Nyx

The Demon Princess

Chapter 1-We Meet at Journey’s End

“Did you hear the news?”

David looked up from his book at his friend Jacob, who was sitting across the small but fancy white table from him. Adjusting his glasses, he asked, “What news?”

“About that massive fight over in Ceta. It was between a group of hunters and a vampire coven.” Jacob said. “I heard it was really violent. A lot of people got hurt during the battle.”

“By who? The hunters or the vampires?” David asked.

“The vampires obviously. The hunters wouldn’t hurt innocent people.” Jacob snorted.

David rolled his eyes. “Please, Jacob, there have already been several cases of civilians getting hurt because the hunters didn’t know how to aim at a moving target. For all the fuss they make about being humanity’s defense against the “creatures of the night” they really do a good job of hitting everyone but the creatures they’re hunting.”

Jacob gave his friend a dull look, unimpressed with his friend’s reply. Comments like that probably would’ve gotten him beaten in an alley or punched in the nose, but he had a feeling that David didn’t care. “With that kind of attitude, you’d be drained by a vampire in a heartbeat, David. It’d be easy with your head in all those books.”

“We can’t all be strapping young lads skilled in rugby, Jacob. And I read these books because they’re an escape from how ungodly disappointing humanity’s become.” David replied.

“You’d best watch your words, David. Talk like that might piss off the Order.” Jacob grinned.

“Don’t worry, those buffoons would self-destruct from their own stupidity before they even get to me.”

Jacob laughed loudly, drawing attention from several nearby tables at the café he and David were having tea at. David could give most gothic writers a run for their money in the dreary and dull department. He almost always wore dark colors, wore his dark brown hair long to his ears and had an interest in fantasy and horror novels. Jacob was a tall and muscular young man who took part in the most physical of sports, was generally outgoing and boisterous and had tons of friends. They were as different as night and day and yet somehow they’ve been friends since college.

It wasn’t as if David didn’t have good reason to act so…disconnected from the rest of the world. The world hasn’t really done him any favors these past two years.

“But going back to earlier, I’ve never seen a vampire before.” Jacob continued, idly sipping on his tea with a lazy expression on his face. “I mean, do you think that they’re like all those stories? Pale, hates sun, hides in the shadows and all that?”

“Those stories are all hogwash. Vampires don’t look any different from us. We’ve probably run into at least one back in our school days without even knowing.” David said. “It’s not like they’re going to jump out and say “I’m a vampire!”.”

“True, that does defeat the purpose of being a predator.” Jacob sighed looked at his friend long and hard.

David tried to ignore his friend’s staring but eventually he found it had to focus and slammed his book closed. “What is it now?”

“You need a girl, mate.” Jacob said it with such a straight face that even David couldn’t keep his composure.

“I-I’m sorry?!” He exclaimed.

“You need a girl. You’re going to end up old and alone in that big mansion of yours with no one but those dusty old books keeping you company. Or worse, stuck with some unattractive cougar your parents decide to set you up with.” Jacob leaned forward and grinned. “I just so happen to know a couple of ladies who are very interested in—“

“Don’t even go there, Jacob. I’m not in the mood for looking for a lover, especially whoever you have in mind.” David said firmly. He had to put his foot down or Jacob will lead him to some brothel on the far side of town.

“David, you should really—oh wait, I see. You’ve already got someone in your sights, don’t you?” Jacob smirked. “Is it Anna? I bet it’s Anna, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not…” David sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Look, Anna and I are merely friends who haven’t seen each other in a while. She’s got a busy life cleaning up after the Foundation’s heiress.”

“I imagine.” Jacob’s grin said that he didn’t believe David’s excuse.

“Whatever. I’ve got to get back home before father sends Edward after me—again.” David got up from his seat and nodded to Jacob. “Until next time, Jacob?”

Jacob nodded. “Sure, I don’t have to head back to the factory for a few more days. Business has been slow so far.”

David nodded and left the café, his book tucked under his arm. He still had some time before Anna arrived at the mansion, so he decided to head over to the local bookstore to if they had anything new. There wasn’t much else to do in Rosemary that didn’t involve him mingling with the rest of those high society blowhards who like to flaunt their status. David had enough of those people and their suffocating cigar smoking.

