by Jen Pretty
“It’s almost midnight,” he said softly. His voice came from the direction of the chair in the corner of my room. I could picture him there, looking all regal and kingly. I let my mind imagine what he looked like for a while. He was a beautiful man, err, vampire. I wasn’t ready to face him yet, so I kept my eyes closed.
“It wasn’t your fault, Lark.” I huffed out a breath. He couldn’t read my mind. Only Frankie could do that as far as I knew. Though I was feeling pretty guilty about getting the vampires and humans in Canada blown up, so, he had a point.
I turned on my side, facing him, but pulled my blanket up to my cheek to stay in the warm cocoon for a while longer. I wasn’t sure I would ever be warm enough again.
He watched me as I tried to find some words to say. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. Eight humans had died. A sneaky tear fell out and rolled down my cheek onto my pillow. I remembered Ajax’s face. The loss in his eyes. Another tear followed, but this one was caught by the cool hand of the vampire who was now kneeling before me. He moved so fast, I had missed it.
“Don’t cry, Lark,” he whispered.
I took a deep, shaky breath. I needed to get it together. Durga wanted to look for rogues and I wouldn’t be much help to her if I were a blubbering mess. I took one more breath and threw back the covers.
I went to bed in my oversized t-shirt and ended up flashing a whole lot of legs at the vampire as I scooted out of bed and into the walk-in closet to get dressed. Vincent’s eyes followed me. I needed to get some food and hit the street. I would get Vernon next time. I would be ready.
When I came back out, Vincent was sitting on the end of my bed.
“I meant when I said I missed you, Lark. I want to take you out. On a date,” he said looking at my feet. He raised his eyes and they flashed red as he took in my appearance. I had started wearing leather pants and jacket as protection when I went out hunting because sometimes Durga took liberties with my body, and even if I healed quickly, the scrapes and bruises still hurt when the adrenaline left my system. I admit I looked pretty badass, too.
I had my knife sheathed to my thigh with straps that went around my waist and leg, adding to my badass image. My hair, pulled up in a high ponytail, swayed when I walked and swung around like a live wire when I fought. I was more like a comic book character than a person, but I suppose when you are the chosen body of an ancient deity, a comic book character was small potatoes.
Dressed like this, I didn’t cry. This was my protection. My armor. Durga made me in her image and we fought the creatures of the night.
I wasn’t sure what to say to his date proposal. I had been carefully avoiding the thought of relationships because I was off kilter with a deity sometimes taking over my body.
“I’ll think about it.”
He nodded, dropped his eyes to the ground, then stood and strode out of the room without another word.
Fabulous. A sulking ancient vampire. I rolled my eyes and went to find my team. Hopefully, they were ready to go. Durga and I had some frustrations to relieve.
The streets were pitch black near the docks. Any street light that had ever shone on this area had long since burnt out and wouldn't be replaced. No one wanted to know what went on down here at night so the lights stayed off.
My team had taken to making a stop here at least three times a week. The homeless people who resided here were at highest risk from rogue and fallen vampires and, since I always saw at least one family with small children, it was a place I had to keep safe.
The locals who weren’t transient knew us by sight. They knew we weren’t police, but they didn’t ask questions beyond that. They would point out anyone who didn’t belong, though usually, it was just a creepy human and not a vampire.
This night was different though.
“Hey, how’s it going?” I muttered to the group of regulars. One of them nodded towards the pier footer. There was a small crawl space where the ground met the pier that was a perfect shelter from the wind and rain. It was usually packed with homeless people, but tonight there was only one shadowy shape in the middle, the rest was vacant -- a clear sign of a shady individual taking up residence.
I expected another human, perhaps one who needed medication for a mental disorder. As I walked closer though, Durga shoved me out of the way and bolted forward in a dead sprint. Our excellent vision tinted red as we narrowed in on our prey. The team had gotten used to this and I heard swords unsheathe as I ran. I jumped around the girder and heard a hiss as red eyes that nearly matched my own flashed in the darkness ahead of me.
