The Vampire's Prey

by Vivian Murdoch

  I ease her wrists free and lock the cuffs back into the drawer. She shifts slightly in her sleep as her hands come back down around her sides. I keep watching her as I undress, quietly draping my clothes over the edge of the bed. Easing my way in on the other side of the bed, I pull her body up next to mine.

  Soft mewls come from her, but other than that, she remains asleep. She turns towards me and curls into my chest before sighing contentedly. The small creases in her forehead smooth out, as if she can finally relax now that she’s in my arms. Dropping a light kiss on her head, I hold her close, waiting for the coming dawn.

  About an hour before sunrise, I disentangle myself from her embrace and make my way back to the kitchen. There is a lot of extra prep work I need to do before I rest. This is the first time to ever have a human here while I am sleeping, and I am just a little nervous. I put up the soup, then walk back to my front door. Everything is locked and secure. I check in on Evangeline one more time. Still sleeping soundly.

  Finally, I am able to breathe. I pull out my phone and send her a brief text message telling her that I would be out all day tomorrow. I also mention where she can find everything, that way she doesn't starve or get bored. Hopefully my entertainment and game system can keep her entertained. At least until Marion, my daytime guard, can get here. She is a lot younger than Maria, so I really hope she and Evangeline get along.

  Satisfied, I stroll back over and kiss her one more time. It is so hard for me to leave her like this, but I can feel the dawn quickly approaching. I cannot allow myself to be that vulnerable around her right now. Not until I know what side she’s on. A soft smile crosses my lips as I lean down and brush them against hers. When did I become such a softie? With everything done, I can finally go to my crypt and rest.

  Evangeline

  I take in a deep breath and stretch. I can't really remember the last time I slept so well. Reaching down, I feel the soft sheets under my hands, and everything comes back to me in a rush. I'm in Adrian's house. Looking at my wrists, I realize that I'm no longer tied to the headboard. Hallelujah! My eyes dart around the room, trying to take everything in. Where’s Adrian? The sheets next to me look rumpled, as if he slept there with me.

  My cheeks heat up as I imagine our bodies lying together. Did he touch me while I was asleep? Knowing him, probably not. Turning my attention to the walls, I stare at every crack and crevice. Could he be hiding back there? As a vampire, he would have to be asleep or something. Or would he?

  Jumping out of bed, I make my way to my suitcase, relieved to find my phone still there. When I turn on the screen, I find only one text message, and it's from him. Just thinking about him makes my stomach flip and my insides clench in need. Get it together girl and just read the text. Just as I thought. He is "out for the day.” Liar. I smirk as I pull out my contact case. With him safely hidden away, I don’t need to protect myself. Which is great because my eyes needed a breather.

  As I walk into the bathroom, I'm quickly reminded that there are no mirrors anywhere. No biggie. I head back to my bag, grab a small compact mirror, and take it back to the bathroom. With all the practice that I've had putting these things in and taking them out, it's not too difficult to do without a mirror, but I always have one just in case. I get them out and flush my eyes, closing them for a bit in relief. I can't wait to be able to stop wearing those stupid things.

  My heart sinks a bit. The only way I can stop wearing them is if I complete my mission. But I don't want to kill him. Not anymore. I sit down on the tub and chew my nails. They're already pretty nonexistent from my penance bender earlier, but it still brings me some measure of relief. I am not allowed to do this around The Family, so I better get it out of my system while I'm away. Chewing away, I begin thinking through my options.

  I already reported that there are at least three vampires. Luckily, I never told him all the ones I saw downstairs. Nor did I mention that I possibly saw their leader. I can still control this. With any luck, I can spin it to say that I was confused and there aren't any vampires. But then, I would have to go home and leave Adrian. Maybe if I tell Adrian what's going on, then he can help me decide what to do. No. That's stupid. I can't trust him with a big secret like this. Oh, what to do?

