Chapter four - The offer
Ria nearly had a heart attack when Demetri suddenly appeared in front of the window she was leaning against. She almost pulled the trigger on the shotgun she was clutching and gave a high pitched 'eep!' Then she got all tangled up with the seat belt in her hurry to open the door and get out of the van.
"What's wrong?" Demetri had the nerve to ask when she finally stood before him, looking every bit the nervous wreck she felt. She wanted to punch him. In the face.
"What's wrong? What's wrong!? Oh nothing, nothing at all! I've just been worried sick and scared out of my mind for the last four hours!"
That damned vampire scowled at her as if he had no idea what she was talking about. "I wrote you a message that it would take longer."
"You..." She didn't even have words, she was so angry. She'd been expecting a bunch of vampire hunters to storm the garage any second, or to throw in Molotov cocktails or something. He had told her none of what was going on, who he was going to meet, if they were friend or foe. Just that he had to leave his coffin urgently in the middle of the day. And then she didn't hear from him aside from that one short text, for hours! She hadn't even dared to text him back, imagining him sneaking around somewhere trying to avoid the sun and surely her text would make his phone ring at just the wrong moment and get him busted! After all how could she trust an ancient Roman legionary who didn't even have a driving license to know how to mute his bloody phone?! It was a wonder he even knew how to text at all.
But what was the point in berating him? She was just a Renfield, hired to do as ordered and not ask questions. She had no business sticking her nose in any secret vampire Illuminati business of his.
So Ria swallowed her anger and just sighed.
"You're right. Silly me for being worried over nothing. Have you completed what you set out to do?"
"... Yes."
He was staring at her. She hadn't noticed before because she was so flustered by his sudden appearance but Demetri was looking at her strangely. Watching her.
Did she have something on her face?
"Okay then... Shall we continue? The sun will be down in about two hours. I can make it to Port Angelus till then if we hurry."
"We're not going to Port Angelus anymore. I already have everything I was looking for", Demetri said.
Ria didn't even care anymore.
"Okay. Fine. Back to Sacramento it is then." She turned to get back into the van but the vampire stopped her. His cold hand around her forearm might've just as well been an iron shackle for how effective it was in holding her in place.
"Wait. Don't you want to know what happened?"
"Would you tell me if I asked?" she asked rhetorically.
"Yes. If you wanted to know."
She looked at Demetri testingly, meeting his strangely intense gaze. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to go to hell, right back where he came from because she didn't care.
Except she wanted to know. She was really damn curious, actually.
"Okay... What happened? Why the change of plans?" She took the bait.
Demetri's grip on her arm loosened and his hand was now softly stroking up and down her upper arm. His gaze wandered from her eyes over her throat, her neck and shoulders as he spoke quietly and thoughtfully.
"I came to this area to visit an old ally of my coven. But I met someone much more interesting instead. She is... She is what you would call an oracle. A seer. She offered to predict my future in exchange for some information she needed."
Ria kept a close eye on his wandering ones. She was starting to feel uneasy underneath them and wondered if he'd try biting her again.
The fact that seers existed didn't surprise her much. In fact she had pretty much assumed for years that vampires weren't the only supernatural creatures out there. Obviously if vampires were real, then so were werewolves. Their fear of crosses meant demons were probably real and angels too. And if demons were real then so were witches, though that didn't mean they all had to be evil.
So, Demetri had met a seer. No big deal.
"Did she tell you something nice?" she asked, imagining Demetri in a smoke filled tent with an old woman staring into a crystal ball.
"She gave me both good and bad news. The information was too important for me to waste time with my original visitation plan though. That's why I decided to change the plan."
He was still watching her so intently. As if he was seeing her for the first time. It was starting to freak her out.
"Is there something on my face?" she burst out.
"What?" he asked confused.
"You keep staring at me", she accused him. Ria pointedly glanced at his hand that had no business still caressing her arm.
The hand turned into a tightly held fist which he thankfully withdrew from her private space. His lips were pressed together to a thin, pale line. He looked angry. Ria wondered if she was being too rude, too snappish. He was still a creature of the night, contract notwithstanding and her Master was too far away to help her out if Demetri lost it. But Renfield or no, she would draw her boundaries. They'd said no biting and this vampire kept looking at her with far too much hunger for her to be comfortable or feel safe with.
Finally Demetri looked away.
"We will make our way back to Sacramento but we are in no rush. Why don't you look for a proper hotel to rest in for the night and get something to eat? Pick any place you like, I will cover the expenses."
Well. That wasn't quite an apology but it sounded suspiciously like a peace offering. Ria's back reminded her that sleeping bags really weren't comfortable and she was getting rather hungry.
"I'll gladly take you up on that. You can catch another couple of hours of sleep. I'll stay with the car till the sun is up and then park it with a hotel. We'll continue the trip in the morning. Just please, do me the favor and go hunting tonight. Your eyes are getting kinda dark and it makes me uncomfortable. I can look up a couple of night clubs and other hunting grounds for you if you'd like."
A look of rage flitted over Demetri's face. There was a loud bang and suddenly the rental car sported a big dent (which would definitely cost her the safety deposit) right over her head where the vampire trapped her against the vehicle with his arm.
"Why do you insist on being so difficult?! I promised I wouldn't hurt you, didn't I? We even made a contract. Do you think me some kind of beast? I am perfectly capable of controlling my own thirst!"
Ria felt the instinctive urge to step back but that wasn't possible in her current position. Instead she back paddled verbally.
"Of course, I... I apologize. I'm not familiar with your feeding schedule."
"I'm not going to hurt you!" he insisted.
"Right. Uhm. Thanks." Ria was not convinced. His eyes were a solid black right now. That was not a safe eye color when it came to vampires. Judging from her experiences with her Master, in 99% of cases it meant the vampire was thirsty. In the remaining 1% it meant he was bloodthirsty for another reason, usually anger. Demetri's eyes had been black the previous evening too, despite the full serving he'd gotten recently. He'd been angry with her then too.
She really should stop pissing him off.
When Demetri retreated into his coffin she had the distinct impression that he was sulking. Again. He left her with his shiny black credit card, which she shamelessly used to treat herself to a plate of sushi. She ordered it to be delivered to the hotel room she booked.
For some reason Demetri had a problem with that too though, which he let her know the moment the sun allowed him to leave the coffin.
"Look, I can pay you back the money if it's an issue", she offered.
"That's not - you were supposed to pick a restaurant!" Demetri complained.
"But I didn't want to go to a restaurant. It's weird to eat in one alone unless it's a super special place. That would've been one, too expensive and two, I don't know Seattle well enough to know where to find one."