Rosemary was a port town that he was born and raised in for twenty years. The town had been growing exponentially as a result of the increase in trade and tourists brought about by the so-called Industrial Revolution that the Arcadian Empire spearheaded. The buildings grew taller, people from all over the world moved in to set up permanent businesses, goods from different countries flowed in and out of the town, and everything was changing at a seemingly rapid pace. David had never thought he’d see a family from Indus living next door to a predominantly Arcadian family given the bad blood between the two nations, but the proof was there. The world was becoming more connected.

Yet for David, everything still felt small to him. Being the son of a plantation owner meant that he was stuck mingling with members of his own class, the wealthy businessmen and nobles who thought that they shat gold and no one could touch them because of their money. David had no patience for people like that, and he made sure his mother and father learned that too the next time they tried to set him up with a lady who treated his family’s servants like trash.

‘Philip knew how to deal with these people. This was his world, he was born for it.’ David thought, his mood darkening further at the thought of his older brother. Losing him and his sister still stung even after two years, and it brought his mind into a dark place that he didn’t want to fall into now.

David was so engrossed in his thoughts that he wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings. He didn’t see the woman who was turning the corner just as he was until he bumped into her. The startled yelp she gave brought him out of his dark thoughts and he quickly caught the woman before she fell.

“I’m sorry, miss, I didn’t mean to run into you like that!” David apologized. “I wasn’t looking where I was going and…”

David’s voice trailed off when he got a good look at the woman he bumped into. She was absolutely beautiful!

The woman had fair skin that was completely flawless and smooth, and she had long blonde hair that hung freely down her back, and amber gold eyes that looked stunning to him. His eyes were unintentionally drawn to her cleavage, which was supported by a black corset, and her bare shoulders were covered by a small red jacket. Her dress hugged her slender but curvaceous form, ending in a long red skirt that stopped at her calves, where she wore a pair of black heeled boots. In her hands was a black parasol that she almost dropped when she lost her balance.

David had never seen a woman wear such an eye-catching mixture of red and black out in the open on a bright sunny day like this. In more conservative communities, she’d be accused of being sinful or inappropriate. Her face was slender yet sharp, and her lips full and pink, and her eyes stared up at him with mirth. Oh wait, was she speaking to him?

“I know I’m beautiful, sir, but I don’t think I’m pretty enough to make men go speechless.” She laughed.

“O-Oh, I’m sorry!” David stammered. He inwardly berated himself for acting like some lovesick fool who drops his jaw at the sight of a pretty face. “I was just…I’m really distracted today. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“Yes, you do look like a man with his mind on a thousand things at once. Not that I’m complaining, but not every lady likes a young man running into her like a runaway train. Save the hard thinking for indoors, yes?”

“Good idea, miss.” David cleared his throat. “I’m David, David Talbot.”

“Danica Acerola.” The woman smoothly replied. She grinned when David took her dainty hand and laid a kiss upon it. “Oh, such a gentleman. I thought men only did that in Arcadia.”

“My parents did their best to raise me right.” David said. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around Rosemary, Danica. Are you new in town?”

“Yes I am. I just moved in from Araluen actually. Things over in the Empire have become a bit…volatile given the rise in vampire attacks, so I decided to go to someplace that wasn’t so dominated by violence and figured Rozzaria was perfect for me. Lovely weather, scenic backgrounds, and the food…” Danica gave a moan that revered straight down David’s body to his loins. “To die for.”

“Yes, Rozzaria is a beautiful country, though Rosemary isn’t the first place I’d go to enjoy the sights.” David said.

“I thought it best to start small.” Danica shrugged. “I’m going to be staying here for a few days, but since I’m new in town, I don’t know my way around very much.”

David didn’t know why he did what he did, but he spoke up without thinking. Something he rarely did these days. “If you want, I can show you around.”

“Really? Are you sure? I’m sure you’re a busy man, David. I wouldn’t want to impose.” Danica said.

“It’s no trouble. I can’t leave a young lady such as yourself to wander this strange place by yourself.” David said, almost cracking a smile. Almost.

Danica laughed at that. “Young, I’ve never had someone call me that before.”

“Excuse me?” David asked, but she continued on as if nothing happened.

“I’ll accept your offer, David. At least I’ll have one companion in this town.” She said smiling.

David actually gave her a small, very small, smile and offered her his arm, which she took. Walking down the street with Danica, suddenly the day didn’t seem as tedious to David as it used to be.

