ã€ŠHunter, Huntedã€‹


 Prologue

    July 18, 1971

    A quiet evening in. That was all Donovan hoped for. A little time to rest with a glass of bloodwine and a good book beside the fire. It seemed as though such simple things were unattainable these days. Rather like chasing a dream. Very little peace had been had of late in his city. The other resident creatures, ghoul and vampire alike, had gorged themselves so frequently and viciously in the last few years that there was a noticeable dent in the local population.

    Skyrocketing murder rates were forcing humans to lock their doors earlier and earlier. Sooner or later, encroaching hunters could very well make Donovan¡¯s life (or undeath) far more difficult. He had decided there was no other choice but to deal with the problem now, and time would eventually work its magic on human memories as it always did. Not everyone was pleased with the new arrangements but it was necessary for their continued existence. A vampire¡¯s greatest weapon was the boundless ability of human minds to deny they could be real. Even in the face of an empty mirror or burning cross. The dark ages were far worse for his own kind than the living. More humans knew how to defend themselves from the undead back then, and he¡¯d prefer not to experience an existence like that again.

    ¡°Ruben, how is the painting coming along?¡± Donovan called out to his human servant. He had recently acquired an old portrait his sire had commissioned many years ago and Ruben was in the process of hanging it in the entry room.

    The human was a young man far too nervous for his profession. If it weren¡¯t for his staunch loyalty to his master, he would have been disposed of by now. Ruben climbed down from the stepladder to properly address him, ¡°it is almost perfectly straight, master.¡±

    Ruben adjusted his horn-rimmed glasses, squinting watery blue eyes and smoothing back what little brown hair he had. He was only twenty-four and yet old before his time. A far cry from his vampire master.

    A few hundred years had passed since the painting was made and yet standing before it, he felt like he was looking in a mirror. Donovan was tall and lean from spending his days hunting when he was human, but well muscled, and his strawberry blonde hair was pulled back at the base of his neck. Recently he had cut it short, but was thinking of allowing it to grow again. The change would be refreshing. So few things about him could change.

    Ruben shifted on his feet nervously, hands fussing at a slightly-too-stuffy dress shirt. ¡°Is there anything else you wish of me this evening? I--¡± he paused, licking his bottom lip before he continued to speak, ¡°I had hoped to pick up that China doll from last weekend¡¯s auction tonight.¡± He was always spending his earnings on frivolous trinkets, bits of junk, and anything even remotely related to the occult. At this point, the man could hardly take a step into his room for all of his hoarding.

    The clock on the mantle in the sitting room struck twelve. Quite late to be picking up an auction piece, but the people who ran that particular house in question weren¡¯t really human. Gargoyles. They kept odd hours.

    Donovan dismissed his servant with a wave of his hand. Let the human waste the last of his earnings on an empty trinket. His company for the evening would not be missed. There was a freshly warmed bottle of bloodwine in the parlor, calling Donovan¡¯s name. Ruben had long since departed the house by the time the vampire was ready to pour a glass and truly relax.

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    The sound of someone knocking on the door destroyed any hopes he might have had for a quiet evening alone. Due to his most recent edicts, Donovan had been getting more visitors. Mostly complainants. Each in turn had been put in their proper place. Perhaps Donovan had gotten lucky, and Ruben had simply forgotten something in his hasty departure. No such luck. The vampire could hear the rats on his doorstep, hissing and spitting at each other. It would be best to deal with them quickly.

    ¡°Braedon,¡± Donovan greeted them at the door, eyes lazily roving over the group, though he only spoke the name of their leader. They didn¡¯t even deserve that small courtesy. Each and every one of them had been explicitly told to leave the city tonight. Perhaps he would harvest their fangs for his trophy room.

    ¡°Donovan,¡± Braedon exclaimed, interrupting Donovan¡¯s thoughts. He stood at the head of the group, bedecked in his usual ridiculous attire. Lugosi himself would covet that stupid cape. Not even real silk.

    ¡°We wished to apologize, to say our goodbyes,¡± Braedon explained, smoothing a handkerchief over his forehead, before he tucked it into his breast pocket beside a comically large ruby pin.

    Donovan raised an eyebrow, ¡°After I expressly told you I had no desire to see you in my city, let alone on my doorstep, ever again.¡±

    ¡°Y--yes,¡± Braedon nodded, quivering in justified terror. ¡°You see, you see--we wanted you to know that we wish you no ill will.¡± His lips pinched tight as if to prevent himself from squealing, Bradeon pressed on desperately, ¡°a gift!¡± He blurted out, then he nodded behind him towards another member of the group, who held some sort of neatly-wrapped package. The scent of roses wafted into the air.

    Donovan crossed his arms over his chest, ¡°I do not desire any gift you might have. Leave.¡± The last word was cold. Menacing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you at least want to see what it is?¡± Franklin, the one holding the gift asked, almost whined.

    This really was pathetic. That they thought a paltry piece of trash could ever amount to the satisfaction of staking each and every one of them. The formalities of proper exiles were so very tedious.

    Donovan sighed heavily, ¡°very well,¡± he held out his hand, ¡°give it to me and leave my city. There will not be another warning.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± Braedon agreed as he bowed, the others following suit.

    Quickly, Franklin pressed the gift into Donovan¡¯s hands. It was wet. Then he noted, rather oddly, Franklin was wearing gloves. In eighty degree weather.

    Their looks of regret and eager submission disappeared in less than an instant, and the world around Donovan seemed to melt while they laughed. He couldn¡¯t speak. Couldn¡¯t move to brace himself as he collapsed to the ground.

    ¡°Donovan,¡± Braedon said his name, and it sounded like he was shouting from very far away, ¡°I think it¡¯s time you have a nice, long, rest. Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t die. I promise.¡±

    He tried. Oh how Donovan tried to scream. Then he slept. For a very long time.

 Chapter One

    June 5, 2016

    ¡°Alright. Louise. Danny. You got everything?¡± Gabriel stood at the cemetery gates, peering into the dark. They were here. Ghouls. There was no mistaking the scent of old meat and vinegar. Judging by the mess, too, the infestation was bad. There had to be at least three.Thank god the things couldn¡¯t breed.

    For a split second, Gabriel almost called the whole thing off. He wasn¡¯t too sure Danny would be ready for this. With Chuck, or maybe even Lee, they¡¯d have no trouble taking these things out one-by-one. Tonight it was him, Louise, and Danny. Between Danny¡¯s inexperience and Louise¡¯s poor choice of shoes tonight, their chances of a successful hunt were that much worse.

    ¡°Guys?¡± Gabriel called out impatiently, ¡°you going to leave me to take care of this shit on my own?¡±

    ¡°Hurry up, Danny, we don''t have all night.¡± Louise said, coming around the side of the truck parked in the grass by the gates less than twenty feet away.

    The green eyed, skinny young man in question grumbled softly as he came around after her, loaded down with weapons, which he dropped to the ground in front of Gabriel.

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes narrowed, ¡°is that how you treat your tools?¡± He knelt down to pick through them, hefting up an aluminum bat to toss it towards Louise. Just in case, he pocketed an extra knife for himself. He had a Glock 20 at the ready in his holster, just in case things got a little too nasty. On hunts it was generally a good idea to use blunt weapons, the kind that didn¡¯t leave too much evidence behind. Literal smoking guns would only get them all into a needless mess with the police. Some law enforcement were well-aware of what they did. Most didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Pick your poison, Danny,¡± Gabriel advised, standing up, ¡°next time I tell you to stock the truck, though, maybe don¡¯t empty out the entire supply closet.¡± It was more than overkill, but at least Danny was enthusiastic. He had that going for him.

    ¡°Tell me what to bring next time, I¡¯m still learning.¡± As Danny spoke he looked down at the pile, ¡°What do you think I should use?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s up to you,¡± Gabriel replied, ¡°whatever feels natural. Pick what you think you¡¯ve got the best shot with. Ghouls are soft. They¡¯re like sacks of rotten fruit with bones. So they go down pretty quick. It¡¯s gonna get nasty--¡± He paused, noting the lost look on Danny¡¯s face already. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to sit this one out? I can call for Chuck and just have you do a rain-check with something easier. Maybe an evil doll? I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a nest of alien eggs bound to pop up next month. Breeding season is almost here.¡±

    Louise rolled her eyes, tossing the bat to Danny, ¡°I¡¯ll just get the crossbow from the truck. I don¡¯t know why I thought I¡¯d get a break tonight.¡± Her faith in Danny¡¯s chances tonight was clearly as bleak as Gabe¡¯s. She was hoping to just keep watch, but that wasn¡¯t going to work. Greenhorn nights rarely ended well, hence why they had to hire a newbie every summer to fill the ranks. No deaths yet, but plenty of lost limbs.

    Danny fumbled slightly with the bat, but managed not to drop it, ¡°thanks.¡±

    Gabriel cleared his throat, ¡°alright, now that we¡¯ve got everything, it¡¯s time to get our asses in there,¡± he nodded towards the gate, kneeling to scoop up the remaining weapons before walking back to the truck to toss them into the bed. He paused to get a glimpse of himself in the side-view mirror. His poor sleep schedule lately was catching up to him. He had bags under his eyes just like Chuck¡¯s right now, and he desperately needed a trim. His jet-black hair was getting long enough to curl. After this pay-out, he was going to shave, have a hot shower, and stay in bed for at least a week.

    Danny and Louise stayed close behind him as they moved past the gates and towards what would likely be a long night.

    Louise tossed her long red hair over her shoulder before cursing softly, ¡°why couldn''t they live in, I don''t know, somewhere less muddy? It''s going to ruin my shoes.¡±

    ¡°You should¡¯ve brought sneakers,¡± Gabriel whispered irritably. His gaze settled on something at the foot of a marble angel reaching towards them through the misty night. He couldn¡¯t quite make it out, but it was red. Thick.

    ¡°Keep behind me,¡± he advised, creeping forward. As he picked his way over thick patches of unkempt weeds, just barely managing to avoid catching his foot on a fallen gravestone, he could almost taste the stench of iron and bile in the air.

    Intestines. Blood on the angel¡¯s sandals. These ghouls weren¡¯t just eating the freshly dead. They were killing people.

    Danny swallowed hard, ¡°I think I''m gonna be sick.¡± He brought a hand up to cover his mouth.

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    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it,¡± Louise whispered, squeezing his shoulder reassuringly.

    Gabriel edged even closer towards the statue. It seemed as if her outstretched hands were beckoning, and by some horrible twist of fate this guardian of the dead had become a harbinger. A grim reminder of what happened to those who disturbed the sacred peace here.

    Gabriel held up a hand for silence, ¡°Danny,¡± he hissed, ¡°duck down. Louise, cover me.¡± The smell was indescribable. Worse than rotten eggs slathered on a pair of dirty boxers. Worse than a skunk barbeque. Worse than Chuck¡¯s feet. That was a stench he never thought anything could rival.

    Streaks of blood on the statue wrapped around to the other side, where a trail of chewed up organ meat stood in the wet grass. A morbid path Hansel and Gretel wouldn¡¯t have conceived of, leading all the way up to a mausoleum in the very heart of the graveyard. The sealed door had been pulverized, large chunks of masonry piled up at the steps.

    ¡°Holy. Shit.¡± Gabriel cursed. This was bad. Really bad.

    Then out of the fog, a ghoul launched itself at Danny. Louise just barely managed to shove him out of the way so she could slam one of her deadly heels right into its eye with a sickening ¡®Splorch!¡¯

    It was like an over-ripened grape that had been waiting to burst, and the howls that followed quickly summoned the ghoul¡¯s companions from inside the desecrated mausoleum.

    ¡°Louise,¡± Gabriel hissed, as he tried to remain calm, just barely managing to avoid being tackled by one of the monsters, ¡°you¡¯ve got a crossbow, maybe you should try to fucking use it!!¡±

    ¡°He was too close, asshole!¡± She shouted back. There was little point in keeping their voices low now that they¡¯d been spotted.

    The one-eyed ghoul with Louise¡¯s shoe still firmly stuck in a socket had meanwhile fallen to the ground, spasming and shrieking. Somehow it still reached out with clawed hands to try and grasp at Danny¡¯s ankle. He, in turn, finally snapped out of his fearful stupor just in time to heft up his bat and beat the ghoul¡¯s face into a raw, greenish-red mush. Someone would have to teach Danny about the term ¡®overkill¡¯.

    Gabriel would have said something, but he was a little preoccupied, rounding on the other two ghouls with his gun at the ready and knife drawn.

    Danny was still screaming and swinging his bat. His dramatics had luckily gotten their attention long enough for Gabriel to get a shot off, straight to the chest of one ghoul, which collapsed to the ground in agony. The other dropped into a crouch to launch itself at Gabriel. Too fast for him to shoot again, he knew he¡¯d have to take his chances with the knife.

    The creature was inches from his face when it went down hard, a crossbow bolt through its head.

    Louise panted for breath, leaning against a nearby headstone, ¡°you''re welcome.¡±

    Gabriel lowered his gun, rolled his eyes, and tucked his knife into his belt. ¡°You could¡¯ve been a little faster; bastard almost nailed me.¡± He bit back a laugh when she responded in turn by flipping him the bird.

    Gabriel looked over at Danny, ¡°for fuck¡¯s sake, it¡¯s dead already!¡±

    Danny gave his ghoul one last good whack, and all of the strength seemed to go out of his legs as he fell to his knees. He was covered in ghoul innards. Head to toe.

    ¡°I was fast enough.¡± Louise said, grabbing Gabriel¡¯s attention again, not even batting an eye at Danny, ¡°you try aiming with one shoe on.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t need to,¡± Gabriel replied, ¡°I¡¯m not the idiot who brings stilettos to a ghoul fight.¡± Never mind those heels had probably saved Danny¡¯s life.

    Danny began to frantically pat his stomach and chest, ¡°oh god, oh god, okay. No bites. I¡¯m fine. Didn¡¯t bite me. It didn¡¯t bite me!¡± He was babbling now.

    Louise sighed, tugging off her other shoe and walking over to him, ¡°You''re fine, pull yourself together,¡± she laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, ¡°Danny, you''re good. You did a good job tonight. Maybe not a great job, but you¡¯re still in one piece,¡± she looked at Gabriel, ¡°and you owe me a new pair of shoes.¡±

    That nearly floored him. ¡°What?! How is this my fault, Louise? I told you not to wear them!¡± Gabriel snapped back at her.

    ¡°I was supposed to go on a date! You interrupted it and didn''t give me time to change. It''s not like I keep tennis shoes in my car like you do.¡±

    ¡°With Lee?¡± Gabriel demanded incredulously, ¡°he¡¯s got clients to talk to anyway, there¡¯s way too much work right now for either of you to play around tonight.¡±

    Louise rolled her eyes at him in response, offering a hand to Danny. ¡°Come on, no point in sticking around now. We¡¯re done here.¡±

    Danny took Louise¡¯s hand, nearly stumbling into her as he regained his footing, ¡°that was--¡± he shook his head, ¡°are-are all hunts like that?¡±

    Gabriel smirked, digging into his jacket pocket to pull out a handkerchief and wipe some stray blood from his face that had splattered around them during Danny¡¯s freak-out with the bat. ¡°Most things don¡¯t smell as bad as ghouls. They don¡¯t tend to go down as easy, either. Other than that, pretty much. Sometimes they like to talk first, gloat a little, but don¡¯t count on it. We¡¯re just food with guns to these things.¡±

    ¡°Ghouls are good to start with. I let Lee and Gabe deal with the vampires, but there don¡¯t seem to be a lot of them hanging around these days.¡± Louise replied, looking forlornly at her ruined shoes before starting the walk back to the truck.

    Danny followed her, while Gabe lingered behind to survey the scene they were about to leave behind. Someone had to clean the mess up. ¡°Hey!¡± He shouted after Louise, ¡°who¡¯s turn was it to do the trash this week? Chuck¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± She shouted back, ¡°not that you can get him to do much.¡± She mumbled. Chuck was a lazy son of a bitch unless he wanted to do something. He¡¯d have to be pretty hammered for them to even begin to talk him into cleaning up ghoul guts.

    Gabriel rubbed at his temples, ¡°there¡¯s trash bags in the truck, right? Pretty sure we brought trash bags. Didn¡¯t I tell you to grab those too, Danny?¡± It was going to be a long night. Pretty much like almost every damn night since he¡¯d finished high school and committed to hunting full-time.

    Gabriel fished a small pocket mirror out of his jacket pocket just so he could examine his face and neck, make sure none of the gore or blood had gotten into any unnoticed cuts. He cringed, picking a piece of flesh out of his short black hair and flicking it to the ground. Everything looked fine. Maybe his eyes were a little tired-looking, stark blue contrasting with the bags under his eyelids, but nothing some decent sleep wouldn¡¯t cure. If he could make the time. Better exhausted than dead. Or undead.

 Chapter Two

    ¡°They¡¯re dead,¡± Gabriel slid his phone across the table, the photo glaring up at their client as evidence of their hunt tonight. Cigar smoke was stinking up the whole damned office, but he¡¯d tolerate pretty much anything right now for the hefty reward they were about to split.

    ¡°Chuck, turn the damn lights on, we¡¯re not in a fucking pool hall,¡± Gabriel snapped as he gave a dirty look at his adopted father before leaning back in his chair and gazing intently at their client. The only light they had on right now was Chuck¡¯s desk lamp. It made Gabriel feel like a lowlife thug holding this guy up for dirty money.

    Chuck, the weathered old bastard, glared at him, ¡°I like it this way.¡± From his shoulder-length brown and gray hair he never seemed to want to brush or cut, to his grizzled eyebrows, bleary eyes, and faded Hawaiian shirt, Chuck always was and always would be a cheap mother fucker. It wasn¡¯t great for business.

    ¡°Chuck made a few calls yesterday, by the way. We want the payment tonight. No installment plans. All of it.¡± Gabriel went on, ¡°how does that sound, Harry?¡±

    Chuck nodded, taking another drag off his cigar, ¡°cash. Heard from a couple of friends you like to bounce checks.¡±

    They probably wouldn¡¯t have bothered to deal with these ghouls at all if the things weren¡¯t a hazard to the city, and if they could get better clientele. The bills were piling up, though, so for the moment guys like this were the best they could do.

    Harry shifted in his seat, tugging at his too-tight collar on his too-small shirt, ¡°that¡¯s--that¡¯s a lot. All at once.¡± he slid the phone across the desk. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do, but you may have to wait a few more weeks. We agreed on installments. I¡¯ll admit I may have had a few bad checks, but they got their money in the end.¡±

    Chuck cleared his throat, reaching for his solo cup and tossing back a bit of his personal favorite rotgut, ¡°course you could stiff us. There¡¯s no cops or lawyers who¡¯d say we weren¡¯t crazy, going out and offing spooks. Then you¡¯d take the risk nobody¡¯d ever help you again with this sort of thing. You¡¯ve burned all your bridges, Harry. We¡¯re all you¡¯ve got left. Get another ghoul on your back, not one hunter out there¡¯d be around to get it off. So, you really want to chance it? You really think you¡¯re gonna be safe, lightning won¡¯t strike a fourth time? You really...¡±

    Half an hour later, Gabriel was still restraining Louise, keeping her from wringing Chuck¡¯s neck after the guy had beat it and burned rubber in the parking lot without a red cent left behind for their trouble.

    Chuck didn¡¯t seem fazed at all, still sitting back, drinking and smoking his cigar. By the smug look on his face, Gabriel would¡¯ve thought he expected Harry to come back at any moment with a briefcase full of cash.

    ¡°Damn it, that was the first bite we¡¯ve had in a month!¡± Louise snapped.

    Gabriel waited until she¡¯d calmed down enough to stop trying to pry his grip from her waist. The last thing they needed was a hospital bill for Chuck¡¯s broken nose. Even if he had it coming right now. They¡¯d all worked hard to have this payoff, and now they weren¡¯t getting a dime.

    ¡°Why do you always have to open your stupid mouth?¡± Louise went on, stomping towards her desk nearby and slamming herself down into her chair.

    Chuck pointed the stub of his cigar at her, ¡°hey, don¡¯t you start back talkin¡¯ me girly, I do what has to be done because no one else will. Just you wait and see, another one¡¯ll pop up and take a chunk out of him, they always do. That guy is a ghoul magnet. I bet you ten to one some gypsy cursed his dumb ass for trying to stiff her too!¡±

    Gabriel looked at him wearily, some of his anger dissipating now that it seemed like his lack of sleep was catching up with him, ¡°that¡¯ll do us a hell of a lot of good when he¡¯s dead and we¡¯re still broke, Chuck. Who knows if he¡¯ll even be able to come back to pay us?¡± Gabriel walked over to the light switch and flipped it on, despite his better judgment. What was a couple more bucks on the electricity bill if they couldn¡¯t pay it anyway?

    The waiting room of the former vet clinic was bathed in a warm yellow glow, reminding him just how pathetic their ¡®headquarters¡¯ really was. Some hunters they were. Four shabby desks aligned in a semi-circle across from a linoleum-topped counter. A makeshift kitchen area just behind it with a grill top and a ten-buck coffee maker piled on top of their banged-up filing cabinets. Then, of course, a mini fridge right beside them so close to its last leg he could actually hear the motor inside it struggling to work. The whole place was just about as sad as the last remaining poster on the back wall of a faded, dying puppy.

    Gabriel looked back at Chuck, ¡°we really needed that money.¡±

    Chuck shrugged, nonplussed, ¡°just go talk to the Collector, he¡¯ll pay you. Fuck Harry, he doesn¡¯t know what or who he¡¯s dealing with.¡±

    Lee, who¡¯d been hiding out behind the counter as he hurriedly typed up their latest ad, stood up and gently set his laptop down. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure we¡¯ll be able to make rent next month if we don¡¯t make a few changes. Chuck, sir, I hate to say it but maybe you should consider therapy. Or going for a walk when we have clients in the building. Or staying home more often. I think any of these options would work.¡± He adjusted his glasses, quickly averting his eyes. He was a sheep in accountant¡¯s clothing. He also just so happened to be the calmest person there, which they really needed right now anyway.

    ¡°We¡¯ll go to the Collector,¡± Gabriel decided,  ¡°I don¡¯t like it, but we¡¯re due for something from the son of a bitch.¡± He glanced over at Lee, ¡°you and Louise, check out that clinic job we¡¯ve been putting off. Chuck, you and Danny get to come with, since you like the guy so much. How¡¯s that sound?¡±

    Chuck let out another snort, ¡°I¡¯m not retiring,¡± He informed Lee before directing his attention towards Gabriel, ¡°you¡¯re gonna take me with you to see the Collector? Really? You think that¡¯s the best idea?¡±

    Gabriel smiled back at him, nodding, ¡°I think it¡¯s a great idea. You two probably have plenty to catch up on.¡±

    The front door slowly creaked open as their freshly-brewed lord and savior arrived, carried by none other than Danny himself. Coffee. The great equalizer. They had a lot of work to do tonight, and there was no way they¡¯d be able to do it without a dangerous supply of caffeine. That was why they¡¯d hired him, and think what they might about Danny¡¯s ability to do anything else right, he was a master at fetching coffee.

    Gabriel grinned, ¡°hey, Danny, we¡¯ve got someone we want you to meet.¡±

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    This had been a great idea, going to the Collector. Danny had no idea what Chuck¡¯s problem was. Sure the guy was a little uptight but really, he wasn''t that bad. He''d even given Danny free rein in his wine cellar as long as it wasn''t too expensive.

    He ran his fingers over the bottles, he got to choose six bottles, already had five, ¡°come on, pick something already,¡± Danny whispered impatiently at himself, it was harder than it looked, choosing wine. He paused when his fingers met with warm glass. No label. Was wine supposed to be warm? Maybe it was some kind of weird spiced one he didn¡¯t know about. Danny¡¯s grasp of physics was tentative at best, and his knowledge of wine even less.

    ¡°No label,¡± he mused,  ¡°well, you can''t be worth too much.¡± He pulled the bottle out and put it in the box with the others. Tonight was shaping up to be a good night after all, they were getting paid and they got to get drunk. What could be better?

    A raucous argument began upstairs, interrupting Danny¡¯s thoughts. He really didn''t want to see what was going on, but his arms were going numb holding the half case of wine for so long. He¡¯d spent way too much time picking that last bottle.

    ¡°Danny, hurry the hell up down there before Chuck tears the damned house apart!¡± Gabriel called down to him, the irritation palpable enough to make Danny cringe. Even if it wasn¡¯t directed at him, he hated to be around people when they were arguing. Whenever it came to fists, he always seemed to stand in the way and catch a few punches in the process.

    As quick as he could Danny leapt up the steps, bottles clinking in his box all the while, ¡°I''ve got it, I''m coming, it''s heavy though! Could someone get the door for me?¡± He shouted back, fumbling with the doorknob.

    A bony hand curved around the edge of the door, yanking it open to reveal the very gaunt and very irritated face of none other than the Collector. Also the creepiest-looking human being alive this side of sanity.

    ¡°I would appreciate if all of you endeavoured not to shatter the windows with your inane shouting,¡± the old man informed Danny curtly, glancing down at the box in his hands.

    ¡°Not that one,¡± the Collector grabbed one of the labeled bottles, ¡°it¡¯s a first growth. The rest are fine,¡± He looked at the unlabelled bottle nestled in the corner of the box with an amused expression. ¡°Interesting choice. Let me know what you think of that one. It¡¯s a rare vintage, but not quite to my taste.¡±

    Danny swallowed hard and nodded, ¡°y-yeah, sure.¡± They stood there together looking at each other. The Collector had this funny way of eyeing Danny that made him want to apologize for even breathing.

    ¡°Umm, would you pick another one for me, so I don¡¯t screw it up and pick a bad one?¡± Danny asked, just desperate to get away from the man.

    ¡°Very well,¡± the Collector turned an accusing eye back towards Chuck, who had been lounging against a marble island in the kitchen behind them, ¡°do try and bathe next time you show up unannounced, sir.¡±

    ¡°I''ll be sure to do just that,¡± Chuck snarked back.

    Gabriel stood in the doorway to the kitchen, watching the pair as if he expected one of them to launch themselves into a fight at any moment.

    Clearing his throat, Gabriel nodded at Danny, ¡°Come on. You¡¯ll be seeing more of this place, so I¡¯ll give you a quick tour. I¡¯ll try to make it fast before Chuck breaks anything. Apparently he thought it¡¯d be funny to make all the paintings in the parlor crooked or some shit, and one of them almost fell. Let¡¯s go,¡± he looked back at the Collector, ¡°it¡¯ll give them some time to finish acting like idiots,¡± he added under his breath.

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    Danny nodded, walking out of the kitchen and into the parlor to set the box down, before following Gabriel¡¯s lead.

    ¡°So, what did Louise already tell you about this guy?¡± Gabriel led them down the hall towards a large foyer they¡¯d originally entered through. Two ornate marble lions stood at the foot of the stairs. In the fashion of anything a creepy old man like the Collector would own, their eyes seemed to follow Danny and Gabriel at every step.

    ¡°Not much. His real name is Ruben, he¡¯s where most of our good jobs come from, and he likes to collect weird crap.¡± He shook his head, ¡°yeah, so maybe he¡¯s scum, but without the Collector, we¡¯d probably go out of business.¡± Gabriel¡¯s eyes slid towards the marble lions, and a peculiar look passed over his face. Fear, maybe?

    ¡°Creepy little shits, aren''t they?¡± Gabriel strode towards one of the statues, patting it on the head. ¡°Every single thing in this place has a story. Did Louise tell you why we call him the Collector?¡± He eased his hand off of the statue, as if sudden movement would cause it to come to life and attack. The thing¡¯s eyes looked real enough; it wouldn''t be surprising.

    Danny shook his head, ¡°no.¡±

    Gabriel skipped up a few of the steps, turning back to look at Danny, ¡°you know,¡± he cleared his throat, ¡°sometimes when you help people, you gotta get your hands dirty. Ruben is the dirty part. Keeps the lights running when we can''t get other clients to pay. We bring him things from our hunts-¡± he paused, looking back over his shoulder as if he expected the old man to sneak up on them at any second, ¡°we wouldn''t give them to him if he used them. He doesn''t, though. He just collects. That''s all he really is. A collector.¡±

    ¡°Like, what do we give him? What kind of things? How would he use them? Do I even want to know?¡± Danny asked, trying to keep a note of fear from creeping into his voice. What exactly were they giving the guy?

    ¡°This time it was just a couple of teeth,¡± Gabriel explained, ¡°a few bones. Sometimes it''s something bigger.¡± He turned back, reaching the top of the stairs and sweeping his arms out, ¡°the whole second story is packed with the stuff we¡¯ve brought him. Cursed objects, sacred books, things like that.  I wouldn¡¯t worry too much. If you don''t touch them. Don''t breathe on them. Don¡¯t look at them.¡± Gabriel nodded towards a portrait of dead flowers hanging on the wall, ¡°don''t talk to them. Follow those rules, and it¡¯s all harmless.¡±

    Danny kept his eyes lowered to the steps, climbing up after Gabriel, and trying to avoid looking at anything now. What the hell were they getting themselves into here?

    Gabriel laughed, clapping Danny on the shoulder, ¡°spooked yet?¡±

    Danny jumped, yelping, and scrambling up to the top step to avoid tripping over his own feet. ¡°That was mean!¡± He paused, looking up at the portrait of dead flowers Gabriel had indicated earlier, ¡°you''re not serious, right?¡±

    ¡°No, of course I¡¯m not,¡± Gabriel grinned, pushing open the nearest door once they¡¯d managed to distance themselves from the top of the stairs, ¡°they¡¯re never harmless.¡±

    Danny swallowed hard, staying close behind him. There was no way he wanted to set something off, ¡°what''re we doing up here?¡± He asked softly, looking around.

    ¡°Ruben¡¯s going on a trip next month. Not safe to hire a regular joe to look after the place. Definitely not going to leave the house without anyone keeping an eye on all this junk. I¡¯m just showing you the room you¡¯re gonna stay in.¡± Gabriel flipped on the light, revealing an almost spartan bedroom, with nothing but a bed and a small table inside, ¡°safest room in the house. The rest of us are staying down the hall...figured I¡¯d show you while we¡¯re here so you don''t make any wrong turns next time we drop in.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re all staying.¡± Danny sighed in relief, at least he wasn''t going to be alone, ¡°So, umm, what does looking after the place entail? There aren''t any hellhounds or mummies or anything, right?¡±

    ¡°What? Hellhounds?¡± Gabriel laughed, ¡°no such thing, Danny. All we¡¯ve gotta do is keep people away. That¡¯s it. Pretty much the easiest gig we¡¯ll ever get.¡± He paused, ¡°like I said, just don''t touch anything and if you''re going upstairs, always pet the lions.¡±

    Danny crossed his arms, growing skeptical, ¡°we didn¡¯t when we came up.¡±

    Gabriel raised an eyebrow, ¡°I did. If you didn''t, that''s your problem. Just means you''ll have to go out through the fire escape window if you want to get out of the house in one piece.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Danny lied, putting on a brave face.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Gabriel held his hands up, ¡°your choice. Don''t say I didn''t warn you.¡± He left the room and started to skip back downstairs, ¡°they should be done bitching at each other by now.¡± As Gabriel headed down, he rolled up his sweater sleeves, revealing multiple scars up and down his forearms. Danny had seen them before, but he¡¯d kept his questions to himself. Gabriel didn¡¯t strike him as a former junkie.

    ¡°Hurry it up, Danny,¡± Gabriel called out over his shoulder, jumping the last couple of steps and giving one of the lions another pat on the head.

    Danny nodded, slowly descending the stairs. Gabriel was just screwing with him. The lions wouldn¡¯t do anything. They were just statues. Just creepy statues. He held his breath, praying to god he was right, when his foot finally breached the very last step.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Gabriel shouted, throwing himself to the ground.

    Danny screamed and fell down beside him, curling into a ball, making himself as small as possible.

    Gabriel burst out laughing. ¡°Holy shit, you¡¯re gullible.¡± He climbed to his feet and knelt down in front of Danny, ¡°glad to have you on the team.¡±

    ¡°You, you--¡± Danny looked up at him, ¡°you asshole!¡±

    ¡°Just keeping you on your toes.¡± Gabriel was shamelessly unapologetic. ¡°It was just a joke, I wouldn¡¯t have let you come back down if it was true.¡±

    Danny grumbled, getting to his feet slowly, ¡°It wasn¡¯t funny¡±

    ¡°The Collector does want us to pat the lions when we¡¯re in the house, but he says it only takes one time and you¡¯re safe. Not that I think the damn things are actually alive. Hard to tell what¡¯s decoration and what¡¯s not in here, so better safe than sorry.¡± He looked Danny up and down thoughtfully, ¡°what got you in this line of business anyway?¡±

    ¡°I saw things. Things I shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Danny looked toward the front door, ¡°It was prom¡­¡±

    Gabriel nodded, ¡°what, girlfriend get an alien parasite in her g-string? Bloodsuckers crash the last dance? Ghost steal the queen¡¯s tiara?¡±

    Danny shook his head, ¡°blob creature ate my girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Gabriel exclaimed, dropping the tough guy act and putting a hand on Danny¡¯s shoulder, ¡°must¡¯ve been pretty rough.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Danny nodded, ¡°it was. What about you? What got you started?¡±

    Gabriel scratched at a small spot on his right arm, eyeing two of the larger scars. They all lined up in pairs. ¡°Vampire ate my parents when I was twelve. Kidnapped me and snacked on a bunch of us in his basement until Chuck showed up to save us. I was already infected, but I never killed anyone. Once he sliced the fucker¡¯s head off, I went back to normal and made my choice to be a hunter.¡± Gabriel gave him a quick salute and headed back to where they¡¯d left the others bickering. Danny was glad he hadn¡¯t asked about the scars.

    ¡°Why¡¯s it covered in a sheet? Picture of your old lady?¡± Chuck sniped loudly from the parlor. They¡¯d apparently taken their fight out of the kitchen and migrated across the hall.

    ¡°I keep it covered out of respect for the deceased,¡± the Collector shot back loudly, ¡°a concept you know nothing about!¡±

    Danny lingered by the lions, glancing back and forth between them and frowning suspiciously. Had one of them just moved? No, that was crazy. He tried to laugh at himself, only able to summon a breathy squeak, then quickly followed Gabriel back into the parlor.

    The Collector was standing in front of his fireplace mantle straightening something above it, very carefully. Judging by the shape under the sheet, and the remarks he¡¯d heard them slinging at each other, Danny could only assume it was the picture Chuck mentioned. Why bother leaving it up just to hide it?

    Once he was apparently satisfied, the Collector spun about and smoothed a hand through the wispy strips of hair he still had plastered to his head, ¡°though your manners always leave something to be desired, and perhaps you¡¯d be better suited to a barn than a house, I have unfortunately failed time and again to find quite such an accomplished group as yours--¡± he paused, ¡°your presence in particular notwithstanding,¡± the old man began to pace, keeping his focus on Chuck, ¡°I trust your man has taken care of the details of our latest arrangement. You may leave the items over there,¡± he nodded back towards his monster of a secretary desk. The odd way he referred to Gabriel like some lackey set Danny aback. Chuck was the oldest member of their group, but Gabriel was the one who called all the shots.

    ¡°You may be a windbag but it''s always nice working for you. Yeah, everything¡¯s taken care of,¡± Chuck snorted, ¡°would you expect anything less?¡±

    Gabriel fished into his coat pocket to pull out a small wrapped package and dropped it onto the Collector¡¯s desk, ¡°we¡¯re gonna go ahead and take the wine out to the car. Give us a shout when you two are done in here.¡± He apparently didn¡¯t really care how he was treated as long as they got paid. ¡°Danny?¡± Gabriel looked over at him, ¡°you ready?¡±

    Danny nodded, quickly rushing over to where they¡¯d left their box of bottles, scooping it clumsily into his arms. He very nearly dropped it as they left the room.

    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll take it,¡± Gabriel grabbed the box from him.

    Danny lingered behind to peek around the doorway curiously. What else could Chuck and the old man have left to say to each other? They didn¡¯t seem like friends. Maybe it was none of his business, but curiosity got the better of him.

    ¡°Tell me,¡± the Collector struck a match against the fireplace mantle, pulling a metal cigarette case from his vest pocket, ¡°do you ever worry about his predilections?¡± He flipped the cigarette case open.

    ¡°Gabe? What¡®re you talking about?¡± Chuck scowled, ¡°just come out and say what you mean.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be crass,¡± the old man lit one of his cigarettes with a dramatic flare, closing the cigarette case and tossing the blackened remains of his match into the fireplace, ¡°you know perfectly well what I mean. I¡¯ve seen the track marks on his arms. I¡¯d ask Gabriel not to bring any drugs into my house next month if it can be helped. I may deal in certain questionably legal activities, but certainly not the sort that could get me arrested. I¡¯d prefer to keep it that way.¡±

    Chuck barked out a laugh, ¡°kid¡¯s not a user, never has been.¡± He shook his head, ¡°he was a bloodsucker¡¯s chew toy when he was a kid. Not that it¡¯s any of your damn business.¡±

    ¡°Charming,¡± the Collector replied dryly, taking a long pull from his cigarette. He didn¡¯t seem at all surprised, ¡°that is somewhat more comforting, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°Nice chat, as always, Ruben,¡± Chuck replied testily. ¡°I think it¡¯s about time we get going before we start smelling like mothballs,¡± he remarked snidely and headed towards the door. Danny quickly scrambled back to avoid being knocked over.

    ¡°Enjoy your wine, boys. You¡¯ve earned it,¡± Ruben laughed, waving them off. Maybe he was just glad he¡¯d gotten a rise out of Chuck. Danny didn¡¯t much care. All he knew was that if there was any doubt in his mind before, he definitely disliked this man now.

    Chuck gave Danny a look, ¡°you snooping on us, kid?¡±

    ¡°N-no!¡± Danny lied.

    ¡°That bastard gets under your skin. Nothing he ever says is worth listening to,¡± Chuck didn¡¯t even seem mad. ¡°Come on.¡±

    They headed towards the foyer together

    ¡°Danny, what were you doing?¡± Gabriel asked. He was still standing at the open front door, the box of wine safely in his arms.

    ¡°Being a sneaky little bastard,¡± Chuck ruffled Danny¡¯s hair in the condescending manner only a seasoned parent could master.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean-¡± Danny stammered, trying to come up with an excuse.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, let¡¯s just get the hell outta here,¡± Chuck strode ahead, clearly rattled by the Collector¡¯s remarks about Gabriel. Angry jerk or not, Chuck clearly cared about him.

    ¡°I think we should celebrate tonight. See if we can finish all of this crap in one go!¡± Gabriel shouted, jogging towards his truck, the box of wine clinking in his arms all the while.

 Chapter Three

    ¡°Alright!¡± Louise kicked her feet onto the table and pushed her chair back as she dangled a half-eaten pizza slice over her face, ¡°too bad you guys only got six bottles, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s gonna get us too wasted,¡± she took a monstrous bite, giggling around the mouthful as Danny passed her a half-empty glass of red. They didn¡¯t know what kind. None of the hunters generally went for anything classier than the stuff from the box. The only thing that counted right now was having a good time and forgetting all about ghoul guts.

    Lee came up behind Louise, bending over and kissing her forehead, ¡°you can have my share.¡± He pulled out a chair, sitting beside her. He¡¯d just finished his emails for the night, so he was free to join the rest of them for what little time they had to enjoy themselves. Louise¡¯s eyes lingered on him for just a moment. Without Lee, they¡¯d probably fall apart. He was a lot smarter than anyone gave him credit for. She slipped a free hand under the table and squeezed his knee. A look passed between them.

    Her gaze darted back up to Gabriel. He was so focused on his glass, she wondered if he was trying not to look at her. The breakup was mutual, but Louise still didn¡¯t want to rub it in his face.

    ¡°You guys gonna stay in the office tonight to help Chuck catch up on that backlog?¡± Gabriel finally looked up at them, scooping up his own slice of pizza.

    Lee nodded, ¡°yes, although I''m sure I''ll be the only one sober enough to do so,¡± he smiled, watching Louise, ¡°give me a piece of that pizza, if you would be so kind.¡±

    ¡°Oh, here, I¡¯ll do it-¡± Danny began, standing up to lean over the table, whilst simultaneously managing to knock over Chuck¡¯s own solo cup of whiskey. ¡°Sorry! Sorry!¡± He apologized, dropping his slice of pizza onto his plate so he could scoop up a wad of napkins to dab at the spreading mess.

    Lee snatched up Chuck¡¯s cup before the last portion of it could slosh over the side of the table, ¡°Danny, Danny, just stop. Sit down, it''s alright, just relax.¡± Sometimes they wondered what was going on with the kid to make him so accident prone. That he¡¯d managed to survive this long was even more baffling.

    Chuck actually didn¡¯t react much at all, which was surprising. Usually he was pretty moody about his liquor, ¡°was done drinking anyway,¡± he said, ruffling Danny¡¯s hair reassuringly. He usually wasn¡¯t that friendly unless he was hammered, which Louise was quickly realizing had to be the case. Well, they¡¯d all earned it.

    Gabriel took a gulp of wine, ¡°can you believe how much people pay for this stuff? It¡¯s basically rotten Kool Aid.¡±

    ¡°Oh, come on, Gabe, show a little class, it''s good!¡± Louise wiggled her glass in the air, ¡°refill!¡±

    Lee quickly grabbed their half-empty bottle on the table to oblige her, snatching up a couple of napkins in the process to dab at the bourbon Danny had somehow splashed onto his sleeve. Lee grinned as he poured her a glass, ¡°tell me when.¡± With his slicked-back hair, clunky glasses, and cheesy black vest, he didn¡¯t exactly have the suave look down. Still, his smile lit up the room, and Louise couldn¡¯t help but love him for it.

    ¡°When!¡± The glass was nearly full, the ruby liquid almost to the rim, it was a miracle she didn''t spill it when she brought it to her mouth. She certainly felt tipsy enough. ¡°I''m surprised that sexist bastard was willing to part with his precious wine,¡± Louise took a long drink after she spoke, ¡°this is really good.¡±

    ¡°He let Danny pick it,¡± Gabriel reminded her, ¡°probably keeps the best stuff hidden in a cursed¡­¡± he trailed off, squinting thoughtfully, ¡°rice pot or something like that. I dunno.¡±

    Chuck looked over at him with a faintly amused smile, ¡°rice pot? I think I¡¯m gonna call it a night. Wake up in a couple of hours to get some real work done.¡± He stood up, grunting a little with the effort of pushing his chair away from their fold-out poker table. The man¡¯s age was starting to show. He disappeared into one of the back rooms, taking a bottle of the wine with him. Probably protecting it from Danny, just in case he wanted a pick-me-up in the morning.

    Lee watched Chuck leave, ¡°I''m going to take care of that paperwork. Don''t drink too much,¡± he advised Louise, getting to his feet.

    Louise looked at him incredulously, ¡°I would never drink too much!¡±

    He rolled his eyes, leaning down to give her a quick peck on the cheek. ¡°Sure, of course, silly me.¡±

    ¡°This is fun,¡± Danny remarked, topping off his own glass and then Gabriel¡¯s with the last dregs of the bottle before he popped open another. ¡°How often do we get to do this?¡±

    Gabriel shrugged, taking a bite of pizza, ¡°rarely,¡± he replied through a mouthful of cheese and pepperoni, ¡°Louise is a lightweight.¡±

    Louise let out a snort, ¡°am not,¡± she downed the last of her wine as quickly as she could manage. Not a great idea, since she¡¯d just topped it up, but it was a party!

    Lee put a hand on Louise¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll unfold the futon in the back room. You hang out here for awhile, and call me if you need me.¡±

    ¡°What, from five feet away?¡± Louise asked, setting her cup down.

    ¡°If you pass out before I finish getting the futon,¡± he explained. Honestly, Lee was such a mother hen sometimes.

    ¡°You don¡¯t think I can survive the walk into the back room?¡± She asked, feigning surprise. Somehow, the words came out a lot more slurred than she¡¯d intended. Actually, a nap right now wouldn¡¯t be too bad. Maybe she could even convince him to forget about the paperwork for awhile. A lazy smile crept across Louise¡¯s face, which immediately got Lee¡¯s attention.

    ¡°You alright?¡± He asked, pushing her cup away from her grasp, probably worried she¡¯d go for one more refill.

    Louise threw her arms around Lee¡¯s torso, letting her head fall back a little, ¡°leth¡¯s go to bed,¡± she suggested playfully.

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    Lee laughed down at her, slowly and clumsily helping Louise to her feet. She didn¡¯t make it very easy.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re going to call it a night,¡± he turned to the others, wrapping one arm around the small of Louise¡¯s back to help her stand. Maybe that last glass of wine wasn¡¯t a great idea. She felt so warm and fuzzy, though.

    ¡°So nice,¡± Louise mumbled, nuzzling her face into Lee¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go, sleeping beauty,¡± he replied softly. Louise didn¡¯t make it easy for him, but eventually they managed to stumble out of the room together, and for the remainder of the night she did her best to try to convince him not to go back to his paperwork.

    <hr>

    ¡°Night,¡± Gabriel called out to them, directing his attention back to his wine, a sudden sense of loneliness seeming to strike out of nowhere. It felt like he was watching what could¡¯ve been just walk out of that room.

    ¡°Danny,¡± Gabriel looked up from his cup, ¡°don¡¯t ever get involved at work. With coworkers. Or clients. Just don¡¯t get involved with anyone, it¡¯s not worth the trouble.¡±

    Danny blinked at him slowly, looking at his cup before looking back at Gabriel, ¡°why?¡± he looked toward where Lee and Louise had left, ¡°I mean, they look happy.¡±

    ¡°They like the hassle, I guess,¡± Gabriel lied. ¡°Louise and me had a thing going for awhile before they hooked up. Hunting just isn¡¯t--¡± he was struggling to find the right words without giving too much away. Gabriel just couldn¡¯t seem to connect with anyone like Lee and Louise did. It hurt, because she was pretty much the only person he¡¯d tried to fall for. ¡°--hunters shouldn¡¯t date or marry. It¡¯s a dangerous job, and you¡¯re putting yourself at risk when you throw love into the mix.¡±

    ¡°But if you''re both hunters or she at least knows shouldn''t it be alright?¡± He shuffled his cup between his hands, staring down into the ruby liquid.

    ¡°Look, I¡¯m not telling Louise what to do with her life, or Lee. This isn¡¯t about them, it¡¯s about you. You¡¯re inexperienced, and I¡¯m sorry Danny, but you¡¯re fairly clumsy. If you decide to quit hunting, by all means go find a chick. Just keep it simple while you can.¡±

    Danny gnawed on his lip, ¡°I guess,¡± he shrugged, ¡°I just hope I can have what they have someday.¡±

    Gabriel swirled the dregs of his wine around, sniffing at the contents. Why did people smell wine anyway? He didn¡¯t see the point. ¡°Danny,¡± Gabriel began again, ¡°everybody wants that. The chances are pretty slim you¡¯ll get it. Besides, didn¡¯t a blob monster or something eat your high school sweetheart?¡±

    He glared at his boss, ¡°yeah, well, I''m hoping to find a girl who isn''t at risk of being eaten. No blob monsters in my future, no thank you.¡± he scowled, taking a deep drink of his wine.

    ¡°Ah, man,¡± Gabriel took a deep breath and let it out, ¡°I¡¯m not trying to be a dick. It just sucks. The whole thing sucks. Hunting. Dating. Bills. At least you get a choice with the second one. Hunting isn¡¯t something you can turn away from once you start.¡± He ought to know.

    ¡°I think I want to drink more, do you want to drink more? I want to drink more.¡± Danny mumbled, fumbling for a bottle.

    Gabriel nodded, feeling a little embarrassed for his little bitter advice session he¡¯d tried to shove down Danny¡¯s throat, ¡°I don¡¯t think I really like this one. What else did you grab?¡± He set his glass back on the table, eyeing the box of wine below.

    ¡°Umm,¡± Danny looked down at the box, picking through them. Almost every single bottle left had been drained, except for one. He snatched it up, placing it on the table in front of them with a flare, ¡°last one. Mystery wine!¡±

    ¡°That looks promising,¡± Gabriel replied with a dubious frown, reaching forward to twist the bottle and examine it. As if that would somehow tell him anything about the wine inside. Weird. ¡°No writing or anything on it? Danny, you sure this is even wine? It¡¯s warm.¡± Not just warm. It felt like the glass was pulsing beneath his touch. He frowned, pulling his hand back and looking down at his fingers. Maybe he¡¯d had just a little too much to drink.

    Danny crossed his arms, ¡°it¡¯s wine. Why would he let us have it if it wasn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Could be something else. God knows that old freak has a weird sense of humor. Maybe it¡¯s homemade drain cleaner? Bathtub beer? I dunno, man,¡± Gabriel shrugged and tossed back the contents of his glass. He cringed at the taste, ¡°probably can¡¯t be that much worse than whatever the other wine was.¡± He snatched up a discarded corkscrew tucked between the wadded pile of wet napkins from Danny¡¯s spill, and a half-empty pizza box. ¡°You want some?¡±

    The kid shook his head, grabbing the bottle Gabriel refused, ¡°I''ll finish this.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°suit yourself. Guess I¡¯m the only real daredevil in this office.¡± He smirked, making quick work of the cork. He did wonder for a moment whether this was really a good idea, but the fuzz in his brain from the steady hour and a half he¡¯d already spent drinking pretty much pushed that doubt aside. He¡¯d done dumber things.

    Gabriel slowly filled his glass, glancing up to look at Danny¡¯s slightly doubtful expression, ¡°what? You worried now?¡± It didn¡¯t look like normal wine. Way too dark. Maybe it was port or something. He set the bottle aside and lifted the glass to his nose, ¡°it kinda smells like cloves.¡±

    Danny leaned forward, ¡°lemme smell,¡± he reached for the glass, only for his hand to be quickly batted away.

    ¡°Smell the bottle. This is mine,¡± Gabriel defended his wine, bringing it to his lips while his free hand still guarded it from Danny¡¯s clumsiness. He¡¯d probably spill the whole thing. Then knock over a lamp, set the office on fire, and destroy the whole block. The possibilities were endless.

    The young man pouted, grabbing the bottle and sniffed it, ¡°eww,¡± he put the bottle back down, pushing it back toward Gabe, ¡°smells like ass.¡±

    ¡°What? Are you fucking kidding? It smells like God damned Christmas!¡± Gabriel defended his sense of smell, ¡°your nose is broken. Maybe you got some ghoul guts stuck in it.¡± He wouldn¡¯t be entirely surprised if that was the case. Gabriel didn¡¯t wait for a response, instead deciding to go ahead and risk his first sip of what could very well kill him.

    It went down like water. Like breathing. Like heaven in a fucking bottle. There was also something familiar about it he couldn¡¯t place. He was so focused on the flavor of the wine, or whatever it was, Gabriel didn¡¯t even notice he¡¯d already finished his first and even second glass.

    ¡°Wow,¡± he breathed, snatching up the bottle again, ¡°Danny. You have no idea what you¡¯re missing.¡± Gabriel could hear blood rushing in his head, even felt his heart pounding in his chest, but he blamed it all on being too damn drunk to know when he¡¯d had enough. He wasn¡¯t even sure he¡¯d be able to stop himself now. This wine was incredible. It reminded him of something, but he couldn''t quite place the taste. Whatever it was, Gabriel would almost kill to have more of it.

    ¡°All yours, you can drink the shitty stuff, you''re just trying to trick me into trying it. I''m smarter than that!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Danny. That¡¯s my goal. Poison everyone in the office. You¡¯ve figured out my master plan,¡± Gabriel rolled his eyes, deciding to just leave his empty glass on the table and go right for the bottle. Hell, they didn¡¯t have any appointments in the morning. One very massive hangover to end all hangovers probably wouldn¡¯t kill him. Hopefully¡­

 Chapter Four

    In all honesty Donovan had no idea how long he''d been asleep. Between dreams and moments of painful lucidity he had been trapped in a state of suspension. Anger, bargaining, depression, he¡¯d gone through every step of grief but the last. Acceptance. For him, the only thing left once all other thoughts rotted away was seething, vengeful hate. Then, all at once, eternity seemed to be coming to an end at long last.

    There was something different in the air. It was pulling his consciousness towards it, seeking him out. The dreamscape he found himself in was nothing like any of his previous dreams, no, not only was the scene unfamiliar the feeling was more real than any dream he had ever experienced in his long life.

    He was in a bedroom. That much was obvious. Two bloodied, mangled corpses lay on the carpet before him, staining the white fibers with their shredded flesh and twisted limbs. Far too wasteful to have been one of his kills. This was most certainly not a memory. Not his, at any rate.

    A young boy, perhaps ten, or twelve, stood in the bedroom doorway staring ahead of him towards the one responsible for the mess. The man would be a remarkably unimposing vampire, if his fangs and claws weren¡¯t drawn. Short. Slumped. Hardly enough hair left on his head even to comb over. Some people didn¡¯t take to the change as well as others, and he was no exception. The sweater vest didn¡¯t help.

    Donovan stepped forward, over the bodies of, what he assumed were, the boy¡¯s parents. It only took a moment for the vampire and boy to realize they had an audience and another moment for Donovan to tear the head from the body of the other vampire.

    The child was fascinating. There was something different about him, ¡°is this your dream, child?¡± Donovan asked, looking down at him.

    The boy stared back at Donovan, his expression relieved at first, before quickly shifting to something more distrustful. On edge. He didn¡¯t look like he was prepared to be friendly, just because Donovan had saved him from the other vampire. In fact, he was already edging away, though one of his hands fumbled over the broken door frame trying to get purchase on a large enough piece of splintered wood to use as a weapon. ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡± The boy demanded.

    ¡°Donovan. What is your name, child?¡±

    ¡°Gabriel,¡± he replied hesitantly.

    The room around them seemed to shift, the carpet fibers moving and disintegrating until they¡¯d turned to damp concrete, the walls became slate gray and stained with age. The boy was no longer focusing on Donovan, but now cradling a small girl in his arms, weeping over her limp form. There were other children in the room, some even younger, some long dead. A set of stairs led up to an exit with no door. Gabriel himself had become wan, sickly, while dozens of scabs and cuts littered his bare arms. Donovan recognized the wounds, vampire bites. If this was more than Gabriel¡¯s dream, if this was a memory, then he pitied the child.

    Slowly, he moved forward, coming up behind Gabriel and gently laying a hand on his head, ¡°the one who did this, is he dead?¡± Donovan¡¯s voice was soft as he spoke, gentle.

    Gabriel didn''t move as he spoke, focused almost entirely on the dead girl in his arms, ¡°yeah. Her dad lopped its head off when he found us. Ages ago.¡±

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    In some ways he was disappointed with Gabriel''s answer. He would have loved to dispose of this monstrosity himself. ¡°How far along with the turn were you?¡± Donovan knew he had at least been half, it was the only way he could have survived as long as he did. To be stuck in a child¡¯s body was cruel.

    ¡°I dunno,¡± Gabriel shrugged. His tone was flat, drained. Old before his time. ¡°He wanted to make me kill the same night Chuck offed him. I got out lucky.¡± He pulled the girl closer to his chest, ¡°Lisa didn''t.¡±

    Donovan¡¯s fingers continued carding through Gabriel¡¯s hair absently as he spoke, ¡°you never killed, you became human again.¡± That still didn¡¯t explain why Donovan was in this boy¡¯s dream--no, memory.

    ¡°What did you do last night?¡± Donovan prompted. Maybe the answer was simpler than he thought.

    ¡°Last night?¡± Gabriel repeated, very reluctantly tearing his eyes away from the little girl he held in order to look up at Donovan. The boy looked entirely too confused to answer the question, ¡°I don¡¯t remember. Hunting¡­¡± he trailed off, not noticing the little girl in his arms melting into darkness, or the way the room around them began to get brighter. Cleaner. Just another fading memory. Another shifting ghost of dreams.

    Then, Donovan was at a table, surrounded by a group of people laughing, passing grease-laden slices of pizza and exchanging glasses of wine with him as if he were one of the group.

    That was when he saw it; an unlabeled bottle of wine sitting off to the side. He could sense his blood in it and he knew what had happened.

    ¡°You partook of this bottle.¡± Donovan reached over, pulling it free.

    Gabriel sat directly across from him, pouring wine into one of his friend¡¯s glasses. No longer a broken child, but a man. His smile though, it didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. ¡°That?¡± He shrugged, ¡°yeah. Got it from some old bastard cleaning out his wine cellar.¡±

    ¡°How was it?¡± Donovan asked, smiling as he pulled the cork, the smell filling the room. He took a deep breath, his eyes half closing as he watched Gabriel across from him.

    The young man¡¯s eyes seemed to glaze over as he leaned forward, just to get a little bit closer to the bottle, ¡°it was good,¡± he admitted, ¡°incredible.¡±

    ¡°Shit. It was shit,¡± one of his drunken friends, or really, figments of his dream chimed in before letting his head drop to the table with a loud thump.

    Donovan couldn''t help but laugh, ¡°I could tell you what it was, what you drank, if you would like.¡± He set the bottle down between them.

    ¡°What was it?¡± Gabriel prompted, his fingers edging towards the bottle. Even in his dreams, the taste would likely haunt him. The siren song. The newly woken hunger.

    ¡°Better that I show you.¡± Donovan brought his wrist to his lips, sinking his fangs in. The fresh smell of his blood overpowered the bottle, ¡°you want it, hunger for it, you can have as much as you desire. I won''t deny you.¡±

    Gabriel began to panic, his eyes growing wide at the sight, ¡°no.¡± He tried to shove his chair back, but the pull of the fresh blood still seemed to draw him forward.

    It dripped to the table, ¡°come now, it won¡¯t hurt, drink.¡± Donovan stood, bringing his wrist closer.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been through this before,¡± Gabriel told him, trying to put up a front, ¡°so you can just go fu-¡± he hesitated, licking his lips at the sight of blood dripping on the table, shining under the dim office light. His hands betrayed him, reaching out to snatch at Donovan¡¯s wrist to bring it to his mouth.

    Donovan smiled, stroking through Gabriel¡¯s hair and urging him on, ¡°I will find you when I awaken,¡± he said softly, ¡°you won''t be alone long, my hunter.¡± Yes, this one was his, whether he knew it or not. It was fate that they had found each other.

 Chapter Five

    Donovan woke slowly. Thanks to Gabriel drinking his blood he found himself gradually returning to reality. He was unsure what twist of fate brought them together but he wasn''t about to complain as he pushed aside the lid to his coffin. Gnarled hands curled over the lip as he pulled himself up. His body ached and he knew he wasn''t looking his best, couldn''t be after so many years. Decades. He had spent so much of his time consumed by hate and vengeful thoughts, that he¡¯d almost forgotten what real hunger and pain felt like.

