chapter 3: a monster lies in wait

What kind of fucking full moon happened last night; Joaquin doesn't know. But his head was aching like mad and all he could think of was restart, restart, restart. It seems to be convenient having a siphoner witch around. Once Hiro had touched his heart, the throbbing stopped. Of course, that was before he decided to pull away. Their faces were far too close to each other for his liking.

He gains consciousness faster this time, body now on the red velvet chaise lounge. Jun was sitting beside him with a shirt in his hand. He takes it.

"The siphoner out?" He asks.

Jun shakes his head, "With Jinny. It's dinner time."

"Told the story yet?" He checks out Jun's wrists and ankles only to find out the bruises haven't healed completely. He frowns.

"Not yet."

"Good." Joaquin removes his clothes to replace it with a new one. "I should be the one to tell how it went, it's my story after all."

He gives Jun's bruises one final glance before telling him to move along and he'll follow.

The witch-on-witch conversation he was witnessing when he revealed himself in the dining hall was quite a sight to behold. Joaquin lived with Jinny for 11 years now, appointed her as his right-hand (wo)man, but he always said it was for shit and giggles because at the end of the day, he preferred to be alone. He's immortal anyway, he doesn't want to carry the burden of worrying about another life other than his own. The older witch was a big help though, he wouldn't admit it to her face. Jun was just added recently, five years from now, right after his first transition. He's without a pack so he took him in and took care of him to avoid going feral. The last thing he wants is a wolf unconsciously feasting on witches, lessening his chances of scoring one. Well, until now.

It was strange to see a new face inside the mansion. The two very rarely had anyone over, and Joaquin really had no friends whatsoever. Doesn't want one. Doesn’t need one.

Hiro looked like any other witch. Looked like Jinny when he first saw her. There was nothing remarkably special except the fact that he needs a witch like him. Innocent eyes filled with curiosity to the brim, fair skin, full lips, brown hair longer to the sides. He's seen a handful of White Lotus witches in the past but it's the first time seeing someone with a half-finished scar.

Lotus branding is the act of branding a White Lotus witch on the back of their shoulder with a lotus flower-designed branding iron, usually done like how a livestock is branded by number, heating up the metal stamp in flames and burning the skin. Witches think it's the same as being Christened.

A lotus branding should never be halted, else it's considered a hex. Maybe that's why he's a siphoner.

"Good evening, witches."

He smiles at the both of them before having a seat. Hiro’s clearly uncomfortable, he takes note of that. If he sets the mood right, maybe he'll apologize.

"Hiro and I were just talking about you."

Jinny places her knife carefully on the table, leather gloves resting on her lap. Prim and proper as always. Joaquin raises a brow.

"Really? Maybe that's the reason why I accidentally bit my tongue," he laughs, "I appreciate that."

Jinny rolls her eyes at him, fixing her collar. She stands up and gives him another look. "I'll leave you to it. Talk and try not to kill each other," she turns her face to Jun and gestures for the wolf to come with her.

Hiro seems too far even though he's just a meter away. There’s tension in the air and he can smell fear and discomfort quite well. Joaquin clears his throat, "So, witch-siphoner, siphoner-witch, what'd Jinny say?"

"She told me what you are."

"And what am I?"

"A hybrid," he says with his lips trembling, and Joaquin wants to coo at him for looking so pathetic.

"What are you so scared of, love?" He pouts, laughing when the siphoner glares at him in return.

"I'm not going to help you with whatever you want."

Typical White Lotus witch. Always so keen on refusal. He hasn't even said what he wants. And Hiro's still useless unless they magically (pun intended) figure out how to get his powers back. It's been ages since the last time he's gotten ahold of one, he's not going to let this witch go.

"Do you want to play a game? Like one question, one answer?" He wiggles his eyebrows, fork playing with the medium rare steak on his plate, his other hand on the wine glass filled with fresh blood, well, fresh out of the blood bag, fingers circling on the rim.

"No, the fuck I don't," Hiro says through gritted teeth, fists clenched. Joaquin thinks he looks like a baby tiger every time he tries to look tough. It's a shame he didn't get to see how he reacted with his heart on his palm.

"Aww, come on you killjoy. You don't even have your witchy voodoo powers right now; you can't curse me. I, however," He shows him his fangs, only a short second until his face is back to normal again. Then he winks.

"God, fine. But I get the first question."

Joaquin takes a sip on his glass, eyes fixated on Hiro as warm blood flows straight down his throat. He gestures for him to go on, waving his hand lightly.

"What are you exactly?"

Joaquin carefully puts down his empty glass, wiping his mouth with his thumb and then pushing it past his lips to avoid waste. "Jinny told you I was a hybrid, right?" Hiro nods. "If you want specificity, I'm actually a vampire hybrid. I was born a werewolf, and then the Moon Goddess cursed me and three other beings to live for eternity. Well, they say it's a curse but everyone in this world wants power and I have that, so I personally think it's a blessing."

"What do you mean by three other beings? There are other vampire hybrids out there?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, love. I'm the only one." Hiro raises his brow in confusion, Joaquin purses his lips and adds, "I killed the other two and I want you to help me with the last one."

