《Eero: The Pureblooded King》


 Bothersome Compromise

    The silence in the car is a good sign that everyone knows that I am livid with the current situation. I keep my eyes closed in contempt and fold my arms in irritation. The black leather seats of the Bentley Mulsanne are quite comfortable, but the trip is taking far too long. I open my eyes to the dusk sky and watch the darkened pine trees flash by as the luxury car speeds. The open road is nearly empty of cars as we head toward the outer skirts of Asheville, North Carolina. The rural farms start to increase in acreage as the car speeds around sharp curves and winding roads. The pastures along the way are filled with shadows of livestock and roaming hills leading into mountains and murky valleys. The long silence is soothing, but with my eyes closed, my sense of hearing intensifies considerably. Every sound within the car is magnified three times: the tap of my finger releasing fury onto the now dented door armrest, the swish of wind as it wizzes by the car, and various noises made by two individuals occupying the front seats.


    ¡°Pompey, have you any idea how ANGRY I am to hear that four of my vampires have been killed?¡± I abruptly cast my eyes in the rearview mirror to monitor Pompey¡¯s earthly brown eyes.


    ¡°Lord Eero, the Phalanx Hunters¡¯ Guild is expert in all things vampire. Calix tells us that they are not just a band of vampire hunters; they are a vampire hunter cult. The location of their center of operations is unknown and only a handful of members live in town.¡± Pompey gulps nervously under my watchful gaze. He takes one hand away from the steering wheel to comb back his long black hair, only to have it fall back to its original spot.


    ¡°Lanzo, call Calix and inform him that we will be arriving soon.¡± I point a lazy finger at Lanzo who is sitting in the passenger¡¯s seat of the Bentley. He immediately pulls out his black cell phone and does as I ask without hesitation. ¡°Killing my vampires without reason by these so-called vampire hunters is their death wish. I shall see to it myself that these hunters know firsthand not to go meddling with things that they couldn¡¯t possibly comprehend.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Eero.¡± Both Pompey and Lanzo approve simultaneously. Lanzo leans back in his seat smirking at Pompey, revealing his white fangs and allowing his golden blonde bangs to drop like a curtain over his mossy green eyes. Pompey smirks back at Lanzo, knowing full well that I am dead serious about revenging my fallen sires.


    I prop my head upon my palm for the rest of the trip and watch the dim moonlight cast through dark pine trees and random buildings. Lanzo and Pompey each glance at me to check on my mood ever so often. Another hour passes before Pompey drives into my villa which was originally built for my sires to live in. Four of those vampires are now staked and dead.


    The villa looks just as it did when it was first built two hundred years ago. The stone masonry is chipped and cracked from wear and tear over the years. Vines crawl up the sides of the stones to a second story. A garage, which was once used to house human servants, sits to the side of the paved pathway leading back toward the road. Instead of dull lantern posts lighting the entryway, electrical light posts stand in its place. The crescent moonlight peeks faintly through the heavy fog, blanketing the whole area. The Bentley curves around to the front foyer entry where six figures are waiting in a formal greeting stance. The light from the outside posts cast long shadows onto the barely visible stone walkway.


    Pompey steps out of the driver¡¯s seat and closes his door before opening mine. I feel the tension in the cool twilight as I emerge from the back seat. I straighten my black denim jacket as I exit and comb my fingers through my platinum white hair. Pompey and Lanzo lead me to the six waiting vampires.


    I did not bother formally greeting the six sires in front of me,¡°Where is Calix? I want to see him immediately.¡±


    One of the six vampires, steps forward in a bow, allowing his medium sandy blond hair to fall over his face,¡°My Lord, Calix is in the study.¡±


    ¡°Very well then.¡± I look over at Pompey and Lanzo before continuing,¡°You two make yourselves comfortable. I will see myself to the study.¡±


    Just as I step onto the threshold, Lanzo asks from behind, ¡°Would you like for me to hunt for your meal, Lord Eero?¡±


    My tongue glides over my aching fangs and then I peer back at Lanzo to nod approvingly. Lanzo gives me a short bow, complete with a half-smile. I resume my urgency to the study room where Calix awaits my wrath. I remember my villa as if it were built yesterday. The dimly lit spacious hallways and rooms may once have been dingy looking, but they are now well kept. Paintings on the granite stone walls are as priceless as they are memorable. Numerous painters including other vampires created the paintings over the centuries and some were collected from homes of previous meals. They were the only real reminder of how much time has actually passed; but even though, one could never measure the full length of time.


    The door to the study stands open and I lean myself against the doorframe. I watch Calix as he bends his head over an open book that sits underneath a lamplight next to a darkened stone fireplace. His sandy blonde hair is waist length and is pulled back into a sluggish ponytail perpendicular down his back. I feel my pulsating fangs extend slightly from my lack of substance, which reminds me that I will soon have a meal.


    I open the conversation in an indifferent tone,¡°I¡¯d expect you to greet me like the other vampires, Calix¡± as I fold my arms. Calix jumps rigidly out of the desk chair and lowers his amber eyes after meeting my piercing gaze.


    ¡°My apologies, my Lord. I did not want to show myself before you in my shameful state. I did not live up to my Lord¡¯s expectations and I am grieving the loss of your fallen sires.¡± Calix bows lightly in my presence.


    I look around the study, taking mental notes of any changes since my last departure.¡°I built this villa for you and your so-called family so that you could live the life you wanted. Your brothers and sisters look up to you for guidance in my absence. You are their elder and you have let them down. Because of your indiscretions, four of my sires are dead. Two of those four vampires were your younger brothers.¡± I study Calix as I reopen the wounds that he had created for himself. I step strategically toward him and he tenses in reaction to my movements.


    ¡°Would it heal your wounded pride if I punished you?¡± I ask with a smile playing at the corner of my mouth. I reach the edge of the desk to explore Calix¡¯s evading eyes. Calix does not answer me nor moves away from me as I circle around the desk. ¡°Shall I feed on you like a helpless human?¡±


    I shove the desk chair out of my way, which explodes into pieces as it collides into the stone wall. I then clasp Calix¡¯s ponytail to vindictively jerk him down. Calix collapses to one knee and obediently tilts his head rearwards. My fangs throb with pleasure as I draw closer to Calix¡¯s neck, while he keeps his eyes pointed toward the doorway. The nettle-points of my fangs scrape along his neck. Pearly-red blood seeps out and runs down his neck psychedelically. I lick at the blood, tasting the delight that Calix felt from that moment.