XXXXXX

It funny how times flies when you’re having fun. David had lost track of time showing Laura around town, talking about random, trivial topics just for the hell of it. David couldn’t remember when he managed to talk to a woman without having to worry about her ulterior motives. Sure Danica was a stranger, but at least she didn’t treat him any different because of his status.

Talking with Danica had helped David learn some things about her. Danica displayed a kind of strength about her that showed in how she carried herself and interacted with others, mainly himself. She showed confidence, independence and even a bit of regality that would intimidate other men David’s age. It was a breath of fresh air to David, and honestly he didn’t realize that he was actually enjoying talking to someone who didn’t care about convention.

Before either of them knew it, the time to separate was upon them. David escorted Danica over to a popular hotel he knew about and signed her in. They shared their goodbyes, reluctant as David was, and Danica promised that whenever he was in town she’d love to see him again. David left Rosemary that afternoon in a lighter mood than when he came there.

But of course nothing lasts forever. When he arrived at his estate, he was already descending back into the same mood he had earlier. It got even darker when he saw his father standing in front of the mansion with his arms crossed.

“You’re late.” Peter said to his son as he stepped out of the carriage.

“I know. I was helping someone out in town.” David said, walking past his father without a second thought.

“Anna is waiting for you in the garden.” Peter said, glaring at his son’s back. “She was kind enough to wait for you even though you were twenty minutes late.”

“Good for her. Not a lot of people can wait that long for me.” David replied.

Peter sighed through his nose and followed David inside, wondering how things went so wrong between them. David was never this unruly, and he would never leave anybody waiting intentionally. Granted after the deaths of his brother and sister, it seemed as if nothing mattered anymore.

David tossed his coat to Edward, his head butler, and made his way through the mansion to the garden outback. It was nothing special, just a small little private retreat filled with flowers locally grown or imported from abroad (Rozzaria was known for producing the most beautiful roses in Eura), and was a place where his mother would bring friends for tea and gossip.

Except his mother wasn’t here, and the only occupant in the garden was Anna Williams, a childhood friend of his who was one of the few who remained in contact with him when he attended college. She was a young woman of twenty-one, with short dark red hair and sky blue eyes that David had to admit were her most enchanting feature. She wore a burgundy dress that left her shoulders slightly bare and a black choker around her neck. Definitely not the kind of dress that the daughter of a simple banker could afford.

“David!” Anna smiled brightly as he entered the garden. “Good afternoon!”

“Afternoon, Anna. It’s been a while since we last talked.” David said smoothly as he took a seat across from her at the tiny white table, a small smile gracing his lips.

“Too long. I hope you’re doing well in my absence.” Anna said. “I’m sure you were a mess without me looking over your shoulder.”

“I’m not that bad, Anna. It’s been quiet here, though. The town’s getting bigger, we’re getting more visitors from overseas.” David shrugged. “Nothing new.”

“And…how are you, David? Has anything special caught your eye?” Anna asked cautiously.

David admired how she avoided mentioning the tragic passing of his siblings. That was good, because he wasn’t in the mood to talk about it. “Well I’m helping father with the plantation, and I’m taking some classes in business. The exciting things life has to offer.”

Anna pursed her lips but didn’t say anything. This response was to be expected from David, considering he was less than enthusiastic about taking over the plantation. It never interested him and he had no passion for business or trade. He wanted to learn more about the world and its history. To travel to far off places and see the world. Anna could imagine how he was feeling, if that was possible.

“So how’s life fairing you as the tutor to the little mistress of the O’Hara Foundation?” David asked, already munching on his third cookie. They were really tasty. “I hear she’s a real sweetheart to her servants.”

“Miss Scarlett isn’t that bad. She’s young and temperamental, a growing lady.” Anna said defensively. David could tell this wasn’t the first time she’s had to defend her boss’s daughter. Lord only knows how many times she’s recited that line to people. “And she’s actually very nice when you get to know her.”

“I doubt that, but you’re no liar so I’ll take your word for it.” David replied.

The O’Hara Foundation was the world’s leading transportation company that manufactured everything from steam trains to airships. They practically dominated the airship industry and their work could be seen all over the world. Anna was the personal tutor of the Foundation head’s granddaughter, Scarlett, who had a reputation for being a terrible girl to be around. David did not envy her job.