    It wasn¡¯t pleasant.

    He had something to focus on, a task aside from revenge. Gabriel. The thought of him was what allowed Donovan to move forward. His tomb was in the cellar, hidden behind a wine rack. Ruben must have placed him here at some point, perhaps to keep his body safe, or perhaps to ensure he never woke. At any rate, Donovan was too insensate to know exactly when he¡¯d been moved. Too long ago to matter.

    Ruben had at least kept the place clean. Perhaps his servant expected him to wake any day. Or night.

    Step by step, Donovan made his way towards the stairs. He was immortal, and far from dying, but the pain of moving after so many years was more than unpleasant. Climbing the stairs themselves was another ordeal he didn¡¯t enjoy, but far preferred to the seemingly permanent slumber he¡¯d been forced into for so long.

    Donovan¡¯s senses had not dulled with time, thankfully, and he could already hear it: one steady heartbeat echoing throughout the house. Soon, he would have a very satisfying meal, which spurred Donovan up the steps even faster. Music filtered through the cellar door. Opera. Crisp and clear, as if it were a show being performed right in that very building. Donovan was soon greeted by a rather surprising sight in the parlor. A solitary old man seated in one of two comfortable looking chairs sipping amber liquor from a snifter.

    Donovan advanced towards him, capturing the man¡¯s attention with two rasping words, ¡°hello, Ruben.¡±

    The human might very well have leapt out of his wrinkled old skin if he could, as quickly as he jumped out of the chair to spin about and face him, ¡°D-d-...Master! You¡¯re awake!¡± Ruben spilled the contents of his snifter, and came painfully close to dropping it too when he took in the sight of the ancient vampire in front of him.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Donovan moved around the chairs, settling into one of them. He may not have the full use of his reflexes in his current state, but he was still far more graceful than the human ever would be.  It felt good to sit down, ¡°now, have you forgotten how to be a good servant or must I find a meal for myself?¡± He was in no state to go hunting right now, and the old man would make a poor meal even if Donovan wanted to feed on him.

    ¡°No master,¡± Ruben bobbed his head up and down, pressing his free hand to his chest to still the annoying sound of his laboring heartbeat, ¡°of course master. I w-will see to it at once. Please,¡± he gestured around the room, ¡°make yourself comfortable. I won¡¯t be more than a moment!¡± He rushed, or really hobbled quickly, towards the entryway with his snifter still in hand. Clearly he didn¡¯t need any reminders of Donovan¡¯s power. Though, likely most of that fear was due to the ancient vampire¡¯s appearance. Donovan could only imagine what he must look like right now, given the state he was in.

    His hands were more gnarled than Ruben¡¯s, his skin was desiccated, rough and cracked. His nails were long, that would have to be taken care of first. Donovan didn¡¯t want to inadvertently damage any upholstery.  He could do with a good haircut as well. A bath. A change of clothes. So much to do. Yet it all paled in comparison to the waking beast inside him, growing more and more impatient to feed. The hunger was tearing at his insides, it had been difficult to refrain from eating Ruben when he had the chance. Perhaps that would have been better after all, but the old man had his uses. At the moment, for the errands he would have to run, Ruben was far more presentable to the public eye.

    ¡°Well, Mister Carter, I¡¯m glad to help you fix your breakers, but it¡¯s pretty late. Couldn¡¯t it have waited until morning?¡± A muffled voice at the front door. So soon? Well, perhaps his servant was better prepared than Donovan had thought.

    ¡°It can not wait,¡± Ruben replied to the other man flatly. ¡°I pay you exceedingly well to keep my home and garden in good condition. I expect you to do so at any and all hours I require. Now, if you¡¯ll please go about your job, we can get this over with and then you can sleep.¡±

    The door creaked open. Donovan was upon him the moment he stepped inside, driving his fangs in deep and drinking hungrily. Too fast for the man to even scream. Flesh and muscle were shredded under yellowed claws, while the vampire drank deeper and more viciously than he ever had before. It was good to be alive, or something like it.

    Ruben shifted uneasily on his feet, just as nervous in old age as ever in his life, ¡°y-you probably will be wanting more soon, master?¡± He rubbed his hands together as he watched Donovan feed, standing just a little too close. The vampire took his sweet time enjoying his hard-earned meal, letting Ruben stew in his nervousness.

    Once he was somewhat satisfied, and sure that there was nothing else to be gained from the dead man in his arms, Donovan licked his lips slowly, ¡°yes, I believe I will.¡± He dropped the corpse to the floor, turning his gaze to Ruben, ¡°get to work.¡±

    The old man hesitated, clearly shaken by the sight. It wasn¡¯t likely he¡¯d seen much death in the cozy little life he¡¯d been leading, drinking Donovan¡¯s brandy, spending his money. It was very clear he¡¯d been doing that much to a disgusting degree. Donovan¡¯s home was hardly recognizable for all the clutter that seemed to have collected. Even distracted by hunger, he¡¯d noticed the gaudy decorations. The extra china cabinets packed with worthless little knick-knacks, lining the walls, filling every inch of every available table surface and corner.

    ¡°You want me to leave now? At this hour?¡± Ruben repeated, quickly stepping towards the body to try and lift it with little success. He very nearly threw out his back just hooking his arms under the dead man¡¯s shoulders. Donovan¡¯s first meal in what must have been almost fifty years was not a lightweight.

    ¡°Unless you have another way to bring a meal here, yes.¡± Donovan looked at his hands, watching the flesh sluggishly fill out, cracked skin rejuvenating ever so slightly, ¡°I require more sustenance.¡± Donovan¡¯s tone would brook no arguments.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°Yes, of course. Yes, I understand. Sustenance¡­¡± Ruben trailed off, seeming to be struggling to come up with something to say and figure out a method of dragging the body out of the entry hall without injuring himself. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you could help, just a little, master?¡±

    With a heavy sigh, Donovan obliged, hefting the body up over his shoulder. ¡°What do you plan to do with it?¡± At least his strength had returned. Somewhat. This would have been far easier if he were more revived. One or two more feedings would go a long way.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t quite sure,¡± Ruben replied helplessly, wringing his hands together, ¡°I have a few barrels in the cellar, I suppose I could stow him there for the evening until I am able to purchase the proper tools.¡±

    ¡°Very well, show me.¡± It was quite fun to order him around again. He had forgotten how enjoyable it was to be in control. There were still, however, several issues to address.

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d wake up one day,¡± Ruben remarked, hobbling ahead of him.

    ¡°Why did you give the bottle of blood wine to a group of hunters?¡± Donovan questioned, ignoring the human¡¯s platitudes. There seemed little reason Ruben would have any sort of relation to the man in Donovan¡¯s dream.

    Ruben drew to a halt, his back still turned, ¡°hunters?¡± He questioned innocently.

    ¡°Don''t play coy with me, Ruben, answer the question or I shall drop this body and leave you to tend to it.¡±

    The old man spun about, holding up his hands in surrender, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I thought perhaps if they drank some of your blood, maybe they¡¯d become enthralled,¡± he paused, ¡°that is how it works, isn¡¯t it? You give your blood to a human without biting him, and he becomes unable to resist you? It was a last attempt to wake you, before-¡± he hesitated, ¡°-before I die. I¡¯m not ill, but I¡¯m not young, either. Not anymore. I tried everything else. Besides the fact, they charge entirely too much, and it seemed as if-¡±

    ¡°Tell me about the one called Gabriel.¡± Donovan cut him off before he could continue his babbling.

    Ruben flinched, ¡°that one? I don¡¯t like him. One of the rudest men I¡¯ve encountered, next to the older one who likes to dig through my liquor cabinet. None of them seem to know their place.¡± Despite his nervousness, there was no mistaking the old man¡¯s sour tone, or the arrogance he had cultivated for the last few decades he¡¯d had full reign over Donovan¡¯s fortune.

    ¡°He was once on the cusp of turning, it is because of him that I am awake.¡± Donovan clarified, emphasizing Gabriel¡¯s role. Ruben may have contributed to getting the blood to Gabriel, but if it had been anyone else, just a normal human, it was highly unlikely the blood-wine would have had any effect while Donovan was in his near-catatonic state.

    ¡°Because he drank your blood?¡± Ruben inquired, clearly misinterpreting Donovan¡¯s response,  ¡°do you wish for me to bring him to you first, master? For your next meal?¡± His last question sounding entirely too hopeful.

    Donovan¡¯s eyes narrowed angrily, ¡°no one will be eating him. No, I have plans. For now we will just have to keep an eye on him.¡± His voice was filled with malice, a warning. The hunter belonged to him. Untouched. Alive.

    Visibly shaken by Donovan¡¯s reaction, the old man took the hint and said no more, though he did not look happy. One need not bother reading his thoughts to figure that much out.

    The journey down to the cellar was not a pleasant one. Though Donovan knew very little of fear these days, the very idea to return to the place he¡¯d been interred so soon was repellent. Perhaps he would have this portion of the house boarded up in the future.

    For a brief moment, Donovan debated the merits of putting the corpse into his old coffin. It was a sound idea, however he wanted to personally destroy that rotten wooden prison.

    ¡°Where are these barrels you spoke of?¡± Donovan was getting impatient, his hunger was still gnawing at his insides, unsated, and the longer he waited the more appealing his servant was looking as a meal.

    Ruben slowly flipped on the light switch, peering with bleary eyes into the cellar, which was far worse for wear in the decades Donovan had slept. Layers of dust caked over racks and bottles had very likely been there just as long as him. There was evidence of some cleaning, some well-trodden paths where the better bottles were kept, and a few younger vintages. Still, it rather looked like a cheap set from some ghastly horror picture.

    ¡°I think they¡¯re in the back.¡± The old man squinted, taking his sweet time in his descent towards the bottom of the stairs.

    ¡°If you take much longer, you are going to be on the menu for the night.¡± Donovan¡¯s voice was icy as Ruben finally took the last step down. He was frail. Too frail. Were it not for his loyalty, he would not be worth keeping.

    Ruben picked up speed, his slippers still covered in grass stains from his late night foray to fetch Donovan¡¯s dinner, scuffing along the concrete floor and leaving tiny blades here and there as he made his way through the dimly-lit cellar. Towards the very back, hidden behind the tallest wine rack where a vast array of ports lay, there were a few disused barrels with half-rusted rings around their bellies. ¡°Here,¡± the old man indicated, reaching for the lid of the tallest, ¡°this one doesn¡¯t leak.¡±

    After depositing the corpse he turned his attention back to his servant, ¡°how long will it take for you to acquire dinner for me? If it''s too long I''m afraid I may have to go out myself.¡±

    This gave Ruben pause, ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure, master. I don¡¯t know any of the neighbors¡­¡± he trailed off with a pathetic shrug of his shoulders. ¡°There is a park nearby still, perhaps there may be a few-¡± he seemed to struggle to find the right word, ¡°-youths there tonight. I understand it isn¡¯t the most savory of place as of late.¡±

    ¡°If you do not feel confident that you can be successful I will take care of it. Why don''t you rest? Perhaps after a night of sleep you will be more useful to me.¡± He turned, not sparing Ruben a second glance as he went upstairs.

    Perhaps he needed a good hunt to take care of some of this energy. It never felt so wonderful to be alive as it did now. Maybe something good did come out of his long sleep. A new appreciation for his existence. An appetite to give his next hunt a whole new meaning.

    <hr>

    ¡°This stuff¡¯s amazing.¡±

    ¡°Best on the market. Best price, too. All for you, baby.¡±

    ¡°How long does it last?¡±

    The couple cuddled together in the grass beside discarded needles and plastic trash. Trophies. Remnants of days past when one vagrant or another found a new high to chase. Perhaps these two were still kids, or perhaps they were older. Hard to tell with so many scars and missing teeth. Candles burning at both ends.

    ¡°Do you¡­¡± the woman trailed off, squinting up at the sky. She didn¡¯t remember what she was going to ask him. Didn¡¯t matter. Nothing mattered. Not even the weird old guy standing over them.

    ¡°You are both wastes of space but perhaps you can serve one last purpose.¡± The man stepped closer, moving faster and with more grace than a guy that looked as old as he did should. Before the girl could scream. Before the guy could laugh, because he¡¯d had twice as much as her, they were scraps on the ground, blood watering the grass.

    Across the city, while Donovan savored his meal, Gabriel woke in his office screaming. It didn¡¯t last long, though. He was too tired to stay awake.

 Chapter Six

    ¡°Good morning starshine,¡± Louise¡¯s abrasive singing disturbed the otherwise peaceful slumber Gabriel had been enjoying at the table, despite the awkward position he¡¯d been sitting in the whole night. That wine had packed a punch, maybe he shouldn¡¯t have polished off the whole damn thing before passing out.

    ¡°The earth says helloooooo,¡± Louise continued to sing, slipping over to the table and drumming her fingers against it. Gabriel waved an arm in the air lazily to try and bat her away. It was too damn early for this shit. Why did this woman never get hungover?

    ¡°Go ¡®way,¡± Danny grumbled from his place on the floor. He''d rolled out of his chair at some point during the night. Apparently he¡¯d been so drunk, not even Gabriel¡¯s night terrors had woken him. Gabriel struggled to recall what the hell had freaked him out so much, but the marbles rolling around in his skull and the metallic taste in his mouth were quickly driving away any vestiges of what must have been the worst nightmare he¡¯d had since he was a kid. If it was that bad, Gabriel wasn¡¯t too sure he wanted to remember it anyway.

    ¡°If you two are going to be like this, I guess you don¡¯t want any coffee from the new machine I just picked up,¡± Louise informed them, adding with a sly little smile, ¡°I even picked out a few gourmet roasts.¡±

    That got their attention. ¡°Coffee. Now.¡± Gabriel cracked open an eye, slumped back in his chair and started massaging the muscles in his neck. Not the best place to spend the night, on second thought.

    ¡°Say it nicer, maybe I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Louise taunted, examining her nails and glancing back over her shoulder as Lee walked into the room.

    Gabriel¡¯s other eye popped open and for a moment he was tempted to tell her where she could shove her coffee maker, but thought better of it. His head was killing him. Caffeine could probably help, that¡¯s what they always did in those old crummy westerns anyway. Black coffee thick enough to choke on and a couple of eggs, it could probably go a long way in fixing his hangover, even if the idea made his stomach want to do a few quick somersaults and a grand finale. ¡°Please, coffee. Now.¡±

    Louise feigned sympathy while she made sure to slam every damn thing in the office she could get her hands on as she set to fixing their morning pick-me-ups.

    ¡°I¡¯m never drinking again,¡± Danny vowed, ¡°ever.¡±

    Louise gave Lee a meaningful look as she passed him his coffee mug, and Gabriel couldn¡¯t honestly say he was surprised when the pair kissed as if nobody else was watching. He had things of his own to take care of, business, personal hobbies--but--he was still jealous. No matter how childish it made him feel. ¡°You going to bring me a mug anytime soon?¡±

    ¡°Well, I was going to,¡± Louise said, bringing Danny his coffee first, and with quite the obnoxious toss of her hair.

    Gabriel didn''t know what his deal was this morning, hangover notwithstanding, but for some reason that really pissed him off. He growled, ¡°I¡¯m your boss. Shouldn''t I get a little more respect here? Better service? Some fucking breakfast?¡±

    She looked at him in shock, dropping her cheery act, ¡°what¡¯s with the foul mouth, and why are you being such an asshole? You want me to cook you a goddamn steak?¡±

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    Steak. That sounded a lot better than coffee or eggs. Normally he had them cooked well done, almost charcoal, but suddenly he had a craving for something rare. Gabriel¡¯s mouth watered at the thought. ¡°Steak sounds really good, do we have some in the mini fridge?¡±

    ¡°Just Pepsi,¡± Lee said with a shrug before adding, ¡°this isn''t the Hilton. This is still a rented office building with bad plumbing and faulty wiring. You can have some of the old pizza you guys left out overnight, though.¡±

    Gabriel grumbled as he got to his feet, ¡°fine--¡± He wrinkled his nose at the thought of room temperature cheese and stale crust, ¡°Danny can have the leftovers.¡±

    Speaking of leftovers, that crazy wine he¡¯d had last night before he passed out would go really good with a steak. Actually, maybe just the wine, ¡°wait, where¡¯s that bottle? I want a drink.¡± Gabriel wasn¡¯t really the ¡®hair of the dog¡¯ type like Chuck, but he didn¡¯t see any harm in just a small glass.

    ¡°What bottle?¡± Louise asked, ¡°you can''t seriously want more.¡±

    ¡°Just a bit,¡± Gabriel replied defensively, ¡°it was good!¡± Incredible was more like it. He scrambled towards the table to snatch up the turned-over bottle, peering inside as if maybe it would make a few ounces magically appear inside. He slammed it back on the table in frustration, ¡°it¡¯s empty!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, ¡®cause you drank it all. Smelled nasty to me.¡± Danny grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. Gabe thought he must just be jealous because he didn''t get any.

    ¡°Maybe we can get more,¡± Gabriel reasoned, glaring at Danny.

    ¡°Yeah, sure, you can go back there and ask him for another.¡± Louise said, throwing her hands in frustration.

    ¡°Maybe I will,¡± Gabriel snapped back, glaring at her too, ¡°or maybe you woke up earlier and finished off the rest so I couldn¡¯t get any more.¡± He knew he was being ridiculous, but neither of them were helping. The more they talked, the more he needed another drink of that wine!

    ¡°Why would I do that? You know what, Gabe, fine, go take your hangover crazy to Ruben and he can deal with you.¡± Louise said, her voice sharp and a little angry.

    Lee, ever the peacekeeper, placed a hand on Louise¡¯s shoulder, ¡°hey, why don¡¯t we all just calm down, huh?¡±

    Gabriel scowled. No way would that old bastard give them another bottle for free, ¡°I¡¯ll just go get my damn steak.¡±

    Danny looked up at him like he was crazy, ¡°you¡¯re gonna drive, looking like that?¡± He didn¡¯t seem too concerned about the idea of the pizza though, as he was already gingerly tearing a piece from one of the greasy remainders of last night¡¯s dinner. ¡°You should at least take a shower in the back or something. You look like death warmed over.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± Gabriel insisted, stepping over the box of empty wine bottles and crossing towards Chuck¡¯s desk where he¡¯d set his wallet and keys the night before, ¡°just going to go to that meat market down the road,¡± sure, the place looked kind of questionable, but they probably had what he wanted. Since there wasn¡¯t any wine left, he needed that steak.

    ¡°Just, umm, be careful, I don''t wanna see you as a splat on the pavement. Even if you¡¯re being a jerk this morning, we kinda like you, ya know?¡± Danny said, picking at a misshapen olive slice on his pizza.

    ¡°I¡¯ve fought off zombie witches and bugbears, Danny, I think I can handle driving a block without killing myself, thanks,¡± Gabriel drawled, shoving his wallet into a pocket and snatching at his keys, annoyed. His driving was just fine.

    Danny gave up and simply shrugged, ¡°Well, try not to die. I guess.¡±

    Gabriel rolled his eyes, slamming the door behind him and immediately regretting it thanks to the effect that little gesture had on his headache.

 Chapter Seven

    Gabriel shoved a pair of sunglasses over his face when he slipped into his car, and he wasn''t too sure he didn''t break the sound barrier in his need to get to the meat market. Even with the sunglasses on, though, his eyes were burning. Maybe he was just getting too old to drink that much anymore. God only knew. The only thing Gabriel cared about right now was food. He had to have that steak. His recovering hangover and mental health depended on it.

    Why was it so bright? He could swear the weather said it¡¯d be overcast all week. The fucking sun was in his eyes. It felt like any second his lenses would melt. This sucked.

    By the way the guys running the place reacted when he¡¯d finally managed to park and head in to pick out his breakfast, you¡¯d think they saw a zombie. The butcher behind the counter was giving him a particularly odd look...Gabriel pulled back from the glass he¡¯d been painfully close to pressing his nose against, ¡°give me a couple of those thick-cuts over there,¡± he gestured towards a metal container of bloodied meat behind the counter, more fat and gristle than muscle. He was still on a budget. It still smelled incredible, so it couldn¡¯t be too bad. Didn¡¯t even strike him for a second how weird it was that he could actually smell the meat at all.

    ¡°You sure? We have better cuts.¡± The man asked, pulling out paper to wrap the meat in, ¡°no one ever buys those except for maybe for their dogs.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes roamed over the rest of the meat counter. Most of it was dry-looking, like they were soaked in antiseptic. Drab and grey from sitting out too long. Maybe there was a reason the parking lot outside was always empty. He didn¡¯t want to bother driving anywhere else. His stomach protested at the very idea of waiting any longer for his food, ¡°no, I want those.¡± Gabriel indicated the cheap cuts, barely managing not to snap at the man.

    The butcher held his hands up with a resigned look, clearly picking up on Gabriel¡¯s bad mood,  ¡°alright, alright, how many?¡± He pulled out the metal tray the meat was displayed on.

    ¡°Two--three. Give me three.¡± He could throw the extra one on the office griddle tonight if he had to work late. They hadn''t gotten much done this week so it was pretty much guaranteed.

    A small glob of congealed blood sat in the middle of one of them, normally that would have been enough to make him go with something else, but for some reason he didn''t mind. He was almost disappointed to see it glop off when the meat was pulled from the tray to be wrapped.

    The man looked all too happy to get rid of Gabriel as quickly as possible, ¡°twenty bucks.¡±

    ¡°Even?¡± He dug into a pocket and grabbed his wallet. Just enough spare cash to cover the steaks and a carton of eggs for later if he was still feeling like shit, ¡°alright,¡± he handed over a couple of tens. For a delirious moment he was tempted to reach over the glass and yank the package away before the guy could pass it to him, but he restrained himself. He didn''t want to get the reputation as a steak-snatching nutjob.

    ¡°Thank you for your business sir, have a wonderful day.¡±

    Prize finally in hand, he held the wrapped brown package close to his chest, as if it were a child, all the way back to the truck before he even realised how weird he probably looked. Yeah. He wasn''t coming back to this place any time soon.

    Gabriel drove a bit slower back to the office, but once he finally got there, he nearly tore the door off its hinges in his excitement to get in and have his breakfast. Well, maybe that was an exaggeration, but he definitely made a lot of noise. Everyone was sitting at the table nursing their coffees and pouring over a pinned map. Chuck, of course, smoking that damned cigar and making sure they all remembered why he wasn''t a morning person. Or even a late afternoon one.

    ¡°What¡¯s in the package?¡± Chuck barked at Gabriel as he came in the door.

    ¡°Food,¡± Gabriel grunted right back at him as he tossed the package onto the former reception counter and knelt to dig through a cupboard for their electric grill-top. It was nice to have some essentials tucked away when they spent the night at work. What other job could you do that at without having to be on call 24/7 too? Not that they kind of weren¡¯t. Monsters tended to keep crazy schedules.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the grill?¡± He spun about, glaring accusingly at the rest of them, ¡°which one of you moved it?¡± He needed that steak now!

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Under the sink, needed more room for the coffee,¡± Louise said, scowling at him.

    Gabriel made a face, mimicking her know-it-all voice before stomping over to the sink and slamming a few things around in his search. He knew he was acting like a child for no good reason, but he just couldn¡¯t help himself. Sometimes you just want to be an asshole.

    Lee cleared his throat, leaning over the map, ¡°so that call we got this morning puts us closer to figuring out the stalking pattern. With a few more we¡¯ll be able to narrow it down to one specific portion of the city. Right now we¡¯ve got a twenty mile radius we can¡¯t really cover, because there¡¯s way too many cops and I seriously doubt we¡¯ll be able to afford bail again for you, sir, after last time,¡± he glanced up at the offender.

    Chuck shrugged, ¡°he shouldn''t have gotten in my face like that. I can''t help it if he was an asshole.¡± He took a drink of his coffee. They all knew there was a healthy shot of Jack in there.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just grab all the money we ever seem to fucking make, and toss it in the shredder, Chuck...save you the trouble!¡± Gabriel snapped, plugging in the grill-top and setting it on the counter before snatching up the packaged meat and tearing into it.

    Gabriel could barely contain himself as he waited for the meat to sear and before long he was slapping a couple of steaks onto a paper plate. Quickly he re-wrapped the third and slung it into the mini fridge for later. He thought about looking in the sink for a fork but didn¡¯t want to take the time to clean one. He simply grabbed one with his bare hands and bit in while standing hunched over the counter. Pink spots of meat juice stained the plate. It was heaven. He didn¡¯t care what he looked like right now. The meat was too good to wait for.

    ¡°You know, most people take their sunglasses off inside the building, and put them on outside,¡± Louise quipped before returning her attention to the map. She clicked her tongue, examining the area Lee had pointed out, ¡°Chuck, you could just stay home and keep an eye on the office. If you do that, we don¡¯t have to worry about dealing with cops. You¡¯re getting old, anyway...twenty miles is a lot, and I don¡¯t think we should just wait for other people to die before we try to pin this down.¡±

    ¡°Oh god, this is a mouthgasm¡­¡± Gabriel groaned, taking another bite. It was just what he needed. Already, his headache was fading into background noise as he slurped up a dangling piece of somewhat cooked gristle.

    ¡°Dude, shut up about it,¡± Danny grumbled, ¡°you sound gross. Can¡¯t you eat quietly?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± Gabriel gnawed on the bone remaining from his first steak, which he demolished in record time, ¡°I¡¯m in love and I want you all to know it,¡± his mood was already one-hundred percent better. He¡¯d never recovered from a hangover so quickly. ¡°Chuck--you¡¯re gonna be the ring bearer. Better tone up those fat calves of yours.¡±

    Chuck snorted a laugh, ¡°nice to see you cheering up, Dr. Jekyll.¡±

    Lee shook his head, growing tired of the distraction and bipolar outbursts, ¡°can we discuss the matter at hand? Anyway, it¡¯s decided.  Chuck will stay in the office and take calls,¡± he scrawled down a few notes, ¡°Louise, you and Danny can make general inquiries in the area. Remember, we¡¯re not cops, keep it casual.¡±

    ¡°That leave me with you, sweetheart?¡± Gabriel cooed and set to work on the second steak, licking his lips greedily. He should probably slow down. Probably.

    ¡°Yes, I guess it does,¡± Lee replied calmly, flipping to the next page. ¡°Chuck, please remember clients don¡¯t like to be yelled at on the phone. I¡¯ve taken the liberty of preparing a list of phrases to say to them, so you don¡¯t have to worry about offending anyone.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they shouldn¡¯t be so stupid and just answer the questions.¡±

    Gabriel yanked off his sunglasses and rubbed at his eyes with his forearm to avoid getting meat juice in his eyes. His hands were filthy. Now that he¡¯d finished eating, he was getting a crazy headrush, ¡°let¡¯s just get ready and head out. Louise, did you figure out what we could be dealing with? Last murder give you any more clues?¡±

    ¡°Could be a few things, vamp stands out the most though.¡±

    He tossed his plate in the trash and licked at his fingers, ¡°good. We¡¯ve got plenty of daylight hours, maybe we¡¯ll find them if we¡¯re lucky. Haven¡¯t ashed one of those bastards in over three years. Thought they¡¯d all dried up or something,¡± Gabriel loved hunting bloodsuckers. A good deal of it was the grudge he¡¯d had since he was a kid, but they were also one of the easiest things to nail. Predictable sleep patterns. Simple weaknesses. A cut and dry easy monster.

    Lee rubbed Louise¡¯s shoulder, ¡°did you prepare the kits? Ready to be packed in the trunks?¡±

    She kissed his hand, ¡°yeah, everything¡¯s all together and ready to go.¡±

    Gabriel pointedly ignored the pair. He wasn¡¯t jealous. He was perfectly fine. There was no reason in the world he had to resent seeing them together. ¡°Let¡¯s get a move on, then. The sooner we get out there, the sooner we can deal with this crap and make sure the streets are safe. All that bullshit.¡±

    Chuck waved them off, ¡°all y¡¯all get out of my office, go, shoo,¡± he took a drink of his spiked coffee, ¡°stupid idiots,¡± he grumbled good naturedly. They were, in a word, family. Pretty much the only people he didn¡¯t blow up on. Even Danny, as short as his stay with them had been thus far.

 Chapter Eight

    ¡°Sometimes I feel like we should be driving the Mystery Van,¡± Louise remarked, letting her hand hang out of the passenger door window. They¡¯d decided to take Lee¡¯s car today. Less noticeable. Better mileage. Gabriel and Danny were in the backseat.

    ¡°I wish we could,¡± Lee agreed. ¡°It would be a lot easier to tear off a rubber mask at a haunted fairground.¡± He paused, ¡°do I have to drop my glasses and come up with a corny catch phrase if we do?¡±

    Danny cringed in the backseat, shifting a little to give Gabriel more room. Five minutes on the road and their leader had fallen asleep as if he hadn¡¯t been running on hyperdrive before they got in the car. Maybe that steak wasn¡¯t enough. ¡°Do you two need to get a room?¡± he joked.

    Louise glanced back over her shoulder, ¡°looks like you two will need one pretty soon. Gabe!¡± She shouted, immediately realizing how loud she was and giving Lee an apologetic smile. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    He flinched, ¡°that¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t crash.¡± His eyes quickly scanned the rearview mirror as he made his turn into the parking lot of a boarded-up gas station. Maybe not the safest area to leave his car, but better than keeping it on the side of the road and risk having it towed later. ¡°I think Gabe needs to take a vacation,¡± Lee remarked. ¡°He¡¯s acting insane today. A hangover doesn¡¯t turn you into a narcoleptic.¡± Their leader in the backseat was completely oblivious to the rest of them, his head resting on Danny¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea,¡± Louise agreed, slowly unbuckling her seatbelt. ¡°I¡¯m not sure he knows the meaning of the word ¡®vacation¡¯. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s taken a day of since--¡± she paused thoughtfully, ¡°well, I mean, since we met. Even when we were dating.¡± It felt weird talking about him while he was sitting in the backseat sleeping, but Lee was honestly a little worried. Gabriel just wasn¡¯t himself today.

    ¡°Hey,¡± Danny nudged Gabriel off of his shoulder, ¡°wake up. We¡¯re here. Gabe.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What?¡± Gabriel jumped, jerking away from him, ¡°was I sleeping?¡±

    Louise craned her head over the side of her seat to look back at him, ¡°yeah, you pretty much turned Danny into your own personal body pillow the second Lee started the car. Are you sure you want to help scan the area today, Gabe? You don¡¯t look good.¡±

    Lee could see what she meant. He looked pretty pale. ¡°Maybe you¡¯ve got the flu. Or¡­¡± he trailed off, a terrible thought striking him at that moment. ¡°When you killed that ghoul the other night, do you think maybe you got infected?¡± They hadn¡¯t had enough experience with ghouls first-hand to pick up on the starting signs of infection, but in their line of business anything was possible.

    Gabriel scowled at each of them in turn, unbuckling his seatbelt and shoving his door open, ¡°I just drank too much. Had a few bad dreams. Get off my ass, alright?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been acting like a jerk all day, and you¡¯re freaking us all out. I¡¯m not putting up with it. You can go with Lee today, because I¡¯m taking Danny!¡± Louise snapped right back at him, surprising everyone. Today was Lee¡¯s turn to train the newbie.

    ¡°Fine. I¡¯m having an off day, I¡¯m sorry. Do whatever you want.¡± Gabriel¡¯s apology didn¡¯t sound too sincere, and before Louise could reply, he was stomping off across the parking lot.

    ¡°Gabe! Gabriel!¡± Lee shouted, popping his trunk before he hopped out of the car, ¡°we need to grab some kits!¡± He hastened around to the back of the car to snatch out two satchels and toss them over his shoulder. ¡°Louise, Danny, you guys take the other side of the block, alright?¡± He told them hastily as he gathered their satchels and slammed the trunk closed.

    ¡°Yeah, go catch up to him. We got it.¡± Louise took the bags and passed one to Danny after she closed her car door.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got a feeling this is going to be a very long day,¡± Lee told her, kissing his girlfriend on the forehead before he took off after Gabriel, tossing his car keys back to Danny to lock up.

    ¡°Gabriel!¡± Lee shouted, jogging out of the parking lot and across the street to catch up. For a guy who just woke up a few minutes ago, he sure was fast. ¡°For god¡¯s sake, slow down!¡± Lee exclaimed, taking a deep breath once he¡¯d finally managed to grab a hold of Gabriel¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re acting really weird. We all care about you, and we weren¡¯t trying to make you throw a temper tantrum!¡±

    Gabriel spun around, ¡°I wasn¡¯t throwing a tantrum!¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lee leveled his eyes at Gabriel, handing him one of the satchels, ¡°you were. Just stop for a moment and go over what just happened in the car, and ask yourself if any sane or normal person would behave like that. Storming off in an area that has not only had three murders within the last three weeks, but frankly isn¡¯t that safe to begin with.¡± He gestured around him at some of the dilapidated buildings and clustered walls of brick along one side of the street that may have been a warehouse once, but now only stood as a testament to the skills of local graffiti artists.

    ¡°Goats.¡± Gabriel replied.

    ¡°I--what?¡±

    ¡°Goats. Three murders, and a few goats. That¡¯s what the last report Chuck wrote down said.¡±

    Lee shook his head, ¡°I think he was just being a jerk, Gabe. He was drunk when he wrote that las-¡±

    ¡°Goats!¡± Gabriel slapped his friend on the shoulder, his mouth forming into a wide grin, ¡°don¡¯t you get it, Lee? Goats. Goat meat. There¡¯s a butcher shop down the street.¡±

    ¡°Gabriel, for god¡¯s sake, that place was shut down three years ago. There¡¯s no-¡±

    ¡°No, man, I mean I can smell it. Goats. C¡¯mon!¡± Then, without so much as one reasonable explanation for anything he¡¯d done at all from his cranky morning, to his disgusting table manners over breakfast, and his hissy fit in the car, Gabriel was running down the street again. Lee couldn¡¯t hold back a deep groan as he took off after him.

    His lungs were burning by the time he managed to catch up to Gabriel, yet again, coming to a stop in the empty parking lot of the aforementioned butcher. Like the gas station they¡¯d left his car in, the windows were boarded up, but far more thoroughly. This wasn¡¯t a rush job. Some of the windows even had tarps stapled over the boards to seal out what Lee assumed was rain or moisture.

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    Then the smell Gabriel had mentioned finally struck him, and Lee had to cover his mouth as they approached the building together. It was like a barnyard after all of the livestock got struck down and left to rot in the mud and piss. If this was what it smelled like now, he could only imagine how awful it must have been to shop here when the place was actually open.

    ¡°Gabe, I don¡¯t think this--¡± Lee turned towards the other hunter only to catch sight of him trying to pry off one of the boards sealing up the front door, ¡°what are you doing?¡± He demanded, alarmed. ¡°This is illegal!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve done worse,¡± Gabriel replied with a shrug, managing to get the first board off with surprising ease before dropping it to the ground and dusting some of the dirt and bits of dust from his hands. ¡°It¡¯s not just dead goats in there, Lee. There¡¯s something--someone moving. Can¡¯t you hear it?¡± He ripped open the satchel Lee had given him and pulled out a hammer to get to work on the other board, which had several more nails in it.

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t!¡± This was too much. Everything was going wrong. They weren¡¯t following any sort of plan or strategy. Today was just supposed to be simple investigating and talking, now Gabriel was committing a crime in the name of--in the name of what? An ill-conceived action plan? Bad smells? He wasn¡¯t exactly sure what sort of logic his friend and semi-boss was following, but Lee was absolutely convinced now that Gabriel needed to go to a doctor, unless this was something no sane doctor could even handle.

    Once the last board had clattered to the ground, Gabriel was grasping the door handle, ¡°come on,¡± he nodded at Lee. ¡°Ladies first.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not funny,¡± Lee informed him seriously, striding over towards the door with a reluctant sigh. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go inside and look around with you if you insist, but after this, we are leaving. There¡¯s probably an alarm just waiting for us to set it off.¡± Not likely, given the condition of the place, but you never really knew.

    Gabriel winked, already seeming to be in a way better mood than when they¡¯d left the car. At least that was something of an indicator that he wasn¡¯t too sick. Physically. For all Lee knew, it was about to get worse. It definitely did when Gabriel yanked the door open for him, and he had the air knocked out of him after a vicious creature dive-bombed Lee from the ceiling.

    Yellow, dripping fangs snapped at his face as he struggled to shove it away, claws digging into Lee¡¯s shirt and very nearly shredding any fabric it came into contact with. A long tail snapped around, thwacking the side of the doorframe as Lee stumbled towards the wall trying to put every ounce of strength into dislodging the creature while still trying to preserve his nose from being bitten off. It all happened so fast, he hardly had time to register when Gabriel grabbed the thing and tossed it to the ground.

    Lee¡¯s poor face was intact, though his shirt and chest had borne the brunt of the damage, and his glasses had fallen off in the struggle, one lens having shattered upon impact with the shadowed linoleum floor.

    ¡°Judy,¡± a voice hissed from the darkness, ¡°come!¡±

    Kneeling down to scoop up his glasses, Lee shoved them onto his face, squinting through the one remaining good lens to try to make out the thing on the floor before it skittered away, having lost interest in himself and Gabriel. From what he could tell, it looked like--

    ¡°Chupacabra,¡± Gabriel stated with a knowing laugh. ¡°I knew it. You owe me a beer.¡±

    ¡°I never said I¡¯d buy you a beer for nearly getting me killed,¡± Lee tried to glare at him, though he was sure the effect was somewhat dulled by his already haggard appearance.

    There was the sound of a match being struck, and Lee managed to make out a figure illuminated in the dark, lighting an old kerosene lamp. Then another. A third.

    ¡°Judy, is that any way to treat visitors?¡± A pale hand scooped up the creature, its owner stepping out of the shadows cast by the lanterns, ¡°good evening, gentlemen.¡± The man that stood before them was pale, very pale, vampire pale. Long fingernails scratched down Judy¡¯s back, the creature arching into the touch like a dog, ¡°what brings you to my humble abode?¡± Pale blue eyes closed for a moment as the man took a deep breath, ¡°interesting.¡± His eyes locked on Gabriel as he scented the air again, ¡°very interesting.¡±

    Interesting? What did it mean by that? Lee could never understand much of what monsters seemed to be talking about when they showed up to dispatch them. The kind who only spoke in riddles were the worst.

    Gabriel grabbed Lee¡¯s shoulder, ¡°back up, I don¡¯t want you getting hurt,¡± he advised him.

    As much as Lee would like to argue the point, his vision was compromised right now, ¡°I¡¯m right behind you,¡± he replied as Gabriel released his grip and stepped forward.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one killing off the locals,¡± Gabriel stated. He didn¡¯t need to ask. It was painfully obvious, now that Lee got a better look at their surroundings. Within the sparse areas of light from the lamps, rotting body parts littered the ground. Thank god Danny wasn¡¯t here to see this. He wasn¡¯t ready. Dear god, Lee didn¡¯t know if he was ready for something like this himself.

    ¡°Not all of them, only a few here and there, I do need to eat, after all.¡± He replied, setting Judy down, ¡°come now, surely you can understand, what with your--condition.¡±

    Gabriel slowly reached into the satchel he¡¯d slung over his shoulder, not making any sudden moves to set off the little monster or the vampire in front of him, ¡°condition?¡± He repeated, ¡°what are you talking about?¡±

    Keep him talking, Lee wanted to urge. As long as the monster kept talking, they¡¯d have more time for Gabriel to get at one of his weapons.

    The vampire laughed, tossing his head back, ¡°oh, my dear boy, you don''t know, do you?¡±

    They weren¡¯t very far from the door. Lee wondered if he could distract him, lure the vampire to the sunlight. Before he could even pursue the plan, though, Gabriel had yanked his hand out of his bag with a start, biting out a few curses. ¡°Shit! Lee, what the hell did Louise pack in this pack? It burned me!¡± He looked back up at the vampire, holding out his burnt hand to Lee, ¡°hand me a stake from your kit,¡± he whispered, while his free hand grasped the gun he kept holstered under his jacket for emergencies. ¡°Know what?¡± He demanded, ¡°you going to make some joke about living like it¡¯s some kind of weakness? You sick fucks are all alike.¡±

    ¡°Life is necessary, for me, for you, but unnecessary with regards to humanity except to serve us.¡± He shook his head, ¡°ahh, to be young again.¡± He said wistfully, ¡°you¡¯ll understand when you''re older.¡±

    Lee yanked a stake from his bag, making a mental note to address whatever ill-timed prank Louise had paid on Gabriel, before he handed it to him, ¡°here.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Gabriel held the stake and the gun level, edging further into the room, ¡°you¡¯re insane,¡± he stated flatly, ¡°so let¡¯s get this over with. Go on. Make the first move.¡±

    The vampire sighed, ¡°I''m not some idiot fledgling that will just attempt to go in for the kill, no, in fact, I think I''ll take my leave. I''m going to enjoy seeing you again, to see what you become. It will be a fascinating show.¡± With one gesture, the vampire sent his little monster barreling towards Gabriel, who shot off a couple of rounds trying to stop it, while the owner dodged past him and knocked Lee to the ground as he took off across the parking lot. Unscathed. Unburnt.

    ¡°He--he¡¯s not turning to ash!¡± Lee shouted, spinning back to face Gabriel, who¡¯d managed to kill the thing with surprisingly little effort.

    Gabriel looked back over at him, a little dazed, ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the middle of the day, and he didn¡¯t ash! He was a vampire, wasn¡¯t he?¡± This wasn¡¯t good. This was very bad. They¡¯d never had the chance to test whether or not the legend about bloodsuckers and sunlight was true, but finding out when they both very well could have had their throats ripped out was more than a little terrifying.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Gabriel trailed off, not seeming to have much to add. He knelt down to the thing at his feet. ¡°Lee. I think this is a Chupacabra.¡±

 Chapter Nine

    Gabriel was proving to be fascinating. Donovan could see into the young man¡¯s mind, miles away. Catch glimpses of his thoughts. His relationships with the other hunters were what drew his attention the most. And the jealousy! Especially with that girl, Louise. The growing bond, though, had him feeling as though Gabriel was his and his alone. This was going to take some time to grow accustomed to. He wasn¡¯t used to having this close of a bond with anyone.

    Donovan had kept his other ¡®children¡¯ at a bit of a distance, most of them having been turned for status or some other gain. They were all gone now. Those tentative links fading with the passing of time, as things tend to do. Now was not the time to dwell on the past, no, he had a bright future to look forward to. He knew this would take time, however, and he wanted to savor the chase, the hunt, and the eventual reward.

    Feeling the surprise and shock from Gabriel as he watched a vampire step into sunlight made him feel almost sad, in a way, he wanted to reveal that little secret, even had an entire speech planned out. The fight, the struggle, the death of the Chupacabra, had been exhilarating. Prolonging this venture had been an excellent idea.

    A gentle knock sounded on the parlor door, rousing him from his reverie. ¡°Donovan,¡± his servant called his name, ¡°I have a guest. The hunter, and one of his cohorts.¡± He need not specify which hunter, Donovan knew very well. ¡°There¡¯s a third, but he usually waits in the hall, so he shouldn¡¯t be a problem. They¡¯re here to gather a monthly list from me; should I introduce them?¡±

    This couldn¡¯t have worked better if he had planned it himself, ¡°yes, introduce them.¡± He would have to speak with Ruben about his lack of proper decorum, for now it would have to suffice, he did get to meet Gabriel in person at least.

    Thankfully Donovan¡¯s meal the previous evening had restored him somewhat, though the after-effects of dining on drugged blood were not altogether pleasant. A lesson he had learned all too well some centuries ago when the streets of London were so choked with opium addicts, one could almost smell the perfume of the drug on their flesh.

    His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the sound of conversation in the hall, interspersed with slightly louder remarks flung out by one of the hunters. An older man¡¯s voice. Not Gabriel¡¯s.

    ¡°I¡¯m busy at the moment, but my friend may very well have work for you,¡± Ruben snapped testily, opening the door to the parlor and holding out an arm to lead the pair into the room. Gabriel, and the one called Lee, from what Donovan had gathered when he¡¯d been testing their mental link, stepped inside.

    Of course, the other one didn¡¯t really matter. For the sake of good manners, Donovan acknowledged Lee with a nod of his head, but his attention was far more focused on Gabriel, who, for a moment, almost looked like he¡¯d seen a ghost.

    ¡°You...¡± Gabriel rubbed at his eyes, ¡°sorry, wasn¡¯t staring. I thought you looked familiar.¡± He wouldn¡¯t remember the dream. Not yet. Donovan had made sure of that.

    ¡°I told you to go home and get some more sleep,¡± Lee chided Gabriel under his breath in a manner he very likely thought wasn¡¯t overheard, before quickly looking back at Donovan, ¡°the Collector didn¡¯t tell us until just now that he even had a guest. We¡¯re really sorry if we¡¯re interrupting anything.¡±

    ¡°Not at all, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you both.¡± Donovan gave Ruben a meaningful look.

    ¡°Pardon my manners, Donovan, this is Lee and Gabriel.¡± The old man attempted some semblance of a smile, but instead he only looked like he was sucking at a stubborn bit of food in his dentures. Neither of the hunters seemed to appreciate the effect, but remained politely quiet.

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    Lee nodded at Donovan, ¡°we don¡¯t normally barge in like this...¡± He trailed off, glancing over at Ruben, unsure what else to say.

    Gabriel decided to do the talking before the old man could even open his mouth, ¡°We had a lot of ground to cover with our other clients today, and didn¡¯t have time to call. Just swinging by to pick up a grocery list. The Collector needs a little help stocking up on the Poligrip, y¡¯know?¡±

    Ruben looked as if he¡¯d just been slapped, his dignity and age thus insulted, ¡°Donovan already knows what sort of things I need procured. There¡¯s no need to create such a ridiculous story, as we¡¯re in the same business together. Also, I would like to point out that I never use Poligrip.¡± He looked back over at Donovan, repeating himself, ¡°I never use Poligrip. My teeth are perfectly sound.¡± An unnecessary lie, but his reaction was amusing.

    It took a moment for the old man to recover from the affront to his dignity before he finally continued to make the vampire¡¯s introduction for him, ¡°Donovan has just arrived. His visit was--unexpected. A pleasant surprise, you might say. Please, make yourselves comfortable. My list isn¡¯t quite finished yet. It will take me some time to prepare,¡± he gave Donovan a quick look, seeking silent approval. Always aiming to please and painfully obvious about it.

    ¡°We really shouldn¡¯t impose. We could wait out in the hallway, if it¡¯s more comfortable,¡± Lee interjected, clearly uncomfortable, and he couldn¡¯t seem to stop glancing over at Gabriel as if at any moment he would sprout a second head.

    ¡°It will only take him a moment, come, sit, you can be on your way soon enough.¡± Donovan motioned toward the chairs, ¡°it will be far more comfortable and we can have a nice chat.¡±

    Gabriel certainly looked tired enough, which may very well be why he didn¡¯t decline, indicating a spot for Lee to sit near him with a nod of his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t really think the Collector had any friends,¡± he admitted, relaxing in one of the chairs with a deep sigh. Ruben glared at him darkly before leaving the room. He¡¯d become very bitter in his old age.

    Donovan laughed, smiling as he spoke, ¡°I would hardly consider him a friend, more of a, business associate. I am, however, curious as to what he wishes obtained. He always has had rather--eclectic collections.¡±

    ¡°We aren''t at liberty to disclose-¡± Lee began, only to be interrupted by Gabriel.

    ¡°Occult junk. Creepy knick-knacks. Pretty much anything a sane or religious guy would douse with holy water and bury in the backyard.¡±

    ¡°Gabe,¡± Lee whispered, giving his friend a pained look.

    Donovan¡¯s smile was reserved for Gabriel alone, ¡°that does sound like something he would enjoy,¡± he paused for a moment, ¡°I was a hunter once, a long time ago, now I content myself with more, leisurely, pursuits.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s long? Three years?¡± Gabriel inquired, giving him a once-over, sizing Donovan up, ¡°you¡¯re like what, thirty-five at most?¡±

    Oh, if only they knew the truth, ¡°no, I''m older than that. I''ve been told that I age well,¡± he replied, ¡°however, I am flattered.¡±

    Lee seemed to sense the strange feeling in the room, the intensity of Donovan¡¯s eyes as he watched Gabriel, despite his otherwise casual demeanor. ¡°Gabe,¡± he nudged his friend¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I really think we should come back another time.¡±

    Gabriel shrugged, mistaking the way Lee seemed to be on edge for polite discomfort, ¡°if the old geezer didn¡¯t want us talking about him, he shouldn¡¯t have left us in the same room.¡± How very blunt the young hunter was.

    ¡°It is refreshing to hear such straightforwardness, so rare these days.¡±

    ¡°My friend isn¡¯t feeling very well today,¡± Lee finally interjected, ¡°he¡¯s not normally like this.¡±

    ¡°Lee, calm down, I¡¯m fine,¡± Gabriel gave his friend a sidelong expression, ¡°why are you so uptight?¡± He unconsciously leaned forward in his seat, edging just a little closer to Donovan.

    It was a very subtle movement, which might have gone unnoticed by the master vampire if he didn¡¯t already have a mental link to Gabriel. Just one night of drinking his blood, bottled, watered down by herbs and wine, was more than enough to compel the hunter to seek Donovan out, whether he was aware of it or not. Donovan looked forward to seeing the results of further blood ingestion. This was proving to be a very entertaining afternoon. A nice change from the last forty or so years spent in maddening isolation.

 Chapter Ten

    Lee wanted nothing more than to leave and get Gabriel locked up at the office with the rest of the hunters so they could knock some sense into him. He¡¯d just about had it with the insane behavior and recklessness his friend was displaying, and now it was like he was purposely trying to freak Lee out.

    ¡°I¡¯m just concerned,¡± Lee whispered confidentially at Gabriel¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m worried about you. You¡¯re not acting like yourself.¡±

    ¡°Ruben tells me that you''re quite accomplished as hunters,¡± Donovan said, steering the conversation back to the topic at hand.

    ¡°He did?¡± Gabriel asked; a look of sheer astonishment plastered on his face, ¡°I mean, he¡¯s not wrong, but the Collect¡ªRuben doesn¡¯t usually have anything nice to say.¡±

    ¡°He can be quite¨Cstubborn at times and it can be difficult to get the truth out of him, however, I''ve had a lot of practice and he knows that honesty is the best policy.¡± Donovan kept his attention on Gabriel as he spoke, his gaze steady and focused, enough to further Lee¡¯s discomfort.

    Lee shifted a little in his seat, remaining quiet. The young man was clearly uncomfortable, while Gabriel on the other hand was shooting forward in his seat, edging just a little bit closer to Donovan.

    ¡°So how long are you gonna be here? This a business trip or something?¡± Gabriel prompted, expressing far more interest than he likely even realized.

    ¡°I had planned to stay for quite some time, there''s something about this place that draws one in, makes a person desire to remain,¡± he said softly, ¡°there is something that has drawn my attention.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a pretty crazy place. Always something going down. I don¡¯t think half the cities around us have nearly as big of a ghoul problem.¡±

    ¡°Ghouls are such primitive creatures, it''s a wonder that they thrive the way they do. Back when I was a hunter, younger even than you, ghouls were an infestation much easier to cull than they are now.¡± Donovan leaned forward, bringing himself closer to the hunter seated across from him.

    That seemed to grab Lee¡¯s attention, and even he couldn¡¯t resist joining the conversation, ¡°has there been a major change in their behavior patterns in the last decade?¡± He frowned, ¡°I hadn¡¯t read anything like that in my research.¡±

    ¡°Longer, they have been rising steadily for the past forty or so years but it wasn''t until recently that their population exploded.¡± He said, finally turning his gaze toward Lee before directing it back to Gabriel the moment he was done speaking.

    Just like that, Lee was the interloper. The extra puzzle piece in the room that didn¡¯t quite fit. There was an intense look of interest in Gabriel¡¯s eyes while he watched Donovan talk, and Lee might as well have said nothing at all for the attention he got.

    ¡°You know a lot more than I¡¯d expect from anyone who wasn¡¯t still in the game,¡± Gabriel remarked.

    ¡°I find keeping myself informed is safer and affords me some advantages over the rest of the masses. I could teach you a great many things if you were interested.¡± He kept his tone low as he spoke, ignoring Lee, much to the hunter''s chagrin.

    It struck Lee as odd, especially the way that Gabriel seemed completely oblivious to what was going on, to the focus that Donovan was giving him. In fact, Gabe seemed drawn to the man. From morning to noon, everything about Gabriel was completely out of character. Even now. He was like another person.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t mind?¡± Gabriel asked, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve got a lotta stuff to do here.¡±

    ¡°Perish the thought, it would be my pleasure, whenever you have the time to spare.¡± He said, smiling at Gabriel. Lee couldn''t help but think the smile looked almost sinister but of course, Gabriel seemed oblivious, once again. Despite their own situation, Lee really had a hard time believing anyone else who shook hands with the collector was the sort of person you could trust. He would have to keep an eye on Donovan. Something just didn¡¯t feel right.

    ¡°How ¡®bout it, Lee?¡± Gabriel asked, still focusing his gaze on Donovan, ¡°we could probably all use a little extra training. Especially Danny.¡±

    ¡°I don''t know, we¡¯ll have to talk with the others.¡± Lee was skeptical, wanted to say no, but he could tell from Gabriel¡¯s look that a little tact was in order.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Gabriel nodded, finally looking back at Lee, breaking the weirdly intense eye contact he had with the other man, ¡°yeah, you¡¯re right. We can talk about it tonight at the meeting,¡± he held his hand out to Donovan, ¡°Ruben can give you our address, though. Feel free to come by any time. If you want.¡± He hesitated, ¡°if you want to meet everyone, that is. Network. Whatever. We¡¯re pretty informal, so the invite¡¯s always open.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to it,¡± Donovan said, grasping his hand firmly, locking eyes again, ¡°and you are welcome here anytime.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be here for a while, then?¡±

    Donovan smiled widely, ¡°oh yes, Ruben will just have to learn to live with me.¡±

    The gentle knock at the door signaled Ruben¡¯s return before he stepped inside the room with a thick envelope. It looked as if he had a much bigger list than usual, which probably meant several more visits here over the next few weeks. A godsend for their money problems, but not something Lee was exactly happy about.

    ¡°This should keep all of you busy for awhile,¡± the old man told them, holding the envelope out to Lee, ¡°your friend decided to wait in the truck instead of his usual spot at my drinks cabinet.¡±

    Lee took it from him, a grateful smile on his face, ¡°thank you, Ruben, we¡¯ll be going now, that way Chuck doesn''t get any ideas about coming for your scotch.¡±

    The list was a godsend. He didn¡¯t want to spend another minute in this room if he had to, and the sooner he got Gabe back to the office, the better. He was going to have to confront him about his behavior because it was obvious Gabriel had no idea what he had done. They didn¡¯t know this man. Blindly inviting anyone into their homes or office was a violation of their first rule of survival. For all they knew, he could be an evil spirit, a demon, even a vampire. Let alone the strange intimacy between the pair that seemed to have developed in less than a minute of conversation. This wasn¡¯t just a bad hangover or funny mood, there was something very wrong with the lead hunter, and Lee was going to find out before Gabe did something stupid.

    <hr>

    After his last chat with the collector, Chuck would rather drink a cat piss cocktail than spend more time with him than absolutely necessary today. So once he¡¯d had his double shot of scotch, he was out the door. Let Gabe and Lee handle all the bullshit today, Chuck just wasn¡¯t in the mood. He might have just stayed at the office if he didn¡¯t think the old bastard would slam the door in Gabe¡¯s face without him tagging along.

    So, here he was. Looking at flowers. The whole damn front yard was packed with them. Funny, though, Chuck hadn¡¯t seen that kid anywhere yet, and wasn¡¯t he usually out trimming bushes this time of day? Maybe Ruben gave him the week off.

    Chuck stepped over a small mound of dirt near a couple of freshly-planted rose bushes. Something funny about that. Those roses. Everything else in this place was meticulously planted, like a grid. Flowers and vines trimmed and cut so perfectly, you¡¯d think they were fake. Even Chuck could see that, and he wasn¡¯t exactly the outdoorsy type. These bushes and dirt mounds just looked weird. In the middle of everything. A bullseye. He scowled down at the lump beneath his feet, something was very wrong. He looked back towards the truck, there was a shovel in there. Ruben seemed occupied, maybe he could find out what¡¯s there. As shady as this place was, he wouldn¡¯t be too surprised if he didn¡¯t find something interesting.

    So maybe a normal person would just ignore the bad gardening and blame it on a fluke, a poor choice, or a new landscaper. Chuck, however, had nothing better to do than take out a little aggression on Ruben¡¯s front lawn, and if he found something nasty, well, that was good too. He grabbed the shovel, resting it on his shoulder as he headed back to the pile of dirt. Already the thought of doing something more constructive than drinking another shot and being harangued for his dirty sandals was putting Chuck in a better mood. Either that, or it was just the scotch settling in. He whistled a tune as he began to dig, yes, this was what he needed, a good bit of spying.

    Then, just to spoil his fun, the damn cell phone in his pocket started to ring. He stuck the head of the shovel firmly into the mound of dirt and fished it out of his pocket with a curse, ¡°yeah?¡± Chuck answered, not bothering to check the caller ID. He had to do this quick before the old bastard inside noticed him.

    ¡°Hey, Lee left his phone in my car and I think Gabe¡¯s is off. Can you let them know we¡¯ve got a rush client tonight?¡± It was Louise. ¡°The email just came in, and it¡¯s a small case, but I really don¡¯t think Danny can handle it on his own.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, anything else?¡± He glared down at his shovel, ¡°as soon as they¡¯re done in there I¡¯ll tell them.¡±

    ¡°Alright, and tell Gabe to turn his phone back on. What if there was an emergency?¡± Louise meant well, but sometimes she had a nasty habit of micromanaging her boyfriend¡¯s life, and apparently seemed to think she still had the right to do it to Gabe too.

    He let out a snort and hung up, she could chew him out for it later, right now he had some digging to do. It was easy work, and Chuck was a big guy. He¡¯d done his fair share of hard work, and there never seemed to be a shortage of holes to dig when a job got rough. This was nothing. Just a pile of dirt in a garden.

    It was supposed to be nothing, anyway. He¡¯d hoped it was nothing, but pretty soon the shovel hit something hard. Not a rock. There was no loud thunk or scrape of metal on stone. It was something altogether familiar, and very disconcerting.

    ¡°Shit,¡± now he really wished he¡¯d had another scotch.

