Hunter / Hunted -- Private for Jenn1982 and ShadowoftheHeart

[shadowoftheheart]

Romana lounged languidly on a settee, absently running her fingers through the long, ash-blonde hair of the barely-alive girl kneeling at her side.

Romana's hair was slowly darkening from dead grey to raven black as the girl's blood slowly percolated through Romana's dead cells, invigorating them into a perverse parody of life.

Her long, slender frame was draped in black silk, her generous curves highlighted by the slightly shiny material. She was beautiful in a generous, voluptuous way that was out of step with the shallow, scarecrow-worship of the 21st century, and Romana refused to change.

She was just over 500 years old, born scant days before Columbus made his famous voyage, and born into unlife three decades later. She had grown in power over that time, eventually finding herself in the New World, in charge of what amounted to an undead empire. The 19th and 20th centuries saw her consolodate that power, locking in the loyalty of other vampires in her area ... and destroying those that refused to bow to her.

It was the 21st century, and she could feel her power slipping now. This creature, this nearly-dead one that she knew she had either to turn or destroy soon ... she was the first indication of trouble. A hunter, she had done much damage to Romana's power before she finally fell. Not dead, not truely alive, the poor creature existed now for no other purpose but to feed her mistress. Frail, pale, naked, she no longer looked like the brave, powerful woman she had been a few years ago. She was no more a threat.

But. Before she had succomed to Thralldom, the creature had spat out a warning, or perhaps it was a curse, to Romana.

"My sister will take up the fight. She'll succeed where I failed ... she's the stronger one."

For the first time since her sire sank his fangs into her tender flesh overlooking a moonlit Venetian canal ... Romana felt fear.

She refused to let this fear show to her dark servents that stood a mute guard around her person. This sister had yet to make her move, but Romana's vampires and zombies were ready .. had been ready since her thrall's last words.

Romana closed her eyes to preserve her strength. She would need all of it in the coming ... days? Months? Years? Who knew. After five centuries it mattered little how much longer she had to wait for the fight ....

 

[Jenn1982]

The cold wind brushed over her skin, blowing red hair out behind her but she gave no sign of noticing it as she giggled and gave her best insulted look as the man’s hand groped her ass. Her blush deepened as she looked around the street to see if anyone had noticed. Gavin grabbed her wrist and guided her hand to his crotch and she could feel the growing bulge through his jeans. She stroked it for a few seconds before propriety got the better of her. His free hand had moved to breasts and she let out a surprised moan as his hand slid under the thin material of her shirt to play with her nipple. She tsked playfully at him, though they both knew that she’d worn the low cut shirt for more reasons than just because it made her breasts look good. Though she only wore a B cup her breasts were firm and perky and she’d had no complaints so far.

She bit her lip to keep from moaning loudly as Gavin gave her nipple a pinch and she smiled knowingly as he pulled her into the shadows of an alley. She didn’t try to hide her moans as he pushed her roughly against the cold brick wall and kissed her deeply. She wasn’t extremely tall but with the 4 inch heels she was just an inch shorter than Gavin. As the kiss intensified their hands moved frantically over each other’s bodies, pulling at clothes and teasing bare skin. As Gavin freed her breasts from her shirt she pushed his head down, encouraging him to suck her nipples as he gave up on unzipping her skirt and settled with just pushing it up around her waist.

When he rose she pulled at the button of his jeans and began sliding the zipper down. Gavin kissed her hard enough to drive her head back against the wall making her movements falter for a second before she vigorously continues getting his pants out of the way. His cock is hard enough that when she finally gets the zipper down it is already out of his jeans and she runs her fingers over it lightly before bringing her hands up to his face. As he reaches down to slip himself inside of her she pulls his head back, breaking the kiss, and smiles up at him, though he doesn’t quite think the gleam in her eyes fits the sweet smile. His thoughts have barely moved on as she twists his head, snapping his neck. Even as he drops to the ground she is rearranging herself and looking up and down the alley to make sure they’re still alone. Satisfied she turns her full attention back to Gavin and places a foot on his neck and steps down. She looks over him a few moments before her eyes meet his.

“Do you have any siblings Gavin? Well I have a sister and she’s very dear to me and sadly she’s been missing for quite a while now. I’ve worked long and hard to track her this far but it’s paid off. I’ve heard through the grapevine that she was hunting your Mistress and I can’t help but think maybe your Mistress had a hand in her disappearance. So what I need you to do is pass on the word that I’m here and that I will find my sister and deal with whoever has hurt her. You got that hun?”

She can see a small pool of blood forming around her shoe and she realizes her heel has sliced through the side of his neck…nothing he won’t heal from though. Gavin wasn’t real high on the totem pole but she doesn’t want to hang around long enough to see if he’s a quick healer. She doubts he’ll ever see this Mistress but she figures sooner or later the message will reach her ears and that’s good enough for now. She turns and walks out of the alley, the sweet smile back on her face and in a few moments Scarlett is just another part of the crowd.

 

[shadowoftheheart]

The girl was sleeping restlessly in her cage. Romana stroked her dry hair with a tenderness that jarred sharply with her emaciated, abused condition. She was nothing to Romana but a sack of blood, a sack that was running dry. She would need to heal for several weeks now, before she could be used again by Romana.

She turned to the naked male kneeling before her.

"A human female? One human female? And no less, one that you had pinned to a wall?"

She cupped his chin, and whipped his face up so she could glare into his eyes. Romana handled such things personally. She didn't fear getting her hands dirty.

"Gavin, was your name was it not?"

"It .. it is ...."

Her hand clamped around his throat. She squeezed with surprsing strength, making Gavin grasp her hand with both of his. He couldn't break her grip. Had he needed air, he would certainly be choking.

"Was. You have let me down yet again because you think with the wrong organ. When I selected you, it was for your cunning. You should have been enhanced, not weakened."

He was unable to respond. Romana drew him in close, and bit his neck.

The blood of a vampire had a sickening, dessicated taste. It was preferable to draining her blood-slave entirely dry, and besides this bastard had to be destroyed. There was no point in wasting him, after all.

His face went from pained to horrified as he felt what remained of his life-force drained out, drawn from his corpse. His limbs greyed, shriveling. As blood was drawn from his extremities, they cracked, and then flaked away into powder. As though a parchment set alight, he turned to dust, becoming no more than a powder on the floor. Finally, it was all that was left, and she opened her hand, allowing the last bits of Gavin to shower to the floor.

