other two would agree. Well, only if that vampire agrees technically.” Zea recalled her observation of Josephine, who herself was spying on that vampire since that night when Aric attacked the pair. “It will work. The hardest part is already done.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “You and your complicated plans. I’d much prefer a more direct way, like kidnapping them and forcing them to go, but I suppose this is better. Saves vampire lives that we can’t afford to lose more now.”

Zea clenched her jaw tight. She thought of Peter and how fucked up that he died so early after joining their cause. So many like him. “Indeed,” she said quietly.

“Cheer up and believe,” said Elizabeth. She walked up and hugged Zea. “We won’t always win the battles but we will win the war. Then we can finally be free.”

For a moment, Zea let her stoic mask slip. Her eyes moistened, and she fought back the ball of emotions, ones that she has locked away for so long, that threatened to rise from within her chest. She buried her head into the slightly shorter vampire’s shoulder, but did not cry. “Thank you,” she murmured.

“No, thank you,” said Elizabeth before releasing herself from Zea. “Shall we go visit our other new friend? I most definitely don’t like how he withheld that information on Josephine.” She briefly took out her phone and looked at it before exiting her room.

Zea followed Elizabeth. There was a short hallway and in the middle was a set of stairs that spiraled down that lead to more areas of the mansion as well as to the grand stairways. As they passed, a vampire woman was coming up with a bucket and some cleaning supplies. She looked quite annoyed and displeased.

“Janet, sweep Zea’s room and her hallway for anything that hunter tainted. Y’know those tricky hunters,” said Elizabeth without even turning her head as they continued with their journey.

Janet squared up her shoulder and saluted Elizabeth. “Yes, Master!” She quickly passed them to Zea’s room.

“Sweep?” Zea bunched up her eyebrows. “I had everything in control.”

“She stole your signed George Washington painting on the way out. Caught her on our rooftop cams moments ago.” Elizabeth tried hard to hold her laughter as she watched Zea slightly twitch. “You’re really getting sloppy,” she commented offhandedly.

They stopped in front of a steel door at the end of the hallway.

Zea said nothing in return, despite being slightly troubled. Robert said the same thing to her in her failed mission in London. She typed a set of codes into a number pad by the steel door. “Get Garret in my room too. I thought it was weird she didn’t shoot me. Probably planted something,” she said.

Elizabeth chuckled. “Good idea considering you were making out with her,” she said amusedly.

Zea coughed into her hand and felt the heat building around her cheeks.

“Hunter’s smell off your lips,” grinned Elizabeth as the door of the steel door dinged open. “How was it?”

Zea took a step into the elevator and followed by Elizabeth, who was still grinning. When the door dinged closed, she answered. “Good,” she answered. Her face was impassive as usual.

“Y’know, I worry about you. Always going out on missions,” said Elizabeth as she hit the bottom most button. The elevator started to move and the G-force could immediately be felt. A few moments later the elevator stopped and opened to a long dark hallway. “Sleep with her next time. Granted you and her don’t kill each other first.”

“Noted.” Zea coughed again as she followed Elizabeth out of the elevator. They walked down the hallway, lights along the floor glowing with each foot step. Along the walls, spaced about three feet apart, were heavy metal doors. Each with an eerie set of medieval armors at the doors.

They could hear some wailing and pounding as they walked down. Some were even screaming. The sounds echoed down the hallway.

“I do think we should bring back the torturers. Maybe it would keep this place quiet every time I visit,” said Elizabeth.

“It wasn’t effective and only made our people,” hesitated Zea.

They stopped at the last door. It was silent, but peering through the cracks was a soft blue light pulsating.

“Evil? A matter of perspective, I always tell you,” said Elizabeth. “Even if they consider themselves as good, someone will find them evil.”

Elizabeth motioned toward the set of armor, which came alive. The armor then yanked the door open. A half naked man was chained to the wall. His arms spread out as if he was crucified and his bald head hangs low with his eyes closed. A soft blue light glows across his dark skin.

