Kraving Kovacs (Vexing Vamp #1)

Chapter 2

She put on her clothes before taking her gym bag and went out of the private room that was specified for her to use at the headquarters. Astrid was on the ground level whereas the ascension will be happening at the top level of the building that she was currently in.

"I better make a run for it," she said before taking one last look at herself when she was wearing her tank top and cargo pants. Not actually worthy of the meeting but she was in a hurry and they did not tell her to be prepared in advance for this unannounced meeting. She shrugged before making her way to the elevator and going to the top level.

The elevator dinged as she was looking at the people that attended the ascension were dressed in formal wear as she was underdressed for the occasion. Now Astrid felt stupid for not taking her time to get ready for this meeting.

"Ah! There you are. We have been waiting for you,"

Astrid whipped around as she was looking at two people that were coming at her. She smiled as she knew the person that was calling after her but the other person was a new one, the one that she had never seen around the headquarters before.

"Hello, Astrid. How are you doing today?" the old woman that was known as the weapon master of the Order. Astrid bowed her head slightly to acknowledge her.

"Hello, Weapon Master. I did not know that you will be here as well. I guess the ascension was on the high alert then," she said before her violet orbs were looking at the person that was watching her with interest.

"Ah! Of course, you did not know who the new His Holiness is but may I present to you the new His Holiness of the Order." The weapon master said as the man with black eyes and mane was inclining his head toward Astrid.

"A pleasure to meet the Huntress of the Order," his velvet voice was hitting her eardrums before Astrid felt her face was heated. What was it about his voice that made her squirm like a woman?

She was not supposed to behave as such!

"A pleasure to meet you, Master," she said before Astrid was kneeling in front of the new His Holiness. He chuckled softly before pulling Astrid to her feet. She felt his hands on her arms and instantly her blood boiled. What was this reaction? She thought before she was looking into his black eyes. It was so mysterious but there was something lurking behind them.

"Now, now. Don't be like that, Huntress. I'm sure you don't have to overdo all the formality with me. I think it's time to tell you why I ask you to come here," His Holiness said as he was nodding at the weapon master. The old woman went away before His Holiness was leading Astrid away from the others. She was nervous to be left alone with her master for she never had contact like this before.

This was all new to Astrid as long as she had been with the Order.

"I have an assignment for you," His Holiness said as he took out an envelope to give to Astrid. She took it as she was reading the name on the envelope. She arched her eyebrows at His Holiness before he smiled.

"I want you to capture this Vampire. He was one of the Originals and was a threat to mankind. Our informants said that he was hiding in Sicily at the moment and I thought it is the best course for you to get to him and lure him to us," His Holiness said, his black eyes hardened. Astrid knew that His Holiness detested when he was talking about this Vampire and she wanted to be the one that delivered the killing blow to this Vampire.

One of the Originals, which meant he was a formidable foe.

Astrid gripped the envelope before she was nodding at him. She knew that her task was to take this Vampire down and to make sure that mankind was safe from his terror. "I will not let you down, Master," Astrid said before His Holiness smiled.

"Good, now you will leave for Sicily as soon as possible. It's not that far from Vatican City, was it?" he asked before Astrid shook her head.

"I will be there this evening. I will not disappoint you, Master. If you excuse me, I have a Vampire to kill," she said before His Holiness smiled.

"You will not fail me, Huntress. Besides, I think this Vampire will not fail to lure you into his charms. Be on high alert," he said before Astrid bowed to him and walked out of the meeting as she knew that her mission started now.

*****

Lucius was looking around the crowd that he was currently in. He never thought that he would be surrounded by so many humans and the things that they were talking about that the known world has evolved.

But the superstition against Vampire was never fading as he heard it all the way when he was gliding around. He was looking at the woman that he will be using to ensure that the distant relatives that were hiding in the Known World will be done for and he did not have to fear of them coming to invade Lyla Opole, his home country.

Something tugged in his chest when he was thinking about the country. He rubbed his chest as he was sipping on the champagne that they served for him. He smiled and waved but his heart ached for something else.

Or someone else for that matter who had a blonde mane and blue eyes.

Cress, he thought before Lucius hardened his heart as he moved gracefully among the humans that have been killing his families ever since Nos was created. No matter, his revenge was far more important for him to be thinking about his betrothed back in Lyla Opole.

And he cannot make a mistake as much as thinking about Cress while plotting his revenge on humankind. He just couldn't.