Chronicles Of A Fallen Angel-Chapter 35: Hunters

I woke up at noon with my body screaming in protest.

Every muscle ached from last night.

Odd for a being like me, but perhaps not for one with a shattered core.

Vampires hit hard, and even with my enhanced healing, I was covered in bruises that would take another day to fully fade.

My phone had several messages from the group chat Jade had created for the vampire hunt.

Jade: No sign of the rogue yet. Victor’s people are still monitoring.

Natasha: I picked up a trace near the old textile factory. Checking it out.

Victor: Keep me updated. I want this finished today.

I rolled out of bed and headed downstairs. The safehouse was quiet – most of the Jackals were out on their own jobs or still sleeping.

Tommy was in the common area, three monitors set up in front of him, furiously typing.

"You look like shit," he said without looking up.

"Thanks. What are you working on?"

"Trying to track supernatural communications in the North District." He gestured to one screen showing what looked like encrypted message traffic. "Problem is, most vampires don’t use digital comms. They’re old school – face to face, or they use thralls as messengers."

"So you’re not finding anything."

"Oh, I’m finding things. Just nothing useful." He pulled up another window. "But I did find something interesting. This Marcus guy? He’s not in any database I can access. No records, no history, nothing. It’s like he doesn’t exist."

"Or he’s very good at staying hidden."

"That too." Tommy leaned back. "Be careful with this one, Cain. A vampire who can stay completely off the grid for this long is either incredibly powerful or incredibly connected. Or both."

My phone buzzed. Natasha.

Natasha: Found something. Old textile factory, North District. Bring weapons.

I texted the others, then geared up. Silver blade, wooden bullets, and the small enchanted pendant Elena had given me that would alert her if I was in serious danger.

"Going hunting?" Sarah asked as I headed for the door.

"Finishing what we started."

"Would need backup?"

"I’ve got three vampires with me already. Should be enough."

"Mmm." She nodded. "Stay alive."

---

The textile factory was exactly the kind of place you’d expect to find hiding vampires – abandoned for decades, windows broken, graffiti covering every surface. The perfect combination of shelter and decay.

I arrived to find Jade, Victor, and Natasha already there, examining the building from across the street.

"What did you find?" I asked.

"Movement inside, upper floors," Natasha said. "Definitely vampire. Could be our rogue, could be Marcus himself."

"Or it could be a trap," Victor added.

"Only one way to find out." Jade’s hands were already glowing faintly with magical energy. "Same strategy as last night? Someone draws them out?"

"I’ll do it," I said before anyone could volunteer me.

"Don’t get cocky," Natasha warned. "Last night’s rogues were young and stupid. If Marcus is in there, he’s neither."

We spread out – Victor taking the east entrance, Natasha the west, Jade staying back to provide magical support. I went through the front.

The interior was a maze of old machinery and collapsed floors. Sunlight streamed through broken windows, creating patches of illumination that any vampire would avoid.

Smart placement. Whoever was here had chosen their ground carefully.

"I know you’re here," I called out. "We can do this easy or hard. Your choice."

Silence.

Then movement – fast, from my left.

I spun, blade up.

The rogue vampire from last night crashed into me, sending us both tumbling through a pile of debris.

He was faster than I expected.

Stronger too.

We rolled across the floor, trading positions, each trying to gain advantage. His fangs snapped inches from my throat.

I got my blade between us.

Pushed.

He backed off, hissing.

"You," he snarled. "The angel."

"Fallen angel," I corrected.

"You killed my brothers."

"Your brothers were sloppy. Leaving bodies, drawing attention. They had to go."

He lunged again.

This time I was ready.

Sidestepped.

Slashed.

The silver blade caught his arm, burning through flesh. He screamed and recoiled.

"Silver hurts, doesn’t it?" I advanced, pressing the advantage. "Want to make this quick, or should we keep dancing?"

"Fuck you."

He grabbed a piece of rebar from the ground.

Swung.

I ducked under it.

Came up inside his guard.

Drove the blade into his side.

Not deep enough to kill, but enough to hurt. Enough to slow him down.

He staggered back, clutching the wound.

"Where’s Marcus?" I demanded.

"He’s going to kill you. He’s going to kill all of you."

"That’s not an answer."

I moved in for the finishing blow.

He was faster.

His hand shot out, grabbed my wrist, twisted.

The blade clattered to the floor.

We grappled, crashing into a support beam. The entire structure groaned.

His strength was impressive for his age.

But I’d been alive for many centuries.

I’d fought demons.

Fallen angels.

Things that made vampires look like children.

I shifted my weight.

Used his momentum against him.

Slammed him into the ground hard enough to crack concrete.

His grip loosened.

I grabbed my blade.

Raised it.

"Wait – "

The word came from behind me.

I spun to find another vampire standing in the shadows. Older. Much older. His presence filled the space like a physical weight.

"Marcus," I guessed.

"Clever." He stepped into a shaft of dusty sunlight – or what would have been sunlight if not for the heavy clouds outside. "I wondered who Selene sent to clean up this mess."

He was tall, aristocratic features, dressed in expensive clothes that looked out of place in the ruins. His eyes were ancient, carrying centuries of experience.

[Warning: High-Level Threat Detected]

[Marcus - Vampire, Estimated Age: 300+ Years]

[Power Level: Significantly Higher Than Previous Opponents]

[Recommendation: Extreme Caution]

"Let him go," Marcus said, gesturing to the rogue vampire still on the ground. "And we can talk like civilized beings."

"Civilized beings don’t create rogue nests in someone else’s territory."

"Is that what she told you? That I created them?" He smiled, showing fangs. "How typical. Selene always was good at controlling the narrative."

"Explain."

"These aren’t my progeny. They’re hers. Failed experiments from decades ago that she thought she’d eliminated. Apparently, some survived."

What?