one of Ash’s line, her predecessor, Genoveva, I’m after.”
Tristan’s heart literally stopped. If this guy was really after that freaky vampire than that meant… No, he couldn’t get his hopes up. He didn’t know the guy and definitely didn’t trust him.
“Where is she?” Mamoru asked, eyes narrowed on him.
“Genoveva? No clue.”
“No, Ash.”
Tristan sighed and took a seat again. “Genoveva took her.”
“Sō ka,” the other man muttered, lost in thought for a moment. “Do you believe in fate?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“Well, fate believes in you and has brought us together. We can help each other out after all. I help you find Ash, you help me kill Genoveva. Win-win, really… don’t you think?”
Tristan shook his head. It was a tempting offer, he really could have used the help. But— “I don’t even know you.”
“What is it you want to know about me? What would put you at ease?”
“I’m not the easily trusting type. And you know what,” he said standing again as if he meant to leave. “The last person I agreed to help, almost killed me.” By accident, but still. “And you know what? You’ve not exactly left me with a good impression.”
Tristan stood, eyes finding a clock on the other side of the room. It was almost eleven. If he left now he could ditch the pythia and elf and have enough time to get lost a little while he tried to find the ferry that went back to mainland. He was getting off this island and leaving all his baggage behind, including this guy.
Mamoru stood with him, drawing Tristan’s attention back to him. “Please, we really can help each other.”
“I work alone.”
“No you don’t. You work with a vampire. A vampire that’s missing. And unless you find her soon enough, you and I both know Genoveva will kill her and when she’s done, she’ll come after you because she remembers the Uruwashi, hates them. Even if she doesn’t come for you, then the next vampire will kill you out of spite, or for fun... I can help. You need my help.”
“What? So you can just kill Ash too? I don’t need shit from you,” Tristan spit out and turned away. He was leaving and no one would stop him.
Only, someone tried. Mamoru gave a karate type cry and Tristan spun, blocking the guy’s first attack, but didn’t see the second that took him in his stomach. Healed but still tender where he’d been nearly eviscerated months before, Tristan doubled over, gasping for air. He stumbled back to get away but Mamoru grabbed him and flipped him over and to his back. The rest of the air left Tristan’s lungs and he fought to gasp down a fresh breath. With the, surprisingly heavy, Japanese man sitting on his chest though, he wasn’t having any luck.
He tried to flip the man off, but his arms where pinned over his head, twisting them the wrong way to the full extent of his double-jointed elbows would allow until it hurt. He found the breath then to cry out.
“Shhshh,” Mamoru said over him, face close to his as he held Tristan immobile. “I didn’t attack you to hurt you. I just need you to understand that I’m not as weak as I look. I can help you, if you help me. I really don’t mean you or Ash any harm.”
Tristan’d managed a gasp of air that tasted bad in his deprived lungs and chose to use it poorly. “Fuck you! Get off!” Holy crap, why was this guy so fucking strong? He was smaller than Tristan, average sized, if you were Asian. So why couldn’t Tristan move at all? Why did he seem as strong as a vampire?
Mamoru suddenly smiled as if he knew what was going through Tristan’s head.
Tristan saw them then. They were small, no bigger than Ash’s or Desmond’s, but this guy had fangs.
“What the—” Tristan looked to his side again, in disbelief, to make sure it was really daylight out.
Ah, everything outside looked so peaceful. He wanted to be there… off someplace warm and sunny with Ash in his arms. His daydreaming was interrupted by the
Tristan’s heart literally stopped. If this guy was really after that freaky vampire than that meant… No, he couldn’t get his hopes up. He didn’t know the guy and definitely didn’t trust him.
“Where is she?” Mamoru asked, eyes narrowed on him.
“Genoveva? No clue.”
“No, Ash.”
Tristan sighed and took a seat again. “Genoveva took her.”
“Sō ka,” the other man muttered, lost in thought for a moment. “Do you believe in fate?”
“I… I don’t know.”
“Well, fate believes in you and has brought us together. We can help each other out after all. I help you find Ash, you help me kill Genoveva. Win-win, really… don’t you think?”
Tristan shook his head. It was a tempting offer, he really could have used the help. But— “I don’t even know you.”
“What is it you want to know about me? What would put you at ease?”
“I’m not the easily trusting type. And you know what,” he said standing again as if he meant to leave. “The last person I agreed to help, almost killed me.” By accident, but still. “And you know what? You’ve not exactly left me with a good impression.”
Tristan stood, eyes finding a clock on the other side of the room. It was almost eleven. If he left now he could ditch the pythia and elf and have enough time to get lost a little while he tried to find the ferry that went back to mainland. He was getting off this island and leaving all his baggage behind, including this guy.
Mamoru stood with him, drawing Tristan’s attention back to him. “Please, we really can help each other.”
“I work alone.”
“No you don’t. You work with a vampire. A vampire that’s missing. And unless you find her soon enough, you and I both know Genoveva will kill her and when she’s done, she’ll come after you because she remembers the Uruwashi, hates them. Even if she doesn’t come for you, then the next vampire will kill you out of spite, or for fun... I can help. You need my help.”
“What? So you can just kill Ash too? I don’t need shit from you,” Tristan spit out and turned away. He was leaving and no one would stop him.
Only, someone tried. Mamoru gave a karate type cry and Tristan spun, blocking the guy’s first attack, but didn’t see the second that took him in his stomach. Healed but still tender where he’d been nearly eviscerated months before, Tristan doubled over, gasping for air. He stumbled back to get away but Mamoru grabbed him and flipped him over and to his back. The rest of the air left Tristan’s lungs and he fought to gasp down a fresh breath. With the, surprisingly heavy, Japanese man sitting on his chest though, he wasn’t having any luck.
He tried to flip the man off, but his arms where pinned over his head, twisting them the wrong way to the full extent of his double-jointed elbows would allow until it hurt. He found the breath then to cry out.
“Shhshh,” Mamoru said over him, face close to his as he held Tristan immobile. “I didn’t attack you to hurt you. I just need you to understand that I’m not as weak as I look. I can help you, if you help me. I really don’t mean you or Ash any harm.”
Tristan’d managed a gasp of air that tasted bad in his deprived lungs and chose to use it poorly. “Fuck you! Get off!” Holy crap, why was this guy so fucking strong? He was smaller than Tristan, average sized, if you were Asian. So why couldn’t Tristan move at all? Why did he seem as strong as a vampire?
Mamoru suddenly smiled as if he knew what was going through Tristan’s head.
Tristan saw them then. They were small, no bigger than Ash’s or Desmond’s, but this guy had fangs.
“What the—” Tristan looked to his side again, in disbelief, to make sure it was really daylight out.
Ah, everything outside looked so peaceful. He wanted to be there… off someplace warm and sunny with Ash in his arms. His daydreaming was interrupted by the
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