Categories > Original > Romance > In A Darkened Room
In A Darkened Room
By Mishi
Chapter 7
Little Conversations
The hunt had proven to be pointless, with Touya returning home an hour before dawn. He had started with the area where the women’s bodies had been found; knowing that demons are not smart enough to dump the bodies farther away to cover their tracks. He searched the empted buildings, but nothing looked even remotely suspicious to him. Demons normally left some clues of their existence behind, and this left him wondering if the murders might actually be cult related instead.
He closed his curtains, leaving the room dark, and began to strip as he pondered, ‘Humans would have the sense to plant the body away for where they are doing the killing. But what are they doing to the women?’
With the clothes finally off, he stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. He left this room dark as well; he was not in the mood for light of any kind. He was more than ready to put the murders out of his mind and enjoy the shower, as he stepped into the stall and turned on the water.
For a long moment he just stood there under the steaming water, letting it soak his hair and run over his shoulders and down his back. He let himself think about what he had read in the journals that Maire had written.
‘Was it difficult for you to talk about it?’ He shook his head, “What the hell do you think? How stupid am I, of course it was difficult! What woman wouldn’t find it difficult to talk about being raped at ten years old? Stupid, just stupid!”
He picked up the soap and though about how she had reacted earlier in the evening to the phone call. He had seen her pacing and biting her nails. ‘You seemed so small and frail, yet you sacrificed so much of yourself for those women. You heal them… but who heals you?’ He left the question hang in the air with the steam that filled the room. There was no reason to answer the question; he believed he would only hurt himself with the possible answer, or come to a conclusion that would make him mad. So letting it drop, he cleared his mind and finished his shower.
After the shower, Touya set to the usual task of blow drying his long hair before exiting the bathroom and getting his nightly glass of water for bed. Wrapped in the soft fuzziness of the flannel, he had one hand behind his head and the other resting on his stomach. The flannel blanket was pulled up to his chest, and he was enjoying the softness as he thought of Maire again, ‘I hope she got some rest and didn’t fight the bed all night.’
Catching himself he sighed, “Shit, I like her! I honestly like her as a person. Here I go again.”
He let the silence of the room engulf him while his eyes became heavy. ‘I want to know her,’ was the final thought he had before his tired body gave out to sleep.
****
Though it had been a busy day at the Stack Shack, Maire felt like the day had drug on forever. She had been desperately waiting for the work day to be over so she could get home and call Allison, to give her Touya’s name. Her hopes were that Allison would be able to give her greater insight on who Touya actually was, and what she could expect from him in the way of danger.
With work over, she was eagerly waiting for the bus, which would have her home by a quarter till four. If she was right about Touya waiting till dark to watch and listen in on her, then he would miss the conversation entirely.
She bounced up the steps as she boarded the bus. The excitement she felt gave her a warm glow that was only complimented by her spongy coral blouse with its little floral print. The blouse was accompanied by light colored blue jeans, and pink tennis shoes. Despite the burgundy windbreaker, the cuteness of the outfit still came through.
After the short ride, she ran from the bus stop to her building. The elevator wasn’t moving fast enough. It felt like it had taken eternity to get home, and to the phone. After sifting through her purse for the card that Allison had given her, she was ready to achiever her goal.
Allison picked up on the second ring, “Hello, this is Allison of Avalon.”
“Hi, it’s Maire O’Fergus.” She was biting her thumb nail.
“Oh, hello Maire. How have you been?” Allison said in a jovial voice. She was dressed in her usual new age garb. This time the dress was orange, but it was the same wrinkly material. Her brown hair was up in a bun on her head, and amber gemstones dangled from her earlobes. She was standing behind the counter, watching her latest customer walk away from the store.
“I’m fine. Do you always answer your cell phone like that?”
Allison laughed, “Sorry, I’m still at work and it’s a habit. I get made fun of all the time.”
“Oh, well I can understand that. Anyway, I called because I have his name.”
“You know who your vampire is? That’s great! Give me the name and I’ll see what I can do for you.”
“Touya.” She couldn’t have hid the smile if she wanted to.
“Blessed be,” Allison whispered. “You might just have a chance at this after all.”
“Really?” The smile grew.
“Well, for starters, Touya has a nickname among the vampire realm; he’s known as the White Knight. He got the name because he is so sympathetic to humans. He gets in trouble for them all the time.”
“What do you mean?”
“The city is set up with vampire overseers. They have rules and the overseers make sure that the rules are enforced. One of the rules is that you don’t tell a human about vampires unless they are to become a Pro or a Groupie. Those are the two types of humans who donate blood to the vampires. If they don’t fall into those categories they are to be bespelled or killed. Well, last year he happened upon this prostitute who was getting beaten in an alley somewhere. He drains the pimp who was beating the woman to save her. The problem was…he did it in front of her. Then he couldn’t erase her memories, because her mind was to willful. So he ends up telling her everything and taking her in off the streets. Some rumors say he uses her for blood, but I don’t believe that.”
“Why not?”
“It’s not his way. He’s sort of a vigilante. He hunts the low-lives of the world, but he won’t prey on the weak. Most say that he took her in and got her cleaned up, and helped her make a life for herself. I think she has a child and is going to college.”