    I relax my hand around Calix¡¯s ponytail and use my index finger to force his jaw toward me; he finally looks me in the eye. ¡°You would enjoy for your master to sink his fangs into your neck? This is a clear sign that my blood still flows through your body. You are mine; as long as I am alive, your life exists because of my blood that courses through your veins. As a punishment, I will not drink from you. You will watch as I feed off another. Jealousy will consume you as my fangs rips open an unwilling donor.¡± I raise my eyes toward the open entryway where Lanzo stands watching with red lusting eyes.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    He holds a frightened middle-aged woman who had been watching the scene as well. Just when her eyes meet mine, she squeals with panic. I wave my hand at the woman to come forward but her fear keeps her feet from moving. She feebly stands in complete horror as Lanzo prevents her from any attempt of escape. I narrow my now red-gleaming eyes at her as I command, ¡°Come forth and stand in front of the desk.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes become glossy and her feet unconsciously proceed forward. She stands in front of the wooden desk just as I commanded her to. Before her senses awaken, I quickly whip around the desk. Calix is still kneeling on the floor, but his tall stature allows him to watch as I embrace the woman from behind. She starts screaming as she becomes alert to what just happened.


    ¡°Wha...wha...what you gonna do to me? I...I have a husband and a child. Please just, just let me go.¡± The woman chokes out her pleas as fresh hot tears slide down her cheeks.


    I wipe away one teardrop with the back of my index finger,¡°My dear woman, you have nothing to worry about. Your family will do just fine without you.¡± Her whimpers increase into firm sobs as I tilt her head backward and against my shoulder.


    Almost superhuman strength starts empowering the woman to break free, which causes me to grasp her tighter.¡°Now this will only hurt if you struggle. Please keep this in mind.¡± My fangs tinge the curvature of her neck. The aching and pulsating of my fangs subside as I puncture her skin. I sink my fangs deeply into her neck allowing blood to flow smoothly. She screams at the top of her lungs and cries desperately for help. Her arms reach out for anyone or anything to save her from her fate. The warmth of her rich blood thaws my cool body like a thermos. The more blood I take, the less her heart pounds as she loses consciousness. Every beat of her heart makes music to my ears; but soon enough, her last heartbeat terminates the music.


    I release my grip and her body slumps; her head collides onto the desk before reaching the floor. I lick my lips, catching lingering blood droplets as I look to confirm Calix¡¯s tormented eyes. I turn around toward Lanzo and wave back toward the corpse on the floor.


    ¡°Lanzo, you will take care of the human trash. Pompey will see to it that my lodgings will be settled.¡± I depart the study room and into the spacious hallway.


    Pompey waits patiently beside an empty Teutonic knight¡¯s armor that stands in the corner. He steps in sync with me and holds my luggage with excellent posture. His long black hair sways as he nods to the sires we pass.The resident sires bow toward me and keep their position until we reach another corridor.


    ¡°I hope for Calix¡¯s sake that he learns his lesson. Sending four of my vampires to that retched place only to get them killed; and for what, to find some meaningless information about the Phalanx Hunters? These hunters would not target us if Calix weren¡¯t so curious about trivial things.¡± Pompey nods in agreement before stopping in front of the grand master room of the villa.


    Pompey opens the double doors, ¡°My Lord Eero, I cannot help but think that these hunters are more than what they seem. Calix may have acted rash by sending our fallen companions into that church, but the Phalanx Hunters go back centuries. I have reason to believe that they have connections with that prophet hunter group. The hunters are on a search for pureblooded vampires such as yourself. That is all the information that Calix has retrieved so far.¡±


    I enter the room making approving looks at the silky red draperies covering the tall windows. The elegant, black vampire emblem, executive desk, and matching chair stand strong in the adjacent corner from the doorway; just as I had left it. A king-sized bed is embedded into wooden structure in the middle of the room, which is elevated from the rest of the room. There are three stairs that wrapped around in a square that led up to the elevated platform where the bed stands. An arrangement of different colored decorative pillows conceals a portion of the bed. I decided to make myself comfortable sitting in the chair behind the desk.


    I gesture Pompey to sit before continuing the conversation,¡°I will monitor how things go for the time being. If these hunters are as good as Calix says, they will try and bait us like dogs. I¡¯ve seen such a technique done many times and lost many ignorant new vampires to such a trick. However, these hunters should be well aware that my sires are not fledgling vampires and will try more desperate attempts to lure us out into the open. They cannot raid the villa because they don¡¯t know where my clan is hiding as of yet. Even if they have located my clan they would not storm in without risking their lives. We will have to be smart about this and keep lying low. I am anticipating that the hunters too will keep lying low for at least a little while.¡± I support my head with my arm in deep meditation, as Pompey stands.


    ¡°I shall put away your things and leave you to your thoughts, Lord Eero.¡± He bows and then walks toward a lavish antique dresser. Pompey cleans dust off of the furniture before walking into an opening. He turns the warm water on from a brass faucet leading into a freestanding tub with no visible privacy curtains. Pompey retrieves a bathrobe and other necessities before shutting off the water.


    Pompey saunters back over to where I sit,¡°Your bath is ready if you like, my Lord.¡±


    He bows, but I snatch his arm before he is able to leave. Without saying a word, I bite into his wrist and drink my fill. I feel Pompey¡¯s satisfaction as I drink and I stop just before his blood begins to run icy cold. I lick at the bite marks on his wrist to stop the bleeding.


    I ask for Pompey to come close, and whisper, ¡°Starting now, all human food sources are forbidden until we deal with this Phalanx Hunters. Make sure the other vampires know this as well. If this is unacceptable, I will carry out punishment as I see fit.¡± I pause to check for understanding in Pompey¡¯s face, ¡°Also, Pompey, please tell Lanzo that this decree also applies to him.¡±


    Pompey¡¯s dark brown eyes widen with understanding,¡°I shall tell him immediately my Lord and master.¡±


    Pompey nods in agreement and then slips out of the room into the hallway. The double doors close but are not locked. I sit in my chair for several minutes and think through my plans. There is little that can be done about the Phalanx Hunters right now.We need to become acclimated into the town to know more. My vampires will have to learn this the hard way by refraining from feeding off humans for a while.


    Standing by the freestanding tub, I remove my clothes and step into the water. My body slowly begins to warm up and I lean my head back against the arc of the tub. I close my eyes to relax while my heightened hearing catches the disappointing opinions of the vampires. I hear Pompey¡¯s instructions plainly and feel depression settling among the villa.


    Lanzo¡¯s footsteps are heading down the hall and the double doors to my room swing open. I remain calm with my eyes still closed as I hear his steps getting closer. He stands at the side of the tub waiting.


    ¡°Lord Eero, please allow me to apologize for preparing you a human feast tonight.¡± Lanzo pleads as I open my eyes.