"I would've gone with you", he insisted.
She looked at him strangely. "Yeah, like that wouldn't have made it even weirder seeing as you don't eat."
"I don't believe this", Demetri growled and threw up his hands in frustration.
"Look, what is the problem here?" she asked because it was really getting a bit much.
"I'm trying to be nice!"
"... oh", she made. That was not what she'd expected. Did he feel bad for leaving her to worry like that after all? She gazed up at him and cursed his handsome face, even clouded by anger as it was. If this was him being nice he must have zero experience with dealing with human peasants.
But at least he was trying? Ria guessed she could throw him a bone.
"You could come with and keep me company while I eat in my room?"
"... I suppose so." He sounded reluctant but the anger was gone so she counted that as a win.
Ria had booked a room in a simple three star hotel. It held only one narrow bed, a small wardrobe, a tiny bathroom with a shower and toilet and one small table with a single chair in the corner. It had a TV though, that was great. There wasn't much space but everything was clean and it hadn't been that expensive despite her having no reservation. Demetri however scrunched up his nose.
"Why didn't you pick out something bigger? There's barely enough space to turn around."
"I didn't count on having guests. This is small but practical and entirely enough for my purposes, especially considering I spend someone else's money", she gave the obvious answer.
"Wouldn't spending someone else's money be a reason to spend more?" he asked annoyed.
Not when that someone was a vampire stuck in a permanently bad mood, Ria thought. But Demetri had been so sensitive whenever she insinuated she didn't feel safe around him so she merely bit her tongue and answered with a clipped "no".
"I don't understand you", Demetri huffed frustrated and threw himself on the bed.
Ria debated for a moment between ignoring him and turning on the TV and trying to find out what his problem was. Demetri had essentially given her the night off and tomorrow she would be alone on the road. They would part ways soon after forever so was it really worth the risk to provoke another argument?
Ria sighed. She didn't like the idea of parting with Demetri on bad terms. It was an overall stupid idea considering what he was, for one. But she'd also genuinely enjoyed her time with him on the road the night before. She would almost go as far as to say she liked Demetri - when he wasn't being all thirsty, or overly sensitive about his own nature.
So she took a seat on the only chair and faced the ancient vampire. She'd give him until her food arrived to vent whatever was bothering him.
"What about me is so hard to understand?" she invited him.
Demetri turned on his stomach, propping his head up on his hands as he regarded her with a scowl.
"You're like a closed book to me. Worse, you're a book with all the pages stuck together!"
"How charming", she muttered.
Demetri huffed. "See, that's what I mean! You're annoyed with me and I have no idea why!"
"And it is important to you that I'm not annoyed?" she guessed.
"Yes!" he exclaimed as if that should be obvious.
She massaged her temples and wondered how to best explain it to him.
"Alright. You said you're around a thousand years old. For a vampire, is that a long time when it comes to lifespans?"
"It's average I'd say", he mused.
"Average. Okay. Let's say for ease of calculation for a human, an average age would be maybe fifty years. That means five years to us feel the same as a century does to you." She watched him to see if he got her meaning. That didn't seem to be the case.
"Alright now imagine you meet a foreign vampire who wants to travel together for company and security and you agree to take care of them. You travel together for a week and you're having a good time, getting along well. Then suddenly your vampire companion decides to stand up and leave in the middle of the day without telling you where or why or how long they're gonna be gone. You wait for them for an equivalent of 80 hours - for three and a half days! You don't know if something is after them and if so, if the same thing will come after you. And despite having promised to take care of them you are not allowed to go check on them and even if you were you wouldn't know where to look. You get one life sign after the first day and then nothing for the rest. And when your companion eventually does return, they act like nothing at all is wrong and you're the one acting silly for having worried." She took a deep breath, reigning in her anger.
"Do you understand now why I might be annoyed?"
"Yes", Demetri said quietly. He was looking up at her with wide red eyes, like she was a weirdly colored stone he'd found on the beach, turned it around and discovered it looked even weirder on the other side.
"I... I'm sorry."
He actually sounded sincere, which took all the wind out of her sail. But she wasn't willing to let him off the hook so easily.
"You could've just told me what was going on. You could've called me! A simple 'Hi Claire, I've made a new friend, go get yourself some ice cream and let's meet again at the car at insert time frame here'! That would've been enough."
"You're right. I should've given more thought on what it would look like to you."
Ugh. She wanted to smack his sad face. A bloodsucking vampire had no business looking so contrite!
"I realize that you don't owe me any explanations and if you want to go and stupidly risk your own life, that's your business. That's why I didn't say anything. But you asked me so I'm telling you."
"...I wanted to make it up to you. I knew you were upset, even though I didn't fully understand why. That's why I wanted to take you out to a restaurant ", Demetri admitted quietly.
Ria shook her head dismissively. "You don't have to do that. I'll forgive you, eventually. After I've had a good night's sleep."
"I know I don't have to. But I wanted to", he muttered stubbornly.
"You don't owe me anything."
"Claire. Would you go out and eat something with me?" Demetri insisted.
"Absolutely not!" Ria replied immediately. She shuddered, imagining herself slurping up noodles in a little Chinese place and Demetri slurping up the waitress.
The vampire gave another frustrated huff and turned on his back, staring at the ceiling.
"Why not?"
"Because there's really no reason to!" The doorbell took that cue to ring and Ria quickly got up. She was relieved as she greeted the delivery man and took her yummy sushi collection.
"Look, why is it so important to you what I think anyway?" she asked as she unwrapped her delicious goodies. "I'm just a Renfield you hired and our trip will be over this time tomorrow."
Demetri scowled at her unhappily.
"I'm not like Balthazar, Claire. I've taken care of myself perfectly fine for a long time. I don't need you to protect me and I could've made my way up here without any car whatsoever too. I hired you not because of what you could do for me but because you intrigued and fascinated me as a person. I wanted an excuse to spend time with you, to get to know you."
Ria stared at him incredulously. She admitted that actually explained a lot of his mannerisms. She didn't know if she should be flattered that he'd gone to such lengths or angry that all of her work meant absolutely nothing to him and wasn't appreciated in the least.
"And what about me", she decided to ask slowly before she exploded in his face yet again, "is so intriguing to you?"