“You mean his child?” Maire was shocked.
“No, no, I mean, she had a child already. He gives her the means to care for it.”
“He sounds like a nice guy, then.”
“Yes, I would say he’s one of the nicest vampires you will run into. I don’t believe he would hurt you without reason. He doesn’t kill his prey. Anyway, he got in trouble over the prostitute, and the overseer had to punish him. Poor Touya spent a month locked up and denied blood. They tried to make him feed off a house Groupie after his release and he refused. I was amazed that one of the vampire females actually came to his rescue and offered the blood he needed.”
“So a vampire can feed off another vampire?”
“Yeah, as long as they have feed off a human close to the time of the feeding. So back to what I was saying…the only reason the prostitute is still alive is that Touya told Andrew he was going to use her for blood. I think that Andrew knows it’s a flat out lie, but he can’t step in without proof. And who is to say that Touya isn’t feeding from her.”
“But you don’t believe he is?”
“No, he hunts too much, which Andrew could call him on. I guess it really doesn’t matter that much to Andrew.”
“This Andrew doesn’t sound like a threatening guy.”
“Don’t ever get that idea of Andrew. He’s as deadly as a heart attack. He’ll kill you without a thought. I think Touya gets away with it because Andrews mate, Lydia, has a thing for him; she sort of thinks of him as her pet vampire. Touya will never give into her, but she keeps trying. And she is just as deadly as Andrew, so stay out of her way too.”
“Wait, Touya can’t hypnotize me either. He is breaking the rules for me now.”
“He must like something about you.”
“I don’t think I made the best first impression.”
“You have caught his interests in some way, because there has been no mention of you in the community. I think he just got in trouble too, but not for you. I do believe he was punished on Monday night. I’ll check on why and let you know.”
“Oh, thank you. You have been such a great help. How can I pay you back?”
“Just let me know what happens with Touya. I’m curious to see how this all turns out.”
“I have no problem keeping you up to date on it. I could use your advice. Besides, who else am I going to be able to talk to about this?” Maire laughed, heading towards the kitchen to start dinner. “Could you explain to me about the…um, what did you call them? Pros and Groupies?”
“Sure, but I’m going to be closing up the store as I talk, so bear with me.” Allison settled the tiny phone between her ear and shoulder, so she could re-shelve books. Leaving the counter with several books in one arm, and straightening several displays on her way; she headed in to the rows of shelves.
“That’s fine, I’ll be making my dinner,” Maire assured her with her own cordless pinned between ear and shoulder. She took a large piece of salmon from the fridge and placed it on the bar.
“What’cha havin’?”
“Baked salmon, cheddar mashed potatoes and salad. I haven’t decided my veggie yet.”
“Oh wow, that sounds good!”
“You want to come over for dinner?” She went back to biting her thumb as she asked it.
“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Maire’s eyes lit up with the anticipation of a house guest, “Not at all. I would love to have you over. It would save us both fumbling around with the phones as we try to work.”
“That’s true. What’s your addy and I’ll be over in about, oh…forty minutes?”
“That works fine. I live at 1024 Mills, apartment 524. I’ll have dinner waiting for you.”
“Wonderful, I’ll see you soon.”
“Ok, bye,” she hung up that phone and returned it to the base, bouncing from the kitchen to the living room. “I’m going to have company!” Maire clapped her hands and jumped up and down like a schoolgirl. “This is turning out to be an awesome day for me.”
****
For the evening’s stakeout, Touya was going for comfort. He had actually chosen a pair of faded blue jeans with holes in the knees and a thin plum colored knit sweater. He just pulled on the long sleeved garment when he heard the “bing” of the instant messenger.
SirThomas1459: How’s it going, mate? Learn anything about your mystery lady?
Touya planted himself in the seat and began to type.
LuminouslyImpaired: I’m doing ok. I’ve learned a lot about her, but nothing about her power. I’m starting to feel really uneasy about doing this.
SirThomas1459: What have you learned about her? And let me remind you that you were feeling uneasy about this to begin with.
LuminouslyImpaired: I’ve learned that she is a good woman, who doesn’t need me to mess with her life. She helps women who have been abused, and she has been abused herself. I can’t tell you the details, because I don’t know them all. I guess I wouldn’t tell them if I knew them. I feel bad enough for how I found out about this. I had to sneak into her home and go through her journals.
SirThomas1459: I see. You have to do what you have to do. Any clues about how she found you?
LuminouslyImpaired: None. She does know my name, and she has been talking to Marcus’ daughter.
SirThomas1459: You mean the half breed? That can’t be good. What if she reports it to Andrew?
LuminouslyImpaired: I don’t think she will. Andrew hasn’t called for me, so no one knows about her. I can keep her from Andrew and Lydia.
SirThomas1459: I hope so. A month of starvation didn’t leave you looking very pretty the last time. I still think that was far too harsh of Andrew over the whole Bethany mess.
LuminouslyImpaired: He knows a lie when he hears it.
SirThomas1459: One of these days you’ll learn, and you’ll live like the rest of us. So there really isn’t anything to report about the mystery woman?