"Dispose of that."

She rose and strode away, leaving the pale girl quivering weakly in her cage as she watched two glaze-eyed 'men' with pale, luminous skin knelt down, and as though enacting a parody, literally swept the powder into a dustpan, which was then carried away and out of the girl's sight.

"Scarlett," she moaned, breathlessly, barely audable even to herself. For the first time in years she had a small glimmer of hope ....

 

[Jenn1982]

Scarlett awoke gasping and sitting straight up in the bed. Her sweat had left the sheets damp and she pushed them aside as she got up and headed to the shower. Nowadays she didn’t have to try and piece together the dream; she knew it by heart after having it fill her dreams for the better part of four years. She ran her fingers over the large scar that ran down her left side as she stepped under the warm spray of water. As she showered she thought about the…monster who dominated her dreams, the same one who’d given her the scar.

When Scarlett was 19 and Erika only 17, Erika had been attacked by a vampire. She had been home alone and gone out in the backyard when she heard what she thought were raccoons trying to get into the trash. The only reason she’d survived unscathed for the most part was because of Shade. Scarlett had come home to find a strange man leading her sobbing sister into the house. It had only been Erika’s protests that had kept her from attacking the man. Shade later claimed to have seen something in them that had made him decide to turn them into what he was, vampire hunters. After the initial shock of getting used to a new sort of reality they both excelled at the training and were left on their own to fight.

They had been hunting vampires together for three years and considered themselves to be quite the experts when they ran across Phillip. He had heard of them as they killed vampire after vampire in the surrounding cities and he sought them out. They should have realized something was wrong right then but they’d just pegged him as stupider than the rest. He’d planned things well enough to end up confronting them in an almost abandoned part of the city, with nothing but warehouses in the surrounding blocks. He had Erika knocked out on the ground and Scarlett straddled on the ground in under a minute. He’d laughed at the way she fought him and the look on her face as he assured her that by the time he finished with her she’d ask him for her death. When he pulled out the knife she’d gone still…knives scared the shit out of her. She pushed her fear down, forcing herself to keep fighting even as he grabbed her head and slammed it hard against the pavement under her. For a few moments she had no idea what was going on and then she began to groggily come back to reality. She felt the strange sensation on her side and she looked down to see the knife halfway in her side, for a moment she was sure it must be a trick of the light, she didn’t even feel any pain. Phillip was running the knife down towards her hip and as the blood poured down her skin Scarlett froze like a deer caught in the headlights.

Her head lolled to the side and her eyes remained unfocused until she noticed a slight movement, Erika! Their eyes met and Scarlett felt renewed strength. Erika jumped up and Scarlett used Phillip’s momentary distraction to drive her knees into his stomach and forcing him off balance. She rolled away from him and searched the ground for her stake. Erika charged him, using her sword to try and keep him from getting close enough to grab her. By the time Scarlett found the stake Phillip had knocked the sword to the ground and was reaching out for Erika. Scarlett grabbed the stake and was able to drive it into his back and through his heart as he grappled with her sister. Erika picked up her sword and brought it down hard on his neck and they both watched breathless as he turned to dust.

Erika took Scarlett to a doctor who treated them when they were badly injured hunting, a doctor who wouldn’t report any strange injuries to the police. Scarlett had passed out on the way there and when she awoke she found herself stitched up and in the middle of a blood transfusion. She had decided then that she couldn’t do it anymore, the hunting. It was going to get them both killed, no matter how good they got or how careful they were. When she told Erika she begged her to give it up as well. They had had their worst fight ever that night and Erika had left town. Scarlett had kept tabs on her discreetly but a year later she abruptly lost track of Erika. She hadn’t been concerned, this had happened a few times before, she’d lose track of her for a few months and then she’d resurface. Six months later though she’d still had no word about her. It was then she’d begun searching for her.

Scarlett realized the water had long gone cold and she stepped out of the shower with a shiver. She dried off and pulled on a pair of black leather pants and a black t-shirt. She put on a pair of steeled toed boots and turned to her weapons. She tucked a few stakes into a sort of holster she’d made that went around her thigh. Carrying her sword would be almost impossible tonight so she settled on her favorite knife. It had a good handle and a 10 inch blade that had a serrated edge at the top. She also grabbed her Beretta as well…you never know, she thought. She pulled on her old leather trench coat and walked out the door. Time to hunt.

 

[shadowoftheheart]

Romana perched on a rooftop. Her short minidress billowed in the cold wind, and had she been human she would have been cursing her poor choice of dress. As a vampire she didn't even notice the cold: She hadn't properly fed tonight, so her skin was corpse-cold, her hair a silvery grey.

She enjoyed the Hunt. She didn't care much for the shepherds around her. No, a human eye couldn't have seen them, but she had a vampire on either side of her, guarding her flanks. Within several hundred yards were a half dozen moving corpses, zombies. Sometimes they were more trouble than they were worth, but her necromantic powers had proven to be the difference between power and servitude on several occasions.

*I have my target. Do not interfere unless I am in evident danger.*

This she sent mentally to her vampiric underlings. Her zombies could do nothing but her will, and was of no concern to her at all.

The woman wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. She was a crime waiting to happen, and Romana, ever frugal, didn't want to see her precious blood and soul wasted on a mere human incident. The girl didn't see Romana Leap through the air, nor did she hear her feather-soft drop, directly behind her. She first knew she was not alone in the dark streets when she felt the dark mental tentacles of Romana's mind wrap around hers, gripping centers of fear and pleasure, paralyzing her, and causing her to cry out softly.

An untrained mind. Not worthy of being a blood-slave, and certainly not of being a vampire. She would make a single meal then.

The girl turned with wide, glazed eyes, long blonde hair blowing in the wind.

"Hello, sweet," Romana cooed.

Just a little tweak to her will, and the girl stepped toward Romana, closing her eyes and baring her neck.

Romana kissed her neck softly, causing the blonde woman to gasp and shiver in pleasure. The vampiric mistress trailed kisses along her prey's neck, throat, and jaw line. The physical wet pressure along her flesh, the dark perverse pressure of Romana's mind on her pleasure centers, brought the girl to the edge of climax, sweetening her blood with passion.

