I'm not sure when I woke up again. Angelus, Darla and Dru weren't around,
and my hand was feeling better. I could practically feel the bones knitting
back together. My back was itching from the thrashing he'd given me, and I
was hungry. I went through to the kitchen parlour place - I've never been
very good with the names of servant rooms – where Angelus sometimes kept
people for snacks. There were three minions in the kitchen and they stopped
talking when I came in. I stopped and looked at them.
"What?" I snarled. The two male ones, Daemon and another whose name I'd forgotten, turned away, but the female one who I didn't recognise frowned.
"Who are you?"
I raised my eyebrows at that, and Daemon glared at her. "Cassie! That's Master William," he hissed and I smirked. It wasn't long ago that none of the minions respected me. Now I was 'Master William.' It felt good.
"Daemon, its Spike, now, remember? Who's your new friend?"
"I'm Cassie."
"New minion then?"
She bristled a little. "No. I am from Germany. My Sire sent me here to learn from master Angelus. My family is quite respected on the continent."
I sniffed, unimpressed. My family wasn't just respected; we were famous. "Exactly what are you learning from Angelus?"
"How to become a master of course."
"And, how are you doing that?" I probed, watching Daemon hold back a smirk. It was clear to me that Cassie had been winding the other minions up with her pompous talk, and truth be told, I quite liked Daemon. Even if his name was cliché.
"By observing and following him."
"So... basically, you're a minion."
"No!"
"Well Angelus isn't giving you personal private lessons is he?"
"No-o..."
"So you're just hanging around to watch and do what he says." I smirked again. "Minion. And, if I were you, I'd do what Daemon says. He's been here longer than you have, and Angelus is big on the ranking order. Don't put yourself higher than you are love, little tip."
I smiled, happy with myself. I hadn't been humiliated, I hadn't been outwitted – overall I think I had a pretty good conversation and definitely came off as the better vampire. Score one for the fledgling.
"Hey Daemon," I called behind me as I searched opened the door to the pantry, "Did Angelus leave any humans around by any chance, I'm hungry."
"No."
I sighed, turning back round, debating what to do. I was really hungry... "Did Angelus say when he'd be back?"
"He said he had important business, took both mistresses with him, and the more senior minions. I think he'll be out all night."
I checked the clock. 11:30. I could go out for half an hour, maybe an hour, and he'd never know. "Fine. I'm going out. I won't be long, I just need something to eat."
Daemon looked as if he was about to stop me but caught himself just in time.
I strolled down the street, heading for the dingy alley where you'd always find desperate girls ready to do anything for cash. I was determined to do this right, remembering everything Angelus had taught me and more. Find someone who wouldn't be missed. Take them somewhere where you could get rid of the body easily. Don't let people see you. I'd had it drilled into my head so many times.
The first girl I found was standing on the street corner, calling out to anyone who walked past. I approached her with a suggestive smile.
"Hey, darlin."
"Good evening, sir."
"How much do you charge?"
"That's your decision sir."
I smiled. "Come then." I took her arm and lead her away from our lair, towards a place I knew was used as a rubbish tip. I talked to her on the way.
"So what's a nice girl like you doing out here? Do you have family?"
"No, me mam died six months ago. I bin livin' wi' me sister, but she went missin' three nights ago." Her voice took on a lower class accent. From the country style dialect I guessed she wasn't from London.
"Ah, so you're all alone then?"
"Aye."
"No-one to miss you if you should disappear..." I said quietly. We were now in the deserted alley just before the rubbish tip.
"What's that s'posed to mean?"
"This." I vamped out and went for her neck, but the flipping girl pulled a cross out of her dress. I snarled and backed away from it.
"Wrong move. I ain't who you think I am pal," she said, her eyes meeting mine.
Slayer! My head screamed, but then I remembered. The current Slayer is in Palestine. Angelus always knew where the Slayer was, and he made me spy on the Watcher's council to find out last month. Watcher's council! This friggin girl's a Watcher!
So there I was, trapped in an alley with a Watcher holding a cross towards me, and all I can think is; Angelus is going to skin me alive.
I acted quickly and thoughtlessly, reaching out and knocking the cross from her hand. It burned my already damaged right hand but I ignored it, lunging once more at the girl.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, vampire!" A voice behind me called out. I spun round to see three more, all men, two with crossbows and one with a stake. Crap.
The girl moved so she was standing next to one of the men, facing me. "We want Angelus," she said.