LuminouslyImpaired: Never and nope. I have her apartment bugged, and I’m sure I’m not missing a single sound or move she makes.
SirThomas1459: Bugged?! You fucking amaze me! You have microphones set up in her apartment, when you have superhuman hearing? You fucking wanker! You are the king of overkill!
LuminouslyImpaired: Hey, I could miss something with just my hearing. I can hear everything with the mics set up in the rooms.
SirThomas1459: You could hear everything without the mics! God, what the hell do I do with you? Man, can’t you do anything the simple way?
LuminouslyImpaired: I guess the fuck not, asshole. Next topic!
SirThomas1459: You said she’s a good woman. You like her don’t you?
LuminouslyImpaired: Bitch, you’re just hitting all the sore spots today! Yes, I like her as a person. I don’t want to see her get involved in all this dark shit that is our world.
SirThomas1459: Remember she came to you. It’s not like you went out looking for her. If she’s a good woman, she should be good for you. You always did have a soft spot for the proper sort.
LuminouslyImpaired: Elisabeth was a liar, so don’t bring her into this.
SirThomas1459: 200 years and you’re still pissed over that one? She was a lady, she just wasn’t yours. LOL How were we to know she was in love with a hunter?
LuminouslyImpaired: I should have known by how she never wanted to touch me. There I thought she just wanted to remain pure, and she was baiting me for the kill. I’m such an idiot!
SirThomas1459: You were in love with her. Men do stupid things; think stupid things, when they are in love. Don’t be so hard on yourself, mate. These are different times. Maybe this Maire will be the pure one you have been waiting for. I still think it would be wise to make her a lover.
LuminouslyImpaired: And I still say it isn’t going to happen. If she is pure she wouldn’t want anything to do with my world. She would run screaming from it.
****
“I don’t know which is worse, the Groupies or the Pros. Neither sounds very flattering to me,” Maire said as she fiddled with a tiny piece of salmon.
Maire sat in the kitchen side seat of the small bar, while Allison sat on the living room side. The salads had been consumed quickly by the hungry women, but the rest of the meal was going down slower as they talked.
Allison took a quick sip of the wine she had contributed to the meal. “Well, the Pro doesn’t necessarily have to have sex with them, so I would say that the Pro would be more dignified then the Groupie. In most cases, the vamp is only paying for the blood. I have met quite a few Pros that say no sex allowed, because of the dangers that come with it.”
“Dangers?” Maire managed to hold back her embarrassment at the topic to ask.
“Well, yeah, there are the dangers of broken bones and death. Vampires are like twenty times stronger than humans. It would be nothing to get crushed bones or your throat torn out. Not all vamps want to be as gentle as it is necessary to be with a human. It’s not like sex with an ordinary man, hun. It is a whole lot better, but dangerous.”
“Oooh…” Maire let out with a small voice. The question was there in her eyes, but she didn’t want ask it. No, that would be too rude. It really wasn’t any of her business how Allison knew the sex was better.
“I’m not a slut, but I did try at being a groupie once.” She stated, taking another sip of her wine.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel like you had to explain. I’m sorry if…”
Allison cut her off, “You didn’t, but the question was there. I know you’re curious about all this stuff, so I’ll tell you.”
“Only if you feel like you want to. You don’t have to talk about anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.”
“I know that. You’re easy to talk to, so I don’t mind telling you at all.”
“Thank you,” Maire said, taking up her wine glass.
“I was just out of high school and going through an identity crisis. It was difficult being half vamp, half human. So, I thought I would enter the vampire world. I wasn’t a vampire, so I had to be something, right? I didn’t need money. Though, my father probably would have preferred I had been a Pro instead of a Groupie.”
“How could he want you to be a prostitute?”
“Because Groupies have no rules to protect them! They don’t hold anything back, Maire. They get all used up and dumped somewhere. Some of them end up dead. That’s not as well known, but it does happen. See, part of why Touya was punished was because he refused to share his groupie. Law says that a vampire can be soul owner of a groupie he has brought into the society, but he must pay a price for it. Touya paid a heavy one, because he didn’t share. And, originally, he broke the rules by not telling anyone about her, so she could be dealt with.”
“And you wanted to be one?” She took a bit of the salmon she was playing with.
“I was young and didn’t think too much of myself back then. I had never belonged anywhere. I was a freak. I understand what you went through over your angel. I went through something similar over my talents. It was horrifying knowing things were going to happen to people, but not knowing how to make those things change.” She shook her head, “I’m sure you understand how that made me feel, how hopeless it all seemed.”
The look in Maire eyes matched the sincerity in her words, “Yes, I do.”
“That was why I did it. I wanted so desperately to fit into the vampire world, because I thought I had failed at the human one. So I went to Scarlet and asked to be a part of the human herd. Lucky for me, Scarlet is a lot kinder than most of the other overseers in the city. She believes in inner journeys and all that, so she was willing to let me find myself. She even set me up with one of the gentler males.” She stopped to take a quick bit of chatter mashed potatoes. “He gave me an apartment of my own, and an income. I started going to college. It was nice for the first year, but it didn’t make me feel any more a part of anything then I ever had. It was just really good sex and not much else. Sure, I hung out at the main house like everyone else, but that wasn’t anything special, really. So I went to Scarlet and asked her if I could change my mind. She was lenient to me because I was an overseer’s daughter. I have to check in with her and give her part of my earnings. I had to swear my loyalty to her. She can also feed off me if she wants too.”
