Chapter 1.

Philadelphia, 1948.

He sensed her long before he saw her.

Jasper had not encountered others of his kind for a long while. Some small part of him wanted to be better than his most basic instincts – fruitless as that may be – and so he found no joy in companionship, no joy in anything. He was a broken thing, a hunter with a crooked moral compass.

But hers was a siren call.

He found himself in warm little diner on the edge of town. It was pouring rain out, thundering, a few streaks of lightning emptying the streets. Jasper was not accustomed to being near humans, so he spent several seconds adjusting to the scent in the doorway, pretending to do normal human things like adjusting his collar and surveying the dark streets.

Waves of burning thirst threatened to break his concentration.

She was very close now. His siren.

Jasper scanned the diner, taking a seat in a booth. He had barely settled when a tiny woman slid off a stool at the bar. A vampire.

She was pale, her movements too quick, too precise. Her eyes were an unbelievable shade of honey-gold, fixated on him, and her hair was short, carefully straightened, pressed to the sides of her head. She looked less than twenty years old, petite enough to be a child, her outlandish pink dress with its massive yellow bow added to the mystery of her appearance.

She was an oddity, a little fairy flitting across the diner. Jasper put up his guard, anticipating some kind of attack. Joy saturated the air ahead of her, and as she slid into the seat across from him, her scent washed over him. Rivers. Open fields. Sumac growing wild near his childhood home. Honey. Jasper was reminded of bees and butterflies, wind rattling cattails, a vast blue sky. It floored him, temporarily muting a century of bad memories, nearly making him feel human again.

Her voice was high, disapproving, "You've kept me waiting a long time."

Jasper was at a loss, "Sorry, ma'am."

She held out her hand.

Jasper took it without a second thought. Odd. He was not the type to trust.

He was sure he had never met her before.

"I'm Alice," she said.

"Jasper Whitlock."

"I know."

Her bright smile, her confidence, was becoming unnerving.

Her smile faltered and she scrunched up her brow, "No, sorry, I'm being strange, aren't I? Don't go. You've only just arrived."

Jasper was hit with her distress, her uncertainty, which seemed out of place. Alice herself seemed unfamiliar with it. Her emotions swelled like those of a child, an uncontrollable river with no dam. She could pick out his caution, despite his face remaining impassive.

"Have we met before?" he asked.

She was being strange, but he found her fascinating. She was unlike any vampire he had ever met – or any human, for that matter. She was not only devastatingly beautiful, but filled with joy, compassion, and something else that Jasper was convinced didn't exist in their kind… love?

Alice seemed incapable of malice, her feelings as soft as a wave on a lakeshore.

Her fear passed, smile returning, "No, but I knew you would find me. I've been waiting."

"You said that." Jasper tensed as a waitress passed. Alice was studying him intently. "Sorry, I…"

She cut him off, "You don't have to apologize. Not for anything."

Alice was warm from her voice to her eyes, to the things swirling around inside of her. A contrast to the rest of their kind, a welcome novelty.

"How is it you knew my name, ma'am?" he said.

Alice said, "I see things, glimpses of what might happen."

Jasper might have been leery if not for his own abilities. He could sense and manipulate emotions, feeling them stirring in the air like temperatures. It made him a good soldier, a good weapon. But it was paltry compared to what she was claiming – the future. A power like that would be unstoppable.

He said, "I suppose you know what happens next, then?"

"Oh, yes." She grinned, tipping her head again, catching his eyes in hers. Beautiful, disarming. "You and I are going to a concert on the lawn tomorrow."

Jasper glanced at the door, where a poster announced a live jazz performance in a nearby park the following evening. Rain or shine. He saw it on the way in, thought, passively, that it might be a good place to find a meal.

"What if I had other plans?" he said.

She only smiled, clearly aware of her allure.

Jasper let his curiosity run rampant. Alice must have already known that he would go with her, that he was considering following her anywhere. His life had already been long, in some places empty, and he was heading in no particular direction.

"I only worry, ma'am, that I might not have the… control… for something like that," Jasper said.

