Anageropoulos(16)

Paul spent the next three nights alone, locked up in his appartment.
He was afraid to go out, he was afraid to meet Suzan, he was afraid to meet Roxanne cause he was sure that his mentor would discover what he had done and he was deeply afraid to meet Sarah. That woman could read him like an open book not that she would punish him but he could already see the disappointment in her face and disappointing Sarah was the last thing he wanted to do.
So he lied. To his servant he said he was tired and to Suzan he said he had some unfinished business.
Each day and every lie made him suffer even more.

He spent the night hour's in grief, not that he loved Nansy or that he liked Narssel but in a way they were his family and he had committed the ultimate crime against them.
Sure he had fought for his life but such things rarely mattered in the vampiric society.
Cannibalising other vampires was the ultimate crime and the day someone would find out, Prince James would ask for his head.
He may had won against Narssel out of pure luck but Narssel was weakened from his fight with Nansy and he may had earned new powers from their cursed blood but neither luck or power would be enough to help him against that masked assasin. ''Facelless'' could kill him as easily as Paul could kill a child.

At the fourth night he made up his mind, he had stayed hidden for a long time before and he was determined not to hide ever again in his life and he also needed to see Suzan and try to explain to her and to Roxanne as well.
Those two women deserved the truth for all the things they had given him.
As for Sarah, Paul could only hope that she would forgive him some day and that she would eventually smile to him again.

So at that night he dressed up and went out, he also had to feed and after that accursed night his hunger had grown to new levels.
He believed he knew the answer to that, devouring ancient blood empowers your own blood but you inherit the ancient thirst too.
And both his victims were ancients.
He may be a youngling according to vampire traditions but the blood in his veins was now potent giving him new powers and also enhancing the effects of the vampiric curse on him.

He found an easy prey in a dark alley and he welcomed the feeling of warm blood running down his throat.
Before he could stop himself he drank the human dry and now he was holding a soulless body in his hands.
-DAMN! Am I becoming an emotionless beast? Why on earth could I not stop? Now I have to hide this body somehow.
He evoked his clan's unique power and vomitted a quantity of blood upon the dead body. In that way his blood acted as a strong acid and in some seconds the body was a pile of meat and bones.
There was no way someone would understand this was a human before.
Paul looked at the pile once again and he was surprised to find out that he was not sorry about the lost life, he was just angry with himself losing his self control.
''I am losing my humanity'' he realised.
Roxanne and Sarah had warned him about this, the more beastial a vampire would act the less human he would appear and the more inhumanely he would think and act.

-Nice mess you've created there!
Paul heard an electronic voice coming from behind him and he knew damn well who used voice distortion.
He turned and saw ''faceless'' only a few meters away.
-I had no intention to kill him...I lost my self but I believe I took care of the remains so there is no threat to masquerade.
-I am sure the ''shadow'' taught you well how to cover up your tracks and I am not here for a homeless scum.
-Then?
-Prince James sent for you, dead or alive.
Paul felt a growing fear but at the same moment he decided to face James and face whatever punishment would come.
-I don't see many choices then other than coming along.
-Well most of the time when Prince James asks for someone in that way he leaves out the ''alive'' part so here is your choice.
-He knows?
-No crime can remain hidden under the sun or the moon in our case.
-How?
-Come and ask him and please don't try anything stupid, the Prince said he would prefer to have you brought to him alive but I won't hesitate to kill you.
-I know, take me there.

''Faceless'' lead Paul to Jame's office but not the usual one at the hotel.
He led him to a basement in a building near the hotel where they found James in a dark room full of maps of Thessaloniki and multiple screens showing real time videos of Thessaloniki.
Around the room were shelves full of books and parchments.
The only door to this place was guarded by a titanium door with a lock that required both a password and a voice scanner.
Not that many would be crazy to attack James in his lair.
As they entered the room James turned towards them. Paul bowed feeling that growing fear again.
-Mr. Anageropoulos I am glad you decided to come alive.
-My prince...
-Don't! When I need you to speak I will let you know. Did that woman teach you our laws? Did she tell you that only a prince has the right to kill in a given city? Did she inform you that cannibalising your own kind is a crime even for princes? SPEAK!
-The answer is yes to all your questions, my Prince!
-Do you know what punishment awaits you?
-I know!
-And yet you came willingly...interesting!
''Er...he doesn't seem mad at me'' Paul thought.
-I had no intention to insult or defy you my Prince. May I say something though before you pass your judgment on me?
-Speak, youngling!
-I had no intention to fight those two but they gave me no choice and I had to fight for my life. They even said that you had no right to interfere so I couldn't ask for your protection. As for the cannibalism I admit I am guilty of it and I can only say that I had no control over my self when I did it.
-What about the lies about the ''shadow''?
-From the first time I saw you my Prince I didn't want to have to lie to you but she gave me no choice.
-Why? What does she want from you?
-I honestly have no idea but I owe her because she really tought me how to be a vampire.
-Anything else before I pass my judgement?
-I take full responsibility for what has happened, I am really ashamed for lying to you but if i am to die I would really like to ask you not to punish Roxanne for my crimes nor tell her what happened of me.
-Ha ha ha ha you see my sheriff! When someone is young he is not afraid to die, he doesn't even beg for his life, he still cares for the woman, such altruism! Okay Mr. Anageropoulos here is my verdict. You murdered two of my allies and you committed the ultimate crime amongst our kind. The penalty for your actions is death...BUT...if I kill you I will have lost two allies and a potential third.
Paul looked at James and in his face he could recognise sympathy and not hatred.
-Can you be that third ally Paul?
-My Prince...
-I am willing to let you go, to forget what you have done to your clanmates as long as you agree to take their place at my side.
-I can't betray Roxanne.
-Who said anything about betrayal? Do you really think I am that low of a leader to ask you to betray your mentor? You will be on my side as far matters of the city are concerned, as a helper to our sheriff or sometimes as the hand of the prince.
-I don't understand...
-Paul what do they say for our sherriff?
-Roxanne?
-NO! The others...
-They fear him and distrust him especially the younger ones.
-And here is your part, you are young and new and you have a mentor of respected status, where ''faceless'' is distrusted you will not be. Also I need him on more important tasks rather than investigating the death of a ghoul. Also when things go bad I don't want to have to involve him, they hate him enough as it is. But you are new and they won't even expect it.
-In other words, you want me to do the dirty job for you.
-You can put it that way, that was the agreement with Nansy and Narssel and that's why they had a bit more freedom than others in the city. I am willing to give that freedom to you if you choose to take my offer.
-And I won't have to betray Roxanne?
-No you won't and I hope that after some time you will find out that I am not that kind of leader. I earn the respect of others, I dont just ask for it.
-And what about the act of cannibalism?
James said nothing, he turned to his office and wrote a quick note which he passed to Paul.
-That will do. Also you will keep this position as my helper one year for each murder. After that I hope I will have earned your respect and that you would like to keep your spot out of respect and loyalty. Do you agree?
''My prince you have already earned them'' Paul thought.
-I agree!
-Nothing more to be said then, you may leave Paul and remember, when I call you drop everything and come as fast as possible to me.
-At your service, my Prince!

Paul walked out relieved of the fear that had taken over him before. He checked out the little note.

"What happened and what I did was for the good of the city and with the agreement of the true ruler of Thessaloniki'' and it was signed by Prince James himself.

Paul felt a weird laugh climbing his throat...
-It seems I am a sheriff now! Paul said with a bit of pride and joy.
Time and again he would regret that pride and that joy in the nights to come.