Her thighs were clamped to my side, making it impossible to go for my guns and I felt her nails already digging into my throat. Something told me that it wouldn't be any problem whatsoever for her to rip my head right off of my shoulders.

I wasn't worried or interested in the plethora of evidence gathered at all the other crime scenes prior to my attack. My only concern was the final box of evidence gathered when the Ripper was 'killed'. Elliot led me through rows of shelves in the Closed Case storage room located in the basement of the 2nd Precinct. He found the place that he was looking for and without any fanfare pulled a box out of a stack that took up an entire shelf. Like I said before, the Ripper was busy.

He lugged it back to a set of tables specifically put aside for examining old evidence. It had a nice sickening pair of fluorescent lights hanging above. I'm sure my already pale complexion glowed, making me positively vamplike. Not that I gave a crap. Elliot knew what I was. Or at least I think he did.

"Still… you know?" He pulled his bottom lip back making little sucking sounds, and held out two fingers hooked downwards. Leave it to Elliot to reduce me from being a creature of dark fantasy to comical fang gestures.

"Yes, El," I replied dryly. "I'm still a cursed dark creature of the night."

"Cool, so does that make you immortal now? Do you feel all gay and Emo, and curse your existence, or are you like a good vampire riding around on a motorcycle armed with the latest in high tech weaponry killing hoards of vampires while being on the run from local law enforcement?"

I flipped off the cardboard top to the box while giving him a curious look. "Where do you come up with this crap?"

Though the last one was scary close to being the truth except I'm not black, I don't have a dozen tattoos, and I'm not a half vampire.

"Dude, how often am I gonna get the chance to ask these questions with them actually pertaining to reality?"

I ignored him. If I took him seriously I'd never get out of here. "Tell me about what you found on the Ripper."

He pulled out a wooden chair and threw himself back as his feet crossed on top of the desk. "Clarence Spangler. The ID we found on him led us to an apartment in Woodbridge."

I found his wallet and flipped through it as Elliot ran on.

"Absolutely nothing noteworthy. No trophies, no address book, no friends, the neighbors rarely saw him, and thought of him as 'quiet'. The gimp was boring." He leaned his head back and I heard a small crack along his spine as he stretched out. "I personally don't think he really even lived there."

Nothing with the wallet so I set it aside. "Why?"

"The place was too sterile, too Spartan. His bed barely seemed used. The fridge was empty and unplugged. He didn't even have an answering machine."

"But he had a phone," I noted.

With a nod, Elliot continued. "Yeah, phone records led to nothing. I'd be surprised if he ever used it."

"Maybe just a bolt hole." I set a handful of credit cards aside. "Anything on these?"

He eyed the cards. "Nothing out of the ordinary. Clothes stores, bars…"

I cut him off. "What bars?"

"Everything off of Richmond. He seemed to be hunting in that area alone."

Richmond was a three mile stretch of road that had every kind of club imaginable lined up on either side. It didn't surprise me.

"What's this?" I held up a very long thin key with numerous teeth lined up in random places along the ridge.

"That, that's a key."

Why do I even try? "Thanks, idiot. Did you ever find out what the key opens?"

He shook his head. "No, bank, train/bus/airport stations use that design. Even the locksmith I took it to didn't know what it was used for. His best guess was that it was custom made."

For those of you that watch movies, or cop shows on TV, this is what we in law enforcement call -- a clue. It's usually the one piece found in an evidence pile that leads to the ultra secret lair of the villain. If I hang on to it, I'll probably discover its use in the near future and it will inevitably save my life. Or it could just be a key to his locker at the local gym where I'll find a pile of dirty socks. "I'm taking it."

"You know the routine."

I grabbed the cardboard lid and made note of the item on a sheet taped to the inside. I almost signed as 'Wayne', but caught myself and just made it 'Rayne — OTO'.

I dropped the key in my jacket pocket and continued my search.

"His clothes were off the rack. I swear the guy…"

"Oh ho!" I interrupted because I found jewelry, specifically a class ring.

Elliot leaned forward and squinted a little. "Oh, that. We checked it out. There was no Clarence Spangler at Met U around the year noted on the ring, so we also know that the ID was crap."

"Tell me you checked the yearbooks."

Elliot nodded. "Dammit. I can't catch a break!"

I sifted through the rest of the crap, but my search was futile to say the least. So I had a key, and a class ring to a college that didn't have the guy on record. Squat. I replaced everything back in the evidence box and placed the top back. Then a thought occurred to me.