    I stare at the vaulted ceiling and do not exert myself to look at Lanzo. ¡°It is forgotten Lanzo, I do not recall telling you otherwise at the time.¡± I close my eyes once again, ¡°Now leave me.¡±


    Lanzo¡¯s footsteps begin to lead away, but they stop at the door. ¡°Please my Lord, do not reject my blood. Seeing your bite marks on Pompey has distressed me.¡±


    I ignore his comment, but cannot ignore the fact that he defied my request to be left alone. I snap my eyes open and dart out of the bathtub to pin Lanzo to the wall next to the door by his throat. Water drips to the floor from my naked body making a puddle on the hardwood floor. Lanzo accepts my influential hand and obediently caves as I lean closer to his ear. I push his golden blonde hair away from his ear.


    ¡°I told you to leave, why do you disobey me?¡± I relieve my grasp from Lanzo¡¯s throat and skim my fingers down his neck.


    ¡°My jealousy consumed me my Lord.¡± Lanzo admits, but I had already known this. I prop my free hand against the door and look deep into Lanzo¡¯s suffering green eyes.


    My fingertips loiter over his bared chest, then I dig my nails through his flesh. I slash across his chest making blood splat onto my own chest, face, and arms. I lick at the blood on my fingertips and return back toward the tub. With my back turned, I hear the door open and then close with Lanzo¡¯s presence removed from the room. I dunk back into the bath water and watch the clearness turn into murky red. The rage I felt begins to dissipate with the sound of crickets chirping from outside.


    Pompey¡¯s voice is hushed with exasperation when addressing Lanzo, ¡°Lanzo, I told you Lord Eero is in a bad mood. I didn¡¯t even ask him to drink from me so why press the issue?¡±


    I hold my forehead against my hand as Lanzo replies to Pompey whole-heartedly; ¡°I am always the first one that Lord Eero takes blood from. If he didn¡¯t already turn everyone else in this villa, I would kill whomever for even thinking about touching his precious blood.¡±


    Pompey thickens his voice, ¡°Man, you know Lord Eero can hear you. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised to see you dead by morning. I suggest you eat up and deal with things right now.¡± I hear a couple of birds frantically flap their wings trying to free themselves from their captors, before Lanzo and Pompey chomp their fangs into them and forever stop their struggles.


    At least my sires are eating another blood source according to my orders. I am pleased, but I know the future well, and having an insufficient blood source will undeniably put my sires¡¯ training to test.

 The Bee Stings

    Several nights have passed where I had decided to imprison myself inside my room. I locked myself up mainly because of my mood. Like the other vampires, feeding on animals and birds has set me on edge. I lay in bed trying to control my hunger for human blood. My gums are sore and my fangs tingle with anticipation. The best solution would be to pretend my bed is a coffin for the next century and forget that hunger actually exists.


    A woman¡¯s voice sounded from the door, ¡°My Lord, I have brought you your meal.¡±


    I stumble out of my bed and notice the weakness in my body. The pillows, which usually cover the majority of my bed, are now bunched around the foot of my bed. I carefully walk over the pillows to not trip and tumble down the stairs to the bottom floor of the room. The amount of weakness I feel could be a result of the sun still setting. I look through the drapes to see the sun¡¯s mocking rays start stinging and burning my face. Following the path to the door, I unlock the knob to allow my sire Reeta inside. She brought with her a metal cage with a black raven pecking its beak at the sides.


    Her straight sandy blonde bangs frame her face and the rest fall waist length in the back. ¡°Calix tells me your favorite animal blood source is from ravens. I hunted this one just for you, my Lord.¡±


    I take the cage from her and set it on the floor. Her amber eyes are full of misperceptions as I gently hold her by her chin with the arc of my hand,¡°Your brother knows me well, but how well do any of you really know me?¡±


    She does not have any answers for me, but struggles to come up with one. She holds her breath as I turn from her to take the raven out of the cage. I hold the raven around the body to pin his wings and offer it to Reeta. She takes the raven and holds it just as I did without question.


    ¡°Feed.¡± I order her, and she does.


    I watch her from my bed as she feeds, and my fangs ached fiercely. She breathes heavy as the raven falls to the floor as stiff as a board. I smile at her and pat my hand on the side of the bed.


    ¡°Come over and sit Reeta.¡±


    Reeta eagerly ambles over to the bed and sits beside me. Her amber eyes are still glowing red from her feast which excites my angry fangs. I pull her closer and uncover her shoulder by lifting the collar of her shirt. I do not hesitate to bite down and do not restrain from sucking intensely. She groans in pleasure and shutters from the thrill of my touch. Her groans rouse my entire body to want to touch every part of hers. The strength that I lost is regaining little by little with every swallow of her blood. Though we are still clothed, I can feel her breast from underneath her rose print blouse. I throw her down on the bed and climb on top of her as she uncovers both sides of her shoulders, thus giving me options where to bite next.


    I take my fingernail and slit a small line on my own neck where a few drops fall onto her pale cheeks. She bites into me timidly as I take advantage of a fresh spot on her opposite shoulder. Her legs wrap around mine with vigor. Her fingers explore my back muscles and claw at my shirt. The amount of blood I take from her begins to weaken her even though she fed off the raven and sustained herself with my own blood.


    I freeze instantaneously when a scent of a human comes wafting through the villa household. I lift myself off of Reeta, who is panting, but also sniffing at the same scent as I am. I do not wait for Reeta to leave before I change my clothes. I remove my ripped shirt that Reeta had clawed and pull on a red button-up long sleeve shirt. Reeta watches engagingly as if I were putting on a show as I change into faded dark jeans. I slip on black shoes that I recently bought in France and then leave with her still on the bed.


    I run over to Calix who is overseeing a household of vampires looking out a large window. All of the vampires, including Pomepy and Lanzo, are interrupted by my presence. Simultaneously, all vampires in front of me notice the blood on the side of my neck where Reeta¡¯s bite marks remain. I can smell Reeta coming from behind me as her wounds are healed, but not washed off.


    Envy fills the room with hints of anger toward Reeta. Calix stands with his mouth open but hands me a handkerchief to wipe away the blood from my neck. Reeta runs from the group and I hear her crying all the way to her bedroom.


    I clear my throat and address Calix, ¡°I smell a human on the grounds. Is it possible that it is one of the Phalanx Hunters?¡±


    The vampires clear the way as I walk to the window to look out toward the small cemetery mostly housing dead humans who did not survive being turned into vampires by myself. The scent is from a small child who is playing around with some flowers on a grave.


    Calix explains from behind me,¡°It¡¯s just a small human child, but it could be a trick. There is no way to know for sure.¡±


    I look around at the vampires who are gaping at me and the small child outside. ¡°Does anyone have candy on them?¡±


    They are stunned by my odd question, but search their pockets anyway. Pompey flashes away and then returns just as quickly with a handful of cherry licorice sticks. He hands them to me and I place them in my pocket.


