The Vampire & the Rebel (Completed)

Part 1: Chapter 16

I had been sitting hunched over the screen in the dim corner of the archives for days with little to show for it besides a sore back.

"How's the search going?" Theo asked me. I rotated my shoulders and tried to work out some of the tension in my muscles as he walked towards me and asked, "No one on the list your guy?"

Though I had used the list, I hated taking her assistance.

"No, except there was one without an entry in the database and one did not have a picture."

I had committed every scrap of information about Conrad to my memory and that would be my first destination once I busted out of here.

Nelson was nothing but a name, no better than the sort of rumours and vague information I had discovered on my own amongst the humans. I had a good feeling about this one, but who could say what was true and what was imagination? The only feeling that would mean any of value would be the moment I finally took the bloodsucker out.

Literally out, into the sun, to burn to unrecognizable dust, if staking wasn't enough to take that demon bloodsucker out.

Theo made a humming sound. "Too bad. How much further?"

"I'm on T."

"Well, maybe you'll luck out and your vampire'll be named Ulrich."

"Uh huh."

He shrugged. "Well, enjoy your search." He moved to leave me be, but then he spoke. "Mistress?"

My back stiffened.

"How's the search going?" she asked. Her voice was light and curious, as if she was truly concerned about the state of my search.

"Fine."

"Did you find who you were looking for?"

"No."

"One of the names you suggested doesn't have an entry and another doesn't have a picture," Theo told her, reminding me that even though he was less annoying than the other leech lovers, he still would report everything I said and did straight back to her.

She asked, "Who?"

I decided it would not hurt to tell her. "Conrad has no picture, Nelson has no entry."

She moved and peered down at the screen, manoeuvring so that her cold body was right next to me. "I'm trying to remember last when we hacked the council database. Gosh, I think it was back when Wyatt still used to come along with me to the capital. He was so aesthetically pleasing back then..."

I tried not to let my irritation with her tangent show since that would probably be giving her what she wanted.

She finally continued. "It might have been thirty, maybe forty years ago. Perhaps we should update it again, Theo."

"If you wish, Mistress."

"I haven't paid much attention to what the security is like now. I suppose that means you should come along again this time, Theo. Maybe pick a couple of your more talented team members to bring as well, just make sure they fit the aesthetic. I'll still need feeders as well, so that means I'll have to bring even more humans along this time."

I tried to ignore her voice while I read through the next entry, but the sound entered my ears like a drill.

"Ugh, I can only imagine what the other councillors are going to say when I show up with ten supposed feeders this time. Well, no matter. I'll simply have to shock them into stunned silence with my delightful bill and my spectacular arguments."