“Is she how you got your business?”
“She’s my silent partner,” her smile was a bitter sweet one.
“Is she scary like Andrew?”
“Not so much. She is not a fan of humans, but she is not mean. She felt sorry for me, I think…because I’m half vamp.”
“So your dad is an overseer too? Are you close?”
“He is, and he offered me his protection. But are we close…? He was there for my teen years. They had to keep him a secret till I was old enough to keep quiet about vampires. I don’t remember ever wanting anything and not getting it as a child. And we lived in a nice home. I’ve just never had the chance to really talk to him. It’s awkward when we are alone together.”
“My father was a violent man. You never knew when he was going to go off, so you stayed away from him. When I was ten, he raped me. That’s when I started seeing Iris. She kept me safe from him, and told me to tell mom. I went to live with my cousin and his family after that.”
“I’m so sorry.” She reached out for Maire’s hand.
“It’s ok. It brought me Iris…and in the end it got me away from him.”
“What happed after you told your mom? Did she leave your dad?”
“She tried to stay with him and work things out. I mean, he told her that he was sorry and it would never happen again. He never apologized to me, though. She did eventually leave him and remarried, but I continued to live with my cousin until I finished high school.”
“Is your step-dad nice?”
“He’s not bad. He thinks I’m nuts, but he’s nice about it,” Maire laughed.
“My mother still waits for my father. He comes to her less and less now, but she waits.”
“So he never made her a vampire?”
“Oh, no!” she waved her hand and picked at her food. “I don’t ever see him doing that, either. She may think that he will someday, but I’ll never believe it.”
Maire stood to gather her dishes for their trip to the sink and Allison followed.
“Ice cream?” Maire asked, hoping her guess wouldn’t rush off.
“Eww, what kind?” Allison’s green eyes sparkled with excitement.
Maire walked over to the freezer and pulled out two choices, “New York Super Fudge Chunk or Karamel Sutra.”
“Praise the Goddess, a woman after my own heart! Give me the Karamel Sutra.”
She tossed the ice cream at her friend and went for spoons.
****
Touya had arrived at his post just in time to see the girls curled up on the couch with their Ben and Jerry’s. The girls were talking about old boyfriends and their failed high school relationships. ‘Great, girl talk! Lucky me. Well, at least, it’s a break from Buffy.’ He listen to them go on and on for the next few hours, while he adjusted his equipment and chugged his bourbon.
When it had finally came time for Allison to leave, Touya, left his stakeout to appear before her car when she exited the building. The car was a 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster. It was black and could go over 200 miles per hour. To say that Touya wasn’t impressed with the car would have been a lie. However, he still preferred his Mustang. He leaned up against the car as if it was nothing. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was looking as cocky as he could manage, with his black leather coat adding to the tough bad guy look.
She crossed the street slowly, trying to hold up the appearance of confidence. When she was a few feet from him she spoke, “I knew I would see you eventually. How did you know that car was mine?”
“Like a car this nice would belong to someone in this neighborhood. The tires alone cost more than most of the cars on this street.”
“You’re leaning on the car and there’s no alarm. I guess I don’t need to ask how you got past the car alarm, but can I ask if it still works?”
He smiled for a long moment, “Yeah, it still works.”
“It’s a bit cold for me. If we are going to have a conversation, can we have it in the car?”
He stepped out of the way, making a sweeping motion with his hand, inviting her to the door. She used the key chain to open the locks. When he heard the doors unlock, he walked over to the passenger’s side and got in.
She slowly followed his lead, and ended up second in the car. “Well, what can I do for you, sir?”
“Why are you being so chummy with Maire?”
“I happen to like her, she’s a sweet girl. Why are you so interested in who she hangs out with?”
“I don’t want to see her hurt.”
“Well, you should be thanking me then, because I’m the one telling her who to stay away from. I don’t see you doing any of that. She has questions and you are just standing around in front of people’s cars.” She didn’t mind that it came out a little catty; she wanted to make her point.
“I didn’t plan on getting her involved in our world. I’m just watching her for now.”
“I know why she met you, she told me.”
“Have you noticed anything strange about her?”
She knew what he was getting at, because she knew his senses should be able to pick up on it too. “Other than the mystical powers that cling to her, no.”
“Yes, what do you now about the power? Is it something that comes from her?”
“No, it’s Iris. She talks to what she believes to be an angel.”
“An angel?” His voice was flat. “She says she talks to angels? I read this in her journals, but didn’t believe it.”
“I’ve felt something very strong around her, and I don’t doubt that she talks to something. All the signs are there that it could be an angel. Who am I to argue with her?”
“Ok, she wants to save my soul…and she talks to angels. Lovely, just lovely.” He went for the handle to let himself out of the car.
“What are you going to do with her?”
“I don’t know,” he got out of the car. Without another word he was gone.
