Vampires Realm Prophecy 01 - Child of Light

would make a fine warrior, especially now she had such a powerful weapon in her arsenal.
    He looked up to see the towers of Notre Dame silhouetted against the moon and broken cloud. It had been a long time since he’d been here. Prophecy had been quiet since they’d left the church in the suburbs, but he could sense she was on the verge of speaking again and he knew what she would ask. Why were they here? Why had he made her walk halfway across Paris under the pretence of getting to the train station?
    She’d be right to ask him those questions. They could have easily taken the underground to the train station and left Paris in relative safety, but there was something he needed to do first, someone he needed to see. He knew exactly where to find them and it wouldn’t add much time onto their journey.
    Her head jerked up and she looked at him with a frown. He felt the same movement she had on the edge of his senses. He stopped. They were in the middle of the square in front of the imposing arched door and dark, heavy façade of the cathedral. Exactly where Valentine had thought he’d find him.
    “So she is with you?” The voice came from the shadows and he didn’t need to turn around to know whom the owner of it was.
    “She is,” he said calmly and looked at Prophecy. She had tensed, her every muscle tightening like a coiled spring, and in her eyes, he could see her desire to let her face shift into demonic guise.
    “Is this why you came this way?” she whispered to him, leaning closer.
    He finally turned around to face the hunter, who was now standing a few metres from them.
    “It is,” Valentine said with a smile. “It will not take long.”
    “Is there a reason why a vampire of Aurorea as elevated as yourself is roaming Paris with a female Caelestis? A loyal soldier no more?” The hunter looked at Prophecy as he spoke, his eyes reflecting curiosity.
    Valentine felt her step behind him and heard her growl.
    “It is a long story, hardly one for a meeting like this.” He placed his bag down and straightened up again, looking the hunter in the eyes. He could see in them that the man was confused about his being with Prophecy and he wanted to keep it that way. If the hunter was distracted by trying to figure out what was happening, it would make the fight all the easier.
    “Vengeance? Valentine, I’d thought you were above such a disagreeable act.”
    He smiled, brushing the comment off. He wasn’t above vengeance at all, especially when it had an added bonus as sweet as fighting his favourite quarry.
    “Did you seriously expect us to still be there when you arrived at the location where I’d killed the dart? You should know me better, Caden. I have been toying with you for twenty years.” He smirked when the hunter frowned, a glint of anger showing in his eyes. It was fun to play with Caden sometimes, a pleasure to lead him in circles and wind him up.
    “Toying with me? Is that what you think you’re doing?” The hunter laughed mirthlessly and then stopped abruptly. “It’s only a matter of time before you slip up. I knew you wouldn’t be at the hotel, but I also knew you would be here tonight. I knew you would want to protect her.”
    Valentine glanced at Prophecy. She was staring at the hunter with dark eyes full of hate. From where he was standing, she looked as though she wanted vengeance of her own and he had half a mind to let her take it, but it wouldn’t do to have her getting hurt again. Even with her newfound powers, she wasn’t skilled enough to fight Caden, not yet.
    “What are you going to do if I win, Valentine? What will happen to her then?”
    “You shall not win. You never do.” Valentine smiled casually, sure of himself as he flexed his fingers and hid the pain it caused in his shoulder. Even with the injury, he could still defeat the hunter if he chose to.
    “This is madness, Valentine.” Prophecy grabbed his arm and he looked down at her. “Your shoulder... you can’t. We’ve no time for vendettas. We must go... please, Valentine?”
    He considered her request for a moment, a part of him wanting to do as she’d asked if only to ease the worry he could see in her eyes, and then shook his head. “It’s too late to leave, the battles already begun.”
    She glanced at the hunter, who was removing his jacket, and then back at Valentine. “It’s still madness to fight an unnecessary battle.”
    He frowned and thought over what she’d said. She was proving to