Somehow, that didn't make sense to Rebecca, "You mean, a vampire works in the convenience store?" She thought it was a stupid job for a powerful immortal.
Pretending she didn't deserve an answer, Dylan said, "This isn't what we're here for, anyway." Giving a few steps to his left, another section of the bottom floor lit up. This time, the words printed on the glass walls were Blood Bank.
It took a moment for Rebecca to realize where he'd brought her. “I’m not going in there,” she declared.
"I know how you feel about blood," Dylan started. "Unfortunately, whenever I decided you were the one, Lucius gave me three orders."
"What did he say?"
"You needed to know what I was, of course. I needed to bring you to him while you were still human, and you needed to see me drink blood."
"Well," she observed, "you have already broken one of these mandates. What difference does it make?"
He shrugged, "He has this idea it'll be so repulsive to you it'll help in his persuasion."
"Because he doesn't want me here?" It made complete sense, too. Why would the director of an agency who hired trained vampires, bother with a woman who didn't know how to do much of anything worth knowing to work in his agency?
"Fine," Rebecca sighed. "Whatever it takes. But, I won't be trying any of it."
"All you have to do is watch."
“It isn’t real blood,” Dylan was saying as they went back to her apartment. In his hands, he carried a clear plastic bag with the red liquid he had brought back from the Blood Bank.
“It sure looks like it,” Rebecca said off-handedly.
“Well, it isn’t,” Dylan insisted. “It’s synthetic, it’s made in a lab somewhere. No humans were harmed in its production.” She wasn’t finding his attempt at a joke amusing in the least.
Rebecca didn’t know much about science, but she knew synthetic blood existed. She remembered when a now-famous scientist had made the headlines when she was in elementary school. It was so used in the present day that everybody took it for granted. So much that she didn't remember the name of that scientist. Synthetic blood was now in the mainstream. Somehow, Dylan hadn't mentioned it was a substitute for human blood to them. It did, however, make her consider drinking it as opposed to human blood. Somehow the idea of it didn’t feel as repulsive.
“What does it smell like?” she wondered once they were back in her apartment.
"You'll see." Dylan searched for a pair of scissors in one of the kitchen drawers. The underground compound was free of most scents. So much that the main floor had been too overwhelming for her newfound senses. When he opened the bag, the blood filled the apartment with its scent, making her mouth water; she could feel her fangs aching to come out of her gums.
Although real and synthetic blood were similar, human blood was more appealing. Synthetic blood was still a good option to satisfy a craving.
Taking one look at her, Dylan chuckled at the way she was staring at the plastic bag. He knew she wanted it. "Good job controlling the change," he winked.
"Go ahead and drink that, already."
Nodding, Dylan put the opening in his mouth and swallowed the contents of the bag, licking his teeth from the lingering red liquid. It was amazing how the environment cleared from the scent so quickly.
“You should turn your eyes back to normal now,” he teased.
While Rebecca had stopped her fangs from growing, she hadn't considered her eyes. The color change was so smooth she couldn't really feel her eyes go from brown to red, making her wonder what would happen if she was out in the world and her eyes suddenly shifted to their blood red color without her knowledge.
"It just happened," she confessed.
"You'll get better at it. It'll become second nature to you. All you need is practice." Dylan threw the empty bag in the trashcan under the sink. "Did it tempt you at all? The blood?"
"Maybe a little," she blushed. "I guess as long as it's synthetic, it's not so bad."
"We can always go back and get another bag of-"
"No, no. It's fine. What we should have done was pick up more ham from that convenience store."
"Ah yes, we forgot," he said. "How about some over-easy eggs with a side of bacon for you?”
It brought a smile to her face. "Sounds delicious."
"Coffee?"
"Yes, please."
Rebecca sat down and watched Dylan get to work.
CHAPTER FOUR
Lucius
WINTER, 1999
Dylan escorted Rebecca to the first floor after finishing a hearty breakfast - including eggs, bacon, and coffee. The elevator door opened to a familiar scene, complete with the scents and sounds she remembered. This time around, Rebecca had more time to notice the framed art hanging from the walls, believing if it weren't for them, the place would have looked like a prison. The walls were a light gray, and on the ceiling, soft incandescent lights burned. She could see the light of day coming in from the two doors at each end of that hallway, silently wishing she could keep walking and step outside, breathe some fresh air.
The director of the vampire agency had his office inside the room Rebecca had entered before while following the scent of blood. This time, the scent of blood was mostly gone, making her realize the human agents had vacated the premises in preparation for her visit. She was ashamed they had needed to do something like that because she couldn't control how blood made her react.
It didn't matter, what mattered was she was about to meet an ancient vampire who had the power to kick her out of the agency if he thought she wasn't a right fit. It wouldn't matter how many compliments she got from Dylan, the last word belong to Lucius and Lucius alone. It was scary to think she had traded the kind Mrs. Anderson for an ancient vampire she had never met.
"You'll be fine," she heard Dylan say beside her. Her heart was definitely beating faster and Rebecca assumed Dylan could tell how nervous she was by the change in her vital signs.
