Adriana looked up at the expanse of Saint Mary of Grace. There were quite a few reasons she had not stepped foot in church for a couple months, and one was staring her right in the face: Adriana is not a Catholic anymore. Well, not in the eyes of the church anyways. She still could remember the look on her parents face when they heard the news of all Animators being excommunicated from the Church. She was born and raised Catholic and then all of a sudden she couldn't call herself that, it hit her hard. Now she was standing in front of Saint Marys and all she wanted was a little guidance.

Adriana finally took a deep breath and walked in. Glancing up at all the stained glass that surrounded her the knot in her stomach released a little. She didn't quite know what she expected to happen, maybe God would strike her down for walking into his home after the Pope had spoken or Catholic police would show up and escort her out.Adriana quietly laughed at herself for thinking such childish things. She began walking in between all the pews and almost to the front of the church, about 10 pews from the front and sat down.

Adriana made the cross over her body and whispered a silent prayer her Father had taught her when she needed guidance in her life.

Lord Jesus, may everything I do begin with You,
continue with Your help,
and be done under Your guidance.
May I grow in Your Love and Your service,
and become a pleasing offering to You;
and with You to Your Father.
May the mystery I celebrate help me
to reach eternal life with you.

Adriana simply sat with her eyes closed for a few moments with out moving. Standing up she walked to up to the front of the church.

Gerard had come here for three reasons. The first was that he always loved the stained glass. It was a always a riot of color controlled by the light reflecting into this dreary environment built on guilt and money. Two things that Gerard knew well and used to his own advantage. The second was that he had heard that a certain leopard was searching for a way to break the marks placed on her by Sigurd. Ergo, that eventually she would find Adriana and then she would search for guidance in the only place she could find it. He had studied her habits and knew that she would be in the area and would be coming here. The third and final reason why he came here is he loved the delicious irony. He was cast out in the eyes of the church as a thing that was akin to suicide. To be able to walk amongst its trappings unhindered always made him smile

He made sure she would see him the moment she started walking up to the altar. He had a defiled rosary the beads in reverse order wrapped around his hands. He was sure she would not notice it right away but it would be a nice touch to have the image as the damned seeking redemption in her eyes. That would make him seem less and less of the monster she would think him to be. So he waited there, knowing full well that he would hear the sharp intake of breath the moment the connection was made of who he was and where he was staying.

As Adriana walked up the aisle lost in her thoughts, staring at the ground, when a figure was in front of her. “Excuse me s-“ when she looked up it was Gerard in front of her, in a church. Glancing down at his hands he was holding a rosary. Adriana gasped, “I’m sorry Gerard, I wasn’t looking where I was walking.” Adriana’s mind was reeling. A church, a vampire, a vampire was in a church. Gerard was in a church with a holy object in his hands. Making sure to avoid eye contact she stared at his shoulder, an odd place to stare but it beat being rolled.

Adriana's brain could not process he information, everything she thought she knew of vampires had just been put in a whirlwind. Blinking a couple times, Adriana realized she had been gawking at the vampire in front of her. "Please excuse my ignorance Gerard. What brings you to Saint Mary's?"

Adriana had seen him and she had noticed almost instantly the rosary in his hands. She was extremely observant something that can be used against her like now. He let his hands fidget like he was embarrassed at being discovered with such a trinket. “What am I doing here Adriana? Is it not obvious?”

He gave a grandiose gesture to the stained glass above him, “I came here for the glass Adriana” While he knew she would follow his gestures to the glass he hid the rosary in his pocket. It would further add to the illusion that she had caught him doing something that he would not wish.

“What brings you here Adriana, it is only fair that since you asked me that I too can ask you.”

Adriana looked up at the gestured glass “Yes, it is beautiful isn’t it?” She didn’t expect an answer, and she turned back to Gerard once again looking at his shoulder. There was something different, his hands were free, why did he feel the need to hide the rosary from her? Smiling at the vampire in front of her, “Yes, it is only fair. I am looking for an answer that I cannot find myself. A friend needs help and I promised I would try hard to find what I could to give her the help she needs.” Deciding to ere on the side of caution, Adriana didn’t spill everything she knew. A thought occurred to her, perhaps a vampire may no more of breaking marks than a human may. She would save that for later.

“I hope I did not interrupt you by almost walking straight into you, I am a bit clumsy when lost in thought.”

