PRESENT CHAPTER 3: FAMILIAR Gualtiero breathed a sigh of relief. Thank heavens he was able to find the end call button just in time. He threw the phone on his bed feeling relieved. It had been ringing left and right since he got back from his hunt. Calls for the poor woman he borrowed the phone from, probably. He was finally able to satisfy his thirst for blood when he left Diana and the cat to quench it. He found another stray to feed on. Still, he couldn’t stop thinking about the encounter with Diana even when he was out there hunting and feeding on his next prey. Why did she care so much about a stray cat? Diana is different from all the other humans he had interacted with in his very long life. There is just something so fascinating about her. He can’t get her off his mind. After being satisfied with the amount of blood he drank from his victim, Gualtiero returned to where he met Diana. She was not there anymore, understandably. He tried to listen for her heartbeat or her voice but to no avail. Vampires have the ability to hear voices or heartbeats if they focus harder than usual, but it is only applicable on shorter distances. Resigned, Gualtiero turned the phone on and after so much difficulty, he finally figured out how to send a text message. He texted her. He felt a tugging on his chest while he was typing a message. He didn’t know what it was but it felt good. When Diana called, he almost dropped the phone. He had observed how humans use the device, but he had never felt the need for it, so he didn’t own one, at least not before now, thanks to the old woman’s kindness, or to his ability to compel poor weak humans, it depends on how you look at it. The sound coming off the phone completely took him by surprise. Even when he figured out how to answer the call, he still didn’t know what to say to her. Surely, watching her, observing her is so much easier than actually having a conversation. He magically managed to, thanks to the cheesy movies he watched to pass his perpetual boredom. The tugging on his chest was back, harder than ever this time, but he ignored it. He was smiling to himself listening to the sound of her voice talking about possible plans to hang out taking care of the wounded cat. He complimented himself inwardly. Good choice of topic, asking for the cat’s condition. It actually made it easier for him. Now, he wouldn’t have to make things up just to have an excuse to see her again. He made sure to hang up the phone before Diana could invite him somewhere in the morning. He couldn’t risk himself to sunlight exposure or he would get burned. It is one of the only two things that could kill a vampire, the other one is a stake right through their heart. He had adapted to the changes from generation to generation, language, clothing, technology, but so many things still don’t make sense to him. In outward appearance, he is perpetually eighteen, but he never related to anyone of that age. He never related to anyone despite blending in with human beings for centuries. He sees humans as unsuspecting providers of blood, although he is aware not all of them are innocent. There are those vampire hunters who have never stopped hunting down his kind for centuries. It is why they have lain low over the past hundred years. Rules were strictly imposed to make sure no vampire would be too daft and careless to make their existence known to humans by impulsively killing them to cater their bloodlust. No vampire is allowed to murder a human being under any circumstances. Gualtiero took a deep breath as the memory of the female vampire who killed everyone in the engagement party replayed in his head yet again. He flinched. He didn’t want to remember anything more of this strange dream. His thoughts went back to Diana and the cat. He would have to see them again and pretend to care about the cat because of her invitation. Pretending does not come naturally to him. He would rather compel people to make them do the things he wants them to do. Compulsion is another thing vampires can use to lure their victims. It works almost every time. They just have to make eye contact with the potential victim to get them to do things they wouldn’t normally do without questions or hesitation. But Gualtiero doesn’t want to compel Diana to either decide he is worth talking to or to make her forget the potentially embarrassing encounter that would probably happen the next time they talk – or everytime they talk, if he is being honest with himself. He decided his night prowling could be put to good use in this situation. He would observe more humans. He would observe how they talk, what jokes they tell or laugh at, their gestures, their body language. And that was what he did right away. It was almost past midnight but his senses were still working overtime. He spent the rest of his night listening to conversations that his enhanced hearing allowed him to, and watching random people talk in a busy club. He suddenly felt dizzy being exposed to people for hours. He felt… contaminated. “Are you okay there?” a voice he didn’t recognize asked. He looked up and stared at the lady who spoke, but didn’t say a word. “Do you want a drink?” the lady spoke again, smiling at him. “What I would really like for now is for you to take a step back. You’re suffocating my personal space,” he replied cryptically. “Aw, you’re too cute. I’m Zari. I’ll let you buy me more drinks if you want,” Zari said seductively. “Step back,” Gualtiero said monotonously. “No chance. In fact, I’d rather do this,” Zari took a step forward instead trying to kiss this weird but handsome stranger, but his reflexes were too quick. He anticipated what she was going to do. In a split second his hand was on her neck. “Listen to me. Next time, when I tell you to step back, you will do so, or I will break your neck,” Gualtiero said in an icy voice. Zari was catatonic. His hand, there was something wrong with his hand! His hand was too cold. Too strong. She felt chills all over her body. What is going on? Oh my God, I am going to die. He’s going to kill me. Oh my God. Zari stopped panicking inside her own head when she heard another voice in it. Zari, you are going to forget this ever happened. Do you understand? Zari nodded. In the blink of an eye, Gualtiero was gone. Zari clutched her neck. She felt an icy chill on it but couldn’t tell where it came from. Maybe I’m just too drunk I’m actually imagining things, she thought to herself laughing at how ridiculous she was for actually feeling scared over nothing. She disappeared among the crowd to join her friends. --- Anastasia couldn’t sleep right away. The cat’s presence made her queasy. Something Diana said about a wild animal attacking him made her think of vampires. She has never seen one herself but her parents have been training her since she was fifteen on how to take care of a vampire, as they said it was her destiny. At first, she thought this was her parents’ idea of a bedtime story but as she grew older, she realized they were serious. She came from a family of vampire allies or “familiars” as they call themselves. These are the group of people who dedicate their lives protecting vampires from extinction. They believe vampires are the most superior creatures on earth – even more fascinating than science. They have an enhanced hearing and speed plus they can compel humans to do as they say. No creature is cooler than that. Except for God, maybe, but they don’t believe in what they don’t see. Now at eighteen, Anastasia is excited to meet the vampire she is destined to serve. There is just something intimate about the whole thing that excites her. All her life she can’t wait to grow up and turn eighteen and meet this handsome and superior creature she is going to serve for as long as she lives. By law, vampires don’t need to marry their familiars or have an intimate relationship with them but upon learning their history, Anastasia was delighted to know that some vampires indeed marry their familiars and stick with them until the familiar succumb to old age and death. Anastasia learned from her vampire training that some vampires feed on animal blood and stray cats are one of the most common animals they feed on. She was giddy with excitement thinking maybe a vampire was what attacked Diana’s cat Lucky, but of course she didn’t tell her that. She was happy for her friend meeting someone who cares about a stupid animal like she does, but she actually felt bad for Diana having a really dull life. She used to be fun and confident, but after her parents’ death she became withdrawn and reserved and she started caring more about what happens to animals than to people. Anastasia only agreed to let Lucky stay because if her theory was true about a vampire attacking him then that meant she was very close to meeting her vampire. She could imagine him handsome, dreamy, and perfect as was every vampire she had seen in the manuals. She would do anything for him, as she was destined to. And if he came back for the poor cat to feed on him more, Anastasia would no doubt help him do it and finish the cat this time, if the vampire deemed it necessary. I’m sorry, Diana, don’t take this personally, she mused, but this is what I was born to do.