  Well, first thing is getting clothes on. The door to my room is still open, and I'm not sure who or what could be lurking in the house. Rummaging through my bag, I pull out a simple, black, cotton tee and some grey leggings. If master Adrian is truly asleep, there's no one to look hot for. I spy my vibrator, and for a minute or two, I'm actually tempted; however, I do not want to go to bed as horny as I did last night. If I'm good, then maybe he'll get me off. Shivering in anticipation, I tuck the vibrator at the bottom of my bag. I don't want him to even think that I touched it.

  As I pull my hand back, I brush against my Bible. Pulling it out, I run my fingers over the worn leather. This was my first birthday gift ever given to me by Father after I was taken into The Family. I was six. On the front, the verse Matt. 7:15—"Ye shall know them by their fruit," stands out, embossed in blue. He actually took the time to find out my favorite color for this. Since that day, this verse has been a mantra in the household. It is one of many that spells out our duty to rid the world of evil monsters. Their fruits are what give them all away. All monsters are the same. They come to kill and destroy, or worse yet, seduce you into Satan's army.

  Huddled on the floor, I sit there for a moment, thinking and hugging the Bible to me. Adrian is nothing like the monsters described to me. Up until this point, he has only shown me love and kindness. Did he seduce me, of course. But, if I'm being honest with myself, if I truly wanted to resist, I could have. So, what does that say about me? Sighing, I put the bible back into my bag. Luckily for me, I don't actually have to think about that. While I'm here with Adrian, that is now his job.

  There's just one more thing I need to do. Peeking over my shoulder, I take one more glance to ensure no one is watching me. Once I know the coast is completely clear, I dig down into the bottom recesses of the bag and pull out a wooden box.

  Upon a glancing inspection, it looks like nothing special. Maybe a jewelry box of some sort. It's a little bit bigger, not by much, than a fancy cigar case, but the contents are so much more valuable. Easing an unlocked nightstand drawer open, I place the box inside, and close it up. Some people keep guns next to them at night, I choose to keep my own weapons of choice.

  Straightening back up, I look once more at my phone. No decisions need to be made just yet. I have three months to do this mission, and I'm still only a few weeks in. If need be, I will buy some more time.

  Following the directions on my phone, I first make my way into the kitchen. The size alone is enough to make me gasp. I do pride myself on being a good cook. The only thing, though, is I was never allowed to make elaborate dishes. All of my food had to be made with simplicity and humility. Yet one more thing to ask Adrian about. Perhaps he would let me play in his kitchen a little. I bite my lip and look around at all the pure white and shiny metallic surfaces. Probably not. I don't want to cause the housekeeper undo grief if I can't clean it up.

  The huge two-door fridge has just about anything I could ever want to eat. Fruits, vegetables, snacks all line the shelves, making my mouth water. Unfortunately, the text made it explicitly clear that I was to eat at least one bowl of chicken soup before partaking in anything else. The Tupperware bowl is on the second shelf from the top, just like he said.

  Pulling the bowl down, my arm bumps into the door, jostling the door shelves. A large crack appears at the seam where it meets the door, and I let out a string of expletives. Not even here for a day, and I’m already making a mess of things. Setting the soup bowl down, I hurry back over to see what can be done. Maybe if I’m careful, I can fix it, and no one will be the wiser. Poking and prodding a bit, the gap widens and the whole row of shelves swing out.

  Blood runs from my face as I see the hidden compartment of blood bags sitting there. I already kn
ew he was a vampire, but for some reason, seeing it laid out in red and white brings it all crashing down on me. Peering at the bags, I try to detach myself from the situation, to look at things like a normal, rational person.

  Apparently, he has a type. As I read down the list of bags, I see that all but a handful are type O Positive. The other few are a mixture between the other blood types. I wonder what blood type I am. I hope I'm an O too. Otherwise, would he actually want my blood. Fuck. Now I'm wanting him to drink me? How do I go from let's kill the monster to here, have a snack?

  I quickly look around to see if I'm still alone before shutting the panel back. I will definitely keep this in mind if I ever decide to tell him who I really am. By the time I shut everything up and heat the soup in the microwave, I realize that I am indeed famished. The milk from last night didn't stay at all. In a matter of minutes, the small bowl I heated up is gone, and I'm already onto my second bowl when an alarm sounds at the front door.