"Literally everything!" he replied hotly. "I've never met a human like you. You know about vampires but you're not the least bit scared of us, at least not more than you'd be of a human. You treat the fact that we drink blood as if it's just another special diet. You worry about me when you're the one who is so much more fragile. I tell you that vampires influence human history all the time and you're excited rather than frightened or angry. That's not a normal reaction, as far as my experience goes! I give you a credit card with enough budget on it to buy the best hotel in all of Seattle and you go and rent a room not much larger than my coffin."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "And that's enough to spend a couple of hundred dollars on a road trip you probably didn't even need?"
Demetri flipped back on his stomach and looked at her.
"Imagine you're a fifty year old woman, bored with the monotony of her work. You're on holiday, visiting a friend. You just meant to stop by for a coffee when you notice your friend keeps a really curious creature at his side. Like... Like a beautifully feathered bird that's really intelligent and can talk or a cute dog that he boasts has won all sort of prizes. You hate being cooped up inside for longer than necessary anyway. So then what's so strange about deciding to take a hike for the vampire equivalent of three or four hours so you can watch that curious creature and buy a few treats for it so it will smile for you because it looks fucking adorable when it does?"
Ria blinked in surprise because... That actually made sense. What sounded to her like a large investment of time would be a passing fancy for an immortal.
"I think I get it", she told him. Ria started on her dinner thoughtfully. She wasn't particularly offended to be compared to a dog. She knew she had a pet-like status with her Master and that was fine with her. He treasured her highly in his own way. Besides, dogs could be super cute. Great, now she wanted to have a dog.
"So what's your verdict? Are you thinking of getting a Renfield of your own?" she wondered.
"I'm thinking of keeping you", Demetri muttered.
"Well you can't do that. I already belong to someone", she returned amused. "My Master won't sell me and it would be very bad manners to steal your friend's dog, no matter how cute it is."
"Ugh. I didn't explain that right", Demetri said dissatisfied.
"Try again?" she suggested and popped another piece of sushi in her mouth. It was pretty darn amusing to watch him flounder.
"I like you", the vampire tried.
"Okay", she made easily, motioning for him to go on. That was nice, she liked him too, sort of. Not in a romantic way, obviously, which surely wasn't what he'd meant either. They were each other's curious creatures.
"I want to have more time to get to know you", Demetri continued. "I want to know what you like and dislike, your dreams and... and I want to know your name. It irks me so much that you won't tell me, you can't imagine it!"
Ria gave a little chuckle at how frustrated he sounded.
"There's really nothing special about me, Demetri."
"But that's where you're wrong!" the vampire insisted. "All those stories I told you yesterday? That's normal to me. And yet you listened as if it was special. Your normal is special to me and the other way around too - sometimes good but, as we've just discovered, sometimes frustratingly bad too. For example - what in god's name are you eating there? Is that raw fish!? I thought that would make humans sick!"
Ria laughed at that. "For your information, it's called sushi and it's delicious. But I get what you mean, I think. We've got to share each other's special normal to bridge the gap and understand each other more. And that can be fun. I wouldn't mind spending more time with you."
Demetri perked up as if she'd told him Christmas would come early this year. "Will you tell me your name?"
"No." He looked like he wanted to protest that so Ria quickly added: "But I can show you some more of my special normal. Most of it takes place during the day but there are a few things I can show you, if you'd decide to hang around. How long were you going to stay in Sacramento?"
"Unless my coven calls me back for something urgent, I've got a few months to kill. I'm not really expected anywhere urgently."
Right. That sounded like the most chill job ever. But she had to remind herself that two months to him would be like three days to her.
Actually keeping that difference in mind was really damn useful and served to put a lot into a different perspective for her.
Ria was done with her sushi and trashed the wrapping.
"Why don't we start on some special normal prime time TV?" she suggested. "Scoot over and we'll pick a movie."
Demetri's eyes gleamed. She blinked only once and suddenly he was sitting with his back against the headboard, holding one arm out for her invitingly.
Ria chuckled at how excited he looked. The thought crossed her mind that it was probably a bad idea, maybe even a suicidal one to try and push his buttons, to see how much further she could push him. She told her voice of reason to shut the fuck up because she was having way too much fun.
Ria crossed her arms in front of her and regarded Demetri with fake skepticism. "Okay first of all, you've got earth stuck to your back and now it's all over the blanket. You've got to get rid of it. Secondly, if you want me to sit next to you like that, then I get to hog the remote."
She blinked again and Demetri moved in a blur, cleaning up the bed and fluffing up the pillow before holding up the remote for her.
"It's all yours, bellezza."
Oh, she would make him eat those words!
Ria plopped herself down next to the vampire and zapped through the channels till she found the perfect show and leaned back with a satisfied grin.
Demetri blinked incredulously. "Claire, I'm pretty sure that is a show for infants."
"Actually, My little Pony has a huge following of middle aged guys, which you technically are so give it a try. This is one of my favorite episodes too. I promise you'll never get the Winter Wrapup song out of your head again. Ever."
"Are you threatening me, mortal?"
"My remote, my choice." She grabbed a pillow and pushed it against him to have a barrier between his cold body and herself as she settled in for a nice relaxing TV evening. Demetri stiffened next to her and she mentally counted down from ten, expecting him to try and steal the remote or push her away. Instead, his arm slowly settled down behind her, his fingers lightly brushing against her shoulder. Gradually she relaxed and started to tell him about the show.
"That's Twilight Sparkle, the lead pony of the show. She's new to Ponyville and usually bad at making friends. But the Mane Six and her bonded in the first episode after saving Equestria from certain doom. Now she and her pet dragon Spike have moved to Ponyville permanently and are trying to fit in."
She pointed out another pony. "That's Major Mare, she's in charge of Ponyville. In Equestria they used to have racial segregation between normal ponies, unicorns and pegasi. Today Ponyville is a mixed village but they still follow mostly earth pony traditions. Rarity is a fashion designer who is a unicorn and she has a boutique there. Fluttershy is a pegasus and I guess technically her cottage is closer to the Everfree Forest than the village proper. I have no idea where Rainbow Dash lives. She usually hangs around on the clouds. But she's a pegasus too."
"And what exactly is it you like about this... show?" Demetri asked stiffly.
"It has great songs, three dimensional characters who develop both themselves and their relationships and it's just overall really charming. It has a huge nostalgic factor for me too. I started watching it when I was sixteen. Ponies taught me everything I know about friendship and healthy relationships. It was a bad time for me actually and ponies helped me through it", she told him.
"But... they're not real."
Aww, poor DemDem, he sounded so confused and helpless.
"Just because something isn't real doesn't mean it it can't give you comfort, silly. We live in the age of the internet. Nothing is real anymore. Besides, you're a mythological creature, you don't get to tell me about reality. For all I know you could be a figment of my imagination or a part of the Matrix." She snuggled a bit closer to him and smiled serenely. "Now shush, the ponies are about to sing." That was one sentence she'd never expected to say to a vampire.