    Pompey scratches his head,¡°I am lost, my Lord. What does candy have to do with this situation?¡±


    I keep my eyes on the human child as I answer, ¡°Human children like sweet things. The child is obviously lost and this is no place for a child.¡± I state in a matter-of-fact tone.


    I put my hand on the door and look back at Calix, ¡°Your sister tastes exceptionally better than you, and I simply could not resist.¡±


    His amber eyes lower as the rest of the vampires hold their breath. I grab the doorknob and turn. Lanzo nervously holds onto my hand in protest.


    ¡°My Lord and master, the sun has not set yet and will hurt your delicate skin. Please rely on me to do your will.¡±


    I crush Lanzo¡¯s hand easily, to the point that I could hear the bones cracking, ¡°The sun does indeed burn, but I am a pureblood. Surely you know I will not engulf in flames like any common vampire. You are my sire; therefore, you will burn to death in the sun. You cannot do anything for me without bursting into flames first you idiot. Do not stand in my way again because my dear Lanzo, my patience with you is wearing very thin.¡± I release Lanzo¡¯s hand and watch the bones heal themselves as Lanzo bows and replies ¡°Yes, sorry my Lord.¡±If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Lanzo backs away in shame into the shadows and the other vampires follow his example. I open the door and step out into the yard. The warmth of the sun irritates my skin as I walk normally toward the cemetery. I do not feel any eyes on me other than the vampires from inside the villa. The evening breeze taunts me with the human child¡¯s blood scent, I must overcome the thirst. Years of perfecting my control cause my skin to relax regardless of the sun¡¯s brutalizing waves. My eyes sting and blur slightly, but I focus steadily on the little human female. She squats down to grab a stick with her stubby little hands. She uses the stick to poke at a bee that is resting on a blade of grass. I observe from the shadow of a tree as the bee becomes agitated. She continues to poke at the bee, ignorant to the potential danger of being stung.


    Her light almond curls bounce as she follows the angry bee to a magenta Tuscany garden rose. She uses her tiny fingers like pinchers to pick up the bee. She instantly flickers her fingers, allowing the bee to fly away. She closes her tiny right palm and her eyes swell with tears. Her lower lip quivers uncontrollably and she places her right index finger in her mouth. Despair washes over her face as she registers the pain of the bee sting.


    I step silently through the grass over to her and calmly touch her almond curls. The sweetness of her blood is almost too much to resist and if I were a common vampire, she would already be dead. She turns around lost in her own hopelessness and cries irrepressibly. I crouch down to her toddler level and pull her closer into an embrace. I stroke her short curls only to watch them bounce back like springs. She wails louder while sucking on her injured index finger. I stand up with her in my arms and get a better look at her. Her mouth opens halfway and saliva leeks out the sides and down to her chin. Tears continue to stream down her cheeks.


    I talk to her as if she were able to comprehend my words,¡°Humans are such interesting creatures. Humans are curious about life in ways they shouldn¡¯t and end up hurting themselves in the process.¡± I hold her petite finger to examine it. The bee sting had swelled the tip of her finger. I kiss the injury while ignoring the rush of blood flowing through her veins. Just a simple kiss is able to immediately heal the sting, and I display the finger in her unfocused blue eyes.


    ¡°Learning that the bee does sting when provoked should teach you not to do it again.¡± I instruct her knowing full well that her toddler understanding is limited.


    Her face is wet with tears but only a few straggling tears continue to escape down her cheeks. I carry her over to a stone bench where a shade casts over from the nearby tree. I sit down beside her and dig into my pocket to pull out one cherry licorice candy. I hold it in front of her sapphire blue eyes, and she smiles with great enthusiasm. Her hand wobbles toward the candy and operates her fingers around it. She tugs it out of my fingers and plays with it around her mouth. She takes it out again producing slobber buildup all over her hand.


    I smile at her, but then notice bruises on her petite arms. The little skirt she wore uncovers more bruises on her legs and thigh. As she nibbles at the candy, I turn her torso around to lift her shirt up. More bruises litter her back and I run my fingers over her soft gentle skin. She does not wince from me touching the bruises, which tells me that she is tolerant to the pain. I sit her back down facing forwards and allow her to continue eating her candy.


    She stuffs the remaining bits of candy in her mouth and chews loudly. After swallowing the candy, she smacks her lips together and smiles at me so big that her eyes shut. I can¡¯t help but to laugh at her quirkiness.


    I lift her back up and sit her on my lap where she stares blankly at my shirt. ¡°What is your name little human?¡±


    She smiles again but this time giggles, showing her teeth. Her little arm stiffens playfully and she speaks softly but taut, ¡°Ava.¡±


    I stroke her curls again before introducing myself, ¡°Well little Ava, my name is Eero.¡±


    ¡°Air...Arrow?¡± She spits it out to try and say it right.


    I laugh again, ¡°My name is Eero, but I guess you can call me Arrow, it¡¯s close enough.¡±


    She clasps her little hands together and blushes, ¡°I...funny.¡±


    I blink my eyes at her in bewilderment, ¡°I suppose it has been many years since I have truly laughed.¡± I talk to her again but mostly to myself,¡°I can just be myself around you. Human or not, I find myself rather fond of you.¡± I lean toward her and place my forehead upon hers.¡°I am going to protect you.¡± Her sapphire blue eyes go cross-eyed with my close proximity.


    I lean back, propping my arms on the back of the stone bench thinking to myself, I have a household of vampires who would love to eat you. And now that they know your scent, they can track you down anywhere.


    Ava plays with a button on my shirt while I think of the best way to keep her safe. I carefully take Ava¡¯s arm into my palm and lift her wrist toward me. ¡°What I plan to do is mark you as my own. No vampire will dare attack a pureblooded vampire¡¯s property. Even for other pureblooded vampires, it would start wars. My little human, you are my first and only property.¡± She stares at me with confusion, making her cheeks poof out. ¡°Don¡¯t be frightened, it will not hurt a bit.¡± My fangs tingle with exhilaration as I use the tips of my fangs to pierce her wrist lightly. I use my fangs again to draw my own blood from my finger. I tap my blood in the small openings of her wound made by my fangs. My blood seeps within her wound like a soap sponge. I bend down to her wrist to kiss the wound; therefore, sealing the mark on her wrist.


    I talk to Ava to explain more as her head lulls to one side like a perplexed puppy, ¡°My blood has been sealed in your wrist. My vampire blood will not spread through your body, so you don¡¯t have to worry about becoming a vampire. Besides, I would have to drain you of your blood first. You shall live your life the way you like. But you must remember that you are mine and will always be bound to me.¡±


    Ava doesn¡¯t appear to comprehend and grins once again at me out of nervous habit. I bring her closer into another embrace, but this time she hugs me back and squirms at the same time.