“So why were you late?” Anna asked. “You’re not usually one to be tardy, even for meeting up with friends.”

“I was helping out someone in town. She was new to Rosemary and needed a guide to show her around.”

“She? What was her name?”

“Danica. She moved here from Araluen if you can believe it.” David said, judging her expression. Seeing nothing that spelled his immediate demise he continued, “She wanted to escape the growing violence in the Empire going on between hunters and vampires.”

“I heard about that. There are several reports of vampire attacks increasing in the capital. It’s gotten so bad that the royal guard is on watch 24 hours a day.” Anna said, her expression darkening. “But the worst past about the conflict isn’t the vampires, but the collateral damage caused by the hunters. Half of a museum was burned down by an apprentice hunter chasing a vampire woman. Do they have no restraint?”

“Considering the growing bounties for vampires, I’d say no.” David finished his tea and sat back with a sigh. Anna studied his face, noting the faint black circles under his eyes and his half-lidded stare. He looked tired, not physically but emotionally. It was starting to worry her.

“David, have you been taking care of yourself?” Anna asked.

“Well I’m alive, aren’t I?” He retorted. Anna frowned.

“There’s a different between being alive and living.” She replied. “I don’t want you wasting away before you’re even thirty, David. I know you’re still hurting from losing Philip and Mary, but—“

“If you’re just going to preach to me, then consider this conversation over.” David growled. His hand clenched on the arm rest of his chair and he took a breath to calm himself down. “I’ve made my peace with their deaths and I’m moving on, that’s it. And I’ll speak no more of it!”

Anna stiffened from the hard tone in his voice, rough and grating, tinted with barely restrained rage. She wasn’t convinced by his half-hearted attempt at masking his spiral into depression, but he looked ready to leave her then and there without a goodbye.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up…that. I was just worried about you. You just look pale and you look like you haven’t had a good night’s sleep in ages.” Anna reached over the table and grasped his hand. “I’m just don’t want to see you waste away from this tragedy. You still have your parents, and Jacob, and…me. Please don’t give into despair, David. You’re too young to be this jaded by life.”

David’s fingers reflexively wrapped around her hand in return, her fingers somehow still soft despite spending so many months bending over backward for that spoiled little girl. His eyes looked up into her concerned face and he grimaced at how genuine she was with her worry for him. He looked away and pulled his hand back.

“I’m fine, Anna. I’m well aware that everyone is sick of my moping, I’m aware that I look like a depressed drunk who is absolutely done with life. I’m aware that it is a crime to feel sad about losing two of the closest people in my life and being thrust into taking up a position that I neither wanted nor cared about. But I haven’t hit rock bottom yet, so that’s a relief, right? Thank you for your concern, but I don’t need it.”

David said all of this in a single breath, and it was only when he was finished talking that he started to regret those words. Anna didn’t look mad, but she had a stricken expression on her face, hurt from his words but also sad at how far he’d fallen. Pity, sadness and pain mixed together in one expression. It was so real that David couldn’t bear to look at her anymore.

“I have to go.” He said and stood up, almost knocking his chair over. Anna tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t let her. He needed to be alone.

XXXXXX

After his disastrous meeting with Anna, David left the estate as if the devil were on his heels and headed back to Rosemary. Still agitated from his spat with Anna, he went to the nearest tavern and bought the best drinks his money could buy, whiskey, scotch, the high quality stuff that’d make a noble knight of the Arcadian royal army turn into a bumbling drunkard with a potty mouth.

Of course David didn’t chug these drinks down. No, he just sat at a table near the window in the back, staring out the window wallowing in his own self-pity while the world passed him by. David didn’t keep track of time nor did he notice the sun setting until he was barely past his first bottle. He looked at his drink and then back out the window, where he saw the side streets that only had a few people here and there strolling about. Such places would usually be unsafe for wealthy folk to traverse at this hour, but such was the pleasures of Rosemary’s upper class section that one could walk without fear of being jumped. No, the real robbing was done behind closed doors.

“The sun’s already setting. I didn’t realize I was here for so long.” He muttered. Then he shrugged and took a nice, long swig of his beer. “Oh well. More alone time for me.”

“Hello stranger.”

