It wasn't weird to hear screaming in the alleys of New Orleans, but this was no drunken scream of glee.
It was just past midnight when Cassidy strolled toward Denis's old apartment, his current abode. The world was saved, Tulip and Jesse were off living their perfect life somewhere, and he was being okay with it. Or trying really hard to be.
Little daily distractions like a damsel in distress helped keep his mind on the present. Whoever was screaming clearly feared for their life. For a second Cassidy considered going on home. Most days he'd be up for a brawl, but he'd worked a double and was dog tired. Bed was calling. Maybe a shower first. Certainly not taking a punch to any part of his body. He was 130 years old, for God's sake.
A woman's brief plea of "Please stop!" was the deciding factor. Sighing, Cassidy slid alongside the brick wall, hidden in shadows. He didn't need the element of surprise, but it helped.
Someone sprinted out of the alley, shoving past him.
"Y'okay?" Cassidy called after him.
Coat flapping behind him as his footfalls beat frantically away, "Run!" was the only response.
A group of men was closing in on a woman cowering against the wall. A knife glinted in the biggest man's hand. Another had what seemed to be a pipe. It was all reminiscent of his time in New York City a century earlier, Cassidy thought humorlessly. Before he could speak up, the brute with the knife rushed the woman. In a flash he was flat on his back. The second man's attack didn't even land before he crumpled against the grimy brick wall. So maybe this wasn't a damsel in distress after all. The familiar scent of blood – and a lot of it – caressed Cassidy's senses. In a rush of swearing and panic, the remaining men blurred past the vampire in a mad escape.
Still, Cassidy coolly strolled down the middle of the alley. "Y'all right, miss?" he called.
Suddenly aware of his presence, the woman wiped her mouth feverishly. Dark blood smeared over her hands and cheeks. Her saturated hair and shirt made cleanup impossible. Defeated but firm, she stared up at him.
"Handled yourself like a champ," he continued cheerfully.
"Don't call the police." Her face stretched into a gaunt grimace as she braced herself for an attack. A pair of fangs glinted in the dim light.
So this is what it felt like to stumble across a new vampire. Cassidy's stomach flopped. Pausing a few yards from her, he leaned against the wall and pulled out a cigarette. He'd been meaning to stop smoking with all the fuss about secondhand smoke, but this was as good a time as any. The poor woman crouched before him wasn't in danger, but was certainly having a rough go of things. Exhaling a smoke ring, Cassidy pretended to be unconcerned for her. The mania in her eyes brought back century-old memories that felt more like yesterday. No matter how many decades passed, the regret and sorrow remained as fresh as his ageless face.
Her voice was a soft hiss. "Are you a priest? FBI?" The emotions played one after the other on her face. Suspicion. Curiosity. Horror. Relief. Her dark jeans and denim jacket didn't betray much about her, but her eyes were as expressive as a well-written monologue. "I didn't bring them here to kill them. They followed me." She glanced briefly at the bodies, one crumpled beyond recognition and the other in its pool of blood. Her eyes flickered back to his face. "They had it coming."
"Stop, stop, stop," Cassidy cooed lazily. "I'm sure they did! And hopefully their mates go tell their other asshole rapey friends that someone's going to tear out their throat if they try it again!" he burst with a chuckle. When she scowled at him, he considered leaving her be, but only for half a moment and with half of his heart. "It's all right." He raised his hands as if he were being arrested. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt ye."
This was exactly what he wished had happened to him those years ago. Why hadn't Seamus stumbled upon him sooner? Life would have been a hell of a lot easier. "So some arsehole bit you." He tapped on his own jugular. "Right about here, I figure?" He chanced a few more feet, stepped over the second body, but paused when she leapt to her feet and backed against the wall. "Easy," he urged her softly. "I'm a vampire, too."
She shook her head. "Vampires aren't real."
"Pah," he scoffed. "Why not? S'not so weird. Ye aren't crazy, if ye've been wonderin'. Name's Cassidy, by the way. I'm one hundred and thirty, almost thirty one years old. Tell ye what. We'll go back to my place. Nothin' funny," he added sheepishly when her mouth opened in disgust.
The faint wail of a police siren caught their attention. The woman's eyes grew large, but Cassidy merely shrugged. "Ye don't wanna be at a murder scene covered in the victims' blood, s'all I'm sayin'. C'mon. Ye can let me know what happened to ye and ask anything ye want."
The prospect of being arrested must have weighed more threatening than he did in her mind. She stood up, strode past him, and shrugged. "Okay. Let's go."
Cassidy hadn't had a woman in his apartment since the day Tulip died in the kitchen.
The thought wasn't pleasant, but there was no reason to honor the place like it was a tomb. Besides, thanks to voodoo, Tulip was alive. Alive and married to Jesse. Alive, married to Jesse, and mother to his daughter. They were happy. Still, it felt like he was doing something wrong by her.
Not that it was a romantic meeting, anyway. The woman from the alley had cleaned up as much of the blood as she could, accepted one of Cassidy's shirts, and gratefully drank half a carton of chocolate milk, mesmerized at how easily it washed away the taste of blood. Finally settled on the couch, she drew a long breath and picked at her nails.
Cassidy watched from the recliner across the room, waiting for the questions to start.