    I pick her up and stand her on the grass. ¡°Walk with me, it is time you are to return home.¡± I doubt that she knows how to go back home or even where her home is, but I¡¯m sure it¡¯s not far.


    The sun taunts me by boiling my eyes as I lead the way toward my villa. Ava skips through the grass to keep up and hums noisily. I see that most of the vampires have their faces practically glued to the window pane, watching the whole affair.


    I stop to stoop down to Ava and use my finger to lift her chin. I narrow my eyes to compel her, ¡°Stay here until I come get you.¡± Her eyes blink and stand motionless. I smile at her briefly and continue toward the back entrance. All the vampires jump back into the shadows as I step through the door.


    Calix comes from down the hall, ¡°My Lord, is it true that the human child is just lost?¡±


    I shrug,¡°I did not sense any other humans apart from the female child. She is in need of supervision until she is properly returned home. I shall take her to town and inquire the townspeople of her parents. I will leave with her henceforth.¡±


    Calix and the rest are dumbfounded with my decision, but do not protest. Lanzo winces mentally with emotional pain from the back of the group. I stroll over to him and look into his green eyes. He cowards under my gaze as I stand perfectly tranquil.


    ¡°Lanzo, I am sensing that you are disturbed by my decision to mark the girl child.¡± I elevate my head sideways to lecture the rest of the vampires,¡°The human child is now mine. Preying on humans will gain suspicion from the Phalanx Hunters, and her scent would have haunted every single one of you. My mark will ensure her safety and the protection of my foolish sires.¡±


    I close my eyes, marking an end to the conversation, and walk away. ¡°Pompey, go fetch my hoodie; I need it to keep the sun off of me until the night draws nigh.¡± I step outside, while putting on my hoodie, and return to Ava who is still standing in the same place. As I look at her, I contemplate the real reason for marking her. If one of us were to eat her, it wouldn¡¯t affect a thing. There were no vampire hunters, because if there were, they would have stopped me from marking her. I couldn¡¯t even answer a simple question; why did I mark her? Perhaps I marked her subconsciously for a reason. I take her small hand and she shakes herself alert.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go take you home, little human.¡±

 Irene’s Diner

    Ava follows me down the street in town like a baby chick. The sky is whisked with different colors of red, orange, and blue. The stress of the sun is not an issue at the moment, but I sense a long night ahead for my little human and me. Townspeople are walking up and down the walkways but are few in numbers. Occasionally, I see females exiting shops along the way with their spawn following close behind. Mostly men are seen coming in and out of a very rowdy bar standing beside a run-down, perhaps questionable garage shop.


    For the most part, the town seems calm and peaceful, something straight out of a fairytale. Although, looks can be deceiving, including a place so seemingly peaceful as I walk and stalk their streets. This town is small and it is common for the residence here to know one another. If I find a human who knows Ava, they should know where her parents live. We come across a diner near an abandoned theater and I think to myself that this will be a good place to start. I study Ava¡¯s appearance as she reaches aimlessly for my hand. I presume that she might be hungry and think it best to use this opportunity to satisfy her needs in the process of finding her home.


    A couple teenage girls are laughing hysterically on their way out of a diner. As soon as they see me standing in front of the entrance, both girls halt with their mouths gaping open. I can tell by the rush of their pulse and the blushing of their cheeks that they were captivated by my looks. One of the girls smiles and attempts to say something to me, but I couldn¡¯t care less.


    Ava¡¯s tiny little hands grab hold of my jeans before I point behind the girls, ¡°You are blocking the entrance. It would be in your best interest to move.¡±


    Both girls hurry out of my path, but as I open the screen door to enter, one of them say, ¡°He¡¯s the most gorgeous looking guy I¡¯ve ever seen but he has a major attitude problem.¡±


    Ava follows me inside the diner where a ¡®Please Wait¡¯ sign greets us. I look to Ava and roll my eyes, UGG, accommodating to human customs is boring and infuriating.


    Another teenage girl with chocolate-cherry hair comes to us with a generic smile in an effort to be polite. Her generic smile transforms to a bashful smile full of wonder and shock. She just can¡¯t pull her eyes away from mine and seems to be lost for words. It will be so easy for me to compel her and feed on her. She looks and smells extremely tasty, but I force myself to disregard her entirely.


    ¡°Welcome to Irene¡¯s Diner. How many will there be?¡± The teen asks blankly as she grabs several menus.


    I thought that maybe this was a trick question given that only the child and I stood before her. ¡°Can you not count, young miss?¡±


    She pales slightly but leads us over to a white and green booth along the sides of the wall. Ava jumps into the seat but has to lift herself up to scoot over to the wall. I sit beside her making sure she will stay in the seat and not run around.The teen sets two menus in front of us; Ava¡¯s menu is on a white sheet of paper with crayons attached.


    The young waitress pulls out a notepad, ¡°My name is Lorre and I will be your waitress this evening. What can I get you to drink?¡±


    I watch as her blood flows through her veins before answering,¡°The child will have...¡± I look at Ava¡¯s menu at the selection, ¡°Milk...and fetch me some black coffee.¡±


    Lorre records my order far too slow, but her heart beats faster as she notices my gaze. She walks straight across toward a counter where several townspeople are watching us. I open the pack of four crayons for Ava and she giggles elatedly. She uses the red color to draw lines all over the paper. The cartoon images on the paper are now covered in red, making it look like a bloodbath; I stiffen a laugh at the irony.


    Lorre returns to the table with my coffee and Ava¡¯s milk. As soon as she sets my coffee down she asks, ¡°Have you decided on your order yet?¡±


    Lorre stands wide-eyed with bewilderment as I empty a sugar dispenser into my cup of coffee.¡°Would you like some more coffee with that pound of sugar?¡±


    I snicker at Lorre, ¡°So what? I like sugar.¡±


    Lorre scratches her nose out of nervousness,¡°I uh, I like sugar too. No...I mean, I don¡¯t mean...I meant to say that...damn it, what the hell am I saying?¡±


    I smile warmly at her, ¡°It is nice to meet a girl so honest with herself. I rather like that.¡±


    Lorre smiles just as big as Ava while Ava scribbles on her kid¡¯s menu,¡°Really? I get in trouble a lot for foul language. Nanny says that I should be more lady-like.¡±


    ¡°Rubbish, being a perfect lady is glorified and a thing of the past? You should be whomever you wish to be without people telling you otherwise. Isn¡¯t that the beauty of being human?¡± I finish before taking a sip of coffee.