David jumped and looked to his right, where he saw the beautiful form of Danica standing above him. She stood beside his table, wearing a dark blue dress that looked just as unique and lavish as the crimson one she wore earlier, and had her arms behind her back, a grin on her lips. He stared at her for a second before gathering his wits.

“Danica? What are you doing here?”

“I was just going out for a walk when I spotted you through the window.” Danica said, tilting her head to the side. “You look like you needed a friend.”

“A friend, huh? Yeah, I could use a friend right now.” David said idly. He looked up at Danica. “Do you consider me a friend?”

“I like to think so after you helped me out earlier.” She replied.

David nodded and offered her a drink, which she declined. Danica wasn’t one for alcohol it seemed. It didn’t sit well with her stomach. “I thought a woman like you would’ve had a taste for wine at least.”

“I’d rather have something…thicker in my system that keeps me going throughout the day.” Danica smiled as if she were thinking of some joke he didn’t get.

“So what are you doing out here at this hour? Even this deep into the town it’s not safe for a lady to walk around alone.” David said.

“I can take care of myself just fine, David. These days, a woman has to rely on herself for protection.” Danica said smoothly, not at all offended by his words. “And I just wanted to go out for a walk and enjoy whatever this town has to offer. Finding you was a pleasant but welcome surprise. Would you be interested in coming with me?”

David would have said no if it were anybody else who said that to him. But he quickly realized that Danica had an effect on him that was not entirely unwelcome. Not really giving any shits about what he did that night, he shrugged and said, “Why not? I’ve literally got nothing else better to do.”

Danica’s smile grew bigger and she practically tore his arm out of his socket pulling him out of the chair. They were out of the tavern in a heartbeat and walking down the street like a couple taking a midnight stroll.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what’s got you so depressed?” Danica asked.

“Who said I was depressed?” David asked.

“You had the air of someone who’s been beaten down by life one too many times. I’ve honestly never seen a man look as sad as you yet still look so handsome.” Danica said. David was caught off guard by the compliment she slipped in and cleared his throat.

“I…well, it’s been a rough day, as I said before. I had a talk with a friend earlier and she brought a sensitive topic. I lashed out at her and now I’m wallowing in my own self-pity. Basically the same thing I’ve been doing for the past two years since…” David cut himself off.

Danica looked up at him. “Since what?”

David looked away, not feeling comfortable telling her about his problems. “It’s nothing. I don’t want to bring down the mood.”

Danica put a slender hand on his arm. “David, I don’t mind. You look like you need someone to talk to.”

He looked down at her, his eyes gravitating to her slender face, her features soft and beautiful yet displayed a type of strength in her expression. Her hair was still mostly untethered but was tied back into a ponytail with a red ribbon, flowing down her back like a trail of gold. He swallowed hard and looked away again, lest he be lost in those golden pools she has for eyes.

“My older brother and sister, Philip and Mary. I lost them two years ago. Philip to a sickness a few months after his wife died in childbirth and Mary to a fire that tore through the city near Rosemary. They died a few months apart from each other.” David said. His face and voice were blank and emotionless. He stared straight ahead as he told her. “I haven’t gotten over losing them, and it’s only gotten worse since then. My attitude hasn’t improved and it’s starting to affect my relationships with family and friends.”

“Ah, depression.” Danica nodded. “I take it you were close to them.”

“Of course. Mary wanted to be an author and was studying literature in private school. Philip was going to take over our family business and become a father. He was so happy when he learned that his wife was pregnant.” David’s façade cracked a bit and his eyes glistened. He kept himself together, but Danica saw through it.

“Say no more. I’m sorry for asking about them.” She said. They walked in silence for a few more minutes.

“No, it’s fine. I…to say that I’ve made my peace with it would be a lie, and I can’t bring myself to lie to you.” He said. “Losing them was the worst thing that has ever happened to me. Honestly, if I didn’t have my mother, father, and my friends, I would probably be worse off. I think it would be more accurate to say that I haven’t hit rock bottom…yet.”

“That’s a very morbid thought.”

“I’m past the point of caring, my lady. I’m just living my life at this point. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Danica hummed and said no more. They walked and walked, no destination in mind. But the silence between them wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable. It was quite the opposite actually. David felt calm and peaceful for the first time that day. What was it about this woman that made him feel like this?

“So you’re tired of life I take it?” She asked.

He blinked and looked at her. “Come again?”

