The Underground

Chapter 2: Lonely Corpses

"Don't worry, Vivian. I want you alive."

The grip on her shoulders loosened but didn't move, taking care to maintain contact. Vivian stared straight ahead and willed her heart to ease its wild thumping in her chest. Fear ran through her veins like ice, stiffening her body and slowing her thoughts with cold, malicious intent.

Run.

Fear froze her in place initially, but curiosity is what kept Vivian still. The confused face of Kai drew her attention like a moth to a flame. "What are you doing?" she asked, her dark eyes flicking from her friend to the surrounding bystanders, all of whom were clearly shocked by the disappearance of the young woman.

A deep rumble of a chuckle emerged from the man behind her, "I have come to talk to you abo- "

Vivian cut him off with unearned confidence. "I mean what have you literally done right now. They can't see us, can they? Can they hear us? How are you doing this?" she asked, her eyes lighting up with the realization of the unknown.

"Surely you know many vampires possess otherworldly abilities," the man answered. She could hear the scowl in his voice, but that didn't stop her from cutting off the end of his sentence again.

"Well, yeah, but I've never heard of a family line capable of turning invisible, let alone shared invisibility. Who are you?" Vivian asked, her hand inching towards the inside of her jacket.

"I am Roderic, I come from the family line Blackwood, native to England but relocated to the States for many decades– " 

"The recently murdered Blackwood family?" she interrupted again, her hand shooting inside of her jacket to pull out her notepad as she turned to face the man. 

In an instant, one of the hands on her shoulder tightened its grip, the freezing cold fingers digging into her jacket and the flesh underneath like a bear trap. The other hand gripped her jaw, forcing her head up and their eyes to meet.

Enchanting ruby-colored eyes bore into her own, paralyzing her much like a snake would its prey. Long white-blond hair cascaded down the man's shoulders, framing a pale, almost ashen, face. A lean frown contorted his lips into an ugly shape and dangerous fangs were borne in a threat.

"The very same one. Now, if you would kindly let me speak, I require your assistance," he said, his voice easing out of anger and into a soothing exhale. Vivian swallowed hard, gripping her notepad tightly in a shaking hand. Her mind screamed to move and run, but her body was still as stone. Something wasn't right, something was wrong with him. He was a predator.

Run, run away. You are going to die here.

Vivian nodded.

"Very good. As I was saying, my name is Roderic. I come from the Blackwood family, which, as you know, has recently had their lineage cut short in many places. Simply put, I am the last of my family – located in the States, at least. For that reason, I require assistance tending to a family matter that I believe your skill set would be most helpful in," he said, his voice smooth as silk but his eyes unblinking.

"My- " she choked and paused before swallowing and trying again, "My skill set?"

"Yes," Roderic answered, his eyebrows lowering into a scowl as he peered closely at the face he clutched with his hand. "You are Vivian Flores, correct? Apprentice of Melanie Sun? Historian of the United States' era of supernatural, researcher of otherworldly anatomy, and collector of forgotten relics?"

Vivian mirrored his frown, revigorated by the lapse in his intensity. She grasped the forearm holding her neck with her free hand, pulling the man's hand away with surprisingly little resistance. "Of course I am. Do you think anyone would recognize the implication of your name and your bloodline? Everyone knows your drama, but I know you're lying," she declared, now grabbing the hand that was still clutching her shoulder. His silence only encouraged her.