"Wha—"

"I've answered two questions already, it's my turn." The witch is still looking at him with lost eyes. Joaquin might have to ask Jinny to let him dream about what really happened instead in case he fails to make him understand. Witches can do a lot of shit except shut up sometimes. "Are you born a siphoner?"

Hiro nods begrudgingly, "Yes. I used to get magic from the coven's energy, but they shunned me for being an abomination of nature or whatever when I was of age."

"Abomination of nature, wow," Joaquin props his head with his palm, staring at Hiro's brown eyes with a playful smile. "That makes two of us then, love."

"How long… have you been alive?" Hiro looks at him curiously, eyes cast down the blood wine on his hand, then back at his eyes. Joaquin suddenly feels uncomfortable, he doesn’t look away though.

"For a thousand years," he answers, but he's aware that time is an illusion. He's been in the same lifetime more than once; the people change and only the places stay still.

He notices Hiro staring at his hand, particularly the stone on his finger. "Your ring…" he finally says. "It emits the same energy as that of the coven's."

Joaquin furrows his brow. "It's a daylight ring. It helps me—"

"—walk in daylight, I figured. Who made it?" Hiro continues.

A smile slowly forms on Joaquin's face. It didn’t take him long to figure it out. He's got a smart witch in front of him. This could be his answer. "Say, witch, the coven's energy is immortal, that's why you can siphon off magic from it, right? I'm immortal too, why don't you siphon off from me?"

It's a theory he's been thinking for quite some time, but Hiro's just eyeing him like he said the most ridiculous thing.

"It was a White Lotus witch, wasn't it? The one who made your ring—"

"—Siphon off from me, witch."

"You're going to die!"

Joaquin chuckles, it's his turn now to look at him absurdly. "I'm immortal, I can't die."

"I meant, temporarily," Hiro rolls his eyes.

"What's wrong with that?"

"How am I supposed to help you if you're dead?"

"So you agree? You'll help me?"

"Tell me who created your ring first, then I'll think about it."

Joaquin shrugs, preparing to tell him what he wanted to hear. Once Hiro had stepped in his house, he was stripped off his choice. He's bound to help him either way. By hook or by crook, he's going to make sure of that.

He starts the story with a name. "Hikaru Kitagawa. He's probably your relative. I met him back in 1667, pretty witch," Joaquin smiles and squints at him. "Kinda looks like you in some way. I've been hiding from the sun my whole life when I turned, then he said he'd help me."

"How did you meet him?"

"A town gathering. I didn't care about White Lotus witches then, but it turns out they loathed the vampires, and your distant uncle was in love with me, so he helped me. I think he wasn't aware that I was immortal, but witches can get really cranky once they don't get what they want, and he knows they were going to get me killed anyway." Joaquin rubs the stone Hikaru used to protect him. Lapis lazuli, a mystical stone enchanted by witches to allow vampires to walk freely in the sunlight. The stone itself doesn't have to be worn; for as long as the vampire is in contact with it, they are protected from daylight. It does not lose its powers even when the witch who made it died.  It was enchanted and given to him as a promise, as they lie down the grass in their tunics, kissing before the sun rises. Joaquin's skin didn't burn. That was the first time he ever caught himself under the sunlight. First time he contained heat without having to burn through it after years.  It felt warm… but no warmth could compare to that of the one beside him then.

"What happened to Hikaru?"

"Burned at the stake."

He still remembers it clearly. Hikaru told him not to show himself so the witches would never know that he can finally walk during the day. He left to get his grimoire and promised to come back. They planned to run away together. Joaquin still followed him despite his warnings though, worried, and frantic, but he was too late. Hikaru Kitagawa's body was wrapped in a dirty cloth, tied up in a burning stake along with four other people. Joaquin could only make out his screams due to his heightened hearing.

If he focuses hard enough, the memory doesn't seem too far. He could still hear him, crying in agony, sometimes calling his name.

"Listen, witch," He shifts in his seat and moves closer. "This ring is made from your coven's magic, from your fellow coven troops, so maybe that's why you feel some weird connection to it. I'll give it to you if you promise to help me kill the last immortal aside from me."

"I don't want to kill anyone," Hiro confesses outright.

Joaquin grunts, brushing his hair with his fingers in frustration. "We're not killing him completely. Only the immortal side. I just need something from him. He'll live after, don't worry."

"And you think I'd trust you?"

"You're going to help me whether you like it or not anyway. Or else I'll decapitate your little Jacob Jung, wear his head as a necklace, and parade myself in the town plaza for you and for everyone to see."

Hiro flinches at his words, and Joaquin shows him a cruel smile. He plants his palm on the table and eases up the ring, removing it slowly on his finger.

Hiro watches as the hybrid's skin burns in contact with the sunlight, turning a deep shade of brown and red, it sizzles and peels off his skin layer by layer. When he raises his head to look at him, his face is burning too, but the smile never fades. It clears up after a minute, back to smooth, spotless, fair skin. He's wearing the ring again.

"Make me a new ring. Jinny will turn this into an amulet for you to wear once the sun sets. He'll tell you the rest."

Joaquin takes his empty glass as he leaves. Hiro follows his retreating back with his eyes before sighing. Joaquin heard that.

"Fucking bastard."

He smiles to himself as he opens the door to his room.

Joaquin heard that too.