 Chapter Eleven

    Donovan smiled as Gabriel released his hand and the pair of humans turned to leave, ¡°it was a pleasure to meet you both.¡± He placed his hands behind his back, smirking at the suspicious look Lee was giving him. A very observant young man. He could be a problem later.

    ¡°You monster!¡± A man was shouting out in the hallway before he burst into the room to seize Ruben by his collar, ¡°I shoulda known working with scum like you would come back to haunt me!¡± He went on, giving a very flustered Ruben a good, hard shake. The bear of a man with his scraggly beard and Hawaiian shirt looked like he could easily snap Donovan¡¯s servant in half, given the urge to.

    ¡°Gentlemen, gentlemen,¡± Donovan held his hands up as a sign of nonviolence, ¡°come now, surely we can discuss this like civilized human beings.¡± Human, he held back the chuckle that wanted to escape his lips at the thought of humanity.

    ¡°Chuck, what the hell¡¯s wrong?¡± Gabriel demanded, trying to get a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder to restrain him.

    ¡°Lee, Gabe,¡± Chuck snarled, looking Donovan straight in the eye, seemingly unphased by his presence, ¡°we need to call the cops.¡±

    Donovan scowled, stepping forward, laying his hands on Ruben¡¯s shoulders, gently pulling him away from Chuck, his fingers moving down to the hands grasping his servant¡¯s shirt, ¡°easy, certainly whatever the problem is we need not involve the police.¡±

    Chuck eyed him skeptically, his hands tensing under Donovan¡¯s fingers. This was certainly going to be more difficult than the vampire thought it would. Of course that''s what made it more interesting, more enjoyable.

    ¡°There''s a body half buried in the rose bushes, a human body.¡±

    Ahh, so the hunter had discovered one of his latest meals.

    Ruben sputtered, his gnarled hands reaching up to tug at Chuck¡¯s, trying to get him to loosen his grip, ¡°a body? Well, I never! Who would bury someone in a poor old man¡¯s garden?¡±

    Donovan locked eyes with Chuck, batting away Ruben¡¯s hands, ¡°calm yourself,¡± as he spoke he pressed against the hunter¡¯s consciousness, ¡°come, show me the body.¡± It would be difficult to convince all of them that there was no corpse but not impossible.

    Lee and Gabriel looked between them, both seemingly at a loss for words. Chuck, on the other hand, was not.

    ¡°Suits me just fine,¡± he spat out at Donovan, ¡°I don¡¯t know who the hell you are, but I know a corpse when I see it.¡± The words seemed to lose a bit of their heat as Donovan delved into the man¡¯s mind. ¡°I-I¡¯m not crazy,¡± he hesitated, ¡°I¡¯ll show you right now.¡± His grip had finally loosened enough for Ruben to weasel away a good few feet across the room where he was safe from another attack for the time being.

    Donovan motioned to the door, waiting for Chuck to go first before following after. It was easier to change someone¡¯s perception of what was seen instead of erasing it completely, so when Chuck unceremoniously led them out of the front door stomped over to the hole in the front yard, Donovan was close behind, and when Chuck looked down, instead of a human corpse there was a dog. Well, what looked like a dog from their point of view.

    ¡°Uh, Chuck. How much have you been drinking today?¡± Gabriel leveled his friend with an amused expression, ¡°maybe you should take a break, huh buddy?¡±

    Chuck shook his head, taking a step back, ¡°I swear there was a person, this isn''t right!¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Lee hesitated, ¡°you¡¯re getting older, maybe it¡¯s time to think about getting your vision checked?¡± He tapped on the frame of his own glasses, ¡°nothing to be ashamed of.¡± With his focus on Chuck, now, he wasn¡¯t nearly so concerned about Gabriel and Donovan.

    Donovan closed his eyes for a moment, maintaining the illusion was difficult, it had been so long since he had done something like this. After a moment he opened his eyes again, ¡°come, let us go back inside and share a drink.¡± The sooner they were away from the hole the better. The body inside was not a small one. He had in fact been a very large meal.

    ¡°We should get back to the office-¡° Lee began, before Chuck cut him off, ¡°I¡¯m not old and I¡¯m not blind!¡±

    ¡°Chuck, you¡¯re turning down another drink?¡± Gabriel asked wryly.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t say that, I just¡ªwell¡ª¡° Chuck threw his hands up in defeat, ¡° yeah, one drink won¡¯t hurt.¡±

    Donovan motioned toward the door, ¡°don''t worry about the hole, it will be taken care of. We can all go inside and I''ll get the scotch Ruben has hidden in the office.¡± Ruben, who had very rightly decided to stay safely in the house away from Chuck¡¯s fists.

    ¡°The way you talk, a guy would think you own the place,¡± Gabriel remarked jokingly, as they were all steered back towards the house. Away from the fading glamour of Donovan¡¯s illusion.

    Donovan smiled, ¡°sometimes I think I do.¡± He ushered the others in ahead of him and into the den. Ruben would have to come take care of the hole before they left. Once they were inside he shot a meaningful glance at his servant before getting the good scotch hidden behind a bookcase. Everyone was seated when he returned, ¡°come, let us drink, to new friendships.¡± He poured a good amount into each glass that he got from a small table near the door.

    ¡°Friendships?¡± Chuck asked, glaring into the contents of his tumbler, ¡°who¡¯s this guy, huh?¡± He looked between Lee and Gabriel. Not a very trusting man.

    Donovan shook his head, ¡°acquaintances then,¡± he corrected, ¡°I apologize for the lack of introduction, I''m Donovan.¡±

    Lee fiddled with the envelope Ruben had given them, setting it down on his lap, ¡°I don¡¯t suppose these offers still stand, do they?¡± He looked over at the old man who was just about to leave the room.

    The old man pursed his lips, biting back what would likely have been a very acidic response if it weren¡¯t for Donovan¡¯s presence, ¡°they do. All is forgiven.¡± He might well have gritted his teeth if it didn¡¯t risk dislodging the yellowing dentures from their place.

    Donovan would have to keep an eye on the old hunter, he could prove a problem in the future, especially once they discovered Gabriel¡¯s current state of being. When the hunters finally left, Ruben had already taken care of the hole. Perhaps they would need to move the body. Chuck struck him as the type to come back and check.

    They only had a few more hours until evening by then, and as much as he ¡®delighted¡¯ in his servant¡¯s company, there were certain matters that Donovan could not put off any longer tonight. After all, he had yet to let the rest of the city know he had returned. He would want to look his best.

    ¡°Master, I can have an escort ready for you in an hour or so; will that be acceptable? Or do you wish to dine out this evening?¡± Ruben asked from his position behind Donovan¡¯s chair in the den.

    ¡°I shall procure my own meal tonight, I have some business to attend to, some old, friends, to see.¡± He stood as he spoke, ¡°I really must look my best after all.¡± He said as he smiled. It was not a happy smile, didn''t reach his eyes, the time had come to deal with the ones responsible for his long sleep. He didn¡¯t doubt he would find them very quickly.

    <hr>

    Fish. Why did it have to be fish? Danny¡¯s first hunt, the first one Louise said he could be trusted handling on his own, and he¡¯d basically spent an hour arguing with a sentient school of fish trying to take over an aquarium. Literally. They¡¯d basically made the workers'' lives hell by influencing children to try to set them free. It was like a bad Disney movie.

    He parked his lime green Vespa behind their office, grumbling all the while to himself. He¡¯d basically negotiated a treaty with a bunch of damn fish. For more food. Why the hell did they need a monster hunter for that? It was like everything remotely supernatural in this stupid city fell under this broad umbrella. Normal people would¡¯ve just turned the stupid fish over to the government. That was what they did in movies, anyway.

    He made damn sure to slam the door when he stepped into the office, just to make a point. A point that apparently wasn¡¯t really made, because Louise wasn¡¯t even in the office to hear it.

    Danny frowned, flipping on the light by the front door and peering around. Under the full glare of the main light, the place looked even more dismal than usual. No wonder Chuck preferred lamps. They hid the water stains on the ceiling.

    ¡°Louise?¡± He called her name, suddenly wishing he¡¯d brought his hunting knife in from his car. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d need it.

    ¡°What are you doing here, Todd?¡± Her voice floated in from the back, ¡°you always have a reason for showing up unannounced.¡±

    ¡°A hunter¡¯s gotta be prepared for everything, girly. Besides, since when does a favorite uncle have to have a reason to visit his niece?¡± A deep, growling man replied to her.

    Todd? Where had Danny heard that name before?

    ¡°Because that''s what you do.¡± She crossed her arms over her chest as Danny came around the corner, ¡°so, why¡¯re you here?¡±

    They were standing in one of the three cramped rooms that made up what was once the vet clinic¡¯s offices, where most of the weapons were stored. It was a close fit with Danny in the mix, but he edged into the room anyway.

    ¡°Okay, Lulu, you want a reason. Fine. Your aunt Martha kicked me out again and I figured a little visit for a few days until she settles down wouldn¡¯t be too bad of an idea,¡± Todd replied, slugging Louise on the shoulder with one meaty fist. He looked like an aging Rambo with a beer belly, camo and all.

    She rolled her eyes, ¡°fine, you can stay, there''s a cot in the other room,¡± she paused for a moment, ¡°but if there''s a hunt, you''re helping,¡± she poked him in the chest with a perfectly manicured finger, ¡°got it?¡±

    ¡°Hey there,¡± Todd grinned, showing his chipped front teeth proudly, ¡°anything for my Lulu.¡±

    Danny wondered whether it was too cliche to clear his throat just then to get their attention, but he needn¡¯t have bothered. While he was thinking about it, both Louise and Todd suddenly noticed him standing in the doorway.

    ¡°Danny! When did you get back?¡± She asked, obviously surprised to see him.

    Todd grinned at the young man, ¡°howdy, I''m Lulu¡¯s uncle Todd.¡±

    He sounded like a nice guy, so Danny relaxed just a little, not even realising he¡¯d been tense in the first place, ¡°I just came in a couple of minutes ago.¡± He held out a hand to Todd, ¡°hi, nice to meet you, sir.¡±

    His hands were huge, well, they seemed to fit the rest of him at least. Danny felt like his own hand was going to be swallowed up as Todd shook it firmly. Too firmly. His fingers were aching by the time he managed to pull away.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back out into the main office,¡± Louise suggested, a resigned look on her face. Yeah, it was obvious her uncle¡¯s visit wasn¡¯t exactly good news. Funny, she didn¡¯t talk about him much.

    ¡°So I overheard you both--er, I mean¡­¡± Danny wasn¡¯t exactly sure how to ask, because he was sure Louise had to have mentioned her personal life and family at least a few times. He didn¡¯t exactly have the best memory for that sort of thing. ¡°So you¡¯re a hunter too?¡±

    ¡°Damn right I am!¡± He looked so proud of that fact, ¡°taught my girl here all she knows.¡± One big hand clapped her on the shoulder none too gently.

    Louise managed not to stumble forward, which would have been a disaster in a room as cramped as this one, and gave Danny a gentle shove as she inched by him into the hallway.

    ¡°My dad taught me everything I know,¡± Louise clarified.

    Todd scoffed, rolling his eyes, ¡°and who helped teach him?¡± He would get her to admit he had a hand in her teaching whether she liked it or not.

    ¡°Grandpa,¡± she threw back at him, too stubborn to give him the satisfaction.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Fine, girly, be that way.¡± Todd was pouting in his own way but it wasn''t like anything Danny had seen. A man his size, pouting like that, no one would believe it if he told anyone.

    ¡°You funny or something, boy? You¡¯re staring at me.¡± Todd waved a hand in front of Danny¡¯s face, just before stepping past him and out into the hallway with Louise.

    ¡°Sorry. Dazed out.¡± Danny lied, more than a little embarrassed. Hard not to stare at a guy half the size of a truck. Now, Chuck wasn¡¯t a lightweight, but even he probably couldn¡¯t match up to Todd¡¯s sheer girth and muscle.

    ¡°How''d the hunt go?¡± She asked, changing the subject.

    ¡°Hunt?¡± Danny asked, slipping out of the room behind them, and very narrowly avoiding tripping into a rack of silver-tipped spears. Expensive, but still more cost effective and useful than silver bullets against werewolves.

    ¡°If by hunt you mean diplomatic negotiation with a bunch of stupid fish, I guess it went okay,¡± he replied, a little too intimidated by Todd to put much heat behind his words.

    ¡°Hey, don''t sell yourself short, kid, not everyone can use diplomacy, I''m more of a brute force kind-a-guy. You talkin¡¯ types impress me sometimes.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s got a point,¡± Louise admitted, leading them back into the main office, where Danny noticed Louise had piled her desk high with fresh paperwork. The most glamorous part about their business: figuring out how to deduct expenses without questions. Hard to explain why you need crossbows when you¡¯re running a business out of an old vet clinic.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t become a hunter just to chat with nutjob dogfish,¡± Danny protested, ¡°I want to fight.¡± He knew he probably sounded like a little kid right now, but as much action as he was getting, Danny might as well just be an intern.

    Todd plopped down in a chair, snagging one of the papers off Gabe¡¯s desk, which was the closest, ¡°oh, don''t worry, kid, you''ll fight. Might even die but remember, if you''re gonna die, take as many of them with you as you can.¡±

    ¡°Danny, I think we should talk about this another time. Chuck and the others will be back soon, and we¡¯ve got a lot of things to take care of. There¡¯s the storage locker on Patton road that still hasn¡¯t been explored. You could always do that.¡± Louise suggested, ¡°I¡¯m sure there might be something worth hunting in there. It¡¯s the payment one of our old clients gave us, remember? The guy with the ghost problem?¡±

    ¡°I''ll go with you, kid, backup, just in case, but you''re running the show.¡± Todd offered, grinning at him, it was obvious that Todd liked him for some reason.

    ¡°To clear out a storage locker?¡± Danny asked, leaning against the former reception counter and crossing his arms. ¡°Knowing my luck, I guess there¡¯d probably be something freaky in there waiting to tear me a new one anyway.¡±

    ¡°I bet we could find another hunt while we¡¯re out, got a couple of contacts ¡®round here, could check for something.¡± Todd encouraged, ¡°come on kid, it''ll be fun.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll what?¡± Louise asked, ¡°sorry, run that by me again. You can¡¯t seriously go out and look for monsters. We¡¯ll go out of business if we just start hunting for fun. We wait for the assignments to come to us.¡±

    Todd looked at her like she''d grown a second head, ¡°never for fun?¡± He blinked owlishly, ¡°seriously, Lulu, never for fun?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Louise stated firmly, ¡°it¡¯s a waste of supplies and time. I¡¯ve told you this before, Uncle Todd, I¡¯m trying to run a business. For money. I don¡¯t want to live like you and Aunt Martha in a travel trailer scraping by on roadkill and freelancing.¡±

    He immediately looked offended, ¡°we do no such thing! Come on, Danny, we¡¯ll find something fun to do, leave this stick in the mud.¡±

    Danny was hesitant, ¡°uh--I mean, I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s getting late, and I really don¡¯t know if I¡¯m ready for the kinds of monsters that come out after dark. I was sort of thinking of starting with something smaller. Like an evil doll. Or a brownie.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s new to this, I really don¡¯t think going out without Chuck or Gabe alongside you two is very smart.¡± Louise gave Todd her sternest look, ¡°it¡¯s dangerous.¡±

    He held up his hands in defeat, ¡°fine, fine, you win. Speaking of night time beasties, found any vamps? They have a special place in my heart, love stickin¡¯ it to the bloodsuckers.¡±

    Danny brightened a little. He hadn¡¯t met a vampire yet, as far as he knew. They didn¡¯t seem too tough, compared to the things that had more claws, fur, and legs.

    ¡°Lee and Gabriel got into a bit of a fight with one this afternoon, actually. He got away, but they told me something you might like to know. He didn¡¯t burn in the sunlight. At all. Not even a little smoke. Is that normal?¡±

    ¡°Not even a little bit? That''s not good, never had a chance to really test it but vamps always kept away from the sun when we were fighting. I liked having sun as a backup plan just in case.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he wasn¡¯t a vampire,¡± Danny suggested, feeling a little left out of the conversation.

    Louise shook her head, ¡°no, definitely a vamp. Lee and Gabe wouldn¡¯t make a mistake like that.¡±

    ¡°More testing.¡± Todd stated after a moment of silence, ¡°gotta go find me some vamps.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you go do that, Danny and I will be having dinner while you find some vamps.¡± Louise grumbled, heading for the mini fridge, she was hungry and her uncle¡¯s death wish wasn''t going to stop her from eating, ¡°almost as bad as Gabe, running off after every vamp he can find, it''s a surprise the two of you aren''t dead yet.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a good kid. Shame you two couldn¡¯t make it work out, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get back together sooner or later.¡± Todd remarked, scooping up a large canvas duffle bag on the ground beside Gabe¡¯s desk that Danny hadn¡¯t noticed before. There was a distinct outline poking into the sides of the bag that he strongly suspected was some form of illegal firearm.

    ¡°What¡¯s for dinner?¡± Danny asked, pulling up a chair beside the reception counter, anxious to change the subject. He wasn¡¯t big about bringing up other people¡¯s personal lives if they didn¡¯t volunteer the information first.

    ¡°I think there might be another steak here that Gabe didn''t devour.¡± Louise pointedly ignored Todd¡¯s remarks.

    ¡°That¡¯d be good.¡± Danny paused, ¡°you don¡¯t think he¡¯ll mind? He was acting really weird this morning.¡±

    Todd didn¡¯t stop to say good-bye, or tell them when he¡¯d be back, as he headed out the front door and closed it gently behind him, grabbing a pint of Jameson off of Chuck¡¯s desk on his way out.

    ¡°It''s not like he¡¯ll do anything about it even if he does, he''s a big softie under that rough exterior.¡±

    ¡°Alright, then bring on the steak!¡± Danny exclaimed, clapping his hands and rubbing them together. ¡°I could make coffee to go with it, maybe get a couple of eggs fried up?¡± He hated to make her do everything.

    ¡°Sure, that would be nice, Danny.¡± She smiled at him, ¡°you know, you¡¯re a sweet kid, don''t let anyone tell you otherwise.¡±

    He hopped off of his chair and rounded the reception desk to grab a bag of grounds by the coffee maker, ¡°I¡¯m not that much younger than you guys.¡±

    ¡°You''re barely out of high school, I''ve been doing this most of my life, Gabe too, Chuck and Lee are another story altogether,¡± she plugged the griddle in, pulling the steak out of the mini fridge, ¡°therefore, you''re a kid.¡±

    Rather than take offence, Danny just shrugged it off. ¡°All your life?¡± He prompted as he tried to accurately dump a cup of grounds into the coffee filter basket without measuring, ¡°seriously?¡±

    ¡°Yep, all my life, my family¡¯s been doing this for generations, started back in the old country, before we came over to America.¡± She flipped the steak, ¡°not a one of us has chosen to get out of the life, it''s born in our blood to hunt.¡±

    He had to admit, the idea of Louise as a toddler packing heat against a monster under the bed was pretty funny. ¡°I didn¡¯t know this could be a family business thing. How¡¯d you end up here?¡±

    ¡°I met Gabe,¡± she laughed, ¡°he and Chuck were hunting a siren that we were hunting as well, kind of crossed paths. I almost shot him.¡±

    Danny paused thoughtfully, filling the coffee pot with water, ¡°well, I guess that¡¯s one way to make a first impression.¡±

    ¡°If it wasn''t for him I''d still be in the sticks with Todd.¡±

    ¡°No offense, but I can see why you left. Your uncle is a little--¡± he cut himself short, not too sure how she¡¯d react to his assertion that Todd looked like Paul Bunyon after a bender. Big, dumb, and hairy.

    ¡°You can say it, he''s an ox, a big, dumb ox.¡± She knew what her uncle was, had even called him that to his face.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t gonna say that,¡± Danny lied.

    She looked at him and rolled her eyes, ¡°well, anyway, it turned out that Gabe and I as a couple were like oil and water, we make much better friends.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t get weird? You and Lee dating now?¡±

    She shook her head, ¡°nah, I mean, sure, sometimes I think Gabe is jealous but,¡± she shrugged, ¡°he can''t win ¡®em all.¡±

    With his job done, and the coffee brewing, Danny awkwardly leaned against the reception counter while he watched Louise check the steaks. ¡°Lee¡¯s pretty cool. Doesn¡¯t seem like the fighting type, though.¡± He¡¯d never actually seen Lee do anything besides research and paperwork, but the guy did go on hunts with Chuck and Gabe sometimes, so he had to do something.

    ¡°He¡¯s smart and actually a really good shot, I¡¯d want him at my back in a tight situation.¡± She pulled the steaks off, putting them on a couple paper plates, no one had gotten a chance to do dishes or at least no one had wanted to do them, ¡°he saved my life once, it was how we met actually.¡±

    ¡°So am I the only guy around here who actually had to go through a job interview?¡±

    She couldn''t help but laugh, ¡°yeah, actually, you were. The rest of us just kind of fell together.¡±

    Danny snatched up two foam cups beside the coffee maker and poured, quickly replacing the pot before too much could drip back onto the burner. They bought the cheapest of the cheap when it came to just about everything. ¡°What made you decide to hire me on, then? Seems like you guys do pretty well on your own.¡± He wanted to get better. Knew he would. In the meantime, Danny was sure he¡¯d probably lose a limb or eye.

    ¡°Because we had a good feeling about you, we knew that you wanted to help, to make a difference,¡± she smiled, ¡°besides, it''s always good to have backup.¡±

    ¡°Backup. Right.¡± He snatched up Louise¡¯s cup and handed it to her, ¡°so, anything on the agenda tonight? We going to track down the vampire Gabe and Lee lost, or just hope Todd handles it?¡± That would be convenient.

    ¡°I think we should try to find it but keep an eye out for anything else weird going on. There''s been a certain, restlessness, around town, I''m wondering why.¡± She put the plates down on the folding table, brushing an old napkin off and onto the floor.

    Danny knelt to throw the napkin into the trash, ¡°seems like we should be getting more calls if that¡¯s true. Are people just too cheap to pay?¡±

    ¡°I think there¡¯s something up with the monsters, things got really quiet all of a sudden.¡±

    ¡°I thought most of them were just shambling, brainless things with a taste for human flesh. What kind of problems could they honestly have?¡±

    She stabbed her steak before sawing into it with a knife, ¡°I¡¯m not sure but it¡¯s weird. Suddenly the killings die down and we don¡¯t even hear a peep from the graveyards, isn¡¯t that worth investigating?¡±

    He wasn¡¯t exactly sure he saw the problem here, ¡°so less people are dying, and you¡¯re worried about it? Louise, I think you need a vacation.¡± Now that there was food on the table, he was a little less concerned with things that went bump in the night, or Todd¡¯s apparent death wish as he went running out into the setting sun like a maniac.

    ¡°But why? Why are they suddenly so quiet, it¡¯s like it just happened overnight.¡± She took a bite, closing her eyes, ¡°mmm, that¡¯s tasty, no wonder Gabe wanted it for breakfast. Still, weird breakfast food though,¡± she paused, scowling, ¡°and he went after it like a rabid animal. Maybe we should try to look into what¡¯s wrong with him too. Maybe they¡¯re connected.¡±

    Danny focused on the food in front of him, slowly cutting his steak, using it as an excuse to avoid saying anything for as long as possible. Louise was kinda freaking him out right now. ¡°You--I mean, well, he just had a really bad hangover. People act nuts when they drink too much. Why would him not knowing his limits have anything to do with, well, I dunno, the city¡¯s monsters taking a sudden hiatus on the whole skull-crunching and neck-biting thing?¡±

    She gave him the look, the one that said he was an idiot, ¡°I¡¯ve seen him get totally smashed, his hangovers have never made him go crazy like that. I think there¡¯s something seriously wrong with him, I¡¯m just not sure what.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you meant the freak-out Lee told us about when they went hunting this afternoon?¡± It suddenly struck him that she wasn¡¯t just talking about the steak fiasco at 9AM. ¡°You think one of those ghouls infected him, maybe? There was a lot of blood everywhere. Some of it could¡¯ve been Gabe¡¯s.¡± God, Danny hoped that wasn¡¯t true. Seeing Gabe slowly morph into a greenish idiot with a cannibalistic fetish for human corpses wasn¡¯t something he was sure he could cope with. At least when the blob thing crashed his high school prom, the ooze moved too fast for Danny to see it melting anyone in whatever it had that passed for a stomach.

    She shook her head, ¡°no, I think it¡¯s something else, usually if someone¡¯s infected they would be showing more signs, by now he¡¯d already be trying to eat one of us. I swear Lee said something about the vampire talking to Gabe differently.¡±

    ¡°Really? He didn¡¯t say anything to me about it.¡± Then again, Danny didn¡¯t suppose Lee kept anything from Louise, ¡°what¡¯d it say?¡±

    ¡°Something about his condition,¡± she shrugged, ¡°I think there was something else but I don¡¯t remember. Gabe glared at me from the car when they stopped back here to drop off their kits. I¡¯m not sure why, Lee didn¡¯t mention anything about what might have happened.¡± As she spoke she stabbed another piece of steak, ¡°there¡¯s just something wrong.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I should bring it up, but he seemed a little touchy last night. You sure you both broke it off on good terms? He doesn¡¯t really seem like the type, but maybe he¡¯s just getting jealous of you two.¡± Danny paused, ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the condition thing, though. He was bit when he was a kid, wasn¡¯t he? You think maybe the vamp could tell? Could be like some sort of sixth sense thing.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, and yes, we parted on good terms. We¡¯ve never had a vamp mention it before, then again we don¡¯t tend to talk to them either.¡±

    ¡°Just give it a couple of days before you start sharpening the stakes, okay? He might just be having a bad week.¡±

    She shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m not saying we should stake him, I¡¯d never say that, I think we need to figure out what¡¯s wrong so we can fix it. What if he tasted blood or something and it fucked with his head? What if somehow, he got half turned again and is hiding it.¡±

    ¡°Louise. We¡¯ve been together practically 24/7 for the last several days, when and why on earth would Gabe drink blood?¡± He paused, ¡°I don¡¯t really know how the rules work. Is vampirism a virus or something else? Like magic?¡± Monsters existed, sure, but were they magic, or did they all just have problems modern science hadn¡¯t figured out? Just the thought was giving Danny a headache. ¡°I mean, if it¡¯s like cancer, maybe it can just come back whenever¡­¡± he trailed off, suddenly finding he had no appetite. Now he really was getting worried. Louise could be right.

    She pointed her fork at his plate, ¡°eat your steak.¡± She took another bite, ¡°we don¡¯t know much about it, that¡¯s why I¡¯m worried. He¡¯s been fine, I don¡¯t think it could just randomly come back, but who knows, that¡¯s why I want to find this vamp. I have questions, maybe any vamp would do.¡±

    He hated to ask, ¡°so does Todd have a cell phone?¡± Danny cringed at the thought, ¡°maybe he could bring one back for us.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he does, I''ll call him.¡±

 Chapter Twelve

    The table was set. The candles were lit. The calls were made. Even in his old age, Ruben certainly knew how to make social arrangements on a grand scale. One would think they were entertaining royalty tonight.

    ¡°I must admit, master, I never did think my little black book would come in handy again,¡± Ruben remarked, straightening a silver platter just so, and re-adjusting a fork or two on the table.

    Donovan watched intently, making sure everything was perfect for their little party, ¡°I am pleased you still maintained it. Truly, I should have done this sooner but really, I know it was best to wait.¡± He adjusted a fork, ¡°they are all coming, yes?¡±

    ¡°All of them,¡± Ruben hesitated, ¡°except for the werewolf. Unfortunately, he is in no condition to travel, but he sent his regards and loyalty.¡± The old man wrinkled his nose, ¡°I disposed of the dead rabbit immediately, of course.¡±

    ¡°Augustine always was an honorable man. He need not fear retaliation from me for what happened.¡±

    ¡°I informed the wendigo that he will have to bathe, but he was the only other who gave me any difficulty. The rest of them shall be here at the stroke of midnight, as planned. Even Cinderella would be here at your command, I imagine. Very few doubt your power, master.¡± And a small number of those few would be tonight¡¯s guests of honor.

    ¡°Ahh, but I have been gone for quite some time, it would not surprise me if they think this whole thing is a farce, that I have grown weak. I''m sure many have forgotten exactly why I am to be respected.¡± He began setting out small name cards, making sure each was perfect while Ruben took care of the finishing touches.

    Three great mirrors lined the back wall of the dining area. Their sparkling gilt frames were lavish enough to fit in the halls of Versailles. One of Donovan¡¯s few tokens from another time, polished to perfection just for the occasion. His reflection shown back at him strong and proud. Only when a vampire was starved of sustenance for a prolonged period did the myth about mirrors ring true. He had dined well after the hunters had departed that evening.

    ¡°Master,¡± Ruben retrieved a covered platter from a long mahogany table against the wall opposite the mirrors, ¡°where would you like this?¡±

    ¡°On a small cart by my right hand, I desire easy access so when the time is right it will be readily available.¡± He said, taking his seat at the head of the table, his chair more decorative than the others, more throne like without actually crossing that line into ostentatious. The intent tonight was to make a statement, not to paint himself as a caricature in some ill-conceived melodrama.

    When the doorbell rang, Ruben wasted no time in ushering their guests into the room. Twelve in all. Some who had met and known Donovan in the past, others far younger, and others merely curious attachments to the former. Even a monster could enjoy a pretty companion.

    The old man bowed his head, stepping outside of the dining room and sealing the door behind him once the last guest had entered. There was a soft clunking sound as he placed a bar through the handles outside to ensure nobody departed before they were allowed.

    Donovan smiled, ¡°if you would all please find your seats we can begin this lovely meal Ruben has prepared for us. The reason I called you all here tonight can wait until we are all properly fed and sated.¡±

    Two members of the group took their seats without so much as batting an eye. A ghoul too stupid to have any concerns, and a vampire rather resembling Donna Reed in a flared green dress having stepped off of the cover of a 1950s fashion magazine. He didn¡¯t remember her name, as they had met only once.

    The rest, one-by-one, finally took their seats, after several dirty or terrified looks were exchanged. The last among them to sit was the leader of the windigo, scratching viciously at his patched tweed suit all the while.

    Donovan watched them all with a critical eye as Ruben served the food. Those who had betrayed him were seated closest to him, it made it easier to cut a swath through them when he was ready. It was almost amusing to watch them squirm in their chairs. That they¡¯d even showen was quite a surprise. Perhaps they didn''t fear retaliation, if they had they''d be like their little leader, Braedon, and disappear. It was too late for them now, of course.

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    ¡°You. Alive?¡± The ghoul was the first to speak. The way his dark, slimy lips struggled to form the words was a testament to his fear. Ghouls rarely spoke. Most no longer possessed the ability, which could very well be why this one was in charge of the city¡¯s ghoul population in the first place.

    Donovan smiled, almost sweetly, ¡°oh, yes, I am very much alive.¡± He redirected his attention towards the vampires in the room, the betrayers, ¡°I''m afraid what you did to me forty years ago didn''t stick. You are still alive as well, I see. Honestly, I''m quite surprised.¡±

    The Donna Reed lookalike, who was the only innocent vampire in the room, spoke up, ¡°I was always under the impression you took an extended vacation. Do you mind terribly filling us in on what this is all about? I¡¯ve got a tupperware party tonight to take care of.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I suppose now is as good a time as ever. There are a few in this room who decided my rules were too harsh, who wanted to flout the laws I had set down to keep us safe from hunters. My vacation consisted of being held in a forced sleep, I was aware, I had thoughts, dreams, and plenty of time to plan.¡± He stood slowly, his hand moving to rest on the cover, ¡°I had thought to make it a sport, a little, entertainment, however that wouldn''t be as enjoyable for me. For this crime against me I felt it needed a personal touch. Those of you at this table who betrayed me, you know who you are, will be dealt with accordingly. Those who were not part of the plan have nothing to fear tonight,¡± he removed the cover, his fingers closing around the handle of the small hatchet hidden beneath, ¡°those of you who were, however, well, you can''t avoid the fate you have carved for yourself.¡±

    The five in question immediately tried to flee, knocking over chairs and scrambling under the table while the remaining guests innocent of any known crimes against Donovan made no effort to help them. Donovan moved with the grace of a predator as he smoothly grabbed the leg of one and pulled her from under the table, the hatchet coming down the moment she was out from underneath.

    It took an awful lot of force to kill a vampire, when a stake wasn¡¯t handy to pierce the heart. A clean cut to the neck was required, which was not something most mortal men could accomplish with such a small ax. Donovan, luckily, was not mortal, and he made quick work of her. The blood splattering the chinese rug beneath the dining table would have to be painstakingly cleaned later, but fortunately most of the pattern was already red.

    Two of the vermin had managed to make it to the door, their nails forming into claws to frantically claw and scrape at the thick wooden barrier. Yet another annoying little expense to take care of later.

    ¡°You do realize you''re making this harder than it needs to be, right?¡± He grabbed one from behind, slamming him down onto the floor and removed his head in one smooth strike.

    ¡°Please, you don¡¯t have to do this, it was all Braedon¡¯s idea!¡± The other explained, practically shrieking as he backed up against the door, claws firmly embedded in the wood now while the remaining two cowered in a corner opposite them.

    ¡°Help us,¡± one of them pleaded with the other guests, scrambling towards them. ¡°Help us!¡±

    ¡°They won''t help you, they know what will happen if they do.¡± He stated, looking at the cowering pair before turning his gaze back to the one at the door, ¡°and where is Braedon? Did he scamper off like the coward he is?¡±

    ¡°I-I-I don¡¯t know,¡± he replied, tearing his claws from the door and throwing himself at Donovan¡¯s feet, ¡°he left the night he trapped you. No one has heard from him since! It wasn¡¯t our fault, we just went along. He was going to kill all of us if we didn¡¯t. He-he-¡± the coward hesitated, ¡°he blackmailed us! Didn¡¯t he? Didn¡¯t he?¡± He looked about, eyes wide and searching, as if the witnesses to the bloodbath had anything to do with this little charade.

    Donovan raised an eyebrow, ¡°he blackmailed you? How? What did you think was going to happen to you when I woke up? Would it have been better for Braedon to attempt to kill you or is this better, me actually killing you? You could have come to me with his plans if you had truly desired not to go against me, I would have protected you, as I''ve always done, but no, you made the decision to help Braedon and now you must pay the price for that.¡± He gave the hatchet a small flick with his wrist, sending blood splattering across the vampire, ¡°why should you live without punishment?¡±

    He flinched at Donovan¡¯s words, flinched as the blood colored his face with spots of red. There was nothing of the lion in this vampire, but merely the festering soul of a dead rat, ¡°because-¡± he hesitated, ¡°because-¡±

    ¡°Come now, out with it, I have two others to get to after you, you''re holding up these proceedings.¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t know where Braedon is, but I know people who could find him for you.¡± His bottom lip quivered, ¡°I have money. A fortune. They¡¯ll find him in no time, and all because you let me live!¡±

    Donovan flipped the hatchet in his hand, adjusting his grip, ¡°you''re lying, besides, even if you were telling the truth, I have my own ways of finding him.¡± With one smooth swing he severed his head, watching it roll away before turning to face the rest of the room, ¡°who¡¯s next?¡±

 Chapter Thirteen

    About a week after the Chupacabra hunt and the run-in with the creature¡¯s fang-faced owner, Gabriel was beginning to wonder if he caught some kind of serious bug from the ordeal that he just couldn¡¯t shake. For the seventh day running, he was running late to the office, and this time it was for a meeting he¡¯d personally scheduled.

    Even the triple shot of espresso he¡¯d forced down couldn¡¯t help him stay alert at the wheel, and he¡¯d very nearly driven over a curb more than once on the short drive to the office from his apartment. His eyes were burning, and the damned sunglasses weren¡¯t doing anything to help him see through the glare of the sun in his windshield. It was a miracle he even managed to stumble into the damn building in one piece.

    ¡°Christ it¡¯s hot out there,¡± he cursed, tossing his sunglasses on his desk near the front door and dropping into a heap in his seat. ¡°Did I miss anything good?¡± He asked no one in particular, rubbing at his aching eyes with the back of his hand.

    ¡°You gone to the doctor yet?¡± Chuck asked, eyeing him critically from his spot at the small folding table.

    Gabriel would have glared at him if he wasn¡¯t so busy rubbing his eyes and then glaring at the empty coffee cup on his desk instead, ¡°coffee. I need coffee, not a doctor,¡± he grumbled, grabbing his cup and holding it up, ¡°Danny. Coffee me.¡± He gave the cup a few good impatient shakes for good measure.

    Danny rolled his eyes, taking his cup, ¡°I don''t think coffee is helping, maybe Chuck¡¯s right and you should see a doctor.¡± He poured what was left from the pot into his cup, ¡°you''re not getting any better, I''d almost say you were getting worse.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a rough week,¡± Gabriel took the mug back and managed to take one large gulp without making a face. Everything just tasted off lately. Even coffee wasn¡¯t as good as it used to be, ¡°and I don¡¯t have insurance. I¡¯m not going to that dingy clinic with the five hour waiting list, thanks.¡±

    ¡°You''re gonna see a doctor one way or another, not gonna have you droppin¡¯ dead on me ¡®cause you wouldn''t see a professional.¡± Chuck stated firmly, glaring at him, ¡°gonna start thinkin¡¯ you got some kind of infection.¡±

    ¡°Where are Louise and Lee?¡± Gabriel sidestepped Chuck¡¯s fatherly bitching, ¡°we have a meeting today. They¡¯re supposed to be here.¡±

    ¡°They were. At nine. Four hours ago, Gabe.¡± Danny replied, walking back over the coffee maker to replace the pot on its burner, ¡°they couldn¡¯t wait around all day.¡±

    Gabriel glared right back at chuck, ¡°why did you let them just walk out without calling me?¡±

    ¡°We tried calling you, eight times, did you check your phone?¡± So Danny grew a bit of a backbone, about time, but Gabe didn''t like being talked back to even on a good day.

    ¡°Where are they then, huh?¡± Gabriel demanded, ¡°and why stop at eight? I could¡¯ve had something important to talk about today. Like those headless vamp corpses out by the train depot.¡± Lucky for them there were at least a couple of cops smart enough to figure out why those bodies had elongated claws and silver crosses burning into their chest cavities. Lucky they had Chuck on speed dial too. Always nice to have a few clients in high places.

    ¡°Someone else is killing vamps? Good, I mean, not necessarily for our paycheck, but less vamps, right?¡± Danny said with a shrug.

    Chuck cleared his throat, stubbing out his cigar in the dirty ashtray on his desk, ¡°not that simple, kid,¡± he shook his head, ¡°that¡¯s a lot in one go. Hunters, like us, don¡¯t have a reason to leave those things out in the open for people to find. That was a message. Sure, it could mean a couple of monster killing divas rolled into town looking to put on a show, but I doubt it. No, something much bigger is happening. It¡¯s not gonna be pretty when it¡¯s over, either.¡±

    ¡°So, what, there''s some big bad out there that''s going to eat us?¡±

    It was at that moment that the door opened and Lee walked in, ¡°there¡¯s something out there killing vampires that isn''t us,¡± he looked at each of them, ¡°and you already knew that.¡±

    Gabriel looked over at Lee, faintly amused, ¡°you looked like you were prepared for a dramatic entrance. Yeah, that¡¯s what the meeting was supposed to be about.¡±

    ¡°Which you didn''t come to, have you thought about going to the doctor?¡± Lee asked, sitting beside Chuck at the table.

    ¡°For what?¡± Gabriel¡¯s mood immediately soured again, ¡°sleeping late? I¡¯m just tired, give me a freaking break.¡± It felt like they were all ganging up on him now, ¡°where¡¯s Louise? She finally take Todd home or something?¡± That they would be so lucky.

    ¡°No, they''re putting the finishing touches on a surprise.¡± It was obvious that Lee was hiding something and Gabe didn''t like it.

    ¡°Surprise?¡± He asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously, ¡°what are they planning, Lee?¡±

    He glanced at Chuck and Danny before sighing, there was no way out of this, ¡°we¡¯re going to capture a vamp and question it.¡±

    ¡°What? Are you insane?¡± Gabriel asked, ¡°why? Why are you doing that?¡± He was on the verge of babbling now, never mind the fact that Gabriel was their damn leader and they were supposed to run batshit crazy ideas by him beforehand.

    ¡°Because of you! Because of what that vamp said! Gabe, there''s something very wrong going on.¡± Lee was shouting, for the first time ever, Gabriel had never heard him so incensed before.

    This was beyond exasperating, but Gabriel was a little shaken by Lee¡¯s reaction, ¡°I don¡¯t want you risking your lives like that. Todd can do whatever the hell he wants as far as I¡¯m concerned, but you should¡¯ve told me.¡± He was speaking more softly now, ¡°if I¡¯m the reason both of you get killed, I want to know about it.¡± He stopped just short of saying something sappy you¡¯d read in a Hallmark card, but for Gabriel this was about as close as he could get. For what it was worth, these people were the only family he had. The only friends. He didn¡¯t want to lose them.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the doctor,¡± Gabriel finally relented, taking another gulp of coffee.

    ¡°If they can¡¯t figure it out I¡¯m going to go with what we were planning. Deal?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, fine,¡± Gabriel agreed, ¡°maybe I have the flu. Or just a stomach bug. Don¡¯t do anything stupid until then, though. Please.¡±

    Lee nodded, picking up his phone and texting Louise, ¡°alright, done, but go to the doctor, now.¡±

    ¡°Right this minute?¡± Gabriel asked, a little taken aback, looking over at Chuck and Danny to see what they had to say. ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot of work to catch up on,¡± Gabriel insisted, ¡°can¡¯t it wait until--I don¡¯t know, Friday?¡± That gave him at least four days to at least put it off. He hated doctors. Hated clinics even more.

    ¡°No, if you don¡¯t want us to catch a vamp, you¡¯ll go right now. You¡¯re not getting any better.¡± Lee pointed to the door, ¡°in fact, I¡¯m going to take you myself.¡±

    ¡°Is that really necessary?¡± Gabriel asked, grabbing his sunglasses and shoving them back on his face. It was getting too bright in here.

    ¡°Yes, because I know you and you won¡¯t go if you can get out of it,¡± he motioned to the door, ¡°we¡¯ll take my car.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll cover everything here,¡± Chuck stated, finally speaking up, ¡°just take care of him, Lee.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a kid,¡± Gabriel grumbled, standing up and nearly knocking his chair over as he stalked towards the door, ¡°next time one of you gets food poisoning, I¡¯m calling an exorcist.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll change your tune when you see we were right.¡± Lee even went so far as to open the passenger door for him once they got to the car outside.

    They drove in silence, Lee focusing on the road and Gabe refusing to talk because he knew better, he knew this was just a passing thing, there wasn¡¯t anything terribly wrong with him, he was fine.

    <hr>

    ¡°You gonna play nice, or am I gonna have to play dentist?¡± Todd inquired in as polite a tone as he could manage, which really wasn¡¯t very nice by a normal person¡¯s standards, but much better than it could be if he were mad.

    Louise sighed heavily before she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. She wasn¡¯t expecting a call. She pulled her phone out, looking down and seeing a text from Lee, ¡°shit. Todd!¡± It wasn¡¯t like they could just let it go now that they had it. At least Gabe was going to the doctor, finally.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that?¡± Todd stopped just short of ungagging their captive bloodsucker.

    ¡°Lee promised Gabe we wouldn¡¯t do this. He convinced him to go to the doctor.¡± She eyed the vamp, they would have to keep him, after all, if it was something supernatural that the doctor couldn¡¯t find then they¡¯d have to do this anyway.

    ¡°Shoot,¡± Todd managed not to curse, settling on a far more mild epithet than he¡¯d have liked, ¡°and I just got my kit set up how I wanted it.¡± His eyes darted towards a long table nearby with a tool belt displayed neatly alongside several nasty looking pairs of pliers and oddly shaped knives.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying let him go, I¡¯m just saying let¡¯s give them a little bit to go to the doctor before questioning.¡± She would never hear the end of it if Todd didn¡¯t get to do something to the vampire.

    ¡°Alright,¡± he relented, ¡°I guess a little patience won¡¯t kill it,¡± his grin was just a little too big, ¡°we can save that part for later.¡±

    ¡°Good,¡± she swung a folding chair around and sat on it, the back of the chair facing the vamp, ¡°well, we have some time to kill, it wouldn''t hurt to ask a few questions.¡±

    Todd tore the gag off of the vamp and pulled up a chair beside her, flopping down into it so hard she almost thought the legs would cave in.

    ¡°Alright little man, you heard the woman,¡± he gave the vampire a patronising pat on the cheek, pulling back before it could snap at his fingers.

    ¡°We need some information, pretty simple stuff,¡± she leaned against the back of the chair, crossing her arms along the metal, ¡°I¡¯ve got this friend, he''s been acting a little off lately, but here''s the kicker, just the other day he was hunting down one of your kind when the vamp he was after said some things to him, things that might give us an idea what''s wrong with him. We just need some of your, unique, insight to figure it out.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that lovely,¡± he drawled, throwing his head back to look at the ceiling, ¡°you interrupt my dinner, drag me to this little rat den of yours, don¡¯t even offer refreshments, promise in no uncertain terms to torture and kill me, but somehow I¡¯m¡ªand forgive me if I¡¯m misinterpreting this¡ªsupposed to help you?¡±

    ¡°Depending on what you tell us, we might be persuaded to let you go, to run off into the sunset, as long as you leave the city.¡± Louise knew Todd wouldn''t be happy about it but if he could give them information, tell them what was wrong with Gabe, it would be worth it. This one wasn¡¯t so hard to catch, other hunters would be on his tail again sooner or later anyway.

    ¡°I suppose that¡¯s your best offer?¡± The vampire inquired dryly, straightening back up in his seat, tensing up just a little when Todd sprinkled just a few more drops of holy water on his rope bindings to keep them saturated. ¡°Fine. What did the big bad vampire say to your little friend? Hm?¡±

    ¡°That he has some kind of condition.¡±

    He remained silent for several seconds, his bored expression unreadable, and Louise had to put a hand on Todd¡¯s shoulder to keep him from treating the vampire to another holy water bath.

    ¡°I suppose it makes sense you would know each other,¡± the vampire finally spoke, pointedly looking away from Todd and his threatening flask, ¡°hunters always seem to come in packs these days. How is he feeling, by the way? Sleeping late? Keeping odd hours? Skipping Sunday mass?¡±

    She scowled at him, ¡°he never goes to church anyway, what does that have to do with anything?¡± The rest was too true for her to acknowledge and it left a heavy feeling in her gut to hear it.

    He didn¡¯t laugh, or chuckle, or even smirk, but the cold amusement in the monster¡¯s eyes was enough to give a normal person nightmares for weeks, ¡°you do this sort of thing for a living, and you honestly need me to spell it out for you? Here¡¯s a bit of advice, little girl, invest in turtlenecks. Sooner or later he¡¯ll figure out what¡¯s happening to him long before you do.¡±

    ¡°What''s happening to him? How? Answer or I''ll let Todd pour holy water on you.¡± She got to her feet, shoving the chair away so she could pace the length of the room. She froze mid-step, ¡°Gabe would never¡­¡±

    ¡°Gabe? Is that his name? How quaint. Or ironic, if you like. You know, most of us don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to kill. There¡¯s always that deep sense of hope, that fight to do the right thing, to starve or be staked.¡± Still, no smile, but each word he seemed to speak grew more and more vicious, ¡°if I were you, I¡¯d use that holy water on your friend.¡±

    ¡°But, there''s no way he could be infected, he was when he was a kid but it doesn''t just come back like that.¡± They had cured people before by killing off whoever infected them and it never did this, ¡°how do you even know what''s wrong? How can you know just from seeing him?¡± It had to be a lie.

    He tilted his head back, examining a spot on the ceiling intently, ¡°who¡¯s to say it doesn¡¯t? Ask your friend. Maybe he¡¯s out necking in his off hours, maybe he wanted to try something new. Either way, I smelled it on him. The scent of death. It¡¯s intoxicating.¡± He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for emphasis.

    ¡°I have to call Lee,¡± she was panicking a little, if what this monster said was true they had a big problem.

 Chapter Fourteen

    This was stupid. He felt like he was six years old again wrestling with his mom while she tried to calm him in the doctor¡¯s office before a booster shot he was sure would be the death of him. Except if he wrestled with Lee, they¡¯d probably get themselves thrown out of this stupid clinic.

    ¡°How much longer do we have to wait?¡± He hissed at Lee, flipping through an outdated home improvement magazine for the eighteenth time.

    ¡°Ten more minutes,¡± Lee replied patiently, ¡°we got lucky today, there aren¡¯t a lot of people here.¡± It really was a miracle. Like all of the stars had aligned just to piss Gabriel off and force him to go to this stupid doctor.

    ¡°The bill¡¯s gonna be insane,¡± Gabriel predicted, ¡°I¡¯ll probably have to sell a kidney to pay it.¡± Actually, he¡¯d been so miserably lax in regular check-ups for pretty much anything, he really had no idea how much it was going to cost.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see what happens.¡± Lee was calm, too calm, how did he do it? As far as Gabriel was concerned doctors were the devil.

    ¡°Gabriel?¡± A young brunette woman called his name from the door leading back into the exam rooms, she smiled at him when he got up from the chair.

    ¡°Ready for me?¡± He asked, giving Lee a sidelong glance. It looked like the other hunter was convinced Gabriel would jump out a window the first chance he got, because he was already standing and intent on joining Gabriel for his checkup.

    ¡°Yes, come with me and we¡¯ll get the basic stuff done so you can see the doctor.¡± The brunette smiled at him, exactly the opposite kind of person he expected to be working here. Gabriel had a twisted vision of hairy Russian women with thick necks and unibrow scowls.

    Lee eyed Gabriel critically, ¡°you going to go if I stay here?¡± He asked, voice low.

    ¡°I¡¯m already in the building. Not like there¡¯s anywhere for me to run since you¡¯ve got the car keys,¡± he replied testily. Even Gabriel knew he sounded petulant, but he just couldn¡¯t help himself today.

    Lee sat back down, ¡°I''ll wait here.¡±

    The first steps to see a doctor felt so mundane, routine, weight, height, everything was going fine until they got to temperature. He had always been relatively normal, in the normal range at least, but he knew something was wrong when she scowled at the thermometer.

    ¡°Do you feel cold?¡± She asked, continuing to glare at the thermometer as if it had committed some kind of heinous crime.

    ¡°No,¡± he said, ¡°I feel just fine. Better than fine.¡± He was lying about that second part, but he honestly wanted to just get this bullshit over with.

    She gave him a look like she didn''t believe him, ¡°we can''t help you if you''re not honest,¡± she replied, taking his blood pressure, ¡°besides, numbers don''t lie. Your body temperature is low and your blood pressure is very low, I''m surprised you haven''t passed out.¡± She looked very surprised, ¡°I''m going to get the doctor.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a little tired, but I swear I¡¯m fine,¡± he insisted, just glad Lee wasn¡¯t there to make it into an even bigger issue.

    She was already gone by the time he managed to finish his sentence, apparently she thought something was wrong, he still disagreed. So what if his blood pressure and temperature were low?

    It wasn''t long before a different woman came in. She was older, her red hair starting to grey a little, but she had kind eyes, that was the first thing he noticed.

    ¡°Hello Gabriel, I''m Dr. Martin.¡± She held out her hand to him.

    ¡°Doc Martin?¡± He quipped, ¡°listen, before we start, there¡¯s nothing wrong with me. I¡¯m just here because I¡¯ve been sleeping a lot lately. So you don¡¯t need to do any crazy tests or stick me with needles, okay?¡± Gabriel went on, giving her his best Clark Gable smile.

    She smiled back, ¡°while I would like to agree with you I''m afraid that I need to run some blood tests. Your blood pressure worries me more than your temperature. I see she skipped taking your heart rate, let me check that first.¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Ugh. Why wouldn¡¯t anyone believe him? Did he look like death warmed over? Was there an undertaker stalking him with a measuring tape? Or the Grimm reaper sharpening a comically large scythe?

    ¡°I never get sick.¡± Gabriel protested, ¡°my heart rate¡¯s just fine.¡±

    She ignored him, hunting for the pulse in his wrist instead. He waited ten seconds. Then twenty. Then, when she looked back up at him with an expression he couldn¡¯t quite read, he got an odd sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach.

    ¡°It''s on the low side of healthy,¡± she told him bluntly, ¡°but I don¡¯t think we need to worry. For now.¡± She looked him over, ¡°so, how have you been feeling lately? Be honest, because I can''t help you if you don¡¯t help me out here.¡±

    Gabriel shifted on the paper-covered table, not sure exactly how to say it, ¡°I¡¯m sleeping a lot. My eyes are sensitive. I guess. No pain, though. Nothing¡¯s sore. I guess I¡¯ve been a little moody lately, but that¡¯s just stress from work¡­¡± he trailed off, not really sure he wanted to tell her about the raw steak cravings.

    ¡°Well, let''s get some blood drawn, it might be anemia, but we¡¯ll know more when we get the results back.¡±

    He could handle slimy ghoul guts, and picking up the trail of dismembered parts left behind by a voracious werewolf, didn¡¯t even bat an eye at the dessicated semi-human remains of monsters of all shapes and sizes. It was a part of the daily routine. Get up, have some coffee, figure out what he was hunting for the week, and collect a paycheck. Yet somehow a perfectly clean doctor¡¯s office, a pleasant enough doctor just doing her job, and the anti-septic tubes for drawing blood staring back at him with those little globs of yellow wax (or whatever) staring back at him chilled Gabriel to his bones. He didn¡¯t want his blood drawn. A little voice in his mind told him it was practically theft. He needed every last drop of it, in his body, safe from that needle getting ever closer to his poor arm.

    Then, somehow, he realized how insane that was. He¡¯d had blood drawn before. It would be fine. It would. Gabriel clenched his teeth, and batted that annoying little voice away, the one that kept telling him he should run out the door right now and try his luck getting back to the office on foot.

    She was good, he had to admit that, didn''t even hardly feel the needle go in. It took a little longer than usual to fill the tube but he figured that was due to the low blood pressure.

    ¡°There, done, wasn''t so bad, was it?¡± Her gloves snapped as she pulled them off, ¡°I''m going to put a rush on this at the lab but I took an extra one so I could check myself so I can have some possible answers for you by the end of the day. It won''t be a for sure diagnosis, just opinion, alright? I want the lab to go through it fully so we know for sure.¡±

    ¡°You can do that?¡± He asked dumbly, ¡°like, in just a day?¡± Wow. Okay, maybe he¡¯d been making this whole thing a way bigger issue than it really was. ¡°That¡¯d be good,¡± he added, trying to somehow recover from feeling foolish.

    She smiled, ¡°in the meantime, eat and rest, I would suggest hot foods, like soup, and take a hot shower or bath. I''ll call you tonight and let you know if I find anything and about how long the lab results will take.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Not that he thought there was anything wrong with him, but at least he could give everyone actual written evidence that he was perfectly fine. For all he knew, it might even be bad allergies.

    After they¡¯d taken care of the visitation bill and Gabriel was safely out in the car with Lee, they both noticed two things: they¡¯d left their cell phones in Lee¡¯s jeep, and between them they had about a dozen missed calls.

    ¡°What the hell, Louise?¡± Gabriel grumbled to himself. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t she ever leave voicemails?¡±

    ¡°She knows we don''t listen to them.¡± He replied, shaking his head at his phone, ¡°I''m going to give her a call, give me a minute.¡± He walked away from the jeep, bringing the phone to his ear.

    ¡°Everything alright?¡± Gabriel shouted through the passenger window.

    ¡°Reception¡¯s bad,¡± Lee called back, hanging up. ¡°I¡¯ll just drop you off and meet up with her to help-¡° he paused, ¡°-clean up that storage bay we¡¯re still renting.¡±

    Gabriel looked back at him skeptically, ¡°alright, but tomorrow we¡¯ve got to have a meeting, so hurry it up.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to be awake for the meeting this time?¡±

    It was tempting to just flip Lee the bird, but Gabriel knew that was just his shitty mood trying to take it out on him. Lee was just being a good friend, despite Gabriel¡¯s best efforts to fight him every step of the way.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯ll be there bright and early. I¡¯ll even bring jelly donuts. Happy?¡±

    Lee smiled at him, ¡°yes, you know we worry about you, right?¡± He shook his head, ¡°I''ll drive by and you jump out, that way I don''t have to actually stop.¡± He was teasing, Gabriel knew it, but still gave him a look that said, ¡®I''m going to kill you if you even try it.¡¯

    Lee broke into a smile, ¡°what? You give me grief all week and now you can¡¯t take a joke?¡±

    ¡°Just drive.¡±

 Chapter Fifteen

    Before Lee ditched him in the parking lot, and before Gabriel went inside to give Chuck and Danny a hard time for siding against him in the doctor debate, he decided to have a smoke. He had his cigarette halfway to his lips before he got an odd sensation in the pit of his stomach. Like he¡¯d just swallowed a huge chunk of ice. It wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. Just weird.

    He shoved his cigarette into his mouth and began to light up, keeping his hand over the flame to keep the air from getting to it while his eyes darted around the parking lot. There was a new car he didn¡¯t recognize. A nice one. Someone with real money? A client? Somehow he doubted it. Probably just some dickhead who decided he didn¡¯t want to pay for parking in the next lot over. The engine was still running.

    Tucking his lighter into his jacket pocket, Gabriel made his way towards the car. Funny. He wasn¡¯t even irritated. In fact, he was suddenly in a better mood than he¡¯d been in all day. Thank god for nicotine, he supposed.

    ¡°Hey,¡± he called out, not quite able to make out the driver through the tinted windows, ¡°you lost or something?¡± He tried to muster up some note of authority in his voice, some sternness to let the person inside know he was in charge here, but somehow to his own ears Gabriel sounded a lot friendlier. Almost apologetic.

    The car turned off and the door opened slowly, it was almost like they were drawing out the anticipation. A familiar figure stepped out, Donovan¡¯s head popping up over the top of the car. He immediately smiled at Gabriel, like he¡¯d been there all day just waiting to welcome the hunter back. Or maybe he was just reading into it too much.

    ¡°Uh, you just get here or are Danny and Chuck playing hide and seek in the office?¡± Gabriel asked, flicking some ash from his cigarette and awkwardly shifting on his feet. Suddenly, he felt a little nervous, though he didn¡¯t really know why.

