D-77

Chapter 6

Eric patiently waited for Martha to escort the endlessly apologetic Patrick out so he could finally discuss the situation with her. And the situation wasn’t looking good, to put it mildly. Hearing her approaching footsteps, he sighed and took off his glasses. She stood opposite him and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him angrily. He saw how her eyes turned their color to golden and it made him nervously shift on the couch.

“Happy now?” She hissed.

“Medusa, please...”

The tight bun on her head moved, the little snakes threw off the old-fashioned hairband and directed their tiny faces towards Dr. Sanders.

”I warned you!” the Gorgon stamped her foot, making the snakes hiss. “I told you that Danny doesn’t belong in a regular school! If you would listen to me, she had been properly trained and knew what she was doing!”

“I wanted her to have a choice!” Eric slammed his fist on the pillow.

“What choice are you talking about, Eric? Both of her parents are Inquisitors!” The woman started pacing the room. “Sooner or later, she will have to deal with… all of this! I'd prefer for her to be prepared!”

“There's nothing we can do now. If Emilian realizes that I have something to do with the fact that Danielle took Dragomir away, he will convey this to the Council and I'm afraid I won't get off with a simple reprimand. And you too. We'll have to rely on her discretion now.”

Medusa looked disappointed. She always knew that the day would come when her baby Danny would be drawn into the life of the Inquisitor. But she prayed that it would happen differently than what was happening at that moment. And she knew that Eric was right, and now any of their actions could adversely affect not only their lives but also what her baby was doing now. If Medusa could, she would rush to catch up with Danny to take the magician to the ends of the world herself, if only Danny was safe. She checked the pockets of her dress and hissed angrily.

“Damn sorcerer!” she hissed towards the window, sticking her black forked tongue out of her mouth. “He stole my cigarettes!”

“If only he knew who he was dealing with...”

The Gorgon gave him a bitterly smile. If not for the restrictions imposed by the Inquisition, she would have turned this weak sorcerer to stone, and her baby Danny would have been safe. She ran her hand over the scar on her throat, hidden under the high collar of her dress.

"Damn Perseus!"

“Does it hurt?” Eric looked worried, as he did every time he saw her covered with silvery scales touching her throat.

“You know that my pride suffered more than my body.”

Sanders nodded. Many people knew the tale of Medusa Gorgon, but only a few Inquisitors knew the real story of this amazingly beautiful creature. She was not the monster that Perseus described in his drunken stories. He was greedy for fame, so he made up a story about his heroic deed. Perseus was a coward. He tricked Medusa into captivity and tortured her for years, thinking he could force her to use her powers against his enemies. And when someone told him that the Gorgon's head can still turn people into stones, he tried to behead Medusa. When she broke free, her soul demanded reprisals against the tormentor and his henchmen. Medusa destroyed an entire village, killing everyone who surrounded Perseus, whether they were children, women, or elders. Centuries later, she was captured by the Inquisition. She was guarded for generations, passing the creature from teacher to student. Eric's teacher ordered the young Inquisitor to take care of Medusa not long before his death. When Sanders learned the real story behind the beautiful legend, he decided that Medusa did not deserve such harsh punishment and made her a member of the family. Moreover, he had to raise his daughter alone and a woman's hand would come in handy. Gorgon quickly got used to the new world, which was completely different from the one in which she lived when she was free. She was dedicated and caring. Her whole life revolved around Danny and Eric. She was also very smart and funny. And yes, she invented the image of a crazy sectarian aunt herself. Eric was overwhelmed by this amazing beautiful creature and could not imagine life without her.

"Are you going to tell Yvonne what's going on?" she walked over to the doctor's desk and took a new pack of cigarettes from the drawer.

“How do you think that will go? ‘ Hey honey, do you remember our daughter, whom you abandoned about thirty years ago? Well, she kind of kidn*pped the sorcerer that you foisted on me and took him away in an unknown direction! That was my idea, by the way!’ She will certainly inform the Council about this.