“Is has been my experience that many people only come to such buildings when they are hopeless and out of answers” He noted the quick flick of eyes. She had discovered that he hid the rosary from her and the foundation of this part was set. She would now view him as a forlorn and dejected vampire looking for a way to be redeemed. That would suit his purpose of being invited into this small miracle that she was going to need.

“Nonsense you did not interrupt me in the slightest. I was just on my way out so perhaps it is providence that we…bumped into each other.” He gave her a smile that touched his eyes. It was a calculated move to let her see such vulnerability in him. “Perhaps I can provide a map for your thoughts so that you find your way out. It is the very least I can do for not looking where I was going as well.”

Nodding at Gerard, she was out of answers for Rhia. Nothing she had read from the hundreds of books on the dead, vampires, nothing yielded answers. Smiling at the man in front of her Gabriel’s words filtered through her mind Oh my dear, I assure you that most vampires are quite the civil creatures right up to the point when they try to bite you. Surely, Gabriel just hadn’t met the right vampires for Gerard was more civil than most humans she had met.

Turning to where she was walking out with him, “I enjoy the church at night; it seems more personal and intimate.” Listening to Gerard, Adriana’s look was on the ground in front of her now, walking beside the vampire. “Well, being as you are a vampire” she said low almost a whispering, “You may be able to help. Have you ever heard of breaking marks on say a human servant?” Adriana desperately wanted to look in his eyes to see how he reacted, but refrained and settled by glancing at his neck and then back in front of her

It was easy to watch the facial expressions of someone who would not meet your eyes. It gave Gerard a certain freedom to observe the necromancer without letting her even know what was going on. “Well I enjoy the church at night as well but for entirely different reasons.” He gave a very soft chuckle making fun of his predicament.

“You are right to whisper such Ms. Raggio such talk is very dangerous amongst my kind. Yes it is possible to break the marks if you are talented and strong enough to do such. Such knowledge alone that you now know this to be a fact would be enough to have you removed without a moment’s thought. This will stay between us though for I shall do my best to keep such whispers out of the ears that would act on them.”

Adriana laughed with the vampire making light of the fact he is awake only at night. Then the thought floated on her mind that if any of the vampire council, which she had just learned about in a book she was reading for research, found out a necromancer could remove marks they wouldn’t last very long, as Gerard spoke.

“Yes, I believe that would not be beneficial to me” again laughing at the thought of her being removed by vampires. Oh Great, way to get yourself in a little more trouble, maybe you are a Jinx! Lowering her voice once again, “Have you knowledge of this being done before? Or is it impossible?” Gerard seemed to be the only lead in Rhia’s case to follow everything else was closed doors or dead end books.

Gerard watched as the weight of what she just asked settled upon her. She would now be indebted to him not only because he is going to hell her remove a mark but now for protecting her from the wrath of those just like him. The irony was not lost on the ancient vampire at all. If he could have warmth and feelings he would be warm and fuzzy at this exact moment.

In stead of speaking when she asked if he had the knowledge he just nodded to her. Enough that she would know that talking about it so plainly would be considered at the very least suicide for them both and yet give her the answer that she seeked. “Though my only fear is that you would not have enough power, no offense mind you, to be able to break such an ancient power of tradition. We will need to find a way to boost your strength significantly before we will even have a chance.”

He had purposely used we to indicate that he was all ready thinking of them as working together. It was subtle but it was necessary to guide her to the next part of the plane. She needed to ask him for help and not have his help offered to her.

Seeing him nod to her out of the corner of her eye, she listened intently as he spoke. “No offense taken Gerard” she smiled. Walking out of the church doors, they were now outside on a rather deserted street. “Would there be a chance we could do this tonight or do you need more time to learn the proper way to…”hesitating, using a bit more caution than she had previously, “make our arrangement happen?”

Pulling her cell phone out of her bag, “Because I have a woman who is dying to hear that I have news of any kind. Awaiting his answer as she held the phone in her hand. Adriana was excited that she had even stumble into the answer for Rhia, she would be excited. "Umm, Gerard, how would we gauge how much power I have compared to how much is needed for this?"

“Yes it would be possible to arrange for everything tonight, but I do not think you have several white goats necessary to boost your strength to the needed level.” He used the far prettier word of the animators used for human sacrifices. He knew that she would not ever think of taking a human life for this task no matter how much Rhia had wanted it.