“I was going to say monster,” said Zea quietly.

The man opened his eyes and looked up, his blue light dissipating as he did so. “Indeed, monsters,” he sneered.

Elizabeth sighed. “Hunter Charles, truly, between the Order and vampires you know who the true monsters are,” she said.

They took a step in, with Elizabeth going ahead to Charles and Zea going to the side of the wall.

Zea leaned on the wall as she crossed her arms. Her eyes and Charles’s met. She could see and feel his hatred of her. Even as he spoke, his eyes never left Zea’s.

“Of course, but you lot always twist it to say otherwise. Devil’s tongue for sure,” he spat.

Elizabeth slapped across the face. “You look at me, not her. I am Master of this House,” she commanded.

Charles, blood trickling down the corner of his lips. “Could’ve fooled me,” he said.

“Let’s get down to business, Charles. The other hunter you mentioned before, Josephine, she’s not with you guys anymore. Why did you not mention that?” demanded Elizabeth.

The hunter chuckled as he looked up at Elizabeth, his dark brown eyes brimming with defiance. “Because you didn’t ask,” he said simply.

Slap!

Elizabeth’s hand swept across the hunter’s face once more. Charles grimaced this time.

“Then tell me why she’s no longer with the Order?” asked Elizabeth.

“Why interested in her? Do you have her?” Charles' eyes started to brim with a soft blue light.

Suddenly, Charles felt a force smashing him into the wall. A pale, deceptively slender hand was clamped over his throat. He could tell that at any moment that hand can crush his windpipe.

“Don’t even try,” snarled Zea.

A droplet of Charles blood dripped from his lips, down his chin and landed on Zea’s wrist. A hiss followed by a trail of white smoke waffled up from where his blood touched the vampire’s skin. Zea does not move, but she sure felt the burn.

“Go ahead and drink me dry, vampire,” dared Charles.

Zea narrows her eyes, and she was tempted to squeeze her hands before Elizabeth pulled her off Charles.

“Hunter Charles,” said Elizabeth cooly. She motioned to Zea that it is alright and to stand down. “I am very aware of the capabilities of an ordained. After all, we captured you.”

“Zea captured me,” clarified Charles.

Zea bit back a snarl. She remembered watching Josephine’s apartment after Aric’s fiasco and getting showered with a rain of bullets from Charles. It wasn’t easy, and she managed to subdue him, but now she wished she had just killed him.

“Isn’t he talkative?” spoke someone softly from the door.

Zea and Elizabeth turned around to see a thin man. His ghoulish face only exacerbated his larger than normal eyes that twinkled under the remaining light in the cell. He held a tray of food.

“What? It’s dinner time,” said the man.

“James,” relented Elizabeth.

“Oh, Master, it is alright,” said James. He walked into the room with a little bounce in his gait that further pronounced the curve of his spine. He stopped in front of Charles. “Oh no, you are bleeding.” He started taking out a handkerchief from the pockets of his pants.

Zea's heart almost sank watching James. His sister, who had died in the last attack against the EC, had begged Elizabeth to turn her brother who was dying after having a severe seizure. She watched Elizabeth gently pat James on the shoulder.

“Okay, I’ll come back later. Thank you for taking care of the prisoners, James,” said Elizabeth. She looked over at Zea who was already heading out of the cell. She followed Zea, closing the cell’s door behind her, all the way back to the elevator.

Elizabeth didn't speak another word until Zea had stopped and pushed the elevator button for it to open. “Heartbreaking, isn’t it? He doesn’t even realize his sister is dead,” she said.

Zea said nothing as they walked into the elevator. The elevator’s door closed and they moved upward. The silence continued until the elevator doors dinged opened once more, did she finally speak.

“In the drawer of my desk I left my letters for him,” said Zea quietly but firm. She walked out of the elevator but Elizabeth did not follow her.

“One day you’re going to need to tell him that instead of leading him on that she’s still on a mission in Japan,” called out Elizabeth.

“Give him the letters,” Zea said, without turning. She continued onto her next mission.