Gorgon snorted and lit a cigarette. She never liked Danny's mom. She did not understand how a woman could give birth to such a charming child and then leave it without even informing the father that he now had a daughter. If not for her high-ranking relatives who prophesied the girl to become a powerful Inquisitor, the baby would have grown up in an orphanage.

“What are we going to do about Patrick?”

"He didn't inherit the Gift from his father, so I think I can send him back to his parents” Eric raised his hand and Medusa handed him a lit cigarette. “Did you really like him that much?”

“Mmm, he has a pretty face” she lit a cigarette for herself, “he would make a good looking statue, but otherwise... Nah”

She puffed out the smoke in annoyance through clenched teeth and rolled her eyes. Finishing her cigarette, she sat down on the couch next to Eric and took his hand.

"She'll be all right, won't she?"

Medusa's golden eyes shone with tears. Eric intertwined their fingers and pressed his lips against the cold scales on the back of her hand.

“Don't worry, nothing will happen to her. She is strong and fearless. And she has a strong mage by her side. They will be able to take care of themselves.”

Gorgon sobbed and lowered her head to the doctor's chest. The snakes cascaded down her shoulders, turning back into the hair.

The sky was already beginning to brighten when Vlad parked the jeep in a truck stop at a small motel. He confidently got out of the car, grabbing his own bag and Danny's backpack from the back seat. Sanders hastened to follow. Without saying a word, he took her by the hand and led her past the parking lot visitors that were staring back at her.

“Why are they looking at me like that?” she was feeling somewhat uncomfortable from such attention and literally clutched at the cold male palm.

“Do not pay attention to them.”

“But…”

He pushed the ajar door with his shoulder and led Danny into a bright hall. A bored girl sat at the front desk, she kind of reminded Sanders of her colleague. Yawning widely, the motel employee looked up at the visitors who approached her.

“How can I help you?” the girl relaxed back in her chair, demonstrating her unwillingness to deal with guests.

“We need a room,” Vlad replied dryly.

“I’m afraid we don’t have any free…”

“Look again.”

Danny felt the air in the room thickened. The vampire stared into the eyes of the suddenly numb girl. Beads of sweat beaded on her temples, her hands trembled as she tried to look away, but she couldn't. Seeing that the girl was about to burst into tears, Sanders stood between Vlad and the front desk and lowered her palm to his chest. His gaze immediately moved from the employee's face to Danny.

“I’ll handle it.”

She noticed how pale his face was, the blackening pattern of blood vessels showing through his skin. She missed the moment when her palm rose from his chest and lay on his cheek. It seemed to her that his blue eyes flashed scarlet, so she jerked her hand away in fright and turned her back to him.

“Miss,” she breathed softly, “we really need a room.”

The worker nodded frequently and nervously leafed through the journal. Danny felt Vlad's gaze directed at the back of her head with her entire body, but she didn’t dare to turn to face him.

“We have one room available,” the employee said in a trembling voice. “Junior suite. It is designed for newlyweds…”

Vlad’s cold palm slid down Danny's lower back and lay on her hip, pressing her against the vampire's stone-hard body.

“Just the thing we were looking for, right love?” he ran the very tip of his nose through her hair at the temple, causing her whole body to shiver.

The administrator looked at Danny with doubt.

“We’ll take it,” Sanders took her phone out of the pocket of her leather jacket and fished out the credit card that was hidden inside her phone case. “Do you accept cards?”

While Danny was filling out the necessary paperwork, Vlad took the key and walked towards the stairs leading to the second floor. As she was putting the last signature needed on the journal, the motel employee suddenly grabbed her hand, which made Danny look up at her in surprise.

“If you need any help, just let me know.”

“Excuse me?”

The lady glanced pointedly at Vlad’s back, and it almost made Sanders laugh. Poor thing, what did she think of him?

“Oh no, it’s not like that,” she said, barely holding back a giggle, “my fiancé is a little overtired. Believe me, when he has his beauty sleep he's just a darling.”

