Devil Inside

Nope, Not Bears.

“I’m still cross with you for leaving without saying goodbye, free holiday or not.” Elsa was talking to Kate on Skype and Kate was doing her best fake disapproving look. The fact was she had been far too occupied with a new love interest to notice Elsa had gone until she text her when they’d arrived in Canada.

“I said I was sorry!” Elsa protested with a smile. She’d been in Canada a week now and it had been – an experience. The idea had been for Hesper to take Lucca and Elsa out into the wilderness and teach them to hunt down large game that could sustain a blood thirst for weeks. Lucca had been excited by the idea, back in Italy his father had owned a farm and butchered his own meat so the young vampire was no stranger to killing animals for food. Elsa however, was. She just couldn’t face the thought of killing a bear, or whatever else they might hunt out in the vast Canadian wilds. She couldn’t justify it to herself and she had pictures of picking fur out of her teeth afterwards that simply made the idea all the more unpalatable. So instead, she had used the time outside, away from prying eyes, to run and leap and climb. She was enjoying and embracing her new strengths and it was exhilarating.

She had really enjoyed Hesper and Lucca’s company too. Far from the last time she had seen him, Lucca was a lovely young man who’d obviously been raised well. He had talked to her for hours in his broken English about his family back in Italy and how much he missed them and it made Elsa so grateful that, despite what she had become, she still had her same family and friends around her.

Hesper was hugely knowledgeable and taught them something new about being a vampire everyday. She told them tales of her past lives; how she had been around to see so many of history’s landmark moments from the birth of the Industrial Revolution to the Great Fire of London. She was quiet, and patient and easily the most serene person Elsa had ever met.

“You’re so lucky your dad has a job that takes him all over the world,” Kate was saying, “I’d never want to go on a work trip with my dad, the most exciting place he’s ever been is probably a B&B near head office.”

“It’s not like he always gets to take me along,” Elsa was lying easily again, much to her own disgust, “Anyway, I’ve told you all about my week, now what’s this about a new man?”

“Ah yes, he came into the restaurant a couple of weeks ago and I was serving his table. He was with friends and I did notice that he kept looking at me, every time I looked over, our eyes met,” Kate’s face was glowing, “When I took them the bill, he came to the till to pay it himself and asked me if I had a boyfriend!”

“You’re not still holding a torch for Jacob Evans then?” Elsa teased.

Kate scrunched up her nose, “No way,” she said, “You know his mum still chooses his clothes for him?”

Elsa laughed, “So, what’s his name? Where’s he from? How old is he? What are his intentions?”

“Aiden, local, didn’t ask but think he’s older and he intends to take me out tonight.” Kate ticked of each answer on her fresh-for-a-date manicured fingers.

“Exciting stuff,” Elsa said, “What does he look like?”

Kate rolled her eyes theatrically and fake swooned at the webcam, “Gorgeous!” she sighed, “A genuine tall, dark and handsome sex god.”

Elsa blinked an image of Sebastian from her mind; she was trying not to drive herself mad wondering how he was, what he was doing and if he’d heard what she’d said to him before she left him lying on a warehouse floor the previous week. Would he want to see her when she got back?

“Speaking of which,” Kate seemed to read Elsa’s mind, “The ever mysterious Sebastian has disappeared again.”

“Oh?” Elsa tried not to sound too interested, “When?”