Then, with a soft crunching sound, Romana's fangs penetrated the girl's soft neck, opening twin punctures and causing her eyes to widen in fear and pain. Adrenaline and fear now spiced her blood, and the mingling of flavors provided the vampire with a delicious meal for the evening, not nearly so sweet as the blood of a hunter, which was honeyed and spiced with strength, will, and power. Yes, Romana found breaking the strong, draining the powerful, so much more wonderful than snatching weak little creatures like this one.

Her eyes softened as her fear was replaced again with anesthetic pleasure as blood loss and the vampire's mind and the lightly euphoric nature of the vampire's saliva bean fogging her mind, weakening her slight resolve. Her body quivered as she paled. She went from a healthy tan to a pale pink to a bone-white ivory. Her lips parted, her last breaths puffed fog-like out if ice-cold lips. She struggled one last time, a dying creature with her last spark of survival instinct .. like the deer whose neck is in the lion's jaw, twitching with a desire to escape despite hopeless, mortal wounds.

Romana could sense the nature of the girl's blood. She was drained down to the last drop of blood. Her already weak soul was down to its last feeble reserves. Now was the time she could enthrall her, making her a blood slave .. or Romana could open her veins to the girl, feeding blood back into her to draw her across the barrier of mortality to the eternity of vampiric unlife. Or, she could simply drain this last, sweetest drop of blood from her body. If she did nothing the girl would simply succumb to her blood-loss, and this Romana never allowed to happen.

She suckled the last drop from the girl, who twitched one last time. her ice-cold body tensed, and a low, moaning sound came from her lips as she died. Romana lifted her face, her eyes glinting from the slightly intoxicating effects of the blood .. which dribbled down in crimson rivulets from her blood-stained lips.

Romana's skin was a healthy pink, her hair raven-black, and her eyes piercing green. She had once more raped the life from an innocent to keep her self young and animate in her centuries-long unlife. The cold, desiccated corpse was allowed to drop to the ground, with no more thought than a person would have for the paper wrapper of a fast-food hamburger.

Sirens. Red-blue wavering lights. She had been seen. It would be neither the first, nor the last, time. She watched as the police cruiser skidded to a halt at the end of the alley, and two blue-suited functionaries tumbled out, automatics raised and ready.

"Hands up!"

"Let's see some hands!"

Romana smirked at these mindless beings, programmed to enforce an artificial, arbitrary set of rules that no longer applied to her.

From a dead stand-still, Romana leapt from the ground to the rooftop to her left. She crouched down, grinning, tilting her head curiously to one side as she watched the small, pathetic creatures below recoil in horror. Seeing that these worms were no more of a threat, she took a moment to lick the blood from her lips and chin, one last delicious taste of the girl's being, and then lept away into the night, knowing that her minions would follow her as they could.

===================================

The police officers spent many hours trying to craft a report that would make sense, and never quite succeeded. They would be censured by their superiors for shoddy work ... believed only by chief medical examiner who was unable to explain the bloodless, pale corpse he was brought. He had seen this before, though no one, least of all he himself, was able to wrap their minds around the concept that the old myths may have been true. Yet their deeper selves, their base souls, knew the truth of what they saw, and were gripped with fear ....

 

[Jenn1982]

Scarlett walked into the grimy diner and spotted who she was looking for right away in one of the corners of the restaurant. She slid into the booth and looked at him across the table.

“Can I see them?”

“That’s not how this works, money first, then you can look at them all you want.”

She frowned for a moment but then reached into her jacket and slid the bills to him. She smiled at the discomfort that showed in his eyes as he realized she hadn’t even bothered hiding the money by putting it in an envelope. He took it though and shoved a manilla folder over to her before rising to his feet.

“You’ll let me know if you get anything else like this?”

He glanced down at the money in his hand before nodding.

Once he’d left Scarlett ordered a coffee and moved into the opposite seat of the booth so she could keep her eyes on the door. As she sipped the coffee she opened the folder and began to read.

By the time she’d finished two hours had passed. She’d sorted the police reports into two different piles and for the first time in months she felt like she might actually be in the right place. She put the information back into the folder and headed back to her hotel; it’d been a long night.

***************************************************************************************

When the alarm clock went off at 4:55 that afternoon Scarlett was already up and moving about. She was trying not to let her hopes get up too much but she couldn’t help herself. Some of the police reports she’d dismissed but the few that she’d counted as the real thing had been very helpful indeed. It seemed that quite a few of the vampire attacks were happening in a certain part of town that was made up mostly of dance clubs and a couple bars. She’d been concentrating on the main part of town that had much nicer grade of clubs and bars but at least she hadn’t been too far off. There was one report of great interest to her. It had only taken place 4 nights ago and it involved an attack on a female by another woman. The details were slim and it was pretty obvious that what little of the information from the report had been removed. But her contact, an officer who was not above giving out certain information for a price, had talked to one of the officers at the scene before giving her file and he’d included the summary of what the guy had said. Apparently the woman had bit the victim and there was no blood left in the girl…but there was also no blood on the ground other than a few stray drops. And when confronted the woman had seemingly disappeared in an instant.

Every instinct told Kitana this was the Mistress vampire who’d taken her sister. She had decided her best way to find her would be to haunt her haunting ground. She wanted to blend in as much as possible though and so she chose an outfit that would make her look like any of the other “club hoppers” that would be around; tight leather pants that laced up from the bottom cuff to the top of the waist on each side, showing off a far amount of skin and a red halter top. She even settled on spike heels rather than the boots she usually favored. The outfit didn’t give her many places to hide weapons and so she had to settle with her knife and a few stakes that she slid into a small purse. She’d taken the zipper out of it and replaced it with an easy to unsnap button that would pop open with a little tug. It would slow her down but she wasn’t out hunting…at least not in the normal way and she didn’t plan on having to fight, this was more reconnaissance. She put on dark lipstick and made sure the makeup around her eyes was a bit too heavy before she walked out the door and headed out to the clubs.

 

[shadowoftheheart]

Romana paid the cabbie, and smirked, watching the many delightful treats enter the club. She was in a red minidress and red 2" stiletto heels. She had a small clutch-purse hanging from her shoulder, that carried some money and a pack of cigarettes. She didn't take pleasure in smoking, and certainly wasn't going to be harmed by them. They were to let her fit in with the other sheep.