    ¡°I recently arrived, I thought it was time I stopped by.¡± He closed the door, leaning against the roof, ¡°I had been looking forward to another conversation with you.¡±

    ¡°What, tired of the Collector already?¡±

    Donovan laughed, ¡°I will forever be tired of that man, even long after he¡¯s dead and gone. Your company was refreshing, perhaps you would like to go out for a drink?¡±

    Gabriel took a long pull off his cigarette. Maybe because he needed another heavy dose of smoke and nicotine, and maybe because he needed a hell of a lot more time to process that thought. A drink sounded nice, and the guy was pretty cool as far as he could tell. Sure, he even liked being around him. Felt like he¡¯d known Donovan for ages, in a way, but, ¡°I¡¯m flattered, really, but I¡¯m not--¡± he struggled how to phrase it without coming out sounding like a jerk, ¡°--well, I mean you¡¯re cool, but I like women. No offense.¡±

    Donovan shook his head but his smile never faded, ¡°merely as friends, I apologize if it came off as asking you for a date.¡±

    ¡°Wow, no, oh god, man,¡± Gabriel immediately regretted putting his foot in his mouth, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have just assumed that¡¯s--I mean, shit. Sorry. Sure, yeah, a drink sounds cool.¡± Well, now he felt like a bit of a dick.

    ¡°Would you like to go now or do you have plans for tonight?¡±

    Chuck and Danny probably wouldn¡¯t forgive him for letting them sort out tonight¡¯s hunt on their own, but what the Hell? Donovan probably wouldn¡¯t be in town that long.

    ¡°Not really. It¡¯s a pretty slow week,¡± Gabriel shrugged, taking one last pull of his cigarette before flicking it to the ground, ¡°I just gotta go grab my keys from the office real quick.¡± He paused, ¡°actually, you mind if I just hitch a ride with you? If I go in there now, I might just get stuck all night answering emails.¡± Then, of course, if there was liquor to be had, Chuck would insist on coming too. Gabriel wasn¡¯t sure he wanted to deal with that tonight.

    ¡°Of course, do you know of any good places?¡± He opened his door again, slipping inside, waiting for Gabriel to join him.

    ¡°I can think of a few,¡± Gabriel quickly hopped into the passenger seat when he noticed movement through one of the front windows in the office. Danny was waving at him. Shit. ¡°Better move now before they chase me down,¡± he wasn¡¯t sure if he was joking or not. It seriously looked like Danny was freaking out. For a moment Gabriel was almost tempted to go inside, but just when he was about to unbuckle his seatbelt, one look at Donovan made him change his mind. A pleasant calm feeling washed over him. Danny was fine. Just being dramatic. Everything was okay. He wouldn¡¯t remember turning off his cell phone later, but that¡¯s exactly what he did.

    <hr>

    Doctor Carol Martin had seen a lot over the years, weird things, different things, but nothing quite like this. The blood was still warm when she took it out of the storage fridge. There was no way this should be possible. She¡¯d checked the rest of the samples and items in the fridge multiple times, just to be sure it hadn¡¯t broken. No. Everything that had been stored before, and after this particular vial was just as cold as it should be, but she could swear Gabriel Bianco¡¯s sample was getting warmer by the minute. Like someone was playing a prank on her.

    That wasn¡¯t possible. Sophie and Mark had left the office over an hour ago, so she was the only one left. If this was a prank, it would certainly be an elaborate one. The other samples still had to be sent off, but she wondered if they were just as warm as this one. She was eager to prepare the slide so she could see if anything was going on. It was unlike anything she¡¯d ever seen. Something was there, that was for sure, the red blood cells were being consumed by, well, she had no idea what it was. There was no word for it. Not one she knew of, at least. For a moment, she considered disinfecting everything and running another slide, just to be sure she hadn¡¯t just done something wrong.

    ¡°Incredible,¡± she whispered, fascinated by the process. A dance on razor thin glass she doubted anyone had ever seen before. Was it a virus? It didn¡¯t look like one, or at least none she had ever heard of before. She¡¯d have to do more research, but thank god she¡¯d have second opinions later with far more knowledge than she had about this sort of thing.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°It is an interesting process, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    She let out a loud yelp, jumping up from her seat at her desk and spinning around in sheer terror, ¡°how did you get in here?!¡±

    ¡°I used a door, how else does one get inside?¡± The man questioned, stepping closer to her, ¡°do you want to know what it is?¡±

    Her lips trembled, while she struggled to say something. The only door to the room was behind the man, and he was too close for her to have time to dial 911 from her cell, ¡°know what what is?¡±

    ¡°The virus, in his blood.¡±

    ¡°Who are you? How did you know I was-¡°

    He held a finger to her lips, bracketing her against the desk, ¡°my name is Donovan, if you must have a name to call me, and I¡¯m the one who awakened the infection in his blood.¡± He smiled, ¡°it''s been there, hiding, and no one ever saw it.¡± He looked thoughtful for a moment before picking up a slide, ¡°hold this.¡± When she wrapped her fingers around it Donovan picked up a small needle, pricking his finger and putting his blood on the slide, ¡°see for yourself.¡±

    With shaking fingers she removed the slide of Gabriel''s blood and slid Donovan¡¯s into place. He stepped back far enough that she could turn but she could still feel him at her back as she gazed through the lenses at the blood. It was filled with those strange cells. In this blood they came in two different types and seemed to replace the white and red cells in normal blood. There were a few regular red blood cells but they were quickly consumed by the others. It was like the blood of an entirely different species. The discovery of the century, except-

    ¡°What are you going to do to me?¡± Carol asked, slowly drawing back from the microscope, and reaching blindly for something, anything to defend herself with. Something like this--whatever he or it was--wasn¡¯t going to want this to get out. ¡°What are you?¡±

    ¡°You wouldn''t believe me if I told you what I am.¡± He said, smiling at her, ¡°I could let you live, I could turn you, or I could kill you. However, if you live, you must destroy his blood and everything you''ve found.¡±

    Carol slowly stood, keeping her hands firmly on her desk. There was no weapon nearby. Nothing sharp. Nothing to keep him from killing her in the moment, if he so chose. She had so many questions, and only the vaguest notion that this thing speaking to her now was a creature modern science simply could not define. ¡°You called this an infection. So you aren¡¯t human. You must have been at one time. Why would you want to spread this to others?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a gift, meant for a chosen few. Immortality is something many people are not suited for.¡± He replied, ¡°we have plenty of time to talk, so long as you do not attempt anything foolish.¡± He took a step back, motioning to the chair.

    Carol speculated on the merit of conversation with a madman or the devil himself, but her curiosity got the better of her, and she slowly sat back down, repositioning her chair so that she was fully facing him and the door.

    ¡°You think you¡¯re immortal?¡± She asked, keeping her voice quiet, and trying her best to keep an even tone.

    ¡°I have been alive since humans were traveling in tribes, hunting and gathering for food.¡± He leaned against the wall, watching her carefully, ¡°so, yes, for all intents and purposes I am immortal.¡±

    Her eyes flicked towards the clock positioned above the door, ¡°it¡¯s late.¡± She remarked, ¡°I suppose you always keep hours like this?¡± If she was going mad right now, and this man in front of her was merely a reflection of her shattered psyche, he¡¯d certainly picked an odd hour to reveal himself.

    ¡°Not always, in the beginning, yes, however as the years have passed it has become easier to remain awake during the day. Many stories surrounding my kind have portrayed us as nightwalkers.¡± He explained, seemingly completely at ease.

    ¡°You¡¯re a vampire,¡± she concluded, ¡°or something like it.¡±

    His smile grew, ¡°bravo doctor, yes, that is the common name for us and what most of us have taken to calling ourselves. When I was first made we had another name but time erodes all things and names change.¡±

    ¡°How does the infection spread? Does my patient know about this?¡± She pressed on, finding it highly unlikely that he would. Unless, for some reason or another, he thought a dose of antibiotics would cure him. Somehow a thing like this seemed far beyond the capabilities of penicillin.

    ¡°It is transmitted by ingestion of blood. Gabriel, your patient, knows about vampires, knows what it is, but doesn''t know he''s been re-infected. He was exposed to it as a child and the virus went into remission, they call it a cure but it isn''t what they think.¡± He was giving out this information rather freely, she knew if he didn''t kill her she could never share this with anyone, ¡°when the vampire who infects you dies before you are fully turned the virus goes dormant. Through an extraordinary series of events, Gabriel unknowingly drank my blood which reactivated the virus, hence his current predicament.¡±

    ¡°I imagine it must have been very extraordinary,¡± she remarked, ¡°how would a person not know he was drinking blood?¡±

    ¡°When the blood is mixed with wine.¡±

    As much as she wanted to know why he was doing this to an unwitting man, it hardly seemed relevant to her own situation. ¡°So the only way to cure him¡­¡± she trailed off.

    ¡°Would be to kill me, yes.¡±

    It was odd how calmly she was accepting the impossible. Perhaps it was shock. ¡°Why isn¡¯t the world overrun with your kind, if you are immortal? How has the¡ªinfection, or whatever you call it¡ªhow has it managed to be contained?¡±

    ¡°We are very particular about who we share it with. Besides, we can''t overrun our food source, now can we? It is easier to stay hidden, wolf in sheep''s clothing.¡±

    She wanted to know more, but tamped down her curiosity with the knowledge that if he really was a vampire, then-

    ¡°Are the myths true, then? Murder? Sunlight? Crosses and stakes? All of it?¡±

    He shook his head, ¡°no, not everything.¡± He wasn''t about to reveal all of that, ¡°do you have any more questions?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Carol shook her head, reaching under her collar to grasp at the rosary on her neck, ¡°I don¡¯t think I do.¡±

    He pushed off the wall, ¡°I have one for you. I gave you three options, which do you prefer?¡±

    There it was. The question she¡¯d never conceived of, yet humanity had sought an answer to for centuries. Life or death?

    Carol squeezed the rosary even tighter, letting the chain at her neck snap as it fell to the floor.

    He smiled, stepping closer, his left hand moving up to touch her face, ¡°you¡¯ve chosen wisely.¡±

 Chapter Sixteen

    Louise was practically frantic when Gabriel strolled through the office door as if nothing was wrong. He didn''t look any different, maybe more relaxed, but she knew there was something very wrong.

    ¡°Hey, where¡¯d everyone go? Joyriding without me?¡± He asked, tossing his denim jacket onto his office chair and flopping down into it with a relaxed sigh. He was a completely different person than he¡¯d been for the last few days, which in itself was almost disarming.

    ¡°Looking for you! We know what''s wrong with you, why didn''t you just tell us?¡±

    ¡°Wh-what?!¡± He exclaimed, startled, ¡°it was just a drink! That¡¯s it. You of all people should--how did you even know?!¡±

    ¡°Just a drink? You knew you had done it and never said anything? Made us worry about you?!¡± She was shouting now, couldn''t help it, how could he knowingly drink and then act like he hadn''t? Even going so far as to go to the doctor.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Gabriel stood up now, slamming a hand on his desk and going on the defensive, ¡°I needed a break, alright? Just because I had one drink doesn¡¯t mean I planned to stay out all night and--well, I mean you were all kinda pissing me off. So what? What¡¯s the big deal? Why would it be your business anyway?¡±

    She scowled, ¡°wait, tonight? You mean, you really don''t know what''s wrong with you?¡±

    Gabriel sat back down with a wounded expression, ¡°there¡¯s nothing wrong with me, and even if I was gay, there still wouldn¡¯t be anything wrong with me. So, thanks for that misguided little attempt at a lecture, Louise. Really. Just how I wanted to end my night.¡±

    ¡°You drank vampire blood, Gabriel, you''re infected.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± He asked, leaning back in his chair and looking back at her like she had just grown a second head, ¡°no, I didn¡¯t. I think I¡¯d remember something like that.¡±

    ¡°That vamp, the one that got away, he told us, could smell death on you. You drank, whether you want to admit it or not.¡± She sat down, looking confused, ¡°how could you not remember? That''s a little hard to forget.¡±

    Gabriel took a deep breath, slowly letting it out as he closed his eyes, ¡°he was probably lying. Maybe he just already knew about me, wanted to get into our heads. They¡¯re fucked up like that. They like to play with you until you¡¯re done screeching.¡± He opened his eyes again, looking back at her, ¡°Louise, I was trapped and tormented for weeks by one of them. I watched my parents die. I was force-fed blood while all the other kids around me were tortured to death in a crowded, damp hellhole. You never wash that taste out of your mouth. If I was turning again, I would¡­¡± he trailed off, putting his head in his hands and leaning against his desk, ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t. There¡¯s no way.¡± His voice cracked just enough for her to know she was getting through to him, ¡°Jesus Christ. How?!¡±

    She shrugged, ¡°I don''t know but Gabe, we have to figure it out before¡­¡± She trailed off, the unspoken thought of, ¡®before you kill¡¯ hung heavy in the air, ¡°what does it feel like? Does it feel the same?¡±

    ¡°It¡ª¡° he hesitated, ¡°No, not entirely.¡± Gabriel reached behind him to yank his jacket off of the back of his chair and dig a pack of cigarettes out of one of the pockets, ¡°there¡¯s no ¡®connection.¡¯ I don¡¯t feel like there¡¯s some monster hovering at my shoulder, no¡ªshit, I hate even thinking about it¡ªthere¡¯s no master. I don¡¯t have a craving to serve or please him.¡± He shoved a cigarette in his mouth, ¡°but I¡¯m just as tired.¡±

    ¡°What about food? The whole blood thing? Do you feel like you want blood?¡± She prodded, they needed to know everything.

    He fiddled with his lighter, focusing on a spot just to the right of her shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ve been eating a lot of rare meat lately,¡± he admitted, ¡°but I haven¡¯t wanted to drink blood.¡± Yet. The unspoken word hung in the air between them.

    ¡°What are we going to do?¡± It felt so final, they needed more information.

    Gabriel lit his cigarette, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I honestly don¡¯t know.¡±

    She looked out the window, ¡°who do we know that has a shit load of books, maybe we can find something.¡±

    ¡°I think you already know the answer to that question.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I guess we go there.¡± She really didn''t want to see the old coot but if it would help Gabe, she''d suck it up.

    ¡°Two visits in one week, the guy¡¯s gonna start thinking we like him,¡± Gabriel joked, his voice hollow and bitter.

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    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m heading there right now. Did you already call Chuck and Danny?¡± Lee asked softly, pressing his cell phone to his ear while he drove. Damned reckless, if you wanted Todd¡¯s opinion, ¡°alright, I''ll see you at the office when we''re done.¡± Finally he dropped his phone and ended the call.

    ¡°You really need to get one of those hands free things.¡±

    ¡°I guess I do,¡± Lee agreed, taking a sharp turn down a road they hadn¡¯t been to before. ¡°We¡¯ve got to pick up a few things.¡±

    Todd scowled, ¡°pick up a few things?¡±

    ¡°Research material,¡± Lee explained in a clipped voice, giving Todd absolutely no clues about what he really meant. He¡¯d never understand why his little Lulu was knocking boots with a slanty-eyed know-it-all like this guy.

    ¡°That¡¯s no help, can''t help you if I don''t know what you''re after.¡± He glared at him from the passenger seat, why did he agree to let Lee drive? Guy couldn¡¯t steer in a straight line if he had the bumpers up. Then again, they were all pretty bad drivers.

    ¡°I just need to get a few books, that¡¯s all. There¡¯s a client of ours who might have something we can use to help--¡± Lee cut himself off. ¡°Something we can use. I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t say more than that until I figure this out.¡±

    ¡°Got somethin¡¯ to do with Gabe, don''t it? That''s why Lulu wanted that vamp.¡± He wasn¡¯t stupid.

    The car picked up speed, ¡°I¡¯d really rather discuss this with everyone else, Todd. Have you ever heard of the Collector?¡±

    ¡°That the guy that keeps tryin¡¯ to grope Lulu?¡± If it was, well, he might have to break a finger or two.

    ¡°Among other things. He¡¯s also got the largest collection of occult books I¡¯ve ever seen. Not the kind you¡¯d pick out last minute shopping at a new age health food shop. The real stuff. We need to see if he has anything that might be useful.¡±

    If there really was something there that was interesting, well, he might have to put some of his more, lucrative, skills to work. Todd was good at what he did. Damned good.

    ¡°You think he¡¯ll hand it over that easy?¡± He asked, scratching at the uneven stubble on his chin.

    ¡°If he won''t I guess you''ll have to steal it.¡±

    Now they were talking! Todd grinned, ¡°what¡¯s the security setup look like?¡±

    ¡°He doesn''t have one, except the lions that guard the stairs, if you go that way make sure you pat one on the head. No one tends to steal from a hoarder of supernatural antiquities.¡± Lee replied as he turned down another street.

    The rest of the trip was spent mostly in silence while Todd speculated how he¡¯d approach the mystery house and whether his tools would come in handy. He hadn¡¯t broken in anywhere in a long time, since most monsters didn¡¯t really jive with the domestic life. He¡¯d only ever tracked down one werewolf hiding in the burbs, and a handful of bloodsuckers renting out condos here and there.

    The house was huge, really, Todd had only seen places like this in photos. It was the type of house he tried to avoid at all costs when he needed a little extra cash. This would be fun if he actually got to rob the man. Too bad he¡¯d promised his old lady he was done with that shit.

    ¡°Todd, do you have your phone?¡± Lee asked, turning off his car engine and looking at him in that better-than-you kinda way he always looked at people with. Or maybe that was just his face. Whatever it was, Todd just didn¡¯t much like the guy.

    ¡°Yeah, always, what of it?¡± He eyed Lee, didn''t the kid have his own phone?

    ¡°Because I may have to text you if I need you to go in. You¡¯ll have to stay in the car while I talk to him.¡±

    Todd scowled, ¡°why? Old man not like visitors?¡± Why did he have to stay in the car?

    Lee¡¯s better-than-you expression intensified, ¡°Todd, don¡¯t you think it would be a little difficult to sneak around the house if he already knows you¡¯re there?¡±

    ¡°Fine, but I don''t like it. You''ll have to tell me where shit is if you want anything.¡± He knew he was pouting but it wasn''t fair.

    ¡°Around the back of the house, there¡¯s a door. I don¡¯t have the place memorized, so you¡¯ll have to figure it out from there. Somewhere in the house is a book room. A big one. That¡¯s all I remember. Do you think you can do this if you have to?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I can do it.¡± Of course he could, if there was no alarm it would be easy. Jimmy open a window and he was in, provided there wasn''t any other nasty things in there.

    ¡°Okay. If we have to do it this way, what you¡¯re looking for is pretty much anything related to the undead. If it has the word ¡®sanguine¡¯ in it, ¡®varkolak¡¯, anything like that, just grab it. Do you understand what I¡¯m asking you to do?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I''m not stupid, blood and vamp shit, I get it.¡± He glared at Lee, ¡°you think I''m a fuckin¡¯ idiot, don¡¯t ya?¡±

    ¡°What? No, of course I don¡¯t. We just don¡¯t have time to risk any mistakes. Someone could die if we don¡¯t get it right the first time, and if you¡¯re caught or you grab the wrong books, we¡¯re not going to get another chance.¡± Lee shook his head, ¡°Gabe¡¯s my best friend. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I know my job kid, I''ll get the books if you can''t pull it off.¡± He said with a heavy sigh. The kid was gonna get himself killed one of these days, poking a bear like that.

    ¡°Okay. I trust you.¡± Lee smiled, giving him a quick nod before slipping out of the jeep and heading towards the house. He¡¯d parked at the very end of a long gravel pathway, where a large willow obscured the windshield so Todd would have to crane his neck out of the window to see anything. From where he was sitting, the place kinda looked like that plantation in Gone With the Wind. Terry or something. How did one old geezer amass so much money?

    He made it about fifteen minutes before losing his patience and slipping out of the jeep. Just to check out the surroundings, get a good idea of the layout if or when he had to break in. He cursed the moment his phone rang, he fumbled with it, trying to get it to shut up so he wouldn¡¯t be found.

    ¡°What?¡± He hissed, holding the phone to his ear.

    ¡°Todd,¡± Lee. Of course. ¡°I¡¯m sort of stuck in here. Ruben wants me to have a drink. He¡¯s acting funny today, I¡¯m going to need you to sneak in and get the book. I saw one, I just can¡¯t get to it. It¡¯s in the library on his desk. I guess he was doing some research of his own--okay, I¡¯ve got to go--¡± the phone abruptly cut off.

    Well, shit.

 Chapter Seventeen

    Class. Refinement. Culture. All of the things Ruben had labored to cultivate over the last few decades seemed to be going away, piece by piece. The master had decided he couldn¡¯t abide by the African masks in the parlor, finding their midnight chanting to be far too disruptive. Never mind that they¡¯d cost Ruben a decade of searching and a small fortune to assemble.

    Then there were the Tiffany lamps that bled through the shades when they were left on for too long. It wasn¡¯t easy to find such an elegant example of a modern curse, whether it was essentially non-functional or not.

    The wardrobe of poisoned clothes, the silk curtains fringed with nightmare threads, the carnivorous porcelain dolls, all of them had been gathered together, and Ruben dreaded the auction he would be forced to sell them at. What little power he seemed to have gathered while his master slept was quickly disappearing.

    He had left Donovan to dine with Lee at an impromptu supper, and now that his tasks seemed to be finished for the evening, Ruben would savor his limited personal time in the back garden to pout.

    He was certainly not expecting to see the unwashed oaf skulking around the house, ¡°sir, you sir, you need to leave, go on.¡±

    The large, hairy excuse for a creature gave him, what Ruben would have thought was, a calculating look if the man was capable of intelligent thought, which he didn¡¯t appear to be, before he reached for something in his camouflage vest pocket.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Lee?¡± The man demanded, as if he had any room to do so.

    Ruben scowled, ¡°he is inside. Why? You''re not one of his companions, I''ve never seen you before.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re damn right I¡¯m not one of them, but why aren¡¯t you in there with him?¡± The more he spoke, the angrier and louder the buffoon seemed to become.

    ¡°He is speaking with Donovan and it doesn''t concern me, hence why I came outside for some much needed fresh air. Now, if you would leave I can enjoy what¡¯s left of the afternoon.¡± Ruben was frustrated, he wanted to get one of his many prized possessions, maybe the sacrificial dagger, and stab him with it. The consequences of a trapped soul would be well worth the peace.

    ¡°Donovan? Who¡¯s that?¡± The man straightened up, or seemed to. It was hard to tell, given how slovenly he looked. ¡°I thought you lived alone.¡±

    ¡°He is a guest, a family friend.¡± It was difficult to describe what the vampire was and he wasn''t about to admit to this, brute, that Donovan was his master.

    ¡°Seems like something he should¡¯ve mentioned,¡± the man mumbled, more to himself than Ruben. Either that or his ability to speak was quickly devolving.

    ¡°Not that it''s any of your business, what Lee does. He is a grown man after all or are you babysitting him?¡±

    ¡°Listen, you trumped up old bat, I¡¯m just--¡± he seemed to catch himself, his scowl deepening as he watched Ruben, ¡°--I¡¯m just waiting for him to hurry the hell up with whatever pansy plans he had here tonight, so you go inside this damn minute and tell him it¡¯s time to go. Think you can manage that, cryptkeeper?¡±

    ¡°You sir are extremely rude! I am sure he¡¯ll be out shortly. Now go away before I call the authorities!¡± He should let Donovan eat him.

    ¡°Yeah? I¡¯d like to see you try!¡± The man stood his ground, giving Ruben a good, long stink eye. ¡°I ain¡¯t moving.¡±

    The heaven-sent sound of a creaking door behind them made both Ruben and the lummox turn to see Lee stepping outside onto the wraparound back porch.

    ¡°Todd? What are you doing back here? You were supposed to wait in the jeep.¡± Lee looked at Ruben apologetically.

    Suddenly, it was as if the clouds above had parted, as the dim-witted lunatic¡¯s face was struck with blind confusion in place of the unwarranted arrogance and anger he¡¯d been displaying.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± The idiot asked, his posture returning to the typical slump from before. Todd. Such a typical name for a low-class bombastic maniac. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me on the phone to--¡± he caught himself, looking back at Ruben and then Lee again, ¡°what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, come on, Todd, let¡¯s get going.¡± Lee said, heading toward the jeep, expecting him to follow.

    Todd gave Ruben one last dirty look, before reluctantly following Lee, his irate mumbling loud enough to carry all the way around the side of the house and some unknown distance where they were likely parked.

    ¡°Disgusting,¡± the old man stated aloud, examining the spot in the backyard where that fat man had been standing. Hard to tell with the growing darkness, but it didn¡¯t look like any of his azaleas had been trampled.

    Those hunters were becoming far more trouble than they were worth, and now they were getting even stupider. He would be glad when all of this nonsense was over. The sooner his master lost interest in them, the better. This too would pass, he had taken that doctor to one of his constituents for training instead of doing it himself. If he turned Gabriel he would likely do the same. Donovan had spent centuries without companions, and Ruben knew that very well. After all, even the one time he had encountered his master¡¯s sire in his youth, both of them had expressed the same sentiment. Eternity was best spent alone, connections outside of their bond as sire and childe were fraught with heartbreak.

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    <hr>

    Blood. Spots of blood. That was all he could see right now. Not the half-empty coffee mug, or the blinking cursor on his computer screen. Not Chuck, or Danny, or Louise, or Lee. Not even Todd, who was stomping back and forth haranguing Lee for a supposed phone call Lee didn¡¯t remember making.

    In his mind¡¯s eye, Gabriel saw the spots of blood on his parents¡¯ bedroom carpet, saw his mother crawling towards his father. The monster they''d invited inside standing over them. He didn¡¯t know why. Didn¡¯t remember why. All he remembered was what happened after that, and now here he was, re-living it all.

    Those weeks spent in the dark, cowering in that basement with a dozen other kids, the night they¡¯d all been forced to play musical chairs until Gabriel was the first odd one out, and the monster decided to feed from him first. Feed blood back to him. Then one-by-one, he got to see the other children die each night. Only a few others had been fed, but when Chuck saved them, they weren¡¯t really saved. They¡¯d never forget the hunger left unsated. Never forget the painful exhaustion brought on by daylight hours, or the desperate need to please their master.

    Gabriel lit up yet another cigarette of many, rolling up one of his sleeves and smiling bitterly at his forearm. How had he not noticed the scars were disappearing? How had he been dumb enough not to recognize those familiar hunger pangs kicking up again? It sure as hell explained why he didn¡¯t even bother cooking his steak anymore.

    Didn¡¯t matter. Nobody else needed to know. They¡¯d fix this before it got worse. If he didn¡¯t believe that, he¡¯d go crazy.

    Gabriel barely acknowledged Danny when he topped up Gabriel¡¯s coffee and walked back to the center table to rejoin the others. Whispering about something. Him. He didn¡¯t care right now. Todd was sitting down at this point, so that was probably good.

    Why was this happening again? The monster was dead. He¡¯d been cured. Gabriel spent years feeling perfectly fine, no lingering symptoms. Until a week ago he couldn¡¯t even handle an undercooked burger patty. Then there was the fact that he didn¡¯t have that need to be around anyone, no master he wanted to seek out. No sire. No one.

    It couldn¡¯t have been the vamp they tracked down on the chupacabra hunt. He¡¯d already been feeling like shit that afternoon, and the cravings were just beginning then. Other than that, they hadn¡¯t encountered one in ages. There simply wasn¡¯t any possible way.

    Except--that morning, when he had the mother of all hangovers. Right after they¡¯d binged on wine and pizza.

    ¡°Danny!¡± Gabriel suddenly shouted, jerking up out of his chair, ¡°Danny, the wine!¡±

    Danny blinked at him before scowling, ¡°what? What about the wine?¡±

    ¡°You remember that wine you wouldn¡¯t drink?¡± Gabriel pressed on, ¡°you remember, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what about it? You seemed to really like it.¡± Danny sat down with his own cup of coffee.

    ¡°But it was the only weird thing I¡¯ve had to drink at all since this started. It was warm, too. None of the other wines were.¡± He may have already been a little too drunk to care at that point, but now? Holy shit, why the hell did he think that was normal?

    It was Chuck who spoke next, ¡°why wouldn¡¯t the old man have something funny to drink around? The man has African masks on the wall and attack lions.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t he have a monkey paw display too?¡± Louise asked, ¡°it¡¯s been too long since I¡¯ve visited the creep. I don¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Lee agreed, ¡°a few ceremonial daggers and weapons, too.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you remember that,¡± Todd interjected, ¡°but not a fucking phone call you made ten minutes before I made an ass of myself trying to help you out.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re getting old and imagining things. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± Lee insisted, his voice taking on a strangely hostile tone. Strange, because normally he was surprisingly patient with Todd¡¯s unpredictable temper.

    ¡°Enough!¡± Louise clapped her hands at both of them, scolding the pair like unruly children, ¡°this isn¡¯t about either of you right now. So stop it! We don¡¯t have time for this right now. Gabe needs our help, and any second you¡¯re both going to start looking more like a pair of--I don¡¯t know, milkshakes or something, and not just grown men acting like babies.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Louise,¡± Gabriel said, half-irritated at her for the stupid simile, as if he¡¯d just suddenly lose all self-control and start chowing down on his friends. He was a little hurt.

    ¡°Gonna have to think about what to do, when the hunger gets worse. Gonna need to find the vamp too, unless Ruben has an answer to go with that bottle of ¡®wine¡¯ you drank.¡± Chuck was perfectly calm, it was like he was talking about the weather, not about locking Gabe up when he got the munchies.

    ¡°I can handle the hunger,¡± Gabriel said sharply, ¡°but we have no way of knowing how old that bottle of blood was. The vamp he got it from could be halfway across the world.¡± It was difficult to be optimistic about this. The old man probably didn¡¯t even remember that bottle, as dusty as it had been. Could¡¯ve just been part of some weird lot he¡¯d gotten on auction. The more he thought about it, to his disgust, the more he honestly wished there¡¯d been another one. He was sure if there was, it would be easy to fight his growing hunger. Keep the edge off.

    ¡°Well, we gotta go visit the old man, sooner rather than later.¡± Chuck took a long drink of his whisky, ¡°not tonight, Lee and Todd were over there, tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I ca-¡± Gabriel was about to volunteer, before Todd interrupted.

    ¡°I can.¡± Todd said, glaring darkly at Lee, ¡°show you how a real hunter gets things done. Just some damn book about vampires, right? If he¡¯s got the blood, shouldn¡¯t be too hard to find an owner¡¯s manual.¡±

    Louise gave Todd a warning look, but kept her mouth shut, instead choosing to focus her attention on Gabriel, ¡°do you want to stay at the office tonight? One of us can keep you company, just in case.¡±

    The unspoken fear, or really, accusation that he could snap tonight and kill someone hung in the air. Gabriel reminded himself that they were trying to help him, but it was hard not to get mad.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ve got my phone. The second I decide to go on a rampage, I¡¯ll be sure to text you,¡± he replied dryly. Then, he laughed bitterly. Because there wasn¡¯t much else he could do.

 Chapter Eighteen

    Donovan sat in his favorite chair in the library. It was hidden in shadows, one would be hard pressed to see him unless they knew where to look. His thoughts traveled to the tenuous bond between himself and Gabriel. He had kept it hidden, had even curtailed the worst of his hunger, but now he could feel the misery from him. It seemed they had figured it out, at least partially. The oaf that had spoken with Ruben would be coming, he had no doubt about that, and he would give him what he sought. Where was the fun in this without a small tidbit of information? The game could only be drawn out for so long.

    He could at least give the man credit for his skill. If Donovan didn¡¯t have the gift of supernatural senses, he never would have heard Todd sneaking in through one of the back windows.

    Donovan waited for him to step into the dim lighting before standing and moving forward, ¡°good evening, Todd, isn''t it?¡±

    The man gave a loud shout, digging into his vest for what was no doubt some crude weapon. A gun, a bottle of pepper spray, it didn¡¯t matter. He simply kept his hand there and at the ready. ¡°Y--Who are you?¡± He asked, backing down a little.

    ¡°I apologize, how rude of me, my name is Donovan. I was just enjoying a drink when I heard you come in.¡±

    Todd shifted from one foot to the other, looking somewhat helpless. He hadn¡¯t expected to be caught. ¡°Listen, I wasn¡¯t planning on stealing anything, just borrowing. That¡¯s all. We don¡¯t have to call the cops here.¡±

    Donovan couldn''t help but laugh, smiling at him, ¡°I agree, is there something specific you''re looking for? Perhaps I can be of assistance.¡±

    Despite his size, and the boorish attitude he¡¯d displayed towards Ruben, the man Todd thought to be the owner of this residence, being caught actively breaking and entering seemed to have given the man a sense of temporary nervousness. Fear, perhaps. A man who was so confident in his abilities, that he¡¯d never even conceived of failing.

    ¡°Chuck and Gabe told me about you,¡± Todd suddenly seemed struck by the thought, ¡°didn¡¯t think you¡¯d still be here.¡± He wasn¡¯t very good at thinking through his words before speaking them, outing his friends so quickly.

    ¡°Oh, I''m staying for awhile longer,¡± he paused briefly, ¡°what did they tell you?¡± He ran his fingers down the spine of one of the books, the one Todd was looking for as a matter of fact.

    Todd pointedly avoided any possible eye contact. The typical act of a poor liar. It wasn¡¯t terribly difficult to do in this dim lighting, either, which suited Donovan just fine. Even in the dark, he would have made out every little detail of the aging man¡¯s face without any trouble at all.

    ¡°I, uh--¡± Todd began, taking a deep breath and letting his hand slowly come away from his vest pocket, weaponless, ¡°they said the old man had a friend over for a few days. I figured I¡¯d just swing by to check out his books. I¡¯m a big bookworm, y¡¯see? Library already shut down for the night, didn¡¯t figure he¡¯d appreciate me swinging by after the, uh, the misunderstanding we¡¯d had earlier.¡± He was babbling now, but Donovan allowed him to continue;  ¡°guess I just had too much to drink, decided to see if I could borrow one or two books before he noticed they were gone. I woulda brought them back.¡±

    ¡°Anything in particular you were looking for? I''ll make sure he doesn''t notice.¡±

    ¡°Just like that? You¡¯re gonna help me?¡± He was stunned.

    ¡°Anything to rile him up. The man grates on me most of the time.¡± Donovan smiled, besides, the whole thing would go further toward reminding Ruben who the master was.

    Todd scowled, ¡°this ain¡¯t some trick? No cameras anywhere, no--I dunno--gremlins hiding in the corner waiting to tear me limb from limb the second I doggy-ear a picture book?¡±

    ¡°You have my word. Just tell me what you''re looking for and I can help you find it far faster than on your own. We wouldn''t want Ruben to intrude, now would we?¡±

    ¡°I guess I¡¯d like to brush up on my hunting. Does the old f¡ªman have anything on bloodsuckers? Curing them, killing them, all that kinda stuff?¡±

    And there it was, the moment he had been waiting for, ¡°as a matter of fact, yes,¡± he pulled the book carefully from its place, ¡°it is very old, so please, be gentle.¡±

    Todd stared back at him in disbelief, ¡°how did¡ªwere you already reading it?¡±

    ¡°Actually, yes, I was. It is an interesting coincidence.¡±

    He hesitated only a little before slowly approaching Donovan with one hand out, ¡°so if I¡¯ve got a friend who needs a cure, do you know whether it¡¯s in there or would we be wasting our time?¡±

    Donovan held the book out, his hand steady, ¡°if there is a cure this would be the place to find it.¡± He replied.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Todd took the book, clearly not convinced this was as easy as simply asking for it. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll owe you one.¡±

    Donovan couldn''t help the smile that spread across his lips, ¡°my pleasure, have a good rest of your night, Todd.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± the human nodded, turning hesitantly towards the door, ¡°I¡¯ll do that."

    ¡°Oh, and Todd?¡±

    He paused mid-step, ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°Feel free to use the front door.¡±

    <hr>

    Todd liked to think of himself like a man of the world. Sure, he didn¡¯t feel the need to waste his time doing research, reading books, that kind of thing, but he knew how to use a gun, and he knew how to use his fists. As long as you got real creative, that¡¯s all you really needed to fight monsters. Never hurt to have a couple of backup plans either, just in case things didn¡¯t work out.

    He tucked his phone into his vest pocket just as he hefted himself out of his pick-up truck, patting the book under his arm. He didn¡¯t want to have to follow through on Plan B. Todd sure hoped there really was something useful in this damned thing. Lulu might never speak with him again if he had to put a stake through Gabriel¡¯s heart.

    The jeep wasn¡¯t in the parking lot, which probably meant Lee had high-tailed it out of there. Come to think of it, that prissy little clown car was gone, too. So the new kid probably went home, too. No reason everyone had to pull an all-nighter, Todd supposed.

    When he finally made it to the front door, it was flung open before Todd could even grab the handle.

    Louise stood there with bright, worried eyes. ¡°Did you find something?¡± She asked, before her eyes landed on the book tucked under his arm.

    ¡°Yeah, met that guy, Donovan too,¡± he put the book down on the table at the center of the room, ¡°guy handed it right over.¡±

    ¡°Guy?¡± Louise questioned, looking over at Gabriel, who was nursing a cup of coffee at his desk and watching them both silently.

    Chuck, sitting at his own desk, gave Todd a puzzled look, ¡°what, you talked to the old bastard? Thought you were sneaking in.¡±

    ¡°I did sneak in, how was I supposed to know someone was in the library?¡± Todd glared at him, ¡°interesting guy, Donovan. Weird.¡±

    Gabriel set his coffee down on his desk quickly, flicking his fingers when a couple of droplets sloshed over the side. ¡°It was Donovan?¡± He asked, ¡°did you tell him what was going on?¡±

    ¡°Not really, just kind of vague stuff.¡±

    Louise sat down at the center table, examining the cover. ¡°It¡¯s old,¡± she remarked, ¡°looks like an antique.¡±

    Chuck and Gabriel left their desks, joining her at the center table. By now Todd was ready for a good, stiff drink. He¡¯d nearly had a heart attack getting caught tonight, and then it was just as simple as asking for this thing.

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    ¡°Too easy,¡± Chuck remarked, voicing Todd¡¯s concerns. ¡°This is all too easy. I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything in this book we can use,¡± Louise reminded him, ¡°so don¡¯t jinx us.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s crack this baby open!¡± Todd went to open it before stopping and looking at Gabe, ¡°unless you wanted to read it, I mean, you¡¯re the one that needs it.¡± The way he saw it, this was pretty much a lost cause. Maybe it¡¯d be better if the kid figured it out on his own.

    An uncomfortable silence followed, while nobody else at the table made an attempt to grab for the book. This was kind of a matter of life and death. Chuck sure as hell wouldn¡¯t want to be the one to stake Gabriel when it came down to it. Todd respected the guy, though. Hell, him and Chuck had a lot in common. Still, even he would have trouble offing someone he¡¯d practically raised.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Gabriel finally spoke up, reaching for the book and dragging it towards himself, ¡°I think I do.¡± He didn¡¯t open it. He just sort of stared at the cover, a concerned look on his face. ¡°We¡¯ve got to agree that if there¡¯s nothing in here to help me--¡± Gabriel tore his eyes away from the book and slowly gave each and every one of them a good, long stare. His gaze ended up on Chuck, ¡°--you¡¯ll do what you have to do.¡±

    Chuck swallowed hard, ¡°you¡¯re asking a lot, kid,¡± his voice cracked a little, ¡°yeah, yeah, I know what needs to be done but only doin¡¯ it if it''s the only choice.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be,¡± Louise stated firmly. ¡°I promise.¡±

    ¡°Okay, well, I guess I should get to reading.¡± Gabriel ran a hand over the cover of the book, his fingers twitching as they reached the edge.

    Chuck nodded, getting to his feet, ¡°alright, Todd is still stayin¡¯ here, so if you need anything you can harass him,¡± he looked over at Todd, ¡°you get him whatever he needs, got it? I''m goin¡¯ home, I''ll be back tomorrow.¡±

    Louise pressed a hand to Gabriel¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Do you need me to stay?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± his hand rested on the book cover, ¡°I think I need to do this alone.¡±

    Louise nodded before looking at Todd, ¡°we''ll be back, give him some space, got it?¡±

    Todd would¡¯ve liked to stay and see what the mangy old book had to say, even if ¡®research¡¯ wasn¡¯t his style, but he needed a good rest anyway. He¡¯d lock the door and rub holy oil on the frame just in case, though.

    ¡°I gotcha,¡± Todd nodded, ¡°space. No problem.¡± He gave Louise a two-fingered salute, ¡°your old uncle Todd knows how to act right. No need to worry about me.¡±

    Louise gave him one last pointed look before walking out the door. What, did she have no trust in him? He would leave Gabe alone, hope that he found something, but he''d be ready, just in case. They were lucky they had good old Todd around.

    He didn¡¯t flinch when it came to doing the right thing. If he had to, he sure as hell would, too. He closed the door to his makeshift room, he''d do whatever it took to keep Louise safe, he had promised his brother after all.

    <hr>

    By all rights, Gabriel should¡¯ve opened the book the second Todd walked through the door. Or the second he got his hands on it. Certainly the second Chuck finally left after a painfully tight hug and a mumbled exchange of affectionate words, or the equivalent. He¡¯d been too quiet for Gabriel to make out much of what Chuck was saying.

    Somehow it took him a whole hour to finally settle back at his desk chair with the book, after two painfully hot cups of coffee he¡¯d barely tasted at all when he tossed them back. As if he even needed the caffeine to pull an all nighter. Right now he felt like he could run a marathon and still be awake enough to chow down on a whole cow. Or a person.

    That last thought was enough to finally make him open the book. It didn¡¯t actually have a title. The fibers of the cover were time-worn by god knew how many decades of rest and dis-use. He inspected the binding closely, making out the imprints of words that might have been etched in brown or black ink, but had faded far too much to tell.

    The only word he could make out at the very end of the title, just near the frayed corner of the binding was ¡®Sanguis¡¯. Maybe it was just dumb luck Donovan happened to be reading this book when he gave it to Todd. It was pretty thick. He just hoped the damn thing was written in English.

    The writing was in multiple different languages, the handwriting didn''t change, whoever wrote this had done so over the course of many years. As he turned the pages the texture of the paper changed, further confirming the idea that it had taken a long time to compile. On a few of the pages there were scribbled notes in the margins, all in English, the font was slightly different than the rest of the tome. Of course they still didn''t give him much of an idea about what was written. The further in he got, the more the language changed, slowly he was able to pick out words. A few disturbing words, things about blood and infections, about the properties of ghoul blood, if he translated that right. His French was a little rusty.

    He turned another page and a single piece of paper, written in English, finally, slipped out from between two pages. Someone had inserted it recently, very recently. The folded edges hadn¡¯t even creased enough for the letter to lay flat.

    Good evening, Gabriel,

    It has been with great pleasure that I''ve watched you these past few weeks. After you drank from that bottle, after you connected yourself to me, however unwittingly it was, it has been difficult for me to maintain my distance. I feel as though now is an appropriate time for you to learn the truth.

    I know you don''t remember the conversation we had, but you will soon enough, and with it you will understand so much more.

    Can you feel it now? Twisting up inside you? This isn''t like before, there is no magical cure, there is no going back. The moment my blood touched your tongue you were mine. You will hunger and in the end, you will drink, you will feast, and then you will understand what you are meant to be.

    I have done extensive research into the properties of blood. I even sought a cure in the beginning only to discover my search was in vain. You were ¡®cured¡¯ once but the virus remained inside you, waiting. It would have continued to lay dormant until such time as you were in mortal peril. You have been wounded, you have been hospitalized, it does happen when one chooses your profession, but you have never been on the brink of death. It would have come for you, eventually, but this is much more appropriate, don¡¯t you agree?

    I do so look forward to seeing you again, however I am patient and we have plenty of time. To prolong this, I have placed a vial of my blood in the binding, it will help stave off the hunger, just press at the bottom and it will slide out.

    Until we meet again,

    Donovan

    Gabriel wasn¡¯t upset at first. He thought it was a joke. A very bad one. Then, of course, he remembered that only his friends, the ones he worked with, even knew he¡¯d drunk vampire blood. Ruben certainly wasn¡¯t a vampire. A metaphorical ghoul, maybe, but human enough for Gabriel to be convicted if he killed him. No one knew. No one!

    The more he read, the more his head seemed to hurt. Like an insect boring in through his ear. Annoying, at first, but growing more and more painful as it wormed itself deep into his brain.

    Then--oh god--he started thinking about blood. The blood in the bottle. The blood rushing through Todd¡¯s veins in the next room, just waiting for him. Waiting for Gabriel.

    He forced himself to focus on finishing the letter. Each sentence. Each word. It was like opening the book and looking at that page made something snap inside, and the nagging cravings for undercooked steak seemed so much worse. Worse, too, than the distant memories of the hunger he¡¯d gone through as a kid when he¡¯d first been infected.

    This wasn¡¯t right. He¡¯d been just fine. He was cured. He was cured! Maybe this whole thing was a lie, or maybe parts of it were. The most convincing devils were always the ones who laced their deception with little truths. Gabriel didn¡¯t really believe any of it was really a lie, but he tried to force himself to grasp at those straws for as long as he could. A second or two.

    It had always been there, though. Waiting for him. A part of Gabriel had died when he¡¯d lost his parents, and been forced to consume vampire blood before. Maybe there really was no coming back. Not permanently. Which meant every single word in this letter was right.

    He would die. He would come back. He would be--

    ¡°A fucking monster,¡± Gabriel cursed under his breath, throwing his head back and closing his eyes to block out the sudden harshness of the lights around him. They¡¯d never been so bright before.

    Donovan. It was Donovan. Maybe he should take comfort in that, in some small way. At least it meant whatever weird vibes he was getting around the guy weren¡¯t his fault. Yet, really, it would have been a hell of a lot better to be attracted to him than be some blood-drinking lapdog.

    The sound of Todd¡¯s thumping heart in the other room was getting louder. He knew it wasn¡¯t his own, as steady and calm as the rhythm seemed to be.

    He didn¡¯t want to do it. He didn¡¯t want the feeling of reluctant interest at the idea, but what other option did Gabriel honestly have? If he stood up from this desk right now, he didn¡¯t have the strength to fight the need for blood. For death.

    His body seemed to make the decision for him, long before Gabriel¡¯s mind did, and it was only when he felt the rough texture of the book binding, and felt along the base for a loosened section, slipping two fingers inside to scratch at a thin glass tube, and slowly tugged it from its place.

    The glass was warm. The blood was so much better than he¡¯d expected.

    The blinding lights around him seemed to fade away, dimming, just a memory of light. A dream. His eyes were open, and so much more.

    He was a kid again, staring at his parents. Broken dolls on blood-stained carpet. Donovan was there to save him, usurping the mother fucker who¡¯d first fed on Gabriel in one clean kill. Gabriel was cradling Lisa in his arms; Chuck¡¯s little girl, and Gabriel¡¯s only last link to sanity. Then it was all gone, and he was back in the office. Sort of.

    It was just Gabriel and his master--Donovan, just Donovan. Gabriel and Donovan having a conversation that didn¡¯t matter, because Donovan¡¯s wrist was pressed to Gabriel¡¯s lips, and slender fingers carded through his hair as if he were some treasured pet. Above it all, though, above every scrap of sanity and every hint of need or desire, was just the blood.

    The blood.

    Then, Gabriel was alone again, holding an empty vial, cursing the dream he¡¯d forgotten, and cursing the moment it was over.

    He almost thought he heard the sound of a shutting door, but maybe his mind was just playing more tricks on him.

 Chapter Nineteen

    They huddled together, seeking the warmth of each other, heat taken from a hot, human body laying before them. They were young, vampires without masters, turned whether by accident or for sport and then abandoned. Those left to fend for themselves tended to gravitate toward each other, forming packs for safety and security. They were little more than feral, lost and confused in a world they had never been exposed to, never been taught about. Going from human to vampire was jarring and then to not have a support structure in place was like being tossed into the deep end without knowing how to swim.

    There was no hope for them. Each, in his or her own time, had already killed. Instinct guided where their maker would not, and for most of them it was unexpected. The snapping point after an argument with a loved one, or a well-meaning but misguided neighbor swinging by to check on one when he hadn¡¯t left his apartment in over a week. It didn¡¯t take much. Then, after that, it took even less.

    In their minds, at least they had each other. Most held a certain longing, a need, that they just couldn''t scratch. They knew there was someone out there that they were connected to, however tenuous that connection was, but they had no way of finding them. Instead they found each other and reveled in the thrill of the hunt, the consumption of the one thing that made them feel a little more human, if only for a while, blood.

    And tonight, as they all sought warmth together, dining on the dying spark of life in their victim, the fledgling pack of vampires found visitors at their door.

    The first to notice was a girl. She smelt the aura of familiar perfume, a stark reminder of the lingering humanity she still had, and she swiftly drew back from the pack¡¯s bloodied meal on the ground to see a slender woman with a crossbow aimed straight at her. First, there was surprise, a sharp sting, and then nothing more as the arrow tore through her chest, leaving behind a corpse colder than the human dying in their grasp.

    Instinct surged through them, demanding they fight, defend each other against the intruders.

    It didn¡¯t take long for their meager group of six to become four, howling in agony as they were assaulted from all sides by stakes and arrows, unprepared to defend their territory.

    <hr>

    ¡°Are you sure you want to do this?¡±

    ¡°The quicker we start picking them off, the quicker we can stop this.¡±

    ¡°So your maker--sire, whatever you want to call him--you¡¯re sure he¡¯s still in this city?¡±

    ¡°I know he is. Or she.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to go hunting tonight. You can stay home. Lee or Danny will stay with you.¡±

    ¡°I can do this.¡±

    The conversation Gabriel had with Louise that afternoon seemed to be playing itself over and over in his mind the moment Chuck had kicked open the warehouse door. He¡¯d kept the letter to himself. Told them they just had to find the vampire whose blood he¡¯d drank, stake it, then everything would go back to normal. Sure, he¡¯d been lying through his teeth, and he couldn¡¯t even come up with an excuse for himself. He just didn¡¯t want them to know. Maybe he¡¯d be able to fix this himself, but right now Gabriel just didn¡¯t think he could take Donovan on. Not until he absolutely had to.

    ¡°Gabe!¡± Danny shouted, giving Gabriel¡¯s shoulder a firm shake, ¡°snap out of it, man!¡±

    He hadn¡¯t even realized how long he¡¯d been standing in the doorway watching the others take on the fledgling pack they¡¯d tracked down tonight, and it kind of freaked him out how much he actually didn¡¯t want to fight.

    ¡°You okay?¡± Danny asked, keeping his gaze focused on the scrambling vampires, some crawling along the walls while others attempted an ambush on Louise and Chuck.

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    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Gabriel insisted, nodding once and gripping his hatchet tightly. He wasn¡¯t doing the staking tonight. Just the finishing blows.

    Chuck spun, barely grabbing one that leapt at him, trying to take him from behind, and slammed it to the ground so Louise could drive a stake into it. Danny grabbed the freshly staked fledgling, dragging it over with a grunt. It felt so clinical, so much like an assembly line, for killing vampires. Things that used to be people, and probably still wanted to be, on some level. They hadn¡¯t asked for this. If they had, each and every one of them would have been somewhere safer than a warehouse with a trail of blood practically leading up to their door.

    Gabriel was holding his hatchet tight enough for his knuckles to turn white.

    ¡°Go for it, kid!¡± Chuck shouted, spinning towards another just as a set of sharpened claws barely missed slashing open the back of his coat.

    None of the things were even looking at Gabriel. Even when he dropped to the ground to deliver the first blow. Had to slice the neck clean through if you didn¡¯t want to risk one of them rising again. Some stayed dead. Some didn¡¯t. He¡¯d done this before. Plenty of times.

    So why couldn¡¯t he stop thinking of Lisa when he did this? For the first time in his life, hunting didn¡¯t feel like striking back against an unknowable evil hellbent on destroying everyone he loved. It felt like murder.

    Slowly, he backed away, the hatchet falling from his fingers to land heavy on the floor. He couldn''t tear his eyes away from the vampire he had finished off, he felt sick. Without a word he turned and ran outside, heaving, his hand pressed against the wall, barely holding himself up as the sounds of fighting slowly began to die down.

    The others could do their job, no problem. They wouldn¡¯t leave until every last one of the fledglings--the monsters, Gabriel reminded himself--were dead. Couldn¡¯t risk it.

    ¡°Shit,¡± Gabriel cursed under his breath, pressing his forehead to the brick wall, hoping somehow it would help cool him, or quiet the thoughts racing through his mind. What was he going to do?

    A familiar hand fell on his shoulder, Chuck. Gabriel couldn''t muster the energy to shrug it off even, ¡°you alright, kid?¡±

    There was no point in lying. He¡¯d already done enough of that for one lifetime. ¡°Give it a week, and I¡¯ll be just like them, Chuck.¡±

    The older hunter squeezed his shoulder, ¡°can''t think like that, we¡¯ll find whoever did this and kill the son of a bitch, everything¡¯s gonna be alright.¡± he stumbled a little over his words but spoke with such sincerity it made Gabriel want to believe it was true.

    ¡°You gonna be the one who deals with me if we don¡¯t?¡± Gabriel asked, trying to keep his voice steady. It was the promise he knew Chuck couldn¡¯t keep, but one he had to hear anyway.

    He could hear Chuck swallow hard, his hand squeezing reflexively, ¡°we¡¯ll find it and if we don''t, I, I won''t let you hurt anyone.¡±

    The silence that followed was filled with unspoken words, and between the pair there was a very real and very painful understanding neither of them would openly discuss.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got to take that book back to Ruben,¡± Gabriel said, finally turning to face Chuck so he could dig into his own jacket pocket and grab his half-empty pack of cigarettes. ¡°I just finished skimming through it again this morning,¡± he lied. ¡°Before I fell asleep.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯d you find?¡± Chuck pressed, ¡°anything?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a virus,¡± Gabriel admitted, leaving out the little details that would only make the time they had left even more bitterly sweet, ¡°but everything else we already know. So reading it was pretty much a waste of time.¡± He¡¯d hate to think what state he¡¯d be in right now if he hadn¡¯t downed that vial, though. Already Gabriel could feel subtle hints of the hunger gnawing at his stomach again, but not enough to make him lose it. Yet.

    ¡°Who do you want to go with you?¡± It was obvious Chuck wasn''t going to let him go on his own, he wasn''t even sure he wanted to go at all. Donovan would be there and he was dreading their eventual confrontation.

    ¡°What, you think I¡¯m going to bite the old man when I drop his little library book off?¡± Gabriel asked with a wry smile. ¡°It is tempting.¡±

    Chuck gave him the look, the one that as a kid had him apologizing for being stupid, it lost some of its effect when he knew he was going to become a vampire. Somehow he never imagined it would take the prospect of losing his humanity for him to actually feel like an adult talking to the man who¡¯d been like a father to him for the last decade and a half.

    ¡°I guess it doesn¡¯t matter who comes,¡± Gabriel relented, ¡°whoever wants to. Lee¡¯s pretty good at smoothing stuff over if there¡¯s a fight. We still don¡¯t know if the collector is even aware his book went missing.¡± If Lee didn¡¯t want to go, there was always Louise. Either one of them would work. Maybe even Danny. But if Gabriel was going there to confront Donovan¡ªhe¡¯d have to make sure they couldn¡¯t interfere.

    ¡°Lee¡¯ll go, Louise is gonna want to take a shower after this,¡± Chuck said, making Gabe¡¯s stomach roll again at the thought of the fledglings death, ¡°you look a little green there, gonna be sick again?¡±

 Chapter Twenty

    Re-adjusting to this more modern world was--trying. Not so much had changed over the last few decades that Donovan could not easily integrate, but the insistence of Ruben and some colleagues he¡¯d become re-acquainted with to use this thing on his desk was testing his patience. His servant must have thought the book he¡¯d purchased to accompany it was infinitely amusing, as well.

    Computers for Seniors for Dummies? The title didn¡¯t even make sense. He refused to read it, refused to debase himself in such a manner. In fact, the taunting monitor and tower that took up most of the space could be tossed in the garbage for all he cared. Countless centuries of the hand-printed word had served him and the rest of society just fine and it would continue to do so.

    A long sigh escaped his lips, he needed a moment of reflection, a moment to collect himself and possibly even check on Gabriel. He allowed his eyes to slide closed, focusing on the bond between them. Gabriel was distressed, upset, but was currently alone. Donovan felt comfortable enough with that fact to initiate contact with him, allowing the touch to his mind to be felt.

    Now that there was no need to hide himself from Gabriel, this game would become far more interesting.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Gabriel called out aloud, the words echoing back in his mind as if they were in the same room. Donovan had brief impressions of a cramped apartment, and slender fingers pulling aside a window curtain as Gabriel peered outside.

    ¡°Gabriel, you were distressed, what happened this evening?¡± He relaxed back in his chair, focusing all his attention on Gabriel.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± Gabriel countered with his own question, evading him. He was understandably alarmed.

    ¡°I am at home,¡± he replied, he was amused at his attempts to evade, ¡°where did you expect me to be?¡±

    ¡°How are you doing this?¡± Gabriel demanded, ¡°and how did you--how did you get into my dreams?¡± He was of course referring to their first encounter, which he¡¯d clearly come to remember in full detail.

    ¡°So many questions, if you answer my single question I will answer all of yours. Does that sound fair?¡± One way or another, Donovan would get an answer.

    He got another impression of Gabriel double checking the locks on his front door, as if somehow that would protect him. ¡°We hunted,¡± he finally answered in a clipped tone, perhaps hoping Donovan would leave his mind in peace if he kept his responses short.

    There was silence and Gabriel immediately knew that his answer was insufficient.

    ¡°It sucked, alright? Happy? We hunted, it didn¡¯t pan out, and I couldn¡¯t do it. Now leave me alone,¡± there was just a subtle note of anger in his tone.

    ¡°You were not injured,¡± Donovan sighed and changed the subject, ¡°as to your dreams and how I''m doing this, we are connected, bound by blood. Just as you are connected to me, I am connected to you. If I focus, I can follow that thread and speak with you.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Gabriel tried to disguise the panic in his voice, but failed miserably, ¡°just break it. End it. If you do, we can forget this. I won¡¯t have to¡­¡± He trailed off, as if finishing the thought actually hurt.

    ¡°You read my letter, you know it is not as simple as that. You are fortunate that I am the one you are connected to. You will not be a feral creature, consumed with hunger, you will not be trapped within your mind, screaming to get out. You have a master.¡± The word master didn''t project ownership, merely a connection.