Demetri didn't say anything anymore until the credits rolled.
"You're right, that song will follow me forever", he muttered then.
"Won't it?" Ria exclaimed delighted. "MLP has tons of catchy songs like that. I've got most of them on my phone still."
"You sound like a child telling me about its secret stash of weapons of mass destruction. I'm never going to be able to look my coven leader in the eyes again after this, you know that? He has a way of finding out the most embarrassing things about me."
"Sounds like he could use a healthy dose of magic of friendship too", she replied teasingly.
Demetri couldn't pale but he made a pretty good attempt at it. "By the gods. I think he'd actually like that."
Ria laughed and decided to take pity on him. She put on a mediocre action flick and they spend the rest of the evening peacefully watching TV. Ria decided that if Demetri really decided to stick around, she'd turn him into a brony. If she could manage to get him to cosplay as a pony and go to a convention with her, she'd consider her life's purpose fulfilled. He could go as Sunburst, wouldn't that be funny? He'd look real smashing in a properly tailored wizard's cape. She'd have to color his hair orange though and get him a fake beard...
Ria drifted off to sleep halfway through the movie. She dreamed of bat ponies with red eyes and pale coats sucking all the juice out of the apples of an entire orchard and Demetri in a Sunburst costume staring at a horde of zombie ponies, helplessly muttering: "But... they're not real!"
She had a smile on her face the whole night.
XxX
When Ria's phone alarm woke her up ten minutes to sunrise, she found that Demetri was still in her room, sitting on the chair and focused on his phone. She berated him for cutting it so close and chased him back into his coffin, which he for once endured with only an indulgent smile. Ria took a quick shower, hating how her clothes clung to her after she'd slept in them. She wondered if it was the same for Demetri and regretted not having bought a second suit.
She had a quick breakfast at the hotel then went to get the van. She texted Demetri that she'd make her way home now and double checked the camera recordings to make sure he had safely gotten into his coffin.
The drive back home was a lot less entertaining without Demetri to tell her stories. She eventually connected her phone to the radio and played pony songs to keep her spirits up.
After a couple of hours her tank ran dry and she stopped at a gas station. According to her map it was the last one before a great empty plot of nothingness. The sun was standing high at the sky and she was glad for having chosen a short sleeved white blouse this morning. It was a bit wrinkled but she still passed as the funerary employee she was posing as if she donned her black jacket.
After filling her tank she went inside to pay. An acne-plagued young man took her money, thanking her for her visit with the most bored sounding voice she'd ever heard. Aside from them there were only two other customers in the building; a pair of unwashed men browsing the alcoholic section. One of them was slightly overweight with tanned skin, dirty sleeveless shirt that may have been white at some point and a blue cap hiding the beginnings of baldness. The other was taller, more muscular, short dark hair and various tattoos adorning his bare arms. Ria kept an eye on them from her periphery but otherwise ignored them. Once she was outside again she made a quick detour to the ladies room adjourning the station. When she was done she opened the door to step outside - and almost ran against a wall of male muscle.
"Eep!" she made and jumped back, clutching her chest. One of the guys from the station stood right in front of her. The other was leaning against one of the columns ahead, smoking a cigarette.
"Hello there. What's a beautiful lady like you doing on the road all alone?" the man in front of her asked with a large grin and hazy eyes that told her he was either drunk or high.
"I'm on my way to an important appointment, which I am already running late for. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm expected", she replied with a racing heart and side stepped him. She barely took two steps however when the second guy pushed away from the column and wandered leisurely but obviously right into her path.
"The road can be dangerous for a lone woman", the one behind her slurred. "Especially for a pretty one like you."
Ria's shotgun was still in the van.
"You know what, I have a great idea. If you come with be to the back, I'll show you some self defense tricks. I'm pretty good with a knife, you know."
If she ran real fast she might make it to the car. But could she unlock it and get inside before those guys were upon her?
"Forget it Jack, I don't think she's into you", the bald man in front of her mocked his friend.
"Nah, I think she is. We get along great, don't we, baby?"
Ria didn't dare turn around but if she kicked the one in front in the nuts he would be out of the race for sure. Problem was he was probably the slower of the two.
Ria whirled around with a bright smile. "Actually, a fun lesson or two sound great before I continue my journey."
The tattooed guy leered and whooped at her. "Yeah, see, I know she'd see it."
"Just you though, I really don't have much time", she insisted.
"Sorry Merl, you'll get the next one", Jack told his friend.
Ria grinned and grabbed Jack's hand, pulling him with her around the corner of the building. Merl cursed and went back to leaning against the column, pulling out another cigarette.
"Well? Show me your knife", Ria demanded suggestively. She could smell the alcohol in his breath from where she was standing. Jack started to fiddle with his pants.
Of course, he never got to pull out his knife. He was too busy groaning in pain when she planted the two inch heel of her shoe in his groin.
Merl cursed again and dropped his cigarette when she ran past him, unlocking the van with her remote key from afar. She ripped open the driver's door but instead of getting inside, she merely grabbed the shotgun, whirled around and removed the safety with an audible click.
"Shit", Merl made, hands raised as she pointed the barrel right at his chest. Behind him Jack came hobbling around the corner, shouting insults.
"Get your fucking disgusting asses back into the station NOW or I swear I'll paint the road with your insides!" Ria shouted.
"Wow lady, we were just joking around. Watch where you point that, you don't want to-"
Ria raised the barrel and shot once right over Merl's shoulder.
"The next one goes in your ugly face!" she threatened. "Now get the he'll out of my sight!"
"Alright! Alright jeez, your loss", he muttered and started walking backwards with his hands raised, watching her. He pulled his friend with him who was still cursing her.
"To the station I said!" she bellowed when they started making their way to another car parked nearby. She had zero desire to learn what kind of weapons they might've stored inside. Merl waved at her and steered towards the station.
Ria waited until the door closed behind them. Then she slowly got into the van, closed the door and lowered the window. She reached into the glove compartment for some more ammunition and replaced the bullet she'd fired. The shotgun only had two before she needed to reload and she wanted to be prepared in case those guys had any intention of following her. She kept the shotgun in position, the barrel poking out of the tinted window right until she started the motor and drove away as if the hordes of hell were on her wheels. Her heart hadn't raved so fast since... Well, since her life had last been threatened, which wasn't all that long ago actually.
Ria nearly jumped out of her seat when her phone started to play Forsaken.