They crossed the room with the four desks where the FBI agents worked, stopping in front of another door waiting in the back. Lucius' office was behind that door.
"Ready?" Dylan asked her.
"Yes." She just wanted to get it over with.
After only two knocks, a raspy voice answered from the other side.
"Come in," came the answer.
The office was not what she expected. In front of her she saw a desk with not one, but three, computer monitors. On the wall to her right, two TV screens were showing a broadcast of different news channels in mute, and to the left a very large painting of long, leafless trees in front of a dark orange sky hung.
As for the man behind the desk, he looked just as human as any other vampire she had met. Not only had he been alive for a long time, he was also physically older than the other agents she had met so far. His gray hair was combed back in a way that made his face look more elongated than it already was. The director of the agency wore a suit similar to the ones Dylan wore, except his was light gray with a blue tie. For a moment Rebecca pictured one of those lawyers from the crime dramas Coleen liked to watch.
The infamous Lucius left one of his computer screens to face Rebecca with his narrow, clear gray eyes. He wasn’t a big man; on the contrary, he was slender and short; she could tell even from his position behind his desk. Somehow, his size didn't stop him from striking fear into her heart. He still looked like someone who could be deadly if he chose to be.
For what felt like an eternity, he sat there frozen staring straight at Rebecca. Dylan may as well not be in the room, but surely could feel the tension between them.
“This is Rebecca Sawyer, sir,” Dylan broke the silence with her introduction.
The old man’s cold eyes didn’t leave Rebecca’s when he said, “I will call you when we are done, agent Torrence.”
Feeling Dylan nodding beside her, Rebecca tried to stop her heart from exploding in her chest.
Once the door had closed, the director of the vampire agency st
retched one hand with his palm up as an invitation for her to sit on one of the black leather chairs in front of his desk.
“Sit down, Ms. Sawyer,” he commanded, his voice lacking an accent Rebecca could identify.
“Yes, sir,” she complied.
Thinking about their age difference, Rebecca assumed she was nothing more than a child to someone like him. She could not imagine what someone with so many years behind his back, having lived for so long, could be thinking of her. How much he must have experienced in his long years? How many people had he met? Employed? How many vampires had he made?
The silence continued and when Lucius finally reached for a blue folder on the desk Rebecca hadn't noticed before, he began to speak only after scanning a few of the pages inside.
“This is your file,” the director said, his raspy voice sounded as old as he appeared to be; the words came out slow and clear. Hearing him again, Rebecca decided that his accent may have a hint of European. The director continued, “In here is what agent Torrence has compiled of your life so far.” He turned to look at her when he stressed the origin of the information.“ Of your human life.”
Dylan had mentioned he had run a background check on her, among other things, which was why it didn't surprise her when she heard it from the director. From looking at the number of documents, she could tell Dylan had done his job well.
“I gave specific instructions to your potential partner. Although,” he stressed, “my orders were ignored, and as such, I have no other choice but to speak with you frankly about your future. I believe Dylan has told you enough about our kind and our mission, so I will not dwell on that. I feel I cannot continue without saying that being what we are, well… let's say it does not come without a great responsibility. This life is difficult, to say the least.”
“Yes, sir. I understand.” Her voice trembled; it had been a miracle a sound had come out of her mouth at all. She struggled to stop herself from losing it, but it was hard to maintain a brave face in this man's presence. If only Dylan had stayed with her - with him, everything would have felt all right.
The director narrowed his eyes and exhaled, relaxing his demeanor. “You needn’t be afraid, child,” he told her. “What’s done is done. If there is someone who should fear my wrath is your future partner. I will deal with him when the time comes.”
Rebecca knew it was time to speak her mind. It was time to set the record straight. As much as this old vampire made her uneasy, she couldn’t let Dylan get in trouble for something she had done on her own free will. “Dylan didn't force me to come, sir. Whatever he did, I agreed to go through with it.”
Lucius listened to her, his eyes still narrow. “I understand," he nodded. "As a rule, we avoid bringing humans into our world. It is not forbidden, but if it can be avoided, I do my best to explain why it isn't the best future for someone who has a full life to live. ”
"Dylan told me I would be welcome.”
Lucius took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to express what he was thinking, “That is beside the point. You are welcome, child. Since I cannot persuade you to remain human anymore, I would like to speak to you about what this new life brings, and perhaps still persuade you to go a different route. It is not too late to go back to your own life. Alas, it would be different, but it would be yours.”
“I don't want to go back, sir,” Rebecca said, sternly. "Dylan was transparent in what he told me. I knew exactly what would happen. I know this is what I want."
After a moment, Lucius nodded, then repeated, “I understand.” The director of the vampire agency rested his head on his hands. When he straightened up again he continued, “I am sure Dylan told you all he needed to say in order to convince you that becoming a vampire was the best future you could hope for. Unfortunately,” he stopped to lean back on his leather chair again, the force of his movement making the chair squeak and roll back with him, “I am going to tell you what Dylan didn’t bother to mention. I suppose after that we can start making some real decisions.”