“He’s mine,” my voice said, ensuring the team knew what was in front of us and exactly how much of this would involve them.
Durga pushed us off the ground and up into the crawl space, landing nearly on top of the wild vampire who snapped his teeth and hissed like a cornered cat.
I reached out to grab hold of the demon, but he caught my arm and pulled me forward, aiming to bite my neck.
My knife flashed into my hand and I managed to stab him in the gut making him holler, but not stop in his effort to relieve me of my blood. I sliced again, higher this time just as he gave up on my neck and bit down into my arm which he was still holding in a death grip.
I screamed and stabbed my knife straight down towards his neck, but missed and hit his shoulder. His teeth ripped out of my flesh, removing a good chunk. Blood poured out as the vampire flung his head back and I finally got the chance I needed.
Sinking my dagger deep in his throat, I severed his spine and he crumpled to the ground beneath the lonely dock. The moon glittered off his face stained with my blood.
Durga fell back with a satisfied moan like she had spent the whole day on her feet and could finally rest on a soft couch.
“Shit,” Vlad said, as he ripped off his shirt and wrapped my arm tightly to slow the flow of blood. I was already feeling a bit queasy.
“She’s gonna blow,” Clive said helpfully from behind Vlad.
I covered my mouth with my free hand but couldn’t hold it in. For the second time in twenty-four hours, I vomited. I would die of starvation at this rate. The thought of food turned my stomach one more time before it calmed and I felt like myself again. A very satisfied Durga was curled up sleeping now. At least someone was happy. For once.
CHAPTER FOUR
By the time we got back to the mansion, my wrist had healed and I was ready to teach some classes at Sun Down Yoga. My studio was an oasis of calm.
“Hey, Lark. I heard you had a bit of a crazy night,” Randy said, as I walked through the door, munching on a granola bar.
“News travel fast,” I smiled. “Were you able to reschedule yesterday’s classes?”
“Yup, no problem. Yoga people are so nice.” That was an understatement. I had already had to reschedule four times in my first month but hadn’t lost a student yet. I hoped I would be home for a while so I wouldn’t miss any for a while though I doubted that Vernon would be thoughtful enough to go into hiding now.
“Good morning, class,” I said as the last of my beginner level women’s class filled the open space of my studio. The sun shone through the large windows at the back of the room. It was almost too bright so I closed my eyes and got started.
“Let’s start with mountain pose. Standing tall, press your hands together over your heart, and focus on your inner sun.” We held that pose for several moments.
“Good, now stretch your arms down along your torso with your palms forward,” I said demonstrating from the front of the room. “On your next inhale, sweep your arms down, out and up to the sky, bringing your palms together over your head.” I demonstrated in front of the room. “Gaze up at your thumbs and lift as high as you can, then gently arch your back and expand your spine. You should feel no pressure in your lower back.”
We continued through the sun salutations until everyone was sweaty. Even basic yoga was hard work when you weren’t used to it. This group of women came from all backgrounds and activ
ity levels, but, by the end of class, every one of them was sweaty and smiling.
As they rolled up their Yoga mats, I looked to the doorway and found a certain vampire watching me. When my eyes caught his, I smiled and he returned it with a bashful look at being caught staring. I said goodbye to my students as they filed out, but the handsome vampire caught the eye of more than one woman as he sauntered into my studio dressed in a very expensive suit and shiny dress shoes.
He looked like he walked off the pages of a magazine with his hair perfectly coiffed and his dark stubble. I shook my head. I was not interested in a relationship with a vampire or my employer. That was what he was I reminded myself. I worked for this man and he drank blood. Stop hormones.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, bending down to roll up my yoga mat.
“I heard you were injured and wanted to make sure you were ok,” he replied. I raised an eyebrow at him. He had done worse to me in the gym at the mansion when he was teaching me how to fight. That was garbage and we both knew it. He stood by his story though, giving me a bland expression.