“You loved your siblings dearly, I can see that from how you acted in response to their deaths. They were your role models in a sense, your family who seemed untouchable by the realities of life. Losing them was akin to losing pieces of yourself, and now it seemed that no matter what you did, what you achieved, it seems meaningless if they aren’t with you to enjoy it. Everything just seems dull and pointless, the world has lost its color in your eyes.” Danica was looking up at him as she said this, yet she never faltered in her stride. She had a strong grip on his arm, and David felt his elbow press into her soft chest, making his heart rate increase slightly. “Am I close?”

It took him a minute to gather his thoughts for a proper response. “I suppose so. You sound like, and forgive me for saying this, that you’ve been through the same thing.”

Danica’s red lips turned up in a smile that was both knowing and a little mocking. “I too have lost someone dear to me. Believe me, David, you are not alone in what you’re going through.”

David was speechless, and he didn’t realize that he stopped in place, staring at her with wide eyes. “That’s…”

“Accurate? On point? Trust me, I’m no stranger to tragedy. The only one who can understand you is someone who has gone through the same thing. That is how it is, and yet you have people who claim to be able to help you get over your grief, thinking that it’s something you can easily forget. The stupidity of such thinking baffles me to this day.”

Danica looked into his face and laughed slightly at his expression. Reaching up she traced the outline of his jaw with a slender hand and he shivered a bit from the feeling of her soft skin. “Are you alright, David? I hope I didn’t break you already. We still have to get to know each other first.”

“My god you’re amazing.” He whispered.

Danica’s smile grew at that and she gave a little chuckle. “My, aren’t you a flatterer.”

Something bubbled up from David’s throat and burst from his mouth. Then he heard laughing close by. It took him a minute to realize that the laughing was coming from him. He was laughing. His first, true laugh since Philip and Mary’s deaths. He gripped Danica’s hand and pulled her along, laughing loudly like a madman, as if all the joy he kept buried deep within him burst out at once. Danica laughed with him too, happy that she could make him happy and the pair practically danced down the street drawing stares from bystanders.

But neither of them cared. They were happy, at least for this night.

XXXXXX

“I knew it!”

David almost jumped and spilled his tea when Jacob yelled in his face, shoving a finger at his nose. He glared at the loud blonde and asked, “Knew what?”

“You did meet a girl!” Jacob exclaimed.

David rolled his eyes and smacked Jacob’s hand away. “You’re insane.”

“No, I’m totally right. You don’t look so depressed like you usually do. Hell, you even look like you’ve been smiling!”

“Would you be quiet?” He hissed. “You’re disturbing the other guests.”

David and Jacob were spending the morning having breakfast in the dining hall of a hotel that David spent the night in. David never went home after escorting Danica back to the hotel, and it was only by chance that he ran into Jacob when he was signing out of the hotel. Jacob had been completely insufferable since then.

“So what’s her name?” Jacob asked with a grin, scarfing down his scrambled eggs and toast like a man who hadn’t eaten in years. “She must be really special to have broken through your shell.”

“I just met her yesterday, Jacob, nothing’s—“ David paused, eyes wide as he realized what he just said. Seeing Jacob’s grin, the cheeky bastard caught what he said as well, and he groaned. “God damn it.”

“So there is a girl. Good for you, mate!” Jacob laughed. “You need someone in your life. Hope she’s a beauty.”

David rolled his eyes and calmly finished his breakfast. Jacob ate the remains of his toast and looked and David.

“You know, I thought that you and Anna had something going on. I mean, weren’t your parents planning to—“

“Anna and I are friends. That’s all I’m going to say on the matter, Jacob. I’ll be grateful if you left the matter alone.” David said crossly.

Seeing that he touched a nerve, Jacob wisely did not pursue the topic further. They finished their breakfast in silence and left the hotel together.

“Since you’re not with your lady friend, do you have any plans for today?” Jacob asked.

“I don’t have anything planned, as usual.” David muttered. “And I assume you’re free as well?”

“For now. I’ve got the rest of the week free before I have to go back. For a port town, Rosemary is sorely lacking in anything interesting aside from the gambling halls and the brothels.” Jacob sighed and put his hands into his pockets. “Why don’t we head over to Brunswick for the weekend? Have some real fun before reality kicks us in the balls, eh?”

“And do what?” David asked.