Blindly she reached for it and put it on speaker.
"Claire, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry if I woke you, I just hard an argument with a couple of idiots. I'm back on the road, no harm done."
"Are you hurt?"
"No - I said I'm fine. Though that one pervert might end up having trouble ever siring children again. Not that the world needs more of his kind", she replied. Ria was still nervous but her fear was starting to fade when she saw no car following her in the rear mirror. Relief and maybe a little smugness took its place. She'd thought she handled that pretty well.
She heard something that sounded like the growl of an animal over the phone.
"You should've shot them both."
"In the middle of the day? With a witness?" She laughed, though it was maybe a bit hysterical. "Sorry but I don't have centuries of experience in faking my own death and taking on a new identity."
"I could've helped you with that."
"Thanks but I think I'll pass. They aren't worth the trouble."
Demetri was quiet for a moment. Then he said:
"Please don't try to take on any men like that alone ever again. Just come straight to me. I'll take care of it."
She rolled her eyes. "You know that's not possible. It's 1pm out here. Besides, I did make it to the van as fast as possible with two guys blocking my path."
Ria heard a dull thump and wondered if the vampire had hit the inside of his coffin or something.
"I hate that I can't be there with you", he hissed passionately.
"As nice as it would've been to see them piss themselves when you go all vampire on them, it is what it is. I'm a grown woman. I can take care of myself. Just... go back to sleep, Dem. You barely got any yesterday."
"No. I... I can't sleep now. Can you just leave the phone on? I want to hear your voice."
"I have to concentrate on the road, Demetri", she protested.
"Right. Just... just leave it on so I can hear you breathe. You don't have to say anything."
"I'm going to play pony songs", she warned him. "There's nothing quite like Pinkie Pie's Smile Song to make the world look brighter."
Demetri chuckled. "That's fine, I don't care."
She shrugged and switched to her music, turning up the volume. The voices of ponies accompanied her for a good two hours till her battery threatened to fail and she turned off the music.
"Demetri, are you still there?" she asked quietly.
"Yes", he made.
"I have to hang up now or I won't have enough battery for the navigation."
"Wait! I..." Silence. A few seconds passed. Then Demetri asked:
"Were you... scared, today?"
"Of course", she admitted freely.
"Aren't you sick of it? Sick of being afraid every time a guy like that looks at you funny?"
"I can't stop myself from being afraid, Demetri. That's not how emotions work. And even if I could, fear is useful. It warns us of danger."
"But what if you didn't have to be afraid anymore? You've lived with an immortal for how long now? Have you never thought about it?"
"I... No, not really. I mean, my Master made it clear from the start that... That wasn't an option for me." Ria grew flustered, unsure if this was going where she thought it was.
"But what if it were an option. What if Balthazar changed his mind and decided tomorrow to reward you for your service. What would you think?"
"That's never going to happen", she stated.
"Humor me. Would you want it?" Demetri insisted. "To be strong, fast, powerful and never dying... like me?"
Ria let out a long breath and considered it.
She definitely wouldn't accept an offer like that from her Master, just for the implications of it. She served him as a Renfield, she would not serve him as a woman, undead or not. But vampirism in principle? It was hard to tell. She would have to give up so many things. Her entire job was based on her ability to walk in sunlight and her entire life was build around her job. Sure, there were other things she'd be able to do as a vampire and more time to do them too. But would it be worth it?
"Honestly... No, I don't think so", she decided.
Again it took a moment for Demetri to react. When he did, his voice sounded strangely strangled.
"Why not?"
"Because I like my life. I really like it - I'm happy the way I am. I have friends and hobbies and financial stability. I have prospects for after my Master moves on. I might even be able to afford my own flat in a few years. Maybe I'll go traveling. I have a really good life. And it wasn't always like this. I know what the other side looks like. If I became a vampire... Everything would change. And maybe I would get used to it and I'd be just as happy forever. But, maybe not. Maybe I'd be miserable. I have no idea of knowing that. So if I have the choice between a happy mortal life and an eternity of uncertainty, I really think I'm better off right were I am."
"You would find happiness, eventually. And when accumulated over an eternity, you'd definityl end up more happy days than unhappy ones", he argued
'I coould also have a lot of miserable days in between", she countered.
"How old are you, Claire?" Demetri wanted to know.
"Uhm, 25?"
"Then you have what, fifty more years to live? Sixty? Saying you don't want to be immortal is like saying you have cancer and only have two or three years left to live. But despite having a rich sponsor offering to pay for a great therapy you're not going to fight for more time. You're willing to just let your body die and rot."
Ria scowled.
"I... I see what you mean but it wouldn't feel like two years to me. It would feel like a lifetime. I'd rather live to the fullest for two years than struggle with all the limitations of a cancer patient for fifty. Vampirism isn't a cure for death, Demetri. It's... It's really just a life prolonging measure." Her phone started beeping. "Demetri? Dem?" Nothing. He'd hung up on her.
In the back of the van inside his coffin the Volturi clutched the broken remains of his phone till the electronics turned to sand between his fingers.
He'd screwed up. After last night he had hoped... But she refused him just like the seer said she would.
No.
She would change her mind. She had to. He'd made a mistake, he hadn't explained it right, hadn't found the right words. He should've asked her face to face, should've waited after they had a 'date'. Stupid, so stupid.
But her decision wasn't final. She'd hardly thought on it at all. He didn't think she really understood just what he really felt for her, that he would move the world to make sure her eternity was a happy one.
She'd change her mind. Human hearts were fickle. She'd change her mind. He would show her. She'd said she would grant him that chance. He would share his own special normal with her. She would be like him one day soon.
And then he'd never be forced to listen to swine like that daring to threaten his mate ever again.
He would watch as she ripped out their throats and drank up their life force instead.
XxX
Ria got back to Sacramento shortly before sunrise. She parked the van near her Master's home and waited till it was safe for Demetri to leave it. She was tired from the day on the road and looked forward to her bed.
"Are you sure you're alright?" where the first words Demetri said to her when he climbed out of his coffin.
"Yeah... just tired. Can you move the coffin please? I still have to clean the van and give it back to the rental station." She glanced at the notable dent at the side of the vehicle and sighed, wondering how she would explain that.
"I can take care of the car", Demetri offered.
But Ria shook her head. "It needs to be cleaned and the tank filled and I'll probably need to go through the car wash to get all of the funerary logo off."
"I can do all of that. You look really tired. Get some rest Claire", he said softly.
"Demetri, you don't know how to drive", she reminded him exasperated.