“Well, as you can see, I’m fine,” I tucked my rolled-up yoga mat under my arm and walked back towards the front desk. In the reception area, Randy was madly typing away on the computer, looking busy for Vincent. It was annoying the way Vincent didn’t respect Randy just because he wasn’t a fighter.
“Hey, Randy. That ad you ran in the newspaper looked amazing,” I said, mostly for Vincent’s benefit, but it was true. The ad stood out on the page, even in the black and white paper. Randy blushed.
“Thanks, Lark,” he said before going back to his typing. I was sure he could write a novel if Vincent stuck around long enough. To save him the trouble of finding an editor, I hustled out the door only to discover the bossy vampire had used his old trick and stolen my car.
In its place was his bright red sports car. It sparkled in the morning sun like it was fresh off the lot.
“Take a ride with me,” he whispered from right behind me, making me shiver.
Instead of answering I just walked forward and opened the passenger side door. He walked around and slid into the driver seat, then started the engine with the push of a button and revved it a couple of times before pulling out. He drove at a steady pace through town and then took the ramp onto the freeway and let the car fly. I put my window down and my arm out, letting the wind blow my hair around my face into a knot.
He pulled off the freeway and onto a street of a small town. It was approaching midday. Luckily, I had a pair of sunglasses with me as my eyes were not happy. I was drowsy too, but could hold out a bit longer. He pulled into the parking lot of a closed restaurant and shut off the engine.
“What are we doing here? It’s closed.”
“I’m just taking you to brunch. I know you didn’t agree to a date, but brunch is hardly a date. Plus, you are wearing yoga pants. It can’t possibly be a date,” he pointed out, helpfully.
“I don’t think this kind of restaurant serves brunch,” I said as he unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car. He shut the door without replying and then opened my door and offered his hand like an old-time gentleman.
“Alright, fine,” I muttered, taking off my seatbelt and letting him help me out. I looked ridiculous next to him in my yoga pants, tank top and running shoes.
The door was unlocked even though the sign said closed. Vincent held the door for me and I walked through. Inside was a lavish restaurant dimly lit for dinner service. The hardwood floor was dark mahogany and perfectly polished. The tables had pristine white, sparkling silverware and each had a center piece of flickering candles. Seriously, candles.
I had washed dishes in a restaurant like this once. I could never afford to eat in a place like this, though.
I looked at Vincent who seemed perfectly relaxed. This was totally a freaking date. The liar. It didn’t matter that he called it brunch; there was a fancy restaurant and candles.
A woman walked out of the back smiling.
“Hello, darling,” she purred before kissing Vincent once on each cheek.
“Zeta, thank you for opening up for us, I know it was last minute,” he replied in his usually lofty tone.
“Oh, you know I will do anything for you,” she winked at him. Gross.
“This is Lark.” He rested his hand on the middle of my back.
The woman looked taken aback like she hadn’t even noticed I was standing there. I got that a lot. Being short was annoying.
“Hi,” I said. The woman smiled and then abruptly turned and led us to a table. Vincent pulled out the chair for me, you know, because this was a date. Then he sat across from me and smiled.
“This is a date,” I said. He lifted a shoulder like ‘eh, what ya gonna do.’ I shook my head at him.
“Ok, it’s a date. I want to be around you, Lark.” He placed his napkin in his lap, then looked back up at me. “Tell me about your childhood.”
I sighed but began anyway. “It was great, for a while. My mom was amazing. She stayed at home and raised me. She was always singing songs or telling me stories passed down from her mother. My father was a doctor and had a private practice in our hometown. My mom and I would walk to his office and bring him lunch when he worked on weekends. I had an almost normal sleep pattern then, so I went to school and had friends. It was perfect.” When I stopped talking, I looked up to see he had a sad look on his face. “What?”