The receptionist furrowed her brows but nodded.

The tiny room was near the fire escape. It barely contained a dubious strength double bed, two bedside tables, and a chest of drawers with a vase of artificial flowers on it. The walls and floor were painted various shades of beige, and there was a strange-looking carpet. The biggest advantage of the room was the bathroom with properly working plumbing. Well, and the bottle of champagne in the ice bucket that the maid brought them. They bumped into it when she left the room.

Danny took the bottle out of the bucket and lowered her previously injured hand onto the ice.

"You scared the receptionist," she said, trying to remove the foil from the bottle with her free hand. “I think she thought you kidn*pped me.”

Vlad looked at her with a sly look in his eyes, as if he was saying “who kidn*pped whom”. He generously helped her uncork the champagne. Looking around, he did not find glasses in the room. Danny took the bottle from him and took a couple of sips straight from the bottle, but immediately spat the liquid back and returned the drink to the vampire.

“Gross”

He glanced briefly at the label and set the champagne aside.

“You need to get some sleep. I'll take the bathroom.”

Before he could even take a step, her thin fingers were wrapped around his wrist, stopping him. He looked in surprise between her face and the hand that captivated him.

“Danny...”

“How can you expect me to fall asleep when my head is buzzing like a beehive? I need to know what's going on.”

“I don't have the right to tell you...”

“Think again”, the grip on his wrist intensified, her nails dug into his cold skin. “There is no one besides you who could tell me… explain what the hell is going on!”

Vlad carefully unhooked her hand from himself and gently squeezed her shoulders in his palms:

“Danny, I understand what is happening to you now. I almost went crazy myself centuries ago, when the truth about the world, which I thought I knew in all its manifestations, was revealed to me. I will try to explain everything to you, but later."

“But!..”

“You must rest, and I,” he looked at the large window, which was barely covered by translucent tulle, “need to recover. And I need complete isolation from daylight. We'll talk about everything later tonight. I promise.”

Without waiting for her to answer, the vampire disappeared behind the bathroom door. Sanders changed into clean clothes and got into bed. Covering herself with a voluminous duvet, she closed her eyes tightly and tried to fall asleep. Then she tossed and turned for some time, but she could not even doze off. With an annoyed snort, she threw off the covers and looked back at the closed door. It would seem that the answers were very close, hiding behind the door in the darkness of a tiny bathroom. But it was a bit scary for her to go after those answers. Danny was sure that Vlad was on the verge of a breakdown. The way his eyes blazed earlier at the reception, clearly spoke of barely contained hunger. Sanders sighed. Wrapping the duvet around herself like a cocoon, Sanders buried her face in the pillows. But after a second she raised her head. After extricating herself from her self-created captivity, she scooped up the duvet, grabbed one of the pillows in the corner, and confidently stepped towards the bathroom. Either the lock was faulty, or Vlad decided that she would not follow him, but the door was not locked. The light in the room was on. The vampire looked at Danny in surprise, slightly tilting his head to the side. Swallowing the lump that suddenly formed in her throat, she closed the door with her foot.

“I thought that it would be uncomfortable for you to sleep on the cold floor…”

Vlad continued to stare at her with a shocked expression on his face, but he took the pillow and duvet that were handed to him. Confused by his reaction, Sanders exhaled nervously and rubbed the back of her head.

“Please don't say that you hang upside down when you sleep.”

A smile bloomed on his face. Instead of answering, he nodded his thanks and began to spread the duvet in the far corner of the room. After stumbling at the door for a bit, Danny couldn't think of anything better than to take a towel from the shelf and throw it on the floor to sit down on it. Vlad lay on his back and clasped his hands in a lock on his stomach. His eyes were closed and his brows furrowed.

“Tell me,” she said quietly, settling herself more comfortably on the makeshift seat, “will you feel better in total darkness?”

The vampire exhaled loudly.

"Silly, aren't you supposed to be afraid of me? Even just a little?"

“You said you wouldn't hurt me.”

