Chapter 21: Becoming...

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"Don't I know you from somewhere?" Liam asked the pale, beautiful woman lingering just to the side of the street. He was but a poor lost waif these days, drunk, with a terrible reputation. The slurring was more than obvious.

"Perhaps," she smiled, she'd been watching him for days and noted the change, her plan for his wedding night hadn't come to fruition at all. And she hadn't seen the slayer since, though she'd visited their balcony every night. She'd watch Liam stumble in and pass out drunkenly, the few nights he'd made it past the courtyard. Something had happened, she just wasn't sure exactly what. She'd lost the slayer. Somehow, somewhere. Darla had been so confident, watch the human, the slayer wouldn't stay far from her pet. And yet she had certainly gone and it did not look like she was going to return.

"So, I'd ask myself," he started out conversationally, "what's a lady of your station doing alone in an alley with the reputation that this one has?"

"Maybe she's lonely?" Was the coy reply, spoken softly,

"In that case, I'd offer myself as escort to protect you from harm and to while away the dull hours." He was smirking and she almost laughed, he was charmingly quick, she had to give him that.

"You're very gracious."

"Hmm. It's often been said."'Quick and exceptionally pretty' thought Darla, it wasn't the first time she'd noted how attractive the man was. It was a shame really that she only wanted him to hurt the slayer, he would have made a remarkable toy under different circumstances.

"Are you certain you're up to the challenge?"

"Milady, you'll find that with the exception of an honest day's work, there's no challenge I'm not prepared to face. Oh... But you're a pretty thing. Where are you from?" Darla laughed coquettishly at his flirting, staying alert, half expecting the slayer to appear any moment, a well-planned trap.

"Around. Everywhere."Liam hesitated, Darla could smell the heartbreak, he was thinking about his slayer. Had they planned to run? Had the girl promised him the world on a platter? A terrible shame that he would never get to see it. Unless…

"I could show you." She said suddenly, her plan evolving. All that pain she could see in his eyes, all that frustration. She wondered how far she could exploit it, how she could shape the heartbreak to make a companion to enjoy the hunt with. She had been alone for so long...

"Could you, then?" he raised an eyebrow, sure of himself now. They were alone. It was dark.

"Things you've never seen, never even heard of." She'd found the right note, though the heartbreak was the twinkle of mischief, excitement, curiosity.

"Sounds exciting,"

"It is" she smiled, "and frightening" when he held her eyes Darla almost faltered, he knew what she was. Was this a trap? He had been looking for this. A human had surprised her.

"I'm not afraid," he paused, Darla half waited for the other shoe to drop, "show me" he smiled hopefully, and then looked into her eyes, "show me your world." The slayer had protected him fiercely, kept him away from the monsters in the night. Darla found it terribly poetic that she could be the one to turn him into one.

Perhaps the slayer would hunt him.

Perhaps he'd hunt the slayer.

A husband and wife; at war.

Liam and Darla were standing very close now.

"Close your eyes," she spoke barely above a whisper, he played along, she smelt no fear on him. Not even as she bent her head and sunk her teeth effortlessly through the skin and muscle of his neck. Hot, sweet blood poured into her mouth and she relished in it, drinking until she felt his pulse start to slow.

Liam let out a gasp the white-hot agony broke through his drunken stupor like a knife, he couldn't swallow, couldn't think, couldn't breathe. The world span and he fell to his knees. He was about to pass out, or throw up, or both but then there was a hand behind his head pulling him. Hot metal flowed into his mouth, no, not metal he realised slowly. Blood. She was pressing too firmly to allow him to pull away so he swallowed, and swallowed as his mouth filled.

And then everything went black.

The End