Something terrible boiled to the surface of Casey’s mind and in the moment Sylvie leapt away, Casey looked up with fidend hate in her chocotey eyes then with almost a banshee’s wail screamed, “I don’t belong to ANYONE!” Intercepting the giant vampire by throwing the rock dust in his eyes, Casey felt alive for the first time in days. “Not going to happen again, you bastard!” While she didn’t have her enharength, Casey still recalled all of the lessons her mistress had taught her the ten months before. Throwing her entire weight against the stumbled vampire, Casey drove the oake she had right through the hulking man’s chest.

  Iia helped Casey and she mao ram the stake deeper as the two nded on the ground with a thud. “Bastard.” She muttered and rolled away from the hulking figure. “Why is it always the fug big ones?” She kicked the immovable vampire and picked up the sed stake then headed back to where his brown eyes looked up at the heavy chested woman. “Yeah, you aren’t the first asshole I have had to kill.” Digging out a small lighter, she set the stake on fire. “Burn you son-of-a-bitbsp; I always keep one of these now.” She spit on the vampire and shoved the burning stake through his open palm, “Keep your hands to yourself.” She huffed and kicked ain, “Why the boobs, all the time? Hands off jerk.”

  Thinking that she’d o help Casey, Sylvie used blood and closed the small set of knife-like streaks that cut across her chest and faced her friend. “Well. That takes care of that.” She poio the burning stake in the big vampire’s hand, a reminder of the past battle with Brian. “A bit drastibsp;

  “Fuck him.” Casey looked at ain, “I hope it hurts like hell.”

  Determining quickly that she’d used a good portion of her blood, Sylvie dropped to her knees and pulled Owen to her mouth aered on his neck. “We ’t have the polid fire department ing out, the veil has enough issues bae. Let me drain him and then I will..” She shook her head seeing small fmes ing up from Oscar. “..Drain him too. Though I am not looking forward to tasting his blood.”

  Leaning over and pig up Sylvie’s leather jacket, Casey slipped it over her form the best she could given her rge breasts. “Naturally I ’t zip it up.” She shrugged and poio Oscar. “I don’t know what happened..I kinda snapped.”

  Wiping her mouth clear of Owen’s blood, Sylvie smiled as the wiry vampire’s remains turo dust and spread into the wind. “It was impressive, to be pletely ho.” Sylvie k down and whispered to Oscar. “I tried to warn you.” She smacked the big vampire hard and it left a deep sli Oscar’s cheek. “Should have respected your elders. I will let Jester know where you..” Sylvie giggled, “..you went wrong, and that you will not be returning to his services.” Driving her four blood stained fangs into Oscar’s neck, Sylvie drained him within a matter of seds. Ashen remains floated away and Sylvie walked to the burning stake and stomped out the fme in near soupy mud. “I wish you didn’t have to see that.”

  Flipping up the visor on the helmet, Casey’s brown eyes looked at Sylvie with wonder. “I have seen you feed before, I am rather used to blood at this point.” Casey sighed and picked up the stake from the ground, stuffing it into the jacket pocket. “I am more ed that I just kinda..well, how I put this? Raged.” She poio the ground where Oscar was. “I just kinda screamed…then it all was a blur.”

  Nodding lightly with the things Casey said, Sylvie gently pushed the visor back down to protect her friend’s face. “o say anymht now, Casey. You holy repeated yourself.” Sylvie lifted Casey onto her back, “Oscar was going to kill us both if he could, there is no reason to apologize.” She looked bato Casey’s chocote eyes. “Like old times, huh? Over the feo a small store to get you something that fits and withiy minutes we are on the road. Just rex.”

  “Yes Mistress. I certainly get to the house a up the third bedroom.” Veronica tried to calmly state over the phone while An tried to interrupt the versation by kissing Veronica’s ear. “N..No, it isn’t a problem. You left A-Amber in charge.” Veronica gred at An and covered the receiver of the phone, “Stop it, Silly. I ’t trate.”