    Lorre is stunned with my comment yet the softness of her eyes tells me that she is appreciative of me for my encouragement. It takes her a minute to get back to her original role of being a waitress. ¡°Oh yeah, what did you want to order?¡±


    I take the paper menu from a huffy Ava to answer Lorre¡¯s question, ¡°She will have chicken and steamed vegetables. Make sure that her chicken is grilled, not fried.¡±


    I place the paper menu back in front of Ava who squeals in happiness. Lorre writes down the order and points to me with her pen, ¡°What would you like to eat?¡±


    I thought to myself, I would love to eat you. ¡°Nothing for me, just keep the sugar and coffee coming.¡±


    Lorre nods and walks behind the counter. She stops to talk with an older woman. Her hair is tinged with white, but she somehow pulls off wearing four-inch black heels. She chats happily with a married couple sitting at the counter. Her eyes are constantly wavering in my direction, but she smiles warmly when Lorre approaches her. I listen attentively to their conversation from where I sit.


    The older woman asks, ¡°Isn¡¯t she Ava Frost, Tory and Reuben¡¯s little girl?¡± Lorre answers, ¡°Yeah I think so. Why do you ask, Nanny?¡±


    The older woman looks in my direction again, ¡°I feel something¡¯s off about that boy.¡±


    Lorre laughs to lighten the mood, ¡°He seems very understanding; you should go over and talk with him. If he is nice enough to buy Ava food, then he might be her babysitter. He sure is dreamy, huh Nanny?¡±


    I turn my attention back to Ava who is holding the back of her menu up in my face, ¡°I draw Arrow.¡± She giggles.


    I take the paper where a jumble of colors makes a face. It certainly does not look like me, but I crumble it up when I see that she has drawn a childish version of fangs. I stuff the crumbled-up menu into my jean pocket as Ava¡¯s cheeks puff up and her eyes begin to swell. I feel an eye on us even before stuffing the drawing into my pocket. I pick her up and sit her on the table in front of me to keep her from wailing.


    I look straight into her eyes but use my tone to calm her down,¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± She immediately stops herself from crying and her tears do not fully produce.


    A second later we are both interrupted by Lorre¡¯s nanny, ¡°I had no idea Tory was able to hire a babysitter.¡± Her tone is polite but inquisitive.


    I eye her cautiously, ¡°I found the child wandering on my grounds earlier. Do you know this child?¡±


    ¡°I am Irene Spear, I own this diner and gave her mother a job here a long time ago. Tory got pregnant with Ava and then quit. Since then, I haven¡¯t seen much of Tory.¡± She makes questionable looks at the way Ava is playing with the strings on my hoodie.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°You have an interesting accent. You must not be from around here.¡± Her statement sounds more like a question.


    ¡°I am indeed new to the town. I am originally from Finland, lived there for many years. I moved here in the States to live with distant relatives.¡± I did not exactly lie, but I did leave out the fact that my so-called relatives were vampires sired by me.


    Her body language suggests that she does not fully accept my story but I am sure she is not all she says she is either. Irene takes extra interest in Ava¡¯s wrist where I placed my mark. Unless Irene is more than she says she is, the mark will look like a scarred birthmark to her. Only vampires can smell my unique blood emanating from it. Just as Lorre brings Ava¡¯s plate of food, an older man strolls over to Irene from the guest door. He wears thick-rimmed sunglasses and fashions a pointy grey beard. He uses a stick to move around the diner to keep from bumping into obstacles.


    Blind as a bat.


    He kisses Irene on the cheek and then greets me by resting his hand on my shoulder, ¡°Well, hello young man. I see that Irene has been flirting with the young folk again.¡±


    Irene chuckles and smacks the man with her purse, ¡°Harrison!¡±


    Harrison pulls his hand away from my shoulder quickly, as if he received an electrical shock from me. I size him up, studying his behavior, and the way Irene¡¯s heart skips a beat as she witnesses Harrison¡¯s reaction. I replace Ava back into her seat before Lorre sets her plate on the table. Ava nibbles at her chicken daintily while Lorre greets Harrison.


    ¡°Papa! How was the trip?¡±


    I scowl while taking another sip of coffee, why must these idiots have such meaningless conversations in my presence.


    Harrison eyes me behind his sunglasses even though he is blind, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you all about my trip during closing hours, Lorre. I am going to head upstairs.¡± He briefly kisses Irene again.


    Irene yells at him as he stiff-legs his way toward a door in the back, ¡°Call Holly and Dennis, we need to have an emergency meeting later. I¡¯m sure your son would want to hear from you.¡±


    Harrison waves his hand to signify he hears her and continues. Lorre smiles and takes my coffee cup to fill it, utterly oblivious to the way Irene and Harrison were acting. Ava picks up the last piece of chicken, overlooking her vegetables. As I monitor Ava, Irene pulls out a piece of notebook paper and writes down an address.


    She sets the paper at the end of the table before leaving behind the counter, ¡°This is an address to Ava¡¯s home. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find. Just take a left as you leave my diner and keep going past the high school. You will pass an old, abandoned villa and then her house is at the end of the dirt road.¡±


    I leave the paper sitting on the edge until I decide to leave. I keep one eye on Irene but she too had her eyes on me. Ava chews and swallows her chicken but hadn¡¯t touched her vegetables. I use her unused fork to stab a small piece of broccoli. I place my finger underneath her jaw and her mouth parts open. I shove the vegetable in her mouth but she scrunches in disgust.


    ¡°Suck it up and eat. Only eating greasy unhealthy chicken makes the blood run sour. My little human property will eat properly.¡± I pick up a few more vegetables and put them in her mouth again after she had swallowed the first bite. She squirms in her seat and whimpers once to voice her dissatisfaction before swallowing the rest of her vegetables.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Lorre drops by the table to hand me the check for the meal. ¡°I hope to see you in school...oh crap, that was rude of me. I meant to ask if you are going to school or if you are home schooled but...if you are home schooled, then that is okay too. You know, just forget it all...please just forget about me.¡±


    I lean my chin over my palms in amusement,¡°My dear Lorre, I shall find it difficult to forget you. Perhaps next time, then? When we shall meet again, we should get to know each other better.¡± I pull out a hundred-dollar bill from my wallet. I throw it on the table and thrust the paper with the address into my jean pocket. Lorre seems to be close to asking if she can come with me as I assist Ava out of the seat.


    I run my finger along her left cheek where blood rushes to the surface,¡°Keep the change.¡±


    Ava follows me out of the diner, leaving Lorre casting breathtaking stares. I make another note that Irene has been watching this whole time from the kitchen window.


    I have a feeling that Irene is a member of that Phalanx Hunters. I shall be expecting to see them again very soon.


