As we made our way through the water, Marius kept pulling me back by shoulder and checking my speed. Did he not understand my desire to get Carrie out of the hell hole she was held in? Did he not sense my anger at those who dared took what was mine? A side glance back into his face showed me that he did indeed know how I felt.
That was why he was doing as he was.
Cherry however, took the lead for a short while. Blazing hair the only thing keeping her in my vision, she blended so well into the darkness it was hard even for me to keep track. She held up a hand and Marius halted me fully as she went around a corner, we heard a shot..and then another followed by a short scream and then a thump. Marius nodded and we continued past the now fallen mortal guard, his partner several feet beyond. Both downed with a shot to the chest.
It carried on like that for several slow, long moments. Cherry or Marius would drift forward, several shots would ring out and then we would advance once more. All the while I would try pushing past, I hated the slow pace of our advance and just wanted Carrie back in my arms safe and sound.
This place was dark, not in the sense of vision or brightness. No it was fairly well lit the farther we got, it was just a feeling that was settled over the halls. I had not felt something like that for several years, not since before I myself had met Pandora. My own guns were ready though, my fingers gripping it perfectly as Cherry had taught me. What was this feeling now? Was I worried? Anxious?
I was, and I knew it.
I hurried to the back of the gun cellar and opened up the cabinets to start loading up a duffle bag full of my favorites; Va’lis followed me. I knew that in order for us to survive this, Va’lis would need to be armed. If we were to successfully retrieve our daughters, that is. So I took out two Glock 27s, loaded magazines into them with our armor-piercers, handed them to him. I put a holster around him as he played with the guns, of course I knew to keep the safety on. I took the guns and gave him a look before putting them into his holster. This was no ordinary holster either, it came fully equipped with four magazine holders in the back, so I loaded all four slots for him. “Va’lis these are not toys,” I told him. He looked at me, “But they are so pretty.” “You’ll get your chance to use them, but not before you listen carefully,” I said. “We have twenty minutes if that for you to learn what’s taken me centuries to perfect,” I told him. His face got serious and he looked like he was ready for business. My husband may be aloof but he’s a killer, make no mistake, and when it’s time to be serious he’s got razor-like focus. I knew that. I could sense the rage in him growing, his eyes showed it. I knew that walking him through all the nuances of shooting guns would certainly calm him a bit. At least a bit.
Louis sat and waited. He was watched the window like he longed for the sun to come through it. Maharet had returned and Marius was running after her. He could hear what they were saying, or rather what Marius was saying.
Back at the gun cellar, Marius and Armand go in on each other and a full screaming match ensues behind that now sealed door. Even Cherry has to stand in the middle and break it up a few times. All the while, Va’lis sits in a corner thinking of his next move. He really desired to get his magic working on Earth, to no avail but none the less. The thought of it helped him calm down, regroup, and focus. And when Va’lis is calm, he’s even more dangerous. Something Pandora’s taught him to do. “Look at a problem from all angles,” she would say to him, “Focus on all the countermoves.” How he appreciated her teachings in these moments. Va’lis had come to realize that a proper sire was an invaluable part of his life that had been missing for so long. He missed the bond with Pandora; now more than ever.