Scarlet Lore

Not to Harm or be Harmed Chapter 3

"It'll do you good to shut up." My thumping headache wasn't benefited at all by the driver's constant chatter. Besides the drive back home wasn't going to well either. The city was particularly busy today making the commute through London all the more tiresome. It was times like that, sitting in the back of the cramped car, inching through honking traffic as my head thumped that I wasn't too fond of the modern world. Traffic was only a recent problem.

If I'd been human, perhaps, I could weigh that against modern medicine that would rid me of the constant pain but alas I was not and there presented itself one of the downfalls of vampirism. The killing part I could handle, the drinking of blood I could handle-those were things I had adapted to rather well, in my opinion, but vampirism came with a strong tolerance to chemicals. It was obviously a survival method, our bodies shut out almost anything, however when it came to silly things like headaches and pain...Well, some absorption of modern medicine could've been helpful.

"Actually, I've changed my mind. Keep talking till we get back home. It's a distraction at least." Feeding hadn't been high on my priorities, not when Erek had, had me running about collecting research for our new little venture but sitting in the car the hunger caught up with me some. Without a good intake of blood the venom, the very life-force of vampirism began to get a little toxic. Personally, it had never gotten particularly dangerous for me. I was good blood and it was all just a discomfort. Down the line however I'd seen it burn a little leech right out. I shuddered at the thought, the poor little weaklings even had their bodies against them.

"Milady, excuse me for saying this but you don't seem to be in the best way." The driver was a new one, Victoria must've just got him in. He was younger then the last few, handsome and sharp. Usually she got in older men, from the dredgers of society and cleaned them up some. Compulsion was always a quick fix. This man was only in his thirties and seemed to fit into the little game we were playing far too well. "Are you sure you don't want to make some sort of stop somewhere...a hospital perhaps?"

My eyes narrowed slightly as I watched the man. An odd suggestion and not one I really wanted to hear. Even if I had been human I was not in a bad enough way to require any sort of trip to the hospital. I leant back against the leather interior as calmly as I could. Someone had hijacked my driver which, besides being awfully rude was just plain confusing. There weren't many people that would dare-or be bothered, I'd meet up with just about anyone if they asked-and I doubted this was much of a coincidence with recent events.

It would be someone interesting, regardless if it was someone good or not. Interesting trumped good by a longshot and so against all senses I tried to relax. I didn't have much on me if I ran into danger, not that it really mattered. I'd already shortlisted the people who it could be and the best way to appeal to The Family was not by fighting them. That, conversely was a very good way to be killed.

"Who's your master?" I asked the human, casually. It wasn't so much that I expected an answer or that I was too curious to find out but I was bored and there was always a chance.

"He doesn't want me telling you that. He said you won't want to meet up with him if you know it's him." Whoever it was clearly wasn't too worried or at least they were very dumb to not compel him to keep that part quiet too. That shortened up the list some too, most of The Family were impeccably smart. My own little Leif was possibly the dumbest but he was out of business at the moment, so which of his brothers-or his cousins, best not to forget that lot either-was it?

"Kare." The name tasted odd on my tongue, he'd always been my least favourite pseudo brother in law and the look on the drivers face confirmed my suspicions. The not knowing part was the worst, so at least that was over but alas I was still facing the only member of The Family I didn't trust whole heartedly. Kare wasn't as bad as people said but that was only because people said some dreadful things about him. "God that boy needs to stop being paranoid. I'd have met up with him, he didn't have to resort to kidnapping."