By Mishi
Chapter 7
Little Conversations
The hunt had proven to be pointless, with Touya returning home an hour before dawn. He had started with the area where the women’s bodies had been found; knowing that demons are not smart enough to dump the bodies farther away to cover their tracks. He searched the empted buildings, but nothing looked even remotely suspicious to him. Demons normally left some clues of their existence behind, and this left him wondering if the murders might actually be cult related instead.
He closed his curtains, leaving the room dark, and began to strip as he pondered, ‘Humans would have the sense to plant the body away for where they are doing the killing. But what are they doing to the women?’
With the clothes finally off, he stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. He left this room dark as well; he was not in the mood for light of any kind. He was more than ready to put the murders out of his mind and enjoy the shower, as he stepped into the stall and turned on the water.
For a long moment he just stood there under the steaming water, letting it soak his hair and run over his shoulders and down his back. He let himself think about what he had read in the journals that Maire had written.
‘Was it difficult for you to talk about it?’ He shook his head, “What the hell do you think? How stupid am I, of course it was difficult! What woman wouldn’t find it difficult to talk about being raped at ten years old? Stupid, just stupid!”
He picked up the soap and though about how she had reacted earlier in the evening to the phone call. He had seen her pacing and biting her nails. ‘You seemed so small and frail, yet you sacrificed so much of yourself for those women. You heal them… but who heals you?’ He left the question hang in the air with the steam that filled the room. There was no reason to answer the question; he believed he would only hurt himself with the possible answer, or come to a conclusion that would make him mad. So letting it drop, he cleared his mind and finished his shower.
After the shower, Touya set to the usual task of blow drying his long hair before exiting the bathroom and getting his nightly glass of water for bed. Wrapped in the soft fuzziness of the flannel, he had one hand behind his head and the other resting on his stomach. The flannel blanket was pulled up to his chest, and he was enjoying the softness as he thought of Maire again, ‘I hope she got some rest and didn’t fight the bed all night.’
Catching himself he sighed, “Shit, I like her! I honestly like her as a person. Here I go again.”
He let the silence of the room engulf him while his eyes became heavy. ‘I want to know her,’ was the final thought he had before his tired body gave out to sleep.
****
Though it had been a busy day at the Stack Shack, Maire felt like the day had drug on forever. She had been desperately waiting for the work day to be over so she could get home and call Allison, to give her Touya’s name. Her hopes were that Allison would be able to give her greater insight on who Touya actually was, and what she could expect from him in the way of danger.
With work over, she was eagerly waiting for the bus, which would have her home by a quarter till four. If she was right about Touya waiting till dark to watch and listen in on her, then he would miss the conversation entirely.
She bounced up the steps as she boarded the bus. The excitement she felt gave her a warm glow that was only complimented by her spongy coral blouse with its little floral print. The blouse was accompanied by light colored blue jeans, and pink tennis shoes. Despite the burgundy windbreaker, the cuteness of the outfit still came through.
After the short ride, she ran from the bus stop to her building. The elevator wasn’t moving fast enough. It felt like it had taken eternity to get home, and to the phone. After sifting through her purse for the card that Allison had given her, she was ready to achiever her goal.
Allison picked up on the second ring, “Hello, this is Allison of Avalon.”
“Hi, it’s Maire O’Fergus.” She was biting her thumb nail.
“Oh, hello Maire. How have you been?” Allison said in a jovial voice. She was dressed in her usual new age garb. This time the dress was orange, but it was the same wrinkly material. Her brown hair was up in a bun on her head, and amber gemstones dangled from her earlobes. She was standing behind the counter, watching her latest customer walk away from the store.
“I’m fine. Do you always answer your cell phone like that?”
Allison laughed, “Sorry, I’m still at work and it’s a habit. I get made fun of all the time.”
“Oh, well I can understand that. Anyway, I called because I have his name.”
“You know who your vampire is? That’s great! Give me the name and I’ll see what I can do for you.”
“Touya.” She couldn’t have hid the smile if she wanted to.
“Blessed be,” Allison whispered. “You might just have a chance at this after all.”
“Really?” The smile grew.
“Well, for starters, Touya has a nickname among the vampire realm; he’s known as the White Knight. He got the name because he is so sympathetic to humans. He gets in trouble for them all the time.”
“What do you mean?”
“The city is set up with vampire overseers. They have rules and the overseers make sure that the rules are enforced. One of the rules is that you don’t tell a human about vampires unless they are to become a Pro or a Groupie. Those are the two types of humans who donate blood to the vampires. If they don’t fall into those categories they are to be bespelled or killed. Well, last year he happened upon this prostitute who was getting beaten in an alley somewhere. He drains the pimp who was beating the woman to save her. The problem was…he did it in front of her. Then he couldn’t erase her memories, because her mind was to willful. So he ends up telling her everything and taking her in off the streets. Some rumors say he uses her for blood, but I don’t believe that.”
“Why not?”
“It’s not his way. He’s sort of a vigilante. He hunts the low-lives of the world, but he won’t prey on the weak. Most say that he took her in and got her cleaned up, and helped her make a life for herself. I think she has a child and is going to college.”
“You mean his child?” Maire was shocked.