She shot a grin at the bouncer. He grinned and waived her in. She thought of the line in that one movie: "You don't need to see his papers ... move along."

Within, there was a heavy Gothick Rock beat, many bodies in pale vamp-wannabe makeup gyrating on the dance floor, getting their heat, their blood, up. She smirked, looking out over the smorgasbord. Boiling blood, seasoned with estrogen and testosterone, lust, alcohol, drugs, all blending together to create a bouquet that was irresistible to Romana.

Almost as sweet as the powerful blood of the Hunters... like that nearly-dead blood slave of hers. Yes, she mused, soon she would have to find a new slave. So much better it would be, were she able to find another hunter to replace her.

She blended in easily to a writhing mass of young women, taking in their scent, tasting their blood from a distance. They were all luscious, delectable fruits ripe for the picking. Yet .. they all were momentary pleasures. None had the strength or the vitality to replace her nearly worthless slave.

As Romana danced and swallowed a pill offered her by a pale waif of a vampire wannabe, as she smiled at men that brushed her body as they danced, as she took compliments on the wonderful silver hair effect she had achieved, she was watching, smelling, and tasting all who entered, waiting to see if a suitable replacement should cross the threshold ....

 

[Jenn1982]

As Scarlett left the 3rd club it was nearly one in the morning and she was nothing but frustrated…frustrated and danced out. Her head was pounding dully as if trying to keep in beat with the music that seemed to blare from every corner of the clubs. The cool air felt good on her skin which had a light sheen of sweat on it, she hadn’t realized just how exhausting nonstop dancing could be. So far the only people she’d been approached by had been men, not even vampires at that. Scarlett debated whether she should go home or keep looking and after a few minutes she decided she could handle one more club before her head was bound to explode.

As she walked down the sidewalk she saw a pale girl walking ahead of her. At first she thought it was a vampire but a second look let the clichéd look shine through. Scarlett had a true dislike for those kinds of people…the ones who dressed up and tried to emulate vampires. Every time she saw them she wanted to walk up and give them a few good smacks, hoping to knock some sense into them. If only they had any kind of idea what a real vampire was like, she thought.

She followed the girl though and was soon standing in front of a club, one that looked more gothic than the ones she’d been to before. She gave the bouncer her most charming smile and he let her in, though she could tell by the way he was looking her that she was going to be way out of place. It only took her a few moments inside to confirm her suspicion…everywhere she looked there were men and women clad in outfits they surely got at one of those stores that specialized in Goth wear. There were some women with red shirts but usually they were red and black and none of them were the cheery red of Scarlett’s halter top. She put off as much of a confident vibe as she could as she headed towards the bar. She wanted to scan the crowd before she danced.

“Coke please,” she said as she settled on one of the bar stools and began looking around the room.

 

[shadowoftheheart]

Romana saw her enter. She was different. Her clothes were clubwear .. but not gothic. She smelled, tasted, her from the dance floor ... and she knew this new girl was the one.

But, she had power in her blood. Confidence, awareness. She wasn't a vampire wannabe, they were too easy to take. No, this one would require a subtler approach.

She danced in a crowd, but near to the bar as she dared. She watched the girl as she got her drink, and scanned the room. What was she looking for? Was she looking for the one, or two, in the club that were not wannabes, but the genuine article?

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a male vampire move in toward her. Romana smirked, and positioned herself near the edge of the dance floor. This male was one she recognized, an independent, who neither challanged nor paid homage to Romana. He moved in, sitting on the bar-stool near her ... and she smirked as he began to use all the old moves that never worked for the living on her.

Younglings, Romana thought with an inner smirk.

While her attention was occupied, Romana left the dance floor, a young Goth girl hanging onto her arm as cover. They sat down a stool or two down from where the new woman and the youngling sat ....

 

[Jenn1982]

Scarlett had only been at the bar for a couple minutes before a man sat down next to her and started in with the flattery. After a minute Scarlett looked at him with true pity…the lines he was using were ones that made people cringe even back when they were in style. She declined his offer to dance and the one to buy her a drink. He didn’t seem to get the message though and continued on with his efforts.

“Mmm so you must be new here…I’m a regular here…err more like a V.I.P. and I know I’d remember you if you’d been here before. Hey what do you say I show you around the place, they have some fancy V.I.P. rooms upstairs.”

He reached out and placed his hand on her thigh, his fingers teasing the bare skin on the side of her pants. As she opens her mouth to make it very clear to him that she has no plans of going anywhere with him she notices how cold his touch is. She quickly softens her gaze and smiles flirtatiously at him.

“Ooh a V.I.P.! So you get special treatment and everything. I bet those V.I.P. rooms are really elegant, I’d love to see them,” she says as she stands up and presses herself against him, giving him a very good view down her top.

He doesn’t waste any time in taking her by the hand and leading her up a set of stairs that are to one side of the bar. The upstairs hallway was only a little nicer looking than the downstairs was and when he led her into a small room with a few couches and a table she tried not to cringe at the dingy walls and stained carpet.

“Now why don’t you come sit on the couch with me sweetheart and I’ll tell you how I got to be a V.I.P.”

“Oh I can’t wait,” she said even as she opened her purse and her hand tightened on a stake, “Hey what’s this?”

She smiled as he automatically turned to see what she was talking about. By the time he looked to her questioningly she was driving the stake through his heart. His body began to turn to dust as he fell and Scarlett grabbed the stake as it began to fall with the dust. She wasn’t sure if perhaps the club catered to vampires and so she waited in the room a while longer, hoping no one would remember she’d gone up with someone when she came down alone. She blew the dust off the stake before putting it back in her purse and left the room smiling nonchalantly.

Her spot at the bar was still empty and she sat down, flashing a quick smile at the two women seated a few stools down. It was late and she was growing frustrated quickly. Maybe I will just have a drink and then call it a night, she thought. She hardly ever drank, especially when she was out at night…having her reactions slowed down by alcohol could prove deadly…but so far most of the vampires she’d run into in town had been obviously newly undead and dispatching of them had been no problem.

“Are you gonna order or just stare into space?”

She looked up to see the bartending looking down at her expectantly.

“Umm….no, I think it’s about my bedtime.”

 

[shadowoftheheart]

Romana smirked at the youngling's pathetic efforts. She allowed her mind to reach out, casually, to his.

