Enlightenment

part 6

 A few hours later she arrived, I heard the car before it turned onto the street, so I had the garage door open for her to drive straight in. I examined her anxiously as she got out the car, she was like a sister to me, and I worried about her. 

            Blood coated her leather jacket and dark jeans, but it wasn't her own. I could tell that as soon as I saw her. Vampire blood smells much more potent that human blood, although she did have some rips in her clothes. Her thick, wavy ginger hair was like fire, a deep auburn, also contained blood, and glass. Her eyes, deep green with lighter rings in them were worried as she ran towards me. I was about to hug her when another figure climbed smoothly out of the car. He was tall and muscular, with dark brown hair and eyes. I tensed but he held out a hand. 

"Christopher Stanford." I shook it.

"Jade Maison." 

Julia interrupted "I take it that is the name you are currently going by then? Close to the original, I like it." 

I shrugged, "It's a good a name as any" she smiled and I narrowed my eyes at her, she understood;

"Yes, he is a friend of mine, he can be trusted."

"Ok." I trusted her judgement, so I turned back to him and smiled,

"It's a pleasure to meet you." 

He grinned. "The pleasure is mine." I led them into the dining room.

"Tell me everything." She took a moment to collect her thoughts.

"Well, as I mentioned on the phone, I was inside the flat where I was staying. Chris was out when I heard noises, although they were surprisingly quiet. I think they were trying to sneak up on me. So I went to investigate, but when I went outside, there were more of them than I expected." This is was also surprising. "They were very prepared, about twenty of them, with crossbows, all silver tipped arrows, some of them had knives as well. They had surrounded me. I don't know how they managed, I can only guess they must have a lot of training to be so quiet, and I had music on." She frowned "They attacked as soon as they saw me." Her face saddened, "I had to kill six of them before I could get away, then I managed to get to my car and drive. I picked Chris up on the way, then I called you." I thought this through. 

"Were you followed?"

"I don't think so, I went very fast, and I backtracked a lot to be sure."  I nodded,

"We should be safe for the moment then." I eyed her outfit "you can shower, and change, then we'll organize what we are going to do, you can borrow some of my clothes" She was slim, like me, and almost as tall. Her eyes showed her gratitude.

"Thank you" she headed towards the stairs, needing no direction, she would be able to smell the bathroom. Tiles and lino smell different to carpet and wallpaper. I found a pair of jeans that would fit her, along with a deep purple shirt, and left them outside the bathroom door, along with a towel.

         Chris sighed when I went downstairs; "I used to get so much peace before she turned up." I grinned at him, before going to the kitchen for blood. I got two glasses, and waited until Julia re-materialized, her pale skin now clean, and freshly dressed. I handed her a glass, which she drank before heading back to the dining room, and passing the other to Chris. I had been thinking.

"I think it would be better if we stayed here for now. If we moved we would be laying more trails for them to follow, they could be looking for newly purchased houses and stuff, waiting for you to settle somewhere." She considered this.

"I agree, if I just disappeared... they wouldn't know where to look for me" Chris nodded

"That makes sense"