    ¡°You¡¯re a monster,¡± Gabriel answered, ¡°even if you¡¯re right, and I¡¯m bound to become one sooner or later, I won¡¯t let you be the reason. I won¡¯t kill people, and I¡¯m not going to be like that pack of bloodsuckers we had to stake today. The next time I see you, I¡¯m ending this.¡±

    ¡°A pack? Oh, Gabriel, you won''t become like them, not with me. Perhaps if you had another, if you were abandoned like they were. You will still be you. Drinking from humans, that is a necessity, but perhaps after your first kill we can forego that for a time and you may drink from me. I will not force you to kill, it will be your decision when it happens.¡± Donovan was quite amused with the situation, with Gabriel¡¯s attitude, it would make everything that much more interesting.

    ¡°It¡¯s not going to happen.¡± There was a stubborn finality in those words. He seemed so confident. If Donovan couldn¡¯t read Gabriel¡¯s deeper thoughts, he might even believe him.

    ¡°Very well, if that is what you choose to believe. You may have as much time as you need to come to terms with your situation. I will be here to support you, to give you what you need. You''re not weak asking for help, you''re not weak in relying on someone else. I know it''s difficult but I am not like those creatures you have hunted and I am not like that thing who gave you its blood as a child.¡± He would build Gabriel back up, he would see his new fledgling become more, it would just take time. A commodity of which they both now had plenty of.

    Donovan slowly withdrew from Gabriel¡¯s mind, enough to let the young man feel more at ease. They would talk again, and very likely within the week, face-to-face. In the meantime, he would give Gabriel some semblance of peace while he addressed more pressing issues. Fledgling packs in his city were a grave concern, and so was the fact that Ruben had spent the last half hour gathering a glass and bottle of blood-wine. It should not take nearly that long to accomplish such a simple task. No more than ten minutes, perhaps it was time he found another servant. He was going to need to take a trip to the slave bazaar. Good servants were bred and trained, Ruben had been quite accomplished in his prime, but looking at him now one would never have guessed he had been trained properly. Usually a good servant was rewarded with becoming a vampire but Ruben was far too old for that now. Far too old, and far too difficult.

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    Ten minutes passed, and there was still no sign of Ruben. He would have to find the old man himself, perhaps he had broken himself in his old age, had a nasty fall. All the more reason to acquire a replacement. Perhaps a more observant one.

    ¡°Master,¡± Ruben¡¯s voice called out, faint but discernible to Donovan¡¯s senses, ¡°I¡¯ve thrown out my back!¡±

    He sighed heavily, following his scent to the wine cellar, ¡°how, pray tell, did you throw out your back while procuring a bottle of wine?¡± He gazed down at the man dispassionately, now he would have to take him to see a doctor.

    The old man gave a pitiful groan, seemingly unable to stand from his position at the foot of the stairs. ¡°I d-dropped my handkerchief, and when I knelt to pick it up, it simply happened. I don¡¯t think I shall be able to properly dispose of your evening meal tonight. I apologize profusely, master.¡±

    Donovan couldn''t help but look put out as he picked Ruben up and carried him upstairs, ¡°I suppose I shall have to take you to a doctor as well.¡±

    Ruben maintained the most dignified expression possible for an invalid old man being carried like an infant, ¡°I had hoped to attend an auction tomorrow, but now it appears that will not be in the cards. There¡¯s a delightful bowl there, master, and--¡±

    ¡°No.¡± He said firmly, ¡°can you walk or must I carry you to the car?¡±

    ¡°I think I may be able to walk,¡± Ruben replied in a quiet voice, and then even more so, adding ¡°it really is a lovely bowl. An antiquity, really.¡±

    ¡°How many times must I say no? Perhaps if you had not injured yourself I would allow it but you do realize you are spending my money, do you not?¡±

    ¡°I have the catalog in my quarters, it¡¯s wildly under-valued. Aztecs would perform sacrifices with it, and their enemy¡¯s lives would be prolonged for hours if one simply placed their heart in the bowl. Master, this is an investment, not a frivolous purchase. For you.¡± Oh how transparent that lie was. That a man his age could beg so pitifully was almost amusing.

    ¡°And how is this for my benefit?¡± He placed him back on the ground, supporting him, ¡°now, come, let''s go take you to a doctor, perhaps they can drug you enough that you will be less difficult.¡±

    Through the labored breathing, the shaking steps, and sad little gasps of pain, somehow they made the laborious journey to the front door with very little conversation. In fact, it was only when they were twenty minutes into their forty minute journey to the hospital, that Ruben finally managed to speak up again.

    ¡°You have enemies. Surely it could come in handy. The bids likely won¡¯t even reach three thousand dollars.¡± Remarkably eloquent, given the pain he was in.

    ¡°I shall think on it but you shall be going nowhere, perhaps they will even keep you at the hospital.¡± One could only hope.

    <hr>

    They¡¯d done a good job tonight. No reason not to send Danny home early. He¡¯d shown a lot of backbone picking up where Gabe left off on their hunt. Louise and Lee had left for a well-deserved dinner together, and they¡¯d trade off shifts in the morning keeping an eye on Gabe¡¯s place, just in case he had any funny-looking visitors. No way of telling whether or not the scumbag whose blood was in that wine bottle knew what had happened. Chuck didn¡¯t know a lot about how a vampire¡¯s mind worked, but he did know they had funny senses about each other. He wasn¡¯t going to take the chance that something got to the kid when they weren¡¯t looking.

    Chuck didn¡¯t even want to drink tonight. The only reason he wasn¡¯t the one pulling shifts and looking after Gabe was sitting right in front of him. A well-worn, but generally forgotten black book he usually kept in his bottom drawer. The numbers weren¡¯t going to call themselves.

    ¡°Chuck,¡± Todd called out, opening the office door and stepping in with a big grin on his face and some sort of gory trophy slung over his shoulder. ¡°Bagged me a good one!¡±

    He barely glanced up from his book, ¡°you got your phone with you?¡±

    Todd tossed the thing onto Lee¡¯s desk, leaving a trail of viscous slime all around it. ¡°Yeah, got it in here somewhere.¡± He slung his canvas tote to the ground and knelt to the ground to properly sort through it, ¡°why?¡±

    ¡°Start callin¡¯ people, need to take out as many vamps as we can, spread out,¡± he glared at his phone, ¡°so get to work.¡±

    ¡°Well, how about that,¡± Todd remarked, managing to dig his battered flip phone out of a side pocket in his tote, ¡°been years since I¡¯ve seen a good shark week.¡±

    When a city became too dangerous, or there was an outbreak of too many monsters, especially ghouls, sometimes you had to call in a little back-up. Calling in over fifty hunters was going to make the city bloodier for the next week or so. Shark week. This time it wasn''t because they had been overrun but because there was no way they could find Gabe¡¯s vamp and keep the city safe at the same time.

    Chuck honestly felt like he was losing his grip on the kid, and it scared the hell out of him.

    Todd slammed himself down in Lee¡¯s desk chair, rapidly flipping his phone open and scrolling through his contacts list, ¡°Rudy Porter, you remember him? Heard the guy got a nice new cache of weapons last month. Pretty sure he¡¯s gonna want to break them in first chance he gets.¡±

    ¡°Whoever, whatever, just start calling,¡± he grumbled, ¡°gotta keep the city safe while we hunt down the vamp that got Gabe.¡±

    ¡°Hope it¡¯s that easy,¡± Todd replied, holding up his phone to his ear. Chuck wasn¡¯t too sure he liked the tone in the man¡¯s voice. They got along just fine, normally. Maybe he was an ass when it came to Lee, but the guy was good at his job. That didn¡¯t mean Chuck had to like him.

    Chuck scowled at him, ¡°what''s that supposed to mean? You know somethin¡¯ I don''t?¡±

    ¡°Hey, Rudy? Yeah, dipshit, it¡¯s Todd. You¡¯ve got caller ID. Listen, we¡¯ve gotta have a shark week in Chuck¡¯s neck of the woods. Yeah. No, just your standard bloodsuckers. Place is infested pretty bad. Right, yeah, bring Stacy too if you want.¡± Their conversation went on for a good ten minutes before Todd finally hung up the phone. They talked about everything from the weather to new hunting techniques, and anything he could likely imagine just to waste more of Chuck¡¯s time. By the time Todd was finally done talking, Chuck had almost given up waiting for an answer.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. I¡¯m just a guy doing my job, Chuck,¡± Todd informed him calmly, lowering his phone to Lee¡¯s desk and somehow avoiding the mess he¡¯d made there. The mess he was damn well going to clean up before he left.

    Chuck didn''t believe him, not for even a second, but Gabe had already taken the book so he couldn''t find out if there was something in there Gabe didn''t talk about. Todd was the one watching Gabe while he was reading that book after all. Maybe there was something else going on, maybe Gabe wasn''t telling the whole truth, but he was damn sure Todd knew something the rest of them didn''t.

 Chapter Twenty-One

    He had very few choices right now, and Gabriel hated every single one of them. He didn¡¯t have enough time to think this through either, so he bit the bullet and went with the only thing that made sense. He wouldn¡¯t risk snapping and hurting his friends, and neither did he trust them to deal with him when the time came. A little voice in his head told him he wouldn¡¯t be able to beat Donovan, not without making a huge sacrifice, and Gabriel was relieved to know it wasn¡¯t Donovan¡¯s voice invading his mind. Just his own waning humanity.

    The question was whether the extensive kit he kept in his trunk would be enough for this suicide mission, or would he need to add a few extra bottles of holy water and a spare crossbow just for good measure?

    Gabriel decided to go ahead and grab a tote bag from the coat closet by his front door and load up what he could. It wouldn¡¯t hurt. There was no such thing as being too prepared. He was halfway towards his weapons cabinet in the living room when the knock at the door took him by surprise.

    Louise. He could smell her perfume.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Gabriel shouted towards the door, rushing towards his cabinet and doing his best to open it as quietly as possible. He had to toss the tote aside and slam the cabinet door behind him when Louise decided she¡¯d just let herself in anyway.

    ¡°Hey, I brought Chinese.¡± She smiled at him, holding up the little takeout boxes, ¡°thought you might be hungry.¡±

    ¡°Chinese?¡± Gabriel spun about, clasping his hands behind his back and leaning against the cabinet, ¡°right, yeah. Sounds good. Where¡¯s Lee?¡±

    ¡°He went to go get gas, we were almost on empty.¡±

    Gabriel took a few boxes from Louise and headed into his small kitchen to set them down, ¡°left you here without any weapons?¡± He snarked, peering out at her through the kitchen doorway.

    She stepped inside, ¡°nah, I have my gun on me.¡± She held her coat open so he could see the small pistol underneath.

    ¡°So you think that¡¯ll be good enough? Keep you safe?¡± He joked, stepping closer to her and taking the rest of the food from Louise¡¯s hands, fingers brushing hers in the process. Beneath the scent of perfume and greasy chinese noodles, he noticed something far more appealing.

    She scowled, ¡°safe from what?¡±

    Gabriel met her eyes with his own, visually tracing the trails of freckles on her cheeks, the curve of her jaw, and finally the faint, oh so faint hint of what he could almost see beneath her skin. Pulsing. Racing.

    ¡°Sh--I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry.¡± He stepped back, pushing the food back into her hands and spinning away from her. ¡°You should probably just stay outside.¡±

    ¡°Gabe? What¡¯s wrong?¡± She took a step forward, ¡°you can talk to me.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± he almost snarled, honestly surprised at himself how vicious the word sounded coming out of his mouth, ¡°no. I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t talk to you, Louise. I can¡¯t talk to anyone right now. Just leave me alone for awhile, alright?¡±

    She took a step back, ¡°alright, I¡¯ll be outside if you need anything.¡± Her voice was soft, she sounded worried and it almost made him feel a little guilty.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, one more time. Jesus Christ, he¡¯d almost--he¡¯d been thinking about--god, this was bad.

    He took a deep breath, letting it out very slowly, ¡°wait, don¡¯t go.¡± Gabriel turned back to face her just as she was about to head towards the door, ¡°I just need a smoke break. Get the plates ready, and maybe I¡¯ll feel a little better in a few minutes. I didn¡¯t mean to freak out. It¡¯s the stress, you know?¡±

    ¡°Alright, but Gabe, we¡¯re here for you.¡± She kept a bit of distance, heading into the kitchen, ¡°don¡¯t be gone long, food is going to get cold.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make it a quick one,¡± he promised, digging into his jeans pocket to make sure he still had his car keys. ¡°Thanks for being here for me, Louise.¡±

    She nodded, ¡°anytime.¡±

    Gabriel did not take a smoke break. Nor did he get the chance to grab his tote bag before he left, either. He didn¡¯t have much time, whether it was because Lee would be back from the gas station any minute now, or Louise would get suspicious after his smoke break outside hit the half hour mark. He¡¯d just have to use what he had in his car trunk, and hope it was enough.

    If worse came to worse, his friends would be safe. Gabriel had been too young to save his parents, and too weak to save Lisa, but this time it would be different. It had to be.

    <hr>

    Somehow, Gabriel had imagined he¡¯d be dead by now. Whether by his own hands, or Donovan¡¯s, because he couldn¡¯t honestly believe any of that bullshit the vampire had been telling him about patience and bonds. A monster was a monster, he told himself, flipping through a book he¡¯d chosen at random from one of the freshly-dusted shelves in Ruben¡¯s, or Donovan¡¯s library.

    Nobody was home. So at this point in time, his ¡®siege on the castle¡¯ felt a little lackluster. Still, he could wait. Gabriel had all night. He also had a Greek book about flowers to keep him company. At least, that¡¯s what it looked like. A few more pages in, though, the illustrations started to look a lot more human-like. Why did he honestly think there¡¯d be any normal books here?

    He shifted on his feet, using his free hand to re-adjust the strap of his canvas messenger bag. Not exactly intimidating, but functional. Everything he needed was inside, including several bottles of holy water, which had actually felt hot to the touch when he¡¯d packed it. Gabriel had to actually force himself not to leave it in the trunk. Like he was physically compelled to stay as far from the holy water as physically possible. He¡¯d even had to wrap a crucifix in rags before packing it too, though god only knew how he¡¯d be able to wield the damn thing.

    This was a bad idea. This whole thing. No, worse, it was a terrible idea. Gabriel quickly replaced the book on the shelf the very second it looked like one of the drawings was actually staring back at him with its beady, glassy little eyes. He should¡¯ve waited in the cellar, or the dining room, or anywhere else with considerably less creepy shit than the library. There had to be one room in the house without signs of the Collector¡¯s occult obsession and Donovan¡¯s general--well, whatever it was about him that made Gabriel feel actual guilt about planning to stake him. The longer he was here, the less conviction he had about the whole plan, but he had to do it. Couldn¡¯t back out now. Do or die.

    It would be an understatement to say he was pissed off at himself for this new sense of cowardice he¡¯d developed. It was a lot easier to call himself a coward than a bloodsucker¡¯s plaything. At least he had control over the former.

    Gentle fingers slid through the hair at the nape of his neck, ¡°hello, Gabriel.¡± Donovan. How had he not felt him? Heard him?

    Gabriel spun around, fists at the ready as he backed away several feet, eyes trained on the bastard responsible for the mess he was in, ¡°when did you get here?¡± He demanded to know, feeling like an idiot for being caught off guard so easily. Even more astonishing, Donovan looked younger, by at least five years. He looked almost as young as Danny now. Like Dorian Gray, a living portrait of innocence, save for his cold, intelligent eyes.

    Donovan smiled and although it was welcoming there was a vicious edge to it, ¡°not long ago, I felt that you were here and thought a surprise was in order. How are you feeling?¡± He sat down in an elegant high-back chair, as though there wasn''t a heavily armed hunter standing before him.

    Gabriel kept his gaze trained on a spot just above Donovan¡¯s right shoulder, determined not to make eye contact as one of his hands edged towards the opening of his canvas bag, ¡°I¡¯ve been better.¡±

    ¡°I''m sorry to hear that, please, sit, relax for at least a moment and we can have a civilized conversation without resorting to violence.¡± He motioned toward a comfortable looking wingback chair beside him.

    ¡°Okay, how about this,¡± Gabriel began, straightening up and forcing himself not to give in to Donovan¡¯s deceptively pleasant invitation, ¡°I sit down, you fall on one of my stakes, and we call it a night?¡± He made it a point to keep his own tone just as conversational.

    Donovan laughed softly, ¡°ahh, no, I''m afraid that just isn''t on my agenda for the night. I was hoping we could have a conversation about the future. Our future.¡±

    Gabriel had his hand in his bag now, gripping one of the stakes tightly, ¡°it¡¯s going to be a short one.¡±

    Donovan snapped his fingers, eyes locked on Gabriel. In an instant Gabe felt a hand wrap around his wrist, but the vampire hadn''t moved, eyes still locked on him.

    ¡°Please, Gabriel, sit, I insist.¡±

    Not for the first time that evening, Gabriel¡¯s heart plummeted into the pit of his stomach, and he slowly drew his gaze away from Donovan to see who was holding him.

    ¡°Lee? What the hell are you doing?!¡± The other hunter gripping Gabriel¡¯s wrist had an empty look in his eyes, and didn¡¯t so much as blink. He looked like he might as well be a brain-dead zombie.

    ¡°What did you do to him?¡± Gabriel looked towards Donovan, finally feeling the righteous anger he¡¯d been trying to drum up against the vampire take center stage in his mind above the compulsion to actively submit to whatever the mother fucker asked for.

    ¡°I have him under thrall, he will obey me without question,¡± he paused, ¡°now, sit, or perhaps you need a demonstration as to how far my control over him goes?¡±

    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    It then occurred to Gabriel, that maybe, just maybe, he didn¡¯t have a chance in hell of winning this fight.

    ¡°Will you let him go if I do?¡± He asked, drawing his hand out of his bag once Lee finally released his wrist. He had a surprisingly strong grip for someone with little to no mental willpower right now.

    ¡°Perhaps after we enjoy a pleasant conversation I might be inclined to release him. We shall have to see. It is all contingent upon what you do.¡± He motioned to the chair again.

    He couldn¡¯t give up, and he wouldn¡¯t, but right now Gabriel didn¡¯t have any cards to bet with, so reluctantly he finally took a seat beside Donovan, making it a point to clutch his bag tightly in his lap, just in case. ¡°He isn¡¯t a part of this. How did you get to him?¡±

    ¡°By chance, he came to seek out information, read the book and I was there to show him the exact nature of blood and its effects on humans.¡± Donovan¡¯s voice was conversational, as though everything was fine and normal.

    So Todd wasn¡¯t just trying to make Lee look bad when they¡¯d come back from their visit here the other day. That was something of a relief, but getting Lee out of here and safe from Donovan¡¯s influence would be a challenge.

    ¡°You force fed him?¡± Gabriel questioned, looking back over at his mesmerized friend.

    ¡°Yes, a mouthful of my blood and he gave in, just as everyone does in the end. Blood is a powerful thing, Gabriel. Would you like to know exactly how this happened?¡± His voice was soft, calm, ¡°how my blood got into you.¡±

    He cringed, ¡°if we¡¯re going to have a tea party, and I¡¯m not slicing your head off tonight, you¡¯re going to have to avoid phrases like that.¡±

    He cocked his head slightly to the side, ¡°like what? I would like to know what makes you uncomfortable.¡±

    ¡°You--seriously, man?¡± Gabriel got a little flustered, ¡°how can you not realize how creepy it is to talk about your blood ¡®getting into me¡¯, like we were playing some sort of kinky sex game?¡±

    ¡°It''s nothing to be ashamed of, my blood was in the bottle of wine you drank. You did me a great service when you consumed it,¡± he ran his fingers along the arm of his chair as he spoke, ¡°I must thank you for that, the situation I was in was, unpleasant, to say the least.¡±

    Gabriel didn¡¯t even realize he was watching Donovan¡¯s fingers, like a fly approaching a spider¡¯s web, ¡°situation?¡± He asked absent-mindedly, suddenly feeling much calmer now that he¡¯d sat down.

    ¡°Yes, I was trapped in an endless sleep, the activation of your virus by my blood created a link between us that allowed me to regain consciousness. I have since been recovering from my long sleep,¡± he smiled, watching Gabriel watch his fingers, ¡°I''ve finally been fully restored, it is quite an ordeal to come back from decades of starvation.¡±

    Despite himself, Gabriel was curious, and he finally managed to tear his eyes away from Donovan¡¯s fingers to look back up at him, still careful to avoid meeting his gaze, ¡°you can do that? Sleep without drinking blood for years?¡± That was not something he¡¯d learned from any of his hunting. It had always seemed to be a given that without blood, vampires just snapped, went crazy. He¡¯d never heard of one taking a long nap instead.

    ¡°It was not willing, my sleep was forced by those who did not approve of how I was running my city. I put restrictions on feeding, on killing, and on creating others, I exiled those who went against those rules and they retaliated. Going without drinking blood makes one lose their senses, they become slaves to the beast inside them. I was fortunate to maintain my sanity while in my forced sleep.¡±

    He¡¯d take this story with a grain of salt, but for now, Gabriel didn¡¯t really think Donovan was lying to him. Why would he? Clearly, the man had nothing to lose at the moment. They were in his home, Lee was at his mercy, and unless Gabriel could somehow catch him off guard (which was growing more and more unlikely), there was simply no point.

    ¡°So you don¡¯t like killing people?¡± Gabriel asked, a little confused.

    ¡°I wouldn''t go so far as to say that. I kill out of necessity, it isn''t much different from killing a cow. I gain no pleasure from it although it can be enjoyable, much like how a good piece of meat is enjoyable to consume.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Gabriel said, letting out a breath he hadn¡¯t realized he was holding, ¡°so, how did your blood end up in the wine bottle I drank, and what¡¯s it going to take to get you to let Lee go?¡±

    ¡°Blood in wine is an old practice, blood gives insight into a person. Sometimes it is given as a gift, I had one stored just in case I needed an appropriate gift. As for letting Lee go, well, it is a simple matter, you and I will share blood, willingly and without struggle, then I will let him go and you may take him home.¡±

    Gabriel was disturbed at how appealing that idea seemed, given that the very last thing he should want was even more vampire blood to dig even deeper into the abyss he was already falling into. ¡°Share? As in--you drink-¡±

    ¡°I drink from you and you from me.¡± He explained calmly.

    ¡°How do I know you¡¯ll keep your word?¡± Gabriel was sure he had to have gone several shades paler at this point. If he drank the vampire¡¯s blood again, who knew what would happen? He¡¯d already spent too much of his life being fed on and it was not an experience he wanted to relive.

    ¡°I am a man of my word, I swear to you that Lee will be released. Have I given you any reason not to trust me? Have I broken a promise to you?¡±

    Gabriel shook his head, ¡°maybe not, but you¡¯re a vampire and we¡¯re hunters. You¡¯ve already gotten into my head. Fucked with it. For all I know, you¡¯re the reason I almost attacked Louise tonight.¡±

    He looked genuinely surprised, ¡°oh? I had no idea. I was giving you some space, allowing you to think things through and come to terms with your situation. Had I known, I would have prevented you, however, it seems as though you were strong enough on your own to resist.¡±

    The revelation that he himself was to blame for wanting to hurt Louise was far more upsetting than the idea that Donovan could have been controlling him, pushing Gabriel to kill. He felt tainted, like a monster who had only needed an excuse to harm Louise before giving in and ripping her throat out.

    ¡°If we do it, will I become more like you?¡± Gabriel asked, looking over at Lee. It was eery to watch him, devoid of thought, expressionless.

    ¡°It will make things easier, if that is the question,¡± came the reply, his fingers finally ceasing their movement on the arm of the chair, ¡°but I''m not sure what you mean by more like me.¡±

    ¡°Less--¡± Gabriel hesitated to say the word, looking back at Donovan and actively forcing himself not to focus on Lee¡¯s creepy, oblivious stare, ¡°--human.¡±

    ¡°I suppose it will, however it is your choice what you hold on to. Now, do you agree?¡±

    It was a Faustian bargain, cracking the door to Hell open even wider if he did this, but the price of refusing was too steep. Gabriel couldn¡¯t trade Lee¡¯s life for his own, especially knowing that pretty soon he¡¯d be facing the business end of a stake if Chuck followed through on his responsibility when he finally snapped.

    ¡°Okay.¡± The hunter finally accepted, ¡°I agree.¡±

    Donovan smiled, getting smoothly to his feet and moving to stand in front of Gabriel, before offering him his wrist, ¡°drink.¡±

    Gabriel closed his eyes and took a deep breath to hopefully calm his own thrumming pulse. Just the promise of blood made him feel like his heart was going to leap out of his chest, ¡°tell him to leave the room first. I don¡¯t want him to see this.¡±

    Donovan nodded, motioning to Lee who immediately turned and walked out of the library, ¡°better?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Gabriel replied, opening his eyes and looking towards the doorway doubtfully, ¡°how much of this is he going to remember?¡± He knew his friend well enough that Lee would kill himself with guilt about the whole mess. After all, Lee was Donovan¡¯s biggest trump card right now.

    ¡°Nothing that I don''t want him to. It will be nothing more than a dream, quickly forgotten.¡±

    Gabriel could only wish he was that lucky.

    Slowly, hesitantly, Gabriel reached towards Donovan¡¯s proffered arm, ¡°wouldn¡¯t this be better if you put the blood in a glass first?¡± His gums were throbbing now, as a strange but unforgotten pressure began to build up in his mouth. When he was a kid, imprisoned by the monster who¡¯d killed his parents, he had been starved for days. There had been a point when he¡¯d spent hours fighting the urge to tear into Lisa, or one of the other few victims who hadn¡¯t been blessed by the ¡®gift¡¯ of vampire blood. There was no other feeling in the world quite like the feeling of his teeth actually shifting in his mouth to make room for fangs. It was painful, but even more, it was exhilarating.

    ¡°No, this will be done properly, drink.¡± His wrist was warm in Gabriel¡¯s grasp. It wouldn¡¯t take much to tear open the skin. Just a simple nip. A bite. He wouldn¡¯t drink much, just enough to curb the worst of his hunger right now. A swallow or two.

    Donovan waited patiently, watching him intently, ¡°drink.¡± the word came out as a whisper, barely audible. How could something so simple as one word carry so much power?

    The half-realized monster inside Gabriel rejoiced when he tore into Donovan¡¯s wrist, grew stronger as he drank, and fought him viciously when he tried to pull away. It was so much better to drink from the source. So much more satisfying. Donovan¡¯s fingers ran fleetingly through his hair before he pulled away. Slowly, he drew the half-turned man to his feet, taking the moment while he was dazed and pliant from drinking to bring him closer. His lips lightly touched Gabriel¡¯s throat before they parted and razor sharp fangs sat poised against his skin.

    The sensation of Donovan¡¯s teeth at his throat brought Gabriel back to a cold basement, surrounded by dirty, weeping children, and memories of thin nails digging into his shoulders, gaping wounds being opened again and again on his arms and legs--the thoughts were so stark, so real, that the temporary bliss of drinking Donovan¡¯s blood was shattered, and Gabriel lashed out, swinging his fists. Astonishingly enough, Donovan wasn''t surprised, the vampire acting quickly and pulling away, his hands wrapped around his wrists like iron, pulling them harmlessly down.

    ¡°Shh, it''s alright,¡± he transferred Gabriel¡¯s wrists to one hand, his now free one moving up and running through his hair, ¡°this isn''t like it was before, I promise.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± Gabriel pleaded, ¡°just don¡¯t. I already drank from you, isn¡¯t that enough?¡± He couldn¡¯t do this. It was too much. Too much pain. He¡¯d spent more than half of his life hunting vampires, he couldn¡¯t handle being a chew toy again. He wouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°It will only hurt for a moment, I promise,¡± his voice was soft as he slowly pulled him closer, moving carefully to press his lips against his throat again, ¡°it¡¯s alright.¡± He didn''t wait a second longer, his fangs sliding smoothly into his flesh.

    There was pain. Intense. Sharp. Yet it was nothing compared to how Gabriel remembered it. He didn¡¯t feel his strength waning, or the deep burn through his muscles and bones like he¡¯d expected. Instead, it seemed as if the pain was fading, washed away by something else. Almost--nice. The moment he relaxed, Donovan released his wrists, taking slow drinks from his throat. By the time all was said and done, Gabriel hardly realized he¡¯d been digging his fingers into Donovan¡¯s shoulders.

    Everything around them seemed to slow down. Gabriel could even feel his heartbeat growing almost sluggish, and it was so tempting to just go to sleep. Slowly, Donovan pulled away, running his tongue over the wounds he left, catching the last drops of blood. If Gabriel had a mirror poised towards his throat, he¡¯d have seen the bite marks clotting far quicker than they should have. Within hours, there would only be two small pink scars.

    ¡°Lee has been released.¡± Donovan¡¯s voice was quiet, as though he didn¡¯t want to break the spell they were under.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Gabriel replied, not really sure what else to say. A death threat at the moment seemed a little out of place, given that his hands were still on Donovan¡¯s shoulders, though he immediately pulled away when he realised that sobering fact.

    ¡°I will be here when you''re ready and I promise I will keep a better eye on you should any problems arise.¡±

    Gabriel tucked his hands into his jacket pockets, not sure what else to do with them, and wanting to give himself an easy way to distance himself from the vampire without calling attention to the weird intimacy they¡¯d just exchanged.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± he trailed off, helpless to come up with the right words, knowing now without a doubt he didn¡¯t just have the option of sneaking up on Donovan, or staking him. ¡°I¡¯m not giving up on this.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn''t expect you to, I look forward to the challenge.¡±

    Briefly, Gabriel wondered exactly how he was going to explain to Lee why they were in the Collector¡¯s house, especially given the fact that he¡¯d left the book back on his kitchen table under the chinese food.

 Chapter Twenty-Two

    Doris and Henry were still in love after 94 years together. The petite brunette leaned back in her seat, the vintage couch much like the one she had grown up with. It had taken a small fortune to remodel the old billiard hall into an authentic 1920¡¯s speakeasy. She slid one arm along the back of the couch, her fingers brushing through the fine, blonde hair on the back of Henry¡¯s neck. The young man that sat between them let out a quiet whimper, his head rolling against Henry¡¯s shoulder. The pair had been drinking from him off and on for the past hour and he was having trouble remaining conscious.

    Two humans sat across from them, neither seeming to care about the young man that was slowly dying between the two vampires. They were hunters. More mercenary, really, than anything else. Not servants to the salvation of the human raise, but the value of the dollar and the thrill of killing for the highest bidder. Their attire left much to be desired, and they certainly didn''t match the decor the vampires had spent years perfecting.

    Their meal at least matched the vampiric lovers; the whole hipster movement certainly made it easier for Doris and Henry to blend in and for their meals to match their home. They were a very nostalgic pair.

    ¡°Gotta say, you''ve made a lot of improvements on the place since last time we were here,¡± one of the hunters, Greg, said, looking around the room, ¡°got the pool table restored yet?¡±

    Doris smiled, eyes locked on the hunters as she brought their meal''s wrist to her lips before sinking her fangs in and taking a drink. The hunters were unperturbed by the sight of a young man¡¯s slow death. She pulled back after a moment, dropping his wrist.

    ¡°That was the next project.¡± Henry replied.

    ¡°A TV wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea,¡± the other hunter, Wes, remarked, having been mostly silent through their brief visit. He never seemed especially intent on the charade of pleasantries with Doris and Henry, despite the heavy payment he and his friend received for their ¡®assignments¡¯. Little tip-offs to keep the locals off of the vampires¡¯ trails.

    ¡°What do you have for us tonight?¡± Doris asked, her bright red nails continuing to play along Henry¡¯s neck and shoulders. Touching him was a favorite pastime, just little things, a brush of fingers, holding his hand, being mates meant that they were connected, closer than just being changed at the same time with the same maker. Lovers in life, they had become even closer in death.

    Wes reached into his denim jacket pocket to pull out a clunky cellular phone about twenty years out of date, ¡°pretty big news. Something you¡¯re gonna want to pay for.¡± He exchanged a sly grin with his partner, ¡°isn¡¯t that right, Greg?¡±

    Greg grinned, ¡°oh yeah, it''s big, gonna need a little extra this time, sorry.¡± if his tone of voice was anything to judge by, he really wasn''t very sorry at all.

    Beyond the need to speak or share their thoughts in words, Doris already knew by the tensing of Henry¡¯s muscles, and the very subtle tilt of his head that he didn¡¯t appreciate this little game the hunters played, but they probably did know something important. They weren¡¯t the smartest humans, but they rarely lied.

    ¡°The usual fee isn¡¯t enough?¡± Henry asked, calm and cool, relaxing a little more with the touch of his mate¡¯s comforting fingers on his neck, stroking and playing an unknown melody with a gentle rhythmic tap. Doris and Henry were fortunate to have each other¡¯s companionship. It was very rare for any two vampires to connect so deeply as them. Mating was the only bond deeper than that of a sire, or the desperate lust for blood destined to haunt their waking hours.

    ¡°Two hundred this time,¡± Greg replied, ¡°totally worth it, you''ll see. Could probably even resell the info.¡±

    Henry remained patient, lapping at a small cut on his meal¡¯s arm as he considered his response, and whether or not new spies were in order, ¡°that¡¯s twice your usual fee.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, you''ll understand why when we tell you. If word got back that it was us, well, we¡¯ll need the extra cash to get somewhere far away from a certain someone.¡±

    Doris knew without even biting them that the blood of these hunters was sour. Perhaps it was all in her head, but it seemed as if backstabbers and sociopaths had the foulest taste.

    Henry exchanged a curious glance with his mate, ¡°certain someone?¡± He whispered in her mind, not at all liking the sound of this. Whatever news they had for the vampires would likely cause them trouble.

    ¡°I assume one of their hunter compatriots. I doubt they know of Donovan, if they did I''m sure they would go to him and charge quadrupole the amount.¡± She didn''t like it either but curiosity truly was building and slowly getting the better of her. Besides, maybe this would turn out to be a total letdown and they could take the extra hundred out of their hides. Either way, it wouldn¡¯t be much of a sacrifice.

    ¡°Alright, what do you have for us?¡± Henry asked in his sharp Boston accent. Even if he were human, very few people would test the note of menace hiding behind his smile.

    Wes avoided meeting Henry¡¯s eyes, while still simultaneously trying to look unphased with the smarmy grin plastered on his face, ¡°we¡¯ve got a good thing goin¡¯, huh, Greg? No reason not to tell them now. They¡¯ll pay. They¡¯re always good for it.¡±

    In Henry¡¯s mind, these hunters were quickly becoming just as much of a nuisance as the June bugs swarming outside.

    ¡°Yeah, got two words for ya, shark week. A lot of hunters coming into town for it too.¡± Greg said, grinning as he spoke.

    ¡°And I suppose that¡¯s supposed to be a clever euphemism?¡± Doris scoffed, disregarding the soft groan her meal gave in a last ditch attempt to move or stand. Too late for him now. Far too late. It was a shame the thin ones had so little endurance. He tasted excellent.

    The hunters looked at each other and shrugged, ¡°dunno, just what it''s always been called,¡± Greg replied, ¡°it''s a big vamp hunt.¡±

    Henry didn¡¯t bother with any witty remarks, ¡°you will steer them well away from us.¡± Not a question. An order.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Greg scowled before mumbling, ¡°can''t have ¡®em offing our meal ticket.¡±

    If they had been human, Doris and Henry wouldn''t have heard him at all, but they weren''t, ¡°watch your mouth.¡± Doris snapped, her fingers clenching in the back of Henry¡¯s shirt.

    ¡°Nails,¡± Henry reminded her gently, ¡°this is a new suit. I¡¯d like to keep it for a few more weeks, darling.¡±

    By now the vampire¡¯s false smile for the hunters had disappeared. The pretense of niceties were over now. ¡°You¡¯ll find your money in the usual place. Leave now, you¡¯ve worn out your welcome for the evening with both of us.¡± He paused, ¡°we¡¯ve almost finished with this one. He hasn¡¯t been the most satisfying meal,¡± Henry let the thinly veiled threat hang in the air, pushing their expired victim off of the couch to make more space for his hand to settle on Doris¡¯s leg comfortingly.

    Greg held up his hands as the pair stood, ¡°easy, just, uh, one more thing, a freebie. Group of hunters in town, one of ¡®em got himself, infected. He¡¯s gonna turn, they want to find who did it before that happens, so, that''s why we¡¯re havin¡¯ shark week. We were gonna take care of him, they''re not gonna find who did it, and we got paid a bunch of money to take the guy out. Gabriel, that''s the guy¡¯s name.¡±

    Henry and Doris made it a point to avoid hunters, and even the more useful ones like these were rarely in their company, but it was always useful to know a little about what the locals were doing. Especially given certain rules that had been reinstated by Donovan. Not a friend of Doris or Henry, but far more powerful.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help but wonder which of that hunter¡¯s friends would have hired someone else to kill him,¡± Henry remarked, holding up a hand to keep Greg and Wes in their spots.

    ¡°Todd, it was Todd,¡± Wes blurted out, ¡°his cousin, niece, whatever, is friends with Gabriel.¡±

    This time, Henry¡¯s smile was genuine, while two fangs peeked out from behind his bloodied lips. Not a pleasant smile, as far as these two were concerned. ¡°Good night, Greg. Wes.¡±

    Doris leaned her head against his shoulder, ¡°we shall see you again,¡± she wiggled her fingers at him, ¡°ta.¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The pair were out the door like a shot, done with any pretense of attempted calm, they couldn''t hide their fear after an exchange like that. Business deal or not, vampires were dangerous creatures.

    Henry settled back into the couch, reaching up to brush a lock of hair from Doris¡¯s face, ¡°we¡¯ll have to clean this up soon.¡±

    She cuddled in against him, ¡°but not yet.¡±

    <hr>

    Louise stood in the apartment doorway, poking her fork into a carton of fried rice. So much for a smoke break. She¡¯d tried texting him, but he just brushed her off and said he was going for a walk. Then when Lee didn¡¯t show up, she started to worry. It shouldn¡¯t take half an hour to drive to the gas station across the street.

    The only reason she wasn¡¯t freaking out now was because Lee had finally texted her that he was picking up a few extra things. Why he chose tonight of all nights to run an errand, she had no idea. She was seriously considering grabbing a crossbow from her trunk and patrolling the parking lot before that text, and honestly right now wasn¡¯t too sure it would be a bad idea. On the other hand, Gabe did have neighbors. Maybe a gun under her jacket might be a little less conspicuous.

    Shit, what if Gabe lost it? Or some monster pulled a freak stunt and tracked him down? He wasn¡¯t himself right now. He might not be able to defend himself, if the hunt they¡¯d gone on was anything to judge by.

    At this point, Louise wasn¡¯t even sure how long she¡¯d been waiting for both of them. Or how much longer she should keep doing so. The food was already cold.

    Louise, we need to talk. That is the message she was greeted with when she looked at her phone for the, what felt like, hundredth time that night.

    She stabbed her fork into the carton of rice and set it down on a small table by the door where Gabe kept a basket of odds and ends, including his wallet and a set of spare keys. If this was about an impromptu hunt, he could forget about it.

    Meet me at Gabe¡¯s, then. Not leaving him alone tonight. Too dangerous. Her fingers sped across the digital screen as she typed, determined not to take her eyes off of the parking lot outside for too long, just in case Lee or Gabe decided to show up. Both of them were going to get a good earful when they did.

    When both of them pulled up at the same time, one right after the other, she immediately knew something had happened, she also knew they were going to try to keep it from her. That condescending ¡®for your own good¡¯ bullshit wasn¡¯t going to fly, because it never did. Whatever this was, it had to have something to do with Gabe.

    Lee was the first one out of his car but he didn''t make a beeline for the door like she expected him to, no, he waited for Gabe, nevermind the fact she had left them both multiple texts and voicemail. They should be begging her forgiveness.  Or at least look a little more ashamed, but they both almost looked cheerful, talking to each other as if one of them wasn¡¯t on the verge of losing his freaking mind and soul.

    ¡°What in the everloving hell were you two doing?¡± She demanded, shouting across the parking lot, unafraid of waking neighbors or the warning look Gabe gave her.

    ¡°Jesus Christ, Louise!¡± He snapped at her once they were close enough to talk without splitting anyone¡¯s eardrums.

    ¡°We got held up at the store, well, to be exact, Gabe got pulled over, and I ran into him at the store right after that.¡± Lee explained in that infuriatingly calm way of his.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Louise asked, stabbing Lee in the chest with her index fingers, "then why weren¡¯t you answering your phone? Why just one message and that was it?¡±

    She had half a mind to just lock them outside and barricade the apartment door. Let them sleep at the office or in their cars tonight to teach them a lesson. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she was here to keep an eye on Gabe and help keep him safe, she¡¯d do it.

    ¡°My phone died, I only just got it plugged in and saw your messages.¡±

    ¡°There you go, mystery solved,¡± Gabe chimed in, not too helpfully, ¡°so let¡¯s just chill out, you two can crash on the sleeper sofa, and that¡¯s that.¡± He seemed a hell of a lot more like himself than when he¡¯d started his hour long smoke break and apparently joyride.

    She scowled, ¡°what about you, Gabriel?¡± She crossed her arms over her chest, ¡°you seem awfully more comfortable than when you left for your hour long smoke break.¡±

    At the sound of his full name, he somehow managed not to cower under her gaze. Barely. ¡°I had some time to de-stress. Thought about what a jerk I was being. I realized maybe I can beat this thing. Hey, did you get extra fortune cookies with the food? I think I forgot to check,¡± he clumsily changed the topic and tried to side-step her into the apartment.

    She moved in front of him, ¡°you''re not getting off that easy, mister,¡± she poked him firmly in the chest, ¡°I don''t believe you, I''d like to, but Gabe, this is a big thing, it isn''t something we can just brush off.¡±

    For a second, just a second, he looked mean. Predatory. Then he was Gabe again, and Louise wasn¡¯t entirely sure what had just happened, but the moment thankfully passed.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m sorry. I took the book back and I didn¡¯t want you to freak out. Lee saw me leaving and followed me. I dropped the book off, and he passed out in the yard. Low blood sugar, I guess. We just didn¡¯t want you to worry.¡±

    She immediately turned on Lee, ¡°you passed out? From what?¡±

    It was Lee¡¯s turn to feel her wrath, and clearly he hadn¡¯t been expecting it. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m not sure. I don¡¯t even remember following him.¡± He removed his glasses so he could polish them with the bottom of his shirt, ¡°but I¡¯m fine now, I think. We¡¯ve been so busy and stressed out this week, I just suppose I was dehydrated.¡±

    Gabriel dug into his jacket pocket and pulled out his car keys, holding them out towards Louise, ¡°here. Just in case I lose it or try do something stupid. Better now?¡±

    She snatched them out of his hand, shoving them in her pocket, ¡°yeah, but you''re still not off the hook, now, get inside before I change my mind and make you sleep outside,¡± she stepped aside, motioning for them to come in, ¡°well, hurry up!¡±

    It didn¡¯t escape her how childish they both looked, hustling inside before they got another earful. She wasn¡¯t too excited about the visit she was going to have with her uncle tonight, either. Louise had a gut feeling it wasn¡¯t going to be good.

    <hr>

    Almost thirty-five years in the business, if he counted the hunts with his old man back in middle school when he still hadn¡¯t learned how to hit a bullseye twenty feet away, and Todd couldn¡¯t honestly say he¡¯d ever walked into a monster¡¯s lair to have a sit-down chat. Good thing Lulu knew how to take care of herself, or he¡¯d have had this talk sooner. The Springfield in his boot holster was also another small comfort.

    He made damn sure to park close enough that a quick escape could happen just in case, and kept his voice low when he walked up to the front door and got Louise on the phone to let her know he was waiting outside. If the soon-to-be bloodsucker was asleep, he¡¯d be lucky. Could Gabe even sleep at night anymore? It was about 2 AM at this point, so Lee had probably called it quits for the night at least, which was just as well. The guy acted real funny the day they went to pick up that book, and Todd still wasn¡¯t quite over it.

    ¡°I¡¯m outside,¡± Todd whispered over the phone. The door swung open, and he bit back a curse when he caught sight of Lee and Gabe sitting on the couch in the dark watching TV.

    Louise took him out onto the back porch, refusing to talk to him inside with Lee and Gabriel around, ¡°what is so urgent that you just had to talk to me?¡±

    ¡°Lulu, I don¡¯t want you getting hurt,¡± Todd told her simply. Best to start slow.

    She rolled her eyes, ¡°I can take care of myself. What do you think is gonna hurt me?¡±

    Todd gave her a very stern look, ¡°little lady, I may not be around all the time, but I¡¯m still your uncle. You talk to your daddy with that tone?¡±

    ¡°You know I do,¡± she crossed her arms over her chest, ¡°so, what is it? You should just say it and be done with it.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± he held up his hands, ¡°you got me there. Always been a mouthy little girl, and that¡¯s what makes you such a firecracker. Lulu, I¡¯m gonna shoot it to you straight here, I like that kid in there. I really do. It¡¯s too late for him though, and I think you need to get away from him if you¡¯re not willing to take the shot.¡±

    She glared at him, ¡°he¡¯s going to be fine and no one''s gonna take him out. Not without going through me first.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s drinking blood! I saw it!¡± Tough love, that¡¯s what this called for.

    ¡°When? When did you see him drink blood?¡± She got closer to him, getting up in his face, ¡°he wouldn''t do that.¡±

    ¡°When he got that book. Got up in the middle of the night to make sure he was alright, and I saw him drinking a little glass tube of blood. Don¡¯t know where he got it, but he damn sure liked it.¡±

    She looked inside, her eyes falling on Gabe, ¡°I just can''t believe it, there''s no way.¡± She looked back at Todd, ¡°there''s just no way.¡±

    Todd was doing his best not to raise his voice, but it was getting harder, ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to walk right in there with a stake and a bottle of holy water, I just figured it¡¯d be smart to let you know.¡± He waved towards the balcony doors, ¡°that man in there isn¡¯t the Gabe you used to know, or he won¡¯t be for much longer. You need to bite the bullet and accept it before you get hurt.¡±

    She shook her head, ¡°I''m not going to abandon him and I''m not going to get hurt,¡± at least she sounded sure of herself but Todd knew better, ¡°if you''re so worried, maybe you should leave.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡° Todd hesitated, taken aback, ¡°you want me to leave?¡±

    ¡°If you''re not going to help us help Gabe, yeah, I want you to leave. You can come see me again when this is over.¡±

    So, that was it. Fine. They probably had a couple of days left before Gabe snapped and started looking at the rest of the hunters like a four course meal. By then, Todd¡¯s buddies should have taken care of him. Didn¡¯t have to let the others know. The way Louise was reacting right now convinced him it was for the best.

    ¡°Well, alright then,¡± Todd agreed, ¡°I¡¯ll pack my things up and head on home. Ball and chain should¡¯ve cooled down by now anyway.¡± He put a hand on her shoulder, ¡°anything I do, I just want you to know I¡¯m looking after you.¡±

    Her scowl deepened, ¡°what''s that supposed to mean?¡±

    ¡°It means I love you,¡± he shook his head, ¡°that¡¯s all.¡±

    He didn¡¯t have much else to say, so he left. It¡¯d be a long drive home, but at least he protected his niece. He always would. No matter what.

 Chapter Twenty-Three

    Surprises were no longer a novelty Donovan enjoyed. Or so he thought. His interactions with Gabriel were proving to be quite to the contrary and he wasn''t sure if it was refreshing or an annoyance. He would have to ponder these new feelings as he dealt with the most recent problem in his city, unsupervised recently turned vampires.

    Power, unfortunately came with certain responsibilities. As much as he might have preferred to relax this evening with a glass of blood wine and a good book. Shortly after Gabriel left his home, Donovan was forced to make inquiries. Though most were chafing with the unexpected law he had imposed upon his awakening, many were more than happy to inform on their rivals if it ensured Donovan might some day turn a blind eye to their own transgressions.

    Now he found himself standing outside of an old abandoned warehouse. He could feel the creatures inside, hardly human but not vampire either. Too far gone into the hunger. If there was anything of their humanity left in any of them, he could at least glean who their makers were.

    Fledglings were rarely made ¡®accidentally¡¯. Neglecting to finish a meal was simply against a vampire¡¯s true nature. These creatures were a sick joke. A game. Someone was testing him. They felt comfortable enough to do as they pleased, making as many fledglings as they could. It was deplorable.

    It wasn¡¯t the sound of ripping flesh or animalistic growls that caught his attention once Donovan entered the building, nor the nearly pitch black darkness which he saw through far more easily than a human would. It was the smell. The stench of undisposed remains. They must have been here for weeks.

    He sneered, moving forward, not bothering to hide his footsteps. Perhaps there was something left in their minds, of their personality, ¡°do you not remember how to bathe?¡±

    For all of the trouble of Donovan¡¯s exceedingly polite introduction, given the circumstances, none of the things gave him any regard, except for perhaps one curious face, staring back at him from a pile of shredded clothing and--something dead and not entirely fresh. There was little recognition of his words, little understanding behind those eyes, but it was still enough for him to grasp something. A sliver of a thought, or an attempt at one, fizzling out in the fledgling¡¯s brain. At some point, he might have been considered a young man. Maybe even a college student. Now he was nothing more than animal that needed to be put down. Perhaps he could salvage their creator out of that one. A few thoughts seemed to be connecting, the others were lost causes. Perhaps it was because of Gabriel or perhaps he had grown sentimental after his long sleep, but he would give them a quick death.

    Some of them, and there must have been at least half a dozen, did seem to take note of Donovan when he approached the curious young man crouched on the pile of clothes. This was almost painfully reminiscent of an old friend of his. One he¡¯d had to put down himself. He reached out, holding his hand to him, palm up. Donovan knew that he smelled like a vampire, knew they could detect that, and it was even possible that they knew he was older.

    Instinctually, they would all know they were no match for him. If they¡¯d wanted to attack. Barbaric or not, feral vampires could be surprisingly docile when they were well-fed. That was why Donovan didn¡¯t have to force his will on the one in the pile of rags. The fledgling approached him willingly, if very slowly.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he soothed, ¡°come, let me help you.¡±

    It. ¡®He¡¯, Donovan was forced to remind himself, didn¡¯t even have the mental faculties of a ghoul, so words were beyond him. Submissively, he approached Donovan, still crouching, ready to make a run for it if the older vampire made any sudden moves.

    Slowly he slit his wrist, his blood would restore something. At least enough for him to get the information he wanted, ¡°drink.¡±

    Immediately, the feral creature was on him, or rather, on his wrist. It had some recognition that this was an offer, not a foolish sacrifice. Donovan could easily snap the thing¡¯s neck, and it knew that. The blood seemed to draw the vampire back enough that maybe, just maybe, it would be able to form a coherent thought.

    ¡°What do you remember?¡± Donovan¡¯s voice was soothing as he spoke, withdrawing his wrist.

    Made docile by the rush of the master vampire¡¯s blood, it was almost too much for the fledgling creature. Bits and pieces of thoughts, fragmented memories, rushed through what was left of his mind. Connected as they were right now, the force of those thoughts was so great that Donovan could almost see everything happening right in front of him. Someone, something had broken into this man¡¯s house. Murdered his wife. It was all too eerily similar to what Gabriel must have gone through. Then a face came into view, and Donovan wasn¡¯t surprised to see who it was in the least, one of the vampires responsible for his long sleep. He would have no trouble disposing of him.

    The question was, did this fool have any idea how happy Donovan was to accept his challenge? Then there was the matter of what to do with the feral creatures. He could prolong their torment, attempt to fix them, experiment on them, or he could give them a quick death.

    There wasn¡¯t enough time in the world to help these things. Without some sentimental link, or bond, he might as well be attempting to tame wild animals. Usually experimenting on them would have held some appeal. Donovan had always prided himself for his--scientific interests, but the idea didn¡¯t sit well with him tonight. He didn¡¯t feel guilt, it wasn¡¯t in his or any vampire¡¯s nature, but perhaps it was a bit of sympathy for what they had become.

    It didn¡¯t take long. Their remains would be taken care of by the fire. While Donovan didn¡¯t like disposing of his problems this way, there was too much evidence here. The last thing he needed to deal with right now was more hunters finding out about the massacres that had taken place here. As the fire burned he turned and walked away, heading toward home.

    <hr>

    ¡°Got a bad feeling about this crap, man,¡± Wes complained, swirling the dregs of his beer can as he sat beside his fellow hunter on the hood of their beat-up Chevy. ¡°Why can¡¯t the son of a bitch ever meet us somewhere safe? Wouldn¡¯t hurt him to buy some of the beer, too.¡±

    You wouldn¡¯t think they had much to worry about, comfortable as the pair were watching the rolling waters of the lake in front of them. Halfway free of the city, no sign of anything supernatural for miles. Helped that they weren¡¯t far from a weed-claimed graveyard. Vampires could easily cross consecrated grounds, but they sure didn¡¯t like it much.

    Todd¡¯s truck rolled to a stop beside them. Newer, shinier, with about half the mileage and none of the character their old Chevy had. The pair didn''t care much for the Ford that Todd swore by, they loved their old truck, it was, in their opinion, more reliable than Todd¡¯s.

    ¡°What took you so long? We been here for an hour already.¡± Wes glared at him, taking the last drink of his beer before tossing the can into the bed of his truck. Three more and they could make a buck on the metal.

    ¡°Had to take care of a few things. When do you two think you¡¯ll be ready for the job?¡± Todd replied, remaining in his seat with his window half-cracked.

    ¡°What do you need us to do?¡± Jim asked, hopping off the hood and moving to lean against Todd¡¯s door, ¡°and where''s our beer?¡±

    Todd gave both of them a good, long once-over, way too judgmental for a man with a swollen belly of his magnitude, ¡°never agreed to give you any beer. Was cash on the barrel, that¡¯s what we talked about.¡± Even as he complained, his right arm was trailing over to a large brown bag in his passenger seat. This was a dance they¡¯d done a few times before.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Both of them half glared at him, ¡°come on, it''s always part of the deal.¡± Wes said, crossing his arms over his chest as he moved to stand beside Jim.

    ¡°You boys need to learn some manners,¡± he complained, rolling down his window a little more so he could shove the bag in their direction. A paragon of etiquette, this guy.

    Jim snagged it, moving back to the truck and leaving Wes to talk shop, ¡°so, what''s the job?¡±

    ¡°You already know we¡¯re getting shark week started here, and I told you one of the local hunters had a little fang problem. Well, time¡¯s running out and none of his folks wanna take care of him. I trust you two to deal with him before he loses it. Frankly, the kid¡¯s got maybe one or two days left in him. Caught him looking at me this afternoon like a steak dinner.¡±

    Wes nodded, ¡°alright, we¡¯ll get it done since they won''t. Got an address?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You know the place. Remember that apartment complex that used to have the poltergeist problem right off of Lamar and Staten?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll catch him outside, don''t worry, we¡¯ll take care of him.¡±

    Todd hesitated, looking at his rearview mirror to adjust it, ¡°just make it quick. This shit ain¡¯t his fault. He was a good kid.¡±

    Wes nodded, ¡°as quick as we can, can''t risk him fighting back. We¡¯ll call you when it''s done.¡±

    ¡°Make sure it doesn¡¯t get back to me,¡± Todd warned, ¡°my niece would hate me for the rest of her life if she found out I called you guys.¡±

    Jim let out a snort, opening a can, ¡°yeah, yeah, we get it, don''t worry about it, Todd, we got this shit.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you just make sure you do.¡± Todd started the ignition, clearly not planning to stick around for a nice little chat, ¡°I don¡¯t want this turning out like it did in Selma. Julie still isn¡¯t speaking to me.¡±

    Wes gave him a little salute, ¡°totally wasn''t our fault, besides, you won''t be around here anyway.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re damn right I won¡¯t.¡± He gave them both one last stern look to drive his point home. Would¡¯ve worked on lesser men than Jim and Wes. The pair of them knew he was all bark and no bite, though, so it didn¡¯t have much effect. The dramatic effect he tried to impress before driving off was a joke.

    ¡°Whelp, let''s drink before we start hunting.¡± Wes snagged a beer before settling on the hood of the truck again, ¡°cheers.¡±

    <hr>

    It hadn¡¯t even been five minutes, and already Danny¡¯s shoes were covered in mud and river gunk, pant legs soaked in water. He was beginning to see a pattern here, and he didn¡¯t like it. Any minute now he expected a fish head to pop out of the river and start talking to him about negotiating swimming rights.

    ¡°Find anything?¡± Gabriel shouted at him from the other side, mercifully dry because somehow only Danny was capable of tripping or screwing things up.

    ¡°No!¡± He shouted back, ¡°just a lot of mud.¡± He grumbled, his foot sinking back into the ground, ¡°oh, come on, really?¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m thinking maybe we need to go a little deeper,¡± Gabriel stuck his cigarette in his lips and began stripping off his t-shirt. He¡¯d been smoking a lot more the last few days. With those shades on it just made him look like he was perpetually hungover. ¡°You can swim, can¡¯t you Danny?¡±

    Danny scowled, eyeing the water, ¡°yeah, why?¡± there was no way he was going in there.

    ¡°Just wanna be sure you¡¯ll be able to pull me back if something¡¯s down there,¡± Gabriel replied, looking back at him with a wry smile. ¡°Go get the rope from the trunk.¡±

    He nodded, starting to trudge back to the car, hoping he wouldn''t lose a shoe in the muck. It took longer than he wanted and his thoughts continued to stay on Gabe. He had changed, more than Gabe had even realized. Gabe was different, the cigarette and sunglasses were minor in the grand scheme of things. The biggest change, at least to Danny, was his temper. Gabe had become so, negative, quick to react to even the tiniest perceived slight. He was in a good mood right now, but how long was that going to last?

    ¡°Danny! Hurry the hell up!¡± Gabe shouted, ¡°I¡¯m gonna freeze to death if we don¡¯t get this over with fast!¡± Was that even possible?

    Well, that change was fast. ¡°I''m coming! There¡¯s so much mud!¡± Finally he made it to the car, he''d have to hurry back with the stupid rope if he wanted Gabe to stay on a decent mood, if it wasn''t already ruined.

    ¡°So we¡¯ve got a good forty feet here, I think,¡± Gabe said, thinking aloud, ¡°I can tie one end to my waist, you can tie the end to that tree behind you, keep your eye on the lead, and I¡¯ll see if there¡¯s anything in the shallows, man-eating ghost fish, river goblins, whatever. Just stay clear of the water in case they go after you,¡± it wasn¡¯t exactly clear whether he was joking or not. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing on this side, we¡¯ll just move the rope and try again.¡±

    Danny made it over to him, without, thankfully, losing a shoe. His fingers were cold, didn''t want to work properly as he looped the rope around a sturdy tree, tying it off, ¡°alright, should be good.¡±

    Gabriel took his own end and quickly tied it around his waist. He¡¯d discarded his jeans and shoes by now, so he was just standing there in his boxers. It was a wonder he wasn¡¯t turning blue, with how cold it was that afternoon. ¡°Can I trust you with these?¡± Gabriel slowly removed his sunglasses, flinching a little before holding them out.

