Killer Beauty
Summary:
My name is Tsukino. Tsukino, Serena. I've been a vampire hunter for a few years now. Some vampires have been too easy, and some have been extremely hard to kill. There were nights I went out to patrol and never thought twice that it would be the last time I locked my front door. The same amount of nights I thought I'd die with no one but my cat to miss me.
If you're trying to hunt the undead, I'll leave you to it with four simple rules.
You're still the prey; your blood is just as good as any other human's
Do your scheming during the day and your fighting at night
Don't have a full time day job or just be independently wealthy
Do not fall in love with an undead
Rule No. 1: You're still the prey
The night's cold air raised goosebumps on my chilled flesh. Tonight was definitely a night for extra layers of clothing. Tonight was also a night meant for hot chocolate and Friends re-runs, I thought as I made my way out of the sticky backseat of the taxi and into the dark, pulsing comfort of the nightclub. As far as I was concerned, I was getting to be a little too old for nightclubs and throbbing music. Writhing bodies bumped into me as I made my way through the club, ignoring the looks of predators.
'Silly vamps, they have no idea who the real predator is' I smirked to myself as I finally sidled up to the bar.
Andrew was still making cocktails but now split his time between the cocktail shaker and his girlfriend, Mina, who sat at the end of the long bar with a full drink and lovesick expression. I would never understand what Andrew saw in Mina, but I didn't have to understand it. To me, Mina was an undead and Andrew was her food. To Andrew, Mina was a lovely girlfriend who slept all day because she partied too hard at night. With her golden blonde hair and cornflower blue eyes, many people missed her abnormally pale skin and perfect, sharpened canine teeth. I had hidden a few stakes in my clothing when she had first set her sights on my best friend and brother in arms. When we were first introduced I did not know she did not intend to feed off him. Most of my interactions with the undead had involved blood, blood-thirst, blood-bonding, random blood rituals and more blood. So you can imagine my surprise when I found them in bed together, in a far more confusing position than I ever expected. Countless awkward moments had passed between us in our few years of what fewer would consider friendship. Acquaintance would be more an accurate term. I never befriended Mina, and she seemed more than happy to withhold the offer of friendship.
The same could not be said for all undead. Mina had been created a few hundred years ago, although she would never tell us her exact age; I had long ago guessed she was easily staring 300 in the face. Her only companion from her first life was her best friend and now undead best friend, Amy. Amy was as kind and gentle as the undead come, if there are any truly kind and gentle undead. Although I had never seen her lose her cool, there are stories about her brief rebellion period in Ireland.
Her pixie features and small structure were currently sporting green glitter and her once moonlit blonde hair was now in a sleek cobalt bob. Amy had a flare for the dramatic, but many of the undead had fancies and were partial to drama.
"What'll it be, Sere?" Andrew's smooth tenor pulled me from the memory of a particularly stubborn vampire and his particularly pesky coven that preferred to torture their prey by stringing them up as marionettes before dinnertime.
"Bloody Mary?" I grinned, parting blood red lips to show my perfect pearly whites. Andrew was a sucker for a great smile and I was using all my tricks tonight. Of course he was not my intended target, but it never hurt to look like I was off the market. Vampires loved a challenge.
I shot Mina a glare while Andrew fixed my drink. She shot a cold glance my way before returning her eyes to her flaxen-haired mate.
"You shouldn't antagonize her, Sere." Andrew warned, his brow furrowed as he watched Mina give the stink-eye to a small group of giggling goths in the corner.
"Sometimes it's just too easy" I shot back before sipping my drink. "Malibu and lime, not bad, Mr. Anderson." I smiled and leaned over the bar, making sure to push my folded arms under my chest.
'Men' I thought with a mental snort. Bored with the undead drama unfolding before me, I turned my attention to the dance floor. Gaunt, sweaty bodies writhed against one another as the pulsing music throbbed through the air. Why couldn't vampires hang out in country bars? There'd be a lot of "ma'am" and "darlin I'm gonna drink from yer pretty little neck" involved, but at least I'd get out of the music that sounded like two roombas having a fight.
"Where's Lita tonight?" He effectively changed the subject and placed a refreshed glass in front of me. Sneaky. You are very sneaky, Mr. Anderson, and yet effective.
"She can't come out tonight. She's cooking." I sighed and stirred my drink with the tiny red stirstick. Cooking, or brewing, it was all the same. Lita was amazing in the kitchen either way. Her potions helped me do my work at night and her mouthwatering pastries gave me reason to wake every morning. Her first love was magic, her second the culinary arts.
"Is Darien still out of town?" Andrew wiped down the recently empty counter, clearing away the evidence of his messy mixing mishaps.
"I don't know," I answered in what I hoped to be a nonchalant tone. "Haven't seen him in awhile." Another sip to ease the tension in my neck at the mere mention of Darien's name effectively obscured Andrew's view of my face.
"I swear he mentioned something about being back tonight. Where did he say he was going again?" Andrew replaced my empty glass with a full one while sending a mischievous wink in Mina's direction.
Although I appeared to be bored with the conversation, internally my heart was pounding, blood coursing through my veins laced with electricity. My body pulsed with adrenaline, being so close to all the vampires and unable to do any damage in public. I told myself I didn't care when Darien was coming back. His travels did not concern me. But even as I mentally repeated, "I don't care" over and over, I still watched the door. We watched the vampires and the vamplings dance the evening away and I tried not to yawn. Another hour passed and I spotted a vampire making a slow, sneaky exit into the bathroom, trailing after a clearly expectant vampling.
I classify anyone who consorts with vampires expecting to be turned as a vampling. Vamplings are often confused with Goths who basically look like pale, gaunt, heavy-metal wannabes. A presence behind my stool stopped me from following after the soon-to-be happy and well-fed couple.
"Did you miss me?" The stool next to mine quickly occupied by the most beautiful man I had ever laid eyes upon.