  Laughing to himself, An stood up from the sofa and walked into the kit and looked around. “What to do, what to do?” He opehe refrigerator and spotted a bottle of ‘Crimson Zero’ and smiled. “Would she mind if I..?” He looked into the living room and saw Veronica with her thumb up and still trying to talk to Sylvie. “Cool.”

  “You said Martin is already on his way? To the house?” Veronica rolled her eyes and buttoned up her blouse, c her one exposed breast. “Mistress, it is alright. I’m not moally busy, I assure you.” Veronica listeo Sylvie for a few more minutes and finally ehe call. “Whew.” She stood up and straightened her mini skirt, fluffed her short dirty-blonde hair and walked through the attached dining room to the kit. “You sir, are impossible. I am almost one hundred pert certain that she kneere about to do something.” Veronica watched An drink the cold blood with a smile. “I would graciously offer my own blood, but the mistress already took her fill this evening.” Veronica walked over and rubbed An’s shoulders. “I am gd she shoved us together, Mister Brown.”

  Polishing off the tents of the bottle, An ri out over the sink and pced the gss in the crate where the other empty bottles were. “I don’t know that it was love at first sight, but I do feel a pull to you, Miss Brown.” He shook his head, “I just hope we aren’t reted somehow.”

  Waving her hand to dismiss the thought, Veronica dragged the gentleman vampire out of the kit and down the hall to the bedroom across from Sylvie’s. “There are Brown’s all over the pce, the likelihood is pretty slim. I am not even from this area.” She quickly kissed the taller man on the neck. “I am fron. I came east because I wao try something new and not be in the fug rain all the time.” She ughed and sat down on the fluffy bed. “Tell me more about yourself, An. Where did you meet my mistress?”

  ing to the realization that their make-out session was at an end, An walked around the bed to a small gray cushioned chair and sat down. “I liked the living room as a better pce to discuss such things.” He politely sighed. “Very well, I see it in your face that the hint was lost.”

  “Not lost.” Veronica winked, “Just not the right moment. Depending on when Sylvie left, she could be here in an hour or even forty-five minutes. Martin will be here before that, if I know him.” She wiggled her index finger. “Now, e on. How did you and Sylvie meet?”

  Using his left hand, An rubbed his for a few seds and ughed, “I guess it was roughly a hundred years ago. I think st month I celebrated my tennial?” Shrugging, An leaned bad trated. “Yeah, that’s it.” He took a deep breath, “Uand that this entire area looked different back then. ial Heights did aersburg was a living dream to be in. Almost no crime, stores everywhere, even the roads were paved.” He ughed, “Brick pavers. Day and night the crews worked with sand.” He snapped his fingers, “You know, like out front of Phantasmagoria.” He opened his eyes and grinned, “Except for the ey. There was a mixture of power and gas lighting at night. It was a very beautiful town.”

  tent to listen to An’s soothing voice, Veronica stood up and began looking over the room. “Go on, I am just going to grab some supplies and dust the furniture.” Veronica left the room for a couple seds and came bad noticed An looking at her hungrily. “Ha, I know that look in a vampire’s eyes.” She pointed a little rag at the man, “Let me build up more and you partake of the..” Veronica winked, “...drink within.” Veronica sprayed the lemoed polish on a long mirrored dresser, “e on. How did you meet her? I will trade the blood bun, how’s that?”

  “Deal.” An ughed and began again. “Back then, iwenties..” He paused, “..the eeies, not now.” He wi Veronica, who then just stuck out her tongue. “I was just making sure you got it.”

  W diligently to clear the dust with her rag, Veronica chuckled. “Yeah, I got it. I might act silly at times, but I am in my thirties.” She winked, “I ’t pare to over a hundred years though.” She tossed the rag and then sat in An’s p, ing herself around the tall vampire. “Tell me more. We use your fast reflexes to dust.” Leaning over, She kissed An on the cheek. “Sylvie.”