“I don’t remember much of being a child. It was very long ago, but I’m sure it was not as you described it.” I looked down at my napkin. I had been twisting it in my lap. He was from a much harsher century, I had figured as much.
“Can I ask you a question?” I said.
“Ask me anything.”
“How old are you?”
He chuckled. “You can ask me anything and that is what you choose?” he shook his head. “Very well, I am—”
“Here you are,” Zeta said as she set two plates on the table before promptly returning to the kitchen. In front of me, the dish held my usual breakfast at the mansion -- bacon, eggs and toast. The dish in front of Vincent was eggs florentine. Both were plated immaculately like high-end dinner service, so it was a bit odd to see my runny yolks on the pristine, white dish when I used the corner of the toast to pop the yolk.
Vincent took his fork and knife and cut a small piece of his breakfast off leaving the plate perfect.
“You were telling me how old you were,” I reminded him once I had finished chewing the corner of toast.
He took his napkin off his lap and dabbed his mouth before he spoke. “I was born near Moscow in the year 1432.”
I gasped and choked on my eggs. Throwing me into a coughing fit before I dislodged the egg from my windpipe and took a sip of water.
“You’re a bit older than I thought,” I said. Trying to wrap my mind around the age difference. Nope. It was weird. Definitely weird.
He took another bite of his eggs Florentine while I stared at him. For some reason, I thought I should be able to see the years on him. He looked 30 at most.
“I try not to think about it too hard. I know we were poor farmers. At that time most children didn’t make it to adulthood, the fact my siblings and I all made it was a miracle; particularly my brother and I. Twins rarely survived.” He cut off and took another bite of his breakfast.
I sat back in my chair. Unsure how to even talk to him now. I had always known he was old. Frankie had suggested he was 500 years or so, but to have it confirmed was different.
Vincent finished his meal and I picked at my toast, but wasn’t all that hungry; I was feeling more tired than anything.
“You ready to go?” he asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Sure, thank you for brunch,” I said.
“I would like to take you to dinner next time. How about Friday?” he asked as we walked towards the door.
Zeta met us there and held the door, thanking Vincent and telling him to stop by anytime. She
just nodded to me and then shut the door behind us.
“Friday?” he pressed.
“All right, as long as I’m not on the other side of the world wading through a rainforest chasing down your brother.”
He smiled and opened the car door for me.
Back at the mansion, there was a motorcycle in the driveway. I hadn’t set eyes on the warlock in a month so when Vincent stopped the car, I got out and climbed the front steps. My eyes were heavy, and my legs barely moved me forward, but Frankie was waiting on the stairs to the second floor when I opened the door and stepped inside. His face lit up like Christmas morning. He stood and grabbed me, swinging me around in a hug. I laughed and he set me on my feet, keeping his arms around me, but moving back to get a look at me.
“Vampire hunting agrees with you,” he said. The smell of his cologne mixed with the scent of leather to produce the most delicious aroma. He smiled at my thought and I bit my lip. I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to hide my feelings from Frankie's mind reading.
“That’s good,” he whispered, answering that though out loud.
“Where have you been?” I asked as I took his hand and sat down on the stairs with him to catch up.
“I was following a lead in Europe. I should have been up north with you.”
“I’m glad you weren’t; eight humans died.” I lost all the joy from seeing Frankie at the reminder of the explosion in Canada.
“I’m sorry, Lark. That’s why I’m back. I want to talk to Vincent about joining forces,” he said as the vampire himself came in the door.
“We can talk in my office,” Vincent said. I looked past Frankie’s shoulder and realized Vincent was leaning against the front door watching us. He didn’t look angry that I was in Frankie’s arms though he and I had just returned from a date.
“Alright,” Frankie said. “I’ll be here tonight, when you get up. We can catch up over dinner, ok Lark? Your eyes aren’t going to stay open much longer.” Frankie chuckled, dismissing me, but I almost couldn’t see him through my closing eyelashes. I nodded.