  A spike of panic skitters up my spine at the unfamiliar sound. My gut clenches for a moment before I set myself into motion. Setting down my meal, I stalk my way across the kitchen, spot a knife near the door, and grab it for safekeeping. I ease the door open and peek around the outside. No one. Tiptoeing back into the living area, I poise the knife over my head and creep over to the couch.

  "You must be Evangeline!"

  Whirling around, I keep the knife up high, trying my hardest to keep it still until I know if she's a threat or not. She knows my name. That's a good sign at least. This petite figure with bouncy, chocolate hair stares up at me in delighted expectation.

  "I'm Marion. Master Adrian's assistant?"

  She holds out her hand with a bright smile. Her eyes travel to the knife then back to my face. If she’s freaked out about it, she doesn’t show it. Assistant. Yes. He did say something about that. I move the knife into my other hand and drop it to my side. Taking her hand and shaking it firmly, I chuckle and gesture with the knife.

  "Sorry about that. I completely forgot someone comes here in the daytime. Let me just put this back up."

  She follows me into the kitchen and inhales deeply. "Ahhh! Maria must have been cooking. Did you save any for me?" She pokes her head into the fridge and rummages around. Ohh. Cake!"

  Her smile grows even wider as she pulls out a platter with a decadent chocolate cake on it.

  "Umm. Are you sure we should be eating that? I glance at the kitchen clock. It's only ten in the morning."

  She giggles softly and pulls off the top. After waiting for a brief second, she sticks her finger in the frosting and brings it up to her lips.

  "I lick it, so it's mine! Besides, you've already eaten your breakfast. What's the harm in some cake?"

  I glance around the kitchen, looking for a voice of reason before realizing that's my job now.

  "If you're his assistant, I'm pretty sure you should be working instead of eating. But I really don't know how things work around here."

  Marion licks the rest of the frosting off of her finger before digging into her pocket for her phone.

  "Marion, your task for today is to keep Evangeline out of trouble and show her a good time within reason. See? Cake would make anyone have a good time!"

  Setting down the platter, she holds out her hand expectantly for the knife. I hand it over and look at my own messages. Nothing says I can't have cake. Just that I have to eat at least one bowl of soup. Which I did. He did also add to make myself at home. So, I guess there's no harm?

  By the time I turn around, Marion already has two slices of cake on plates with forks ready to go. "Wow, You don't waste any time, do you?" I can't help but laugh as she bounces over to the cabinets and pulls out bags of chips to go with the cake. "I take it this is the norm for you?"

  "Well, yeah. What else am I supposed to do here by myself? Now I have a friend. Let's go!" She gathers up her loot and walks out into the living room.

  Helpless, I can do nothing but follow her. If Adrian ordered her to keep me entertained, then I am not going to do anything to mess that up. By the time I reach the couch, she's already got the tv turned on and a game loading on the screen.

  "Here, this one's a two-player. Wanna play?"

  She's beaming up at me, and I don't want to hurt her feelings, but I’m the last person she should want to play with. Taking the controller, I sit down and watch her bounce over to me.

  "I don't think you want to play with me."

  She looks over at me, a chip sticking out from her mouth and frowns.

  "Why not? You don't look like you're mean."

  Shocked, I sit back. "Well, no, I'm not mean. I've just never played with video games before. They're not allowed in my house."

  "Wait.” She finishes chewing her chip then looks at me in earnest. "You're an adult right?"

  "Well, yeah, but."

  "Then how are you still listening to them? If you're over eighteen, you can do whatever you want, and it's great!" Marion flings her arms out in emphasis.

  "But if you're still living with them, you kinda have to go by their rules."

  "From what little Adrian told me, you're not home anymore. In fact, you came out here to be your own person. So, I will teach you video games. You're gonna love them. They're the best thing ever!" She looks down at her cake. "Well, one of the best."

  Giggling, I fork a piece of cake into my mouth. Closing my eyes, I savor the chocolate as it dissolves on my tongue. Imagine, cake and videogames for breakfast. She does have a point though, I can start living my own life, beginning with these.