“Ooh a V.I.P.! So you get special treatment and everything. I bet those V.I.P. rooms are really elegant, I’d love to see them,”

She knew the woman was acting. She kept out of her mind, knowing she might be able to detect even the most subtle of touches. No, she did allow herself to be felt by the male vampire.

*This one's mine*

Romana openly smirked at him as he sent this message to her, and he shot her a smug look as the woman stood up, offering him a blatant look down her blouse.

Romana felt the youngling's death agony a short time after they had gone upstairs, and it was all she could do to keep from laughing.

The vamp-slut beside her was occupying Romana's attention when the woman came back downstaris. She hastily licked the small wound in the woman's neck, so the huntress wouldn't notice.

"Are you gonna order or just stare into space?”

Romana looked between the woman and the bartender, waiting the answer.

“Umm….no, I think it’s about my bedtime.”

"Didn't find what you were looking for?"

Romana smiled at her in an innocent-looking way. The goth-girl at her side smirked, and whispered something to Romana, and they both chuckled. Romana then cuddled the girl close to her side.

"I apologize for my friend. She is rather silly. She expressed ... concern that you were going to bed alone."

She had actually joked about the man she had gone upstairs with being a 'dead lay,' but Romana thought that joke hit a little too close to home.

"Pity, nevertheless. Perhaps I shall see you around somewhere."

Romana smirked and corrected to "We" when the girl beside her poked her ribs.

The vampiress, baroness of this region, sat on the edge of her barstool waiting to see what this young huntress would do next ....

 

[Jenn1982]

The bartender turned away from her with a shrug and was about to get up when one of the women sitting a few stools down spoke.

"Didn't find what you were looking for?"

For a moment Scarlett felt her suspicions rise as she turned in the woman’s direction. Once her eyes reached the goth on her arm she calmed. The woman was only flirting with her….she was most likely drunk. Scarlett gave her a smile and was about to answer when the goth girl leaned in and spoke quietly in the woman’s ear, causing them both to laugh softly. Scarlett frowned; getting laughed at wasn’t usually something that happened to her. The woman pulled the girl in close to her as Scarlett tried to figure out what to say to two people who were laughing at you.

"I apologize for my friend. She is rather silly. She expressed ... concern that you were going to bed alone."

Scarlett felt the heat rise in her cheeks and she knew her face had turned a few shades redder. Scarlett wasn’t sure why the comments were affecting her the way they were, she had been hit on by women at these clubs before and so far this was tame compared to some of the things she’d heard. She chided herself for being silly and overtired even as her discomfort increased.

"Pity, nevertheless. Perhaps I shall see you around somewhere."

Scarlett smiled as the woman corrected herself at her girl’s urgings. She wanted to leave, badly but she’d learned that sometimes it was best to stick around and figure out just what was making you so uncomfortable. She smiled a little bigger though she doubted her eyes expressed the joy that her smile tried to convey.

“You know maybe you’re right. I did come here looking for something and it would be a shame to go home alone to an empty bed. Let me buy you a drink to thank you and then I can go search the dance floor a little longer. So what would you like?"

 

[shadowoftheheart]

“You know maybe you’re right. I did come here looking for something and it would be a shame to go home alone to an empty bed. Let me buy you a drink to thank you and then I can go search the dance floor a little longer. So what would you like?"

Briefly tempted, Romana passed up the obvious.

"Rum and Coke for me. Seven and Seven for my girl."

"Hey," the goth girl protested with a grin, "I'll have a light beer, thank you."

"Keeping your figure girlish?" Romana teased.

The girl was delightful, though her blood was not nearly as sweet as what she desired. No, this huntress, she was the one she desired. She had to tread carefully however, and the gothic girl would provide both enough blood to keep going tonight, and apparently a cover for the huntress who apparently could not fathom a vampire using a human as a cover like this. She apparently assumed all vampires were blood-thirsty monsters that lacked the self-control to use, instead of destrying a human.

Many younglings were that way .. and there were quite a few younglings she had lost lately (well, not her own personal progeny ... but subjects of hers. And likely not a few independents, like the poor unfortunate she had destroyed mere moments ago).

Romana leaned in and captured the girl's lips with her own (she didn't know her name .. or care) and gave her a passionate kiss ... that included a soft nibble on her tongue, and a small dribble of blood that she drank down without the huntress ever being the wiser.

They broke the kiss, and Romana looked sheepishly at the huntress ...

"Sorry. We thank you for buying us drinks. Enjoy your time here."

 

[Jenn1982]

The woman only paused for a moment before answering Scarlett.

"Rum and Coke for me. Seven and Seven for my girl."

Scarlett began turning towards the bartender when the girl objected.

"Hey, I'll have a light beer, thank you."

Scarlett smiled and ordered the drinks, laughing as the woman teased her girl.

"Keeping your figure girlish?"

When Scarlett had turned back the woman was moving in towards the girl. Scarlett felt a thrill move through her body as the two shared an intense kiss. She’d never actually been with a woman…but then again she hadn’t been with many men either. Their mother had left them when she’d only been 9 and their father had spent most of his time working to support them leaving her to spend most of her teenage years taking care of Erika. And it seemed like this life, as a vampire hunter, had left her wary of relationships of most kind. She was by no means a virgin but most of her relationships had been those of convenience rather than of love or even like. Still she was finding it hard to take her eyes away from the women and it wasn’t until she sensed that they were about to pull apart that she succeeded.

"Sorry. We thank you for buying us drinks. Enjoy your time here."

The woman was looking a bit embarrassed and Scarlett smiled at her, trying to keep the woman from worrying.

“It was my pleasure. Thank you, I plan to.”

She smiled at each of them in turn before making her way onto the dance floor. She let herself get lost as her body moved to the music. Finally her whole body was screaming its need to rest and she walked off the dance floor breathing heavily. She stepped outside with a sigh and started walking towards her hotel.

 

[shadowoftheheart]

The huntress never noticed Romana slip onto the dance floor, being simply part of the crowd herself, and always remaining behind her.

Romana never let herself get lost in the music, or the press of the crowd, remaining close, so close, to the woman as she writhed and seemed to simply melt into the rhythms of the music.

Tempting. Oh, so tempting. She was no youngling, so she didn't fear this one. Still, there was no reason to rush .. just yet. Observe her, find her weaknesses and exploit them. Fear or none, she was quite possibly very dangerous, and Romana needed to know how to defeat her.

