The Vampire from Hell

Chapter 27 - Change of House

The cat growled and showed me his teeth. 

"Okay, little buddy," I said carefully, reaching for the cat again. "Let's get off my friend." 

The cat spoke to me. "Rayea, shut the door." 

Death poked his head in just as I was about to close the door. 

"What's going on?" he asked, entering the room quickly before I shut the door in his face. 

"Where's Lynn?" I asked, grabbing his wrist and yanking him into the room. 

"She's sleeping on the couch. That sandwich knocked her out." He winked. 

I glared at him. 

"She's okay," he assured me. "She's just taking a nap." 

"The cat spoke to me." I rested my back into the door as I closed it tightly and tried to understand why animals were now speaking to me. 

"That's J, not a cat," Death snickered. 

Suddenly the cat shifted into a man's form and, sure enough, J stood in front of us on the opposite side of the bed. 

"Wow," I muttered. As I stood perplexed watching J, Death motioned for me to move out of his way. He knelt by Grace on the side closest to the door. The second bedroom was smaller in size, so having several people in the room complicated one's ability to move about. 

Expecting to see J in one of his Italian suits, I was doubly caught off guard with his appearance. He wore a white T-shirt and faded blue jeans with clunky leather sandals. His shirt showed no G logo. That's strange, I thought. 

Sitting on the side of the bed near J, I tried to return my focus to Grace. 

"Is it fine that she's sleeping so much?" Death asked. 

"She has a very weak pulse too," I added, hoping that didn't sound too dismal. 

"I'd like to take her with me," J announced. He bent over and felt Grace's forehead. "I'd expect her temperature to be warmer." Frowning, he looked away and studied the floor for a few moments. 

Growing nervous, I returned to standing at the end of the bed, so I could assess the situation with some distance. Small spaces gave me the 'willies' as Lynn would say when she referred to zombies. 

"I know you have a million questions, Rayea," J began as he glanced at me, still assessing Grace's condition. "While I'd like to answer them all, we don't have time." 

"I understand," I replied. I wished there was some way I could bring up the Council. 

"I can step outside if you need me to, sir..." Death spoke up. 

"No Death, that's fine. You can hear this. By the way, I'd like you to leave with us too if you don't mind," J said. "Our new operations are in place." 

Death and I glanced at each other with the same thought on our mind. No council meeting? 

Hearing our thoughts, J grinned. "I got the meeting postponed. Rayea, I told your mother that I'd talk to the Council. This business with Mehen has them very concerned, but I think with your recent act of selflessness, I can get them to back down." 

"The dog and cat fight? Were you acting or was that for real?" 

J laughed. "Acting. An old friend of the family helped me out. You know 'Max' as he calls himself now. He's not a fan of Grace's old boyfriend, so he was more than happy to help out." 

"Neither am I," I replied. Briefly I noticed a flare of rage surface on Death's face. Then he returned to studying Grace. 

J nodded and sat down on the bed by her. "Thank you for finding her, Death. And Rayea, thank you. I don't know if your blood will turn her into a vampire, but it has saved her from the soul searchers. I'll make sure the council hears about that as well."