The shadows hunted two women off one of the quiet streets. Vlad couldn't help it. They were the only ones outside that weren't on the busier streets. He waited hungrily while they walked in his direction. One of them laughed at their conversation, the other smiled. They both seemed unaware at their future fate. It wasn't a particularly well-lit area, but Vlad assumed their comfort was familiarity. They were likely close to home. He needed to strike now. His eyes closed and he let loose the devil he caged. When he opened his eyes, two corpses slept on the asphalt. His breath was ragged from the deed. The still hearts were deafening in his ears and he whispered the words he came to distaste, "Odihnească în pace."
Dracula cleaned the bodies and disguised his attack as an average serial killers' mark. He left their valuables and flew back to Derek. It didn't take long, but he wished it was shorter. Without the cover of clouds, the sunset would have caught him and his horrific actions. Wings turned to one man as he again became himself. His footsteps remained quiet on Vlad's return back.
A light tap on the door reminded Derek of his guest and he jumped up to unlock it. Vlad's serious eyes now seemed slightly eased, despite the haunted appearance he held. Vlad walked in and shut the door behind him slowly and smiled as best as he could. Derek felt a sharp needle stab at his conscience and he quickly made an attempt to change the now-dark mood.
"So, I told you my parents were historians, right? That's actually how they met. My dad worked at the university here, and my mom was a guest speaker from one of the bigger colleges up-state. Blah, blah, blah, a dinner turned into an overnight stay and the rest is history." Derek smiled at the joke, "My dad used to tell me that all the time." Vlad glanced at the boy and gave a half-smile before taking a seat in the recliner. A sigh of relief escaped his throat once he fell into it, even thought he didn't feel tired. He put his hands in his lap and looked up at Derek, replying.
"Really? What interested them about history?" Vlad asked, making sure to keep the conversation going. Derek thought for a moment while he took a horizontal position on the couch.
"My mom studied cultural anthropology, and my dad was doing some research on 15th century figures in Europe. He had a comical fondness for you, since our last name is the same as the author of the Dracula book." Derek let out a small laugh at the situation. Here he was, in the presence of one of the most feared men of his time.
"Of course." Vlad smiled to himself, "And you?"
"Me? I loved it. Whenever my mom would come back from Africa with a souvenir, or my dad with his coin collection. I swear, one day, he brought home a coin made from silver. Not the knock-off stuff you get here at the bank or whatever. I guess he stole it or something from when he was in Romania. They had a huge argument about it but my dad convinced my mom to keep it." Derek's voice grew somber, "It must run in the family, because I stole it from him and when the police found out about it, they fired him from the university. My dad searched the house for it but couldn't find it 'cause I actually ended up losing it. The university offered him his job back if he returned the coin, so, my dad was gonna give it back, but, you know, we never found it." Derek shrugged his shoulders and continued without looking at Vlad.
"I found it several months later outside in the weeds. I told my dad what happened but he wouldn't have it." He took in a shaky breath, "I moved out not too long after that 'cause I couldn't handle the guilt of being the one who led him to drink." Derek stopped, frustration entering his thoughts, "Why'd they have to die? All my life, and we've never had an animal attack in this part of the city! I never had a chance to apologize, or- or-" Vlad's gaze shifted from the strange sense of guilt he had kept locked away into seriousness. Derek's eyes grew dark, and his innate rage threatened to bubble over. Vlad thought it best to change the direction of the conversation.
"-Or, we can think of the present. A lot has happened the past few days. You need to quiet your thoughts, or our low profile will be moot. Can you do that for me? Think about what we should do, and what steps we need to take to achieve our goals." Vlad reasoned. Derek slowly came back to the living room and drew in a shaky breath.
"Wh-wha...," Derek seemed taken aback from his sudden flare of emotion. "Um, what goals?" He inquired, still anxious. Vlad smiled at the question.
"How do you take your coffee?"