“No, no, I mean, she had a child already. He gives her the means to care for it.”
“He sounds like a nice guy, then.”
“Yes, I would say he’s one of the nicest vampires you will run into. I don’t believe he would hurt you without reason. He doesn’t kill his prey. Anyway, he got in trouble over the prostitute, and the overseer had to punish him. Poor Touya spent a month locked up and denied blood. They tried to make him feed off a house Groupie after his release and he refused. I was amazed that one of the vampire females actually came to his rescue and offered the blood he needed.”
“So a vampire can feed off another vampire?”
“Yeah, as long as they have feed off a human close to the time of the feeding. So back to what I was saying…the only reason the prostitute is still alive is that Touya told Andrew he was going to use her for blood. I think that Andrew knows it’s a flat out lie, but he can’t step in without proof. And who is to say that Touya isn’t feeding from her.”
“But you don’t believe he is?”
“No, he hunts too much, which Andrew could call him on. I guess it really doesn’t matter that much to Andrew.”
“This Andrew doesn’t sound like a threatening guy.”
“Don’t ever get that idea of Andrew. He’s as deadly as a heart attack. He’ll kill you without a thought. I think Touya gets away with it because Andrews mate, Lydia, has a thing for him; she sort of thinks of him as her pet vampire. Touya will never give into her, but she keeps trying. And she is just as deadly as Andrew, so stay out of her way too.”
“Wait, Touya can’t hypnotize me either. He is breaking the rules for me now.”
“He must like something about you.”
“I don’t think I made the best first impression.”
“You have caught his interests in some way, because there has been no mention of you in the community. I think he just got in trouble too, but not for you. I do believe he was punished on Monday night. I’ll check on why and let you know.”
“Oh, thank you. You have been such a great help. How can I pay you back?”
“Just let me know what happens with Touya. I’m curious to see how this all turns out.”
“I have no problem keeping you up to date on it. I could use your advice. Besides, who else am I going to be able to talk to about this?” Maire laughed, heading towards the kitchen to start dinner. “Could you explain to me about the…um, what did you call them? Pros and Groupies?”
“Sure, but I’m going to be closing up the store as I talk, so bear with me.” Allison settled the tiny phone between her ear and shoulder, so she could re-shelve books. Leaving the counter with several books in one arm, and straightening several displays on her way; she headed in to the rows of shelves.
“That’s fine, I’ll be making my dinner,” Maire assured her with her own cordless pinned between ear and shoulder. She took a large piece of salmon from the fridge and placed it on the bar.
“What’cha havin’?”
“Baked salmon, cheddar mashed potatoes and salad. I haven’t decided my veggie yet.”
“Oh wow, that sounds good!”
“You want to come over for dinner?” She went back to biting her thumb as she asked it.
“Are you sure you don’t mind?”
Maire’s eyes lit up with the anticipation of a house guest, “Not at all. I would love to have you over. It would save us both fumbling around with the phones as we try to work.”
“That’s true. What’s your addy and I’ll be over in about, oh…forty minutes?”
“That works fine. I live at 1024 Mills, apartment 524. I’ll have dinner waiting for you.”
“Wonderful, I’ll see you soon.”
“Ok, bye,” she hung up that phone and returned it to the base, bouncing from the kitchen to the living room. “I’m going to have company!” Maire clapped her hands and jumped up and down like a schoolgirl. “This is turning out to be an awesome day for me.”
****
For the evening’s stakeout, Touya was going for comfort. He had actually chosen a pair of faded blue jeans with holes in the knees and a thin plum colored knit sweater. He just pulled on the long sleeved garment when he heard the “bing” of the instant messenger.
SirThomas1459: How’s it going, mate? Learn anything about your mystery lady?
Touya planted himself in the seat and began to type.
LuminouslyImpaired: I’m doing ok. I’ve learned a lot about her, but nothing about her power. I’m starting to feel really uneasy about doing this.
SirThomas1459: What have you learned about her? And let me remind you that you were feeling uneasy about this to begin with.
LuminouslyImpaired: I’ve learned that she is a good woman, who doesn’t need me to mess with her life. She helps women who have been abused, and she has been abused herself. I can’t tell you the details, because I don’t know them all. I guess I wouldn’t tell them if I knew them. I feel bad enough for how I found out about this. I had to sneak into her home and go through her journals.
SirThomas1459: I see. You have to do what you have to do. Any clues about how she found you?
LuminouslyImpaired: None. She does know my name, and she has been talking to Marcus’ daughter.
SirThomas1459: You mean the half breed? That can’t be good. What if she reports it to Andrew?
LuminouslyImpaired: I don’t think she will. Andrew hasn’t called for me, so no one knows about her. I can keep her from Andrew and Lydia.
SirThomas1459: I hope so. A month of starvation didn’t leave you looking very pretty the last time. I still think that was far too harsh of Andrew over the whole Bethany mess.
LuminouslyImpaired: He knows a lie when he hears it.
SirThomas1459: One of these days you’ll learn, and you’ll live like the rest of us. So there really isn’t anything to report about the mystery woman?