Alice reached between them, taking his hand. "You'll do fine, I promise. I'll help you."

XxXxX

Jasper followed Alice through an abandoned corner of the park. She spun through waterspouts, in an area designed for children to play. Her uncanny abilities had her cycling between them perfectly, timing each pillar of water, just barely catching them in her outstretched palms. She was dry, despite being surrounded by the spray.

She was showing off, clearly. Jasper could watch it all day. She was magical, so content to be there. Alice was happy with who she was, where she was, what she was.

He wanted to live in the peace of her presence.

"Why are you doing that?" Jasper wondered, when she was finally at the last of the fountains.

Alice spun, stirring the ruffles on her new dress – pale blue, on loan from a 'friend.'

She said, "It's very satisfying getting it right when there are so many variables," she explained. "Every column is on a timer, but the system is old, so they erupt almost randomly. I can see them changing." She held out her hand, "Join me!"

He was tempted, but he stayed put. "One of us needs to be dry."

"I'm not going to get wet."

"On the off chance you do, then."

She pouted. "Why do you need to be dry?"

"I'm going to offer you my jacket when you're done."

Alice smiled. "What a gentleman."

"I thought you would know that already," Jasper said.

She ran her hands through a spray of water, "I can choose not to look."

Jasper was fascinated by her ability, wishing he had more control over his own. If he did, would he choose to ignore the suffering of humans? If his conscience was not forced upon him, would he be as brutal and bloodthirsty as his kin?

"Sometimes I see it anyway," Alice amended, finally leaving the water. It was like she sensed his jealousy – but it might have been plain on his face.

Jasper draped his jacket over her shoulders, and she wiggled, delighted, looping her arms around one of his. Her touch was breathtaking, immersing him in hope, wonder, and curiosity. It passed more freely with contact, and when paired with his intense focus on her, it felt more like he was living in her head than his own. Hers was certainly nicer.

She led him through the park, down a few winding paths, taking it slow. Alice liked to look at the trees, the flowering vines. Jasper was patient, stoic, and she was opposite.

When they came into the field, where the concert was just starting, Jasper froze.

His muscles locked up. He was nearly immediately overwhelmed by the sheer number of humans clustered in one place. Jasper realized he had not fed recently enough to be here, to suppress his hunger. He could pick one off, make the evening easier…

Alice squeezed his arm, commanding his attention, "Are you okay?"

He nodded tightly. "It's fine. I can… tolerate it."

Alice murmured, "No biting anyone," and then chose a spot under a tree. It was too far for a human to enjoy the show, but not too far for their supernaturally sharp ears.

Jasper said, "I hardly think anyone would notice."

She burrowed under his arm, certainly the cuddliest vampire he had ever met. She ignored his question. "Do you like music, Jasper?"

He had never really thought to like anything.

Jasper wanted to know, though. Maybe he did. Maybe there were a lot of things he could like when she was nearby. He tuned into the soft sounds of a saxophone. It was a relatively new instrument, not widely known when he was born, producing a heavy, sad sound. He found it synonymous with the old south, with the darkness and grief that wars and slavery had caused.

He understood it, respected it, but his interest waned.

He said, "Perhaps. It's a beautiful song."

"It's a refuge," she said, the fascination in her voice pairing wonderfully with the reverence in her emotions. "A lot of these people are facing awful prejudice every day – but not here."

Jasper opened his eyes, becoming aware that the audience was predominately black. His background in the Civil War gave him insight into her meaning.

He was mostly unaware of the social movements going on in the United States, disinterested and depressed – life was meaningless, so why did it matter what the mortals were up to? One war after another, until they bombed one another into oblivion. Jasper never bothered to figure out why they were suffering in any particular time period, only wished that he were not involved.

It seemed strange for her to bother keeping up.

He said, "Why do you care?"

Alice looked at him with big, wide, innocent eyes, "Do you?"

He was uncomfortable with the weight she put behind that question. It seemed like her opinion of him was dependent on his answer.

