Night came and went, to Lylaith's relief. But still, her dreams were haunted by reliving the moment of the vampire's kiss upon her skin. It was a sin that she felt shaded her soul and body to the marrow of her bones. Every time she looked into Gabriel's eyes, they were riddled with worry. He was waiting for her to turn into a monster that he would have to slay. But for now, heaven was on their side.
She rose with the sun and put on all her clothing and gear. She still felt like she dancing in a strange world, as if sunlight was not her element of life. But she had to ignore it. She was determined to fight this battle, both externally and internally.
Her boots clicked on the polished hardwood floor of the inn as she made her way to a stool next to Hellsing. "Good morning."
Gabriel lifted his head from a bowl of gruel and choked on a bit of it as he saw who it was. "Quick recovery, my friend."
She nodded at the innkeeper as he waved a bowl of breakfast at her. She sat next to him. "Sunlight works wonders. That it can surely do."
He nodded and talked into his bowl. "Look, we have to get something straight here. If you start feeling sick or anything odd from here on out, you must let me know. Do you understand?"
Her voice became cold and quiet. "I understand all too well." Breakfast continued in silence.
Venice was still not free of all the fiends that lurked in her dark shadows at night to feed off of warm blood, but they would have to settle with that it was a little emptier than before, for now at least. They had to find the individual who had partaken of her own life fluid. It was his death and his death alone that would free her from any thrall that he had over her, and it would be his death that would assure he would never return to claim her.
Lylaith did her best to assure Gabriel that she was ready to face a case such as this one. She proclaimed it a test of her faith, and it was with that Gabriel began to ask less frequently how she felt.
Weeks past, and the trail that the vampire had left was becoming cold. Weather was washing away tracks and wearing down their beasts of burden. But they continued. And Van Hellsing was becoming more and quieter as they neared Budapest. Lylaith was concerned at to what was on his mind.
"Are you well?" She nudged her mount to quicken its pace and match Hellsing's stead.
He looked up from underneath the brim of his hat. "Tired, but nothing more than that."
"I am not so certain you speak the truth, my friend. You dodge answering the true intent of my question."
He pulled the brim of his hat lower and pretended to sleep. A few minutes later he mumbled, "I was here once before, some time ago."
She nodded. "Memories are not always a happy thing, I understand. But sooner or later, we must part with them and live in the present."
His gloved hand scratched the stubble on his chin. "I suppose that is true sometimes…" With that comment, he wiped out his pistol and took aim at the dark shadow in the night sky that was rapidly descending…