Cordellus' pov:
I have Jeremy exactly where I want him.
Despite being a trained assassin, he seems to trust me, enough to allow me to lead anyway… and that is without a shred of doubt quite the challenging thing for him too. I feel it in his clipped answers and his observant skills which are nothing short of outstanding.
I naturally only approached the dangerous man, whom I had somewhat fooled into believing we were partners, with ulterior motives… Only it wasn't the organization that sent me, but rather someone even more powerful, from my own world.
Alexandra, Max and Sam don't know of the plan or the mission, and they are really trying to put him at ease. And I find them absolutely endearing.
He finds us a peculiar bunch, and I am proud to say that we are.
When I met Alexandra a little over 5 decades ago, she was on the verge of death, having had quite the nasty encounter with a werewolf. And because I hated werewolves to the core, I decided to help her out, and thus turned her into a vampire, just like me.
"Alexandra, Jeremy and I are only staying the night," I tell her in a soft tone. "We just need a place to crash – a safe place."
"A safe place?" She echoes after me, looking positively dumbfounded.
"Do you want to know the safest place I know, Jeremy?" Sam lets out, interrupting sweetly. "It's right next to uncle Cordellus." She narrows her eyes suspiciously at him and then asks, "What kind of mess are you in that he himself needs a safe place?"
"I myself don't know much of what's happening," he sighs, looking totally dejected. "I wish I knew."
"What's wrong, brother?" Alexandra then asks, raising an eyebrow in a demanding manner.
"A witch cast a spell on him – I call it Tsukuyomi's Curse – and from what we know it not only renders him blind from sunset to sunrise, but will also kill him come the 7th moon."
"As in 7 months after the curse was cast or as in July's new moon?" She asks, not missing a beat, and I love just how quick-witted she is.
"We don't know," I say on a little sigh, "and that's exactly why we can't waste time."
"So the witch faction is after you two?" Sam asks, curiosity at her finest. "Is that why you need a safe place?"
"No," I shake my head negatively. "The organization is."
"What organization?" Max asks, becoming tense at once.
"The WIC," I say in a whisper.
Silence sets in and I allow the ones I consider my family time to process the information.
"Oh, brother," Alexandra was the first to break the silence. "Don't you think that messing with them is a bad idea?"
"As bad as it can go," I nod at her, "but it is what it is."
"You called the organization the WIC just now…" Jeremy begins.
"Because that's its name," I cut in, nodding at him.
"We were never given a name for it. We were told to only call it the organization," Jeremy then frowns, as if in deep thoughts. "Do you happen to know what it stands for?"
"You worked for the nastiest and most dangerous organization and didn't even know its name?" Max asks, shaking his head as if in disbelief.
"He's saying the truth," I assure him, silently trying to tell him to calm down.
"For a trained assassin, you sure are dumb," Sam quips, shaking her head in utter disapproval.
Jeremy shoots her a look that would have made a lesser woman tremble, but Sam was anything but.
"We were taken in as orphans and were trained to obey without ever questioning the higher-ups," he lets out a heavy sigh, and I for one split second feel for him, but then remember to steel my heart.
"The organization is called the WIC, as in We Intend for Chaos," Max then tells him in a somewhat angry tone of voice. He then turns to look at me, still looking absolutely appalled, "I can't believe you, uncle Cordellus. You, of all people, should know how dangerous the WIC is."
"Shush," I then instruct at once. And Max looks positively murderous. "Sam, take Jeremy to the basement, and stay with him. We have company."
We couldn't possibly have company, seeing as the little family lives in seclusion, in a deserted village. But the basement was far enough that Jeremy wouldn't be able to hear us, and that would allow me to talk to Max and Alexandra at ease.
Alexandra nods at her daughter whose only response is a sweet, "Be careful."
"Always," her brother assures her.
And it is only when Jeremy disappears out of sight that I turn to Max, "You should know better than to question my judgment, Maximilian."
"Going against the WIC is reckless, no matter how you see it," he retorts stubbornly.
"I would rather face their guns and bombs than have to deal with the consequences of failing my mission."
"A mission?" Alexandra asks.
"My lips are sealed," I say in a firm tone of voice. "You should relocate the moment we leave tomorrow."
"You don't say," Max scoffs, shaking his head negatively.
In a heartbeat, I have the little punk in a choke hold. I put just enough pressure to let him know who is the boss, and then tell him in a deadly cold tone of voice, "We're a family. We take care of each other. I stopped, not to seek refuge, but to actually warn you."
He inhales deeply, hangs his head in shame, and then puts his hands up in the air, "I understand, uncle."
I release him immediately and he says a meek "I am sorry."
We truly are a peculiar bunch. We look out for one another and wouldn't wish for harm to befall any of us… We talk briefly about how they need to up their game and actually mingle with humans, all while being cautious.
"The plan is very basic: You relocate and wait for instructions," I say in conclusion, before sending Max to fetch Jeremy and Sam.