The Death Thief

The Bodies

Matias and Bungee. I knew something was between them. Something more than a boyfriend carrying a grudge. I just didn't know what. However, it was late, I was tired, and I had bandages in need of checking before I could take a much needed shower.

I arrived at the hotel with full intentions of knocking on every single door in human housing until I found Gregory. So set was I on finishing this last chore and heading for bed, that I nearly missed a rather excitable young man waving his arms and calling my name from the lounge in the lobby.

"Delilah Cross!" he shouted, drawing out the vowels.

I turned and caught sight of three people gazing at me from their comfortable seats before the fireplace. One was the youthful man that had called out to me. He was exceptionally lean and a bit short. He wore a pair of tight black jeans as well as an equally slim fit, dark shirt. Thick rimmed glasses sat atop a curved nose and just below a set of lengthy black bangs swept to one side with the help of some gel.

Seated next to him was his opposite. Large, square, and gruff in his baggy jeans and comfortable flannel shirt, he looked over at me from the corner of his light brown eyes. He wore a traditional buzz cut and a trimmed beard that was slightly longer than the dirty blonde hair atop his head.

Across from them, in her own wingback chair, was an older woman. A few grey hairs streaked a chestnut brown mane that touched her shoulders. She sat still and compact with a tray of breakfast food balanced on top of her linen-clad knees.

"Hello?" I said, not sure where to go from there.

"Glad we finally caught you," said the vibrant man, who stepped out from behind his sofa and met me where I stood by the door. "With you off gallivanting with vampires and werewolves, we haven't had a chance to formally introduce ourselves. We are the other Bodies."

"Oh? Oh!" I said with a bounce of surprise. I knew there were supposed to be five spots that were always to be filled by humans, but it never occurred to me to go and seek them out.

"Hi, I'm Dean Showalter. Been here four months." He offered his hand, which I took.

"Hi Dean, I'm Delilah. Most call me Del."

"Well, Del, we hear you already met Greg, but let me introduce you to the others." He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me over to where the other man and woman were seated. "This hulking fellow is Will Connors and this radiant young woman is Violet Grace." As I waved to the remaining members of the Bodies, I caught the subtle roll in their eyes and bemused smiles at Dean's introductions.

"We're having breakfast," said Will, gesturing to a couple plates sitting on the coffee table before them. "Well, we're having evening breakfast. I've been up since two in the afternoon."

"We all work on different schedules round here," said Dean with a shrug. "Have you eaten at the hotel yet? I know newbies tend to get a lot of love early on, so I didn't know if you've just been treated so far."

"Well, no, I haven't eaten here yet," I answered.

"Do you want me to show you to the hall? I'd suggest bringing your food back out here to join us. They don't much like our kind sitting in there with them." Again he shrugged, but wore a good-humored smile on his long, thin face.

"Uh, no thank you. I'm pretty tired, it's been a rough couple days. I think I might just go to bed."

"So we've heard," said Dean, who went to reclaim his seat next to Will, who had returned to work on a pile of pancakes. "Greg told us about what happened to you last night. Just terrible."

"That's what happens when you get involved with vampires," mumbled Will in between bites.

I blushed with some embarrassment, but then I caught Dean's dramatic eye roll.