"I've killed three people," she blurted. She wiped her mouth though there was nothing there. "And I think I'm going to die. I don't feel right. I wish it never happened. This isn't like Twilight, so I don't know what the hell to expect. I don't sparkle in the sun. I catch on fucking fire."
Cassidy pursed his lips. The poor lass was going through what would probably be the worst time in her long life. She was right. The movies all got it wrong. Changing into a vampire was always dramatic and painful as human blood changed to vampire blood. Truthfully, Cassidy barely remembered that bit. The true torture was the emotional hangover that never quite went away. He cleared his throat. "First off, it's not like you're huntin' for sport." He nodded firmly. "Okay. So. Vampirism 101. Sunlight is bad. Mirrors are fine. There's no benefit to sleepin' in a coffin. Done it, but felt a bit claustrophobic, y'know? Y'can't turn into a bat. Garlic is fine in moderate amounts. Too much'll ruin a good burrito, I'll tell ye that."
The woman tried not to smile. "And the Volturi? Is there not some vampire governing body that'll be coming for me?"
"Fuckin' Twilight, man," Cassidy groaned. "Forget everything you ever saw in Twilight. I've been a vampire a long time and I've never wanted to eat someone and fuck someone at the same time." He snorted. "I'll tell you what, that Bella? Wrong choice. First off, you don't need a man, you're a teenager. But if you do, what's wrong with Jake? He's a werewolf, sure, but he's a good guy and doesn't sit around watching her sleep, y'know?"
The woman was actually smirking. "Pretty strong feelings about Twilight for 130 year old man."
"These are harmful stereotypes!"
The woman's smile relaxed into a content curve. "Duly noted. I'll get rid of my Team Edward poster from high school. Bad role model."
"Good. What else? Questions, questions. Ye must have a hundred." Cassidy leaned forward. He had to admit it was nice having another vampire who wasn't crazy – Eccarius – to talk to.
"Nothing. Everything. I don't know." She buried her face in her hands for a moment.
The old apartment filled the silence with creaks as the vampires sat with their thoughts. Cassidy noted a part of the wall near the window where the wallpaper was starting to bubble up. It had only been a year since he'd started gutting the room floor to ceiling. Just another project to fill the time. His endless, lonely time.
"You're welcome to stay here," he blurted. "If ye want. No pressure. It's tough bein' out there tryin' to figure it out fer yourself."
The woman's eyebrows shot up. "Oh. I- thank you. I have a house in the Garden District."
Cassidy exhaled dramatically. "Well! And here you're slummin' it in the Quarter? What brought you to these parts? Don' tell me you're royalty or somethin'. Ambassador?"
"Work." She shrugged.
"Work. Ah. What do you do?" Cassidy scratched the back of his neck. "I don't even actually know your name."
"Wasn't exactly an ideal first impression," the woman admitted. "I'm Ireland."
Cassidy stared. "No."
She scoffed and nodded. "I mean, clearly I was meant to run into an Irish vampire to show me the ropes."
"How 'bout that," Cassidy mumbled, staring at her in wonder. So maybe things could still surprise him after all these years after all.
Ireland was feverishly whisking eggs. A pile of freshly diced peppers, onions, and tomatoes stood stoically beside a package of turkey bacon. "Good morning," she sang. "Thought I should contribute since you've been so nice to me." She tipped the cutting board of veggies into the bowl and poured the lot into a frying pan. "I hope you like eggs."
"Contribute?" Cassidy yawned. "Don' worry 'bout that. Ye're havin' a tough time. An old vampire helped me a few years after I turned and I'm just paying it forward."
"Well, I know you worked late last night. I'm making scrambles."
It had been a week since Cassidy stumbled upon Ireland in the alley. She had declined his invitation to stay with him officially, but that hadn't stopped her from coming and going, suddenly as familiar and comfortable with him as if they'd been friends for decades. Cassidy didn't dare question her confidence in him. It was nice for someone to feel that way from the start.
"Aren' ye goin' to be late for work?" he asked, glancing at the clock.
She chuckled. "About that. I actually got fired last week for making a few big mistakes. Mind wasn't all there, you know?" She rolled her eyes. "It's hard to focus when half of my office was windows. It was just so unnecessary, and then there was this big to-do with maintenance when I drilled some holes to install curtains, and it was this whole thing that turned into this whole other thing. So much for being an employee first company, right?" She tipped the skillet and poured the egg dish onto two plates. "Anyway, more time to do housewifey things." Her laugh filled the apartment.
"Thanks!" Cassidy gratefully took the plates and sat down at the table. "There's loads of time to work. It'll be fine. I've got money, I own this place. Bought it for my son. He's since passed on," he added solemnly. He pulled out a chair for Ireland. "Like I said, feel free to stay here. Get your feet. We're set."
"Not every vampire is as lucky as I am, are they?" Ireland asked through a mouthful of eggs. "Imagine having to get used to this and having to work to keep your place to sleep and food on the table." She paused. "Well, I guess food doesn't have to be an issue, does it?" she snorted and rolled her eyes. "Anyway, what I'm trying to say is thank you for saving me."
Cassidy's heart knocked out of time. "What?"
"You saved me. You're like my fairy vampire godfather."
"Heh. Yeah. I guess." Cassidy cleared his throat. Appreciation was foreign. He'd gotten used to being a nuisance, a druggie drunk mess. Unreliable. Untrustworthy. It was incredible what a decade could do to a person. He wondered what Tulip would think of him now.