"You didn't happen to notice if there were any bars on or close to campus, did you?"

Elliot searched his memory for a few seconds. "There was a non-alcoholic club at the Student Union and I think two right off campus."

Met U was on the other side of the city, almost to the suburbs. It wasn't our normal stomping grounds and neither of us were familiar with the layout in that area.

"I'm going clubbing tonight."

Elliot's eyebrow's raised in interest. "Think he might go back to an old haunt?"

I shrugged. "There's little else to go on. I'm just shooting in the dark." Picking up the box I returned it on the way out.

He escorted me back up and out into the parking lot. It was full dark now, and to me the city was just waking up.

"I fucking knew it. You have a motorcycle!"

I straddled the bike and smiled, showing him my tiny fangs. "Yeah, but I don't have a shotgun that shoots silver stakes. It was a trade off."

He shoved his hands in his pockets looking dejected. "You need any backup?" he asked hopefully.

I slid the key in the ignition and sat back. "El, you see what happened to me. You want to take the chance of turning into this?"

For emphasis I reached back and opened the storage compartment. When I pulled out a blood bag, he stopped himself from answering and watched as I bit into it. I kept my eyes trained on him while I emptied the bag, and it was informative. He wasn't so much disgusted as he was interested. When I finished, I licked my lips and felt a quick rush of energy course through me. He still stood there after I threw the empty back in the cooler and started the bike up.

Without another word I backed it up and broke eye contact with him. It was hard to think that El might shun me, but it was harder to think that he might just actually want to be like I was.

~O~

On the way over to Met U, I rediscovered just how perverted the nightlife is in the city. I don't know exactly how many propositions I received en route, but lets just say that I could have had my dance card filled for the next month, and I'm not talking about the fancy kind of dancing.

I did have a couple of Harley Choppers pace me for a while on the freeway, but with the flick of a loosed button my trench coat flew backward almost like a cape to reveal the 500's. They didn't stick around for long after that.

After finding out where the Student Union was via a campus cop, I pulled into a nearby parking lot and killed the engine. I still had about three hundred yards to walk so I took my time sniffing around on the way in. Hey, you never know. He might be living in an underground lab beneath one of the buildings? It could happen.

While I didn't come across Clarence the Ripper (snicker), I did scent a variety of smell that I normally take for granted: fresh cut grass, a dozen different brands of beer smuggled on campus via the breath of a group of fraternity guys I passed, sex — from the same group of guys — oddly enough from the same girl. That brought a nagging thought of sexual assault, but I was here on a different case. Wouldn't hurt to keep an eye, ear, and nose out for a possible victim just in case.

Anyway, I made it to the short line of giggly girls and overly horned boys that were outside the club as they paid their cover and entered. I felt ridiculous standing there in my super-hero costume while the others were dressed to party, but hey, what else am I gonna do?

Once I got to the front I whipped out my ID. "OTO, I need to ask you a question."

The girl behind the counter gave me an odd look. "What's an OTO?"

My eyes thinned. "Law enforcement." It was the only way I knew to explain. How, exactly, am I supposed to get anything done if I don't have any power to get anything done?

I didn't let her get the next question out and instead cut her off. "I'm looking for a guy: about six feet, dark hair, athletic, late twenties…" Hell, I need a picture of this guy.

She giggled at me. "Lots of guys fit that description. Five dollars."

I went ahead and paid her. With a sigh I opened the door to the interior and resolved myself to give the club a quick once over and then move on to the next. Pop based dance music seemed to be the theme of this particular club. Somewhere so the students to blow off a little steam without getting stupid on beer and cheap shots, not to mention a place to satisfy their sexual urges.

The first thing that I noticed was the assault on my nose from the overflow of testosterone and estrogen in the air. It smelled like a bedroom after about five hours of heart pounding sex. I blinked and tried my best to filter it out, or at the very least see if I could pull out any other scents among the oversexed masses.

It wasn't packed, but it wasn't slow either. The dance floor was busy and a number of the tables were occupied with laughing coeds and overly unimpressive males. I walked the interior and came to the conclusion that my hunches were crap. The Ripper hadn't been there, and I had serious doubts whether he had even been on campus at all. Maybe he just liked the color of the stone on the class ring when he ate somebody.

I left in a huff and made my way back to the bike. That's when something different crossed my path. It didn't smell right. It wasn't the Ripper, I knew that right away, but it was something similar.