    Danny took them, scowling before he spoke, ¡°yeah, I''ll take care of them,¡± he paused for a moment, ¡°how are you not cold?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Gabriel shrugged, ¡°don¡¯t want to think about it either.¡± He looked down at the surface of the river. ¡°You know, it looks like the water¡¯s moving everywhere but here,¡± he pointed at the water, ¡°you see that? It¡¯s like a huge circle right in the middle. Completely still.¡±

    ¡°I can''t really tell, maybe micromovements? I''ll take your word for it. Is that where you want to check first?¡± He put the sunglasses down with Gabe''s clothes.

    ¡°Micromovements? What are you, a marine biologist now?¡± Gabriel scoffed, ¡°how can you not see that?¡± He stuck one foot in the water, ¡°look, see how the current is moving around my ankle here?¡± He took another step further into the river, ¡°see, right there? It¡¯s completely still. Stagnant.¡± Danny still didn¡¯t see any difference.

    ¡°I believe you, I just don''t see it.¡± He looked over the surface of the water, ¡°yeah, not seeing it.¡±

    ¡°How the f--¡± Before Gabriel could finish his sentence, his next step apparently landed him in a steep drop into the water, causing him to fall forward and tumble clumsily below the surface.

    Danny yelped, looking at the rope, his hands twitching with the desire to grab it and pull him out, ¡°Gabe? Come on man, you alright?¡±

    There was no response. Made sense, of course. Hard to hear someone when they were underwater. Ten more seconds. Okay, five more seconds and Danny would have to pull him back.

    Screw it, he grabbed the rope and pulled as hard as he could. That¡¯s when the tension suddenly grew tight, and the rope almost slipped through his fingers, leaving a raw burn in its wake. Something was happening. He had to get Gabe out of there, if he got rope burns from it, well, he could live with that. He grabbed the rope again and started pulling, hand over hand, he wasn''t going to let Gabe drown.

    Eventually Danny¡¯s effort began to pay off, and slowly he was able to pull the lead in. With each tug, it became easier. Until finally Gabe surfaced, reaching out to grab Danny¡¯s hand and brace himself as he climbed to the shore. He looked wide awake now, eyes dancing, not with fear, but excitement.

    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Gabriel shouted, falling to the ground on his back and shaking some of the water from his hair.

    ¡°What the fuck man?! What was that? Are you ok?¡± Danny''s eyes went wide, ¡°what happened?¡±

    Gabriel reached for his sunglasses, shoving them on, ¡°there¡¯s someth--someone down there. I didn¡¯t get a good look, I mean, kinda hard to see anything underwater, y¡¯know? Wasn¡¯t a goblin, though, or a fish, or a dead body. She was alive. Moving. Tried to shove my face in--well, I mean. Wow.¡±

    ¡°How are you not freaked out about this?!¡± Danny didn''t know what to do, how could he be so calm about this?

    ¡°What?¡± Gabriel sat up, peering back at the water, ¡°why should I be freaked out?¡± He looked back up at Danny, though it was hard to tell with those pitch black lenses, ¡°she couldn¡¯t hurt me. I didn¡¯t see a stake in her hands.¡±

    ¡°Gabe, you¡¯re still human! You could have drowned or she could have sucked out your soul, or something.¡± What was he supposed to do? How could his boss not see the issue with this?

    Somehow, that seemed to actually get through to him, and Gabriel¡¯s smile fell, ¡°yeah,¡± he paused, reaching for his jeans, ¡°I guess I was just excited. We¡¯ll--¡± he licked his lips, ¡°we¡¯ll come back tomorrow with the others, see if we can pull her out. Sorry, Danny. Didn¡¯t mean to freak you out.¡±

    ¡°I just worry about you. I''m glad you''re alright, come on, I''ll buy you dinner.¡± He slowly began to untie the rope from around the tree.

    By now Gabriel was standing, buttoning his jeans, ¡°I¡¯m not really that hungry,¡± he leaned down to snatch up his shirt, ¡°but you can buy me a drink.¡±

    Danny gave him a small smile, ¡°sounds good, let''s go, I have some spare socks and shoes in the car, I knew I was gonna get muddy out here.¡±

 Chapter Twenty-Four

    If he wasn¡¯t careful, Gabriel was sure he¡¯d probably turn into a raging alcoholic soon. His rekindled passion for cigarettes was certainly becoming a problem. What could he do though? He couldn¡¯t chomp down on what he really wanted. So the Camels were the best substitute he had. At least they kept him busy.

    He¡¯d had to drive Danny home earlier, left him at his apartment to sleep off the beer. One night without a couple of guardians at his door wasn¡¯t going to do any harm. Actually, Gabriel felt pretty good right now. Maybe it was all of that adrenalin from his river dive earlier, but for once he wasn¡¯t thinking about blood. Okay, he was, but not nearly as much.

    This would just be Danny and Gabriel¡¯s little secret, he thought, pulling into his parking space. He didn''t expect what happened next, didn¡¯t expect the pain to the back of his head or the appearance of two sets of boots when he hit the ground on his knees.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this done.¡± One of them, black boots, said.

    ¡°Why all the rush?¡± The other one, gray boots complained, ¡°it¡¯s dark out, we haven¡¯t had a good kill in ages.¡±

    Gabriel, biting back his sudden fear, tried to push himself to his feet. Suddenly he didn¡¯t feel nearly as invulnerable as he had at the river.

    ¡°Promised we¡¯d do it quick; you wanna piss him off this time?¡± As black boots spoke, gray boots gave Gabriel a quick kick to the ribs. Just for good measure, he went for a second, and then a third kick until Gabriel fell back down, trying to curl himself into a ball to protect himself. He was too weakened by the crack to the back of his head. He was sure he had a concussion.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be just between you and me. He¡¯s hours away now, not like he¡¯ll find out.¡± Gray boots laughed, then, ¡°c¡¯mon, don¡¯t you want to try out that new set of knives? They cut pennies pretty good, I¡¯ll bet they¡¯re great on bloodsuckers.¡±

    Black boots looked conflicted for a moment before glancing over his shoulder, ¡°I bet you''re right, alright, alright, fine, talked me into it. Dammit Jim.¡± It sounded like this was a conversation they''d had before. Between the haze of pain and the sudden rush of anger Gabriel felt at his own helplessness, it was hard to think, but he immediately knew this sort. They had to be hunters. Not the kind who did it for the money alone, or for the sake of humanity, but because they liked it. They¡¯d skin cats when they were kids, corner little girls on the schoolyard when nobody was looking. Carve up their own grandmothers if they didn¡¯t get caught. Hunting was just an easy way to torture something almost human. They were in it for the thrill.

    Black boots headed for their truck as Jim nudged him with his foot, ¡°gotta put ya down like a rabid dog, can''t have you runnin¡¯ around eating people, now can we?¡±

    As witty as he¡¯d like to be, all Gabriel could hiss between his teeth were the words ¡°fuck you,¡± and he didn¡¯t think they deserved a better line than that. Unfortunately, that earned him a kick to the face.

    ¡°Wes? Hey, what''s takin¡¯ you so long?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t find my--¡± He was cut off mid-sentence. Just as Jim was pulling his foot back for another kick, Gabriel lashed out and sank his teeth into the toes, biting through rubber and leather, right into the bastard¡¯s foot. Gabriel could taste blood, and if he had the strength to stand right now, he¡¯d taste a lot more than just the small amount seeping through Jim¡¯s shredded sock.

    Jim screamed, and that was immensely satisfying.

    The sound of a body hitting the ground beside him made Jim freeze and Gabriel turn his gaze to see what had happened. Wes lay there, eyes glassy, his head laying at an odd angle.

    ¡°Gabriel, are you alright?¡± That voice could only belong to one person, Donovan, who was standing behind Jim, the human''s arms locked behind him as the vampire restrained him.

    Reluctantly, Gabriel pried his jaw from Jim¡¯s boot, spitting out a piece of leather that had gotten caught between his teeth.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he lied, head pounding and teeth aching to shred far more than just old boots or socks. His ribs ached. His back. Everything.

    ¡°Get your hands offa me!¡± Jim struggled but Donovan held him easily.

    ¡°Hush or I''ll start by breaking your arm.¡± Donovan was so calm as he spoke, unfazed, ¡°Gabriel, are you tired of fighting yet? More of these hunters will come, I cannot stop them all. Is it not time to end this?¡±

    He might have been able to stave the hunger off a little longer, fight this, find some excuse not to drink, but the taste of blood still fresh on his tongue and lips was driving Gabriel mad. His injuries weren¡¯t helping, either. The pain didn¡¯t distract, it only added an extra edge to his need to kill. He could feel himself slipping away, and didn¡¯t even have the desire to fight this anymore.

    Still, he didn¡¯t want to say it. Didn¡¯t want to admit he was losing. Gabriel hoped just one plaintive look at Donovan, and then the man he was restraining, would do all the talking for him.

    Donovan brought the man closer, ¡°it''s alright, this doesn''t make you weak. You''ve held out longer than most. Just tell me what you need.¡±

    ¡°Blood,¡± Gabriel relented, cursing himself, ¡°I need blood.¡±

    Donovan forced the man to his knees, using one hand to wrench his head to the side, ¡°come, drink.¡±

    Jim was struggling now, shouting angrily and demanding to be released. The pair ignored him, neither seeming to even hear him, as he was held firmly.

    Now that he was that much closer to his meal, he could smell the blood pumping beneath the bastard¡¯s skin, it was that much harder to even think this was wrong. Gabriel wanted this. Needed it. More than ever.

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    The skin seemed to tear like rice paper, and once he felt the first mouthful of blood pouring into his mouth, Gabriel¡¯s arms seized forward to wrap around his prey, holding Jim even tighter as angry shouts melted into agonized screams. Donovan released the human, his fingers moving up to stroke through his hair. Soft words and sounds of encouragement made the meal taste even better.

    Once the flow of the blood began to slow, and Jim ceased struggling, too weak to fight, it was like flipping a switch. Gabriel¡¯s desperate grasp on his humanity he¡¯d been fighting so hard to keep simply disappeared. He didn¡¯t care anymore. Didn¡¯t know why he cared. This just felt so right.

    Donovan smiled at him, his fingers trailing down his cheek, ¡°how do you feel? Better?¡±

    Tearing himself from the hunter¡¯s neck, Gabriel let him fall to the ground. Dead. Spent. As worthless now as he¡¯d probably been in life.

    ¡°That was--¡± Gabriel rasped, ¡°incredible.¡±

    The elder vampire couldn''t help but laugh as he sat down on the pavement beside the freshly turned vampire. Gently he reached out and stroked his fingers through his hair, ¡°I''m glad you finally made the right decision but we should go, we need to take care of the bodies before your hunter friends come.¡±

    Gabriel gave him a sidelong glance, neither trying to move away or fight him now. Still, that didn¡¯t mean he was exactly happy about this disaster of a night.

    ¡°Do you have a spare shirt?¡± He plucked at his collar, looking down at the bloody mess he¡¯d made. Of course he¡¯d had to wear white today.

    ¡°Yes,¡± he motioned toward his car, ¡°there''s something for you to wear in my car, I knew what was bound to happen when I got here.¡±

    Gabriel scowled, eyeing Donovan up and down once he¡¯d managed to climb to his feet. Everything still ached, but the pain seemed to be washing away by the second as the stolen blood washed through his system, baptizing and renewing him from the inside out.

    ¡°You knew they were here?¡± Gabriel asked, not quite accusing him.

    ¡°No, I felt your distress while on my way home from picking up Ruben at the hospital. You were fortunate I was in the area or else it may have taken me longer to get here and you would have been at their mercy.¡±

    Gabriel relaxed a little. Right now he just didn¡¯t have it in him to get pissed off at the man who¡¯d saved his life. He was right. One look at the twisted bodies on the ground was a stark reminder. If these two hadn¡¯t come after him, others would. He wasn¡¯t one of them anymore, and frankly, he didn¡¯t want to be.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Gabriel mumbled, stripping off his shirt. The older vampire probably didn¡¯t want bloodstains in his car.

    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all,¡± Donovan walked to the car, opening the trunk before holding out a crisp white button up shirt, ¡°change while I take care of the bodies.¡±

    <hr>

    Getting old. Being old. Ruben had not enjoyed either of the two. Seeing his master as young and healthy as he¡¯d been the day they met was a painful reminder of what Ruben had lost. Seeing a second person join his master¡¯s ranks, an ill-mannered hunter with poor taste and attitude--it was almost unbearable.

    Banished to the backseat, because he was in no condition to drive, Ruben had watched the entire exchange through his tinted window with a bitter taste in his mouth. Life had not been good to him for his loyalty, and it was only getting worse. Gabriel slid into the front seat without a word while Donovan loaded the bodies into the trunk.

    ¡°What does it feel like?¡± Ruben couldn''t help but ask, his voice was soft but he knew Gabriel could hear him.

    It wasn¡¯t until they were well away from the apartment complex and headed towards the freeway that the former hunter finally decided to respond, ¡°I killed a man, and I felt nothing.¡± He knew very well that wasn¡¯t what Ruben had asked him, and the old man was about to say as much to clarify, when Gabriel spoke up again, ¡°it¡¯s like a fever breaking without the bad part. I don¡¯t feel cold. I don¡¯t feel hot. I just feel better. Better than I¡¯ve ever felt.¡±

    Oh what Ruben wouldn''t give to feel better. He rubbed at his chest, perhaps with some rest he would feel a little better, not that resting so far had helped. These days resting just made him more aware how tired he was, and settling into a comfortable seat only left him worrying how hard it would be to stand up again.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Gabriel prompted Donovan, speaking to the master like an equal. Surely that wouldn¡¯t be tolerated.

    ¡°Home,¡± he replied, eyes on the road, ¡°after I get you and Ruben settled I''ll take care of the bodies.¡±

    Gabriel peered out his window, ¡°my home¡¯s back there.¡±

    ¡°Not anymore, you can''t stay there. We will go back for whatever you want but you won''t be able to maintain your apartment.¡± Donovan was completely calm, as if he wasn''t telling Gabriel he had to just up and leave. There was the distinct possibility Ruben was about to witness a very nasty argument. At least he¡¯d get some entertainment this evening.

    Letting out a deep, resigned breath, Gabriel looked back at Donovan, ¡°yeah. I guess you¡¯re right. Louise is gonna want to kill me.¡±

    ¡°I will not allow that to happen,¡± he finally pulled into the driveway, ¡°I have a room prepared for you, we will need to begin lessons on your new state of being.¡±

    ¡°I guess I should just be glad you¡¯re not locking me in the basement,¡± Gabriel replied, a dry humor to his tone. He didn¡¯t sound especially excited to be eternally young, strong, powerful, or under the protection of an experienced mentor. The whole business was wasted on him. Why couldn¡¯t the master have just eaten this hunter and been done with it?

    ¡°Ruben, now that''s just uncalled for.¡± Donovan looked at him in the rearview mirror before turning the car off and opening the door, ¡°let¡¯s get you both inside. Gabriel, if you wouldn''t mind assisting Ruben inside, it would be greatly appreciated.¡±

    At a loss for words, the old man could only sputter, ¡°I--I, master, I wasn¡¯t--I didn¡¯t--¡± he sighed, ¡°I am merely tired.¡±

    Gabriel pushed open his own door, giving them both a very odd look, ¡°do I want to know what just happened?¡±

    ¡°Ruben is merely frustrated that he has grown old.¡± Donovan shook his head as he spoke before looking at Ruben, ¡°you do recall which room is for Gabriel, yes? I need to take care of the bodies.¡±

    The irony of being spoken of like that by a man who looked young enough to be--well, Ruben hated to think about it, but young enough to be his great grandson, did not escape him. Nor Gabriel, apparently, who by now had managed to hop out of his seat and open Ruben¡¯s own door to offer him an arm.

    ¡°At least you¡¯ve got a heartbeat,¡± Gabriel remarked, not even remotely sympathetic. Very well. They had never cared to form any sort of friendship. If Ruben could casually ponder the young man¡¯s demise, he supposed Gabriel had every right to joke about his own. That didn¡¯t stop him from giving the former hunter a very dignified snort in response as he batted Gabriel¡¯s hand away.

    ¡°I am still very capable of getting out of a car on my own.¡±

    ¡°Make sure he doesn''t do anything foolish while I''m away,¡± Donovan got back into the car, ¡°and make him show you which room is yours.¡±

    Ruben did his best to get to the front door at least before Gabriel could catch up to him, but it wasn¡¯t an easy feat with his blasted knee acting up again and his aching back reminding him exactly why he¡¯d made it a point to keep a cane handy whenever he traveled.

    ¡°What¡¯s he going to do, stake me?¡± Gabriel scoffed, clearly enjoying Ruben¡¯s bad mood and egging it on. Frankly, the idea of a good stake had its merits.

    Donovan shook his head, ¡°he might try,¡± he replied, starting the car and pulling away.

 Chapter Twenty-Five

    It was already two in the afternoon by the time they¡¯d figured out something was wrong. Because Danny¡¯s alarm didn¡¯t go off. Because Gabriel was a late sleeper these days anyway. Because Chuck¡¯s phone had died. Because Lee and Louise had the weekend off. Each and every one of them felt like they¡¯d worked separately and yet together to screw up this bad, and now Gabe was gone.

    ¡°There¡¯d be a body. Something. Blood. A break-in.¡± Chuck was grasping at straws, picking through the untouched apartment looking for any sign, anything at all that could give them a clue of what had happened last night, and why Gabriel¡¯s car was still in the parking lot.

    Danny stared at the door, the kid looked, lost. Part of Chuck wanted to console him, tell him it wasn''t his fault, but all he could think about was Gabe.

    ¡°The car¡¯s locked. I didn¡¯t see any keys. Maybe he did this on purpose,¡± Lee suggested in a soft voice from where he stood in the kitchen with Louise. They were lucky they had spare keys to each other¡¯s homes. Hard to be a hunter without backup plans for these kinds of disappearances.

    ¡°Doesn''t tell me where Gabe is, should be here, shouldn''t he? Car¡¯s here, see any blood outside?¡± Chuck felt about ready to tear his hair out.

    ¡°He was just fine yesterday. I mean, acting just as weird as he had been since this whole thing started, but he was fine,¡± Danny blurted out, just on the verge of nervous tears.

    ¡°Easy kid, don''t go gettin¡¯ weepy on me now. What happened last night?¡±

    Danny told them about the river and the near drowning, the woman in the water Gabe had talked about, and the drinks at the bar afterwards before Danny got dropped off at his apartment. It sounded pretty much like a typical day.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s all there is to it,¡± Louise threw up her arms, ¡°Gabe planned this. He got you good and drunk so you couldn¡¯t watch after him tonight, and he¡¯s probably just taken the bus to some motel where he¡¯s got himself locked up to avoid hurting anyone. He went off the deep end!¡±

    Lee put his hand on Louise¡¯s shoulder, speaking softly, ¡°don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a bit of a leap? We don¡¯t know he¡¯d do something like that. He has no reason not to want our help.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s exactly something Gabe would do,¡± Chuck said with a heavy sigh, ¡°let¡¯s start looking at motels, see if we can find him.¡±

    ¡°You really think that¡¯s what he did?¡± Danny asked hopefully, trying to wipe at his eyes to avoid breaking into real tears. Right now he looked like a kid more than ever.

    Lee pulled a chair out from the kitchen table and sat down, ¡°there¡¯s one thing we haven¡¯t considered yet. You said he saw a woman in the river and he tried to go back. Maybe he did.¡±

    ¡°Danny, you and Louise go check the river, Lee and I will start looking at motels.¡± Chuck, the man who never wanted to lead, could certainly delegate when he wanted to.

    ¡°Are we going to keep this quiet, or you think we should call back-up?¡± Louise asked, immediately grabbing her purse from the kitchen counter and halfway to the door. ¡°There¡¯s at least a dozen hunters here already, thanks to the calls you two made yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Keep it quiet, don''t want anyone gettin¡¯ trigger happy.¡±

    ¡°At least we know Gabriel didn¡¯t lose control. They¡¯d have found him by now if he had,¡± Lee reasoned, pulling out his cell phone, ¡°I don¡¯t remember all of the motels in the city, but it might be safe to increase the search radius. Gateburg¡¯s twenty miles from here, and if Gabe did decide hiding out from us was a good idea, I think it¡¯s possible he¡¯d have gone there.¡±

    Chuck nodded, ¡°let''s start there and work our way back, check for credit card use, I''m sure you still have his login info, knowing how often he forgets it.¡±

    They weren¡¯t the sort of group who enjoyed lying down and taking whatever the world threw at them. If Gabe was hiding, they¡¯d find him. If he was in trouble, they¡¯d save him. Even if Danny hadn¡¯t been with the group that long, they were all family. Dead or alive, they weren¡¯t giving up.

    <hr>

    His greatest fear had come true, and all Gabriel could do was wonder how the hell it had happened so fast. Almost a lifetime promising himself he would never willingly take a human life seemed pretty pointless now. He¡¯d lost. The Devil had found him, and Gabriel gladly paid his due. So now what?

    Sleep had bought him a few blissful hours of peace from his thoughts, but the escape was a temporary one. It was never this easy to sleep in a stranger¡¯s house. Donovan was a stranger. They hadn¡¯t known each other very long, after all. Whether he felt some sort of forced obligation to the old vampire or not. That was Gabriel¡¯s first thought when he woke with the setting sun. The second thought was that he couldn¡¯t just stay here. It wasn¡¯t his home.

    Distantly, he heard a clock ticking. Something scratching against wood. Ruben¡¯s house slippers? If he focused, Gabriel could almost hear tree branches rattling in the wind outside. He spent at least half an hour marveling at all of these sounds, nestled in the darkened bedroom. He couldn¡¯t quite bring himself to think of it as his. Just a guest room. A temporary place to sleep until he was ready to leave.

    His eyes scanned the room. Even with the lights out, he could pick out little details with ease. His jeans slung over a green wingback chair near the heavily-curtained window. His keys and cell phone on a vanity table by the door. He didn¡¯t have the nerve right now to turn his phone on and check the missed calls.

    There was a portrait on the wall of Donovan standing beside a woman who shared remarkably similar features, and a third person sitting in a wingback chair. A man, but he couldn¡¯t be the vampire¡¯s father. He was too young. Then again, maybe it was.

    Gabriel looked back over at the chair he¡¯d slung his jeans over. It matched the one in the painting. Were the others in that portrait still around? Gabriel knew he was just stalling for time now. Sooner or later he¡¯d have to get out of bed and confront--someone. Something. Whatever he did tonight, he was sure there¡¯d be a fight.

    So maybe he¡¯d just sneak out the back door, or through the window. He was on the second floor, it was a big jump, but Gabriel didn¡¯t doubt he could do it. Then there was the little problem of actually getting to his apartment without a car. It would be a hell of a long walk. They weren¡¯t exactly on the city square right now.

    The scraping sound turned into a muffled sort of rhythmic thump. Ruben was climbing the stairs. Maybe the old bastard was coming to check up on him. Somehow Gabriel doubted it.

    ¡°Will you be dining out this evening, master?¡± The old man inquired loudly, likely from the end of the hall. He didn¡¯t need to shout. He could have whispered and Gabriel was sure Donovan would have still heard him.

    ¡°No, Gabriel requires instruction, go ahead and dip into the stores tonight. He and I have much to discuss.¡± Donovan¡¯s voice was much softer but Gabe could hear him as if they were in the same room.

    Instruction. He needed instruction. Gabriel rankled at the thought. Like he was a little kid. Was that what his life was going to be now? Instructions? Remedial classes in how to be an effective bloodsucker? It suddenly struck him that maybe--maybe all of this was planned. Even the bottled blood. Maybe in the grand scheme of things, Donovan had just wanted an obedient little pet to dote on him. What better way to cater to a vampire¡¯s ego than corrupting someone whose sole purpose in life was eradicating their kind.

    The fantasy was enough to make him fume for a good minute or two before Gabriel was willing to admit to himself he didn¡¯t actually believe Donovan would do that. If it was just the whole weird master-fledgling bond playing tricks on his brain, he hoped it would wear off. This would be a lot easier if it was true, but Gabriel knew what had happened. He¡¯d been given the choice to kill, and he¡¯d taken it. He¡¯d failed.

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    He heard the shuffle of Ruben¡¯s slippers once more before the old man pounded on his door, much harder than was necessary and with a surprising amount of force for an old man. ¡°Master will meet you downstairs.¡± He said, his voice sharp, before shuffling away again.

    The old bastard. Gabriel never would¡¯ve thought it was possible to dislike him even more than he already did, but he¡¯d never had to spend longer than fifteen minutes with Ruben either. Well, Gabriel would spend his sweet time getting dressed in yesterday¡¯s clothes. He wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s lackey. If only it took longer to fix a zipper or slip on the shirt he hadn¡¯t bothered to unbutton.

    By the time he¡¯d managed to finally head downstairs, he¡¯d finally worked up the nerve to turn on his phone. Before he could bother to read or listen to any messages though, he noticed one of the lion statues at the bottom, and he could swear it¡¯s head had moved. Gabriel gave it a swift pat out of habit.

    Voices from the sitting room drew him in that direction. The closer he got the clearer they became. ¡°You will not speak to him in that manner again, am I clear?¡± Donovan¡¯s voice was cold, angry, ¡°answer me, Ruben, am I clear?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes, master, you''re clear.¡±

    ¡°Good, now, leave me. You''ve done your part for the night. If I require anything I will summon you.¡±

    Gabriel paused mid-step, somewhat mollified. He pocketed his phone, resolving to check the messages once this whole thing was over. He stepped aside just as Ruben left the room, pointedly ignoring Gabriel, which was perfectly fine with him. Better to get this over with. He slipped into the room, keeping a hand in the pocket with his cell phone.

    ¡°Gabriel, how good of you to join me, come, sit, we have much to discuss.¡± Donovan said, motioning to the chair beside him. There were two glasses of dark red liquid on the small table between the chairs, ¡°you must be hungry, have a drink.¡± The elder vampire took a small drink from one of the glasses.

    Gabriel pulled his hand from his pocket, albeit reluctantly, and sat down. Why did he feel like he was thirteen again and being pulled into the principal¡¯s office for a lecture? This whole thing was painfully formal.

    ¡°Is that--¡± Gabriel indicated the glass, ¡°--yours? Or?¡± After the last time he¡¯d had Donovan¡¯s blood, everything had gotten way too intense. Gabriel did not want to deal with that again.

    ¡°It is not mine. Later tonight it may be necessary for you to drink some of mine. My blood would help ground you, help you relax, for now you need sustenance and, while my blood can provide that, this is better for you.¡± He explained, drinking again.

    Gabriel frowned, ¡°ground me? Like a sedative? No thanks. I¡¯m relaxed enough.¡± He was glad to have something, though. The second he¡¯d smelled the contents of his glass, it was all he could do to stop himself from tossing the whole drink back in one go.

    ¡°You need not worry about it now. For now, relax, and we can discuss the future.¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡± Gabriel prompted, giving Donovan a dubious look before forcing himself to take a very small sip of his glass.

    ¡°You have been fundamentally changed, which I''m sure you''ve already noticed, and with those changes comes a need for adaptation and adjustment.¡±

    ¡°New sleep schedule. Liquid diet. Seems pretty straight-forward,¡± never mind that he¡¯d lost any regard for human life almost instantaneously. Yet, he realized suddenly, there were a few exceptions, ¡°I still care about my friends. Is that going to change?¡± It made him sick to think he might wake up soon and think of Chuck, Louise, Lee, or even Danny like they were just an easy meal.

    ¡°No, not in any real meaningful way. You will begin to see them a little differently but that is because they are human. You may still eat normal food if you so desire but it will not give you any form of sustenance.¡± He paused, taking a slow drink, ¡°we need to focus on getting you past your preconceived notions of what we are.¡±

    Gabriel avoided Donovan¡¯s gaze, choosing instead to focus on his own glass. At least his friends were safe. That was some small comfort. ¡°I¡¯ve lost everything that made me who I was. Does it really matter what I think a bloodsucker is or isn¡¯t?¡± It didn¡¯t seem right to use that word anymore. Sort of hard to be derogatory towards yourself. Nothing else seemed right either. Least of all the fact that he should hate this man beside him, yet, he couldn¡¯t. He just couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Yes, it matters, misconceptions can cause unforeseen consequences. I know you''ve already discovered the truth about sunlight. It is time you learn the truth about blood and how deep our need for it goes.¡±

    Gabriel really did feel like he was getting ¡®the talk¡¯ from his dad all over again. Maybe this time around he wouldn¡¯t have to look at any poorly-drawn diagrams or educational cartoons. ¡°Alright, go on then,¡± he said, drawing his eyes away from his now half-empty glass to look Donovan square in the face, ¡°how deep does it go?¡±

    ¡°Our sanity is tied to our consumption of blood. If you refuse to drink, you go feral, you lose yourself in the need for it.¡± Donovan watched Gabriel drink as he spoke.

    ¡°You¡ª¡° Gabriel hesitated. ¡°¡ªHow often do I have to drink? How much?¡±

    ¡°In the beginning? Daily, you will need more than just that glass as well.¡±

    Gabriel frowned. ¡°Enough to kill?¡± Chuck and the others may not want to be the ones to stake him, but if he left a trail of bodies, they wouldn¡¯t just let it be.

    ¡°Yes, however, there are plenty of hunters in the area. You do not have the control to stop from killing yet so we will rely on donated blood and you will also drink mine.¡± Donovan finished the last of his drink before puncturing the skin of his wrist and letting the blood drip into his glass, ¡°drink.¡±

    Compared to the dull, iron-rich scent of the dregs in Gabriel¡¯s own glass, it was like wine to water. He nearly dropped his glass trying to place it on the small table between their chairs, reaching for Donovan¡¯s without question. Despite himself, he wanted that blood, rich with the fragrance of something unnameable. Life. Death. In the immediate moment, that glass held the world. The control Gabriel had always prided himself on was gone in the short time it took him to drain the contents. For a short, blissful minute, he didn¡¯t mind at all. It might have been even longer than a minute.

    ¡°Sh--¡± Gabriel cut himself off, lowering the glass to his lap and resting his head against the back of his chair, ¡°is it always gonna feel like this?¡±

    ¡°When you drink my blood, yes.¡± Donovan watched him closely, admiring the relaxed and content look on his face.

    Were he paying more attention, Gabriel might have noticed. At the moment, it was difficult to focus on much, though, beyond the warm satisfaction of his very odd meal. The spell was soon broken by the sound of his phone ringing in his pocket. He had half a mind to ignore it.

    ¡°Perhaps you should answer that.¡± Donovan¡¯s voice cut through his comfortable haze.

    It should have struck him how unimportant the phone call seemed, when just minutes ago Gabriel was panicking about what exactly would happen when his phone did ring. Reluctantly, he fought his way to the tenuous surface of lucidity, and answered the call. Louise.

    ¡°Gabe? Where the fuck are you? You''d better have a good reason for running off like that.¡± She was yelling, which wasn''t totally unexpected, but it hurt his ear, far more than it ever had before.

    Pulling the phone back to hold it at a distance, Gabriel immediately went on the defense, ¡°I was attacked and went into hiding. I didn¡¯t have time to tell anyone!¡± He snapped back at her, ¡°I¡¯m a grown man, Louise. Chill the hell out.¡±

    ¡°You could have called, we¡¯re worried about you, come home.¡±

    ¡°I was planning to call, I just fell asleep before I could,¡± he replied, only half-lying. He¡¯d like to think he would¡¯ve called them tonight. Or eventually. Sooner rather than later. ¡°I¡¯ll come home soon. Not like I can do much without my car.¡± Somehow the light-hearted joke he attempted to make ended up coming out a little snarkier.

    ¡°Where are you? I''ll come pick you up.¡±

    That made him pause. Should he come out with it? God knew everyone else had figured out he¡¯d been infected again before he¡¯d learned about it. They¡¯d find out the truth sooner or later. There was blood on his hands now. ¡°Louise,¡± Gabriel cleared his throat, stalling for time, ¡°if I lose control, what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°Gabe, what do you want me to do?¡± She sounded skeptical, ¡°what would you do?¡±

    ¡°Would you stake me yourself?¡± He pressed on, ¡°or would you hire someone to do it?¡± For one brief, terrible moment, he wondered whether they had. Gabriel knew his friends well enough, though. They wouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°If it''s what you wanted I would do it, for you, Gabe, I would do it. Is that what you want? Gabe, talk to me.¡±

    ¡°I almost died last night,¡± he finally admitted. ¡°Almost. Do you really want me to come home?¡±

    ¡°Oh, God, Gabe, what happened? Of course I want you to come home. Are you alright? Please, Gabe, I don''t understand.¡±

    Gabriel lowered his phone, muting the call. He looked at Donovan, helpless to come up with a lie or tell the whole truth, ¡°what should I do?¡± It made him bristle to ask for help. That just wasn¡¯t something Gabriel did, but right now he really needed it, and, well, who else could he trust right now?

    ¡°Tell her what happened last night, tell her the truth. She will have to face reality soon, is it not better for her to know now?¡± Donovan was calm as he spoke, as if this wasn''t the hardest thing in the world for the newly turned vampire.

    ¡°Can I trust you not to hurt them if they--¡± he hesitated, looking down at his phone. Louise was yelling now. ¡°Can I trust you not to hurt them? Under any circumstances?¡±

    ¡°I will restrain them if necessary and do my utmost not to harm them. That is the best I can promise.¡±

    Gabriel nodded, looking down at his phone. Better rip the bandaid off now before it got any worse. Honestly, though, he wasn¡¯t sure that was possible.

 Chapter Twenty-Six

    Gabriel had decided they were going to meet at his apartment and with Ruben recovering, Donovan drove them to the scene of his first kill. Were it not for the fragrance of iron and fear lingering in the air, one would hardly know two men had died here last night or, arguably, three.

    ¡°I guess they used my spare key,¡± Gabriel remarked, climbing out of the car and glaring in the direction of a brightly-lit apartment window. All of the others were dark.

    Donovan opened his door and stepped out, closing it with a solid thud behind him, ¡°I suppose it¡¯s time to let the cat out of the bag as it were, come, before they get the idea that you¡¯re not coming.¡±

    As if on cue, the curtains in the window were drawn aside just enough for one of the hunters to peek outside. It wasn¡¯t long before Gabriel¡¯s apartment door was thrown open, as Chuck stood in the doorway keeping a firm hold on Louise¡¯s shoulder to prevent her from approaching them.

    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late,¡± Gabriel called out, pulling something out of his pocket. A crushed cigarette pack. Evidence of a rather nasty habit.

    ¡°Hey kid,¡± Chuck spoke to Gabriel but kept one eye on Donovan, ¡°you alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Gabriel said, pulling out a cigarette and stopping several feet short of the door, ¡°sort of. Lee and Danny here yet?¡± He put on an impressive front, belying how nervous he really was. Gabriel wasn¡¯t aware of it, but his mind was instinctually reaching towards Donovan¡¯s, seeking a sense of calm he couldn¡¯t quite find on his own.

    Donovan kept his distance but let his focus and calm be felt by the fledgling. Louise was standing in front of Chuck now, shoving him aside, her hands balled into fists as her gaze zeroed in on Donovan.

    ¡°What¡¯s Ruben¡¯s house guest doing here?¡± Louise said, her voice low, angry.

    ¡°They¡¯re on their way,¡± Chuck told Gabriel in a much calmer tone though still wary, giving Donovan a good, long once-over, clearly sizing him up. ¡°I think I¡¯d like to know why you¡¯re here too.¡±

    Gabriel lit his cigarette, taking the world¡¯s slowest drag to stall for time. ¡°He¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry. Helped me out last night.¡±

    Chuck scowled at the cigarette, ¡°thought you quit smokin¡¯.¡±

    Donovan agreed with the old man, it was a nasty habit that he would have to make sure didn¡¯t continue. He stayed back however, allowing Gabriel to deal with this on his own. If necessary he would step in, but thus far Gabriel¡¯s friends weren¡¯t behaving aggressively, yet.

    ¡°Shit¡¯s been stressful lately,¡± Gabriel retorted, softening a little when Louise stepped a little closer, ¡°I guess I just needed something to help me relax.¡± He flicked some ashes off of his cigarette, licking his bottom lip nervously. The first clear sign he wasn¡¯t exactly ¡®alright¡¯. ¡°I killed last night.¡±

    Louise and Chuck were silent for a moment before the old hunter spoke, ¡°that why he''s here? Is he one of ¡®em?¡±

    Gabriel looked both of them directly in the eyes in turn, ¡°we both are.¡± He¡¯d drawn the line. Now it was up to them to do what they would.

    If they¡¯d planned to act on any sudden impulses, the flash of passing car lights was enough to stall them. Neither Louise nor Chuck made a move.

    ¡°So I guess that¡¯s that. Just one more bloodsucker for shark week,¡± Gabriel said with a bitter smile, taking another long pull from his cigarette and flicking it to the ground.

    ¡°You''re suddenly just okay with being one of them?¡± Louise asked softly, ¡°thought you wanted us to kill you.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s eyes flicked over to Donovan nervously, ¡°you still can if you make it quick.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Chuck blurted out, incredulous.

    ¡°Do I really have to spell it out? You¡¯ve got a stake in your coat pocket; you always do, Chuck. You can kill me right now!¡± He was raising his voice, stepping closer to them to put more space between himself and Donovan, as if it would give his friends better odds. He was bluffing. He was desperate, and upset, but he was bluffing.

    ¡°You promised me you¡¯d try not to hurt them,¡± Gabriel¡¯s voice entered Donovan¡¯s mind as naturally as his own thoughts. He was too old to be startled, but it certainly wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d expected Gabriel to willingly do for quite some time.

    ¡°I cannot be held responsible if they attack and try to kill you. I will not make the first move.¡±

    Chuck and Louise looked torn and Donovan could see the aborted movement Chuck made as he reached for the stake in his pocket before letting his hand drop. ¡°I can''t.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can live without killing,¡± Gabriel said, visibly relaxing just a little, ¡°but I can try.¡±

    Chuck nodded, ¡°what¡¯re you gonna do now, kid?¡±

    Gabriel pointed back at Donovan, ¡°I guess we can start with this. Louise, this is Donovan. Donovan, Louise. I know it¡¯s not much, but he¡¯s--you¡¯re safe around him, let¡¯s just leave it at that.¡±

    Chuck and Louise stepped away from the door, ¡°well, get your asses inside so we can talk about this and tell us how the hell this happened.¡± Louise stated, glaring at Donovan.

    ¡°Inviting me into my own apartment?¡± Gabriel snarked, letting whatever tension he was still holding in completely dissipate as he followed the others inside, lingering in the doorway to wait for Donovan.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Gabriel whispered in the older vampire¡¯s mind, though what he was thanking him for wasn¡¯t exactly clear. Perhaps the support, or his restraint in the face of Louise and Chuck¡¯s anger. It was a start.

    ¡°Lee and Danny were looking for signs of you at the river,¡± Chuck remarked from inside the comfort of the apartment as Gabriel joined him inside, pointedly changing the subject from what exactly what they were going to do next, ¡°they¡¯re sure as hell taking their sweet time to show up. Figured Lee would come speeding down the street the second Louise called them.¡±

    Donovan was the last to step inside, his hands clasped loosely behind his back as he took in the cluttered space, ¡°I believe they should be here in just a moment.¡± Now that the elder had mentioned it, Gabriel was able to pick out the familiar sound of Lee¡¯s car pulling into the parking lot.

    ¡°I said I was sorry!¡± Danny yelled, followed by the sound of two car doors being slammed shut.

    ¡°Danny, just forget about it, and lower your voice,¡± Lee replied, ¡°I¡¯m still in one piece. Just try not to drop the lead next time.¡± He sounded like he was treading the fine line between patience and exasperation with the other hunter.

    Donovan opened the door before Lee was able to knock, his hand was poised, ready, only to come face to face with the vampire.

    ¡°Please, Lee, come in, we¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±

    A look of confusion crossed Lee¡¯s face. Then, only momentarily, fear. Because you could change a mortal¡¯s memories, but self-preservation instincts never completely disappeared. Some part of him very likely still knew he¡¯d been Donovan¡¯s puppet, if only for a day or two.

    ¡°Uh--Gabe?¡± Lee called out, slowly crossing the threshold into the apartment, while Donovan gave him ample space.

    Gabriel by now had settled onto his living room couch beside Chuck, ¡°Lee?¡± He asked, ¡°what happened to you? You¡¯re soaked.¡± He was indeed. In fact, the only part of Lee that wasn¡¯t absolutely drenched was his face and hair, owing to a hand towel wrapped around his neck.

    ¡°It''s a long story, I''m more worried about you. Gabriel, where have you been? What¡¯s going on?¡± He glanced at Donovan, ¡°and why is he here?¡±

    ¡°Before either of you say anything,¡± Gabriel began, looking over Lee¡¯s shoulder. Danny had just arrived at the door looking even more confused, and far less wet. ¡°I just want to make it clear that for the most part, I¡¯m still Gabe. I¡¯m not going to hurt any of you, and I¡¯m going to do my best not to hurt anyone else if I can help it.¡± He very pointedly looked everywhere but at Donovan, reluctant to explain why the older vampire was there.

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    Lee scowled, ¡°Gabe, what did you do?¡± Lee kept glancing at Donovan out of the corner of his eye.

    ¡°What he had to do,¡± Chuck blurted out before Gabriel could launch into the story again, ¡°I know you, Gabe. You did it because you had to.¡± He put a hand on Gabriel¡¯s shoulder, ¡°that¡¯s the end of it.¡±

    ¡°You ate someone?¡± Danny squeaked.

    ¡°No!¡± Gabriel snapped, ¡°I didn¡¯t eat them.¡±

    ¡°Them?!¡± Lee squawked, ¡°you killed more than one person?!¡±

    Gabriel slumped in his seat, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to,¡± he said in a voice just barely above a whisper. ¡°Somehow they found out about me, and they cornered me last night by my car. I couldn¡¯t get away.¡± The confidence, or what little confidence he¡¯d tried to pretend he had about the choice he¡¯d made evaporated all at once. ¡°I wanted to live.¡±

    ¡°Who were they? What happened to their bodies?¡± Louise paused for a moment, ¡°you still haven''t answered what he''s doing here. Why you¡¯re with him.¡±

    ¡°I am responsible for him, for this city, I am here to make sure he remains in one piece.¡± Donovan said calmly.

    Chuck lowered his hand from Gabriel¡¯s shoulder, ¡°what, you¡¯re staking a claim? Thought your kind stopped doing that back in the dark ages.¡±

    ¡°I made my claim back when this land was new.¡± Donovan pushed up from his spot against the wall, ¡°I have recently returned from a, forced, sabbatical.¡±

    Danny remained steadfastly by the door, ready to bolt if necessary, ¡°y-you, so, like, you--are you going to kill us?¡±

    ¡°Are you going to attack Gabriel or I?¡± He replied with a question of his own.

    Lee removed his glasses, rubbing at the bridge of his nose and taking a good, long breath before speaking, ¡°if neither you nor Gabe are a danger to the people here, I can¡¯t in all honesty say I¡¯d feel good about trying to murder one of my closest friends. Even if--¡± he put his glasses back on, looking at Gabriel, ¡°--even if I don¡¯t think what happened was right. I can¡¯t speak for the hunters who¡¯ve gathered here for shark week, and I can¡¯t speak for Danny, Louise, or Chuck, but I won¡¯t be the one to make the first move. Maybe that means I¡¯m not the hero I should be, or I¡¯m letting the city down, but that¡¯s where I stand.¡±

    ¡°Do the rest of you feel the same?¡± Donovan questioned, ¡°I can promise you that I do not actively seek your deaths. Hunters play an important role in the grand scheme of things and you are Gabriel''s friends, so you are safe from me. I have lived long enough to see the reality of the world and understand the need for hunters, however, it does not mean I have any qualms about killing them.¡±

    Chuck scratched at the patchy stubble on his chin he¡¯d neglected to shave that morning, ¡°Danny, take a goddamn seat, and Louise, I know you¡¯re fingering that switchblade in your pocket, so stop it.¡± He gave her a quick shake of his head, directing his attention to Donovan, ¡°so, tell me this, then. You the one that went missing back in ¡®71? Heard stories they had a nest leader down here back when I was in high school. A little after your time, mind you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that would be me,¡± he relaxed back against the wall as he spoke, now that the apparent danger had passed. He had no intention of revealing more unless asked, was curious what Chuck knew.

    Danny edged down the opposite wall from Donovan towards the living room, keeping as much space between them as possible before taking a seat on the ground beside the coffee table. He gave Gabriel a somewhat sheepish look, his fear still clearly focused on the older vampire in the room.

    Chuck looked over at Louise, ¡°I guess your daddy never told you about nests, did he? Aren¡¯t many of them left in the states. Wasn¡¯t really something that took hold here like everywhere else.¡±

    ¡°I know a little,¡± Louise said, wary, ¡°you guys basically set rules, right? Keep the food source happy and stupid?¡± She was obviously directing the question at Donovan, because Gabriel looked just as unsure as the rest of them now.

    ¡°We maintain order. It does us no good to have our food source decimated and to have hunters at our doorstep.¡± He replied, ¡°please, continue, I enjoy not having to explain everything.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s much more to say. Your kind don¡¯t have a sense of good or evil. Just self-preservation. A nest is the closest thing to a moral compass any monster can ever have. Someone steps out of line, you kill them. Simple as that.¡± Chuck reflexively squeezed one of his fists, ¡°fuck, I need a drink.¡±

    ¡°I''m sure you can see why I like hunters, they save me the trouble. Although I have no problem with getting my hands dirty, I do get tired of replacing my suits.¡±

    ¡°So how can we trust you?¡± Danny spoke up, demonstrating that he had not in fact lost his voice after all, despite his crippling fear of the monster (or monsters) in the room, ¡°why are you with this guy, Gabe?¡± It was not a question Gabriel was going to be able to escape. They would keep asking until they got an answer.

    Gabriel sighed, meeting Donovan¡¯s eyes, ¡°the blood in the bottle I drank was his. Somehow, I don¡¯t know exactly why, but somehow it woke him up.¡±

    ¡°Woke him up?¡± Lee prompted, confused.

    ¡°Yes, a few in the community disagreed with the rules I had laid forth and since they couldn''t kill me, they sought another solution. My missing status was because I was forced into a long slumber. When my blood reactivated the virus in Gabriel it formed a bond between us and allowed me to awaken. It was a fortuitous twist of fate.¡± Donovan paused for a moment, ¡°you were seeking his sire, I would be he.¡±

    A muscle ticked in Louise¡¯s jaw as she struggled not to lose her temper, ¡°so this is your fault. We could¡¯ve killed you yesterday morning and saved him.¡±

    ¡°Louise,¡± Gabriel said, a note of warning in his voice, ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight. This wasn¡¯t--¡± he struggled to find the right words, ¡°--it wasn¡¯t his fault. It was just really shitty luck.¡±

    ¡°You could not have killed me if you tried and if it makes you feel any better it would not have saved Gabriel. He is actually quite fortunate that I am his sire and he wasn''t left abandoned or sire-less. One day he would have turned, with or without me. Once you are infected you can only prolong the inevitable.¡± Donovan explained calmly, unfazed by the death threat.

    ¡°You¡¯re lying,¡± Louise argued, growing more and more upset by the moment, blinking back angry tears. She was just this close to doing something stupid.

    ¡°He¡¯s not,¡± Chuck shook his head, ¡°I hate to say it, but he¡¯s not. That¡¯s why most hunters have themselves beheaded after death.¡± He frowned, ¡°hard to play the game without taking a few bad hits. I would¡¯ve told you sooner or later, Gabe, I just figured it¡¯d be a hell of a lot later.¡± He looked at Gabriel, defeated, ¡°thought I could keep you safe.¡±

    ¡°You knew?¡± Gabriel asked, startled. ¡°You fucking knew?!¡±

    ¡°Lisa¡¯s funeral was closed casket for a reason.¡± The look of utter defeat and pain on his face aged him far more than a lifetime of drinking and smoking ever could. He was a father who¡¯d lost his daughter, and now, his adopted son.

    ¡°You do not have to end your association with each other,¡± Donovan said, breaking the melancholy mood, ¡°Gabriel will need some time to adjust but I see no reason you cannot maintain contact with each other.¡±

    Danny drew his knees up to his chest, crossing his arms over them, ¡°are you leaving again?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving,¡± Gabriel assured him, placing a reluctant hand on Chuck¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I guess I understand why you did it.¡± He shrugged, ¡°knowing the truth wouldn¡¯t have done me much good anyway.¡±

    ¡°Gabriel will be returning home with me for the time being but you are welcome to visit. It would be best not to do so unannounced, however.¡± Donovan would have preferred not to have them around at all but it would make Gabriel¡¯s transition easier, he hoped.

    ¡°I¡¯m not giving up on this,¡± Louise stood up, ¡°there¡¯s a way to fix it. A cure. A treatment. There¡¯s something out there, Gabe.¡±

    ¡°Louise-¡± Lee began, crossing the room to take her hands into his, ¡°you need some sleep. We¡¯ll talk about this tomorrow when our heads are clear.¡±

    Louise looked like she wanted to pull away, to storm out, but managed to maintain her cool, at least a little. Instead of leaving on her own, she grabbed Lee¡¯s hand firmly and pulled him outside toward his car.

    Gabriel watched them leave, helpless to say anything to stop her. He wanted to. He wanted to say something that would fix all of this, something that would be so profound that it was as good as ending a fairy tale with a happy ending. But he didn¡¯t.

    Danny climbed to his feet, awkwardly looking between Chuck, Gabriel, and then finally Donovan. ¡°She¡¯s--¡± he took a deep breath, ¡°--I think she just needs time. We all do. Gabe, I don¡¯t know if it makes any difference, but I¡¯m glad you¡¯re kind of still alive. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re going through, and I don¡¯t know if I would¡¯ve done the same thing or not. What I do know is that a vampire is probably better than a ghoul any day. I also know you wouldn¡¯t kill anyone unless you absolutely had to. That¡¯s just not you.¡± With that being said, he gave Donovan an awkward nod of his head and very carefully edged back across the room. It was going to take him some time to get used to the idea of actually talking to monsters.

    Donovan looked at Gabriel, ¡°I believe it''s time to go home.¡± He moved toward the door, ¡°it has been a pleasure meeting you properly, Charles, I hope we will have the pleasure of each other''s company in the near future.¡±

    Chuck nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t know you, but I do know Gabe apparently trusts you.¡± He re-directed his attention to Gabriel, who was standing up, ¡°keep your phone on. Call us. It took a lot of guts to tell the truth today, kid, and it¡¯s gonna take even more to fight that thing inside you.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Gabriel asked, frowning.

    ¡°Hunger. I¡¯ve had a few good friends let it win. I know you won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Chuck. Tell Louise I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°You can tell her yourself when you call her. I¡¯m willing to bet she¡¯ll call you first, though. She loves you, Gabe. We all do.¡±

    Donovan waited patiently by the door, watching the scene unfold. It was obvious to him that Gabriel was going to have a difficult time adjusting. Especially with his attachments, but they would manage.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to pack some clothes, but I¡¯ve still got a half pint of Jack in the cabinet by the sink. You can go ahead and finish it off.¡± Gabriel pulled Chuck into a short hug, ¡°good night, Chuck.¡±

    Chuck hugged him tight, ¡°night, kid. Don''t be a stranger and if you need anything,¡± his voice dropped to a whisper, ¡°if he does, anything, you call me. You hear?¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Gabriel nodded, ¡°I promise.¡± They had no chance of beating Donovan in a fight, but their loyalty to Gabriel was admirable.

    Donovan waited patiently while Chuck drank the rest of the whiskey and Gabriel grabbed his clothes. He was grateful when they were finally able to leave and go home. They had a long road ahead of them.

 Chapter Twenty-Seven

    There were only so many hours in the day. Even less in the night. It wasn¡¯t easy for Ruben to keep these hours. Not like it used to be. With his poor back, he¡¯d been advised by his doctors to retire. Not that he could really do such a thing, or even tell them what exactly his job entailed.

    It was difficult to stomach this new life, not only because decades of freedom and ample finances had evaporated overnight, but he was forced to watch a hunter enjoy the rewards Ruben was owed. Youth. Eternal youth. Wasted.

    Ruben placed two fresh glasses on a tea service, having just polished them to a shine. The effort of retrieving this evening¡¯s supper for Donovan from the cellar left the old man far more winded than he¡¯d like to admit. There was nothing else for it. He had to talk to his master this evening. He couldn¡¯t do this anymore. Whether that meant he was to be retired as a meal or a loyal servant, Ruben hadn¡¯t a clue. It wasn¡¯t typical for men in his profession to grow old.

    He filled the glasses; Donovan liked having a snack, before hunting, if they were even hunting tonight. Sadly, his master wasn''t in the study, but Gabriel was. The vampire looked pale and weak, certainly not what he expected to see, it was almost pathetic, really. Slowly, he shuffled into the study, placing the tray on the table beside Gabriel.

    The vampire sat alone in the wingback chair beside Donovan¡¯s, his hand propped up under his chin while he leant against one of the armrests, as if he were on the verge of falling asleep. For a moment, it seemed as if he was going to do just that, when his eyes finally skimmed over Ruben, ¡°did he tell you when he was coming back tonight?¡± Gabriel asked.

    ¡°I did not even know he was gone, I was hoping to speak with him, in fact. It is still early, are you not getting enough sleep?¡± He asked, offering him a glass.

    ¡°I¡¯m sleeping fine,¡± Gabriel replied, taking the glass almost too eagerly. ¡°Thanks.¡± Manners, alas, escaped him, as he downed the contents in shorter order than Ruben had even poured.

    ¡°What seems to be the trouble? It seems as though something is wrong.¡±

    ¡°I drink blood and sleep all day,¡± Gabriel replied flatly, ¡°you do the math.¡±

    Ruben was silent for a moment, ¡°are you drinking enough?¡± he offered him Donovan¡¯s glass.

    ¡°I get by,¡± Gabriel said, without really answering the question. He looked as if for a moment he would decline the offer of the second glass, but the moment passed and he took it, setting his own down on the table beside him. ¡°Does it really matter? I know you¡¯re playing nice, Ruben,¡± the ¡®Collector¡¯ title he¡¯d earned had been dropped as of late, ¡°you don¡¯t have to pretend you give a shit when he¡¯s not around.¡± His behavior right now was oddly reminiscent of his loud compatriot, Chuck. The main difference being Gabriel¡¯s sudden apparent interest in eyeing Ruben¡¯s neck.

    Ruben huffed, ¡°I do hope he returns soon and stop looking at me like that. I will not be your next meal.¡±

    At least he had the decency to look embarrassed. ¡°I--you¡¯re--¡± Gabriel took a gulp of blood-wine, eyes darting away from Ruben towards the door before he lowered the glass, ¡°I wasn¡¯t looking at you. You¡¯d probably taste like bad schnapps and Bengay. You use enough of that crap to smell you for miles.¡±

    Before Ruben could say anything Donovan chose that moment to walk in, his eyes were immediately drawn to the glasses Gabriel had consumed, ¡°hungry, Gabriel?¡±

    ¡°A little,¡± Gabriel admitted, visibly relaxing just enough for Ruben to be less concerned of his need for more turtleneck sweaters in his wardrobe. ¡°It¡¯s been over a month since I moved in, why do I always feel hungover?¡±

    ¡°You haven''t been eating enough.¡± Donovan moved over to him, gently grasping his chin, ¡°you''re showing signs of starvation. Gabriel, you need to eat.¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± he indicated his glass, ¡°see? Blood. Right here. Second serving.¡± It was a cyclical debate they seemed to have every evening.

    Ruben very carefully edged away from the pair, giving them ample space while he awaited his chance to speak with Donovan about the matter of his job. His master had quickly become very touchy about Gabriel from the very beginning, and it would do Ruben no favours to interrupt them.

    ¡°You need to eat, Gabriel, must we go through this every night?¡± He picked up the empty glass, draining some of his blood into it, ¡°drink.¡± He ordered, handing it over to him.

    Gabriel scowled, placing the other glass, which by now was half empty, back down on the table. He took the one that was offered, but did not rush to drink it, choosing instead to glare back at Donovan. ¡°Why do you care so much if I eat or not?¡±

    ¡°I have no desire to watch you degrade and go feral. Do you want the hunger to take you? To consume you until the only thought in your mind is food?¡±

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    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Gabriel replied moodily, bringing the glass to his lips and tossing it back in two or three large gulps, using the back of his hand to wipe away a stray drop of blood on his chin.

    ¡°I have seen it happen before. You cannot live on blood wine and mine alone, you must eat. You are already physically degrading, it''s only a matter of time before your mind goes as well.¡± He took the half empty glass, finishing the liquid inside before refilling it, ¡°drink.¡±

    Gabriel didn¡¯t say anything, merely followed Donovan¡¯s instruction, somewhat pacified by the effects of the blood.

    Ruben cleared his throat, calling attention to his presence there.

    Donovan turned to face him, ¡°yes, Ruben?¡± He asked, raising an eyebrow at the man in question.

    ¡°Master, it pains me to say these words,¡± he began, taking a deep breath, ¡°but as of late, I feel I have been unable to perform the tasks which are expected of me to the degree of excellence I once prided myself on. That is why I think, perhaps, it is time you take on a newer¡ªyounger servant.¡±

    Donovan looked thoughtful as he sat in silence. It put Ruben on edge. What was he going to say? What was he going to do?

    ¡°I believe you''re right, Ruben, I appreciate your candor. I will make a trip to the market within the next few days. Go ahead and make the arrangements.¡± He looked at Gabriel, ¡°I would prefer it if you would accompany but understand if you don''t want to. If you stay, you will have to eat, I will not be here to make sure you get the sustenance you need.¡±

    Ruben bowed his head respectfully, clasping his hands together behind his back and awaiting any further instruction, his heart hammering in his chest already at the thought of allowing someone to usurp his place. The place he¡¯d been raised to hold from infancy, and failed so miserably at.

    ¡°What market?¡± Gabriel asked, lowering his glass, very nearly allowing the last few ruby drops inside to fall to the carpet, ¡°where are you going?¡± He seemed to be legitimately distressed, his argumentative mood suddenly forgotten.