    The evening air turns my body cool even after all the coffee I had. I hold Ava¡¯s hand after she unremittingly insists that her hand be held. I follow the address out of town; I take a detour around the villa grounds to avoid watchful eyes from my sires. We come upon a narrow dirt road with the same street name that is on the paper. Only a few rundown houses and a long-forgotten park are down the road. I can smell the rust from the chains holding a broken swing together. A cool breeze rustles the branches of the towering pine trees. Ava grips my hand tighter from the sudden sounds of the creaking swing set. From what looks like a nervous habit, Ava sticks her free thumb into her mouth to sooth her anxieties. It does not take long for me to realize Ava¡¯s fears are not coming from the darkness, but from two distinct voices down the road.


    My ears decipher that a couple is arguing and throwing profanities at one another. I can hear Ava¡¯s heart beat faster as we come closer to a dilapidated two-story house with bluish panels. Trash and trinkets are thrown out into the overgrown front yard where a broken-down mower lies in a ditch. Though the place looks wrecked and unkempt, it still has a fair amount of character left. The whole argument is barely visible by humans from the dimly lit hanging porch light, but I am able to see everything with detail.


    ¡°You left her on the side of the road? What the hell is wrong with you?¡± A light brunette woman screams at a man on the porch. Her nose is wrinkled with disgust toward the man and her eyes hold a mixture of sorrow, worry, and hatred. ¡°I told ya damnit! I ran out of gas¡¯n the old jeep. That little bitch must¡¯ve crawled out when I got gas from Eddy¡¯s...¡±


    Tory gripes as he finishes his beer that he was holding, ¡°''Cause you never pay any attention to any damn thing!¡±


    Her insult pushes the man over the top as he throws his beer bottle at the woman who dodges it right before it bursts on the side of the house. A shard of glass flies out and cuts the woman on the upper arm, and the sweet smell of blood fills the surrounding area. The woman¡¯s heart races, but I catch another small heartbeat coming from within her swelling stomach.


    I pull out two cherry licorices and give one to Ava. I chew on the sweetness of the candy, imagining how delicious Ava¡¯s mother would taste if I could only lick the air. However, for Ava¡¯s sake, I will settle for her abusive father.


    ¡°I missed outta some big bucks today because of that stupid girl. I¡¯ve told ja many times Tory that if I don¡¯t sell the candy, we don¡¯t pay the bills. Once I get my hands on that girl, she¡¯s really gonna be sorry.¡± The man runs his hands through his chocolate-brown hair and sniffs way too many times.


    ¡°Reuben! Ava is a four-year-old and goin¡¯ on five. She can¡¯t be blamed just because you can¡¯t do anything other than selling dope.¡± Tory states as if he should have already known, while holding her arm to stop the bleeding.


    Reuben rubs his hand under his nose and sniffs two or three times before he slaps Tory to the floor with the backside of his hand. Ava sucks on her licorice and tears start forming as she watches her parents fighting. Reuben keeps punching and kicking Ava¡¯s mother as if she were a punching bag. Tory¡¯s pale face becomes more blotched with blood and bruises by the second.


    Arrived just in time for the show, it seems, I thought as I start to become agitated, even if they are humans.


    Ava screams out in anguish over her mother¡¯s pain,¡°MMMMMommy!¡± Reuben stops to look out into the yard where Ava and I stand. Ava starts after her mother with her stubby legs, but I hold her back by blocking her path. Reuben steps down onto the dirt pathway below the porch steps.


    He yells in pure rage, ¡°Come here ya lil¡¯ bitch! I¡¯ll give ya somethin¡¯ to really cry about.¡±


    Ava hugs onto the calf of my leg, too scared to move. Tory shrieks from her agonizing curl from behind the wooden railings of the porch, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hurt her again Reuben!¡±


    Reuben ignores Tory, ¡°AVA, GIT YOUR ASS OVER HERE!¡±


    Ava¡¯s little fingers grip my pant legs to reassure her own safety. I smirk devilishly at Reuben, ¡°It appears she is more frightened of you than of me. How ironic.¡±


    Reuben only just now realizes that I am standing here. ¡°Who da hell are you?¡± His messy thin dark-brown hair sticks up as if he has never seen a bath. His goatee, bushy brown eyebrows, and wild eyes made him look demented.


    The scent of humans bathed in holy water overpowers Tory¡¯s sweet blood aroma. I recognize one of the scents well, from Irene¡¯s diner, Lorre¡¯s blood. I hear vehicles inching their way toward the house. From the sounds of things, they intend to sneak up on me when I¡¯m not looking. My sense of smell determines that the overpowering smell of holy water is coming closer by the second.


    It appears that old woman Irene is a part of the Phalanx Hunters after all. Huh...She sent hunters after me.


    Reuben screeches so loudly that he loses control of his voice, ¡°Answer me, damn-it!¡±


    I lick at my licorice as a male¡¯s voice calls from the forest, ¡°Step back Reuben, this is the work of Phalanx Hunters.¡±


    Two men emerge from behind the trees with carved stakes. They glare threateningly and wield their stakes at me. The man with medium well-groomed chocolate hair smells similar to Lorre who is hiding behind a parked blazer; I supposed he is Lorre¡¯s father.


    The other man circles away from Lorre¡¯s father. He also has brown hair, but it twists with curls; he wears black-rimmed glasses and has somewhat sickly pale skin. I clearly see some white drug powder under his nose; he wipes it away before anyone notices, except for me of course. He wears a black shirt with a white clerical collar. A priest from the local church, I guess? Lorre¡¯s mother with dark-cherry hair steps from behind Lorre with another stake. She still has her work clothing on with her name tag attached, which reads Holly Spear.


    Reuben throws his hand up at the hunters, ¡°This is family business. What da¡¯ hell are you doin¡¯ here, Dennis?¡±


    Dennis, who apparently is Lorre¡¯s father, warns in a loud whisper, ¡°Reuben, that guy is a vampire. Don¡¯t go any closer.¡±


    Reuben perplexes his brows at me, and Tory lets out a despairing groan from the step as she holds herself up with the broken stair rail. I smirk at Reuben as I chew off the end of my licorice stick.