LuminouslyImpaired: Never and nope. I have her apartment bugged, and I’m sure I’m not missing a single sound or move she makes.
SirThomas1459: Bugged?! You fucking amaze me! You have microphones set up in her apartment, when you have superhuman hearing? You fucking wanker! You are the king of overkill!
LuminouslyImpaired: Hey, I could miss something with just my hearing. I can hear everything with the mics set up in the rooms.
SirThomas1459: You could hear everything without the mics! God, what the hell do I do with you? Man, can’t you do anything the simple way?
LuminouslyImpaired: I guess the fuck not, asshole. Next topic!
SirThomas1459: You said she’s a good woman. You like her don’t you?
LuminouslyImpaired: Bitch, you’re just hitting all the sore spots today! Yes, I like her as a person. I don’t want to see her get involved in all this dark shit that is our world.
SirThomas1459: Remember she came to you. It’s not like you went out looking for her. If she’s a good woman, she should be good for you. You always did have a soft spot for the proper sort.
LuminouslyImpaired: Elisabeth was a liar, so don’t bring her into this.
SirThomas1459: 200 years and you’re still pissed over that one? She was a lady, she just wasn’t yours. LOL How were we to know she was in love with a hunter?
LuminouslyImpaired: I should have known by how she never wanted to touch me. There I thought she just wanted to remain pure, and she was baiting me for the kill. I’m such an idiot!
SirThomas1459: You were in love with her. Men do stupid things; think stupid things, when they are in love. Don’t be so hard on yourself, mate. These are different times. Maybe this Maire will be the pure one you have been waiting for. I still think it would be wise to make her a lover.
LuminouslyImpaired: And I still say it isn’t going to happen. If she is pure she wouldn’t want anything to do with my world. She would run screaming from it.
****
“I don’t know which is worse, the Groupies or the Pros. Neither sounds very flattering to me,” Maire said as she fiddled with a tiny piece of salmon.
Maire sat in the kitchen side seat of the small bar, while Allison sat on the living room side. The salads had been consumed quickly by the hungry women, but the rest of the meal was going down slower as they talked.
Allison took a quick sip of the wine she had contributed to the meal. “Well, the Pro doesn’t necessarily have to have sex with them, so I would say that the Pro would be more dignified then the Groupie. In most cases, the vamp is only paying for the blood. I have met quite a few Pros that say no sex allowed, because of the dangers that come with it.”
“Dangers?” Maire managed to hold back her embarrassment at the topic to ask.
“Well, yeah, there are the dangers of broken bones and death. Vampires are like twenty times stronger than humans. It would be nothing to get crushed bones or your throat torn out. Not all vamps want to be as gentle as it is necessary to be with a human. It’s not like sex with an ordinary man, hun. It is a whole lot better, but dangerous.”
“Oooh…” Maire let out with a small voice. The question was there in her eyes, but she didn’t want ask it. No, that would be too rude. It really wasn’t any of her business how Allison knew the sex was better.
“I’m not a slut, but I did try at being a groupie once.” She stated, taking another sip of her wine.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel like you had to explain. I’m sorry if…”
Allison cut her off, “You didn’t, but the question was there. I know you’re curious about all this stuff, so I’ll tell you.”
“Only if you feel like you want to. You don’t have to talk about anything that makes you feel uncomfortable.”
“I know that. You’re easy to talk to, so I don’t mind telling you at all.”
“Thank you,” Maire said, taking up her wine glass.
“I was just out of high school and going through an identity crisis. It was difficult being half vamp, half human. So, I thought I would enter the vampire world. I wasn’t a vampire, so I had to be something, right? I didn’t need money. Though, my father probably would have preferred I had been a Pro instead of a Groupie.”
“How could he want you to be a prostitute?”
“Because Groupies have no rules to protect them! They don’t hold anything back, Maire. They get all used up and dumped somewhere. Some of them end up dead. That’s not as well known, but it does happen. See, part of why Touya was punished was because he refused to share his groupie. Law says that a vampire can be soul owner of a groupie he has brought into the society, but he must pay a price for it. Touya paid a heavy one, because he didn’t share. And, originally, he broke the rules by not telling anyone about her, so she could be dealt with.”
“And you wanted to be one?” She took a bit of the salmon she was playing with.
“I was young and didn’t think too much of myself back then. I had never belonged anywhere. I was a freak. I understand what you went through over your angel. I went through something similar over my talents. It was horrifying knowing things were going to happen to people, but not knowing how to make those things change.” She shook her head, “I’m sure you understand how that made me feel, how hopeless it all seemed.”
The look in Maire eyes matched the sincerity in her words, “Yes, I do.”
“That was why I did it. I wanted so desperately to fit into the vampire world, because I thought I had failed at the human one. So I went to Scarlet and asked to be a part of the human herd. Lucky for me, Scarlet is a lot kinder than most of the other overseers in the city. She believes in inner journeys and all that, so she was willing to let me find myself. She even set me up with one of the gentler males.” She stopped to take a quick bit of chatter mashed potatoes. “He gave me an apartment of my own, and an income. I started going to college. It was nice for the first year, but it didn’t make me feel any more a part of anything then I ever had. It was just really good sex and not much else. Sure, I hung out at the main house like everyone else, but that wasn’t anything special, really. So I went to Scarlet and asked her if I could change my mind. She was lenient to me because I was an overseer’s daughter. I have to check in with her and give her part of my earnings. I had to swear my loyalty to her. She can also feed off me if she wants too.”