"Well it may have escaped your notice, but he's not here."
"We know he's your Sire."
"What?" I faked a laugh. "The famous Scourge of Europe? My Sire? You're mad."
And that's when a crossbow collided with my head and knocked me out.
"What?" I snarled. The two male ones, Daemon and another whose name I'd forgotten, turned away, but the female one who I didn't recognise frowned.
"Who are you?"
I raised my eyebrows at that, and Daemon glared at her. "Cassie! That's Master William," he hissed and I smirked. It wasn't long ago that none of the minions respected me. Now I was 'Master William.' It felt good.
"Daemon, its Spike, now, remember? Who's your new friend?"
"I'm Cassie."
"New minion then?"
She bristled a little. "No. I am from Germany. My Sire sent me here to learn from master Angelus. My family is quite respected on the continent."
I sniffed, unimpressed. My family wasn't just respected; we were famous. "Exactly what are you learning from Angelus?"
"How to become a master of course."
"And, how are you doing that?" I probed, watching Daemon hold back a smirk. It was clear to me that Cassie had been winding the other minions up with her pompous talk, and truth be told, I quite liked Daemon. Even if his name was cliché.
"By observing and following him."
"So... basically, you're a minion."
"No!"
"Well Angelus isn't giving you personal private lessons is he?"
"No-o..."
"So you're just hanging around to watch and do what he says." I smirked again. "Minion. And, if I were you, I'd do what Daemon says. He's been here longer than you have, and Angelus is big on the ranking order. Don't put yourself higher than you are love, little tip."
I smiled, happy with myself. I hadn't been humiliated, I hadn't been outwitted – overall I think I had a pretty good conversation and definitely came off as the better vampire. Score one for the fledgling.
"Hey Daemon," I called behind me as I searched opened the door to the pantry, "Did Angelus leave any humans around by any chance, I'm hungry."
"No."
I sighed, turning back round, debating what to do. I was really hungry... "Did Angelus say when he'd be back?"
"He said he had important business, took both mistresses with him, and the more senior minions. I think he'll be out all night."
I checked the clock. 11:30. I could go out for half an hour, maybe an hour, and he'd never know. "Fine. I'm going out. I won't be long, I just need something to eat."
Daemon looked as if he was about to stop me but caught himself just in time.
I strolled down the street, heading for the dingy alley where you'd always find desperate girls ready to do anything for cash. I was determined to do this right, remembering everything Angelus had taught me and more. Find someone who wouldn't be missed. Take them somewhere where you could get rid of the body easily. Don't let people see you. I'd had it drilled into my head so many times.
The first girl I found was standing on the street corner, calling out to anyone who walked past. I approached her with a suggestive smile.
"Hey, darlin."
"Good evening, sir."
"How much do you charge?"
"That's your decision sir."
I smiled. "Come then." I took her arm and lead her away from our lair, towards a place I knew was used as a rubbish tip. I talked to her on the way.
"So what's a nice girl like you doing out here? Do you have family?"
"No, me mam died six months ago. I bin livin' wi' me sister, but she went missin' three nights ago." Her voice took on a lower class accent. From the country style dialect I guessed she wasn't from London.
"Ah, so you're all alone then?"
"Aye."
"No-one to miss you if you should disappear..." I said quietly. We were now in the deserted alley just before the rubbish tip.
"What's that s'posed to mean?"
"This." I vamped out and went for her neck, but the flipping girl pulled a cross out of her dress. I snarled and backed away from it.
"Wrong move. I ain't who you think I am pal," she said, her eyes meeting mine.
Slayer! My head screamed, but then I remembered. The current Slayer is in Palestine. Angelus always knew where the Slayer was, and he made me spy on the Watcher's council to find out last month. Watcher's council! This friggin girl's a Watcher!
So there I was, trapped in an alley with a Watcher holding a cross towards me, and all I can think is; Angelus is going to skin me alive.
I acted quickly and thoughtlessly, reaching out and knocking the cross from her hand. It burned my already damaged right hand but I ignored it, lunging once more at the girl.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, vampire!" A voice behind me called out. I spun round to see three more, all men, two with crossbows and one with a stake. Crap.
The girl moved so she was standing next to one of the men, facing me. "We want Angelus," she said.
"Well it may have escaped your notice, but he's not here."
"We know he's your Sire."
"What?" I faked a laugh. "The famous Scourge of Europe? My Sire? You're mad."
And that's when a crossbow collided with my head and knocked me out.