Soon enough, she left the dance floor, leaving the club and walking off. Romana smirked to her little decoy, mentally commanding her to go to a safe place and wait for her.

Romana herself went outside the club, following the huntress at a safe distance. She wanted to test her a little bit. With a smirk, she leapt up to a rooftop where she could watch the fun.

The vampire that landed in front of the huntress was a disposable youngling. Impulsive, eager to please his mistress, and utterly unaware that she didn't give a damn if he survived this little encounter or not.

The vampire that landed behind her was a little more important. She was still disposable, and easily replaced, but Romana felt a brief tug of regret at having to lose her. Nevertheless, it wasn't enough to have her withdraw.

Romana almost wished she had taken the vampire wannabe with her, so she could have a snack while she watched the show ....

 

[Jenn1982]

Scarlett shivered softly at the light chill in the air as she walked down the streets. She looked down for a moment as she wrapped her arms around herself tightly. As her eyes went back to the dimly lit sidewalk in front of her she saw the man standing no more than 3 feet away from her. Even with the poor light from the street lamps she could see his predatory gaze as an evil smile filled his face leaving his fangs to stand out. Scarlett’s body instantly tensed as she slipped one hand into her purse. She pulled her knife out as she let the purse fall to the ground. She saw the guy’s eyes move to a spot over her shoulder and she knew she was in trouble. She felt nails press sharply into the flesh of her shoulders as the other vampire grabbed her from behind. The split second of realization the man’s eyes had given her were enough for her to ready herself for the attack. She used her strength and the momentum of the other vampire’s attack to flip it over her shoulders and into the vampire in front of her. She saw the vampire who’d attacked her from behind was a woman but she didn’t waste anymore time studying either of them, instead stepping up and landing a kick to the woman’s thigh. She’d been going for her chest but the woman had moved much more quickly than Scarlett had count on. The kick didn’t do much to faze her and she was soon flying at Scarlett again.

In a few moments they were grappling as they rolled around on the pavement. Scarlett had her hands wrapped around the woman’s neck, trying to keep her from getting in close enough for a bite. In the meantime the woman was getting in a few good punches in between scratching the hell out of Scarlett’s arms and neck. Finally Scarlett was able to get the woman under her and she began slamming her head into the pavement. She let out a loud yell as the man latched on her back. She tried to shake him off but it just wasn’t going to happen unless she let go of the woman and put all her effort into it…and that was not something she was willing to do. The woman seemed the more dangerous of the two and Scarlett knew if she was going to make it through this she would need to kill the woman first. She continued trying to shake the man off even as the woman’s skull began cracking on the sidewalk.

The man jumping on her back had given her one advantage, his weight combined with hers was making it impossible for the woman to turn and knock Scarlett off of herself. The man didn’t seem to notice that he was seriously hindering his cohort, instead concentrating fully on trying to sink his teeth into Scarlett. Her efforts at shaking him off kept him from getting a good enough grip on her for that but inevitably she soon felt his teeth pierce the skin right where the left side of her neck met her shoulder. She screamed in spite of herself and for a moment seemed to freeze up. Then the pain brought her back and she redoubled her efforts on the woman, who was no longer really scratching at her. Finally the woman lay limp on the ground, the back of her skull completely smashed in. Even if she wasn’t dead Scarlett had enough time to deal with the man without having to worry about her. She quickly flung herself off to the left, thoroughly surprising the man as she took him with her. As they landed she felt his teeth tear along the back of her neck and then her skin was free of his fangs. She rolled away from him and tried to quickly assess her wounds. She could feel the blood flowing out of the tear that went from where he’d bitten her to halfway across the back of her neck and she knew she was going to need to get medical help very soon. The man was back on his feet and snarling as he came towards her and she waited until he was almost on her to kick out with her foot. The impact was solid and sent him flying backwards but it also left her foot throbbing and she could do nothing but hope that nothing was broken. Looking around she spotted her purse and quickly rolled to it. The man was coming at her again though and she didn’t even bother trying to pull the stake out, instead bringing the stake to his heart as he leapt onto her.

His weight was only on her for a moment before he began turning to dust and she sighed in relief. She didn’t rest too long though, instead she looked around and found her dropped knife and walked over to the woman. She dragged her back into the nearest dark alley; she didn’t think anyone would be walking around this time of night but no point in taking chances. Kneeling down next to her she set to work on severing her head from the rest of her body. She kept the knife razor sharp but it still took a good deal of work and time but it was worth it when the woman’s body finally turned to dust.

The blood loss was starting to affect her and Scarlett had to wait a few moments after she stood to steady herself. She grabbed her purse and dropped the knife into it. There was no way she was going to get by without going to the hospital this time…of course she wasn’t exactly sure where the hospital was from here. Shit, she thought, I’ve really done it now. Heading towards the main part of the city was her best bet and if she was lucky the closer she got the more likely she’d be to stumble across a taxi. Ignoring the dizziness that was settling on her she started in the right direction contemplating just when her luck had gotten so bad.

 

[shadowoftheheart]

Romana shook her head. She was indeed a powerful hunter. She had killed two of her trusted vampires (disposable though they were) but she had been weakened, and shaken.

Romana followed her at a distance, using the rooftops. She didn't want the woman dead .. and her bleeding wound tempted Romana severely.

No. She needed the woman as a new blood slave. She would bide her time. For now.

*Mistress, shall we attack?*

*No, Akla, do not attack. I know Veronique was close to your heart .. but you are not to attack.*

She was moving toward St. Jude hospital, and it had been blessed by a priest. Romana herself scoffed at such nonsense, having seen first-hand the hypocracy of those claiming the "prince of peace" as their god. Never had peace been as bloody as when these corpse-worshippers had ruled Spain with an iron gauntlet. Her contempt for christianity made her immune to the effects of casual blessings or holiness .. though still if a sincere believer, in any faith, presented a holy symbol strongly it would prevent her from harming that person .. it was faith itself, more than any "angels" or old longbeards in the sky, that generated a field of power that the undead could not cross.