“And you believe me?”

Without saying a word, Danny reached out her hand and flipped the switch. The room plunged into darkness. Only a thin strip of light could be seen from under the door.

“Hmm,” sounded as if he moved a bit “you really are not afraid of me.”

“Because I turned off the light?”

“No. Your heart beats evenly.”

Sanders nodded, half in agreement, half in understanding, belatedly remembering that he couldn't see her.

“If you want to ask me about something, then ask.”

Danny stumbled on her words from such a simple request. All the questions suddenly flew out of her head. She drew her knees up to her chest and put her arms around them.

“Who are the Inquisitors?”

“The same thing they were before.”

“That doesn't explain anything.”

“There were times when the Inquisitor’s only job was to find and destroy any non-human, be it a sorcerer or a harmless fairy. Those were very dark times, Danny. Many innocent creatures have suffered under the cruel laws invented by a bunch of slow-witted people and their executors. Over time, the Inquisition discovered that the unnatural extinction of species is severely punished by nature. People died from the plague or natural disasters. And all just because someone wanted to destroy the petty pagan god and his cult, for example. Fortunately, the Inquisitors figured out that it was connected before they accidentally destroyed humanity.”

“What changed?”

“Everything did, love. After another outbreak of the plague, the Inquisition created the Law of Balance. Instead of chopping off the heads of non-humans left and right, they began to try to preserve those species that they themselves almost destroyed. Gradually, the Law acquired with… hmmm… details. Everyone made their own blots, a list of rules was drawn up, punishment for their violations ... Later, prisons appeared, like the one that your father created. The Council of Five was created later to determine what punishment the violator of the Law will suffer.”

“Anyone can become an Inquisitor?”

“Initially, yes. Alas, many used the position for the sake of fame and profit. Some sought to unleash their inhuman cruelty, using this honorary title. The witch hunt that took place in Europe was one such impulse. Then it was decided to select those who were worthy of the title of Inquisitor. They were bewitched and only they and their descendants could serve the Inquisition. They call it The Gift. I think of it as a curse.”

“Why?”

“Because the children of the Inquisitors never have a choice. Whether they like it or not, they have to take their place in this endless chain. Very few have escaped this fate. However, they say that the Gift began to degenerate. Your buddy Patrick is proof of that.”

"Is he an Inquisitor too?" Danny was genuinely surprised.

“No, fortunately for all of us, only one of his parents was the bearer of the Gift, and, apparently, very weak, since not a single grain of it was passed on to the doctor. You, my dear Danielle, were much less fortunate. Both your parents distinguished Inquisitors. If not for your birth, I believe Eric would have risen rapidly through the ranks. However, he sat down in his kennel so that he could raise his child. I respect that.”

“You said that both my parents…my mother is also an Inquisitor?”

Although she couldn't see it, she was sure that Vlad turned his face in her direction.

“What do you know about your mother, love?”

“Nothing. And what do you know about her?”

“Your mother is a direct descendant of the First Inquisitor. Her main job is hunting. I mean, she's in charge of capturing the Balance Breakers. Every single prisoner in Eric's prison is her trophy.”

The girl swallowed.

“Do I have this... ‘Gift’?”

“I already told you, yes. Despite the lack of proper training, the Gift is strong in you. Once you learn how to use it, you might even surpass your mother.”

“My dad… how did he manage to hide everything… hide all of you all this time?”

“A skillful combination of magic and the achievements of modern science. Eric is damn smart. He was one of the first to come up with masking magical attributes, such as a key card. If it were not for your father's ingenuity, we would still huddle in medieval dungeons.”

She felt proud of Eric.

“And my aunt? Is she an Inquisitor too?”

“ Your aunt?” she heard a rustle “Medusa? No, non-humans do not have an innate Gift. However, born Inquisitors sometimes refuse their recognition and… join the other side.”

Danny was dumbfounded. She could not even think that her aunt Martha could not be human.

“Danielle?” the vampire’s voice rustled very near, and it made her flinch. “What's the matter?”

