The Death Thief

An Offer not to be Refused

"Lord Antonov, I'm not sure you've heard, but Ms. Nightgrave is batting for another team now," said Everett.

The man stopped a few steps into the office and drank in the scene before him. He wore a sly smile that complimented his square chin and chiseled, stubble-free jawline. On top of his head, he had silky, salt-and-pepper hair swept back with the help of some high-end product. The well-trimmed look matched the precision tailored, dark burgundy suit that hugged his lean body. He paired it with a black button-down shirt and a violet tie that matched his meticulously folded pocket square.

The ladies looked equally well-kept. One wore her light brown hair in an intricate bun, allowing only a few strands to curtain her stern face. She chose a hip-hugging white dress and a dark camel hair peacoat to keep her warm. The other, shorter and sheepish, had shoulder length blonde hair that bounced with a subtle curl. She wore tight, designer jeans with a low cut satin blouse. To keep her exposed chest from the chill, she hugged a chunky, wool cardigan around herself.

"Oh Hathaway," said the man with a sigh, made all the more dramatic with a flourish of his hands, "it is adorable that you think the whole town isn't buzzing with word of Bungee's midnight snack. Even your own mongrel crew is up and about, passing along the rumors." He glided over to where Everett and Kyra stood, reaching out a hand to give Everett a sympathetic pat on the cheek, only for it to be smacked away by a snarling sheriff. Antonov ignored the violent gesture and cast his eyes to somewhere past my field of vision. "There is one part of the story that seems to range though. Is it true she's now completely bald and Bungee has given her scalp to Raid to wear as a wig?"

"Dragan," said Kyra with a smooth, yet effective voice that some how both drew in the flamboyant guest's attention and smothered the fiery rage brewing behind Everett's eyes. "I believe you are here to inquire about the status of Ms. Delilah Cross."

"Delilah Cross, what a lovely name," he said, clapping his hands together, before turning towards my cell. "Why she is a little mouse, isn't she? So small and meek. It's almost not fair."

I shivered as his eyes traveled over me and I looked to the women for some support, but I only saw fear in the blonde's averted eyes and sick amusement in the brunette's smirk. I drew my knees into my chest, shielding myself from the crushing loneliness in a room full of people.

"You have no honor, Dragan," growled Everett, who stepped in between me and the well-dressed man's appraising eyes. "That poor girl had her whole world turned upside down and you're just going to discard her."

"Like you're one to talk Hathaway. I, at least, had every intention to follow through with my promise to Calista. However, things have changed." He gave Everett a shrug and then sauntered over to where Kyra stood. I felt him watching me from the corner of his eye. "The fact is she can't be my bride. Plain and simple. Her blood is poisonous now, but I continue to need sustenance. So that leaves me in need of a new bride and well, since the other Bodies are either male or too old, this little mouse is my only other option." He then, turned back to me and a smile crept up his smooth cheeks. "She does have a pleasantly plump figure. Not too skinny, not too fat. Curves where they're needed. And I can't tell from this awful lighting you torture yourselves with, but she seems to have some lovely strawberry blonde hair. Is that natural dear?"

"I..."

"Don't answer him," said Everett with a stab of his finger before he approached Antonov again. "She is in custody and even if she wasn't in custody, you can't claim her as she hasn't accepted the contract."

"Have you told her what happens if she doesn't?" he asked with a laugh. "Because I think she'll say yes. And I'm not claiming her just yet. I do have some standards and I'd like to see if she is up to par first. I'm simply offering to sponsor her for a little while so we can get to know each other."

"She's not in custody," corrected Kyra. "We don't have any proof there's even been a murder. We can't keep her here against her will."

"See," cheered Antonov, "there you go. That means she can choose where to go and she'll certainly want to stay at my manor over this stuffy cell or those atrocious apartments."

"Um, if I'm free to go, I'd like to go home," I said with a squeak in my voice that even made me question if I was the mouse Antonov so claimed. To my surprise, not only did it appear that they all heard me, they also stopped talking all together. Each turned to face me, either giving me a look of pity or amusement. Or in the case of Kyra, no emotion whatsoever.

"You can't go home," said Everett with a sigh. He stepped away from Antonov and drew as close to me as the bars would allow. "You can't ever go home."

"W-why?"

"You know our secret," said Kyra simply, "and it would endanger all of us if you were to reveal it to the outside world."

"Even this bleeding heart won't let you past city limits alive," said Antonov with a kick of his thumb towards the burly sheriff. To my dismay, Everett didn't correct him.

"What secret? The one where you kill people who happen to stumble into your town? Or the one where you think dead people can talk to you?"

"Delilah," said Everett as he took hold of the bars and rested his forehead against them, "let's just spell this out now because easing you into this is apparently not working. This town isn't a normal town. You got that part right and the truth has been staring you in the face. Screaming in it really. No matter how hard you try to rationalize it, the fact is, Calista did die, but she is also alive again. She's what you call undead. You see, Bungee is a zombie and since he bit her after she died and didn't eat her brain in time to stop the spread of the virus to her nervous system, well she became reanimated and is now a zombie too."

While I still struggled to comprehend what he had said, he turned to Antonov.

"This excuse for a gentleman is a vampire." Everett's words were harsh, but Antonov still beamed as he gave me a little bow. "He was supposed to claim Calista, who was — until a few hours ago — a normal human. Just like you are, and just like Natasha and Scarlett here are." He nodded his head over to the still silent companions of Antonov. The brunette didn't respond, but the blonde raised her hand slightly in greeting when he said the name Scarlett. "You see, any human that wanders into our town is given the option to sign a contract. A contract that says that the town will house them, feed them, in every way take care of them, for a year. In that time they have to find someone, whether it be zombie, vampire, ghost, or werewolf, to sponsor or convert them. Most of these people, whom we call Bodies, end up being feeders for vampires. A fresh blood source. That's what Calista was going to be and that's what Antonov is offering you."

"He makes it sound so barbaric," said Antonov with a roll of his eyes, that also caused his mouth to gape slightly, revealing the tell tale pointy teeth of a vampire. The same kind of pointy teeth Kyra had. "It's really a very pleasing experience for both parties, I assure you. Isn't that right ladies?" He turned to Natasha and Scarlett. Scarlett blushed, but shared a giddy smile with the supposed vampire, while Natasha glared a hole into my forehead.

"It's your choice though," added Everett. "We don't force humans here. We just want to live our lives in peace. We're not looking to bring harm to anyone."

"And what if I choose not to go with him or with any of this?" I asked, my brain too tired and jumbled to deny their story anymore. I didn't necessarily believe it, but I wasn't willing to fight it any longer.

"You are welcome to deny the contract," answered Kyra in her flat, soft monotone. "However, our safety is priority over your right to choice."

"If you do not take the contract, you do not have our protection or our funding. You can do your best to live in town, but you'll find it an unfriendly place. And should you ever try to leave town, you'll be killed." Everett sighed and bowed his head. "You'll be fed to the zombies with no hope of resurrection."