To Kiss a Killer | boyxman | (OLD VERSION)

Chapter XIX - The Vampire

"Colebrook," I said to myself, "Colebrook, Colebrook, Colebrook. It rings a bell. I know it does." Pausing, I stroked my chin for answers. "Oh, I know." I announced with utter happiness that I'd remembered, "You're father trained with Hamilton just as Julius and another." I furrowed my brow, "Why the hell are you working for Julius? If you ask me, I think you gave your family name a downgrade. Julius is a murderer... Well, at least he turned you into a murderer. Tell me, what drove you to kill these innocent slayers. Then again, I can't say they were all too innocent, I mean, they do go about killing my kind night after night... so I guess you couldn't exactly call them inno—."

"Dom," Raeden nudged my side, "focus."

I snapped looking back at the Rogue, Colebrook, "Oh, right."

With force I stood Bobby up, and propped my arm around his shoulder, a friendly gesture that surely came off as a plan for annoyance, and that just so happened to be my specialty. "So, Colebrook, do you mind telling me your intentions for taking that young woman's life? Certainly no one deserves to die like that, neither vampire nor human. It must hurt like hell. Bet you wouldn't someday want to feel such pain strike your chest, now would you?"

Without letting him oblige in response, I went on, "No, I bet you wouldn't. But I'd love it if you told me why Julius is handing out these commands. What has he got against these slayers that lead him to call upon you, my good man, to make your presence known, and suddenly end their life in such a cruel manner? Of course it could not be simply for the hell of it... At least I hope not."

Colebrook's gaze never left the body of the young woman that lay dead a few feet away. Her shock filled eyes just being closed when Raeden took it upon himself to set her eyelid shut.

"They knew why." He pointed at the body, "She knew why."

Drawing his arm down, thinking it rude for him to point at a dead body, I gestured for Nate to make sure he made no unwanted movements while I moved away. I then cocked my head to look back at Colebrook. "Why is that, Colebrook? I need details."

When he remained silent, I shook off his will to not answer me and drew nearer to the woman's body lying bloody on the ground. They say the brain is thought to work for ten full minutes before it is officially counted as dead... when oxygen is no longer surfacing towards it, and with that I would be able to find answers for my own questions just like I'd done to Julius. It'd feel like crossing a boundary because she was dead, but I needed the information and she held firmly to it in her last remaining thoughts.

Good thing it hadn't been ten minutes yet. I had a few more before then.

I knelt beside the woman's body, running a hand across her forehead to remove the blood streaked hair in her face. She was a beautiful woman who most likely could have become much more than a slayer... could have done more things with her life. Her pale face was soft with the growth of death, looked to be in her late twenties, her hair light brown, lips that were once pink turning a dull purple, and her rose cheeks were as white as the face of the moon hidden behind the dark clouds above.

With my thoughts I pushed into her closing mind, the pressure much harder than that of a breathing person. With force I shoved myself into her thoughts and a film flickered before my mind's eyes.

I could see her dressed in a flowing white gown, a dress... a wedding dress, her hair pinned softly up in a curling bun. Standing in front of her was a man. On his handsome brown face was a light smile obviously indicating a sign of contentment. He himself was dressed in an ironed crisp black tuxedo, a little black bow tied around his white collar. He slipped a ring on her finger, mumbling words I could not understand.

I tried to flip her memories myself, but it seemed her mind was focusing purely on this memory. Perhaps it was one she was most proud of.

Her hand rose this time to take the man's and she slipped a ring on his finger, kissing the back of his hand with a blissful smile. However, as the man's smile grew to a grin that showed his white teeth, I was almost shocked to see he bared fangs. This woman, whoever she was, had married a vampire while she herself was a slayer. Could that be the reason why she was set up to be a target? If so, I could only imagine what the reaction of her Immortal husband would be when his beautiful slayer wife never showed up home.