Two Weeks Before The Meeting

        Silas kneeled on the soft cushion on the ground with his back straight and his hands lying in his lap. His veil rested behind him, secured by the eye patterned coif wrapped around the top of his head, pressing his black parted bangs against his forehead. Underneath the headpiece were the strips of cloth securing his eyepatch against his right eye, covering it completely from the nosey gazes of the church’s visitors.

      His exposed sharp slanted red eye stared straight ahead at the curtain that separated half of the room. More specifically, at the shadow of the sitting figure that was hidden behind the long piece of dark fabric, illuminated only by the lights behind the curtains. This left the flickering candles as the only source of light on the vampire’s side, located in the middle of the square coffee table that was placed in front of the curtains.

      On a normal day, there would be special visitors in Silas’s place in this room, sitting on the floor cushion trying to desperately and pathetically negotiate their souls in exchange for a wish to be granted by the head priest. However, this was not the case today as Father Antonio personally summoned Silas to this room.

     “Would you mind telling me why I’m here? I hope for your sake this is important, Antonio.” Silas broke the silence when it was clear that the other male wasn’t going to start first, his eyes narrowing as he spoke.

     In the back of his head, Silas could hear Sister Celia nagging him for not calling Antonio by his property title but the vampire simply saw no need for formalities when it was just the two of them alone in the room.

      Well, Silas glanced up at the bigger shadow that hovered above Father Antonio’s figure on the curtain, not quite just the two of them; Silas corrected himself, his lips frowning even more at the sight of the taller shadow forming a sharp smile as it noticed his attention.

     “We are happy you were able to make time to come visit us, Brother Silas. I know you're quite busy with your daily duties around the church.” A gentle, soothing voice spoke out from behind the curtain, the head of the sitting shadow tilting slightly.

      Silas didn’t need to see Father Antonio to know that the other male was smiling as he spoke; the man always wore a kind smile on his face, even when he wasn’t speaking. It was rare to find him without a smile adorning his face, making it rather unnerving having to live alongside him everyday not ever knowing what the other man was truly thinking with that stupid plastered grin on his face.

       “And I want to make it clear, you were not summoned today because you are in trouble. In fact, that is far from the case.” Father Antonio continued to explain while the shadow above him sharp grin widened even more.

       “Then what exactly was I called here for then? Just get to the point already and stop treating me like I’m one of those stupid humans you play pretend with.” Silas snapped back, his voice low but straight to the point. His hands clenching in his lap at the very thought of this meeting being dragged out any longer than it needed to be.

        It’s a good thing Sister Celia wasn’t at this meeting, the curly blue haired woman probably would have panicked and attempted to make excuses for Silas’s behavior. Though all her effort would have been in vain as the immediate response to his words was met with roaring laughter that echoed around the room and unfortunately his mind, causing Silas to glare up at the offending source of the sound.

        The long dark shadow twisted and turned above Father Antonio’s shadowy figure, its sharp mouth opened as it continued to laugh. Silas would have kept his mouth shut if he knew that the being would find his words so amusing. Not only that, but it wasn’t as if he could kindly request for it to shut up. It was just a copy of the Soul Collector, just a small part of the being that operated with basic functions-humor being one of them annoyingly enough. It was left behind to keep an eye on the church whenever its owner went to visit his father, the Soul Eater, aka the God of Death. While Silas was known to have more guts than his partner, Sister Celia, even he didn’t have the balls to mouth off against a higher being, even if it was the clone of the real deal.

       So, Silas had no choice but to bite his tongue and wait patiently for it to stop laughing so Father Antonio could finally answer his question. He took a few silent deep breaths in and out in the meantime to calm himself down. Though he felt his mind wandering back to the actual entity, not the copycat. The equally annoying being always enjoyed riling the vampire up, so much so that sometimes Silas questioned if it was feeding off his anger. It wouldn’t surprise him if that was the case-who knew all the capabilities and abilities of a child of the Gods. However, Silas’s gaze traveled back over towards Father Antonio’s hidden figure; the head priest most likely knew everything about the bothersome being-he was after all the Soul Collector’s beloved human vessel.

         “I’m sorry if I gave you the impression that I was treating you as one of our guests.” Father Antonio began speaking again after the laughter finally died down, and the room once again settled into silence. “That was my mistake, but I will honor your request and go straight to the point. I’m sure you're aware of Sister Celia’s involvement with my friend?”