  Hours fly by, and I don't even notice the time slipping away. This is the most fun I have had as long as I can ever remember. At this point, chip bags are spread all over the table, and the cake platter is in between us, empty.

  "Looks like someone sure made themselves at home."

  I squeak and look up to see Adrian standing behind the couch, surveying the damage. I'm trying so hard to look contrite as his eyebrow raises while taking in the scene.

  "Well, you did tell us to."

  "Master Adrian!" Marion flies off the couch and slams into him with a huge hug.

  A pang of jealousy flashes through me before I can control it. However, instead of greeting her like a girlfriend or lover, he simply kisses her on top of her head and hugs her like a child. I know Adrian is old enough, so could she in fact be his?

  "I kept her busy all day, just like you said."

  Chuckling, he pulls out a small bear with a pink tutu and star wand. "I can see that. I can also see that you took way advantage of my hospitality young lady."

  She looks down at the mess and winces a little. "I'm sorry, master Adrian. I think I got too excited. Please don't tell daddy."

  Daddy?

  Adrian raises his eyebrow and thinks for a moment. "I will think about it. In the meantime, I believe I promised you a new friend.” He looks over at me and winks. "She looks to be in one piece. So, consider your job accomplished."

  "Oh yay!" Marion grabs the bear and clutches her tight. "Thank you so much. And thank you Evie for playing with me."

  I'm about to respond when she hurls herself at me and grips me in a tight hug. Stunned, I sit there for a moment with my hands by my side, not really sure what to do. After a few moments, I reach around and hug her. With each squeeze, my empty heart feels like it's becoming full.

  "Careful sweetie. You don’t want to squish your bear."

  "Oh! You're right.” She pulls away and examines her new buddy until she's satisfied she's not hurt. A loud buzzing comes from her pocket, and she pulls out her phone and smiles. "Daddy's here to get me! I can't wait to show him my new bear. I'm going to name her Evie. After you!"

  "I'm flattered.” I watch both Adrian and Marion leave, Adrian with his smooth, long strides and Marion skipping to keep up. It's such a heartwarming scene.

  I watch them head to the door, hand in hand. Wow. That is definitely something I never would imagine seeing. She's not even his protege, and
yet, he handles her with such tenderness. Not just her. With me too. I ease back onto the couch deep in thought. This is certainly illuminating.

  "Now then, missy."

  My gaze flies up to see Adrian staring down at me. His brows are drawn as if he's angry, but a playful smirk keeps tugging at his lips.

  "I see a lot of snacks and sweets on this table.” He leans over and nudges the empty platter. "Or, should I say, lack thereof. Please tell me you had more than this to eat today."

  "Well, of course! I had two bowls of the chicken soup, just like you told me to."

  Adrian's brow furrows deeper. "And."

  "Well," I look over the table at all the bags and wrappers spread about. "The chips aren't that bad.” Squirming in my seat, I keep searching the table. What else did we eat? Honestly, I didn't even pay attention to what was going into my mouth. I was too distracted by the video games. Now I see why they are forbidden in the house. "Oh! We had tacos!"

  "Tacos?" His eyes widen for a moment. "When I checked the fridge last night, there were no tacos in there."

  "Marion ordered delivery?"

  Adrian reaches up and rubs his hand across his brow. "Oh, she did, did she? And with what did she pay for it?"

  Biting down on my bottom lip, I look down at the floor. I really don't want to get my new friend into trouble, but I also don't want to get me into trouble either.

  "She said the house account? I'm really sorry. I asked her if it was okay. She assured me that it was!" Hysteria tinges my voice, and I'm trying desperately to calm down. I know my heart must be beating a mile a minute.

  "Shh, shh love. Yes. She did okay. That is what the house account is for. Granted, when we set it up, I did not have tacos in mind. More like business expenses, equipment, that sort of thing. However," he tips my chin up to meet his gaze. "If we are being technical, her business today was to keep you happy and entertained. Based on how much you have been smiling, I can surmise that she did a very good job."