“My aunt... who is she?”

“Gorgon Medusa. I'm sure you've heard of her.”

Sanders was taken aback. She lived with her slightly deranged aunt all her life! How could she suddenly turn out to be a monster from ancient legends?! It was worth giving her credit. The way Medusa was playing the role of a fanatical-religious, overly caring aunt was very believable.

“What about the clinic? Are there other Inquisitors working in it?”

“Weak descendants, practically devoid of the Gift. Peace-loving representatives of non-humans, such as lycans, boggarts, goblins, sorcerers of various orders...”

“Oh! The sign in the clinic said that you were a "3rd level mage"! What does this even mean? Why doesn't Nathan have a level?”

“Because Nathan is mortal, love. To obtain immortality, the sorcerer enters into a contract with seven different non-humans. It's hard to explain, just trust me, gaining immortality isn't easy for mages. It’s a complicated process that takes years and very much blood spilling. The lowest level is the seventh. The highest level is zero, but very few managed to reach it.”

“Why?”

“Because, as I said, it’s complicated. Mages get killed during the ritual, but very few are able to resurrect. The First Inquisitor was the first to reach level zero. He became the first immortal sorcerer, and thus earned a seat on the Council of Five.”

Both fell silent. Information slowly settled in Danny's head.

“You said that all my dad's patients or prisoners are my mother's trophies.”

“Yes, I did.”

“So they all violated the Law of Balance somehow?”

“Exactly.”

“Did you?”

He sighed loudly.

“Vlad, what did you do?”

“I came to your mother and surrendered myself.”

“Why?”

“Because it became more difficult to hide from the pursuers. I knew that the Inquisition was my only chance to hide from them.”

“You mean Emilian?”

“Not quite, Danny. Emilian and his retinue are in the service of an unworthy master. He is the one who has been chasing me for all this time.”

“Who is he?”

“It's a long story, love.”

“We still have time.”

“Not now, Danny.”

“Vlad!”

“Danny, please. You're tired. I'm not in the best shape either. We both need to rest. We will continue the conversation as soon as possible. I promise. I don't intend to hide anything from you.”

“I suppose my father heard the same thing from you,” she didn’t understand this right away, but it sounded as if she had been offended.

Quite unexpectedly, she felt strong cold fingers on her palms. Sanders twitched frightened in an attempt to wrench her hands, but after a moment she calmed down.

“Know this, love, I am grateful to Eric for his help, and I respect him as a person and as an Inquisitor. But I never trusted him the way I trust you.”

“Why? Why do you trust me? We hardly exchanged a few words in all the time you have been in the clinic! Sorry, prison. How can you trust your life to someone you don't know at all?

“But I know you, Danny. I saw you interacting with the other inmates on the floor. And how do you take care of Eric. And all the things other creatures in the clinic told about you... And what is no less important, you have the Gift, but your mind is not touched by the Inquisition. I couldn't tell Eric the truth about myself because he wouldn't hide it from the Inquisition. But you are not connected with them by duty yet...”

Vlad let go of her hands and ran his fingertip along her forehead, to her temple, and tucked a strand of Danny's hair behind her ear.

“I'll tell you everything, but later. Deal?”

Sanders, who suddenly felt like a small child, nodded vigorously. The vampire let out a short chuckle and helped her up from the floor, holding her hand.

“Now go to sleep. Emilian will not be able to appear before sunset, because his main assistants are nocturnal creatures, so you don’t have to worry about him.”

“I don't feel like sleeping at all...”

“It's easy to fix.”

The smell of cinnamon surrounded her once again. At first, she did not feel the effect of hypnosis, but gradually lightness began to spread through her body and her eyelids began to grow heavy. Vlad pushed her to the door. Sanders got out of the bathroom, shuffled her legs, and plopped down on the bed, her face buried in the pillow. Already falling into the realm of Morpheus, she felt someone cover her with a blanket and gently stroke her head, which made a smile bloom on her face.