A vampire named Citlali receives an email from an old lover who broke her heart centuries ago. The message says the immortal is dead and she left a key for Citlali in a bank in New York. But the same message had been sent to two other persons whose...
The bank received my answer to their message setting up the meeting two minutes after they had sent it. I had been waiting for days, afraid of what would happen if the others decided not to come. And I couldn't take my eyes off of my phone, waiting for a notification.
After a night flight, I paced my hotel room for a few hours, unable to sleep, and headed towards the bank. I had nothing else in my mind and I arrived first. I couldn't help to fidget once the bank employee offered me to sit in his office.
And then I felt them. Another vampire. It had to be one of the mysterious persons I was waiting for. I took a deep breath and turned my head. The vampire looked at me in acknowledgment with striking dark eyes but did not seem to recognize me. I didn't know who they were either, at least, not that I could recall.
They didn't have time to say a word when a tall redhead woman joined us. Not a vampire. Human? She knew, though. What we were. I could tell. Immortal, then?
She talked first. "I'm Kai. I was a friend of Ameyal's." She smiled a tight smile of curtesy which showed that she was on guard.
"Citlali," I replied, without saying more.
She smiled again, her eyes even more stern.
"And I'm Dovi." There was the same wariness on the other vampire's face.
The bank employee cut off the awkward silence that followed, inviting us to follow him. He opened the safe for us, put the metal box on the table in the center of the room, and left us. It seemed like the air had been sucked from the windowless room. The strong electric light invaded all the corners, leaving no space to hide. And we were there, around the table, still, staring at each other, looking for answers.
"Alright. First, I know what you are," said Kai. "And I'm pretty sure you're wondering what I am. I am like Ameyal. So we all understand each other here, yes?"
We were alone, but Kai was cautious. Dovi and I nodded and Kai continued: "I don't know what your relationship with Ameyal was, but I think we all have questions. So let's check the box first. And then, we'll talk?"
"Okay," I said, and I reached for the box, emptying its content on the table. The key that we expected to find was there, heavy, like a house key. And there was a letter. Another one. If I were not so sad to contemplate the lifeless objects that were now my only link to Ameyal, I would have laughed.
I hesitated for a second, and after an interrogative look, Dovi took charge, seized the envelope, and opened it.
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