"You are a sadistic bastard, you know that don't you?" Celeste asked as they walked up a narrow stairway next to a canal.

"I've been told many a time… sometimes by people other than you, Werewolf. I think the Vampire would agree with you, why don't you start a club?"

"I'd hate to make the dint in your impenetrable ego, Demon."

Finally, they reached a crumbling old church. There was a greenish-black moss growing in the cracks of the stonework of what had once probably been a grand little church. Now it's windows were stained with the air pollution of over 50 years of car exhaust and it's sandstone exterior worn away from the acid rain that had probably assulted it for the same amount of time.

Virgil raised an eyebrow,

"Werewolves, in a church? I have to give you points for originality." Celeste stopped at the door.

"I hope that Vampire comes back and guts you." She said coldly.

"Duely noted, though I don't think you'd allow him to steal the honor from you… am I right?"

The way she slammed the door open told him he had been right.

The inside of the church didn't look any different from the outside. Virgil turned his head to the side as he caught the scent of mildew, dust and rats. The maroon hangings that had once hung between the huge blackened stained glass windows were now crumbled and rotting on the floor. The wooden pews had been pushed to the sides of the church, splintered and broken from moisture and woodrot.

"You really need to fire your housekeeper."

Celeste paused for a moment, then continued walking.

"You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, Demon." She pressed a sequence of stones beneath the rotting cross that covered the wall behind what had once been the priest's podium. The ground beneath her suddenly dropped with a 'bang', forming a set of stairs that led into darkness.

"Coming? The sooner you see I'm not hiding anything, the sooner you can leave me to live my miserable existance in peace." She said crabbily. Virgil smiled,

"Ladies first."

She ground her teeth again and disappeared into the darkness. Vigil followed behind her, hearing the floor of the church grind back up to it's usual place and sealing the tunnel shut. His eyes instantly adjusted to the dark, pupils widening to almost engulf his blue irises completely. He saw Celeste looking at him and waiting.

"How's the Demonic eyesight?" She asked.

"Bright as day."

"Damn." She turned back around and continued to lead him through the tunnel. "This was a Priest's hole, mainly built for the Christians who had to hide from the Roman army whenever they dropped in. It traces through the catacombs beneath the church."

"Not a sewer, however remarkably similar."

She ignored the comment,

"These tunnels were built by our Elders hundreds of years ago… with a few modern additions…"

They finally arrived in a well-lit room, with light provided by a massive crystal chandelier that hung over the huge hall. It as set up like a church, a few pews and and alter made up the furniture in the room, though the Roman columns that lined the sides of the church made openings to dozens of other hallways and rooms.

Unlike the church above them, the Werewolves Den was still perfectly preserved. The stained glass windows acted as separaters between the main hall and the tunnels that led from it. Each one was backlit; casting colours across the statues and carvings that wove themselves around the large Roman pillars that held the roof in place.

"That hallway leads to our rooms," Celeste pointed at the one closest to the alter, "That one leads to the kitchen and dining hall, that one to the library and the others are all tunnels to various other parts of the city." She sat on a pew, put her legs up on the pew in front of her and crossed her arms, "You wanted to see our miraculous treasure? Feel free to search every nook and cranny. Wake me when you find something, then leave."

"I hate to disappoint you, but I think I'm actually going to like it here."

She let her feet fall off the pew with a 'clunk'.

"Excuse me?" Virgil smiled,

"Once again, you've proven yourself useful. Why should I bother going back to my dingy hotel when I can enjoy the hospitality of a Lycanthrope clan?"

"Because there is no hospitality. Hospitality implies that you were invited here."

"Wasn't I?"

There was silence.

"I simply cannot believe you." Celeste said disbelieveingly, "I've given up being infuriated with you. Your ego is unfathonable."

"Come now, you really thought that I'd leave you all alone in a huge, dark, underground warren all by yourself? How un-gentlemanly of me."

"Un-gentlemanly? Have you done anything in your life that has been gentlemanly? I doubt it."

"You really don't think that much of me do you?"

"I can think of a few choice words to tell you what I think of you."

"That I don't doubt. You strike me as a very angry person."

Celeste stood up and started walking towards him,

"Angry? What could possibly make you think I'm angry? After all, it's not like I've been dragged, bruised, snapped, thrown, threatened and man-handled from one side of Vatican City to the other."

"You forgot hunted, knocked out and kidnapped."

She suddenly whirled around and Virgil caught her hand before she hit him. He clamped a hand around her throat and slammed her against the sandstone wall.

"Listen;" He growled, "The world is full of people like me, some worse. My advice to you; deal with it." He set her back on her feet, "Now what about helping me find a room?"

"You better hope you find one with a solid lock, because I might just kill you while you sleep." She snarled.

"If I were you I'd be worried about finding myself a lock for my room. There are worse things than death." He let the threat hang for a moment.

"You… you wouldn't dare."

"That is what you're afraid of, isn't it? You're trapped, alone, with a Demon who just so happens to be stronger and faster than you." He smiled, "If I were you, I'd be more than a little nervous too."

"You wanted a room?" Celeste snapped, "Then stop making threats and follow me… and try not to get lost." She stalked off down the hallway to the right of the alter, with Virgil following her and smirking to himself.

There were thick wooden doors lined along the right-hand side of the tunnel each one with a large iron wolf's-head knocker on it.

"I assume you'd probably want to best to yourself, being the selfish sonofabitch that you are." Celeste stopped abruptly, "This was Pius's room. Our leader." She kicked the door open, "Enjoy, Halfbreed."

The floor or the room had been laid with grey-lined slate, which was covered here and there by large rugs. A massive fireplace had been built into the left wall, on which two iron candleabras sat. On the right, was the massive four-posted bed and dark-wooden wardrobe, along with a writing desk and small bookcase.

"What? No smart remark? How disappointing." Celeste leaned against the doorframe, "Now unless - by some God-given miracle - I die in my sleep, I'll unfortunately see you in the morning."

"Not unless I see you before then."

She slammed the door in his face and stalked away. However, no matter how hard she tried, it was at least three days before she managed to get any sleep.

"So…?"

The Vampire bowed his head before his master, still holding one hand over the burned flesh on his chest.

"It was the Lycan woman you search for, my Lord."

"And the Demon who accompanies her?"

The Vampire paused,

"It's not as we first thought, Sire. If anything, she seems to want to escape from him. He has no idea what he's gotten himself caught up in. He's as equally determined to have her as we are."

His master rubbed his chin,

"It seems we must find a way to make her choose; him or us. Of course, she'll choose him – then we can do as we always do and simply kill him anyway."

"But Sire," The Vampire got to his feet, "I saw her grieving at St. Peter's. We needn't bother wasting our time on the Half-Breed. She's going to snap sooner or later. Most likely sooner."

His Master thought about this and moved to the window,

"You do have a point. He is powerful and may prove troublesome." He tapped his long fingernails on the stone windowsill, staring at the rooftops of St. Peters Cathedral. "Very well then… but we must give them a few… side projects. For us to succeed, she must begin to grow accustomed to the Demon, then all we need do is threaten his life and she'll come running to us."

He smiled a perfectly white grin at the Vampire, "I know Celeste Fa-Leroux. She is a woman of conscience… and that will be her undoing."

The Vampire nodded, brown-green eyes glittering mischeviously,

"I'm sure my people will be able to come up with something to preoccupy them." His Master's eyes glowed in the moonlight, reflecting his satisfaction.

"Good. This time, I will take back what is mine."

Well... this is the part where I make a cryptic remark about the plot isn't it? To tell you the truth, I can't think of anything. So you'll just have to keep reading!

AyebeeXx