Blood Slave

Chapter Thirty: Too Easy

HELIOS

“Well, goddammit,” I growl once we were outside. 

Nix sighs. “What's the matter now?” 

I let out a huff of frustration as I run my fingers through my black hair. “This female's scent is gone. It was fine inside... We waited too long... It's days too late since this thing was stolen.” 

“Blame your mother,” Nix mutters. 

“I will blame her!” I snap. “The damn bitch! I love her and all, but damn, she's getting on my nerves with her biased views on vampires. I can name several bad humans... Charles Manson, Ted Bundy, uh, that Zodiac Killer, the... I can't think of any at the top of my head.” 

“I know what you're saying, man.” Nix's shoulders slump down. “Let's go.” 

We walk as far away as we could get away from Dracula's earshot so we could speak freely. 

“Okay,” I say darkly, getting down to business. “What we're dealing with is a female that is part shapeshifter... The only thing I can go by is with her scent, and that's it. Other than that, we have nothing.” 

“I guess we could look at motives,” Nix offers. “What would a hybrid that is part shapeshifter do with Mina's ashes?” 

“Bring her to life is one reason,” I mumble as I look down at Nix as we walk down the vegetation-covered sidewalk. “I was really hoping it was going to be Angser or something that stole from Dracula. It would make things easier.” 

“Angser was the one that killed Mina. I don't think he wants her ashes back,” Nix murmurs. 

“Then shit!” I snap. “I have to catch a thief who can change shape any time she wants to but not her scent. But I can't go by her scent if there's nothing there! Dracula is literally giving me nothing to work with!” I yell angrily as I pull on my hair. “The other bounties were easier and didn't involve things without a good motive. Someone gets killed: I have to find the killer and hunt them down. Usually the motive for killing is love, money, hate, or jealousy. Cliche shit, you know? But stealing a dead woman's ashes... A scent that even Dracula doesn't even recognize as female... I'd ask Dracula's family, but guess what?!” 

Nix sighs. “What?” 

“I don't know where the fuck they are either!” I yell. “This is like finding a hay in a needle stack!” 

“Needle in a haystack, Helios,” Nix corrects me dumbly, but I ignore him. 

“This makes me really want to kill something, and I'm a goddamn pacifist,” I snap. “Why do people steal?” 

“Because they want what the other person has,” Nix states bluntly. 

I shake my head. “No, that's not always the case. I wonder if this is a Robin Hood thing...” I mumble. “Like stealing from the government and giving the money back to the poor where it rightfully belongs.” 

“I thought he stole from the rich,” Nix points out with a frown. 

I breathe in deeply. “No, my friend. Robin Hood took money from the government because that money didn't even belonged to them anyways. We need rich people in society. They offer the middle and lower class jobs. If Dracula wasn't rich as fuck, then I wouldn't be getting the money I'm getting for this job.” 

Nix nods. “Okay, I'm glad you told me that. My world history teacher is a freaking communist... He talks a lot about the United States since a ton of Scottish immigrants wanted to move to the U.S.”