The Vampire & the Rebel (Completed)

Part 3: Chapter 22

It was several weeks after the council's failed attack that my afternoon started intriguingly differently. A human rode up to my gates on a motorbike. At first it was assumed that she was a runaway, but instead I discovered that she bore an intriguing message from another unexpected source.

She refused to come inside, so I went out to see her, against the advice of my nervous humans. I dismissed their concerns. If she was some sort of trap from the council, I could only imagine it would be unimaginative and easy to defeat, and if she was not, she was far more interesting.

I had been sadly low on entertainment and this seemed just the thing to perk me up.

The human was, by foolish council standards, in fairly good condition. While thin, her bones did not protrude unpleasantly and she had a reasonable amount of muscle which showed that if she was owned by a vampire, they had at least a reasonable amount of common sense. I noticed almost completely faded fang marks on her neck below her nondescript collar, and her clothing was synthetic and in good repair.

Before I even spoke to her, I was curious who she belonged to, since the collar was very standard fare and I could not spot her brand.

I did not give her a chance to begin whatever rehearsed speech they sent her with. "Who do you belong to?"

Her surprise showed only for a moment before she hid it again under a calm mask. I could tell she was nervous because her heart was beating too fast, but still I instantly liked this human. I could only hope that Davidson had sent me another present.

"Mistress Whitmore sent me." She stepped forward with only the slightest shake in her step and flashed the name of her owner on her collar.

"Oh?" I had not been expecting that.

"She wishes to speak with you in order to reach some sort of a treaty on behalf of herself and several interested parties."

Well, now that truly was intriguing. Leif and the rest of my council would not like it because it was too risky, etcetera, etcetera, but I rather enjoyed the idea of making deals with some of my foes. This was the sort of political machinations I had so missed, feeling out antagonists, manoeuvring around strengths, and through weaknesses.

Glorious. I narrowed my gaze at her threateningly and she swallowed nervously. "But how am I to know that this isn't something the council set up to ensnare me?"

"It's difficult for me to prove anything like that," she said with a faint quiver in her voice, "Although I am told that you and my mistress see eye to eye on many issues, and have formed a mutual respect as colleagues. She wishes to speak to you in that spirit."

"That is true." I paused. This human did not appear to be lying, but that did not mean anything. She could either be talented at the sport of her own accord, or could have been compelled to believe her own words.

Her healthy appearance did mark her as a feeder of one of the more reasonable members, but even a fool could snatch and compel someone else's human to set a trap. I cocked my head. "What's to stop me from simply grabbing you and draining you dry? Your bike won't save you from me if I choose to."

Another swallow and the slight widening of her eyes was all that showed me her fear. "There is nothing to stop you, besides your own interests." My respect for this human grew. It was easy to be fearless when one was a predator, but it was worthy prey that could look danger in the eye and barely flinch.

"I'll meet with your mistress," I said with fanged smile, just to remind her of the danger. "But if I am backstabbed, I shall rip you limb from limb."

She managed to meet my gaze. "I am in no danger then."

"Well, I would never dare to say that, human. Some lies are too big for even me to sell."