Broken Warrior

Speak Easy

Eirene

I had given up the hunt and was returning back to my hotel room when I happened to stumble across the woman who had appeared to be friends with Rurik. The same woman who continued to catch my attention for reasons I couldn't quite explain. Like before, I was inexorably drawn after her and found myself chasing a trolly as I sprinted across shadowed roofs. By the time she had gotten off, I had formulated my plan to justify this odd obsession. 

I would speak with her and try to find out what I could about Rurik and his position within Alesky's web. I would try to solve the mystery of just how the monster hid behind a veneer of helping humans so well and how far my Rurik had fallen in his company. Perhaps I could even find a chink in the armour through the smartly dressed, high heeled vampire.

Vampires are predictable creatures, seeking out the same tell tale signs and threat cues to understand their place in social interactions with one another based on time honoured recognition of our natural tendency to violence and ascending capabilities as we aged. It wasn't hard to change my behaviour to put the woman at ease, though I found myself far less on guard with her than I should be as I walked with her at my back towards a private table. I sensed her every move, could hear how her heels clicked rhythmically on the floor behind me and the sound of her slow heartbeat keeping beat with my own.

In turn, I let her see a woman who moved more like a human than a vampire and seemed tactically ignorant, much like I had thrown the other vampires off before. I could see her concern when I glanced her way, making her believe I was a young, inexperienced vampire with no common sense or protection in this violent, sordid world.

Sliding into the booth, I found her sitting across from me, placing her purse on the table as she leaned back and gave me a thoughtful smile. This was the part of the hunt that I was never very good at. The part where I had to talk to others. I could force myself to do it to collect information but it was usually more about listening than speaking. Now, however, I saw the concern in her expression despite that smile, as if she were worried about me. She didn't even know my name and she looked as if she were as drawn to protect me as I suddenly felt about her.

Who was she? Why did I feel like I had known her my entire life? Why did I hurt to think that I would not know her longer than a few hours?

"Are you new in town?" She offered gently, taking a sip of her drink, which smelled like straight Gin.

I nodded to her, glancing down to my own drink before bringing it to my lips and taking a sip. I didn't often drink alcohol, but I needed some sort of cover for why I was in a bar. "Yes. That obvious, huh?"

She laughed softly and shook her head. "I've been here for ages. I travel a little, but you can usually tell when someone isn't used to the vibe here. It is safer than other places for us, but I'm surprised to see that you're alone."

"You're alone." I offered, glancing around the bar as if questioning that thought, raising one brow. It gave me a chance to reconfirm that we were, in fact, very much alone in terms of supernaturals. What an interesting little bar for a vampire to pick.

"I'm Eliza, by the way." She raised her glass and winked to me, offering me a beaming smile that caused my heart to skip awkwardly in my chest. "I needed a break from work for a bit."

As if bringing it to mind, she glanced at her phone and frowned, a dark cloud passing over her features. I saw anger there, but mainly concern, her eyes filling with empathy.

"What kind of job do you do?" I asked softly, my eyes back on my glass before she could look up to me. What bothered her so much? What did she have to do for the company?