Clara was sitting alone at a table on a patio. The sun was beaming down over her and the sky was nearly free of clouds. The wind came up from the river, bringing in just the right amount of cool air to keep her comfortable.

She took a sip from her beer, the outside of her glass tearing up from the condensation. Two other glasses were on the table, along with the crumbs that remained of her steak frites.

“Would you like another?” the server asked.

Clara looked up from her phone, her eyes peering over the sunglasses towards the muscular man with sunburned skin and a trimmed beard. She rather enjoyed the look of him, but was in no mood to play. Although a few more beers might change my mind.

“Yes,” Clara said. “Please.”

Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.

Evelyn walked up to Clara, and gave her a hard look. Spotting something off with her makeup, she licked a finger and brushed off the offending element from Clara’s face. The angel did her best not to laugh, but a snicker broke through nonetheless.

“The last person to do that was my mother,” Clara said.

“Hush, ma chère,” Evelyn replied. “I don’t need to be reminded that I’m her elder…”

Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.

“What should I talk about,” Clara asked.

“Your goal is to draw out your enemy?” Evelyn confirmed.

“Of course,” Clara answered.

“You want them to see past their lies?” Evelyn added.

“Ab-so-lutely,” Clara said like they would back in her day.

“Tell them the truth,” Evelyn said. “What hunters and my kind have been hiding from them for centuries.”

Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.

The office was barren, with no special attention paid to the aesthetics. The walls and ceiling were bare concrete, while piping and conduits cut through at random.

The desk itself was a dull grey, and nearly blended in with the concrete’s natural colouring. The same went for a row of matching file cabinets, all equipped with a hefty locking mechanism.

The wall to the left of the desk was bare, but there was a pull down screen hanging from steel chains. Given how Spartan this room was, the black tripod, and stool stuck out.

This place had a decidedly melancholic feel to it. It surprised her that anywhere within the realm of Evelyn’s influence

“Functional,” Clara said.

“I told him depressing,” Evelyn said.

Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.

Clara had her suspicions that this had been planned. That was confirmed when the volunteer returned with a slight wobble and the scent of arousal. Hunters first learned that feeding was a sexual experience for the victim. Three minutes later, Evelyn returned with more spring in her step and freshly applied lipstick.

“Hit the spot?” Clara confirmed.

“Simply decadent,” Evelyn replied. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Clara asked.

“For accepting my nature,” Evelyn said.

“That will take some getting used to,” Clara admitted.

Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.

“Pardonnez-moi,” Evelyn replied. “I think it’s time for my main course.”

“No worries. This is rather new to me,” Clara said.

Evelyn’s smile grew as her eyes were filled with hunger. Had Clara been armed, she might have drawn her pistol, but guessed that Evelyn might enjoy the situation. Vampires rarely admitted they were going to feed, especially around a hunter.

“I won’t be long,” Evelyn said. “I have a willing donor nearby.”

“I just need to know that she’ll be alive and well after,” Clara said bluntly.

Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.

“When did you find out about Ada?” Clara asked.

“You mean more than rumours and innuendo?” Evelyn confirmed. “I think we were formally introduced in the seventies. We are both considered new to this life, so we seldomly include our lineage into the mix.”

“You mean you didn’t start off as the daughter of a king?” Clara asked.

She was curious on how high society for vampires worked. The Tower focused on anatomy, tactics and how to kill vampires, even when disadvantaged by their humanity. That was the reason why hunters generally hunted in pairs at first, to improve their odds and better fend off a foe.

“A duc actually,” Evelyn said flatly. “He died in my arms, by my own hand, but that’s not the point. Ada and I did not exchange family history or vampiric lineage. First names were enough.”

“You didn’t notice a family resemblance?” Clara asked before taking another sip.

Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.

“In fact,” Evelyn said. “When I let you go free after dealing with one of our problem children, relations soured significantly.”

“Let me guess,” Clara said. “She never bothered to tell you why?”

“Exactement,” Evelyn said. “It was years after she died that I made the connection.”

Clara took a sip of her wine and nearly moaned. It had been a very long time since she indulged in such a vintage. The last time she  splurged like this was with Elizabeth after striking a deal, with this very hostess, to establish herself within the modern world. Hope hung in the air that evening.

Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.

“I still find it hard to believe that Drusilla went through that much trouble for me,” Clara said.

“It’s not when you consider how vindictive she was,” Evelyn said before taking a sip of wine.

Evelyn had ordered the appetisers and wine pairings, but permitted Clara to select her meal from the menu. The last time they met under these circumstances, the vampire had ordered every item on the menu. While that worked to set the tone of an encounter, this was an overt show of respect, and meant more for Clara.

Disclaimer: This excerpt from The Van Helsing Impetus is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pexels.