The half moon that stood in the sky showed more than enough illumination to make it seem like broad daylight for my eyes as I scanned the area. There were too many cars around. Anything could be hiding anywhere and I wouldn't know it until it was too late. May hand itched to feel the grip of the 500at my side. I wasn't afraid, but I was on edge.

When I couldn't find anything visually I caught the edge of the scent and circled for a minute to see which way it was headed. The parking lot emptied onto a grassy area adjacent to a building, I'm guessing was dorm related since it looked vaguely like a hotel. The scent didn't even pause. Sounds weird, doesn't it?

A pause in scent would be a small concentration, like they rubbed up against something to leave a little bit more of what made them, them. This was just a constant, like the person was running, but not full out. It's hard to describe unless your nose is like ten times more powerful than the average person. I know what I smell, let's just leave it at that, okay?

I increased the pace and then noticed a six foot tall wooden fence right in the path. Whatever it was, jumped over. Note that I said jumped, not climbed, like your average human would have to do. It was a vampire I was tracking!

I'm sure my heart was thumping away, in its on way. Maybe a beat every two minutes. What are the physical ticks of an excited vampire? I don't have a clue. I was just excited.

I hadn't tried it yet, so I took a couple of steps back and then forward at a quicker pace, then I leaped in the air.

I may have misjudged the amount of power my legs actually have. I cleared the fence along three parked cars on the other side. Well, I almost cleared the third. It was a stupid Hummer, so it didn't count. After picking myself up off of the asphalt I shifted to the side until I found the scent again.

It didn't take me long to figure out where it was going to lead. The Coven was a Goth club, and the vampire I was tracking led me right to the front door. Lucky me.

The line was stretched about fifty feet back with tortured twenty-somethings that missed being harassed in High School so much that they continued their self-deprecation well into their college years.

The bouncer took one look at me, or my tits, and waved me up. I didn't bother thanking him; I still had a vamp to find. Throwing five bucks at the vampire wannabe behind the counter I followed the scent through the black velvet curtains into the club, proper.

You know how most clubs have the flashing lights, maybe a disco ball or seven, they play dance music and everyone is sweaty with smells of unreleased sexual tension. Yeah, well The Coven wasn't one of those places.

It was more of a big gigantic circular room with the bar dead center, kind of like a big black velvet donut with red and black light everywhere. Mostly it was a bunch of Goths, Witch, and Vampire fanboys and fangirls standing around chatting their dark thoughts out loud to each other. Recorded Emo music was playing over the speakers and the cigarette smoke was rather thick.

Half the club had booths lining the wall, filled with handfuls of people petting, making out, being social, you know, like every other club in town. Well, except for a few. I focused in on one booth and watched a girl holding a razorblade on her arm, not to slice her wrists, but to cut herself just a little. Great. Yes, it was for her imitation vampire boyfriend. Now I knew exactly why the vampire I tracked came to this place. It was for the free all—you-can-eat buffet!

The scent led along the arc of booths and I followed it, checking each booth as I passed, just to make sure my nose wasn't playing tricks on me. It wasn't. The blood smell hit me as I passed the human guy and his suck-toy, but when I reached the booth past it the scent trail came to a stop.

It wasn't Clarence the Ripper. It was a chick and she had her mouth clamped on some made-up, pasty-faced, raccoon-eyed guy that had a look on his face like he was about to lose his load any second.

I drew one of the 500's and pulled back on the hammer, then I cleared my throat. She reared back slightly, all I could see was the back of her mound-o-bleached-blonde hair, but I knew she was smelling her surroundings. Her head bobbed a little bit. Jesus, she was licking his throat.

Her hand came up and brushed over his eyes. I heard her whisper, "Shhh, forget."

"Back off nice and slow, lady," I insisted. "I have a real jones to use this thing right now."

She turned and followed instructions pretty well. Hey, maybe all vampires aren't insane-o.

Her eyes fell on the 500 and flickered a little. "Yeah," I said. "Big, ain't it?"

"Size isn't everything," she countered with a slight French lilt to her voice.

I shrugged. "Yeah, but I really know how to use it. It's all in the hips." I nodded over to her donor for the evening. "Why don't you let him go and we'll have ourselves a nice little chat."

Her eyes narrowed at me for a moment and then she leaned over to her boy toy. "Richard it is time for you to go."

The guy, Richard, twitched like he was waking up from a nice nap. His eyes blinked for a second, unfocused and then found his vampire cutie. He smiled lazily. "See you next month?"

She leaned in an kissed him lightly on the lips. "Thank you, darling boy."

Okay, what the hell? Next month?

Richard didn't even bat an eye at the gun, slid out of the booth and oozed to the bar.

