Cain sat, concentrating on the music coming through the speakers with exceptional focus. It was a symphonia, one of his favorites, and sometimes (as now) he used it to quiet his overactive mind. He flapped one lace-cuffed hand at the soft buzzing by his ear without really noticing it.

"Hey, watch it!" Guni dodged the hand and hovered just out of reach. "Yo! Are you paying attention?"

Cain looked over, his face forming a scowl. "You dare interrupt me…" He reached for the flying imp, and she backed out of reach, shaking a finger at him.

"Temper, temper." She dodged around to the other side, avoiding a quick grab in her direction. "Look – I'm not here on a social call. We need to talk…"

"You dare! Do you know who I am?" He came completely out of the chair, tenseness crackling like lightening around him, to advance on her.

"Yeah, I know who you are – besides a big ego. You're Shido's sire, and Shido is in trouble."

Cain stopped abruptly, tilting his head. "Tell me!" Guni grasped the chandelier and settled herself on a bar – just out of his easy reach.

"That woman – Drusla – she's got him."

Cain frowned, but drew himself up in a disdainful pose. "I told him if he went to her, I would allow it. I don't like it – but I did say so."

"Wrong on two counts. Man, you need to get off your high horse, you know? He was tricked into it, but he gave his word. And you know how he is when he's given his word."

Cain unconsciously pulled the sleeves of his jacket down, leaving just the lace barely peeping out over his hands. After a moment of silence, he said, "So, what am I to do? He rejects me, ignores my teachings. If she can do better, maybe she should have the joy of him."

"Come on, you don't believe that. She kidnapped a kid so he'd have to find her, then made him promise to stay with her to gain the kid's release. She cheats, and she's a bitch. She's not being nice to him at all."

"And you know this – how?" Cain reached for the long coat he had tossed over a chair, pulling it on with graceful ease. "Where is he?"

"I'll show you – but we have to be careful. She has spies out. It took me a long time to find them all."

"Hmmm. Alright – I will come. But this had better not be a trick on your part. Your kind are – tasty."

"Ewww, that's sick." Guni let go of the chandelier and darted off to the window. "They're in an old residence hotel a couple blocks from Sakura Park – meet me there?"

Cain nodded and disappeared out the window, just as Guni flew off in a different direction. Two creatures with two methods of getting where they needed to be – but with one objective. Each hoping the objective was still holding his own, and safe.

"They are Night Eyes," Cain whispered softly to Guni. Having achieved a truce, she now sat on his shoulder, where she could whisper in his ear.

"Right - Three of them – on this side of the park. Two on the west side. I didn't check the others."

"I could deal with them, but that would raise the alarm. So I think we will draw on other powers for this." He hesitated a moment, then began walking forward, causing Guni to grab his collar to keep her seat.

"What are you doing? They'll see us!"

"They will not. Not the night eyes, not even the childe and her dam would see us now."

"You got some scary tricks, Cain."

"Yes, little one, I do."

The downstairs shops and restaurants were closed at this hour, but the delivery entrance was guarded by only one person. As they went by, the person shriveled and collapsed in on himself. Guni shivered.

"That's disgusting."

"That's how vermin die," Cain said calmly. "Remember that."

"What, are you saying I'm vermin now?" Guni ruffled her wings, looking annoyed. Cain's hand came up.

"Hush – I hear them." He paused, and both of them listened as they moved gradually closer to the room the sounds came from.

A distinctly feminine voice – without any of the softness promised by the sex of the speaker – rose in strident tones. "You – how can you still deny me? I'm everything you could want – I can be anything, look like anyone you want – why don't you give me a chance?"

The man's voice was mellow, but sounded tired. "You can't be what I want, Dru – you never could have been as a mortal, still less as what you are now. You're a monster who uses and destroys people – that's all. You enjoy being a monster. And I want no part of it."

"You'll change your mind eventually, Shido. You don't have a choice. I'll keep you with me for eternity."

"For all the good it will do you, you can try," he said, and the listeners heard footsteps moving about in the room. "I know a monster when I see one. Compared to you and Annanais, Cain – who I've hated for what he's done to me and others – seems normal."

"Doubts, Shido? Maybe you should have stayed with your sire when you took off after humans. He could have taught you to appreciate someone like me – "

The answering laugh was bitter, and even more tired. "Yes, I suppose he might have. That's why I left, although it took me long enough to figure it out. I lack the stomach for killing indiscriminately, and I lack the – shallowness of spirit, shall we say – to consider humans like a hive of insects, all the same, all replaceable. They are unique and individual and fascinating to me."

"Like snowflakes, huh? You're too soft – to human. No wonder he let you go." Her voice was closer to the door now, and held a hissing sound like a snake. "But I don't care – you're mine, my mate, my toy, my slave, it doesn't matter. You're mine, and you will stay with me as long as I say."

"Stop – Dru, stop it. I'm tired. I can't take any more blood loss."

"Oh, of course you can," her voiced crooned. "It's not like it will kill you."