    Dennis points the stake intimidatingly at me, ¡°Let Ava go.¡±


    I look down at Ava who is still holding on to me for dear life. ¡°I think you should tell her that.¡±


    Dennis scowls, ¡°You must have her compelled. Release your compulsion immediately.¡±


    Lorre tramples over to Dennis, ¡°Nanny was firm in saying that Ava wasn¡¯t compelled, Dad. Nanny said that Ava was marked by a pureblood.¡±


    Dennis looks at Lorre and then back at me, ¡°Why do you have a pureblood¡¯s property? Did your master order you to kill Ava¡¯s parents?¡±


    ¡°Not in the slightest. I merely found her wandering around on my grounds. I simply came to deliver her home safely. If you don¡¯t believe me, then ask the lovely Lorre; she served us well at the diner. I¡¯m sure she could vouch that I have no ill intentions toward the little human girl. That witchy Irene must have thought the worst of the situation. I assume that Irene is a witch, given that she saw my mark on Ava.¡±


    The curly-haired priest has trouble handling his stake,¡°Yourrrrr.... You¡¯re a PUREBLOOD?¡±


    ¡°You kill four of my vampire sires and don¡¯t anticipate a visit from their master? I think the Phalanx Hunters are losing their touch.¡± I laugh momentarily as I notice the resemblance between Dennis and the priest,¡°What is this, a family of amateur vampire hunters of the Phalanx Hunters Guild? I¡¯d bet millions that you have never even seen a pureblooded vampire.¡±


    Reuben interrupts the confrontation, ¡°Purebloods, vampires...what nonsense is all this? He just looks like a pretty rich boy. I¡¯m gonna punch your lights out!¡±


    Reuben charges at me and Ava screams. Tory shrieks her protest from the porch steps and cries frantically. In the mix of it all, I heard Lorre¡¯s small voice, ¡°No one will believe him if they attack.¡±


    I hold my finger out like a sturdy pole and relax my eyes as Reuben¡¯s forehead collides into my finger. I address the Phalanx hunters with a sinister tone, ¡°Tame this drunken human, or I will.¡±


    I open my eyes to see the priest waving his arms at Reuben to stop. I push Reuben off my finger and wipe his sweat on my jeans. Holly passes out from fright, but Lorre manages to catch her in mid-fall.


    Tory begs from the porch, ¡°AVA! Come to mommy.¡±


    I look down at Ava who has her face planted in my jeans. Her petite body is stiff with fright and her breathing is strained, afraid of her own father and the screams around her. I unlock her fingers from my pant leg with ease and bend to her level.


    My senses are still on alert with my back turned and crouched. ¡°Ava.¡± I place my index finger under her chin. ¡°Open your eyes.¡±


    Dennis panics from behind, ¡°Does anyone know how to stop that pureblood. He¡¯s compelling the girl.¡±


    Ava finally opens her terror-filled eyes, ¡°I want you to go to your mother. She¡¯s standing by the porch.¡±


    Ava¡¯s blue eyes hollow as she quavers toward the porch. Reuben makes a grab for Ava, but it is way too easy to grasp his wrist with my speed. I push his head backwards and hiss through my fangs, making him realize his demise. The full length of his throat is exposed for feeding as I bite crudely into his neck until my fangs graze his cervical vertebrate. I drink every ounce of blood so fast that the hunters don¡¯t actually know what happened until Reuben falls dead on a bed of wild grass.


    I lick at my lips while facing the hunters, satisfied with my kill. The priest flips his stake at my heart but I catch the stake as if I were playing ball. The stake has been steeped in holy water and sizzles my hand like boiling acid. I fling the stake back at him which shoots through the air with such speed that it impels into the priest¡¯s neck. He gurgles on his own blood and falls face forward.


    Dennis cries out in misery, ¡°Jefferson!¡± He falls to his knees in front of the priest and touches the bloody end of the stake that is sticking out the other end of his neck. ¡°Brother, why did you have to go and do that?¡±


    Lorre covers her mouth with her hands as she stands in silence. Holly wakes only to scream at the loss of her brother-in-law. She glowers at me when she makes the connection that I am the one who killed him.


    Well, no one seems to be troubled with Reuben¡¯s death except for Jefferson, what a waste. I flick my eyes over at Ava who is in the cuddling arms of Tory. Tory shields Ava¡¯s eyes from everything and holds her close.


    Dennis stands back up, ¡°You pureblooded monster!¡± He grits his teeth, but his eyes are heavy with grief. He starts to run at me, but I disappear from his view and attack from behind. The force of my punch dislocates his spine, causing him to bellow out. He stumbles, but his paralysis forces his legs to give out.


    I did want to kill him but that would have been too kind. Paralyzed for life, this may be for the best.


    Holly and Lorre both pull at their hair in disbelief. Holly spaces out as she looks into my red eyes, and then I turn my eyes to Lorre. I stride coolly over to Lorre and run my finger down her jawline, ¡°It must be disappointing to discover that I¡¯m a pureblooded vampire. Nevertheless, I had hoped our next meeting would not end up like this. Such a young age to witness such horrors. Perhaps you should have taken up a different hobby.¡±


    Unlike Tory, Holly can¡¯t do or say anything on the behalf of her own daughter. ¡°Too frightened to come to the rescue of her own husband or child, how pitiful.¡±


    I pull Lorre closer, smelling her blood as it races through her body. I mockingly place my fangs near Lorre¡¯s throat, thinking that it will provoke a reaction from Holly. Lorre shivers violently in my hold, but Holly remains spaced and catatonic. Holly simply cannot pull away from my red glowing eyes. After I pull back my fangs, Lorre relaxes and watches me carefully.


    I frown at Lorre, ¡°Abandoned little Lorre has to fend for herself.¡±


    Lorre looks back into my eyes as if she¡¯s fighting fear itself, ¡°You¡¯re not really like this, right? You seemed so different in the diner and you even said nice things to me. If this is the real you, I...I can¡¯t fight you. If you¡¯re going to drink from me, all I can do is scream. Your mercy is all that I can ask for.¡±


    I pull her arm up so that my fangs nearly graze her wrist. Something in Lorre¡¯s eyes were remembering something like this terrifying affair. Her soul is strong within her and every part of her is desperate for recognition for her existence. I play it off as though her reaction bored me into yawning. ¡°You are boring; maybe your Nanny will be more fun.¡± I caress her chocolaty-cherry hair before pulling away. I didn¡¯t want to frighten her more than necessary. ¡°I¡¯ll be expecting your witchy Nanny soon. Tell her to drop by my villa anytime. I¡¯m sure you or your nanny knows what villa I speak of. It¡¯s not as abandoned as people may think. If that witch has the guts to face me...we will talk about a bit of magic.¡±


    I leave Lorre standing alone with her good-for-nothing mother, devastated with the bloodshed before her. Before I leave, I walk casually over to Ava and her mother. Tory wraps Ava tighter to her and stands with Ava in her arms. She is badly injured from her abusive husband...no ex-husband, but still stood her ground. Tory¡¯s motherly instincts would have driven her to die in place of her child if such a situation would happen. Tory obscures Ava¡¯s face with her long curly hair. Though Tory does not say anything, her face tells me to stay away from her daughter.


    I reach out to Ava¡¯s hair but made eye contact with Tory, ¡°I leave Ava¡¯s safety to you until I return. I fear that I shall not return for a long time.¡±


    I smile apologetically at Ava as her big blue eyes peek at me through Tory¡¯s hair, ¡°Be patient my little Ava.¡±