"Where is your Maker, Neophyte?" Blondie seemed a little perturbed.

"Neo-what?"

She scanned me again, but something different crossed her features this time; a certainty. "You do not know who your Maker is, do you?" Her eyes rolled and her demeanor changed to one of annoyance. "Holster your weapon, Neophyte and sit. You have nothing to fear from me."

I wavered for a second. It was like having a cool wet cloth laid over my eyes, calming me, letting me know that everything was okay. I put the 500 away and sat on the other side of the booth. A blink later I was back to myself.

I shook my head to clear the cobwebs. "What the hell was that!"

Her eyes trailed around the room like a panther overseeing its hunting grounds. "That was me putting you at ease. We will accomplish nothing until you are ready to listen, Neophyte."

Regardless of the vampire lady's influence over my perceptions I kept my hand on the grip of my weapon. "I have a name. Why are you calling me Neophyte?

"You are no more than six months made, am I correct?"

"About two weeks, actually."

He head snapped to me and her gaze intensified. "Rubbish. Do not lie to me."

I leaned into the table and half-pulled the 500 out at the same time. "Weekend before last. On a Saturday night. He held me down, ripped out half my throat and I returned his kindness before blowing his heart out of his back." I didn't mention the rape. I really didn't feel like sharing that much.

She seemed to ease back a little. "And the blood exchange? Your tale indicates an unwilling turn."

"He made the mistake of trying to muzzle me with his hand. I ripped into his wrist."

Disbelief dropped across her face. "What you are saying doesn't make sense, Neophyte. Even the most undisciplined of us exude enough power to control the strongest of minds. You should have been amidst euphoria at the time."

Who the hell was this chick?

"I was. He had me clouded right up until before he bit me."

"Curious."

Okay, screw this. Time to bring the conversation back to my side. "Who are you?"

"You may call me Mistress Sophie."

Pretentious much? "Fine, Sophie. I'm tracking the guy that did this to me, he's a killer and I'm going to put him out of my misery."

"You do not kill your Maker, Neophyte. There are rules."

I finished pulling out the 500 and laid it on the seat next to me as I leaned back in the booth. "Yeah, and I was a police detective before I got attacked and changed into something against my will. He's been killing girls around the city, ripping their guts out to decorate the surrounding walls." With a huff I finished. "He broke the rules first."

Sophie's body language tensed. "Describe your Maker."

"Six feet, dark hair, athletic, mid-twenties, calls himself Clarence Spangler."

Her eyes fluttered closed and her jaw set.

"You know who it is, don't you?" I accused.

"This is the killer in the papers — your Ripper." With a nod from me she deflated. "Then it's true."

"Talk to me, Sophie," I said empathetically. "I barely know what I'm doing here."

One of the crowd approached the table. A young brunette in dark loose fitting clothes, but not quite the regular fair of the club. "You called, Mistress?"

Sophie nodded once. "Close the club for the evening. Chose three volunteers to remain for special services. This Neophyte and I have council business to discuss. Alert Nicholas, and Rhys that I require their presence immediately."

The brunette nodded and bowed slightly. "As you wish, Mistress."

I didn't even get a chance to ask what she was doing. "Tell me what you know, Neophyte, about your turning and what you have become. I will fill in the missing pieces, for now."

I was kind of torn. I had a mission. I had to kill a murdering bastard on the loose out there, but I didn't know if I'd get another chance to find out what I needed to know about being what I was.

"I…"

Seeing my inner turmoil, Sophie offered something of herself. "Child, there is a government of sorts among our kind. A ruling body. In every major city in the world, there is a presence to keep order. Nicholas is the local magistrate. Think of him as judge, and jury of this city. Until he arrives we will have a discussion about your new life."

She said it so matter of fact. There was no room for discussion. Like she was queen of her domain.

"Uh… okay."

Her face lighten slightly. "Good, now put your weapon away and let us talk."

Now it was my turn to twitch. There was no way she could have seen that I had it out. The table totally obscured her view.

"Neophyte, look up."

I did and cursed myself. "Fuck." The ceiling was mirrored.

A tinkle of laugher ran across my spine like warm champagne poured down from my neck. I shoved the 500 in its holster and watched as the club lights went up and an announcement that they were closing was made.

"No more games. We are on a limited time frame."

~O~

I told her about the investigation into the murders, my going undercover, how I met the Ripper, and the effect he had on me. Then the final act.

"All I remember after that was the pain. I woke up the next day a vampire and I had these." I motioned to my tits.