    ¡°There is a slave bazaar in Ohio, I will be going to acquire a new servant. It will likely be a few days before I return. I am very particular about my servants.¡±

    ¡°Wait, hold on,¡± Gabriel held up a hand, finally setting his glass down on the table to Ruben¡¯s great relief. Even one spot on the persian rug beneath them was a crime against nature, ¡°slave? The old man¡¯s a slave? There¡¯s a slave bazaar in Ohio? Why Ohio? Why not somewhere like Eastern Europe? Or Serbia?¡±

    ¡°Would you expect a slave bazaar in Ohio?¡± Donovan replied, ¡°where did you think men like Ruben come from?¡± He looked at the man in question, ¡°Ruben, tell him where you are from and what you were taught.¡±

    Taken aback at the sudden attention, Ruben drew himself up to his full height, or as much as his aching back would allow, ¡°I come from a very proud line of respectable servants. While my family generally favors the midwest, I received much of my education in England before reaching the age of employment. We were taught basic accounting, estate maintenance, cooking, self-defense, and many other skills to ensure that our employers are kept safe from the public eye and any dangers that should befall them.¡± It pained him to think how inadequate he had been in the last department, considering his master¡¯s decades of forced convalescence, ¡°we are born and we die to serve.¡± It was the creed burned into his heart and emblazoned on his shoulder in ret latin scrawl.

    ¡°We do not choose a random person off the street and have them become our servants. The bazaar has been in operation for many years. It hasn''t always been in Ohio, of course, but it is better to be discreet and choosing a location no one would expect is the easiest way to do that.¡± Donovan explained.

    ¡°You never have problems with any of them trying to off you when your back is turned?¡± Gabriel asked, and Ruben was almost flattered he didn¡¯t receive any accusatory glare in the process. They may not like each other, for good reason, but Ruben was no traitor.

    ¡°No, in the beginning there were a few cases, however that has long been bred out of the lines. Loyalty is well rewarded and failure is harshly punished.¡±

    Gabriel was silent for a moment, settling back into his chair. ¡°How long is it going to take?¡±

    ¡°Three days or so, it depends upon if I can find what I need.¡±

    ¡°Will I--¡± Gabriel licked his bottom lip nervously, ¡°--will I be able to get by with just the bottled stuff while you¡¯re gone?¡±

    ¡°You can''t get by with it as it is, let alone while I''m gone. You will need to eat something.¡± Donovan said firmly but gently.

    ¡°Does it have to be human?¡± He asked, clinging to that last empty hope. Were Ruben a normal man without the knowledge of his master¡¯s nature bred into him, he might very well have felt sorry for Gabriel.

    ¡°Yes. Animal blood does not digest well, nor does it provide the necessary nutrients for survival. While it can be consumed in a pinch as you get older it cannot be used when you are young.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t kill another person. I can¡¯t. Do you even know what you¡¯re asking me to do? I already killed once, wasn¡¯t that enough? I¡¯m not--I¡¯m not cut out for this. I¡¯m not a murderer. I keep telling you that and you just can¡¯t seem to get it. If that means you¡¯ve got to do something like stake me as some sort of final punishment, then fine.¡±

    Donovan looked offended and a little hurt, ¡°Gabriel, I will never kill you, not unless you force my hand and I am unable to save you. It gets easier, I know with your background that it is difficult to face, however, I know you are perfectly capable. I didn''t ask you to kill anyone, it is possible to eat without killing, although difficult. When I return we can work on it, however, for now, you must eat.¡±

    It seemed as if now wasn¡¯t the time for Ruben to linger, given how high emotions seemed to be running. He would never understand the bond between the pair, nor the seemingly endless patience his master seemed to have for Gabriel.

    ¡°Will you need me for anything else this evening?¡± The old man inquired, suddenly very tired. Always tired these days. Especially now that he could no longer collect morbid trinkets to distract himself. At Donovan¡¯s wave of dismissal he left the room. Perhaps he could take up some sort of hobby. Like automatic writing. Ritual sacrifice. Or perhaps macrame.

 Chapter Twenty-Eight

    As Donovan approached the building the bazaar was held in, he knew he was going to have a problem. Attending auctions on short notice simply wasn¡¯t done. Only very special circumstances allowed this, and he would have to trust that his good standing with them was enough. The passing of nearly half a century had hopefully done nothing to dull their memories of him. He always made quite the impression, his sire, Ignatius, had taught him from a young age that the best way to remain in good standing was to make clear you weren''t one to be trifled with. The fact he had been missing could either play in his favor or make this far more difficult than it needed to be.

    Bazaar was a remarkably exotic word for it, but the proprietors had refused to change quite so much with the times to call it anything else. On all other counts, they had modernized. Perhaps even more than Donovan himself, given that the roof of the large building was covered in odd panels of metal and glass. He had yet to see anything like it.

    The guards watched him as he strode up the steps. There was no need for the building to be handicap accessible, any infirmities from human life tended to be cured by their transformation, but there was a small ramp for the sake of appearances and to avoid any unnecessary legal issues. Namely, dealing with humans sticking their noses where they didn¡¯t belong. He couldn''t hold back the drawn out sigh that escaped his lips when one of the guards put his hand out to stop him.

    ¡°I am here to seek the services of a new assistant.¡± One didn¡¯t just go around calling them slaves or servants where there might be humans around to hear.

    ¡°Do you have an appointment, sir? A reference?¡± The man inquired firmly. He did not look like the sort of person a human would cross. The ticking muscle in his jaw and cold stare would have suited a prison guard. Or an inmate.

    ¡°My name is Donovan Viatorem, this was rather short notice and I was unable to call ahead.¡± His name should still carry weight, if not his, than Ignatius''. The family name would mark them as related at the very least.

    A vampire¡¯s family name came from the originator of their line. Ignatius was the founder of their clan and from him they gained their name. Gabriel would take the name Viatorem as well, not that he knew it yet, and not that he was ready for it.

    ¡°Viatorum?¡± The guard repeated, his tone immediately more respectful, ¡°I apologize, sir, but we will have to make inquiries with the director before we can authorize passage.¡±

    Donovan nodded in understanding, ¡°may I step inside to wait or shall I wait here?¡± He really had no desire to remain outside but if need be he would, it would just draw more attention to them.

    ¡°You may wait in the entry lobby,¡± the guard replied, gesturing to the glass double doors behind them, before promptly grabbing at a chord connected to his ear and speaking into it, ¡°mistress, there is a short notice applicant entering the lobby. From the Viatorum line.¡±

    The entryway was lavish, the artwork had changed over the years, was more abstract, but was otherwise unchanged. It was done in an old baroque style, a lot of gold accents, not his preferred style but it was tastefully done. He preferred a more simplistic style.

    ¡°Which one?¡± Donovan could barely hear her over the man¡¯s earpiece, it spoke to how far technology had come over the years.

    ¡°Donovan Viatorum,¡± the guard clarified, ¡°I have not seen him before, mistress.¡±

    There was silence for a moment before she spoke again, ¡°let him in, he''s Ignatius¡¯ favored childe.¡±

    ¡°You may enter, sir,¡± the guard bowed his head, ¡°please enjoy your visit and remember that all auctions are explicitly for the purpose of service, and are therefore protected by the bazaar¡¯s terms.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± he nodded in reply before moving deeper into the building.

    The interior of the building was far more familiar than the outside. Several elegant tables lined the walls, with neatly arranged ledgers to allow silent bidding. Human servants stood behind the tables to facilitate easy questioning and inquiries. There were even caterers and servers with elegant trays of drinks and appetisers mingling with attendees to reduce the chances of dangerous appetites.

    As it was the early evening, many of the creatures milling about were of more than just the vampiric variety, many clothed in several layers of clothing to obscure their appearance for the sake of easy movement outside. It wouldn¡¯t do for mortals to see living proof that their nightmares lived among them.

    Donovan made his way through the stands, taking in the merchandise. He preferred male servants, in the past he had possessed female ones, however there tended to be personality clashes. Females were trained differently from males, no matter how far equality between sexes had come over the centuries. Through the bustle and crowd he picked out a man, a vampire, who he was itching to get his hands on, one of those responsible for his long sleep. Braedon Walker. He had been expelled from his family for his strange proclivities and was forced to use the name associated with outcasts. He dressed and behaved the way movies portrayed vampires, complete with capes. The man, like Donovan, had not changed. At least Donovan had an excuse. Braedon did not.

    It was unfortunate that the rules of the bazaar prevented him from killing Braedon right there.

    ¡°I have three left before they cut me off. How am I to be blamed for the fragility of these ten dollar humans they give us?¡± Braedon complained to a companion of his, he was as loud and as obnoxious as Donovan remembered.

    ¡°Ah, Braedon, you have to remember that a human is not a vampire, I''m surprised you haven''t been murdered in your sleep or that you haven''t been cut off completely.¡± Donovan said calmly, approaching the pair.

    Braedon did not spin about with the graceful ease of Bella Lugosi in his prime, but rather, stumbled and nearly tripped on the end of his cape, immediate terror replacing the look of superiority normally plastered on his face.

    ¡°You!¡± Braedon yelped, pulling the sides of his cape inwards for protection.

    Donovan smiled cruelly, ¡°yes, Braedon, me. How good to see you again.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± He whispered back, blinking several times as if by doing so would somehow make Donovan disappear into smoke.

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    ¡°It matters not, all that matters is that I''m here. I do wonder, how do you go through so many servants?¡± He questioned, ¡°it seems as though you haven''t changed at all over the years. I was asleep, what excuse do you have for your choice in, fashion?¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI¡ª¡° Braedon stammered, looking between his companion, a rather attractive Egyptian woman, and Donovan. ¡°I am an icon of fashion,¡± he defended weakly, trying to recover some semblance of a backbone, ¡°I trust you slept well.¡±

    ¡°As well as can be expected considering the circumstances of my,¡± he paused, locking eyes with him, ¡°nap.¡±

    ¡°I think I should probably get going,¡± Braedon¡¯s friend spoke up, taking a few steps back to distance herself from the pair, ¡°it was¡ª¡° she paused, ¡°¡ª-nice meeting you again, Braedon.¡± She fled into the crowd before he could stop her.

    Braedon huffed, watching her go, and came dangerously close to stomping a foot, ¡°she was my ride home!¡± He snapped, glaring back at Donovan, though not quite meeting his eyes. Still a coward.

    ¡°I would be happy to take you home, Braedon.¡± He knew the other vampire would never accept but he could only hope it would be that easy.

    ¡°The others are still against you, Donovan. If you try anything funny tonight, our next trick will be far more permanent,¡± Braedon mumbled, trying to keep his voice down and losing any effect he might have had with his empty threat.

    Donovan couldn''t help but laugh, ¡°oh, Braedon, you have made my day, I must say. You are humorous. Thank you for that. I know better than you to behave myself at the bazaar.¡±

    Braedon growled. Actually growled, like a defensive mutt, ¡°just keep your distance and we won¡¯t have any problems.¡±

    ¡°Braedon, we already have a problem, we¡¯ve had one ever since you decided to kill indiscriminately in my city and put me to sleep. We will continue to have problems until the day I kill you. For now, I will allow you to live, to find your latest victim, but I will not allow you to destroy a perfectly good servant so I suggest you choose one of the low cost slaves or leave until I have completed my business.¡±

    Braedon¡¯s mouth hung open, as if he¡¯d lost his ability to speak. He squeezed his white-gloved fists together, eyes darting nervously about the room, finally finding his tongue after a good half minute or so, ¡°watch your back, Donovan.¡± Then he attempted to gracefully slip away, tripping one or two times on the ends of his cape, effectively ruining the effect he¡¯d been trying for.

    Donovan sighed and shook his head, he would have to keep an eye on the man but first he needed to find a good servant. It seemed as if there were quite a few to choose from this evening.

    There were very few ledgers on the tables where the bids did not outweigh the value of the servants and slaves available. It seemed the market had become far more competitive. Oh how very much the world had changed.

    <hr>

    Too hungry to risk visiting with Chuck and the other hunters, Gabriel found that without Donovan in the house he had never felt more truly alone in his life. After about a day, the sound of Ruben¡¯s heartbeat began to get to him. So he went for a drive to calm himself down. He didn¡¯t like the old bastard, but he also didn¡¯t want to eat him either.

    It had only been a month since he¡¯d moved in with his--what, his maker? Sire? Somehow Gabriel couldn¡¯t quite bring himself to call Donovan ¡®master¡¯. Or anything else. Calling him a roommate or a landlord didn¡¯t quite fit the bill either. So just Donovan¡¯s name would have to do for now. Were they friends?

    Gabriel pulled into a bar parking lot, about half an hour south of the city. This seemed about as good a place as any to go. If he was surrounded by people, he probably wouldn¡¯t do anything stupid. He could keep his head straight. Talk to someone. Anyone.

    ¡°This is so fucked up,¡± he cursed, pressing his forehead to the top of his steering wheel and trying to calm his racing thoughts. Gabriel honestly didn¡¯t know what he was going to do next, and he hated to think that now he¡¯d have eternity to think about it.

    Somehow he managed to leave his car and cross the parking lot without even really being aware of what he was doing. It sort of felt like he was on autopilot. Then he was inside, the fresh stink of old sweat and poor life choices immediately assaulting him.

    He was surprised at the fact that the moment he walked through the door a young woman approached him.

    ¡°Heeeeey,¡± she smiled, ¡°what''s a guy like you doing here, all alone?¡± she flipped long, blonde hair over her shoulders, smiling at him.

    ¡°That¡¯s--that¡¯s a new one,¡± Gabriel replied humorously, giving her a quick once-over. Cheap clothes. Cheap make-up. Just old enough for a guy to feel safe driving her home, but not quite old enough not to look like she was playing dress-up. Everything was one size too tight, packing her in like a sausage casing. She could be pretty. Maybe. ¡°Just grabbing a drink. You want one?¡± He added, oddly compelled to keep her close. His hand itched to grab her by the waist, but he managed to control that urge. He wasn¡¯t 14, he could be patient.

    ¡°I would love one.¡± She smiled, laughing as she lightly touched his shoulder, moving closer to him. Under the body mist, he smelled something altogether more enticing, and it was all he could do not to lose control then and there. What was he doing? He had to go home, but--

    ¡°Name¡¯s Gabe,¡± he offered, eyes fastened on her neckline where dark, caked-on foundation melted into creamy white skin. He was so close. She would taste like light beer and cigarettes, he told himself. Not worth biting.

    ¡°Cynthia,¡± she was going for sultry purr and maybe if he was drunk it would have sounded like one but it was far from it while he was sober. It sounded more like an asthmatic groan.

    She wasn¡¯t much for conversation once they were at the bar and Cynthia had her chipped nails wrapped around a frosty wine cooler, not bothering to use the glass of ice beside it. Everything she said seemed to revolve around innuendos and her sleazy ex.

    Gabriel forced himself to smile and nurse at some whiskey on the rocks without really tasting it. ¡°So do you live around here? Got family in the area?¡± He asked, shifting just slightly in his seat when he felt slender fingers grabbing clumsily at his thigh.

    ¡°My brother,¡± she huffed, ¡°we¡¯re estranged, he doesn''t matter.¡± She slid closer, her lips brushing against his ear, ¡°come on, Gabe, why don''t we get out of here?¡±

    The whole point of going for a drive had been to avoid doing anything stupid, which was exactly why he was going to responsibly escort her to the door and call a taxi. That was exactly what he was going to do. Exactly. Even when they¡¯d reached his car, and she was sliding into the passenger seat, he was still determined to pull out his cell. Then he started the engine, and that plan pretty much went out the window.

    ¡°So where do you live?¡± He asked, keeping his eyes focused straight ahead. He could hear her heartbeat, now. Stronger than Ruben¡¯s. Faster. He liked that.

    ¡°Mmm, we can go wherever you want, honey,¡± she slid her hand up his thigh, ¡°do whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°You sure about that?¡± He killed the engine and thanked god for tinted windows. Nobody was outside anyway. ¡°You can change your mind, go back inside right now and forget all about me,¡± he suggested, though it sounded like playful teasing. She probably didn¡¯t hear the edge of desperation in his voice.

    She giggled, sliding her hand up his thigh, ¡°I think I like it right here.¡±

    Gabriel closed his eyes to steady himself, which was a terrible idea. Now her heartbeat seemed even louder. More inviting. He lifted his left hand to open his door and get a breath of fresh air, but found himself gravitating towards her instead, and when he opened his eyes, the change was almost instant. Her coy smile turned into a breathless scream, blouse shredding where he gripped her, bringing his victim close enough to taste. To kill. Thank god for seat covers, hopefully Ruben could get the spill off the carpet.

 Chapter Twenty-Nine

    It felt good to be home. The trip had been a good one and he had found, what he hoped would be, the perfect servant. Clarence had the best qualifications he had seen in a long time and his breeding was impeccable. When they pulled up in front of the house, however, he knew something was off. He knew Gabriel had killed while he was away but he also knew the young vampire hadn''t eaten since then. It had only been a matter of two days, which was nothing to Donovan. For a fledgling, however, that was an entirely different matter.

    The energy inside the house was nervous. Ruben had hardly given Clarence a judgmental glance at all when he answered the door, instead choosing to focus on Donovan.

    ¡°Master, I am afraid Gabriel has refused to leave his room for the past couple of evenings. He has left the bottles in the hall untouched, despite my best efforts. I did not know what to do.¡±

    Donovan couldn''t help but sigh, ¡°Ruben, show Clarence the house and go over the tasks you take care of on a daily basis. I will go take care of Gabriel.¡± He touched one of the lions on the head as he made his way upstairs to Gabriel¡¯s room. Three bottles lay untouched by the door and it tempted Donovan not to knock at all but he had respect for his fledgling. He knocked firmly, ¡°Gabriel, I''m home.¡±

    There was momentary silence. An instant. A few seconds. Yet they might as well have been hours, as long as it seemed to take for the lock of the door to click before Gabriel swung it open. He did not look good.

    ¡°What took you so long?¡± Gabriel asked, looking down at the bottles on the ground and then forcing his eyes back up to meet Donovan¡¯s. Too tired to be defiant.

    ¡°I returned as soon as I was able.¡± He bent down, picking up one of the bottles, ¡°you need to drink. I know you haven''t been eating properly.¡±

    Gabriel looked as if he was going to close the door, which wouldn¡¯t have ended well. ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± he replied sullenly, stepping aside to allow Donovan to enter his room. ¡°It makes me feel weird. Every time I drink, I feel like someone else. Like I¡¯m losing a bit of myself. I don¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°You''re not losing yourself, if you don''t eat, however, you will. You will lose your mind to hunger, to the beast, become nothing more than a ravening monster. Consumed with nothing but the desire to eat.¡± He held out a bottle to him, ¡°drink.¡±

    Sullen, Gabriel took the bottle from him and glared down at it, ¡°I feel like an addict.¡±

    ¡°When you were human, were you addicted to food? To taking in sustenance? This is the same, the only difference is that food comes in a different form.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t have a conversation with a side of beef or a carrot,¡± Gabriel replied, uncorking the bottle, ¡°it¡¯s different.¡± He lifted it to his lips, inhaling the scent of heavily spiced wine and blood.

    ¡°You are at the top of the food chain now, Gabriel, you need to learn to accept that. The blood wine will only take the edge off, you will need to eat sooner rather than later.¡± He left off the fact that he would force the issue if he needed to. His patience was reaching its limits.

    Gabriel was about a quarter of the way through the bottle before he lowered it to wipe at his mouth with the cuff of his sweater sleeve, fortunate that he¡¯d worn black tonight. ¡°So what does that mean?¡± He lowered the bottle a little, ¡°I killed someone while you were gone. I can¡¯t control myself. I don¡¯t want to risk doing that again.¡± There wasn¡¯t any defiance in his tone this time, just exhaustion. Exhaustion and disgust with himself.

    ¡°If you would eat normally then you wouldn''t have the issues with control that you do now. In order to subsist on smaller quantities of blood you must eat regularly. There are donors that we can utilize but only after you gain more control.¡±

    ¡°Why is this so easy for you?¡± Gabriel asked, draining even more from the bottle. Faster than he would have just a few days ago. He was not improving.

    ¡°It wasn''t always easy. I''ve been alive for thousands of years, in my human years I was a hunter, I had a family. Do you think it was easy for me to kill when I was first turned?¡± He shook his head, ¡°my sire made sure I got what I needed and it did get easier over time. It will get easier for you as well.¡±

    Gabriel only spoke again when the bottle was finally empty, and the wine dancing through his bloodstream. The effects weren¡¯t like regular wine was to a living person. They were more subtle. A calmer temperament. Warm, but not quite flushed skin. Little things. ¡°What was your family like?¡± He asked with genuine curiosity, handing Donovan the empty bottle.

    ¡°I was a hunter. We lived off the land, my father, brothers, and I would go on extended hunting trips to supply food for our tribe.¡± He took a seat on the edge of the bed, ¡°we were normal by societal standards.¡±

    Once Donovan had placed the empty bottle on Gabriel¡¯s night stand, the younger vampire sat beside him, not close enough to touch, but at least enough to know that he wasn¡¯t upset at Donovan. ¡°How¡¯d you end up as a bloo--vampire?¡±

    ¡°My sire, Ignatius, stalked me, to put it mildly. He saw me hunting and liked what he saw. He is a man of exacting tastes, I think you''ll like him when you meet.¡±

    Gabriel relaxed a little, ¡°how old are you?¡±

    ¡°Exactly? I lost count but well over two thousand years. Ignatius and I were in Rome at the time of the crucifixion.¡±

    Gabriel looked somewhat dubious, ¡°you¡¯re kidding. You can¡¯t be that old. There¡¯s no way anyone can live that long without having a slip-up somewhere along the line. Didn¡¯t any hunters ever catch on and come after you? Angry mobs? Nuns with sharp sticks?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we faced our share of hunters and mobs. The French revolution was a difficult time. Ignatius is ancient, one of the first, he knows how to avoid most problems.¡± He paused for a moment, ¡°I was not careful in my youth, however, my sister was far worse. She was reckless and was the cause of our issues during the revolution. Indiscriminate killing does not go over well with the populace.¡±

    Gabriel¡¯s interest was piqued, which served as a nice distraction from his dour mood, ¡°so you¡¯ve got a sister?¡± This was the first time since the night Gabriel had first confronted Donovan that they¡¯d had a nice conversation.

    ¡°Yes, both biologically and in blood. She had been badly injured, was dying, and I begged Ignatius to save her. He did, but in the end I''m sure he regretted giving in to my request. She went feral, at the time we didn''t have blood wine so we were unable to prolong the amount of time it took. You are headed in that direction. She made it through, not everyone does, but I don''t want to see it happen to you.¡±

    Gabriel clasped his hands loosely over his knees, finding a spot on the carpet at the foot of the bed that suddenly became absolutely fascinating, ¡°is she dead?¡±

    ¡°No, she''s alive. Honestly I was surprised she survived the French Revolution. I haven''t seen her in many years. She wasn''t removed from our line, our family, but she is estranged.¡±

    ¡°So¡ª¡° Gabriel looked up at him, ¡°is that what we are? Family?¡± He didn¡¯t seem upset at the idea, but very confused. ¡°Should I call you dad from now on?¡±

    ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t call me dad. I am your sire but calling me Donovan is just fine. We are family and as such we do have a family name. Viatorem is our family name. A name grants certain privileges, and our name is well known.¡± He explained, ¡°this affords us a certain status amongst vampires and even with other supernaturals.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a lot to take in. Not too sure I really want more hunters finding out about--¡± Gabriel waved an arm in the air, ¡°--all this. Doesn¡¯t really make me look too good. I mean, yeah, I know I¡¯m probably not going to run into them anytime soon, but it¡¯s weird. It¡¯s just weird.¡±

    ¡°It may be unavoidable, however unless someone goes around vocalizing the fact that you are a vampire, no one will know.¡±

    ¡°They probably all know now anyway,¡± Gabriel shrugged after he spoke, a little defeated, ¡°I mean someone sent those assholes to kill me that night. I talked to Chuck this morning and they don¡¯t have any leads. Don¡¯t even know who those two guys we killed were.¡±

    ¡°If you would like we can find out. I still have contacts that I can utilize. If that¡¯s something you desire. I have but one request, come eat, properly.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯d like to know. The only way I can think they found out is that someone was spying on us.¡± Gabriel paused, ¡°you¡¯re not talking about just your blood, or something from a bottle, are you?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not. I would like you to come hunting with me.¡±

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    An uneasy silence stretched between them. Their pleasant conversation had taken a turn towards the question that time and again Gabriel had refused to answer. Only he didn¡¯t have the luxury now. It would be unfortunate if he forced Donovan¡¯s hand on this.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Gabriel relented, tired and defeated. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± It had been far too long since Donovan had felt sympathy. He found it was becoming a habit with his youngest childe, inspiring that feeling in him. Not altogether unpleasant, but unfamiliar. If any of the other fledglings he¡¯d sired had been so obstinate, they wouldn¡¯t have lasted this long. But Gabriel had released Donovan from prison, albeit unwittingly, and for that alone he would be eternally grateful.

    ¡°Get changed, you''re looking a little worse for wear, meet me downstairs when you''re ready to go.¡± Donovan said, standing and leaving the room. He would give Gabriel a little time to prepare himself before they went hunting.

    Downstairs, Ruben was ruthlessly lecturing Clarence in the rarely used dining room on the merit of dusting, and the dangers that accompanied it.

    ¡°I have an exhaustive ledger in the library on each and every single decoration and oddity in this house, including the highly sensitive ones. If you do not dust certain items in a counterclockwise motion, you will rue the day!¡± Ruben explained, receiving little reaction from Clarence but a nod. The young man had admirable composure.

    Once Ruben reached the end of his life Donovan would be disposing of many of the artifacts he had acquired. He didn''t like having such dangerous things in his home.

    ¡°Gentlemen, once Gabriel comes down we will be going out to hunt, take care of things while we¡¯re away.¡± He said, leading them out of the dining room and grabbing his coat as he sent a look over at the lions. They could stay, after all, he had acquired them himself.

    Clarence and Ruben bowed respectfully, the older man taking much more care not to hurt his back in the process. He had become so fragile recently, Donovan would have likely sought out another servant even without the suggestion.

    ¡°Will you desire anything to be prepared for you while you¡¯re away?¡± Clarence inquired, keeping his head bowed.

    ¡°Some tea would be good and a fire, Gabriel will need to, unwind, after.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t long before Gabriel was descending the stairs, wearing jeans and a t-shirt with a light denim jacket. Fortunately they wouldn¡¯t be attending any formal events tonight. His mood did not seem to have improved any, as he merely acknowledged Clarence with a curt nod before directing his attention to Donovan.

    ¡°How long do you think this is going to take?¡± He asked, tucking his hands into his jacket pockets.

    ¡°An hour maybe two, it depends on how quickly we find an appropriate meal.¡±

    Gabriel nodded, resigned, ¡°alright. I guess that makes sense.¡± He¡¯d be in a much better mood after he ate. Now that he wasn¡¯t alone, it would be easier to keep him distracted from the guilt he forced upon himself. It was something they would have to deal with soon.

    ¡°So my car or--¡± Gabriel paused, ¡°--one of yours?¡±

    ¡°Would you prefer yours? Whatever makes you more comfortable.¡± Getting him out to the bar would be the next challenge and if taking his car would make him more comfortable then they would take it.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Gabriel said, following him to the front door, ¡°it¡¯s clean now, so I think it¡¯ll be okay to drive." He fished his keys out of his jacket pocket, ¡°I just want to be sure nobody I know sees us. Do you know where we¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there is a small bar on the outskirts of town that will do nicely. I prefer hunting outside of where I live.¡±

    Gabriel grabbed Donovan by the shoulder just as he was opening the door, ¡°it¡¯s not the one going south past the Drury exit, is it?¡± He sounded distressed. The thought of his recent kill was so strong and forceful, Donovan saw the dead girl in Gabriel¡¯s mind, sprawled in the front seat of his car.

    ¡°No, it isn''t. Gabriel, it will be alright, you''re not alone.¡± He turned to face him as he spoke, resting his hands on his shoulders, ¡°it will be alright.¡±

    Then it was like the dream when they¡¯d met, and he was looking at the same terrified little boy haunted by a lifetime of nightmares. Still, in some ways, very human.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to kill anyone who doesn¡¯t deserve it, but how the hell can I just stand there as everyone¡¯s judge and jury?¡± Gabriel asked, meeting his eyes.

    He wanted to tell him it would pass, because it would, his connection to humanity would fade, but that would make him hold on harder. A soft sigh escaped his lips, ¡°Gabriel, trust me when I say, everything will turn out the way it needs to.¡±

    ¡°Feels like I¡¯m in a soap opera right now, but I hate how easy it is to trust you. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the blood thing or not, but it really freaks me out.¡±

    ¡°It partially is the blood, the rest is because I have done nothing to show I cannot be trusted.¡± He looked toward the car, ¡°come, we can talk more on the way.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°So, how did you find out about us?¡± Lee inquired, adjusting his glasses. They were going through the first interview with a potential client. Out of the blue he¡¯d called them last night about a large commission. The biggest hit they¡¯d ever had, to be honest. Without Gabe around to help their numbers, and since shark week had pretty much cut their jobs in half for the next year, they needed every job they could get. Misgivings or not.

    ¡°Sir?¡± Lee repeated, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I need to know how you found out about us. For our records.¡±

    The man wasn¡¯t the most eccentric person Lee had ever had to deal with in his line of work, but he was certainly a contender. His lips and the edges of his eyelids were stained black as if he¡¯d just finished up a theatrical production and didn¡¯t have the time to completely remove all of his make-up. The trenchcoat and fedora were clearly some attempt to lend an air of mystery to himself, but they only confirmed Lee¡¯s suspicions that he might be dealing with a severely disturbed parody of a human being. As if the calling card he¡¯d given each of them with just a phone number in red ink wasn¡¯t enough of a clue.

    ¡°One of your previous clients gave me your name.¡± He stumbled over his words a little, as though he was used to speaking with a different cadence. Affecting a midwest accent for no apparent reason Lee could discern.

    ¡°So you need us to hunt down a monster in the city,¡± Lee pressed on, speaking slowly. He did not get a good feeling about this man at all.

    ¡°Yes, yes, a dangerous one. Very dangerous.¡±

    ¡°What has led you to believe there is a monster, and how does it relate to your personal safety?¡± Lee was the only member of their group tactful enough with his phrasing to go through this process, and sometimes the professional wording was a challenge.

    ¡°It''s a vampire, I saw him, umm, eat, someone.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Lee asked, a little surprised, ¡°in the city?¡± The shark week had been so thorough, and Gabe¡¯s promises that Donovan didn¡¯t kill in their territory were enough to make him want to take this possible lead with a grain, or perhaps a tablespoon of salt.

    ¡°Yes, yes, so will you take the job?¡±

    ¡°This is just the initial consultation,¡± Lee stressed, lowering his pen, ¡°once I¡¯ve gotten a basic idea of what and where the activity you¡¯ve seen has been taking place, I¡¯ll call the rest of my associates into the room, and we can discuss a basic rate.¡± The additional note that he¡¯d probably ¡®lose the man¡¯s phone number¡¯ if they didn¡¯t go through with the job went unspoken.

    The man fidgeted under his gaze, ¡°is this not dire enough?¡±

    Lee resisted the urge to release a sigh at the question, which seemed to be asked by every single client, even the regulars, far more than any other, ¡°if it was to the point that this couldn¡¯t wait, then police officers would be involved in the matter, sir. We would have known about it by now. Monsters aren¡¯t as common as you might believe, and we need to confirm for ourselves the validity of any and all claims. Think of it like insurance. We are putting our credibility at risk if we don¡¯t investigate first before accepting an offer.¡± He paused, ¡°unless you have physical evidence with you right now?¡±

    The man scowled, ¡°you need to do this, it is imperative, I fear for my life.¡±

    ¡°Sir, I¡¯m sorry, but the best I can offer is some surveillance by one of my colleagues while we investigate. We don¡¯t charge for that.¡±

    He shook his head, his scowl deepening, ¡°that just won''t do, won''t do at all.¡±

    ¡°Would you like another reference? There might be other hunters in the area willing to help,¡± Lee went on, re-adjusting his glasses. The guy¡¯s eyes looked like they were about to pop out. Those thin penciled eyebrows were almost touching, as intense as his scowl had become. That bug stare was getting creepier by the second. Lee might have to call Chuck just to escort this man from the building.

    ¡°You''re the best hunters in the area, having the best is important when one¡¯s life is on the line.¡±

    Lee attempted to smile, but couldn¡¯t quite manage one, ¡°we do try our best. Do you have any questions for my coll--I¡¯m sorry, are you okay? I haven¡¯t seen you blink in the last minute or so, and I¡¯m a little concerned.¡±

    It was providence, pure and simple, when Louise barged in through the front door, waving her phone in the air, and proclaiming like a madwoman, ¡°Danny got his first lead! Some old lady at the grocery store was floating in the air and screaming latin verses at him. Remember that Satanic cult we¡¯ve been trying to track--oh, sorry.¡± She noticed the odd man sitting across from Lee, ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were interviewing.¡± Louise immediately took on a more professional air, straightening up and smoothing a stray lock of hair away from her face.

    Her mere presence was enough to help Lee release all the tension he¡¯d been holding in just by talking to this guy. She always seemed to have that effect on him. If Louise¡¯s calming presence could be bottled and sold, Lee was sure he¡¯d make a killing. ¡°Louise, this is--¡± Lee looked back at him, ¡°well, his name is Braedon. Braedon, this is one of my associates, Louise. We all sort of have the same jobs here, but she¡¯s great when it comes to tracking. If anyone can help us find your potential vampire, she can.¡±

    He nodded, visibly deflating, ¡°what do you need from me?¡±

    ¡°Location, description, and your relation to the victim should help,¡± Lee explained, tapping on his paper as Louise rounded the table to stand beside him. She somehow got the hint and looked down at his paper where he¡¯d scrawled the quick note: nutcase.

    Braedon squared his shoulders, looking at Louise, but speaking to Lee. The intense look was back. ¡°At the edge of Gruene Bow park, three miles down from the cul-de-sac, there is a mansion. Inside dwells a monster the likes of which you have never seen. He must be killed. I met him at the opera. His name is Donovan. He is--tall and--¡± Braedon seemed to be getting more worked up by the second, ¡°and--and--hideous to behold. Absolutely no sense of fashion or etiquette. He¡¯s got reddish hair and bad manners. You can¡¯t miss him. He¡¯ll be the one you feel compelled to throttle the second you lay your eyes on him!¡± He was standing now, hands pressed into the table, nails scratching the surface hard enough to leave marks.

    Lee scowled, Donovan was responsible? He doubted that, ¡°we¡¯ll look into it,¡± no, they wouldn''t be killing Donovan, at least not without proof. He glared at Braedon¡¯s nails, ¡°if you would kindly take your nails out of my desk, we¡¯ll be in contact with you.¡±

 Chapter Thirty

    He didn¡¯t know if he was going crazy from hunger, or crazy from some kind of second puberty courtesy of raging undead hormones, or just because being around Donovan these days almost made him feel normal. Gabriel didn¡¯t like that. He didn¡¯t like how miserable he felt when he was completely alone. At least when he was human, a bottle of beer and a one night stand could at least make for a fun weekend. Now he wasn¡¯t so sure that was an option anymore. Unless he wanted a hefty cleaning bill and a pack of hunters on his ass.

    Gabriel didn¡¯t move to open the passenger door once they were parked. He just peered at Donovan through the rearview mirror. ¡°Why can I see you but not me?¡± He had no reflection, and it was unsettling.

    ¡°It is one of the drawbacks of not eating. I am well nourished and you are not. You will find a greater sensitivity to sunlight and holy items as well.¡± Donovan explained, ¡°once you have a proper meal you will be able to see yourself again.¡±

    Gabriel looked down at his lap, then back at the dashboard in front of him, and through his window towards the bar. Pretty much anywhere but directly at Donovan. He didn¡¯t want to admit it, but he wasn¡¯t just righteously angry about having to do this. Hunting monsters, not people, had been his life. If he willingly went through with this again, he¡¯d have nothing left of who he used to be. He was scared.

    ¡°Gabriel, come, it''s time to get dinner. I know you want to feel better.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going in with me?¡±

    Donovan nodded, opening his door, ¡°yes, I thought you might be more comfortable that way.¡±

    A sudden buzzing sound in Gabriel¡¯s pocket caught his attention, and he was just about to check his phone, when he looked back up at Donovan, ¡°you think we¡¯ll get lucky and find someone who really deserves it?¡±

    ¡°Anything is possible, especially in a place like this.¡±

    It was at least something to hope for, Gabriel supposed. He ignored his phone for the time being and slipped out of the car, ¡°how do you normally do this? Any advice?¡±

    ¡°I look for someone who I can easily lure away, whether with the promise of sex or violence, and take them outside to a private area where I can eat without being disturbed.¡± He paused, looking at Gabriel over the top of the car, ¡°I know you''ll do well.¡±

    He¡¯d already done it on his own once. Even if Gabriel hadn¡¯t planned it. He thought about the woman he¡¯d killed, and wondered if maybe this time it would be a little less messy. Easier.

    ¡°We forgot to bring a tarp,¡± Gabriel remarked, following Donovan to the bar entrance, noting how dingey the signs looked, how dirty the grout of the red brick walls were. Nobody cared about this place. Nobody cared about the people inside. Why should he?

    Because he had to.

    ¡°We won¡¯t need one. If evidence does get in your car Ruben and Clarence will take care of it. The training servants receive is quite impressive with regards to taking care of forensic evidence.¡±

    The music was loud enough to be heard through the door as they approached, and from what Gabriel could tell judging by all the cars in the parking lot, it was probably pretty packed inside.

    ¡°Seems like a lot of work goes into being a henchman,¡± Gabriel said, pulling the door open for Donovan.

    ¡°I''m sure either of them would be more than happy to share their experiences with you if you asked.¡±

    Gabriel lowered his voice, confident that even through the blaring music assaulting their senses now as they stepped inside that Donovan would still easily make out what he was saying, ¡°what do they get out of it?¡±

    ¡°The idea is that if they do their job well they will earn eternal life, they will be rewarded by being turned.¡± He kept his voice low, matching Gabriel¡¯s.

    Given that they¡¯d probably have to be just a little bit sociopathic to even survive in their profession, that actually made a lot of sense. For a human being with little to no consideration about the value of another life, being a vampire likely had no drawbacks.

    ¡°That¡¯s--comforting, I guess. That inspires loyalty, then?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are also taught loyalty, it is trained into them.¡±

    The argument about dogs vs human beings would have to wait until another day. Gabriel was exhausted with just the idea of discussing the merits of human life with Donovan right now. Maybe his hunger was beginning to wear him down.

    ¡°So you want to try to grab a drink at the bar and-¡± Gabriel paused, struggling to find the right words, ¡°-pick a target, I guess?¡±

    Donovan nodded, motioning toward the bar, ¡°that would be agreeable.¡±

    Gabriel tucked his hands into his jacket pockets, leading the way. He very narrowly avoided stumbling into a man abruptly shoving his chair away from a bar table to show off a quivering stomach tattoo to his buddies. This place was full of class.

    Finding a small space near the corner of the bar, Gabriel hopped onto a seat, looking around him as he spoke, ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve actually hung out together away from the house since--well, since I had to move in.¡± Granted, he didn¡¯t really count the uncomfortable reunion with his friends as ¡®hanging out¡¯.

    ¡°There hasn''t been much time to do so. Things tend to progress quickly in the beginning, requiring rapid adaptation, it makes it difficult to do anything aside from learning.¡± Donovan stated, motioning to the bartender, ¡°whiskey for me, please.¡±

    ¡°I feel like I¡¯ve spent more time sleeping than anything else,¡± Gabriel replied, smiling ruefully. ¡°That normal?¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually. Sleep and rest are the most important things in the beginning. As your body changes it requires more rest to recover from the experience. Over time they will not be as necessary and you may even find yourself needing less sleep than before.¡±

    ¡°How much do you sleep?¡± Belatedly he realized what he was asking, but it was already out there in the open, ¡°I mean did the experience being trapped in the wine cellar affect that much? Are you ever afraid you¡¯re going to go to bed and not wake up again?¡±

    Donovan was silent for a moment, ¡°honestly, yes, I have no desire to sleep but it¡¯s still necessary. I only need a few hours of sleep at a time. I worry I won''t wake up, that there is some lasting damage, however there have been no signs of such, yet.¡±

    He honestly hadn¡¯t thought much about what Donovan went through. Gabriel hadn¡¯t spent much time thinking about much beyond himself lately. Ignoring the side-long curious look the bartender gave them, Gabriel ordered a double shot of rum and coke. ¡°What was it like?¡±

    ¡°I could see and hear and feel everything, I was aware, and yet unable to act. In the beginning I hoped that it would end but as time went on and the hunger raged inside I could think of nothing more than the revenge I would have when I somehow awakened. I somehow knew that one day I would wake but I didn''t know when.¡± He nodded in thanks to the bartender when his drink came, his fingers curling around the glass, ¡°I do not recommend the experience.¡±

    There was a brief pause in the bar as one song faded into silence, and groups holding wild conversations together realized the sudden absence of music. Gabriel surveyed the people around them, noting how very few seemed even remotely sober or friendly. When the next obnoxious cover of some forgotten alternative rock song began, he refocused his attention on Donovan.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Gabriel wasn¡¯t sure exactly what he was apologizing for. His own behavior, or the shit Donovan had to go through, or just the fact that he really wasn¡¯t sure how to ¡®decide¡¯ which person deserved to die tonight at his own hands. He was a little overwhelmed.

    ¡°Don''t be, it''s because of you that I''m awake now.¡± He glanced around the bar, ¡°let me teach you something.¡±

    Gabriel was somewhat nervous at that idea, ¡°like what?¡±

    Donovan tapped his temple lightly, ¡°how to read minds.¡±

    ¡°Do you have to do some weird blood exchange?¡± He asked, quiet enough so the bartender couldn¡¯t overhear them. The idea was unsettling, but Gabriel was just a little intrigued.

    ¡°Not at all. If you wanted to control them they would need to drink from you, however, reading their surface thoughts is a matter of focus, nothing more.¡±

    ¡°So I guess that¡¯s how you controlled Lee?¡± How in the hell had he managed to trick the hunter into drinking his blood?

    ¡°Yes, that is how I controlled Lee and can still control him, however, he is also protected from any form of mind manipulation that another of our kind tries on him.¡±

    Gabriel looked at him then, ¡°so if you wanted to, would it work the same way with us? Could you force me to do something I didn¡¯t want to?¡±

    ¡°No, the best I could do is make you stop doing something but only for a brief time. I could stall you so that we could discuss things but the decision would ultimately be yours.¡±

    Somehow, he knew Donovan wasn¡¯t lying to him. ¡°So how does this mind reading thing work?¡± He asked, changing the subject to something a little lighter. This was already going to be a rough night, Gabriel didn¡¯t feel like finding stupid reasons to work himself up. He¡¯d been doing enough of that lately.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Donovan turned, looking around the bar, ¡°the man in the back left corner, the one by himself. Focus on him, look through him with your mind, close your eyes and let go of your own thoughts. It¡¯s easier than it sounds.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t hard to spot the guy. He had one hand a little too enthusiastically tucked into his coat pocket, and the other bringing a cigarette to his lips with yellow-tipped fingers. Not really what anyone would call the life of the party. Not in a good way, at any rate.

    ¡°The one with the man-bun?¡± Gabriel asked, taking a gulp of his rum and coke.

    ¡°Man-bun?¡± Donovan scowled before realizing what he meant, ¡°ahh, that, yes, that one.¡±

    It was some small comfort to know diseases probably couldn¡¯t be sexually transmitted through thoughts. The guy looked like he had to have at least three. ¡°Right, okay, look through him.¡± What did that mean? Was Gabriel supposed to cross his eyes before closing them? He took a deep breath and set his drink down, not looking away from the trend-setting pervert at the back left corner of the bar. Focusing on anything but the raucous music and chatter around them was going to be a challenge.

    ¡°Close your eyes and listen to my voice.¡± Donovan spoke near his ear, just loud enough for him to hear, ¡°block out the music, block out the noise, just see the man sitting there.¡±

    It still wasn¡¯t easy, but it was easier. Whether Gabriel liked the sense of comfort he got from Donovan¡¯s presence or not, the words helped. Gabriel took his time trying to find the balance between blocking out everything and leaving just enough room to form a thought. A mental image. Then, somehow, he could just see the guy in his mind¡¯s eye. Not clearly. Just sort of a blur, followed by an onslaught of muffled words. ¡®Bitch¡¯, ¡®money¡¯, and ¡®cocktease¡¯ being the three strong enough for Gabriel to understand.

    Gabriel opened his eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m doing this right.¡±

    ¡°What did you see?¡± Donovan prompted.

    ¡°I saw him. Sort of. Heard a couple of words. I didn¡¯t get much. I mean, there was something, but that¡¯s about it.¡±

    ¡°Close your eyes and try again, it will be fleeting at first but will become clearer.¡±

    He nodded, doubtful that this next attempt would be any better. Gabriel¡¯s strong suit had always been more along the lines of--well, hunting. He strongly suspected this called for an entirely different sort of skill-set he wouldn¡¯t easily acquire. Like calculus. Or cooking that went beyond the advanced level of boiling an egg.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can do this,¡± he remarked, closing his eyes again and trying to focus. This time, it was a little easier. The man was still a blur in his mind, but the words were not.

    ¡°They¡¯re all just a bunch of sluts,¡± the man¡¯s thoughts rang out in Gabriel¡¯s head like he was sitting right beside him, ranting and raving, ¡°scissor-legging whores with yo-yo thongs. Need some cash. Bet that fat one over there would take it real--¡±

    Gabriel opened his eyes, ¡°I think I¡¯m done with that guy.¡± He had the strong urge to take a very hot shower now.

    ¡°I think you did it right.¡± Donovan couldn¡¯t help but laugh.

    Oddly enough, though Gabriel had intended to eat someone who actually had it coming, somehow he just didn¡¯t find the idea of that particular victim very appealing. The guy probably tasted like old socks and watered-down whiskey. He grabbed his rum and coke and re-directed his attention to Donovan, ¡°you--¡± just as he was about to broach the topic of hunting, he noticed a woman sitting beside Donovan sizing him up. ¡°I think you¡¯ve got company.¡±

    Donovan looked puzzled before turning to see who had decided to sit beside him, ¡°yes?¡±

    ¡°Hi,¡± she greeted him, tossing back a fall of fried blonde hair over her shoulder, ¡°so, you like this song?¡±

    ¡°It isn''t really to my taste.¡± Gabriel could tell that Donovan disliked being hit on by the woman, he could tell that the elder vampire saw her as inferior.

    ¡°So,¡± she traced a finger idly over her half-empty snifter as she spoke, ¡°what kind of music do you like?¡±

    Gabriel restrained himself from butting in to whatever conversation she was trying to start. He didn¡¯t care to explore why he was irritated. Maybe he was picking up on Donovan¡¯s feelings. Christ, she was touching his shoulder now. Couldn¡¯t she take a hint?

    Donovan narrowed his eyes, ¡°I prefer classical music, although I do enjoy a good rock ballad now and then. I was attempting to have a conversation with my friend, if you wouldn¡¯t mind I would like to continue it.¡± If that wasn¡¯t a dismissal Gabriel didn¡¯t know what was.

    Pursing her lips, she looked away, thoroughly insulted. It was hard not to feel just a little satisfied at that reaction. She¡¯d probably saved herself the trouble of being eaten, too.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind me,¡± Gabriel assured Donovan just loud enough for him to hear without getting the woman¡¯s attention, ¡°I can look after myself if you really want to get to know her.¡±

    Donovan raised an eyebrow, ¡°no, I have no interest in the woman, she would be good for you, however.¡±

    It was with no small measure of surprise that Gabriel realised the idea didn¡¯t bother him quite as much as it might have earlier in the evening. His hunger was already getting worse, and his irritation at their brief interruption only seemed to add to that.

    ¡°No,¡± Gabriel reluctantly decided, ¡°not her.¡± A criminal, he reminded himself. Someone who had it coming. Not just a bar-hopping bimbo with no concept of personal space. ¡°Why weren¡¯t you interested, though?¡± He asked out of more than just innocent curiosity.

    ¡°While she is healthy, the ascetics were not up to my standards. Also, this is about you, we need to get you sustenance, not me.¡±

    The thought of peering into each and every mind in this bar just to find a meal was in itself exhausting. Why couldn¡¯t violent psychopaths or rapists just have the words tattooed on their foreheads?

    ¡°I¡¯d kill for a cigarette right now,¡± Gabriel mumbled, tossing back the rest of his drink. It didn¡¯t hit his head like it used to.

    ¡°It won''t have any affect on you now.¡± Donovan replied, ¡°it will merely serve to make you smell of smoke.¡±

    Gabriel shrugged, ¡°I like the taste.¡± He continued scanning the people around them, closing his eyes to focus on one or the other every few minutes to see if he could pick out any incriminating thoughts. The worst he could find was a wife-beating alcoholic tossing back colitas with his piece on the side. Was that enough to cost the guy his life?

    Redirecting his attention back at Donovan, but keeping the guy in mind, Gabriel scowled at his maker, ¡°this--how the hell am I going to do this? Follow him to the john?¡± It was beginning to feel like his stomach was eating itself, and he was reminded again of the chick he¡¯d lost control with at the other bar.

    ¡°You could do that or threaten him, challenge him to a fight or wait until he goes to leave and follow.¡±

    He supposed it was a stupid question. ¡°Alright, I guess I¡¯m going in.¡± His phone was buzzing in his pocket again, but Gabriel ignored it in favor of tipping the bartender before he slipped away and navigated through a group of barely-legal drunks stumbling towards the bathroom together. Gabriel¡¯s target had decided to come up for air from his girlfriend¡¯s reddened, patchy neck. Picking a fight the old fashioned way seemed too easy, so, instead, he rapped his knuckles on the table to get the girl¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you ditch the geezer?¡± Gabriel asked, putting on his best fake smile. He probably looked like the world¡¯s biggest douchebag right now, which was the goal. Should¡¯ve popped up his collar too.

    The man glared up at him, ¡°who the hell do you think you are, jackass?¡±

    ¡°Whoa there,¡± Gabriel held his hands up in front of him, ¡°take it easy, old-timer, just trying to show your daughter a good time.¡±

    The man slammed his hands down on the table, spilling his beer across the wood surface, ¡°what you say to me, boy?¡± He got to his feet, lip curled back in a snarl. It was not a flattering look.

    Throughout the exchange, the eye candy at the table remained quiet, her expression quickly shifting from one of mild interest in Gabriel to nervous fear when her companion locked eyes with her for a split second.

    ¡°I said you¡¯re a fat old fuck,¡± Gabriel pressed on, his smile growing wider and more vicious. He hadn¡¯t been on any hunts in awhile, it¡¯d be good to throw in a few punches before he went in for the kill.

    The bartender¡¯s voice cut through the bar, somehow making it over the music and the sounds of conversation, ¡°hey! You two! Take it outside!¡±

    The man growled, ¡°yeah, I''ll take it outside alright.¡± He grabbed Gabriel by the collar of his jacket, jerking him toward the door. He had no doubt in his mind he could break the guy¡¯s wrist if he just gave it one good twist, but that would cause even more of a scene.

    Gabriel cast one look back at Donovan, not quite sure how they¡¯d cover this up later. If the older vampire could mess with people¡¯s heads, could he really do it to enough people for this asshole to go unnoticed when he went missing?

    Once they were safely outside, Gabriel immediately shoved the guy off of him so he could remove his jacket to prevent staining, another part of his mind beginning to take over. It was like he¡¯d begun to shut something off inside himself, the minute he decided he was going to eat this guy. He didn¡¯t care about wrong or right. He just wanted blood.

    The man pulled his hands up, balling them into fists, ¡°let''s go pretty boy!¡±

    ¡°How much does she cry?¡± Gabriel asked, abrupt and biting, ¡°your wife. When you rough her up at night. She know about your little piece of ass in there?¡± He tossed his jacket to the ground, gauging the man¡¯s facial expression as he spoke.

    The man swung, lip pulled back in a snarl, ¡°you son of a bitch!¡±

    Gabriel didn¡¯t move, didn¡¯t flinch. He let the fist cup him in the ear, and then immediately lashed out. It was almost scary how quick he was able to move, and how little the punch actually hurt. He caught the man¡¯s arm and held tight to it, squeezing until he could feel his own nails cutting into thick skin. Gabriel tasted iron on the air.

    The man let out a whimpering cry, trying to pull away, ¡°lemme go!¡± he swung with his other hand, trying to beat on him, to pry his fingers off. The harder he fought, the more excited Gabriel got, and the louder the sound of the man¡¯s pumping heart seemed to get. Then, that was all he could hear as he felt his own fangs cutting into his bottom lip.

    ¡°Shhhh,¡± Gabriel whispered, pulling him closer and sealing a hand over his victim¡¯s mouth before he could actually start screaming for help. It was already a blessing nobody had rushed out of the bar yet to see the fight. Not even this guy¡¯s girlfriend. Fights were probably so routine out here that they just didn¡¯t care.

    He had the man¡¯s arms pinned behind his back now, somehow wrestling with his one free hand to manage that seemingly impossible task. Super-human strength had its benefits.

    Licking his lips, Gabriel leaned close to the man¡¯s neck, ignoring the stale beer stench mixed with BO. He needed this. There weren¡¯t any good reasons that came to mind in the moment to fight it. Belatedly, he realized he should at least try to get better cover in case anyone did decide to come watch them, so Gabriel drug the man behind a large pickup truck. It was as easy as carrying a rag doll, even with his victim kicking and screaming through Gabriel¡¯s hand that still firmly kept his head in place so his neck was exposed.

    He had just barely nicked the skin. Could feel his prize waiting beneath the surface, taste it, when Gabriel¡¯s phone buzzed in his pocket, and the spell of the moment was shattered. He cursed under his breath, shoving the man up against the pickup truck beside them with one arm pinning his chest while he used his free hand to fish out the fucking cell phone.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Gabe? I''m glad you answered,¡± it was Lee and honestly, Gabriel found himself annoyed by the fact his meal was being interrupted, ¡°listen, something weird is going on.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s news?¡± Gabriel snarked, looking back at the man he¡¯d pinned to the truck. The fight had gone out of him by now, but he looked like he was getting ready for a good scream if Gabriel didn¡¯t end this soon. ¡°Did you need something, Lee?¡± He focused his gaze on his victim, locking eyes with him as a warning, only--shit, was he really going to go through with this? In an instant, he was his old self, and the thrill he¡¯d gotten from beating the shit out of this guy suddenly came with a sharp pang of guilt to accompany it.

    Gabriel dropped his phone and stepped back from the man, letting him collapse to the ground. Then, Gabriel ran. He didn¡¯t have a clue where he was going.

 Chapter Thirty-One

    Donovan drummed his fingers against the bar top. The connection with Gabriel was strained, pulled tight from his childe¡¯s refusal to drink. Hopefully, this meal would at least fix some of the damage done. He could feel that Gabriel was close and then, it was like something snapped inside him and their connection was severed. He immediately stilled, knowing what that meant, his childe had gone feral.

    The vampire stood, tossing a few dollars on the bar before striding outside, looking for where he had taken his failed meal. He found the large man curled into a ball and sobbing, Gabriel''s phone on the ground beside him.

    ¡°Gabe? Come on, this isn''t funny. Gabe!¡± Lee¡¯s voice came from the small piece of metal and plastic.

    He picked up the phone, holding it to his ear, ¡°Lee, what did you say to him?¡±

    The pause on the other end of the line wasn¡¯t unsurprising, ¡°D-Donovan? What--where¡¯s Gabe?¡±

    ¡°I am unsure, answer the question, what did you say to him.¡±

    ¡°Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. I just said something funny was going on, then I heard something cracking and it sounded like someone was crying. Is that Gabe?¡±

    ¡°No, I need to find him, I need to know where he would have gone.¡± It was difficult to stay calm when Gabriel was likely gorging himself on the nearest humans he could find. He shouldn¡¯t have let him leave his eyesight.

    ¡°Uh, well if he isn¡¯t coming here, maybe his apartment. There¡¯s a storage unit we¡¯ve got rented out, and there¡¯s the area by the river we¡¯ve been investigating lately. I¡¯ll get Chuck and Louise to try to call him. Wait, you¡¯ve got his phone. Oh god.¡± The man who never seemed to be without an intelligent thought was babbling now. ¡°Maybe he went to a church?¡± Lee tacked on, desperation creeping into his tone.

    ¡°He would go somewhere familiar, I shall go to his apartment. He would not even go near a church, let alone in one. If you find him, keep your distance, he is not himself. You must call me immediately, I will have his phone with me.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Lee agreed, ¡°tell us if you find him, too. We¡¯ve been worried about him.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± without another word, Donovan hung up on him, ¡°Gabriel, why do you have to be so stubborn.¡±

    He looked down at the crying man, at least he could get some sustenance out of the situation. He grabbed him by the back of his shirt and hauled him to his feet, driving his fangs into his throat and drinking deeply. There was more pain than there needed to be, more blood spilt than usual, but it was some measure of comfort to take out some of his frustration.

    There wouldn¡¯t be much time to dispose of the body properly, so the trunk of Gabriel¡¯s car would have to do for now. No telling how soon Gabriel¡¯s sanity would snap. If it hadn¡¯t already.

    <hr>

    How did he get here? Gabriel couldn¡¯t quite remember the details. Everything seemed to be getting fuzzy now, like he¡¯d been up for a couple of days without sleeping and had thoroughly exhausted any chance his brain had of functioning normally. He was at his apartment door. He didn¡¯t have his keys.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Gabriel said aloud, patting his pockets. ¡°Where¡¯d they go?¡± He asked himself, then reached for the doorknob, expecting it to open. It didn¡¯t. Right, he needed his keys. He didn¡¯t have his keys. Gabriel tried to grab his phone from his pocket, belatedly remembering he didn¡¯t have that with him either. ¡°Shit.¡±

    ¡°Gabriel? Are you alright?¡± It was his neighbor, Alice. She was a sweet older lady who brought him cookies whenever she baked, which was often. The ¡®Leave it to Beaver Mom¡¯ he never got to have.

    He didn¡¯t immediately register her question, too focused on willing his cellphone to be in one pocket of his jeans and the keys in the other. She had to repeat his name before he could break the spell.

    ¡°Gabriel?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Alice?¡± He looked back at her, blinking several times. If he squinted, he almost thought he could see the branches of her veins and arteries. It was almost beautiful. ¡°When did you get here? Have you seen my keys?¡± Maybe she knew.