He raised an eyebrow at her.
She gaped at him. "No way! That was a lie too!?" She slapped his shoulder playfully. "Asshole!"
"My job requires me to travel around the world a lot. I can drive a car, sail a ship, pilot planes and helicopters - I even know my way around a submarine", Demetri admitted shamelessly.
"You're terrible", she told him without heat. "For that, you're definitely taking back the van. And you're paying for the dent you left in it."
"As you wish, il tesoro", he promised with an exaggerated bow and a grin.
Ria shook her head at his antics. "I'm going to check in with my Master. Will you continue to stay with us?"
But Demetri shook his head. "I think I'll get myself a hotel room. Another reason to keep the van for a little longer, I suppose. I'll have a hard enough time explaining the coffin without carrying it down the street on foot."
"I could help you with-"
"No, Claire. You get some rest. I've dragged you through enough", he insisted.
"Okay... Then I'll see you later?"
"Tomorrow evening at the latest", he promised with a smile. Ria couldn't help but notice that it looked a bit sad. She wondered about that but didn't know how to ask and she was getting quite tired.
Back at the house, Balthazar welcomed her back enthusiastically. He had a whole list of things for her to do the next day but agreed to go over it with her in detail in the morning after she had a good night's rest.
Ria slept like a stone that night.
The next day as she went about her day's work she kept thinking of Demetri. She was excited to have another 'friendly' vampire in town and one that wasn't shy about interacting with her on her own level. She even hoped she might call him a friend one day soon if he decided to stay for longer. The thought made her giddy - having a vampire friend. That was almost as cool as having a vampire Master. She wondered if he would agree to watch vampire movies with her. He should be able to provide a unique opinion on the subject.
Around 10 am Ria's phone rang, showing an unknown number.
"Hello?" she answered it warily.
"Hello Claire. It's me", Demetri answered.
"Demetri? Why are you calling at a time like this?" she wondered.
"Couldn't sleep", he muttered. "What are you doing?"
"I'm in the mall, buying some clothes for my Master", she told him, dodging people as she went to sit on a nearby bench. "Do you have a new phone?"
"Oh... Yes, this is my new number. I wanted to replace it for a while and was lucky enough to find a new one last night."
"Meaning you stole it, didn't you?" she guessed, knowing no shop would've been open that late at night. "Well I hope you had a good hunt but just to be sure, you do know how to make it so the police can't track the phone, do you?"
"I wouldn't bother with something like that. I just paid someone to have their phone, that's all." Demetri hesitated but then continued: "I did hunt last night though. But not in town. I went... farther."
"Okay?" she made. It sounded like he wanted to say more but she didn't get the subtext.
"I just thought you might want to know. They're dead, both of them."
Ria stopped breathing.
"I'm talking about those guys from yesterday. They won't ever bother anyone like that again."
He sounded so calm, as if it was an everyday subject.
Ria swallowed thickly. She was under no illusions that her Master had never killed anyone ever but he'd never admitted to such in front of her. Plausible deniability and all that. What she didn't know couldn't upset her.
Thinking back to those two disgusting excuses of the human race though, she found she didn't care the least that they were dead. She did care that Demetri told her about it like he was a cat dragging a dead mouse into the house and expecting to be praised for it.
Well. At least he hadn't dropped any gift wrapped heads on her carpet.
"That's great Dem, but please, if you don't mind I would like to remain oblivious about your hunts. That's a special normal detail I can do without, okay?"
More silence. Then:
"Okay."
"Okay", she echoed. "Try putting on some background noise on headphones if you have trouble sleeping, that always helps me. No music, just things like rain or white noise or... or whale songs. Those are really beautiful."
"They are", Demetri agreed. "Though they are way better if you hear them first hand."
"Have you?!" she wondered excited.
"I don't need do breathe and I can see pretty well in the dark or underwater. There was that one time when I was hitching a ride on a boat of whale hunters..."
Despite having a tight schedule Ria ended up sitting on that bench in the busy mall for almost two hours, listening to Demetri's tales. She couldn't help it, he had a great way of telling stories. She shared some more of her routine in return and they ended up making plans together for the upcoming evening.
She wasted no more time on wondering about Demetri's hunts.
XxX
Demetri hated to admit it but maybe it was true that he had no idea how to court a modern woman. He'd taken the seer's advice to heart and he'd slowed down and left most of the decisions on how they spend their time together up to Claire. And every time she came up with something ridiculous or boring sounding that he'd normally never wasted time with. And every time he found afterwards that he'd enjoyed it thoroughly. He never would've come up with such ideas by himself though and he was worried at his inability to guess what his mate would enjoy.
Claire was opening his eyes to how special many little things could be if enjoyed with one you cared about. She spoke so passionately about movies and shows she liked it was hard not to be swept away by it, even when what she was gushing about where two dimensional pink unicorns or Frankenstein's monster. She was funny and smart and always seemed to just see more than he did.
Yet she seemed to have a severe case of cognitive dissonance when it came to the real world supernatural. She could argue a case of condemning the enslavement of sentient droids in Star Wars but but see nothing wrong with having a death sentence hovering over her if she told the wrong person about her Master's nature. That was maddening. She could say things like 'All life is precious' but turn a blind eye on the fact that Demetri was killing humans. That was a huge relief.
"It doesn't bother you to know I've killed people? A lot of people?" he asked her once.
"Are you going to kill me?" she asked calmly.
"Never."
"Would you kill any of my friends or someone I care about?"
"Not if I can help it, no."
She nodded. "I won't say that it doesn't bother me at all, Dem. But I can have an opinion without being an activist. I know I can't change what you are. I get that humans are to you like... Like chicken are to humans. We might keep them for their eggs but once in a while, we just wanna eat them. I can be a vegetarian and still not judge people who buy chicken meat out of factory farming. Except I'm not even vegetarian. I couldn't be Mother Theresa and work the job I do."
"Balthazar is actually taking really good care of his chicken", Demetri admitted. "Most of my kind, including me, leave a trail of bodies wherever they go."
"I was afraid it would be like that, seeing as you are so foreign to the services of a Renfield", she replied quietly. "Would you... Would you mind going with me through my Facebook follower list? I've got all of my friends and donors on there. You know, so you can turn and pick another meal of you happen to meet them in a dark alley."
Demetri smiled a huge relieved smile. He'd been dreading her reaction to his diet since the beginning and had imagined it to be much worse.
"I can do that."
"There are a lot of people. Over 200", she warned him.
"I have a good memory", he assured her.