Sophie nodded. "The turning facilitates a change in your base self. It is a defense mechanism of a sort. It will change the color of your hair, and various traits of your body so that you do not resemble your previous self in any way."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "There have been many theories that you may choose from. What I subscribe to is this: In the old days people such as you and I lived in small villages often knowing the people that surrounded us and also in surrounding villages. If it were known that a person died, would it not be mysterious to see them walking around as if nothing ever happened?"

Okay, I could kind of see that. "Then why in hell would it change my sex?"

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"My sex," I shot back. "My gender. I was a guy before this happened."

The table shot forward and she was on me in a half a second. Her hand was at my throat, above my collar, and her eyes tore into mine. "Be very careful of your next words, Neophyte, on pain of your very life."

Her thighs were clamped to my side, making it impossible to go for my guns and I felt her nails already digging into my throat. Something told me that it wouldn't be any problem whatsoever for her to rip my head right off of my shoulders.

I'm sure she could see my acknowledgement easily.

"You say you were male, correct."

I nodded slightly.

Her breath was soft and her tone very threatening. "None of us are homosexual, Neophyte. It is a fact of nature. So your story is ringing untrue. And if you have lied about this then what else have you lied about? Hmm?"

"I was undercover," I whispered, not wanting to set her off any more. "In disguise."

She watched every move of my face, taking it all in. "Are you saying that you were dressed as a female, Neophyte?"

I nodded again.

"And he fell for your act?" She moved to the side and closed in, almost touching my cheek to her own when I felt her cool breath along my ear. "You must have been very convincing to pull off this masquerade, for it is one of our most sacred rules not to feed off of a person of the same sex."

Sophie leaned back slightly, letting her lips trace the slightest trail along my cheek passed my own. Her tongue darted out to run along my bottom lip and she fell back with a delighted grin on her face.

"It has been decades since I have encountered one of you."

The second she released my neck I shoved her forward, away from me and spun to the side to put more room between us. I drew both weapons and had her in my sights, but the bitch was on the floor giggling.

Okay, I've had my requisite mind-fuck for the day. Well fuck her. I pulled the trigger and watched as the barrel shot a two foot flame out the end accompanied with an ear shattering retort and I saw the potion of the booth she was previously sitting in, pretty much explode in flames.

Thermal rounds. Excellent.

She rolled out of the way, but I followed her. "Nobody fucks with me a second time, Sophie." I let loose another round two feet to her right and a large table shattered into flaming pieces.

Sophie landed in a crouch, almost on all fours, a look of anger and panic swept her face, but I was watching her eyes the most. The iris had gone red. Now I knew what Harris saw last week when I went all feral on Reynolds. Her eyes shifted slightly and I focused my hearing behind me. Without missing a beat I swiveled on my heel and leveled one of the 500's on the girl who was at the table earlier.

"NO!" Sophie screamed.

She was less than an inch away from the end of the barrel. At this range there probably wouldn't be much of her head left if I were to pull the trigger.

A strong smell of spent urine rent the air and I realized the girl had lost bladder control. Hell, if this thing was in my face I'd probably do the same… if I had a bladder anymore.

"What's it gonna be Sophie. Are you going to keep fucking with me?"

"Neophyte, I will strip the skin from your bones slowly if you harm one hair on her head." Her voice told me everything I wanted to know about whether that was the truth. It was.

I lowered the gun to the girl's chest. "Don't move. I'd hate to shoot you on accident." She nodded nervously and I turned my head back to Sophie. The vampire was on two feet again, her eyes passionate for the girl.

"You were saying something about my bones?"

Sophie's eyes reverted back to the green-hazel from earlier. "She is my only living kin, Neophyte. Leave her be."

I really didn't have much choice. I wasn't going to kill a relative innocent. "What do you hold sacred, Sophie? You said I had nothing to fear from you and you threatened to kill me a minute ago, so you're obviously a liar."

I watched as she stiffened, her lips drew taught.

"So what assurances do I have that as soon as I let her go that you won't try to skin my bones?"

"She can offer you a blood pact," a new voice said from the general area of the front door.

"Nicholas," Sophie almost spat. "Stay out of this."

I turned my head back to see an older looking man, maybe in his early thirties, wearing a very expensive suit. He took a step forward. "A blood pact, young Neophyte, is a bond between two of us to honor terms of an agreement." He made his way near us to a booth two down from where Sophie and I originally sat and took a seat like a spectator. "It is simple enough and is not revocable under… well lets just say that it would hurt quite a lot if your word were broken."