Though Petrov was not so fortunate, quailing in fear within sight of the hospital, unable to move closer due to the foolish faith he held in life, and now still held him in unlife. Romana glared in contept at him, and lept to the hospital's roof. She could feel the tingle of power where her skin touched the building, and knew why Petrov was so frightened. The blessing had been performed by an honest priest who believed sincerely in his god. Were it not for Romana's power, she might even have been hurt by this blessing. As it was, she knew the huntress would be safe within the hospital's walls .. the holy aura would weaken Romana or any of her servants, and strengthen the huntress .. especially if her faith was that of the priest ....

 

[Jenn1982]

Scarlett was starting to think she was going to bleed to death before she found a hospital when she saw the familiar sign. She continued in the direction the arrow pointed and five minutes later she was standing in front of St. Jude Hospital. She walked inside and tried to ignore the strange stares she got as she made her way to the reception desk. The woman saw her coming and by the time Scarlett had reached it nurses were rushing towards her. She let them usher her to one of the curtained off “rooms”. They didn’t bother with questions and she was surprised to see a doctor approaching her almost as soon as she’d sat down on the gurney. She felt a sting and looked over to see one of the nurses injecting her with something. The doctor called her attention back to him and he began shining a penlight in her eyes. She felt warmth begin to spread throughout her body and she realized they’d sedated her. She let the drug overtake her as she closed her eyes.

***********************************************************************************

Her throat felt dry and scratchy and when she tried to swallow she almost cried out from the pain. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked around the hospital room. She didn’t see any nurses but she did see a call button on the railing of her bed. She pressed it and it wasn’t long before a nurse walked in.

“Ah you’re finally awake, that’s good, the doctor was starting to worry. How do you feel?”

“Oh I’m sorry I bet your throat is terribly sore. Let me get you some water.”

The nurse held the straw near her lips and as the first drops of water hit the back of her throat Scarlett almost moaned her pleasure. After about five minutes of sipping the cool water she was finally able to speak.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now I need to go get Dr. Thebold.”

The doctor was kind to her and she didn’t even have to try and explain the wound to him, almost as soon as he walked in he told her that she must’ve had a nasty dog attack. She didn’t think he could actually believe that, though her throat had been a little torn up from when she shook the vampire off it hadn’t been like the ferocity you’d expect from a dog bite. She didn’t argue though, just nodded and let him examine her. He told her she’d lost a lot of blood and that she’d need to stay at the hospital for at least a few more days.

She spent the rest of the day going in and out of sleep and by the third day she felt better than she had before the attack. It had been years since she’d had that much peaceful, uninterrupted sleep and her body was reacting well to it. Her hope also seemed to be renewed…she knew she would find and save Erika. She looked at her neck in the mirror and was actually pleasantly surprised…though she would always have a scar, it wasn’t as bad as she’d imagined. When Dr. Theobold checked her over on the fourth day he was impressed at how nicely her neck was healing and it didn’t take much for her to talk him into releasing her the next day, barring any unforeseen complications. Everything went smoothly though and Dr. Theobold came in to check her over one last time and sign her release papers.

“I think the scar will barely be noticeable in a few months if it keeps healing this nicely,” he said as he put his stethoscope away and picked up her release form.

“I can’t thank you enough for taking such good care of me Dr. Theobold.”

“Well you just be more careful with…dogs…from now on.”

He handed her the form, along with her purse, which she was sure had been confiscated when she’d been sedated. She knew for sure that he was under no false illusions about what had happened to her and she felt something like relief at the realization. She hadn’t been around anyone who knew ever since her sister had left. She smiled at him, a genuine smile, and took the purse and paper.

“Oh I plan to, trust me, so hopefully I won’t see you again.”

“I hope not…at least professionally. On the other hand I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing you in a more relaxed setting, say Savutes for dinner?”

For the first time in a long time Scarlett found herself speechless. She was almost positive that this man was asking her out. The logical part of her brain told her to turn him down flat but the rest of her kind of wanted to give him a chance. He must’ve seen her indecision because he quickly held up his hand.

“It doesn’t have to be right away, I don’t mind waiting. I put my card in your purse and it has my home number and cell on the back. You give me a call once you get settled back into your routine."

“Ok…I’ll do that. I think I’d have a good time with you.”

She gave him another smile before quickly making her way out the door before she panicked. She couldn’t believe she’d said that…and meant it. But she was starting to realize that she couldn’t devote all of herself to this or she’d fail before she ever found Erika. Scarlett stepped out of the hospital, squinting in the bright sunshine and the smile on her face stayed. Things were looking up.

 

[shadowoftheheart]

When the huntress finally left the hospital, she did not notice the person begin to tail her. Why would she? The bright noon-day sun drove away the darkness, warmed her face, and gave her the sense of safety. What vampire could operate in daylight?

Romana had agents in all walks of life, and all stages of life. The man who began following her at a distance was one of several humans with a strange interwoven set of loyalties to the dark vampiric baroness of the city.

He took a long draw on his cigarette, tossed it to the ground and smashed it out. He was plain, middle-aged, with thinning hair and a flabby mid-section. He looked like a clerk, a pencil-pushing functionary .. the people around him paid him no mind, unaware that he had personally seen to the death or abduction of so many.

 

[Jenn1982]

During one of her more lucid moments at the hospital Scarlett had realized she’d been going about this all wrong. Devoting herself to finding Erika wasn’t necessarily a bad thing except that she was taking it to the point of running herself ragged and that left her much less effective at what she was trying to do. When she let her body and mind become tired her concentration was off, her reflexes and moves in a fight weren’t up to par, and she wasn’t as observant as she normally was.

In her hotel room Scarlett went over what she knew. Three and a half years ago her sister had shown up here and started doing what she did in each town, kill as many vampires as possible. She had gotten a room at the same hotel Scarlett was staying now and had paid on a weekly basis. She’d disappeared on a Sunday, just two days after paying for a full week. The hotel manager had hardly waited a week after she missed a payment to get rid of her things and rent the room out again. Scarlett had talked to him, trying to find out anything she could about Erika’s time here but he’d claimed to have only seen her when she brought in payments. He did tell her that Erika had gotten a job working at a café just a few blocks down. Scarlett had been able to learn more from Erika’s co-workers. Evidently Erika had been a wonderful, responsible worker…up until about a month before she disappeared. She’d begun coming in late and hardly focusing on work when she was there. She’d seemed upset and a bit paranoid, making her co-workers blame drugs for the change. Despite her almost constant tardiness she hadn’t ever missed work until the day she disappeared.