Jasper wondered that himself. He was so focused on Alice that he had been letting the feelings of the humans run as background noise. He opened himself back up to them, sampling the air. It was a wonder how strange their lives were. Jasper felt joy, peace, and excitement blending with fear, dancing with insecurities, anxieties. It was as the crowd had become its own being, an amalgamation of a thousand or more human lives. He marveled at the way just touching hands, dancing, and being close to their neighbors made them feel safe and secure.

He retreated from the crowd only moments after joining it, becoming overwhelmed. Humans were like that, sometimes. He wanted all of what they had, and none of it.

His connection with them, willing or not, kept him from seeing them as simple prey objects.

Alice was still waiting for an answer.

Jasper said, "Yes."

She smiled and snuggled into his side, rested her head on his shoulder. "I think this will be easy."

"What will be easy?"

"Making you into a vegetarian."

Jasper snorted, "What do you mean?"

"Our family only eats animals, not humans," she explained matter-of-factly, like it was the most normal thing in the world. "We have to, as well, so we'll be doubly ready when we meet them."

She said the strangest things sometimes.

Jasper chose to put a lid on his curiosities about this mysterious family, focusing instead on the insinuation that they could survive on animal blood. Peculiar. If he could not feel her sincerity, he might think she was joking. He skipped that step, then, and said, "Is that what you eat? Animals? Is that why your eyes are gold and not red?"

She nodded into his chest, not looking up.

Jasper tried to understand it, but the whole thing was nonsense. It had to be.

"I take your silence as acceptance," she hummed.

He said, "You seem to have it all worked out."

"We have it all worked out."

He looked down at her. His confusion, his uncertainty, could not sway him from his new path. Alice was this wonderful, tiny force of nature, so confident, so sure. Jasper kissed her, finding the taste of her mouth as sweet as he imagined. Alice smiled against his lips.

She said, "Does this mean you'll stay with me?"

"Was that ever in question?"

"Briefly, maybe."

Jasper cupped her face in one hand, kissed her again, "I'll follow you anywhere."

She rested her forehead against his, eyes shut, "I've been waiting decades for you to say that."

XxXxX

"Where do you get the money for all of these things?"

Alice turned from the store display glass, giving him one of those impossibly innocent looks, "I'm sure you're not suggesting I've done anything wrong."

"Of course not," he smiled. "But you do you seem to have expensive tastes for someone sorely lacking in employment."

"Mr. Whitlock, the audacity of you today," Alice feigned offense, eyes glittering in challenge, "Don't you think my charm is enough to get me everything I want?"

"Yes."

She hummed, drew him closer, kissed his cheek. "Correct answer."

She moved between stores throughout the afternoon, sometimes pausing to look ahead and see if the clouds would force them to go indoors. Storms were still rolling through Philadelphia, mercifully abating in the evenings and allowing the concerts to go on, but making the days dreary and sunless. It was perfect for vampires, and now that evening was approaching, even the few humans who braved the poor weather to shop had gone home for the day.

Jasper only had stragglers and shopkeepers to contend with. He had fed just before meeting Alice and the thirst should have been manageable, but knowing that humans were forbidden made him want them so much more. In every store, on every street, Jasper zeroed in on the humans. He kept his eyes trained on Alice, gave her his attention, his compliments, his adoration, while the predator went wild in the background. He told himself they were just fantasies, that he would sacrifice anything to make Alice happy, but every now and then she made a sudden move – crossed the street, left a store, entered an alley – that told him she had seen him act on his urges. Alice never said anything, never laid any blame, only carried on as if nothing had happened.

Did she live her life this way, avoiding things that may go wrong at every turn?

Slowly, insidiously, the city began to close for the evening. Alice led him away from the shopping districts, coming upon a river as dusk became darkness. She walked along the railing of a bridge while he followed on the sidewalk, more relaxed and focused now that they were alone.

Another day without killing. He only had eternity to contend with.

It was hard to be bitter, though, when Alice was nearby. She had her arms out unnecessarily, as if there was any danger she might fall from the railing, as if she would be harmed by the fall at all. Jasper reveled in her contentment.