Jacob shrugged. “I don’t know, but I reckon that the city has better attractions than this place.”

David was about to refuse Jacob’s offer when he heard shouting coming from inside the building they were walking past. He and Jacob looked at the door where the shouting was loudest and they looked at each other in confusion. Their confusion turned into surprise when the door suddenly exploded into splinters, and a woman came stumbling out.

The woman looked no different from any other regular person out on the street. She wore a dark brown dress that had a tear in the right sleeve, and David noticed the deep cut on her right arm. Her hair was wild and her clothes were disheveled. But what caught David’s attention was her face. Her eyes were pitch black with deep red irises and her mouth was open wider than the human jaw should open, her canine and lateral teeth sharp and elongated.

A vampire.

“My god.” David whispered in shock. He had never seen a vampire before, but seeing one in person was absolutely mind boggling.

Someone else came charging out of the store after the vampire. A man wearing a black and silver uniform with a bird-like emblem on his chest. He was dressed like a knight of old, but his shaggy brown hair and growing beard made him look like some bum trying to emulate Lancelot. In his right hand was a crossbow loaded with what looked like metal stakes, and in his other hand was a short sword coated with blood, probably the vampire’s.

“Where do you think you’re going, freak?” The hunter grinned. “You’re not escaping the judgement of the Order, monster!”

The vampire hissed back at him in response and sprinted forward at speeds David had trouble following with his eyes. She ran faster than a male athlete and was upon the hunter in seconds. But the hunter didn’t look very concerned as he leaned back and dodged a swipe from her claws. David and the other onlookers watched entranced as the vampire tried to cut him to bloody ribbons but could not touch him (but just barely, for David noted that she was close to touching him several times). The hunter sidestepped a punch from her and slashed his sword upwards, the silver blade cleanly cutting through flesh and bone and severing her right arm completely.

The vampire gave a high-pitched shriek that hurt David’s ears and lashed out with a kick that caught the hunter in the middle of his chest, sending him flying back into a group of men. Clutching her bleeding stump, the vampire turned and ran, easily lengthening the distance between her and the hunter in seconds, like a cheetah in full sprint.

Before David could process the sudden turn of events that were happening before him, he realized that the vampire was getting close to him. Very, very, very close! As in she was running right at him!

“Shit!” He scrambled to get out of the way, but the vampire was already running at him, and at the speed she was running, getting rammed into by her would break him in half. But he was so preoccupied with the vampire charging at him that he didn’t see the hunter raising his crossbow to fire a stake at her from behind.

“David, move!”

David had no idea what happened next, but several things happened at once. The first was that Jacob had pushed David out of the vampire’s path, sending him to the ground on the side. The second was that the hunter fired his stake at the vampire, thinking it would get her. To the surprise of many the vampire easily jumped to the side to avoid the stake, which missed her completely and hit another target.

It all happened in slow motion for David, as his eyes watched unblinkingly as that metal stake, a weapon clearly meant for a supernatural enemy, bury itself into the chest of his best friend. It pierced his vest, his skin and dug right into his lung. Jacob stumbled back, his expression shocked as if he couldn’t believe what just happened. And then he fell back, his hands clutching the stake in his chest.

“Jacob!” David screamed. He scrambled over to his friend on his hands and knees, crawling through the dirt like a wounded animal to get to his friend. Jacob fell onto his back, his chest heaving. There was no doubt that a lung was punctured and he was suffering from serious internal damage.

“No, no, stay with me, Jacob!” David yelled, hovering over his friend but not knowing what to do. He looked up at the people around him panicked and scared. “Someone get a doctor! Help him!”

“David…” Jacob rasped, blood leaking from his lips. He coughed and his chin was coated in red.

“Don’t talk, save your strength. Where the hell is that doctor?” David roared.

Jacob weakly reached out and David grasped his hand. Tears were falling down his face and he felt on the verge of passing out from the intense emotions he was feeling.

“Stay with me, Jacob. Don’t go.” David begged.

Jacob gave him a weak, barely noticeable smile. Somehow he mustered the strength to smile even as he was dying. David stared into his eyes as they slowly turned blank. David cried and pleaded and begged for him to hold on, but by the seventh time he called out his name, Jacob’s body had went still and he took his last, gasping breath.

“Jacob? Jacob, look at me!” David screamed. “Jacob! JACOB!!!”