Once Scarlett realized that Erika hadn’t just pulled one of her routine disappearing acts she had went about she called Shade. He told her that Erika had been in contact with him and had let him know that she was indeed after the Mistress vampire…he also said that trying to find Erika would be a waste of time; this particular Mistress was none for her ruthlessness. Scarlett had wanted to kill him at that moment…he had gotten them involved in this and he was the first person to give up on Erika. So Scarlett ignored his advice.

It had taken her almost three years to figure out that Erika had come here and disappeared here. After talking to everyone Scarlett figured the Mistress had somehow really frightened Erika that month before she disappeared, but because of Erika’s obstinance she would never have let the vampire scare her into running away.

Scarlett knew she was getting close now as she went over the information in her mind. She spent the next few days re-focusing herself. She jogged in the mornings and practiced her fighting skills. She didn’t go out at night, instead trying to gather information during the day. She spent most of the day at the library looking into suspicious deaths, trying to pinpoint where this woman lived. The description she’d gotten from the police reports was vague at best…they hadn’t even been able to settle on a hair color, some said light brown, some said blond, some even said grey…all they agreed on was that it was light colored and that the woman was somewhat tall and “curvy” was the word used to describe her frame in most of the reports. She wasn’t able to find much at the library and as she lay in bed she tried to figure out her next step. Her mind began to wander though and soon she was thinking about Dr. Thebold. She found herself fantasizing about him, imagining the way his hands and lips would feel moving over her body and her hand began to drift down between her legs. With a start she realized that she might be able to get information from him. He obviously knew about the vampires and who was to say he didn’t know things she wasn’t going to find in police reports or the newspaper. She grabbed his card off the dresser and quickly dialed his number.

“Hello, this is Dr. Theobold.”

“Hi Doctor, this is Scarlett Wilson…you treated me a few days ago for a dog bite?”

“Yes…and asked you to dinner as well if I remember correctly. I’m hoping that’s what you’re calling me about. Oh and please call me Eric.”

“Well yes actually…though I do have to admit I have a secondary reason for wanting to see you. I need some information about…well about the things that sent me to the hospital and I thought perhaps you might be the person to go to.”

“I see…I guess beggars can’t be choosers. I don’t know how much I can help you but I’m definitely willing to try. I’m working tonight but tomorrow night I’m off, I’ll make reservations for say 8:00?”

“That’d be great, thank you so much Doct…Eric. I look forward to tomorrow night.”

***************************************************************************************

Scarlett had spent the morning working out and the afternoon was divided between a nap and checking and polishing all her weapons. After her date she planned to go back to some of the clubs, she had to keep pushing or she’d never have a chance of the Mistress feeling the need to come after her. She chose a short red and black dress that was nice enough for the restaurant but not so fancy that she’d seem too out of place at the clubs. The skirt of the dress was loose enough that she was able to wear the thigh holster for her knife. She put a few stakes in her purse and began putting on makeup. Fifteen minutes later she walked out the door and hailed a cab, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach.

 

[shadowoftheheart]

Poor little Ericka, Romana thought with a smirk. The blood-doll had made such a weak, pathetic little sound upon seeing the woman that Romana knew beyond doubt that it was her sister.

"So," she said quietly to the nearly mindless thing, as she caressed her hair, "sister Scarlett is finally here? Little one, you have performed your final task for me. Your sister will take your place as my blood-slave. When she has been taken, I will give you the release you so desperately need."

The creature weakly sobbed.

"Mis .. tress. Please .. don't ... let .. me .. talk to .. to her. I will .. make her .. leave. Please. I .. I beg of .. you. Don't .. don't harm her."

Romana had simply laughed.

==============================

The flabby spy had followed Scarlett and taken note of all that she did. The woman was smart, regrouping in daylight as she was. She felt safe, and showed no indication at all of being aware that she was constantly followed. She may have been unaware that Romana had human servants, or she might have been trying to give her vampiric foe a false sense of security herself.

In either case, the mousy man watched as she left her hotel, dressed to the nines, and hailed a cab.

That cab, which had been waiting for her to move for several days.

The cabbie was a pleasant looking young man with carmel-toned skin. He smiled widely at Scarlett after pulling over, and darted out of the driver's seat, to scamper back and open the rear passenger door.

"Good night, Missie I be happy to take you to where you go. Where it be, then?"

His accent was clearly Jamaican. Yes, Isaac had been a useful member of Romana's empire. He had been turned in the later part of the 18th century by his master, a vampire and Englishman, a sugar and rum merchant who was almost the stereotypical epitome of his period: he controlled three ships that ran to every point of the Triangle. New England Molasses, Jamaican sugar and rum, African slaves .. he had served the English crown and the young American government, and the end of the legal slave trade had been little more than an inconvenience. His empire continued unabated under first the Stars and Stripes, then the Stars and Bars, until in 1864 a Yankee warship captured a steamer with him aboard. The Union sailors had the fright of their lives as the dapper gentleman burned to a powder with the rise of the sun.

And Isaac gleefully fled to the post-war States, happy to be freed from his slavery. Several years later, Romana found him, and offered him a position in her empire. Once more, Isaac never looked back.

A lifetime, and more, of slavery had tought Isaac how to bow and scrape, and he occasionally resented Romana for making use of this. As he grinned and held the cab door open for Scarlett, he kept in mind that this was after all an act. A vital part in Romana's empire, and that Isaac, who had loyally served Romana for so many years, was important enough to be used in a role like this, rather than sacrificed in a softening-up attack ....

 

[Jenn1982]

Scarlett was glad to see a cab almost as soon as she stepped outside of the hotel. Sometimes you could find one with no problem but other times it was nearly impossible and she’d been hoping she wouldn’t end up being late. She flagged it down and quickly got in the back.

"Good night, Missie I be happy to take you to where you go. Where it be, then?"

Scarlett shot the man an idle smile as she looked through her purse, making sure she had everything.

“I’m headed to Savutes, the restraunt. It’s on fourth street…oh I’m sure you know where it is.”

As the car pulled away from the curb and joined the steady flow of traffic Scarlett pulled a small compact and a tube of dark red lipstick out of her purse. She smoothed it over her lips and stared at her reflection for a few moments before putting everything back in her purse. She settled back in her seat and worked on taking, deep, relaxing breathes, hoping they’d get to the restaurant before she lost her nerve.