EIGHT
"So, what's this about you having a soul?" Nick asked as he drove them both to Caritas. The sun had barely set when both vampires headed out to his car. "I know that Vetala vampires aren't supposed to have a soul. This Lorne mentioned something about gypsies."
"Yeah," said Angel. "About a hundred years ago I turned a gypsy girl. Only I didn't just turn her. I tortured her first. Drove her insane, then I turned her. When her clan discovered what I had done they put a curse on me. They restored my soul. Ever since then I've tried to make up for all the evil I did as Angelus."
"You were Angelus?" questioned Nick. "I've heard of you. By all accounts you were sadistic even for a vampire. LaCroix, the Elder that turned me, would have gotten along quite well with you back then."
"It's not who I am anymore. Like I said, I'm trying to make up for everything I did. What about you? Most vampires, even Stryx, revel in what they are. You don't strike me as that type. Especially since you seem to be doing this to protect mortals. That's unusual even for a Stryx vampire."
"Well, as I've told you, I was turned in 1228. For a very long time I was like any other vampire. Feeding off humans with no regard for them. Then things changed. I became tired of all the killing. I decided, much like you, to try and make up for what I did. And I'm searching for a way to restore my humanity. To become human again."
"It sounds like we have a lot in common, even considering the differences," said Angel. "I never thought I'd be friends with a Stryx. I never even imagined I ever meet one, considering we don't travel in the same areas."
"We live in strange times, my friend. I never thought I'd be trying to save another vampire. But as we both know the alternative is unacceptable."
"We're here," said Angel as Nick pulled the car over to the curb. "Let me do most of the talking. Lorne can be kind of finicky especially around strangers."
"Well, it is your territory. That's probably the best course of action. He says there can't be any violence in his club."
"That's right. He has special enchantments on it that actually prevents any kind of aggressive behavior. That's why demons can go there and not worry about being attacked."
The inside of the club had changed very little since Nick had been there earlier. Some of the patrons were different but that was to be expected. The karaoke stage was currently empty and most of the patrons sat around drinking and talking. Nick noticed that the same bartender was behind the bar who had been there the night before. In one corner, talking to what appeared to be a human, was Lorne, the owner. Of course, Nick knew that in this place looks could be deceiving. That "human" could very possibly be another demon.
Angel took a seat at the bar and Nick sat next to him. The bartender all but ignored them. After a moment Lorne glanced over and noticed them sitting at the bar. He said something to the person he was talking to and made his way over to them.
"Well, Angel, fancy seeing you here. And with a Stryx, no less. I never thought I'd see the day when a Stryx and a Vetala would be together. Something tells me this isn't a social call."
"Hey, Lorne," said Angel. "We're looking for a Dhampir. Nick here says you couldn't give him much information last night. I was thinking you might have had a change of heart since then."
"Nick is it?" questioned Lorne. "He neglected to give leave his name the last time he was here."
"Nick Knight," said Nick. "Sorry about last night. I've learned it's not a good idea to give out too much information to people you don't know."
"A good policy, booby," said Lorne. "But I'm afraid I can't really tell you more than I did last night. There's been no talk of any Dhampir in town that I know of. But then again the clientele does have a tendency to keep to themselves most of the time. Kind of the nature of the beast, so to speak."
"Understood," said Angel. "Maybe you could help with something else."
"Sure thing, sweetie," said Lorne. "You know me. Information central. What is it you need to know?"
"Tannara," said Angel. "I'm sure you can tell us something about him."
"Tannara?" questioned Lorne, concern in his voice. "Now what would you two want with a vampire elder? Especially a Stryx vampire? Not exactly the brightest idea for a Stryx to be looking for a Vetala elder if you get my meaning."
"We have business with him," interjected Nick. "Urgent business. And it's important that we find him right away."
"First you say you're looking for a Dhampir," said Lorne. "Now, you're asking about the vampire elder in this region. It seems to me your urgent business can't be anything very good."
"There's some trouble brewing," said Angel. "If we can find Tannara we might be able to head it off. If we can't there could be some really serious problems in the future."
"What kind of problems?" questioned Lorne. "Tannara wouldn't be pleased if I gave out information about him without good cause. And I have no desire to anger a vampire elder. That could cause me trouble I really don't need."
Nick looked at Angel. For a moment Angel just thought about the situation. Then he glanced at Lorne and shrugged once.
"Do you know anything about the Mustadi Covenant?" Nick asked Lorne.
"Some," replied the demon. "I know it's what keeps the peace between the Vetala and the Stryx. And that no vampire would knowingly violate it. But what does the covenant have to do with a Dhampir?"
"She's planning to violate the covenant," said Angel. "By killing Tannara. To start the vampire wars all over again. And she's willing to die to do it. So you see, if we don't stop her it could be disastrous. And not just for us. For you as well. Not all vampires feed strictly on humans. There are some that will feed on demons."
"Yes, I see your point," said Lorne, thoughtfully. "I suppose under the circumstances Tannara wouldn't be too upset if I told you where to find him. He normally stays in an old house on Ocean Avenue near Santa Monica Boulevard. It looks like any other house but Tannara has had it specially prepared. The windows are made of special glass that prevents sunlight from passing through them."
"How often is he there?" asked Angel.
"Most of the time as I understand it," said Lorne. "He rarely leaves the house. But he's far from unprotected. There are several demons with human forms that take care of the grounds and such. You'll usually find them working around the grounds during the day. And I understand he has at least a dozen vampires inside the house for protection. Not to mention that he's an elder. Not exactly an easy fellow to see."
"We'll do fine," said Angel. "Thanks, Lorne. We appreciate the information."
"Well you can repay me by not mentioning where you got the information, sweetie," said Lorne. "To anyone. As I said, I'm not interested in angering a vampire elder. And the less he knows about my help, the better."
"We understand," said Nick. "Don't worry. We won't tell him where we got the information."
"Thanks," said Lorne. "And next time make it a social visit, shall we?"
"We'll see what we can do," said Angel smiling slightly.
The two vampires left the club and headed for Nick's car.
"He's kind of a colorful fellow, isn't he?" Nick said.
"Yes, he is. I'm not really sure where he comes from. I've never met one of his kind before. But like I said, we can trust him. He's always been helpful when I needed him."
"Well, Santa Monica isn't that far away. We should be able to get there and back before sunrise."
"You're familiar with the Los Angeles area?"
"Somewhat. I was here a few decades back. Things have changed a great deal since I was here last. It's a lot bigger and there are a lot of streets that weren't here before. You probably know the area better than I do. What do you think is the best way to get to Santa Monica?"
"Head for the Santa Monica Highway. When we reach the end of it we'll only be a couple of blocks from Santa Monica Boulevard. We should be there in a couple of hours. We'll have to worry about how best to deal with Tannara once we get there."
Nick turned the car and headed for the Santa Monica Highway. Even though much had changed since he had been here last much was still the same. And other than LaCroix he had never met another vampire elder before. The next few hours promised to be a little more than interesting.