Sophie was almost in a snit. "Nicholas, she shot at me in my own club and now she threatens my grand-daughter."

"Pfft," I returned. "If I was to shoot at you, you'd be dead already. You almost tore my head off, so I almost blow yours off. As far as I'm concerned we're even."

"And my grand-daughter?"

I shook my head. "I just didn't feel like getting jumped. But now you're all in a huff and well, you see my dilemma."

Nicholas crossed his legs and leaned back. "Sophie, offer her the blood pact. I have better things to do this evening."

If she could spit fire, I'm sure she would.

"I need a knife. May I move without you harming her?"

I holstered one of my guns, the one that was pointing at Sophie, and reached into my jacket to withdraw my own knife. "Slowly, please."

I held it out to her, hilt first. She approached and took it. "Hold your hand out."

She cut into the palm of her right hand, almost to the bone, and blood welled up. "I agree to withhold hostilities, either personally or through a surrogate for a period of twenty-four hours if you agree to the same."

"I agree." She took my hand and repeated the cut then clasped her hand to mine. A flare of pain shot up my arm and I could see it affected her as well. Then she stepped back. I heard a breath being released behind me. The girl knew she was safe now. I holstered the other 500 and Nicholas clapped his hands together once.

"Excellent, another catastrophe averted. My work here is done."

Before Nicholas stood Sophie had released my hand and turned to him. "Anthony has turned blood-sick."

I looked down at my palm and the wound had sealed itself up, the blood in dried flakes falling off my skin. Who the hell was Anthony?

The male vampire looked stricken. "What? When?"

I'm slow sometimes. It was obviously the Ripper they were talking about, so I piped in. "Have you seen the news recently? Heard of the Ripper?"

At that he closed is eyes and ran a hand down his face.

"That's not the worst of it, Nicholas. Anthony turned this Neophyte. She was a male at the time."

Now Nicholas' attention was on me. He stood and strode toward me. "You were male?"

I nodded.

"Out loud, Neophyte. I must know if you are telling the truth."

"Yes, I was male. He turned me."

Nicholas stopped before me. I don't know if it was some freaky vampire thing or not that they were lie detectors of some sort. But he saw or sensed the truth of my words. However, he pressed further.

"The turn was voluntary?"

"No." Definitely not.

He put his hands together behind his back and walked around me, judging me? checking out my ass? I have no idea.

"He stripped you, fucked you, and turned you without your approval?"

Uh, sorta. "I was undercover at the time, trying to find the Ripper. I was dressed as a woman. He seduced me, raped me, and ripped out my throat."

He was behind me when he asked the next question. "Did he know you were male at any time?"

I shrugged. "After I bit him back, right before I shot him, he saw."

"Then I cannot condone his final death."

I spun around. "What?"

"He turned you unknowingly. It was in your own self defense that you were turned. He was merely feeding, and while it is against our laws to feed on the same gender except in times of great need, he again, did not know you were male. He will not suffer punishment for those crimes."

I stepped up in his face. "He killed and mutilated a number of innocent women!"

It was the next second that I found myself across the room with my chest hurting like I'd been slapped across the body with a large tree. Ooowwww. I hadn't even seen the man move. I was seriously outclassed here.

"Do not challenge me, Neophyte," Nicholas' voice echoed in my head.

Sophie looked rather happy at my slapdown. Bitch.

"Anthony will be dealt with for the blood-sick, but he will not die because of humans."

Another voice joined the party. "What'd I miss?"

"Rhys," Nicholas said, as I lay there trying not to move. "Alert the hunters. They are to find Anthony and bring him to me. Be aware that he is most probably blood-sick."

"What do you want done with her?" asked Sophie.

I looked up at that, ready to draw down on the three of them and die in a blaze of glory or whatever.

Nicholas stood there in silent contemplation for a few moments. "Anthony will be secluded for a time. She will need a surrogate until he is sane again. That will be you, Sophie."

That brought both of us to voice, "What?"

Nicholas strode toward the exit. "Neophyte, Sophie will teach you what you should need to know in order to survive. Disobey her at the cost of your life."

Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out, fucker.

When we were alone, Sophie walked up to me and offered a hand up. I reluctantly took it. My chest still wasn't a hundred percent yet. What the hell did he hit me with?

"You will return here tomorrow night after sunset if there is not sufficient cloud cover to come earlier."

"Fine," I grumbled. Now I get to be taught by a vampiric Stevie Knicks. Can my life suck anymore than it already has?