This was about to get interesting, Rebecca thought. After a gulp, she said, “All right.”
“You are here because Dylan Torrence needs a partner.” So far so good, she knew that. “He needed one that would accept him as a partner, for one. Someone who was able to ground him back to what he used to be and let him know what he should not be. One who can take on his attitude, his arrogance… his lack of humanity. Someone who can do all of this without falling where he has fallen.”
“Fallen?” What Rebecca was hearing confused her, “I thought we were still human; apart from the physical changes, I mean.”
“We are,” Lucius smiled, “but we are not Dylan Torrence.”
There was no other word Rebecca could think of to describe what she was feeling, except confusion. “Sure, Dylan is a little detached from the world, but he still is a regular man to me.”
“He is not,” Lucius insisted. She could perceive the smile on his face was one of triumph, although she couldn’t tell over what. “Before he went looking for you, Dylan almost stopped being human completely. In fact, had he not been successful in bringing you here with him, he risked being terminated.” The way he said it implied something more than just fired.
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
Lucius stared at her with interest. “Have you seen him feed?”
"Yes,” Rebecca thought back on that morning, when the act of drinking blood had only been sucking up a synthetic liquid out of a bag. It hadn't been that impressive or scary. The director nodded, “And I assume he revealed to you that, before he went looking for you, he fed only on blood for decades."
Rebecca couldn't help her disbelief, she was sure the director had seen it, heard it, felt it. She would not be able to lie about it. He was right, Dylan hadn't thought to mention that. "No," she looked down at her hands when she replied.
Lucius exhaled, “During this time, he did not change. He did not sleep, and any link he ever had to anything human, was broken."
"He's not that person now," Rebecca defended him. "Not with me, sir."
Offering a smile, the director said, “I see why he likes you.”
“Sir, if that is the man you sent to look for me, then he's not the same who found me.” Shaking her head, she insisted, "Perhaps he was less human before he knew me, but now he is a man I admire, someone I respect."
Raising both eyebrows, the director understood what she was trying to say. “Did he actually make you love him, Ms. Sawyer?”
This angered Rebecca. She wasn't liking the director of the vampire agency at all. He was condescending and acted like he was superior to everyone. She would soon find out he deserved the respect he had earned from the others, but it wouldn't happen that day. "If I love him it's because of who he is with me, sir."
Looking amused at her feelings, the director began again, "I don't know if I should be fascinated by the impression he made on you, or if I should fear he became something he is not to make you love him."
He's not faking it, Rebecca thought. "If I love him it's because he is flawed, vulnerable."
"Dylan Torrence is everything but vulnerable."
"Perhaps he truly did change when he met me. Like he says, I am the piece of the puzzle he was missing. Maybe we are meant to be together."
Rebecca thought the director would say something else to harm her relationship with Dylan. She could feel his tongue trying to find the right words, trying to make her understand how she had made a mistake. No matter what he said, she knew who she loved, trusted, and believed in. She knew she had made the right choice in following him.
Finally, he spoke. "You would become a werewolf hunter for him?"
Rebecca took a deep breath, "I will work as hard as I can, sir."
He looked unimpressed, yet he nodded his head in understanding. "Very well," he finally accepted her. "You will train and be tested in your loyalty to the human race, Ms. Sawyer." Rebecca was suddenly filled with anxiety. "The
n you will train to become the partner of the greatest werewolf hunter I have ever known." Rebecca nodded, scared of what the director of the agency saw in her future. "If at any time you feel this life is not for you," he paused for effect, "please come talk to me. I am here for you. I will arrange a human life for you and I will make sure you are as happy as you can be."
Swallowing hard, Rebecca said, "That won't be necessary, sir. I won't fail."
"Yes," the director smiled, "I can see why he likes you."
Rebecca was trembling, she wasn't sure what else to say. It had been an interesting meeting. She then said the last words she thought would come out of her mouth, "Is the meeting over, sir?"
Lucius laughed silently, beginning to gather the documents on his desk and placing them back in the blue folder. "Yes, child." He looked back into her eyes before dismissing her. "I will look upon your progress with interest, Rebecca Sawyer. I have no doubt you will accomplish wonders if you are dedicated and you work hard to learn all we have to teach." These new words didn't make any sense with everything else the director had tried to communicate when the meeting had started. He continued, “It may not be an easy life, but you will have great power - and great responsibility. I will encourage you to follow our rules and laws to make sure you will have a long and productive life with us."
"Thank you, sir."
"Now," the director stood up, fixing his jacket as he did. When Rebecca stood up to follow him, she noticed how tall she was next to him. The old man couldn't be more than five feet tall. This didn't take authority from him. "Let's find agent Torrence. He can continue with your induction."
"Okay," Rebecca said simply.
"Please take care of him," he told her before opening the door. He was now only a few inches away from her, his hand on her back. "Dylan is very special to me and I worry about him."
One more time, Rebecca couldn't make sense of his words. The message was nothing like the first impression he had given. "Yes, sir. I will do my best."
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