“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.

“I dare say that a large portion of the public would recognise your wings, while another portion would identify you in the nude, all without seeing your face,” Evelyn said.

Clara furrowed her brows and stopped moving entirely. As her mind attempted to figure out what to do with that little gem of knowledge, her eyes went glassy as though no one was home.

When she came to, Evelyn was hovering nearby, while snapping her fingers. She must have been out of it a while to get that level of attention.

“Sorry,” Clara said. “That was a bit much to take in. Why weren’t the videos suppressed?”

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 Internet has changed the narrative,” Evelyn said. “Are you aware how famous you became after your fight with the werewolf in broad daylight?”

“I’ve heard a video was leaked,” Clara said.

Evelyn’s eyes widened and her head went back. After a pause she genuinely laughed, so hard that she teared up. Clara could not help but follow along but she was still in the dark.

“Try an internet sensation,” Evelyn said. “Dozens of videos were submitted. Several liked, remixed, reposted and commented upon.”

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.

Clara remained in the elevator a moment, her eyes wide and mouth agape. Out in the distance there were windows and visible was the rising sun. Evelyn stood there as though there was nothing out of the ordinary.

“What?” Evelyn asked.

Evelyn turned around and realised why Clara was staying in place. Vampires exposed to direct sunlight had a tendency to spontaneously combust, and rapid deflagration made a mess of things.

“Oh that,” Evelyn said. “Latest commercial technology. The walls are nothing more than seamless large screen displays arrayed to show an image. There is a sister array on the other side, to create the illusion that someone is having a normal life here.”

“So, that’s not the sun?” Clara asked.

“Not the real one,” Evelyn replied. “I’m not a fan of sunburns.”

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.

As Clara left the vehicle, she noted several large pipes fitted with heads similar to those used to fight fires. However, the area was made of concrete and steel. Evelyn looked up and found what the other was staring at.

“In case a vehicle catches fire with a full tank of fuel or their battery cells are damaged to the point of a thermal runaway,” Evelyn said.

“Those look designed to flood,” Clara said.

“Very astute of you, ma chère,” Evelyn replied. “Marc wanted a way to seal off the main entrance to our new home in case of an attack.”

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.

“Do you know why she was there?” Evelyn asked.

“At the time?” Clara replied. “No. However, I suspect there was a gateway to the Terminus there.”

“You did something that night,” Evelyn said.

“I stabbed Drusilla,” Clara said. “She was none too pleased about that.”

“I suspect not,” Evelyn said. “That stunt of yours set back her plans by a quarter of a century.”

That statement tied in with what Clara already knew. Drusilla had been busy consolidating power in the background, hell-bent on subjugating all inferior creatures. She had seen that woman’s attempt to domesticate ghouls, something that was still going on. She also witnessed what happened when her attacks finally hit the mark and isolated The Tower from the world.

“How does that…” Clara said before her eyes went wide. “Beware a woman scorned.”

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.

“What do you know about my sister?” Clara asked.

The smile that had been lingering on those lips since they first fucked faded away. Clara momentarily felt guilty for it, but her world had been thrown upside down within a week. She needed situational awareness and fast.

“Not as much as I would like,” Evelyn said. “She was Drusilla’s pet project, similar in many ways to my Grace.”

“That’s what caught me by surprise,” Clara said. “When I last saw her, she was just engaged to a coal miner.”

“Do you ever look back?” 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 Pixabay.