       “Yes, I’m quite aware.” Silas nodded his head. It was hard not to when that’s all the blue haired woman would talk about in her free time, yapping the vampire’s ear off.“If I recall correctly, you allowed her visits to his home and even gave her permission to spend the night?”

      “Yes, you are correct,”Father Antonio’s shadow nodded its head.“and because of their ever growing bond and relationship, there is a high chance that in the future, Sister Celia might indulge in starting a family with him.”

       “And just what do I have to do with this? Surely you haven’t summoned me here for my thoughts or opinions on the matter-” Silas lowered his head to massage his forehead before snapping his gaze back up at the other male’s shadow. “For the Great Mother’s sake, are you trying to ask me if I plan on following her path?”

        The idea of starting a family or relationship outside the church never crossed the black haired vampire’s mind, for it was a very ridiculous fantasy. Under no circumstances would Silas ever lower himself to commit such an act, while it was fitting for Sister Celia’s lifestyle, it was nowhere near a possibility for him. 

     “Don’t be mistaken, Brother Silas.” A clear laugh rang out from the figure, unconsciously soothing the tension in the vampire’s body- not that Silas would ever admit that out loud. “I’m more than familiar with your…preferences within the church, so I don’t fear any outsiders stealing your attention, let alone your  heart. However, on the matter of family, well-”

        Father Antonio cut himself off, pausing as if he was considering his words. Silas narrowed his eyes, his gaze intensifying on his figure when the subject of family was brought up, his fingers twitching in his lap. He was hoping that the other male wasn’t thinking about…her or had the audacity to bring her into the conversation.

        “You happen to be in the same boat as me in regards to producing children.” The head priest continued unaware of the slight flinch of Silas’s body at his words.

      “Father Antonio-” There was a warning in Silas’s voice at the reminder, his bloody red eye glaring viscously at the curtain as his fingers dug into the fabric in his lap.

         Silas squeezed his thighs together, but it didn’t stop the dull ache in between his legs. His eyes narrowed as he gritted his teeth, ignoring the acute sensation of the soft material pressing against his scarred skin underneath his uniform. Luckily, Father Antonio picked up the hint to drop the subject as the man smoothly changed the subject back to its regular course without any further prompting.

        “But in light of Sister Celia’s relationship, we must prepare ourselves for the future when she is unavailable to report for her duties. It would be dangerous for her to try and complete her missions while carrying a new life. So we need to start practicing for when that day arrives.”

       “You want us to stop working together during our missions?” Silas spoke up again, his mind quickly abandoning the previous topic to focus on the more serious matter. “Do you really think this would benefit the church? Soul collecting will take more time if we do the missions by ourselves.”

        “This would only be temporary, Brother Silas. In case one of you happens to be out of commission, then the other will have to step up and go solo until the recovery process is complete. The souls need to be collected, and this duty can not be neglected under any circumstances.”

      As much as Silas didn’t want to admit, Father Antonio was right. There were only two disciples under the House of Death and Judgment, Silas and Sister Celia, and they were the only ones qualified to go soul hunting. There were the twins, but they require strict supervision and preferably a controlled environment that can not easily be replicated in the outside world. Leaving them to their own devices would be nothing but trouble, and the risks of outsiders getting involved are higher. Not only that, but they weren’t the best at following orders unless it came from Father Antonio or the Soul Collector himself.

      “I guess this is the only logical course of action given the potential circumstances.” Silas forced himself to admit while shaking his head, his black lips pulled down into a scowl. “Now, if that's all you have for me, I would like to take my leave.”

     “Well, I already have your target chosen for your next trip, but that can be discussed another later. I’m sure you’re eager to leave.” Father Antonio’s shadow raised an arm and gestured in the direction of the door behind Silas, amusement in his voice towards the end of his sentence.

      Silas rolled his eyes as he slowly stood up from his kneeled position, his long pale defined legs coated in dark see-through pantyhose. The long piece of fabric that hung in the middle of his legs unfurled from underneath him, a giant eye engraved into the material at the bottom. Silas’s veil swayed as he turned around, but the vampire paused in his movements when he felt his stomach rumble.

     “Actually, you’ve ruined my evening with this meeting.” Silas clicked his tongue while keeping his back to Father Antonio, his eyes narrowing, but his black lips were curved into a smirk.

        How could the vampire not be tempted to take advantage of this situation?  After all, it was just the two of them alone in the room-not counting the counterfeit deity watching their every move-and everyone else in the mansion was downstairs or busy with their own devices.  It wasn’t every day he could catch Father Antonio alone when the sun was still out- at night was a different story but his point still stands.