I’ll keep coming back until you talk to me.”
There was a sound like rushing wind, something heavy hit Two’s shoulders, dragging her toward the ground. The motion was fast, disorienting, and Two was sure that she would hit the hard cobblestones of the alley floor. Instead, she found herself cradled in the arms of the woman from the club.
“I’ll speak with you now, since you request it,” the vampire said, her voice icy and detached. “You know what I am, and we can’t have that. I’m sorry …”
“Wait!” Two shouted, and took in air to speak more, but it was too late. With one swift motion the vampire grabbed Two’s chin, forcing her head back and exposing the veins of her neck. The vampire lunged forward and Two felt a brief spike of pain, like fire lancing out from where the vampire had bitten her to touch every nerve ending. After a moment, the pain was replaced with warm, pulsating waves of pleasure that coincided with her heartbeat.
Two felt herself being drained, felt her life being stolen away from her, felt blackness overtaking her. It didn’t seem to matter, anymore, caught in this comfortable embrace. She thought to herself, At least it’s over. At least it’s finally done.
She did not expect the abrupt end to the sensation, nor the sudden plummet to the unforgiving stones below. She was dimly aware that she must still be alive, because hitting the cobblestones hurt. Two looked up, groggy, and tried to clear her vision. The vampire was backing away from her, eyes wide with confusion and surprise.
“ Tah ama vamper. Sa pare tah ama vamper. Ashi? ”
The words meant nothing to Two, but she forced herself to respond anyway. Her mouth grudgingly formed the words.
“Told … toldjoo to … wait.”
“ Ashika moritas ?!” the vampire cried.
Two was fading rapidly, but she forced herself to a sitting position. Her head spun, and she leaned against the side of the building for support. The walls of L'Obscurité throbbed and hummed against her back.
“I don’t speak … whatever language that is, sorry,” Two said.
The woman seemed to have regained some of her composure. She was regarding Two with curiosity.
“You have vampire blood,” she said.
Two’s vision was fading now, the world going first grey and then dark. She laughed. The sound was more like a sob, and with it went the last of her strength. Two slumped to the ground, and her last words were a whisper.
“Not anymore.”
* * *
Her body twitched, twisted, shifted to a different part of the bed. The sudden cool of the sheets brought Two up from the depths of sleep, and her first thought was: I don’t remember buying silk …
This wasn’t her apartment. The events of the previous evening began to play like a film against her eyelids, flickering at first, growing stronger as she left sleep behind. Memory drove Two’s eyes open and she sat bolt upright in bed, eyes wide and panicked. The vampire had attacked her, but must have stopped in the nick of time. Two knew she had been on the edge of death the previous night, but now she was alive and resting in a bed.
Was this, then, the vampire’s home?
Two swung her legs over the side of the bed, surveying her surroundings. She was in what looked like a modest spare bedroom in a high-rise condominium, well-furnished but not lavish. The dresser on which her clothes were piled was oak, and there was a pretty standing mirror in one corner. She recognized a painting on the wall as a Monet print, but a very good one, chosen to match the rest of the room’s decor. The clock on the nightstand stood at eighteen past ten, the darkness of the room confirming that it was night.
Two was wearing a sea-foam green nightgown that had bunched itself up around her hips while she slept. She stood, smoothing the gown out, and rolled her eyes as folds of extra fabric pooled at her feet. Whoever the gown belonged to, she was significantly taller. Two took a step and nearly fell to the
There was a sound like rushing wind, something heavy hit Two’s shoulders, dragging her toward the ground. The motion was fast, disorienting, and Two was sure that she would hit the hard cobblestones of the alley floor. Instead, she found herself cradled in the arms of the woman from the club.
“I’ll speak with you now, since you request it,” the vampire said, her voice icy and detached. “You know what I am, and we can’t have that. I’m sorry …”
“Wait!” Two shouted, and took in air to speak more, but it was too late. With one swift motion the vampire grabbed Two’s chin, forcing her head back and exposing the veins of her neck. The vampire lunged forward and Two felt a brief spike of pain, like fire lancing out from where the vampire had bitten her to touch every nerve ending. After a moment, the pain was replaced with warm, pulsating waves of pleasure that coincided with her heartbeat.
Two felt herself being drained, felt her life being stolen away from her, felt blackness overtaking her. It didn’t seem to matter, anymore, caught in this comfortable embrace. She thought to herself, At least it’s over. At least it’s finally done.
She did not expect the abrupt end to the sensation, nor the sudden plummet to the unforgiving stones below. She was dimly aware that she must still be alive, because hitting the cobblestones hurt. Two looked up, groggy, and tried to clear her vision. The vampire was backing away from her, eyes wide with confusion and surprise.
“ Tah ama vamper. Sa pare tah ama vamper. Ashi? ”
The words meant nothing to Two, but she forced herself to respond anyway. Her mouth grudgingly formed the words.
“Told … toldjoo to … wait.”
“ Ashika moritas ?!” the vampire cried.
Two was fading rapidly, but she forced herself to a sitting position. Her head spun, and she leaned against the side of the building for support. The walls of L'Obscurité throbbed and hummed against her back.
“I don’t speak … whatever language that is, sorry,” Two said.
The woman seemed to have regained some of her composure. She was regarding Two with curiosity.
“You have vampire blood,” she said.
Two’s vision was fading now, the world going first grey and then dark. She laughed. The sound was more like a sob, and with it went the last of her strength. Two slumped to the ground, and her last words were a whisper.
“Not anymore.”
* * *
Her body twitched, twisted, shifted to a different part of the bed. The sudden cool of the sheets brought Two up from the depths of sleep, and her first thought was: I don’t remember buying silk …
This wasn’t her apartment. The events of the previous evening began to play like a film against her eyelids, flickering at first, growing stronger as she left sleep behind. Memory drove Two’s eyes open and she sat bolt upright in bed, eyes wide and panicked. The vampire had attacked her, but must have stopped in the nick of time. Two knew she had been on the edge of death the previous night, but now she was alive and resting in a bed.
Was this, then, the vampire’s home?
Two swung her legs over the side of the bed, surveying her surroundings. She was in what looked like a modest spare bedroom in a high-rise condominium, well-furnished but not lavish. The dresser on which her clothes were piled was oak, and there was a pretty standing mirror in one corner. She recognized a painting on the wall as a Monet print, but a very good one, chosen to match the rest of the room’s decor. The clock on the nightstand stood at eighteen past ten, the darkness of the room confirming that it was night.
Two was wearing a sea-foam green nightgown that had bunched itself up around her hips while she slept. She stood, smoothing the gown out, and rolled her eyes as folds of extra fabric pooled at her feet. Whoever the gown belonged to, she was significantly taller. Two took a step and nearly fell to the
Similar Books
