I fight evil creatures, I don't date them (Preface)

I turn my head sharply to my right and spot a dark figure that wasn’t there a second ago. I let out a low sigh as I realize what the figure is.

There are many things that I could have dealt with tonight and not have minded as much. A vampire was something I was particularly trying to avoid.

“Celeste, so good to see you again,” says the smooth voice.

“Thomas,” I reply. I don’t have to worry about fighting Thomas, thank goodness. However, I might have to worry about the news he’ll give me. I usually contact him, not the other way around.

“I have some news that may or may not be troubling to you,” he starts.

“You could have just come to the house.”

“I was there,” he says impatiently. “Obviously, you weren’t, and this news couldn’t wait.” I could hear the urgency in Thomas’s voice, something he usually kept fairly well under control. I think he’s trying to make a point.

“Well, what is it?” I ask. He pulls out an envelope, addressed to his sister, Lydia. Thomas and Lydia are part of a… well, let’s go with “friendly” coven that stays mostly out of the spotlight and underground. I do not correspond with Lydia personally, so it is a shock to me why Thomas has brought me a piece of her mail. There are no stamps on the envelope and it is not postmarked. An elegant letter “W” is the only return address. I take the paper out from inside the envelope and scan the words.

“You shouldn’t be stealing your sister’s mail, Thomas,” I say, and hand the envelope and its contents back to him. The letter is from an assumed friend of Lydia’s; a certain vampire who’s reputation proceeds him.

“Will you work with him, or not?” I study Thomas’s pale face. In 150 years, he hasn’t changed much, besides his clothing. Along with his 200 year old face, Thomas’s will, too, is unwavering.

“William doesn’t need my help, you know that as well as I,” I turn in the direction of my car and start walking the last block.

“Then that means he’s only asking for one reason,” he says stepping in front of me.

“I might know things that he doesn’t, but it isn’t anything he can’t find out for himself,” I say clenching my jaw.

“You’re older than he is. He needs your help and it would behoove you to give it to him.” I search Tomas’s eyes. Even after 150 years of fighting evil creatures, I still can’t read a vampire’s eyes.

“Why does he need my help so horribly?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at him. He sighs.

“Don’t worry about the big picture, Celeste,” he says a bit impatiently. “There are things happening… underground that are more urgent then your reputation.”

“It’s not my reputation I’m worried about; it’s William’s.” Thomas chuckles at my response.

“He may be a bit… wayward, but he needs help and I couldn’t think of anyone better. Besides, I don’t think working with one human will scathe him forever.” He smiles that charming smile at me and I roll my eyes.

“I’ll meet with him, but I can’t make you any promises,” I say opening the door to my car.

“I’ll schedule a date.” Then, as soon as he appeared, Thomas is gone. I sigh and start the car. As I drive home I think about William’s reputation. Being alive for 200 years, you get to know and hear about people. William Fry was one of the people I had heard about. After my first hundred or so years of killing the most evil of creatures, I had heard of another who had been doing the same. Although William was born maybe a hundred years after I was, he was still very adept at getting rid of the same creatures I had been. However, the difference between William and I was that he was a vampire and I wasn’t. He was also one of “those” vampires that invested little trust in humans, however immortal they may be. As I wonder how any kind of partnership would work, something very unpleasant lands on the hood of my car.