As easy as that conversation had gone, there were other hurdles in his way to her heart, mostly in the department of romance. He was sure Claire was attracted to him. She couldn't hide her physical reactions whenever they were close. Her racing heart, blushing face and awkward stuttering all gave her away. And yet if he drew too close she moved away. When he praised her beauty she changed the subject. If he lost himself in her eyes for too long, she'd uneasily ask if he was thirsty.
They were starting to become friends but she gave him no signs that she was willing to be more. He wanted nothing more than to hold her and never let go but whenever he tried, she glided out of his grasp like water. There was still a barrier between them and he had no idea how to break it down. He just knew he had to find a way. Claire awakened a dept of emotion within him that was previously unknown to him. Demetri had always been content with his lot. But now that he knew what it was like to be with his mate, he couldn't imagine ever going back to an existence without her. An existence that now seemed bleak, gray and boring in comparison.
More than once the thought crossed his mind to just turn her and have her with him forever. All the mated vampires he knew had done it like that if they found their mate to be human. Why would Claire be any different in accepting her place at his side?
But the young Cullen's prophecy still rang in his head. And it bothered him. It bothered him that Claire rejected the idea of immortality for herself. He wanted her to chose that life, to chose him. It gnawed at his pride that she could be happy in her life without him when he could no longer imagine being without her.
Again he remembered Alice words, about there being an imbalance of power between them. The truth was that Claire already held much more power over him than he could ever exert over her. She just didn't know it.
XxX
Bartholomew knew that something had happened the moment Renfield and Demetri returned and the Volturi declared his intention to extend his stay in Sacramento. He just wasn't sure what. His first guess was that Demetri had failed to stick to the script but if that was the case he probably wouldn't have brought the human back alive at all. Just to make sure though he asked Renfield a number of questions, disguised as making sure she had fulfilled her duties towards his guest to his satisfaction. Renfield did make mention of an incident when Demetri had left his coffin in the middle of the day and how she thought he hadn't gotten enough sleep because he also kept talking to her over the phone the next day. But she obviously hadn't seen him in the sunlight nor did she suspect that he left the 'security' buildings provided even during a cloudy day.
Demetri also didn't bring up any suspicions about Renfield knowing too much, which had been the whole reason he left on the trip with her in the first place.
And yet, he stuck around.
Bartholomew was no longer used to sharing his territory. He'd been without a coven for a long time and he liked it that way. Demetri had taken up residence in a five star hotel just fifteen minutes by car away from his place but he stopped by pretty much every evening. On the surface there wasn't much Bartholomew could complain about. He followed the rules he set and kept up the illusion for Renfield and anyone in her social network. When he hunted he did so on the other side of the town or even outside of it and he covered his tracks like only a true professional could. His constant visits though were getting on his nerves. Plus, he kept stealing his Renfield away.
Bartholomew had a number of activities he liked to engage in. The days were for reading, listening to music, watching TV and keeping himself updated on human innovation. The nights were for dinner at home, trips to theaters, cinemas and museums, long walks through the city or its surrounding nature and hunting.
Every evening started with giving out any orders that had amassed for Renfield in the last 24h as well as sorting through whatever she had compiled for him during the day. During the week following their trip, Demetri kept hovering in the background, waiting for him to finish his business with Renfield and leave, before he'd snatch her up for himself. The first time it had happened he hadn't thought much about it. Renfield said Demetri had offered a second opinion on a spice testing. She planned to subject his taste buds to various kinds of animal blood he'd provide for her so she could continue her work on a complete compendium of which animals corresponded to which spices to be used in vampiric meals. Bartholomew had smugly assumed the Volturi was as taken by his Renfield's culinary skills as he himself was and that he was hoping to get another one of her home-cooked meals before he left for Volterra.
The second evening Demetri offered himself up as bodyguard when Renfield went hunting for donors in a quarter of mainly underprivileged people. The third evening they went to a theater to celebrate the success of said hunt and by the fourth one they didn't even tell him where they went. Renfield still completed all of her tasks for him with the same professional enthusiasm that made her so useful. But it still bothered him that she spend so much time with his more and more unwelcome guest. Showing her off to other vampires was one thing but that didn't mean he wanted to share her!
On the morning of the seventh sunrise Bartholomew came home early to find Renfield deep asleep but still in her day clothes. She was curled up on her bed with her head in Demetri's lap. Renfield's small TV was playing Buffy the vampire slayer, season two. Salty snacks and empty cola bottles were littering the floor; the clear signs of a marathon. That alone was suspicious enough. But it was the Volturi's eyes fixed lovingly on the young woman as he caressed her hair that gave him away. He was looking at Renfield as if she was the center of his universe.
Bartholomew narrowed his eyes at the sight. His lips were pressed together in an angry line.
"Demetri, I think we need to talk", he said darkly.
The Volturi had the nerve to shush him, gesturing to him and warning him not to wake the human.
Bartholomew wondered into how much trouble he'd be if he removed the other's head. Probably a lot. Damn.
"Downstairs in five minutes", he ordered and left the room quietly. A direct confrontation might be unwise but well, he had another way of getting rid the Volturi.
He had to wait ten minutes for the Volturi guard to finally come down and meet him in the living room, where Bartholomew sat at the dining table.
"So. You and Renfield", he opened testingly.
"Don't call her that", Demetri growled. He remained standing between Bartholomew and the stairwell.
"You have it bad for her." It was not a question, though the fact still surprised him. Renfield was human after all.
"That's none of your business", the older vampire snapped defensively.
"Oh but it is. She's my Renfield. You can't have her", Bartholomew protested.
"She's not yours!" Demetri snarled with passion, raising his voice.
"Of course she is. She is my employee, my project, my Renfield. Didn't she tell you?" he replied calmly. "Did you think you could just take her away? Lock her up in a coffin of her own and have her shipped to Italy so she can keep serving you meals in your fancy castle? Don't you think she would protest such treatment?" Bartholomew smiled. He could hear Renfield tiptoeing down the stairs and he knew Demetri knew it too. It was probably the only thing keeping him from lunging at him but his eyes were black in anger and his hands were balled to fists.
"Ah, but you don't want her as a servant, do you?" he said and stood up slowly. "You don't want a Renfield. You're looking for a bride."
Just up the stairs Renfield was letting out a tiny gasp and Bartholomew's smile widened to a grin. "Why don't we hear what our little bird has to say to that proposal?" he said. "Renfield?"
Caught, Renfield slowly emerged from the corridor, glancing from Bartholomew to Demetri with wide eyes and a racing heart. Bartholomew walked over to her slowly but Demetri flitted into his way, growling. He merely raised a brow at the Volturi, stopped and held out a hand to the side. He didn't move his eyes from Demetri as Renfield sidestepped his form and took Bartholomew's hand. The look on Demetris face was priceless.
