Vampire King’s Little Killer

Dormant:

(of an animal) having normal physical functions suspended or slowed down for a period of time; in or as if in a deep sleep.

Tessa

I was up at seven, I never need much sleep after I hit puberty. Four hours or a maximum of five hours of sleep was all I needed for a good night’s rest. When I woke up, I was alone, and the other side of the bed was cold. Though I didn’t expect to wake up with the vampire, still I felt a bit disappointed not to have his arms around me when I opened my eyes. Okay, so I might be a bit clingy, but hey I blame it on my impending death.

I will see you later this evening.

Have a nice day.

-N

His note was on the kitchen counter along with my set of his apartment keys, car keys, and motorcycle keys. Damn, Nero and his minion were good with their promise. I still didn’t know why he was doing it, helping me and stuff, maybe he was bored. Rich older men tend to do that, I think. Hell, how would I know? I never actually met them. I mean I do meet rich entitled bastards but it was usually because of a job, we never talked much, aside from me pressuring them to talk while torturing and in the end killing them.

We never talk long enough and I obviously don’t have sex with them. So, I didn’t actually know by Nero bringing me to his place, and taking care of me was supposed to mean. But since I had nothing better to do but resurrect my wall of suspects, I will entertain the idea of Nero wanting to do stuff for me.

But first, I need coffee and food. I need to buy stuff to fill the fridge and I’ve noticed the coffee shop and the small convenience store around the corner of the apartment building. So that was where I was heading half an hour later after putting on my boots and all black jeans and matching denim jacket with a black metal band t-shirt underneath. I put on my sunglasses and let down my hair as if doing so would repel all the chirpy and happy people around me busying themself with their morning activities.

Growing up, my peers called me an emo girl back when I was still in school cause of how I dressed. I never denied their need to taunt me, it was just words that never bothered me. I just let them be, not wanting to waste my time while my mind wanders as I kept on listening to my favorite audio on real crime stories, the horror of decapitation, and all the gory stuff adolescent can get their bright young mind to dive into. They probably thought I was hearing emo music stuff when I smiled at them as they snickered and passed me by.

“Double shot espresso, less sugar, with milk, the fattening kind,” I ordered when I reach the register. I never understood why people ordered skimmed milk, soy, almond, or even oat milk. I mean, milk is milk, it’s supposed to be creamy and yummy. The barista smiled at me when he repeated my order. He was a cute, handsome, clean, dreamy college boyfriend kinda guy. He was probably trying to earn his way to pay for college.

Ten minutes later with an overpriced coffee that tasted very good in my hand, I decided to have my breakfast on the go and entered the tiny convenience store. The woman behind the register smiled at me and I raised my cup of coffee silently asking her approval to drink and shop at the same time. Cause yeah, underneath my charming personality, sometimes I feel like I didn’t want to cause trouble, not when I just have a couple of sips of my delicious coffee in the morning.

When the woman smiled and nodded, I mouthed thank you and started grabbing snacks and drinks for the apartment. I figured I’ll get the rest delivered cause I still don’t know how long I was going to stay at Nero’s anyway.

By noon that same day, I had finished decorating the wall in the guest room with my posts-it and then taken a quick lunch break. I decided on a sandwich from the small deli across the apartment. I was sitting on the corner table, checking up on my emails when a man maybe a couple of years older than me sit on the empty chair in front of me.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

I raised my eyebrow as I was taking a big bite of my sandwich. I really hate having people look at me while I eat, but I was too hungry to care and kept on chewing the egg tuna sandwich. The spicy mayo sauce was too good that I took another bite and kept on chewing. The crisp chips crunched happily in my mouth, and the iced tea was perfectly sweet that I drink a big gulp of it before I repeat the process of biting into my sandwich all over again and try to ignore the guy to my front.

“I know you’re staying at the Vampire’s apartment.” The guy said accusingly, I mean at least that was what I thought. I didn’t know him, didn’t recognize him from anywhere. I know I could take down the guy in seconds with my knives hiding behind my back, covered under my denim jacket. So, I decided to let him rant and figured he might as well entertain me while I finish off my meal.