“You would need enough strength to at the very least command the vampire that placed such adornments on her. Without that they will not break and merely alert the one who placed it on her. So before we give her false hope we must find a way to dramatically increase your strength.” He continued to hold her logical hand guiding her to the realization that she will need more then coaching in this. Humans can be so thick headed at times.

Adriana’s eyes widened at the thought of a human sacrifice, “Gerard I couldn’t ad wouldn’t use a white goat for anything. Isn’t there another way? I believe the reason she does not want the marks is because she cannot find her vampire who put them on her. Must I be face to face with him or can it be done over distance? There has to be another way other than a white goat to increase a Necromancer’s strength.” Her words came out fast in a barrage of questions.

“Please excuse my many questions, I just have never been in this situation before, but I appreciate your help even if it is the slightest bit very much.” Adriana looked like a child asking permission from an adult, but she could deal with that.

“I know you could not even think of using such but that would give you the biggest boost of power up front.” Gerard paused giving the illusion that he was in deep thought instead he was just thinking about how easy some people were to manipulate. “No it can be done over distance but that would take an even greater amount of strength to finish the deed properly.”

He gave another pause continuing to think as she peppered him with so many question. He held up his hand to stop them before he was overloaded with them all. “It is okay yore still young and that is the benefit of being so young. You can always ask question for you will never be expected to know everything. There is a way that I can lend you my strength for the event but that too will make things dangerous. I do not want to risk you being harmed during this.”

Adriana’s brow creased as she was told by his hand to stop her many questions. Then Gerard spoke of sharing his power with her, but it would be dangerous. Somehow, she didn’t believe that he would harm her just by sharing power. “Gerard, please excuse my bluntness, but what exactly could harm me, just be sharing power?” Thinking though her question, she couldn’t conceive what would happen. “If that s the only way, I think I can handle myself at risk for the benefit of Rhia.” Truly Adrian didn’t think she could get hurt, perhaps the process of sharing power may be a little painful, but she was a big girl and could handle it.

“Power is like fire Adriana. If you do not give it respect or unable to control it, it will become a wild fire that will burn everyone it touches. I have had many years to practice my own control to learn how to channel power properly.” Before he spoke next Gerard made sure that apprehension came out on his voice and his face. “If I give you what will be needed to break the adornment and you are unable to funnel it correctly. It could burn you from the inside out and perhaps forever mar your ability to raise the dead.”

He took a breath like he was human and did not really need to. “I do not want to put that burden on you, I know the risks of what you are asking. You think you do but they can be very real. One slip of concentration and you could destroy all three of us.” He let her think about the repercussions. If they could share power they could also share control. If she was metaphysically trained she would know that control could be shared through a link. This would be a first gage to see how deep her training really went.

For the second time that night, Adriana felt like a child hearing all the consequences of her actions and what might happen. Adriana’s eyes went wide when he spoke of the inability to raise the dead if something went wrong. If you do not take risks, there is no reward. “Gerard, I believe that I have the power and the concentration to do have a helping hand in all of this, if I did not, you would have frightened me earlier and I would turn tail and run. I will not let any ill effects happen on my end, but” she hestitaed before continuing "I would need your help." Ending with as much confidence as she could have put in her words, she wanted to look him in the eye to let him know she meant it but new better.

“That is what I needed to hear Adriana.” Gerard watched the confidence take hold in her. He had scared her enough to cause her to completely think about what she was about to do. Now she was willing to give him control of the ritual and she would only be along for the ride. It is one thing to teach a necromancer how to do something but it was another to use her like a tool to complete a task.

“We have reached an accord then. I will guide us after you link our two powers together and complete the desired effect. I wanted you to know the possible consequences of your actions. I will not be told later that you were ill informed about what can happen. Call and let us make plans for you and your client. Do you know where we will be doing this?”

Nodding at Gerard that she understood, she looked down at her phone and began to call Rhia. Leaving her a message she was sure to check tonight, Adriana turned back to Gerard. “I believe we can go to the Lady of Mercy Cemetery, I am always there doing animating.” With a slight pause Adriana asked a question she was sure to feel stupid about, “Gerard do you need a ride there or have you made prior arrangements for leaving the church?”