    She shook her head, ¡°no, but honey, you don''t look so good, come, I''ll get you some coffee.¡± She took his arm, leading him toward her apartment. He noticed how very blue the grays in her hair seemed to be. The sluggish beat of her pulse thrumming in his mind the moment her skin touched his. She¡¯d tear like rice paper, he thought, becoming more and more distant in his own mind. Her kitchen smelled like baked apples. Was that what she¡¯d taste like, too?

    ¡°Coffee is good,¡± Gabriel belatedly replied, though it took him far longer to even come up with that short statement than it should have. He was already sitting at her kitchen table at that point. When did he even sit down? Gabriel didn¡¯t remember. It was like he was losing time. One moment jumped to the next without warning, and just trying to hold on to any singular thought took every ounce of concentration he could muster. Alice. Alice¡¯s blood. Did she need all of it? Any of it?

    ¡°You don''t look well, Gabriel. Have you been getting enough sleep?¡± She asked, pouring grounds into the filter of her coffee maker. He wrinkled his nose at the smell. It was a thousand times stronger than any other coffee he¡¯d ever known. Why would she give him something like that?

    ¡°Alice,¡± Gabriel said her name, standing up from the table and approaching her slowly. It took an effort to put his feet in the right place to carry him forward. It took even more not to launch himself at her. ¡°I¡¯m a good person,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m--I mean, I am.¡±

    She scowled, resting her hands on his shoulders, ¡°of course you are Gabriel, you''ve always been a good man.¡±

    He liked Alice. He really did. She was nice. She had a laugh that made him think of a humming radiator, deep and raspy. Her scream turned out to be just like her laugh. She didn¡¯t get a chance to finish making the coffee. It was just as well. Gabriel didn¡¯t remember why he¡¯d even want it.

    It was a waking nightmare worse than anything he¡¯d ever dreamed. Worse than the memories of his parents dead in the arms of a monster. Worse than the days spent in that same monster¡¯s basement, fighting his growing hunger when he was still alive enough to fight it. Only now Gabriel was dead. He had killed before. He had enjoyed it. Now, because he¡¯d tried so hard not to kill again, he couldn¡¯t control himself. Gabriel¡¯s body moved on its own, and it didn¡¯t even feel like he¡¯d be able to stop if he tried. Alice¡¯s blood tasted so incredible. When he was done, and the old woman became nothing but a ragdoll crumpled on the linoleum, he still couldn¡¯t control himself.

    He¡¯d become a passenger, only able to feel, trapped in his head while the monster he¡¯d been terrified of becoming took over. Gabriel tried to reach towards that mental path he¡¯d come to know so well between himself and Donovan, but there was nothing. Only hunger. Only madness.

    <hr>

    ¡°Lee, I--¡± Louise cut herself off, drawing a hand up to her forehead while she blindly reached for the coffee pot on the counter. ¡°Why can¡¯t we go to Donovan and Gabe¡¯s place right now?¡± She¡¯d asked him several times already, but the answer kept flying away. Then she didn¡¯t even remember if he said anything at all, and she¡¯d get this sharp pain in her head. They must have been playing this back-and-forth game for about twenty minutes, but she still had this compulsion. This need. They had to go there. She was supposed to talk to Donovan. It didn¡¯t strike her how odd it was that she didn¡¯t even know why she was supposed to. It was just this vague, but unshakable fact in her mind. She had to go there. She just had to.

    Lee shook his head, ¡°I told you, he''s not going to be there. What''s wrong with you?¡± he asked with a scowl, ¡°are you feeling alright?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she admitted, just then realizing she was dangerously close to pouring her coffee into a potted cactus and not the mug she¡¯d been trying to aim for. ¡°So, why can¡¯t we go there?¡± She paused, ¡°sorry.¡±

    ¡°Come on, Louise, let''s go check his apartment, I don''t want to leave you on your own.¡±

    ¡°His apartment,¡± she repeated, setting the coffee pot down without even bothering to fill her mug. ¡°You think he¡¯ll be there? Will Donovan?¡± She didn¡¯t know why she was asking. It didn¡¯t make sense that he¡¯d be there if he was looking for Gabe. Her brain felt like it was short-wired. Maybe she needed to get more sleep. God knew they¡¯d all been overworked lately.

    He scowled, pushing her ahead of him, ¡°who? Gabe or Donovan? They might be, I don''t know, but we need to exhaust all the possibilities.¡±

    Louise just let him push her where she needed to go, didn¡¯t even stop to grab her purse or phone. They had a direction, and something told her that was really important. More important than helping their friend or figuring out what was going on with him. ¡°Maybe we can swing by Donovan¡¯s house if he isn¡¯t at the apartment,¡± she suggested as if the idea had suddenly struck her.

    Lee glared at her, shoving her into the car, ¡°yeah, sure, fine.¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    She knew he had no intention of actually going there, he had already said as much, but his false agreement seemed to quiet something in her mind, to appease it. Maybe they would find Gabe and then Lee would have to take her to see Donovan? Yes, they¡¯d go to Gabe¡¯s apartment and then they would find Donovan. She didn¡¯t have a plan after that point, but it seemed like an itch she couldn¡¯t scratch. In the back of her mind, something was hiding. A thought trying to shake itself loose. It would all become clearer once they saw Donovan.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why Gabe ran away. He seemed like he was doing okay.¡± Louise observed, buckling her seatbelt, ¡°you don¡¯t think Donovan did something crazy, do you? Maybe Gabe got hurt and he just didn¡¯t come to us because he wanted to protect us.¡±

    ¡°Donovan sounded worried when I spoke to him, very worried, I think something happened but I¡¯m not sure what. I don¡¯t think Donovan had anything to do with it.¡± He stated as he got behind the wheel and buckled up.

    She looked at Lee for a moment, studying his face. ¡°Why did things have to change so much? I miss the way it used to be.¡± She missed knowing they were the good guys. Now it just felt like they were hypocrites. Allied with Donovan, a vampire, and Gabe. She loved Gabe, but she hated knowing that he had to kill people. She hated that they had to just let it happen, too. ¡°It was a lot easier.¡±

    Lee closed his eyes for a moment as he turned the key, ¡°I know, I wish everything could go back to the way it was too. Maybe, maybe when we find Gabe we can figure out how to fix things. There has to be a way, right?¡± He lowered his voice so she could barely hear, ¡°if he even wants to come back.¡±

    They hadn¡¯t really talked about it since the night Gabe had showed up with Donovan to tell them how things were going to be. They¡¯d just tried to focus on work. Chuck drank a little more. Danny tried even harder to learn the ropes of hunting, and even if he still hadn¡¯t managed to go on any real hunts without freaking out--he¡¯d been doing better. Lee and Louise hardly spent time outside of the office together anymore. Louise privately wondered if they were punishing themselves for failing Gabe. What could they honestly have done better besides locked him up where nobody could touch him?

    ¡°I want him to come back. I really do,¡± Louise said, rolling down her window so she could prop her elbow over the side and catch some cool air once Lee got onto the road. ¡°If something¡¯s wrong, I can¡¯t hurt him. I can¡¯t.¡±

    He pulled out of the parking lot, heading toward Gabe¡¯s apartment, ¡°hopefully it won¡¯t come to that.¡± She could tell that he was steeling himself for the possibility of harming their friend.

    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Louise emphasized, pointedly changing the subject, ¡°it¡¯s not really Gabe¡¯s place anymore, is it?¡± Louise asked, ¡°it¡¯s been months. He probably stopped paying rent.¡±

    Lee rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little sheepish, ¡°I may have covered it for the past few months, hoping that he would come back, and I was thinking he might want some of his things.¡±

    Louise looked over at him in disbelief, ¡°how¡¯d you manage to get that much money?¡± She frowned, ¡°you didn¡¯t pick up a night job again, did you?¡±

    ¡°Well, I, you see,¡± he sighed, closing his eyes only briefly before looking back at the road, ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°Lee!¡± She slapped his knee, ¡°we could¡¯ve just picked his stuff up and kept it in the back office! Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were doing that?¡±

    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want you to worry, I was doing it for Gabe too. Imagine if he came back thinking it was still his only to find out it wasn¡¯t. With him being a vampire now I didn¡¯t want anyone to get hurt.¡± Vampires were unpredictable in Lee¡¯s opinion and who knew how they were going to react to something unexpected.

    Louise closed her eyes and took a deep breath just to keep herself from raising her voice, ¡°Lee, we are all in this together. Gabe was lost because none of us were there for him. I can¡¯t ask or even let you make choices like that on your own. If we¡¯d talked about it, maybe we all could have paid the rent. Nobody would have gotten hurt.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that no one has any money, I couldn¡¯t ask everyone to pitch in when we can hardly make rent on the office.¡±

    ¡°Do you understand why I¡¯m upset at you right now?¡± Louise asked, unsure why he couldn¡¯t understand what she was trying to tell him. ¡°You can¡¯t solve everything alone, Lee.¡±

    He stayed silent for a moment, sighing heavily, ¡°of course, you¡¯re right, I¡¯ll try to rely on everyone more. Alright?¡±

    ¡°Just don¡¯t lie,¡± she told him, raising a hand before he could argue, ¡°and omission of important facts is a form of lying, so don¡¯t tell me you weren¡¯t lying.¡± The sooner they got this over with, the sooner they could go to Donovan¡¯s. She¡¯d save any further arguments with Lee for a day they weren¡¯t in crisis mode (if that ever happened).

    ¡°Fine, I understand Louise, you¡¯re completely right and I¡¯ll try not to do it again.¡± He would give in, he almost always gave in, and he knew that she was right in this.

    By the time they¡¯d pulled up to the apartments, their little argument had safely cooled on the backburner, and Louise was ready to plan. ¡°Okay, so if Gabe is up there for any reason, he¡¯s probably in a shitty mood. If that¡¯s the case, I don¡¯t want to bring a stake, but I don¡¯t think a baseball bat would be a bad idea. Just to stun him. If he¡¯s hungry and not thinking straight.¡± That was the closest she¡¯d get to believing anything worse had happened.

    ¡°Grab your stun gun then and I¡¯ll get the taser out of the back. Hopefully that will be enough to stop him.¡± He turned the car off and opened the door after popping open the trunk. His taser was right where he left it, thankfully, tucked safely in the weapons compartment he had placed where the spare would usually go. There was a good chance they weren¡¯t going up to Gabe¡¯s apartment to have a tea party. Louise was glad she kept a baseball bat under the passenger seat just for an occasion like this, and she grabbed it before her feet even hit the pavement.

    ¡°You follow, I¡¯ll go in first,¡± Louise advised, finding herself feeling almost normal now that they were out of the office. ¡°Keep an eye out. If those guys who went after Gabe had friends, then someone may have staked the place out just in case he came back. I want to be sure we¡¯re not walking into a trap.¡± Hunters didn¡¯t tend to associate with monsters, and they didn¡¯t like other hunters who did either.

    Lee kept the taser in one hand and his pistol in the other as he followed her up the stairs to Gabe¡¯s apartment. This sort of thing had become so routine, neither of them appreciated how crazy this whole situation was.

    Louise approached the door and immediately discovered it was locked. ¡°Lee, do you have his spare key?¡± She whispered, trying not to draw any attention from potential nosy neighbors.

    He nodded, pulling it out and sliding it into the lock, ¡°yeah, never leave home without it.¡± He was teasing her, at least they could have a little friendly banter while hunting their friend.

    The lights were off. Nobody home. ¡°I just don¡¯t get it,¡± Louise exclaimed, ¡°this is the first place he¡¯d go, isn¡¯t it?¡± She flipped on one of the lights, ¡°what the hell? I¡¯m not going to kill him, but--I¡¯m going to kill Gabe when we find him!¡±

    Lee looked around, going into the kitchen, ¡°maybe we should check with his neighbors, see if they¡¯ve seen anything.¡± He slid his gun and taser into the back of his pants, covering them with his shirt, ¡°it¡¯s the only way we¡¯ll know for sure if he was here or not.¡±

    Lowering her bat, Louise nodded, ¡°alright, there¡¯s an old lady next door who sent him a Christmas card last year. If anyone saw Gabe recently, she¡¯d be the one to ask.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± he headed for the door, ¡°let¡¯s go see the Christmas card lady.¡± He waited for Louise to come outside before locking the door. The moment he looked toward her door he knew there was a problem, it was a slightly ajar, which was unusual to say the least. No one just left their door open, even a little bit, ¡°Louise, be ready, there¡¯s something wrong.¡± He drew his gun again, ignoring the taser, ¡°I¡¯ll cover you.¡±

    ¡°Christ, how did we miss that?¡± She hissed, edging towards the door and hefting up her bat as she used the very tip of her toe to nudge it open a little more. The living room light was on. ¡°Should we call out?¡± She asked Lee, unsure. Breaking and entering was a distinct possibility here, but so was alerting anyone--or thing--that might be waiting for them. They¡¯d learned a long time ago that there were way more monsters in this city than your typical petty crook.

    He shook his head, ¡°no,¡± he kept his voice quiet, ¡°we don¡¯t want to alert anyone, not with what we know.¡± He pointed his gun over her shoulder, ¡°we¡¯ll just take it slow.¡±

    So they did. Louise slipped through the living room as quietly as she could manage, which wasn¡¯t too hard. The carpeting muffled their steps. This place had that familiar old person stench of baby powder and coffee, clean but stale. It looked normal enough. It was only when she rounded the corner into the kitchen that Louise¡¯s heart caught in her throat.

    ¡°Oh,¡± she whispered, looking about them. Blood. Everywhere. Then that poor lady crumpled by her sink, and-- ¡°Gabe!¡± Louise exhaled on a silent scream, hefting up her bat. He was crouched in the corner, staring back at them with glassy eyes. The evidence of murder plain on his blood-covered face and clothing. He was everything he¡¯d ever hated, all wrapped up in one gruesome package.

    Lee moved forward and that¡¯s when she saw the stake in his hand. He moved fast, intending to take their friend by surprise. Gabe. She had to do something, she just couldn¡¯t let Lee kill him.

    ¡°No!¡± Louise shouted, moving faster, pushing Lee out of the way just as Gabe was alerted by the pair of them. The monster who¡¯d been their friend could have easily attacked them both, and they wouldn¡¯t have been able to do a thing. Instead, he ran. Out into the safety and danger of the night. A painful lump formed in the pit of Louise¡¯s stomach. She bit back a sob.

    ¡°Are we--¡± Louise couldn¡¯t control herself, when that creeping sense of calm from before that she¡¯d been struggling with all day seemed to swallow her up, ¡°--are we going to Donovan¡¯s now?¡±

    Lee looked at her in complete shock, as though she had completely lost her mind, ¡°why did you stop me? Louise! He killed that woman! He''s completely lost his mind!¡±

    ¡°We can fix this if we go to Donovan¡¯s,¡± she insisted. Any other voice of reason in her mind was gone. It was almost a relief.

    He slapped her, couldn''t stop himself, ¡°stop, just stop, what the fuck is wrong with you?! Maybe we should see Donovan! Maybe he knows what the hell is wrong with you!¡±

    Louise¡¯s face stung where he¡¯d slapped her, but still she remained calm, distant from herself and from him. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a good idea,¡± she agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s go see him.¡±

    He grabbed her arm, pulling her out and closing the door. He would have the cops come by and take care of it, right now he needed to take care of Louise. He shoved her in the car before getting in himself and grabbing his phone, calling Gabe¡¯s number to talk to Donovan.

    ¡°Lee, have you found him?¡±

    ¡°Briefly but he ran, I have another problem though, I need to meet with you, it¡¯s urgent.¡±

    Donovan sighed, ¡°very well, I''ll be at your office.¡±

    Lee turned the key and threw it into gear, ¡°you get your wish, we¡¯re going to meet Donovan.¡±

    Louise smiled. The effect was not a pleasant one.

 Chapter Thirty-Two

    Donovan paced the office, his hands clasped behind his back. He was getting tired of waiting for the hunters but if they had information on Gabriel he would wait, besides, Lee sounded very disturbed by something and he would like to know what.

    The passing glow of headlights through the front window signaled their arrival. The sound of frantic footsteps on the pavement soon followed.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to see Donovan?¡± Louise asked from behind the front door, loud enough even for a normal human to have heard.

    Donovan scowled, the woman didn''t sound right, in fact, she sounded as though someone were in her mind, ¡°Lee, keep her out there and come inside.¡± He ordered calmly, was curious if Louise would stay outside or force her way in.

    ¡°Pardon?¡± Lee called out, clearly overwhelmed and confused, ¡°I can¡¯t just leave her out here. She needs help.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Donovan, is that you?¡± Louise called out, and the doorknob began to shake.

    ¡°Louise, enough!¡± Lee shouted.

    Donovan chuckled softly, letting his hands fall to his sides, ¡°Louise, my dear, why don''t you have a seat and let Lee come in and speak with me.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I come in?¡± Louise asked, sounding as sweet as he¡¯d ever heard. In their short encounters together, it was quite out of character.

    ¡°Louise, please,¡± Lee urged, and the door began to open. ¡°I¡¯ll just talk to Donovan inside, then you can come in, and we¡¯ll all talk. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Louise replied slowly, as if she had trouble with the concept. Again, quite out of character.

    Lee breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°okay,¡± he managed to slip into the building and close the door behind him without any difficulty. He did not look good.

    ¡°Before she began exhibiting this strange behavior did she speak with anyone? Was she alone with anyone?¡± He asked, moving to stand in a darkened corner. Louise was going to be difficult to deal with, it would be easier if he could just kill her but that was out of the question.

    Lee let his head fall back against the door, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe. No.¡± He closed his eyes, ¡°she started acting nuts after we had this client--almost a client. This guy. He tried to hire us to stake you. We told him we weren¡¯t interested, and that¡¯s pretty much it. Then she got it in her head that she had to see you and Gabe. I don¡¯t know why, she just did.¡± He opened his eyes, looking directly at Donovan, ¡°what¡¯s happened to her?¡±

    ¡°This almost client was a vampire and he has exerted his will upon her. What did this man look like?¡± It didn''t surprise him that someone wanted to kill him but he was pleased that Lee and the other hunters turned down the job.

    Lee cursed under his breath. Tonight seemed to be one filled with unexpected behavior. ¡°He looked like Bela Lugosi. Just without the cape and a little less hair wax. He was shorter, too. Maybe about as tall as Danny.¡± He slumped against the door, ¡°can you fix this?¡± It was several questions in one.

    Braedon. So the little worm was starting to crawl out of his hiding place, ¡°yes, I can fix this,¡± he looked toward the door, ¡°Louise, my dear, you can come in now.¡± He was stronger than Braedon, there was nothing for any of them to worry about.

    The moment Lee reluctantly stepped away from the door to allow Louise passage, she launched herself towards Donovan, shrieking as she held a stake aloft. No finesse, this one, her honeyed voice turning to crushed glass.

    Donovan sighed and grasped her wrist, pulling her close and trapping her hands behind her, ¡°Louise, that was a very nice try but you might try to be a little more discreet next time.¡± He grasped her wrists with one hand, trapping her chin with the other, ¡°Louise, my dear girl,¡± he forced her to look into his eyes, ¡°I want you to forget this silly little idea of killing me, it really is hazardous to your health and I don''t want to harm a hair on your pretty little head.¡± He pressed himself into her mind, willing her to obey him, ¡°Braedon is a fool and you will never again do anything that little Dracula impersonator tells you again.¡± That would protect her from any further tampering, at least from Braedon.

    She slackened in his grasp. It was a peculiar feeling using his power like this on a perfectly serviceable meal and not outright killing her. Gabriel certainly deserved to lose at least something for all the trouble he¡¯d put Donovan through, but the desire simply wasn¡¯t there to kill one of his friends.

    ¡°Louise?¡± Lee asked, hesitantly approaching them. His hunter¡¯s instincts made him look at both of them like a potential threat.

    Donovan gently placed her in a chair, ¡°she¡¯ll be fine and will wake up in a moment, my commands are just finishing their work and she will be free and protected from Braedon¡¯s influence.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. I had the same conversation with him and I didn¡¯t try to kill you,¡± Lee said, clearly anxious.

    ¡°You are protected for the rest of your life from any outside influence, barring my own, because of what I did to you. My blood offers you a certain amount of protection from many things.¡± Donovan took a seat, crossing his legs and watching Lee intently. He wouldn¡¯t hurt them physically, but that didn¡¯t mean he was under any obligation to pretend anymore. The agreement with Gabriel to keep Lee in the dark on his temporary servitude to Donovan was null and void after this little fiasco. The memories should come back fairly quickly now and Donovan wanted to watch the show.

    It started, as shattered illusions often did, with confusion. Lee looked as if he were watching the events of that night unfold in front of him, and confusion slowly dawned into horror, bringing him to his knees. ¡°It¡¯s my fault,¡± Lee whispered.

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    ¡°Hmm? What was that? What exactly is your fault because I can assure you, what happened in my home that night between Gabriel and I would have happened with or without you.¡±

    Lee looked back at Donovan, too broken to show any signs of anger, ¡°I gave him to you on a silver platter.¡±

    ¡°This is true, you did, and I thank you for it. However, you do know that you wouldn''t have done that if I hadn''t made you do it.¡± Why would he be nice and assure him like this? Gabriel was rubbing off on him.

    It was then that Louise began to stir from her position where Donovan had laid her down, ¡°fuck, feels like I bashed my head against a brick wall,¡± she cursed, dragging a hand over her face to pull her hair from her eyes. ¡°What happened?¡± She sat up with no small amount of effort, hardly seeming to register Lee¡¯s frazzled state.

    ¡°Your mind was tampered with by the vampire that attempted to hire you to kill me. I fixed the problem but I''m afraid you''re going to have a bit of a headache for a time.¡± Donovan explained, keeping his eyes on Lee, curious what was going to happen with him.

    Lee removed his glasses, polishing them with the bottom hem of his shirt in a clear attempt to maintain a level tone, ¡°I almost killed him tonight.¡±

    Louise looked back at Lee, seeming to just now realize he was in the room, ¡°almost killed who?¡± She looked back at Donovan then, ¡°huh? Someone messed with my head? When?¡±

    Donovan¡¯s eyes narrowed angrily, ¡°you what?!¡± He ignored Louise¡¯s question, more focused on what Lee was saying.

    ¡°He snapped. Killed someone. I pulled out my stake when we found him,¡± he put his glasses back on and looked back at Donovan, fearless, empty, ¡°Louise stopped me and he ran out. Kill me if you want. I don¡¯t care anymore.¡±

    Louise glared at both of them, ¡°climb down off the cross, Lee, you wouldn¡¯t have gone through with it. As for you¡ª¡° she pointed at Donovan, then paused, ¡°¡ªwell, I can¡¯t tell you what to do, but you should have looked after Gabe. You fucked up.¡±

    Donovan raised an eyebrow, ¡°oh, no, Lee, I¡¯m not going to kill you. You still have plenty of use. As far as what happened with Gabriel, he refused to kill and he was consumed by the hunger. I had thought he was past this when he took the man outside however I was sorely mistaken. Apparently someone contacted him and it interrupted his meal. There is still a chance I can save him, that requires him to be alive, of course.¡±

    ¡°So what, you¡¯re blaming Lee for calling him? I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t aware we had to plan ahead for this sort of shit.¡± Louise was just warming up.

    ¡°Louise,¡± Lee said, a little weary, ¡°maybe you can wait until later to lecture a thousand year old vampire¡ªat least until we find Gabe again?¡±

    ¡°I mentioned no names, on the contrary, I was enjoying watching Lee think about everything he actually is responsible for. I don¡¯t blame him for calling, after all, it¡¯s not as though a phone allows you to know what¡¯s going on on the other end.¡± Donovan¡¯s voice remained calm and his gaze stayed on Lee.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Lee asked, ¡°you got what you wanted. I feel awful. I failed Gabe, you¡¯re not planning to kill me. What do you want?¡± He didn¡¯t break into childish tears or a hysterical fit. He simply sat there. Defeated.

    Donovan sighed, once they broke they weren¡¯t as much fun, ¡°entertainment and for you to accept that some things are inevitable. If you think about it, I did you a favor. After all, you¡¯re safer now than you ever have been. Perhaps I should have you tell me, ¡®thank you¡¯, but no, that would be empty. You humans, you just can¡¯t accept things, can you? Must you always agonize over every, little, thing? I will say that the journey to becoming a broken human is an interesting one but once you¡¯re there you¡¯re practically useless.¡±

    ¡°Just like the journey to being an asshole,¡± Louise snapped, climbing to her feet and walking over to Lee to stand beside him, ¡°Lee¡¯s not broken, he¡¯s got a fucking soul. So just leave him alone. Or would you rather just hang around playing sick games while Gabe¡¯s out there running around, getting closer and closer to a group of hunters who would kill him?¡±

    ¡°Unless they are extremely talented they will be hard pressed to kill him, you are correct however, we should be going. Do you know what direction he went?¡± She had quite the mouth on her and he wanted nothing more right now than to rip her tongue out. He would not, of course, no, he had to think of Gabriel after all, ¡°if you don¡¯t know then we will be starting from step one.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s step one?¡± Lee prompted, taking Louise¡¯s hand she offered to him and climbing to his feet.

    Donovan sighed, ¡°I will have to follow the blood and that will take more time and energy than I desire to spend. Especially when it will require even more to attempt to repair the damage. Although the breaking of his mind has severed our connection we are still bound by blood and there are certain things I can do that will allow me to follow that blood.¡±

    ¡°So you really can save him, then? Bring him back?¡± Louise asked. More accurately demanded, really. Rude girl.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Lee asked, giving Louise a long suffering look. Broken, maybe, but not entirely useless it seemed.

    ¡°Did you see which way he went or not?¡± He was getting tired of these humans.

    ¡°Out the door,¡± Louise told him, ¡°obviously. By the time we¡¯d managed to follow he had already disappeared. Chances are the way he¡¯s acting he¡¯s probably going to go wherever there¡¯s more people. Tonight¡¯s bingo night at the rec hall.¡±

    ¡°The two of you go there,¡± he reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial of red liquid, ¡°this is my blood and in theory will draw his attention if he¡¯s there. Once he comes after you, run, and bring him here.¡± As he spoke he began clearing off one of the desks, ¡°I will see what I can do about finding him another way.¡±

    Lee ushered Louise out of the room once he took the vial from Donovan, moving quickly. Perhaps to stop her from opening her mouth again, because she certainly looked like she had a few more things to say. They wouldn¡¯t likely be worth hearing and he had no desire to have his patience pushed any further. He looked down at the desk, not looking forward to performing this particular task, he had wanted to avoid it completely, hopefully he would be at the bingo hall and he wouldn¡¯t have to finish this.

    <hr>

    He hadn¡¯t sought out the bright lights of the rec hall, despite the hundred or so easy meals that were likely frequenting it that night. Gabriel¡¯s instincts led him into the dark where he could safely rest without disturbance. Losing control over himself had taken a lot out of him, and the ravenous monster running the show was exhausted. He was fortunate there were a dozen or so homeless people hiding in the defunct bus station he¡¯d stumbled into. The nightcap was just what he needed.

    There was no such thing as ¡®too much¡¯ to a creature that knew nothing but instinct. There was only hunger and an animalistic pleasure in rending flesh. Too simple to comprehend the concept of ¡®delight¡¯, painting his claws red with sticky globs of muscle and tissue nevertheless came very close. Sated, the thing that used to call himself Gabriel curled up on a discarded and badly-mangled parka to rest by the glare of a flickering flashlight darkened with streams of blood cooking on the bulb. It died out long before anyone discovered him. Long before a small, almost non-existent part of Gabriel¡¯s shattered psyche woke in his mind and fell back to sleep in abject horror that he could do nothing but stare at the blackness of eyelids he couldn¡¯t even open.

 Chapter Thirty-Three

    Donovan felt the weakness from the blood ritual, the one bright light in this situation was the mess he left in their office. Of course he also knew where to find Gabriel and his blood, regardless of his own weakness, would draw the other vampire to him. The issue would come in preventing Gabriel from attempting to drain him. He sighed heavily, this was going to be difficult and almost more trouble than it was worth. He forced himself to remain standing tall as he walked into the bus station where he knew Gabriel could be found. The ground was littered with corpses, his childe had gorged himself before falling asleep. There was a small stumble in his step before he righted himself again, rubbing the bridge of his nose, he had a headache.

    Gabriel was laying on a parka, still asleep, and Donovan knew that if he approached the vampire would awaken, but if he could lure him this might be a little easier. Carefully, he bit his wrist just enough to draw some blood, the smell would get his attention, asleep or not.

    He had dealt with ferals in the past but every time it had consisted of killing them. He knew it was possible to save them but had never done so himself. He had seen it done, his sire had saved his sister when Donovan was young. Since then, he had never allowed them to exist in his territory and had never tried to save them. He supposed there was a first time for everything.

    Cool air bit into his wrist once it had split, and it stung more than ever before. The ritual had taken a lot more out of him than he¡¯d realized. Nevertheless, the instant a trail formed over his wrist and began to drip onto the dirty ground to mingle with the human bloodstains that already painted it, Gabriel¡¯s eyes snapped open. A deep inhale of breath, a growl--and Gabriel was on his feet, quickly drawing up to Donovan for his reward.

    ¡°Gabriel,¡± Donovan kept his voice calm, meeting his eyes, ¡°come with me, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re well fed, you¡¯d like that, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± The key to this was not showing fear, was not allowing him to have the upper hand.

    He didn¡¯t know what any of those words meant. Couldn¡¯t. The tone, however, succeeded in keeping him calm. When Gabriel stared straight into Donovan¡¯s eyes in challenge, the challenge hung in the air to see who would flinch. Not easily cowed, and certainly not by a fledgling, let alone a feral one, Donovan did not bow his head. Gabriel, after a tense moment, did. Only once that happened did Donovan hold out his wrist to him, offering him a drink as a reward. He would only allow one swallow, one lick of the blood across his skin, after that they would leave and he would take Gabriel home. Keeping him there would be interesting, Clarence would have to acquire enough sustenance for them, at least for himself. He would have to feed Gabriel, his blood could bring him back, but it would take time.

    Gabriel happily latched onto Donovan¡¯s wrist, the early squeamishness he¡¯d once possessed long forgotten. He didn¡¯t put up much of a fight when the wrist was pulled away just as quickly as it had been offered. He had likely fed far too much to drink more than that anyway. After that taste he knew Gabriel would follow him and he took advantage of that, herding him into his car and motioning for him to stay put before getting behind the wheel. Home was too far away to walk a feral vampire, if he tried, Gabriel would attack the first people he saw and it was becoming light so it was likely he would also desire to sleep more. Donovan locked the doors once he was behind the wheel, hopefully that would be enough to deter him from attempting to open it.

    Were the situation less serious, it might have been amusing to note how much easier Gabriel could be persuaded to go somewhere without question when he wasn¡¯t in his right mind. He managed to get home without incident, transfering Gabriel from the car to the house was going to prove to be interesting but hopefully not difficult.

    A curtain twitched in one of the front windows of the house, and not long after there was an annoying noise echoing from Donovan¡¯s pocket. His phone. One of the ridiculous catalysts to tonight¡¯s mess. Gabriel watched him intently, still calm behind glassy eyes. When his own sire had dealt with a feral childe, the creature had never been quite as relaxed as Gabriel seemed to be in the moment. Perhaps he was more self-aware than he seemed. Perhaps this would be easier than he thought.

    Donovan pushed the button on his phone, holding it to his ear, ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Master, preparations have been made. Ruben is safely resting in his room with the door barricaded and I have ensured the young lady is thoroughly sedated. I am confident that once you open the front door, the smell should draw him into the cellar. I followed your instructions to the letter.¡±

    ¡°Very well, thank you Clarence. I¡¯m going to open the car now.¡± He looked toward the house, ¡°open the front door.¡± He waited until the door slid open before opening the car door on Gabriel¡¯s side, ¡°let¡¯s go, Gabriel.¡±

    It was almost too easy. The feral vampire snapped to attention the moment he smelled the blood, and he was tearing across the lawn with surprising speed for a creature who had gorged itself so thoroughly mere hours before. If Gabriel--when Gabriel came back to himself, he would not likely enjoy the knowledge of what he had done tonight, and still would do before he recovered his sanity. He followed behind, not hurrying, Gabriel would likely fall asleep right after. He made his way to the prepared room, closing the door and sealing his childe inside. He would come back later, he needed to go eat, if he wasn¡¯t well fed he wouldn¡¯t be able to save Gabriel.

    <hr>

    Getting his affairs in order had not been easy. Ignatius had far too many commitments when his son returned to the world of the living to drop them, much as he¡¯d have liked. Politics were a nasty business. Now, however, it was time.

    ¡°Lauren, did you see to it that my belongings arrived on time?¡± He inquired of his trusted servant, a woman who had served him faithfully and without question for the last thirty years. She was one of the odd few who did not seek eternity once her contract came to its close, but chose instead to remain beside him as a confidant and caretaker. Ignatius trusted her with everything but his life. That, unfortunately, he could not offer to a human no matter how loyal.

    ¡°I did, master. Have you decided how long you wish to stay?¡± She replied, pulling the black car smoothly into the driveway of his son¡¯s estate.

    ¡°No. Return to the hotel and wait for instruction.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± she bowed her head at the wheel and waited until he had retrieved his briefcase from the floorboard before climbing out of the car to hold his door open for him. He hadn¡¯t been here in decades. Not since Donovan had disappeared. His sudden return wasn¡¯t entirely unexpected, as Ignatius would have known if he were dead, but it was certainly a surprise. They had exchanged few words through emails and phone calls, as his son hadn¡¯t wanted to tell him anything until they could speak face to face. A rather stubborn way of demanding Ignatius¡¯s presence sooner rather than later, but not one he was entirely adverse to.

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    When he reached the front door, he got a peculiar feeling. Something very dangerous and wild was in the house, of that he was certain. Ignatius rang the doorbell with the intent of knowing exactly what as soon as possible. The door was opened by a young man, surely his servant, he looked tired and a little haggard but was hiding it well.

    ¡°I''m sorry sir, my master is indisposed, might I take a message for him?¡± He asked with a deep bow.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ignatius replied in a quiet, but very firm voice, ¡°you may tell him I am in the parlor. Kindly step aside. He will be glad to see me.¡±

    The young man stood upright, looking at him wearily, ¡°master has ordered that no one is to enter, I''m afraid I must ask you to¡­¡± The young man was cut off before he could finish by an old man who shuffled his way out of one of the side rooms.

    ¡°Clarence, this is master Donovan''s sire, I''m sure he would approve of breaking his orders this once, in this particular circumstance.¡±

    Ignatius examined the old man from a distance. He hardly recognized the feeble creature, but there was something in the eyes. Yes, Rudy, or something along those lines. He remembered now.

    ¡°I have never been inclined to plan my visits in advance,¡± Ignatius explained, though he had little reason to do so to a servant, ¡°let him attend to whatever business he has and tell him he has a guest in the parlor.¡±

    The young man bowed deeply, ¡°yes, sir, I do apologize, I will inform him. Can I get you anything while you wait?¡± He kept the bow low, was well trained, this one. It was a welcome sight to know Donovan was being well cared for.

    ¡°No, I believe I have all I need,¡± he gently patted the side of his briefcase as the young man led him towards the parlor. Not that Ignatius didn¡¯t remember the path well, but certain niceties were still something he could appreciate. He settled into a comfortable wingback chair and pulled out the contents of his briefcase: a newspaper. Ignatius traveled light. He suspected he would be more than halfway through the thing before Donovan found the time to speak to him, if his young servant¡¯s state was anything to judge by.

    It was an hour before Donovan came into the parlor. The young man had brought blood wine a little before his arrival and had checked on him periodically, standing quietly in case he needed anything. His son looked pale and exhausted, something was very wrong. Donovan sat in the chair beside him, closing his eyes.

    ¡°I''m sorry I didn''t give you a proper greeting, father.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry it took me so long to finally visit,¡± Ignatius told him, lowering his newspaper and setting it on the small table beside his chair. ¡°I suspect my timing could have been better. You have something feral in the house. An experiment?¡± He remembered his son¡¯s fondness for science and unconventional anatomy projects all too well.

    ¡°No, my fledgling,¡± he poured himself some blood wine, taking a deep drink, ¡°he is the feral creature in my home.¡±

    Ignatius was too old to be surprised by much, but this was most certainly unexpected, ¡°what happened? I know you wouldn¡¯t starve someone of your own blood on purpose, Donovan. Was he weak-willed? An accident?¡±

    Donovan laughed, taking another drink, ¡°if anything, his will is too strong. He''s stubborn, refused to drink and when I finally convinced him to and he was startled and fled, the hunger took him and he went feral.¡±

    Ignatius took a proffered glass, finding that he had become suddenly very thirsty. ¡°What are you going to do?¡± There were few options.

    ¡°I''m not sure, I need to restore him. Thus far I have been primarily giving him my blood but I am unsure how long I can continue to do so.¡± He drained the rest of his glass, pouring another.

    ¡°I hesitate to ask, but are you sure he can still be restored? You, of all people should know how much more impossible such a task becomes as time wears on. There may be nothing left of the person you knew.¡± It hurt to say, and even more to remember the two he¡¯d lost due to similar circumstances. Children. Their bond went beyond his connection to Donovan, they had been his son and daughter when he was human as well.

    ¡°I can still feel him but the hunger is so very strong. As long as there is a glimmer of him there I must believe he can be saved.¡± He looked at his father hopefully, ¡°can you help me? Please, father, I''ll do anything.¡±

    Bowing his head, Ignatius placed his glass upon the table between them, as they were sitting in opposing chairs. ¡°I will do what I can,¡± he agreed as he began to roll up one of his crisp white dress sleeves. ¡°Drink from me, you will need the strength.¡±

    Donovan stood, moving to kneel beside his chair, taking his arm reverently when it was offered. He laid a kiss upon his wrist before sinking his fangs in and drinking, his eyes closing.

    Over thirty years of pain seeped into Ignatius¡¯s mind, just as blood seeped from the wound and suffused his childe with new strength. Ignatius knew the fear, the anger, and the deep-seated resolution that true death would be a greater mercy than the eternity of darkness Donovan had begun to believe he was damned to. Then he saw the waking dream, and the white hot strength of an unexpected bond forming. When Donovan was sated, Ignatius knew immediately why his fledgling was so important to him, and why letting him go would not be an option.

    The ticking of a grandfather clock was the only sound for quite some time as Ignatius waited for his wrist to heal, and quietly watched his son recover.

    ¡°You need him,¡± he stated. Not a question. A certainty.

    Donovan nodded, ¡°yes, I need him, I can''t let him go.¡± He closed his eyes again, laying his head on his sire''s lap, ¡°I just can''t. I should go take care of him.¡± His words did not reflect his actions, he didn''t move from his place on the floor. Ignatius gently laid a hand on his head and Donovan let out a soft sigh, ¡°I missed you, I missed this.¡±

    ¡°I am glad you came back,¡± Ignatius replied, indulging in the rare affection he had only for a select few. He had not been in the habit of siring terribly often in the last several hundred years, and the few losses Ignatius had suffered were devastating. Having Donovan here now was like reclaiming a lost piece of himself. His son.

    ¡°You need to rest,¡± Ignatius informed him, knowing full well it would take far more blood than the little Donovan had taken from him tonight to help him recover. ¡°You can not save him if you do not care for yourself.¡±

    ¡°Would your blood help him?¡± He was already half asleep and his words came out mumbled.

    Ignatius leaned down to place a kiss upon Donovan¡¯s head, breathing in the scent he had never forgotten even through their years apart. ¡°I wish I could, but there is more to bringing a feral creature back than simply blood and patience. When I had you feed your sister, it was not because I was unwilling. It is because you were her strongest bond. Only you can bring him back from whatever darkness he has plummeted into. Sleep. He is resting now, and so should you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, father.¡± He said, nodding and slowly falling asleep with his arms wrapped firmly around his leg. Ignatius stroked long fingers through Donovan¡¯s hair, not certain he liked the hint of silver poking through several strands. Nothing a few good meals wouldn¡¯t fix, but it was a sign that he had been pushing himself too hard.

    Ignatius knew the path to Donovan¡¯s room as if he had never left this house, and he gladly carried his son to bed, as if he were a young boy. Donovan was too tired to wake easily, so it was a simple matter to leave him there with a sliver of hallway light casting a bright stripe across Donovan¡¯s bed.

    ¡°Good night, Donovan. I will still be here in the morning. So will your childe. Rest assured that he will come back to you soon.¡±

 Chapter Thirty-Four

    It was difficult to tell what time it was. Night or day. From one to the next. Hours seemed to pass in an instant for Gabriel when he was hardly aware of himself, while seconds crawled as he watched the outside world through a body that had ceased to be his own. They stopped bringing people to him long after he ceased to care whether they were alive or dead. It just didn¡¯t matter anymore. At first he thought Donovan would starve him, teach Gabriel the agonizing lesson of what he¡¯d done. He may not have control of himself anymore, but he could feel every bit of pleasure in the kill and every bit of aching pain in hunger that had seemed to multiply tenfold since he¡¯d lost himself.

    Then, one day (or perhaps evening), Donovan came back to him in the small, sparse room they had locked him in. Gabriel half-expected to see a stake in his sire¡¯s grasp, but there was nothing.

    ¡°Just kill me,¡± Gabriel tried to force the thought into Donovan¡¯s mind, weak, distant. It didn¡¯t work.

    ¡°Please,¡± he tried again. Instead of death, however, the older vampire gave him something altogether different. A bare wrist.

    ¡°Gabriel, drink, it will help, you need to come back to yourself, back to me.¡± He said softly, offering him his own flesh and blood.

    For the first time in days, or more, though Gabriel could not move his hands of his own free will, or speak, or do anything, he felt almost at ease. Almost like the wild creature in control and he saw eye to eye in this one moment, when he bit into his sire¡¯s wrist and drank. The moment didn¡¯t last, but--it felt like he could just barely touch that link between their minds that he¡¯d severed by running away. Then it was gone. Donovan let him drink, it didn''t seem as though he had any intention of stopping him.

    ¡°Come back to me, Gabriel, I know you''re in there, I can feel you, reach for me and return.¡±

    He tried. To scream. To move. Anything. Gabriel fought with every ounce of strength he could summon, but his mind was just an echo chamber. Until--

    ¡°I could kill him,¡± a thought that was not his own, and not Donovan¡¯s. Something else entirely. Something darker.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Gabriel asked with the only voice he had, which were fading thoughts and sparks of lucidity.

    ¡°I''m you, well, the useful side of you. He would let me kill him now, you know, shall I kill him for you?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Gabriel snapped back, ¡°stop drinking. Please.¡±

    ¡°Why should I? Who''s going to stop me? You?¡± He heard laughter, ¡°don''t make me laugh.¡±

    ¡°Because he made you, didn¡¯t he?¡± Gabriel demanded, ¡°if you don¡¯t let him live, there¡¯s nothing to stop anyone else from killing me--killing us.¡± He couldn¡¯t let this thing in control kill Donovan. He couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°You made me, not him, you created me. Make me stop if you can, if you want him to live.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you,¡± Gabriel snapped back at himself, the irony escaping him. Weeks of losing his mind were getting to him. ¡°What do I have to do?¡± He¡¯d bite his own tongue off if he could. Kill the monster before it could do anything else.

    ¡°Do you think I''m going to tell you how? Not going to happen, figure it out yourself but you better hurry, I think this one is running out of juice.¡±

    ¡°Donovan, that¡¯s enough,¡± an unfamiliar voice called out from the open doorway. ¡°Leave him.¡±

    Gabriel wanted to give a shout of triumph, if it weren¡¯t for the sudden vicious snarl emanating from his own mouth, as the monster in control tore deeper into his sire¡¯s wrist. It wanted Donovan to suffer.

    ¡°No, he''s there, I know it, I can feel him, just, just a little more. Please father.¡±

    ¡°You are aging by the second. I can not allow you to continue this or you will die,¡± the stranger in the doorway went on, speaking only to Donovan, and Gabriel didn¡¯t doubt he was right.

    ¡°Father? So, his sire is here, I bet he would be delicious.¡±

    Reasoning with the monster wasn¡¯t going to work. It knew only hunger. Survival was not its endgame, of that he was certain. So, one last time, Gabriel fought. To scream. To move. To do anything but kill one of the few people he still cared about, whether he¡¯d ever openly acknowledged it or not.

    ¡°Donovan tastes wonderful, I can feel his life pouring into me. I''ll take it all.¡±

    Gabriel turned his anger inwards, trying to find some link to his own body, something he could control. The only strength he had now were his thoughts, which led him to a very bitter conclusion. ¡°If you let him live, I will never starve myself--us--again. I¡¯ll feed. Often. Just let him go.¡± The only thing that mattered now was keeping Donovan alive, everything else was pointless. Even his friends ceased to matter in the moment. If he had to, he might kill them too.

    ¡°If you go back on your promise I will slaughter each and every one of your friends, then I will kill your sire. Am I clear?¡±

    He wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he was the first man in history making a deal with his own demons, but for Donovan, Gabriel had to. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Gabriel conceded, ¡°let him go.¡±

    In an instant he was back in control of himself. He let Donovan go, watching as his sire fell back against a man he had never seen before. Donovan looked old and frail in the man''s arms. Worse than when they¡¯d first met in person. Maybe it was too late.

    ¡°I wish we could have met under better circumstances,¡± Donovan¡¯s sire remarked to Gabriel, seeming to know immediately what had happened, though he focused all his attention on the weakened vampire in his arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Gabriel whispered under his breath, hating himself for the strength he¡¯d stolen, and the blood he could still taste on his lips.

    Donovan laid his head on Ignatius¡¯ shoulder, ¡°Gabriel, I''m glad you''re back.¡± Of course his sire didn''t seem to care about himself.

    Gabriel leaned down to press his forehead to Donovan¡¯s knee, ¡°why did you let me do it?¡±

    ¡°You needed my blood, I had to save you, it was the only way. This isn''t the first time I''ve had to do this.¡± He closed his eyes.

    ¡°You could have died. You almost did. I wasn¡¯t worth it.¡± He could no longer make the connection with who he was before he¡¯d lost control of himself. Gabriel would rather slaughter a building full of humans than lose Donovan now. Especially now.

    ¡°It will take a few days,¡± Donovan¡¯s sire stated calmly, hardly even batting an eye as he ran a hand through the weary vampire¡¯s hair, ¡°rest, eat, and you will be back to normal soon. I will remain for a while to help you both.¡±

    Disgusted with himself, Gabriel couldn¡¯t understand why they weren¡¯t, ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he repeated again. It sounded empty to his ears.

    ¡°I hope you learned from this.¡± Donovan said softly, eyes still closed.

    ¡°Maybe a little,¡± Gabriel admitted, unable to summon even a semblance of a smile or a laugh.

    Donovan¡¯s sire tore into his own wrist, offering it to Donovan by pressing the bleeding skin to his lips. ¡°It won¡¯t be much, but it will help you walk out of here,¡± he glanced back at Gabriel, ¡°he will recover. You, on the other hand, could do with a shower.¡±

    Gabriel looked down at himself, seeming to see the bloodied clothes and tatters for the first time. He didn¡¯t smell especially pleasant either. ¡°Yeah, you might be right.¡±

    Donovan drank deeply, his eyes still closed. After a few moments he pulled back, lapping up the remaining blood. ¡°Thank you, father.¡±

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    ¡°I expect Clarence will have taken care of arrangements for the evening,¡± Donovan¡¯s sire remarked, helping him to his feet as Gabriel stood with them. ¡°Three should suffice, I think. I will be dining out tonight.¡±

    Donovan leaned against him, ¡°help me to the sitting room, Clarence will bring me food but I''m having trouble walking.¡± He looked at Gabriel, ¡°this is my sire, Ignatius. I''m sure he didn''t properly introduce himself.¡±

    Gabriel rushed to help as Ignatius pulled Donovan close to better anchor them together. ¡°Gabe,¡± Gabriel managed to blurt out, fearful that at any moment he might lose control and this lucidity was merely temporary.

    Donovan allowed himself to be helped to the sitting room and deposited in his chair. He tipped his head back, closing his eyes and relaxing. ¡°Thank you, if you could call Clarence I''ll be fine.¡±

    Ignatius bowed his head, leaning over towards the opposite chair to grab an extra throw pillow to help cushion Donovan¡¯s neck while he rested. ¡°I will do so,¡± he glanced over at Gabriel, ¡°I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but tomorrow will be better.¡± He gave Donovan one last reassuring squeeze of his hand before leaving the room.

    Gabriel felt like a kid. Powerless and small, all too aware of just how awful the things he¡¯d done had been. He sat down at Donovan¡¯s feet and laid his forehead against his sire¡¯s leg, ¡°you shouldn¡¯t have done that for me. I wasn¡¯t worth it.¡±

    Gnarled fingers stroked through his hair gently, ¡°you will always be worth it and you are not the first I have saved from being feral but hopefully you''ll be the last. I would do it again, of course.¡±

    He hesitated to ask, ¡°how long was I in there?¡± Then, the unspoken question, how many times had Donovan fed him like that? This seemed like it may have been one of only a few occurrences, but there were so many days he couldn¡¯t recall even being aware of himself or the world around him. For all he knew, Gabriel had been in that room for over a month.

    ¡°Two weeks, I''ve been feeding you every day for two weeks.¡± He replied, continuing to stroke through his hair, waiting for Clarence to bring his meal.

    It suddenly struck him that maybe the monster in control of him had waited until Donovan was this weak to make his point that much clearer. Gabriel may be in charge of his own body, but the hunger would always win. Over everything.

    A gentle knock sounded at the door, followed by Clarence¡¯s voice, ¡°I have brought the guests. Would you like me to see them in?¡± He inquired, dropping the title of master in all likelihood to keep Donovan¡¯s victims at ease.

    ¡°Yes, please, Clarence, I''m afraid I''m not at my best tonight.¡± He glanced down at Gabriel, ¡°you will be fine as long as you drink, as long as you feed the hunger.¡±

    ¡°How do you know?¡±

    The door opened before Donovan could respond, and Clarence led three men in slick suits into the room, ¡°gentlemen,¡± Clarence bowed his head, ¡°my employer would like to make a deal as soon as possible. I will give you your privacy,¡± he informed them, quickly departing and locking the door. The three may have been dressed nicely, but they didn¡¯t look very pleasant. Dealers, maybe. Pimps. People nobody would miss.

    ¡°Gabriel, incapacitate them and bring me one.¡± He said softly, stroking his cheek, ¡°will you do that for me?¡±

    The contact was welcome. A link Gabriel hadn¡¯t really appreciated until it had been severed, which made it all the more difficult to see Donovan in such a weakened state. Gabriel placed a hand over the one on his cheek and nodded, wordlessly, all too happy to comply.

    ¡°What the fu--¡± One of the three men seemed to catch on to Donovan¡¯s instructions before Gabriel was even on his feet, on alert after the sound of the door being locked grabbed his attention. Gabriel lashed out, grabbing the man by one arm and remorselessly twisting it like a chicken bone until he could feel tendons and bone crunching in the human¡¯s shoulder. Gabriel hardly registered the screams at all that echoed around him as he dragged the agonizing man down to eye-level with Donovan while the other two men scrambled towards the door to try to open it.

    Donovan took him, digging his nails into the back of his neck to pull him closer before driving his fangs in deeply and drinking him down in large swallows. Within seconds Gabriel secured the last two and brought them to him, in much the same way he¡¯d incapacitated the first. Donovan drank from each of them, draining them dry and leaving them in a pile on the floor. Color had returned to him, although his hair was still pure white and he looked old, very old, but he definitely looked better.

    The mess would be dealt with. It was a miracle Clarence could deal with a massacre like this without batting an eye, but somehow Gabriel struggled to find a reason to care anymore. The part of him that fought all of this was gone. It was easier that way.

    ¡°Do you need more?¡± He asked, watching Donovan from a distance. Seeing him look so much older because of his own pointless stubbornness was like having a knife twisted into his gut. It hurt.

    ¡°I can''t drink anymore tonight, it will take time to regain my youth and my strength. For now, just stay with me.¡±

    Gabriel nodded, closing the distance between them and sitting back down on the ground beside Donovan¡¯s feet, ¡°I think I can do that.¡± It was good to be back.

    <hr>

    Louise put a bowl of chips on the card table. Was Gabe even going to want to eat them? Should she have gotten something special for him? Was he going to drink and if he did would he get drunk? Could they afford to let that happen? He didn''t have much self control when he was drunk. Gabriel had called and told Lee that he was going to be coming over, that they should play a game or two of poker. Maybe things really could go back to the way they used to be, like Donovan had said. She looked over at Lee who was pulling a bottle of whiskey out of a brown paper bag, he had gotten Gabe''s favorite.

    ¡°It''s been a month since the incident, is this going to be alright, do you think?¡± She asked, absently pushing the bowl of chips around.

    ¡°Gonna be good to see him again,¡± Chuck remarked, atypically emotional. The man swore like a sailor, drank like a fish, and when he found out Gabriel was finally back to normal after the accident Donovan had been very vague in describing, Chuck very nearly wept like a little girl.

    ¡°Yeah, but, I mean, after what happened¡­¡± she looked out the window, ¡°I just don''t know.¡±

    Danny grabbed the bowl of chips from her, ¡°stop dragging them across the table, it''s annoying.¡±

    A knock at the office door alerted them, putting Danny¡¯s attempts to monopolise the chips on hold.

    ¡°Somebody gonna let me in?¡± Gabriel called out.

    Lee opened the door, smiling slightly at him, ¡°it''s good to see you, how are you feeling?¡±

    He looked good. Healthy, even. Better than they¡¯d seen him last, when their visits had begun to shorten. ¡°Feeling pretty great,¡± Gabriel told him, holding out a bottle of whiskey to Lee, ¡°who¡¯s ready to get their asses handed to them?¡±

    Danny sat down at the table, the bowl of chips in front of him, ¡°bring it, vamp boy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make it quick,¡± Gabriel promised with an almost lighthearted smile as Lee took the bottle from him and stepped aside to let him in.

    ¡°Donovan¡¯s waiting in the car,¡± he remarked, with a casual shrug, ¡°told him he¡¯ll be waiting it out all night, but he¡¯s stubborn as hell.¡±

    Louise scowled, ¡°you brought him with you? Why? I mean, do you want him to come in?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s just worried, that¡¯s all.¡± He glanced back towards the door, ¡°I mean would you mind if he joined us? I know he sort of freaks Danny out.¡±

    Danny looked mildly offended with a mouthful of chips, ¡°he does not!¡±

    ¡°If you would like him to be here, he''s welcome.¡± Lee said, pouring them drinks.

    Speak of the devil, Louise couldn''t help but jump as Donovan stepped inside, ¡°how?¡±

    He gave her a small smile, tapping his temple, ¡°thank you for inviting me, I won''t get in your way, but I appreciate not having to wait in the car.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯d have come in eventually on his own anyway,¡± Gabriel admitted, pulling up a chair at the table beside Chuck. Remarkably nonchalant about the whole thing.

    ¡°Alright, who¡¯s dealing?¡± Gabriel prodded Chuck¡¯s shoulder, ¡°you going to be fast enough, old man?¡±

    Chuck gave him a false scowl, holding it for about two seconds before a smile broke through, ¡°pretty happy about blowing all your cash tonight, Gabe?¡±

    Danny, for his part, would not take his eyes off of Donovan. He was definitely a little scared. ¡°How about we have Donovan be our designated dealer?¡± Lee said, handing the vampire in question a glass of whiskey, ¡°if he wouldn¡¯t mind. He doesn¡¯t even have to play himself.¡±

    ¡°If you would like,¡± he said, taking the drink before sitting at the table, back straight, before beginning to shuffle the deck expertly.

    ¡°Were you a dealer in a past life?¡± Louise asked, watching him bridge.

    Donovan smiled, ¡°I have done it in the past, over the years I''ve learned a few tricks.¡± He easily cut the deck with one hand without looking. He dealt out the cards once everyone was seated, passing himself, it seemed he really had no intention of actually playing.

    ¡°He¡¯s really old,¡± Gabriel added for emphasis and a strange little smirk that seemed to be specifically meant for Donovan.

    ¡°Glad you can joke,¡± Chuck remarked, ¡°getting old is a real crap shoot. You never know what¡¯s going to go out, your back, your knees. Guess that¡¯s not a problem for you, is it?¡± He directed the question towards Donovan.

    ¡°I''ve felt my age too much recently but I¡¯m feeling much better now. I can understand getting old, if only temporarily.¡± He smiled at the old human, ¡°how many cards?¡±

    ¡°Texas Hold ¡®Em,¡± Chuck informed him, his eyes locked on Donovan with remarkable intensity, ¡°five card hand. Easier that way. I like my games simple. How about you?¡±

    ¡°Simplicity can be beneficial, however complexity can be more enjoyable.¡± He finished dealing as he spoke, taking a sip of his whiskey, and looking at Chuck over the rim of the glass.

    Louise grabbed the bottle of whiskey Lee had opened and began to pour herself a healthy dose, suddenly very confused at the weird vibe coming off these two. Men.

    ¡°Just look after this deck. I¡¯ve had it a lot of years, and I don¡¯t wanna see it get¡ª¡° Chuck paused, taking a sip of black coffee at his side. He¡¯d been cutting back on the liquor lately. ¡°¡ªhurt.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my deck and I bought it last week,¡± Danny interrupted, glancing over at Donovan.

    Donovan smiled, eyes still locked with Chuck''s, ¡°ah, yes, I shall, of course. I wouldn''t want anything to happen to it.¡±

    Gabriel rolled his eyes, ¡°great, nobody¡¯s going to hurt the cards, Chuck. They¡¯re fine. Are we going to play?¡±

    ¡°Whiskey?¡± Louise offered, eyeing Gabriel thoughtfully.

    They were supposed to be the good guys. Taking down evil. Killing monsters. Yet they¡¯d lost one of their own in a way, and they were playing poker with the sort of creature they¡¯d have been hired to stake only a few months ago. Maybe they weren¡¯t heroes. Heroes, after all, tended to fight evil without expecting a decent pay-off. There was no way she¡¯d ever be able to bring herself to hurt Gabriel, or any of them, though. So maybe they found themselves in a gray area now, where the lines between hero and villain had become just a little blurred. At least the city was safe. For the most part. They played cards until around midnight, the atmosphere relaxing and becoming more what they used to have, back before this whole mess. Even Danny relaxed with Donovan there. The old vampire just kept dealing cards and pouring drinks, mostly keeping quiet, almost docile. It was an odd thing to see. This was nice though, maybe this could become a regular thing even though Gabe was a vampire now, maybe they could hold onto this little piece of normalcy. Maybe.