Never wake a Dragon (on hold)

6. part I - Astrid

He let out an exasperated huff and glared at Nev although the vampire hadn't done anything. "Why can't she have a goddamn phone?"

"How would I know?" Nev replied, snapping back with equal force, albeit with a little less frustration. "It's not like Astrid is sociable. Perhaps she doesn't want you to find her."

"Well fuck it then." He threw his arms out and slapped the laptop together. He'd been searching through the darknet for some information on her but hadn't found a single thing. She was far better at hiding than he'd ever been.

Nev slouched on the sofa and crossed his arms. "This is boring. We should do something fun."

"Like what?"

"I'm hungry."

"I'm not sure if I should be disturbed to learn that you see feeding as fun."

"I have to eat, and just like some people love to cook, I should be allowed to have fun with the chase." Nev sounded absolutely serious, almost petulant.

He had a feeling that Nev's attitude had to do with the way their evenings had turned out as of late. He'd been obsessed about finding Astrid, bringing the vampire with him to various spots around town which she sometimes frequented. Nev had complained about excessive walking more than once.

With what he considered his most winning smile, he said, "Come on, one last stop at Sjätte Tunnan tonight, and if she's not there, we can go hunting."

"Fine. But you're buying me a beer as well."

"Of course."

Nev left the sofa, stalked into the hallway and began the struggle to tie his boots. Someone was in a hurry. Perhaps he had underestimated just how bored his friend was.

He joined Nev and reached for his coat, checking that he had a bit of money in his wallet in case Nev decided to drink more than one beer. It happened every now and then, and Nev had a habit of getting a bit emotional when he'd reached his limit. Considering Nev's mood, it might actually be a good idea to get the vampire drunk enough to spill what was on his mind. Adeem had a feeling it might be a little more than he thought.

Nev frowned when they were done. "I haven't heard the baby downstairs for a while. Did something happen?"

"They moved."

"Oh. Let me guess, they got tired of the black stain in their ceiling?"

"Beats me. Maybe they've just found a bigger place."

"Nah, I think it was the stain. Must have been the stain. Told you we should have done that shit outside."

He sighed and opened the door, less than eager to think about the possibility that he'd scared off the neighbors. Not that it mattered, but at least with that family downstairs, he'd known who lived close. Now, he had no clue and it was a bit unsettling.

They decided to walk all the way, which should have upset Nev, but the vampire seemed happy to stretch his legs. Nev sniffed the air from the moment they got outside until they entered Gamla Stan, probably in search for a decent meal. He had to remind the vampire not to run off on more than one occasion. Of course, it wasn't for him to decide, but Nev didn't argue—which wasn't very like him at all. In fact, it made him worry even more that something was wrong.

The guard outside the bar let them in without a word, and they slipped downstairs into the cellar area. "Is she here?" he asked, knowing that Nev would be able to sense Astrid right away.

Nev's nose twitched. "Yeah. I think she might be. Or else it's someone equally scary." The vampire led the way through the tiny maze of archways and grew rigid when they'd reached the last one. He caught up with his friend and looked over his shoulder. There she was, sitting alone with a drink. She cocked her head and made a subtle gesture for them to join her.