Chapter Three
Darius
I was back the next night as instructed, earlier so I could get a booth with a better view of the bar. This time, I was determined to spot my human watcher before they approached. The bar filled up as before many of the faces the same as the night before although the dancer was different and there were three waitresses including the one who served me the day before.
I watched for anyone showing me too much attention, waited to feel eyes on me but although I got the feeling I was under observation I couldn't pinpoint the human responsible, it was almost as if they were hidden from my vampire senses which was very fucking unnerving.
I found it more difficult to dispose of my drinks as this booth lacked the gap between partition and wall and was forced to drink at least some of the crap I couldn't spill or water the nearby sick looking plant with. Why the hell was I putting myself through this when there was nothing in it for me? At least nothing tangible, except I guess for the answer to a few questions but then that's what drove me, knowledge, and this human had knowledge they had no right having, knowledge that would pretty soon see them dead and buried in an unmarked grave.
No one approached, there were no notes slipped onto my table, no crooked finger or bend of a head and after three hours I lost patience, if this human wanted to speak to a vampire so eagerly then they'd better fess up real quick or I was gone. The contact when it came was something of a surprise. I picked up a new beer and tipped it to my lips pretending to swallow but no liquid came out. As I peered into the long-necked bottle I saw a cylinder of paper jammed in there and immediately glanced over at the guy behind the bar but his interest was on the dancer and I could see that anyone could have jammed the paper in my bottle as it lay on the counter waiting for the waitress to collect it after dropping off the empties.
I pulled it free recognising the same block capitals as the night before,
"I'll meet you at your car, 11.30. Please listen to me before you decide to kill me. I know my knowledge of vampires is a death sentence but I need your help."
So, this human knew more, did they know about the Volturi too? Or just the law prohibiting humans from learning our secret. Either way, they knew or had known another vampire. One who had not only spilled our secret but allowed the human to live, it got curiouser and curiouser.
I checked the time, 11.10. Well, I'd had enough of sitting here listening to the inane chatter of those around me, their mundane lives making me glad for once that I was a vampire and out of it, so I got up and left wondering if the human was watching but seeing nothing to give me a clue.
I strolled slowly back to my car then stiffened seeing a figure standing by the passenger door. The closest light was out although I remembered it being on when I arrived, coincidence or not? The figure didn't move as I continued to approach, either this human was stupid or they had guts. As I got closer I could tell it was female, too slight for a man, although I couldn't smell any scent, in fact, I couldn't smell anything at all, no soap, shampoo, perfume, nor alcohol or cigarette smoke although I assumed she had come from the bar, through the smokers who still insisted on congregating in little huddles to puff away outside.
I stopped, the hood between us and waited for her to speak first,
"Thank you for coming. My name is Bella."
She stretched out a delicate hand and I frowned, didn't she know I could crush it without even thinking about it? Was she really so fearless in the company of a vampire, man's most dangerous predator? Deciding to go along with her, for now, I took the hand or at least tried to. At first, it was like grasping at smoke, as if I couldn't quite reach her flesh but then the feeling melted away and our hands touched briefly.
"I don't know what you are looking for Bella but do you have a death wish?"
She shook her head and then looked into my face and I saw determination and a certain amount of anger in her eyes.
"Actually no, not any more, although I admit I wanted to die at one point. Now I want to live very much. I'm sure as a vampire you understand the concept of revenge, well that's what keeps me going. An overwhelming urge for revenge."
I could see she meant it and thought how ironic she should find herself in company with the one vampire who understood that emotion only too well.
"Yeah well, revenge is a pretty powerful drive but what I don't understand is why, if you want to live, you chose to contact a vampire, especially as you know only too well that we live on human blood. Just like the stuff flowing through your veins right now."
"I know but the only way to become a vampire is through another and I was clean out of options. It's not easy hunting vampires, not for a human. I tried luring one in using blood but then I realised whoever came wouldn't be able to help me."
"I guess a vampire looking for blood would be likely to drain you, not turn you. Few vampires have the self-control to stop or the inclination to change another."
"Exactly, I needed someone who would give me a chance to explain and I thought a vampire who would take the time to follow my clues on the internet might just want to know the score before attacking. Oh yes, I should just warn you that I can't be taken by surprise, just so you know."
I thought about the strange sensation, could it be that this human girl possessed a shield against vampire attack? I'd never heard of such a thing but she seemed so relaxed, so calm.
"OK, I'm interested, why don't you tell me your story, Bella."
She smiled and it occurred to me that without the bitter twist to her lip she could be really pretty.
"Not here, it's cold. Is there somewhere we could go?"
I shrugged,
"It's your town, not mine Bella, I'm just travelling through."
She sighed and pushed some stray tendrils of dark hair behind her ear which caught in my throat as I realized just how much she reminded me of my precious Sara.
"I live a few blocks from here. We could walk. Your car should be safe here for a few hours."
"A few hours? I take it this is quite a story then?"
"Yes, and I'm hoping at the end of it you'll agree to change me."
Put that bluntly, her mission in life startled me slightly, I couldn't imagine anyone willing go through the change from human to vampire and it whetted my appetite to hear her story so we began to walk side by side along the almost deserted sidewalk towards her home.
As we walked I wondered about this girl who knew our secret, who had told her and why hadn't they either killed or changed her then? Who was it she hated so much and what had they done to engender such a thirst for revenge? She wanted to become a vampire which meant her prey was also a vampire if it had been a human she could have found an easier way to gain revenge.
There was something else about this girl, though, I couldn't smell her blood but looking at her I could see and I just knew somehow that she wasn't like any other human I had ever encountered. The possibility of the shield was interesting in itself but I sensed there was more, something besides revenge powered her search for a vampire, for the transformation she sought so eagerly and I decided I wanted to know what that was. I wanted to know all about the enigma that was Bella the human.
