Chapter 38: Regroup
Jonathan was still awake, wrapped in his blanket, when Alphonse arrived. Just like Jonathan thought, he let himself in the door. Jonathan listened to his footsteps slow, however, and then quicken to the bedroom.
He burst into the room, and said loudly, “Jonathan?”
“I’m okay,” Jonathan replied.
“He was here?” Alphonse asked, and when Jonathan simply nodded, the vampire’s shoulders sagged. He trembled visibly, before coming to sit by Jonathan’s side. “I should have been here.”
“And what would have happened then, Alphonse? You would have tried to fight him off, and he would have won,” Jonathan said.
Alphonse shook his head. “What… what happened?”
“He came. He… wanted to check my blood,” Jonathan shivered. “It was terrible, Alphonse. When he was here, I couldn’t move, I couldn’t- I could only do what he wanted.”
Alphonse shook his head bitterly. “It’s- It’s a side effect of the marking. It makes our ability to influence, to hypnotize stronger.”