“I know you’re aware of what he is, I saw his guard tend to your stuff. You’re the first human he invites to his apartment, are you sure you want to do this?”

“Do what exactly?” I deadpanned and he looked more annoyed that I didn’t seem to take him seriously. Well, maybe if he dresses nicer I might be willing to do so, but the man was wearing brown khakis and a safari shirt, complete with a felt fedora and ugly brown jacket. I mean talk about impersonating Indiana Jones, he was probably hiding his whip under the jacket. Talk about character overkill.

“Be his blood slave, why?”

“Mm… I’m just staying with the guy until I get my stuff sorted out. Look, I don’t know what’s your problem dude, since I don’t know your name, and I’m not sure I want to know, but hey… let me call you Jones, since the shoe fit.” I shrugged and finished off my drink before pushing my empty plate away.

“So, Jones, now that you got my full attention. Tell me, what can I do for you?”

“You should move out, he’s dangerous.”

“Why thank you for your concern, but I will be perfectly fine. He’d kill me if he wanted me dead already. Stop being so gloomy, everyone dies, Jones, it’s all a matter of time.”

I decided to get up and leave the man to get back to my wall and probably took a quick nap before pulling my resources and digging more about my death threat that was still looming over my head. But just as I was about to get up, the man grabbed my wrist and his eyes stared wild at me. He was trying to scare me and that was when I lost it, and without him anticipating my moves, I grabbed back his wrist, twisting it painfully for him until I heard a pop indicating that I just dislocated his shoulder.

The man groaned painfully when I whispered in his ear. “Do not ever come near me again, I’m not who you think I am, nod if you want me to pop that shoulder back in.” I could see sweat starting to trickle down his temple and the man said a quick yes, and I followed my words and rightened his shoulder back into place.

“There you go, I hope to never see you around, Jones. Go play in the caves.” I winked and patted his fedora and left him still groaning in pain while some of the consumers in the deli were looking at us. They all looked unsure of what they just witnessed and they were all too confused and decided to stay still and watch while they eat their meals.

Hours later when the evening arrived, Nero walked out of the room that was previously locked. I didn’t tamper with it. I decided that I didn’t want to know, hell, maybe it was the new me. But apparently, I decided to respect his privacy and let the vampire sleep.

“Did you have a good sleep?” I asked when I felt his presence behind me while I was sketching my newest drawings for one of my clients.

“Dormant,”

“Huh?”

“Dormant, it’s not exactly sleeping. Our bodies just shut down until it’s time for us to wake up.”

“Oookay,” I smiled, giggling, but thanked him when he complimented my drawings.

“You’re good at drawing the details,”

“Thanks, I don’t do commissioned stuff much but I’m between gigs so at least I get the chance to draw.” Then I explained further when he looked like he was not following my explanation. “I drew my kills, and sell them on my website, hence the board, I need to put into consideration that one of my buyers might want me dead, hell, maybe it’s one of my competitors though I doubt many artists are into my kind of drawing so at least I can scratch them out pretty quickly. I’ll be starting on their list tomorrow.”

Nero was at my side and I rest my back to his chest, suddenly feeling comfortable with our closeness. It was weird but none of us move away from each other.

“I met Indiana Jones when I was having lunch at the deli across from your apartment. He knows I’m staying with a vampire.”

“Jones?”

“Yeah, the guy who wears khakis and a fedora at a deli?”

“Oh, him,” there was a coldness in his tone but he did not say anything more and waited for me to talk.

“You know him?”

“He’s Rigel, a hunter, what did he say?”

I told Nero about what happened up until I popped his shoulder and the handsome vampire’s chest rumbled with deep laughter and it made me warm on the inside.

Wait, what?

I don’t do warm touchy-feely.

Maybe it’s the vampire effect.

Yup, that must be it.