When they came to the edge of the bridge, Alice stopped and took his hand, hopping down. She flattened her dress. "Do you mind if we keep walking? I like holding your hand."

Jasper smiled, "Lead the way."

She hummed as they walked, as they passed through a park, into a rundown part of the city. Her song was familiar, soft, appropriately peaceful.

She paused in a little neighborhood, where only a few of the houses had lights on, and the streetlamps made pools of light on black concrete.

Alice said, "Where did you get these?"

When she turned his hand, dozens of silver crescents glinted in the moonlight. He was covered in them, the worst of it around his hands, arms, and neck. Jasper knew what it looked like to others – he was dangerous, violent, a clear threat. He had been in hundreds of fights and lost none of them.

She ran her thumb over the scars on his wrist, and he pulled away.

Alice frowned, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I thought you would already know."

"I can't see the past."

"You can't see me telling you?"

"No." She scrunched up her brow, "No, I can't. You haven't decided if you will yet."

Alice gave up that line of questioning, though he could feel her curiosity saturating the air. She went on walking, Jasper like a wraith at her side.

"I love shopping," Alice said, unnecessarily.

"I could see as much."

"It's the thrill of having new things, different things. It's always changing, you know? Fashion. The designs they come up with!"

She had changed her outfit three times that day, finding the same sweet joy in each one. Her easy happiness was charming, addictive.

"You would look good in anything," he commented.

Alice grinned, twirling under his hand. "You think so?"

"I do."

"It's nice when it's just the two of us."

Jasper said, "It's a relief to be away from them."

"Oh, they're not that bad!"

He paused, unbelieving, "You're not bothered by the smell of them?"

Alice seemed puzzled. "It's enticing, sure, but…" Her eyes widened in sudden horror, "Oh, no! I thought… Well, it was so easy for me to…"

Her mood spiraled. Jasper was so focused on her that he felt it like a blow to the chest. He put his hands on her shoulders, gentle, easing her distress.

Her expression softened and she looked briefly disoriented, and then she smiled. She had something near to reverence in her eyes, appreciation, curiosity.

She said, "I knew you could do something, but I wasn't sure exactly what."

"Does it make you uncomfortable?"

Alice let out another little giggle, "Is that even possible around you?"

He allowed a smile.

"Is it just… emotions?" she wondered.

"Yes." Jasper was reluctant to elaborate. He could bring armies to their knees, fill them with dread, devastation, make them feel as if they had already lost the fight. His ability was easy to underestimate, and hard to escape, once he had control.

He sensed that nothing could scare her away, but still, he kept those pieces of his past to himself.

Alice didn't push for more details. She said, "I was just upset that I had tortured you all day."

"You didn't."

"I dragged you around all those humans, oblivious to the way you were feeling! Oh, why didn't I see it?" Her eyes became a little distant, wavering, and then she snapped back into the present, "No, there were only a few things… the girl in the rack store tripped… a man with a boxcutter…"

"Slow down and stay with me, in the present."

Alice paused, gathered her thoughts. "I was watching you very closely today and I didn't see any sign that you would attack a human, unless there was blood exposure, an accident."

"I wasn't intending to attack anyone."

She rubbed her forehead, twisted her lips, clearly unable to see where this conversation was going while she was so flustered. "I don't get it."

Jasper said, "I won't feed on humans. Today was… manageable. I need to feed more frequently if you want to continue to be around them. I'll get used to it. I have to."

Alice graced him with a kiss, ghostly soft, trapping him in those honey-colored eyes afterward. She said, "I can see our future – I see you with gold eyes, laughing with our family, being so sweet and gentle and loveable. I wish that I could show you, to prove it to you."

"I believe you."

"No, you don't. Not completely."

Alice kissed him again, longer this time, running one hand through his hair. Her touch, her scent, the way she touched her lips to his ear, the way the streetlamps highlighted the perfect planes of her face – it seemed unreal, impossible.

She whispered, "But you will."