The Lyssan Chain
"This place used to be a church," said a voice from the shadows. "But I suppose you already knew that."
Great, Lindsey thought. He'd been working on pinpointing the location of this artifact for the best part of a year under the direct orders of the Senior Partners, and of course that fucking vampire had already found it. Angel stood at the opposite end of the room, dark coat and lowered head making him almost indistinguishable in the shadows.
The door clunked shut behind him and his eyes began to adjust to the flickering light of the single bare bulb swinging high above them. The room was empty, except for a desk and chair in the corner, carved in old dark oak that had seen better days. Lindsey knew it had been there for many years; considering that, it had aged well in the confines of this old building, unseen and forgotten. The air was thick with dust and the low thrum of magic beneath that. Lindsey's chest felt tight and the air was difficult to swallow. His heart was beating too fast and he knew, fucking knew Angel had to be able to hear it as loud as he could hear the thudding in his own ears.
"Yeah, probably know a lot more about it than you," Lindsey replied. He'd spent so long researching this place before he risked coming here himself. He couldn't trust anyone else to pick up what should be found here. "Is there any chance you're gonna let me have that thing without the usual boring diatribe? I've got somewhere to be."
Angel was silent for a moment. Lindsey thought he could hear the clink of a metal chain. He didn't react, though it changed the situation a little. Angel probably already had it. It would make things more difficult. He was already judging whether he could get the stake close enough to hurt him - probably not - when Angel laughed, soft and low. "I was here. Fifty years ago, I came here," he said.
"Oh great. Now for the rambling and self-pitying trip down memory lane."
"I brought it here," Angel said, ignoring the sarcasm. "Did you know that? I brought it here. It was Catholic, you know. They closed it down when the new church was built."
"Yeah," said Lindsey, fingering the stake in his jacket pocket, "I know. Can I have the chain?"
Angel stepped out of the shadows and into the light. "Do you know what this is?"
Lindsey stepped forwards, attention fixed, when Angel held up the chain. It glinted in the light, coppery with a blue sheen. At about three inches long it would be fairly unremarkable but for the magic woven into every atom of the thing. The Lyssan Chain, thought Lindsey. "I thought that disappeared from Athens in the 1700s?" he said, lifting his gaze at last.
"I'm not talking about its history," said Angel. "I'm talking about what it does."
"Look, I've been searching for this for the best part of a year so can we get past the question and answers section and move to the practical? I'm not letting you leave here with that thing."
Angel looked at him, full of infuriating calm. Lindsey's heart skipped louder against his ribs. Before he could take a step forward, Angel was there, crowding into his space and then Lindsey couldn't fucking breathe. The wood of the door was cold and firm against his back and Angel's hand was on his throat. He struggled but his feet found no purchase on the dusty floor and Angel's grip was too tight, too fucking tight to pull away. The thick fingers clenched around his windpipe in a sickening pressure.
"It induces rage," Angel said. Lindsey could barely hear him over the rushing in his ears but the words kept coming. "Not the focused kind. The primal, desperate fury that everyone has, buried deep. The kind that the vampire thrives on. You know? You should be really grateful it doesn't work on us."
And Lindsey found himself on the floor, legs folded awkwardly beneath him. He struggled to breathe or to think through the hot haze that had wrapped up his mind, the slow spin of no oxygen as his lungs screamed and dragged in huge gulps of air. His throat hurt. He'd have an impressive bruise there tomorrow. "What-"
"Lindsey, I know you're a blind little sheep following your master's orders but really, use your brain one in a while," said Angel. He crouched down in front of him. Lindsey was too weak to push him away, muscles still starved of energy. The vampire leaned in and for one insane moment Lindsey thought he was going to kiss him; those thin lips would press against his own gasping mouth and the world would turn on its head. The thought was fleeting and terrifying and when Angel backed off, Lindsey sagged back a little more against the door. Angel snorted. "Can you imagine the damage this thing could do, given to the right person? It gives them the rage of the gods. Stronger than just about any demon you could think of. You really wanna unleash that strength and fury on the city?"
"You can't take it."
"You know I can," said Angel. "And you know I'm going to. I always win, Lindsey. When are you gonna learn?"
With breath back in his body, Lindsey managed to draw himself up to his feet, hands braced against the wall. His throat felt raw but he pushed out the words anyway. "You think you're better than me," he said, "but you're worse than anything the Lyssan Chain could create without any fucking magic."
Angel shook his head and grabbed Lindsey's wrist. Before he could pull away, a hot brand pressed against the palm of his hand and --
- Lindsey could kill him. He could kill this vampire with a thought, less than a thought. He could show Angel, he could prove he was better and stronger and this was his chance, he could do it. He could tie Angel down and kill everyone he loved in front of him. He could push him out into the sunlight, let him become dust, but that was too quick. He wanted him to suffer. He wanted Angel to know what it was like to feel like Lindsey did when they were together, helpless and out of control, like everything he'd done in his life to be worth something meant nothing, nothing at all, and Angel would see. Lindsey would fucking make him see.
The fury didn't disappear when Angel snatched back the chain but it faded. Lindsey was shaking as the adrenalin left his system. He swung for Angel's face but his arm was weak and his fist was loose. Angel caught it in his own hand and held it there, twisting it just enough for it to hurt, not enough for it to matter. "You're never gonna get this from me, Lindsey. You see why?"
Lindsey almost nodded and only caught himself in time. He heaved back his hand but Angel's grip was relentless. "Let me go."
"Not yet."
Why did Angel keep getting up in his space? Lindsey flinched back but with the wall behind him, he had nowhere to go. This time he had no time to contemplate what the vampire was doing before their lips met. Angel's skin was cool against his own but the kiss was heated and Lindsey couldn't hold back the mortifying moan. It was just the leftover effects of the chain. Adrenalin making him crazy. He had to be crazy for the hot shiver that slid up his spine.
Angel was gone too quickly. Lindsey thumped his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. The bastard had taken the chain with him, of course.
At least encounters with this guy were never boring. Definitely worth the slap on the wrist Lindsey would get from the Senior Partners.