When Darkness Falls Pt. 2 Ch. 07

"Has he told you about Lorik?" Josef asked him. Jordan nodded. "Well, Lorik died at Viktor's hands. Viktor is a hunter, Jordan."

"Oh, fuck."

Josef nodded. "He's been after Dorian since Lorik's death. That's why Dorian moves all over the world."

"But if Viktor's only one man..." Jordan shook his head as confusion set in. How could a vampire be worried about one hunter?

"There's more to the story."

They both turned to see Dorian standing in the office doorway. Jordan walked around Josef and stood before Dorian. Cupping the vampire's face in his palms, he tilted Dorian's head the slightest bit towards his.

"You said you had allies, right?"

Dorian nodded.

"Then contact them. Will they help you? Will they protect you, or, if things end up at that point, will they help you destroy him?"

"There's one catch, love," Dorian whispered.

"What?" Jordan didn't like the sound of that.

"He's my brother."

Jordan's mouth dropped open. "What? But...if he's your brother, then how could he possibly have lived this long unless he's... Oh. Fuck." Dorian nodded. "Your own fucking brother is a vampire, and yet he's hunting you because you are one?!"

"No. Not because of what I am. But because of what I have."

"I don't understand. The house?"

"Come," Dorian said, taking Jordan's hands. "I have something to show you, love."

Jordan let Dorian lead him down the hall, and he looked back at Josef. Josef gave him an odd smile, then turned away in the other direction. Dorian stopped at a braced door and pulled an ancient looking key from his pocket. He unlocked the door and pushed. Nothing happened. He grumbled and leaned into it, pushing again. Wood cracked and the door moved a fraction of an inch, then stopped. Shaking his head, Jordan put his shoulder to the door beside Dorian. With a nod from Dorian, they both heaved their full weight against the door.

Amid splintering wood and a flurry of Italian curses, they stumbled into the room on the other side. The room was dark, but a moment later, a soft light flooded the immediate area around them. Jordan looked over at Dorian and saw the small flashlight in his hand. Dorian smiled.

Jordan looked around the room as Dorian felt around along the left wall. When lights flickered on at intervals along the walls, Jordan was speechless. Three rows of wooden benches stood to each side with a narrow walkway between them. At the far end of the room, a wooden crucifix--roughly half of Jordan's height--hung against the wall. A wooden stand sat before it. Cobwebs hung from the arms of the cross, enshrouding the figure on it. More hung from the stand, and in the corners.

"It's a church," Jordan said almost breathlessly.

"It's a chapel. This," Dorian said as he started down the pathway between the benches, "was the Baptiste family chapel." When he reached the stand, he slid his finger across the wood slowly, grimacing at the thick layer of dust. "I haven't been in here in quite some time," he said quietly. When he looked up, he fell silent.

Simply from the look on Dorian's face, Jordan knew there was still pain there. There was still a priest there. He walked up to Dorian and slipped his arms around Dorian's waist, resting his chin on his shoulder and holding him. "You okay?"

With a sigh, Dorian leaned his head back on Jordan's shoulder. "Yes. It's just been a while, love." He reached up and covered Jordan's hands with his. "I'm a monster, Jordan. And what I did, to save my own life, cost me my soul, I fear."

Jordan closed his eyes slowly as he pressed a kiss to Dorian's ear. "You are not a monster," he whispered. "I love you, Dorian."

Dorian's hand tightened over Jordan's and he swallowed. The sound alone told Jordan he was fighting tears. "I love you too. I love you so much." A minute later he shook his head, as if he wanted to clear it. "Come, love." He patted Jordan's hands and pulled away.