The weapon was heavy, well weighted, and old but in impecable condition. Tess glanced at her old friend and grinned mirthlessly.
"You have always known what I like".
He raised an eyebrow, then frowned at her.
"You know I completely disapprove of what you are about to do" he said, a somber tone to his accented voice.
"I know, Professor." Tess looked away at the Bloodmoon rising in the sky. She knew what she was about to do.
Kill the bastard that has killed her Vincent.
No, not just kill him, anihilate him and his entire Coven.
She had already hunted down all of the renegade vampires that had been involved the night of the raid in which Vincent had died protecting her and the others.
She made sure they suffered.
She relished every moment of the hunt and the kill.
"Revenge is never good" said the professor again, his voice heavy. He sighed. Tess turned and looked at his face, old and lined with heavy laugh lines. The old man stood tall still, but a little less steady than what Tess rememberd.
Then he coughed, and Tess knew immediately.
How could she not have seen it earlier? His pallid color, the slight shaking in his hands, his cough, how he shielded the kerchief which he held to his lips.
"Oh no.. no.. no" Tess said as she looked at him, meeting his eyes.
"I am dying my sweet Tess.." he nodded. "My time is almost done.." And then he smiled, that gentle, kind smile he had always shown to her and those close to him. He sat down heavily in his old chair, and his two wolfhounds came to his side. Tess sat across from him on the small ottoman and graspd his hands, skin almost translucent, veins visible, age spots scattered across the large knuckles. Tess felt the tear escape her eyes and fall down her cheek.
She could barely bring herself to look at him. She wanted to ask him so many questions, had so many things she needed to know.
She needed more time with him.
"I know what you are thinking, my dear" he said with a little smile on his tired face. "but you know my answer" he finished gently, leaning forward and wiping her tears away. "There, there.. no need for those" he said gently.
"But, I can make you immortal, you can continue to live..you can be here, with me.. and the others, the good ones.. and we can fight.. " she looked up at him now, her words in a rush. "You can continue your fight againt the Darkness..." she trailed off, looking at his gentle eyes.
This man had killed so much evil.
Had looked at monsters in the eye and made sure they never hurt anyone.
Had fought off the oldest of vampires and won.
And now he was dying.
Frail, his body giving in to time.
" Val will continue my fight" he said as he looked out the window. "Don't think that your offer has not tempted me my dear." he said as he chuckled. "But that would be an incredible irony no?" she said, smiling at her again. "My family has fought the Dark and the Evil in this world for as long as I can remember. Generation after generation, we have been Hunters. And it will continue. Val is an incredible Hunter, and he will join with you when the time comes. Don't ever forget that, Tess. You are not alone. Never alone."
Tess wiped her eyes and bit her lower lip. "I will miss you" she said finally, after a long silence. "There is so much I've yet to learn from you."
He reached out and took a chain from his neck that held an ornate small gold key. Handing it to Tess he folded her fingers around it. "This is for when I am gone. Go to my secret cabin in the Dark Woods. There, you will find all that you need to know."
Tess blinked. She grasped the key and put it around her neck.
Glancing out at the sky, she knew she had to go.
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