“Is she how you got your business?”
“She’s my silent partner,” her smile was a bitter sweet one.
“Is she scary like Andrew?”
“Not so much. She is not a fan of humans, but she is not mean. She felt sorry for me, I think…because I’m half vamp.”
“So your dad is an overseer too? Are you close?”
“He is, and he offered me his protection. But are we close…? He was there for my teen years. They had to keep him a secret till I was old enough to keep quiet about vampires. I don’t remember ever wanting anything and not getting it as a child. And we lived in a nice home. I’ve just never had the chance to really talk to him. It’s awkward when we are alone together.”
“My father was a violent man. You never knew when he was going to go off, so you stayed away from him. When I was ten, he raped me. That’s when I started seeing Iris. She kept me safe from him, and told me to tell mom. I went to live with my cousin and his family after that.”
“I’m so sorry.” She reached out for Maire’s hand.
“It’s ok. It brought me Iris…and in the end it got me away from him.”
“What happed after you told your mom? Did she leave your dad?”
“She tried to stay with him and work things out. I mean, he told her that he was sorry and it would never happen again. He never apologized to me, though. She did eventually leave him and remarried, but I continued to live with my cousin until I finished high school.”
“Is your step-dad nice?”
“He’s not bad. He thinks I’m nuts, but he’s nice about it,” Maire laughed.
“My mother still waits for my father. He comes to her less and less now, but she waits.”
“So he never made her a vampire?”
“Oh, no!” she waved her hand and picked at her food. “I don’t ever see him doing that, either. She may think that he will someday, but I’ll never believe it.”
Maire stood to gather her dishes for their trip to the sink and Allison followed.
“Ice cream?” Maire asked, hoping her guess wouldn’t rush off.
“Eww, what kind?” Allison’s green eyes sparkled with excitement.
Maire walked over to the freezer and pulled out two choices, “New York Super Fudge Chunk or Karamel Sutra.”
“Praise the Goddess, a woman after my own heart! Give me the Karamel Sutra.”
She tossed the ice cream at her friend and went for spoons.
****
Touya had arrived at his post just in time to see the girls curled up on the couch with their Ben and Jerry’s. The girls were talking about old boyfriends and their failed high school relationships. ‘Great, girl talk! Lucky me. Well, at least, it’s a break from Buffy.’ He listen to them go on and on for the next few hours, while he adjusted his equipment and chugged his bourbon.
When it had finally came time for Allison to leave, Touya, left his stakeout to appear before her car when she exited the building. The car was a 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren Roadster. It was black and could go over 200 miles per hour. To say that Touya wasn’t impressed with the car would have been a lie. However, he still preferred his Mustang. He leaned up against the car as if it was nothing. His arms were crossed over his chest and he was looking as cocky as he could manage, with his black leather coat adding to the tough bad guy look.
She crossed the street slowly, trying to hold up the appearance of confidence. When she was a few feet from him she spoke, “I knew I would see you eventually. How did you know that car was mine?”
“Like a car this nice would belong to someone in this neighborhood. The tires alone cost more than most of the cars on this street.”
“You’re leaning on the car and there’s no alarm. I guess I don’t need to ask how you got past the car alarm, but can I ask if it still works?”
He smiled for a long moment, “Yeah, it still works.”
“It’s a bit cold for me. If we are going to have a conversation, can we have it in the car?”
He stepped out of the way, making a sweeping motion with his hand, inviting her to the door. She used the key chain to open the locks. When he heard the doors unlock, he walked over to the passenger’s side and got in.
She slowly followed his lead, and ended up second in the car. “Well, what can I do for you, sir?”
“Why are you being so chummy with Maire?”
“I happen to like her, she’s a sweet girl. Why are you so interested in who she hangs out with?”
“I don’t want to see her hurt.”
“Well, you should be thanking me then, because I’m the one telling her who to stay away from. I don’t see you doing any of that. She has questions and you are just standing around in front of people’s cars.” She didn’t mind that it came out a little catty; she wanted to make her point.
“I didn’t plan on getting her involved in our world. I’m just watching her for now.”
“I know why she met you, she told me.”
“Have you noticed anything strange about her?”
She knew what he was getting at, because she knew his senses should be able to pick up on it too. “Other than the mystical powers that cling to her, no.”
“Yes, what do you now about the power? Is it something that comes from her?”
“No, it’s Iris. She talks to what she believes to be an angel.”
“An angel?” His voice was flat. “She says she talks to angels? I read this in her journals, but didn’t believe it.”
“I’ve felt something very strong around her, and I don’t doubt that she talks to something. All the signs are there that it could be an angel. Who am I to argue with her?”
“Ok, she wants to save my soul…and she talks to angels. Lovely, just lovely.” He went for the handle to let himself out of the car.
“What are you going to do with her?”
“I don’t know,” he got out of the car. Without another word he was gone.
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