Bartholomew turned his attention to his human, lightly brushing his thump over her hand in a calming way as he pulled her to his side before letting go.
"My darling Renfield, you know I only have your best interests in mind. If you wish to become a vampire bride, far be it from me to stop you. But if this gentleman is pursuing you against your will, it is important that you tell me now."
"Claire-" Demetri said urgently, sensing what Bartholomew was up to even if he didn't fully understand it.
But Renfield interrupted him.
"Is it true, Dem? Did you spend all that time with me because you... Because you want to turn me? You want to turn me into a b-bride?" She sounded small and scared and one of her hands was clutching Bartholomew's sleeve for safety. It made him grin only wider.
"I... I do but..." Demetri stammered. He couldn't deny it but he also couldn't understand why Renfield was so upset.
"It's not what you think", he finally said lamely.
Bartholomew suppressed a chuckle. Demetri was more right than he knew. He really should've spend more time studying Bartholomew's illusions and the myths and stories they were based on.
In Bram Stoker's 'Dracula', the three vampire brides that the main antagonist kept were highly sexualized creatures. They were the inspiration for many seduction style vampire fiction stories. More importantly though, they had build the basis of the myths of the male vampire as a manipulative, unfaithful sexual predator. Renfield had made it obvious to him years ago that she was not the least bit interested in that kind of relationship. Without his assurances that he would never pursue her in that way, she likely would've never agreed to work so close with him. The title of Renfield was not degrading to her, as the Volturi seemed to think. It was assurance of her position and role and provided her with a feeling of safety. Bartholomew had picked up the girl when she'd been at her lowest and money was her greatest concern. She'd been so desperate she'd been willing to cross the line and sell her body. But she'd preferred to sell its blood to him rather than sell services to a human.
Renfield was perfectly aware that her contract was not normal and that she was bound to Bartholomew more tightly than was usual in an ordinary employer/employee relationship. But in her mind, a vampire bride was a glorified pleasure slave. Worse, it was an immortal pleasure slave. That was something she would never agree to.
And Bartholomew had every intention of using that to keep his precious talent at his side.
Demetri tried again. "I truly care about you. Claire, I-"
"That is not my name", Renfield said icily. One could almost have pity when watching the heart of this old, proud and powerful vampire get broken into a million little pieces. Ha! Served him right for trying to steal his servant and invading his territory.
"You don't understand. Please, I've never felt as alive as I have these past few days. You are my light, my hope, my everything. I can't stand the thought of being parted from you", Demetri begged but Bartholomew knew it was too late. Renfield wouldn't believe a word that came out of his mouth.
"I should've seen what you are from the start", Renfield muttered darkly.
Bartholomew moved behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders as he whispered into her ear:
"You have to be very clear with him, my dear. Tell him what you truly think of him. Else he'll never learn his lesson."
Renfield took a deep breath.
"Claire no, please... Don't listen to him", Demetri asked quietly. "You know he's playing you. I... I love you, Claire."
Bartholomew didn't think there was ever a worse timing for a declaration like that. He couldn't have planned it better if he'd tried.
"Demetri, I don't want you in that way. I don't want to become a vampire, I don't want to abandon my job here and I most certainly don't want to be your bride. In fact, I would rather die than be yours!"
Demetri stared at her motionless aside from a slight tremble to his hands. Ah, it was so delicious, to see the vampire's face fall as his prospective mate so utterly rejected him. Bartholomew wished he had a camera at hand. Renfield remained strong and steady standing in front of him. Bartholomew felt like an unruly school boy mischievously hiding behind her when Demetri's gaze eventually turned dark with unbridled hatred as he met his eyes. It was glorious because he knew the Volturi wouldn't dare do anything. He was the one in his chosen's good graces, he was the one she trusted, the one she'd known for years. If Demetri attacked him now he would only anger her further.
"You heard the lady, Demetri. I do believe you have overstayed your welcome", Bartholomew said sweetly. "Please give my greetings to your coven but don't show your face again in my city for at least, oh let's say the next four decades, will you?"
"You can't do that, Bartholomew!", Demetri snarled and took a step forward, for once this evening looking every inch the fearsome Volturi enforcer he was. "You can't keep me from her!"
"I don't need to", he replied coldly.
"You are being unreasonable and petty! You-"
"Renfield, why don't you show our guest outside. Tell him to leave."
Renfield's eyes lit up as she understood. She was a human resident in this house. Vampires, as far as she knew, could not enter a human's abode uninvited and would be forced to leave if said invitation was retracted. That was a load of bullshit of course but that didn't matter. Demetri would keep away because it was her who said she didn't want him near. No vampire could help it but follow a wish of their mate that was so clearly stated. Even if it destroyed him. Bartholomew didn't think their bond was quite so strong that it actually would - they hadn't spend enough time with each other for that. Really, if you thought about it he was doing Demetri a favor by shutting down this infatuation of his now before it was too late.
"Follow me", Renfield said and walked down the corridor confidently. Demetri did follow her as if pulled to her side by an invisible chain but he kept talking to her as he did. He begged her to reconsider, he swore he only wanted to protect her, to care for her, to love her - but she paid him no mind. Once they reached the door she raised her voice and said clearly:
"Demetri, you are no longer welcome in this house. I retract my invitation. Leave."
Every word she said was like a physical punch to Demetri, who stumbled back from her and over the doorstep as her rejection hit him anew.
And then she slammed the door in his face.
Bartholomew swore he heart a dead heart break even through the thick wooden door.
"I do hope he makes it to a shelter in time. The sun will be up any minute now", he mused and gave a mean little chuckle when he saw Renfield's deer-caught-in-headlights expression.
"Good night Renfy and good job!", he chirped and made his way down into the basement.
Behind him Renfield turned around and ripped open the door again, staring outside.
But Demetri was already gone.
AN: Am I mean? I'm mean, ain't I? Couldn't help it though, it's so much fun. Leave a review if you thought it was fun too, you little sadists... ;-)
Also, I want to give a special thanks to everyone favouring/following/commenting this story. I'm currently working on a sequel/independent side story to this one, which tells Bartholomew's love story. It's a bit slow going right now and I'm not sure yet if I'll upload it. Your interest in Renfield keeps me motivated to keep writing though, even though this story is already finished. Let me know if you'd be interested in reading his story too! (That is, if you don't hate him after the stunt he just pulled ;-)