I followed Jacobi down the hallway, watching my hand which was still lightly in his. I kept thinking that my hand was now some other life form which had attached itself to me and was now betraying me. That had to be the only reason I wasn’t trying to make this man release me immediately. When we had walked a certain length away, Jacobi halted and removed his grip on my hand. I pulled it protectively into my own hand and looked up at him carefully.

“When we met, it was under poor conditions,” Jacobi told me simply. I frowned, not getting his point. “I’d like to apologize for some of the things I may have said and done to offend you that night. As an apology, I’d like to introduce myself again, differently. May I?”

I hesitated, not quite understanding what his end game was. But at this point I had already agreed to this whole strange scenario. “I guess,” I responded uncertainly. Without pausing, he turned away from me, walking a short distance away. He spent a moment looking at the distance as though I were no longer there. I watched with curiosity as he tilted his head, peering back at me momentarily, before looking away again.

He slowly took a few steps to the right, still not facing me, and then began gracefully strolling along the wall while looking at each design and painting hanging on it. Once he was close to me, he turned his eyes to me quietly. I blushed unexplainably, ducking my head.

“Hello. I noticed you were watching me,” Jacobi said easily before holding out his hand in front of him. “My name is Jacobi Bryant.” I stared at his hand hesitantly, but convinced myself to reach out and place mine in his. He raised my hand to his lips briefly, releasing me afterwards.

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” I responded quietly, feeling silly while playing this out. “I just feel like I’ve met you before.”

“I’d remember your face from anywhere. What’s your name?”

“Elysia Monet,” I answered simply.

“A stunning name for a stunning woman…”

I laughed abruptly. “How cheesy. I think I like the mean version of you better.”

“I apologize. You’re hideous. Better?”

“You’re so charming,” I stated sarcastically. I felt like I was tapping the steps of an old wooden staircase with my foot, testing to see if it would break underneath me. It was strange to be entertained by Jacobi. I expected any moment he would become angry and threaten my life in some way again. “Where are we going for this so called date?”

He shrugged then. “Nowhere special. We can’t leave the headquarters in case Noland suddenly decides he wants to hear my proposition. They do have an open bar downstairs, though.” He lifted his arm for me to link to, waiting patiently.

“I don’t drink,” I told him simply, but then moved my arm through his in compliance.

“Luckily, I do,” He answered, casting a side glance my way. “Not alcohol, though.”

“Oh, yeah. Water’s great, isn’t it?” I ignored his obvious reference to his vampire nature. He led me through the headquarters, taking me to what indeed looked like a classy bar within one of the rooms. There were a few vampires already here, grouped off and enjoying themselves. When we entered, I felt that familiar burn of their accusing eyes on my skin. My old friend anxiety settled in my stomach unpleasantly.

When we sat down at one of the tables which were simple with a classy candle in each center, I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, trying to ignore the glares directed my way. Jacobi watched me for a moment before glancing around the room. I paled, nervous that somehow he’d remember he hated me for being a vampire hunter, untrained but still so.

“I know I should be used to the looks by now, but… I’ve never been so hated for things I didn’t do,” I told Jacobi in a hushed voice, even though he hadn’t asked. “I’ve never been hated for things I did do, either…”

“The sooner you learn to enjoy the fact that people hate you, the better life will be for you,” He responded before leaning back in his seat lazily. “I get a sense of satisfaction when someone shows their hatred towards me. A glare here, that’s good. But when someone tries to murder me and fails, that’s the best.” I remembered how Vincent almost killed him out of his hatred for him.

“What if everyone hated you?” I inquired, but my mind was beginning to relax and ignore the glares in my direction. Jacobi released a small smile at my question. I watched his face transform under that amusement from that constant void or anger to that of an appealing and not-so-frightening man.

“I would be pretty impressive then, don’t you think?”

“Yeah. Hitler-impressive,” I muttered, trying to resist the urge to smile as well.

“Not everyone hated Hitler. That’s the point.” A man appeared at the table suddenly, standing in wait for a moment. Jacobi didn’t take his eyes off me, but addressed the man. “AB negative. She’ll have a glass of water.” The man promptly disappeared. I hesitated, staying quiet for a moment after the man left, but suddenly curious despite myself.

“AB negative is your preference?” I asked, my face heating at how silly the question sounded. It still felt strange to talk to a vampire about anything vampire related, especially their taste in blood types.

“I don’t have a blood type preference. It’s a hit or miss, but I’m luckier with the AB negative,” I didn’t understand what he was explaining, so I frowned in confusion. “Your nose crinkles when you’re confused. I knew someone who did the same thing.” I was startled by the sudden change in subject, but my thoughts were interrupted when the man appeared with our drinks. I absently asked for whatever food they had available. When he was gone, Jacobi addressed me again.

“Most vampires have a blood type preference, or maybe a human type preference say… some vampires may like vegetarians more or alcoholics. Environmental things can change the way a human tastes,” He explained to me, twisting the glass in his hands absently. “My tastes have more to do with a human’s soul. It isn’t common for vampires to taste a human’s spiritual life force in their blood, but I was made by Eve. It gave me some… different abilities.”

I was suddenly very much intrigued by our conversation. “Can you tell me about Eve? I know she was the first vampire and the leading Royal. She was the leading figure in creating the society your kind lives in now. From what I’ve heard, she was obviously well-loved by many vampires. But I was wondering about… well, what she was actually like?”

Jacobi took a drink from his glass slowly, watching me carefully. I felt like maybe I had stepped a line and become too curious. After all, this was some kind of fake date and my life was still on the line. In the end, I was still a vampire hunter and I was asking questions about the first Royal. Not that it would be any harm to tell me; after all, Eve Raene was dead now. Before he could answer my question, the man appeared with a plate of spaghetti which I eyeballed in excitement. Once we were alone again, Jacobi began to speak.

“When I met Eve, she was a strange girl, uniquely beautiful. A lot of the men in my village thought she was a witch. If you had met her, you’d understand why. She was powerful. Even humans could tell that by looking at her. She was passionate about her kind, was fair, dangerous, but she never abused her power,” Jacobi narrowed his eyes suddenly, “A lot of the Royals now are cocky assholes. She kept them in order. Now they just go around not helping anybody. Darsana’s the only decent one left.”

“Aveline told me Eve only ever turned a handful of humans. What made her turn you?” I inquired curiously.

“You want to know my life story, Elysia?”

I looked down shyly. “I was just curious,” I answered quietly. While he hadn’t been stern or appeared to be threatening, I couldn’t help but feel like any moment he would snap once again. I played with my food pointedly, taking small bites.

“If you accept my offer from last night, I’ll tell you everything you wish to know about me. Until then, let’s stick to the basics.” Jacobi’s laid back appearance didn’t change as he vaguely mentioned his offer to allow me to keep my life in return for becoming his completely. I, on the other hand, shifted in my seat, my heart beat rising nervously in my chest.

“What are the basics, then?” I picked at my fingers due to my nerves, but focused on trying to calm my thoughts before they took off with my sanity.

“What’s your favorite color?” He asked dryly. I smirked then, perking up instantly. I could do basics.

“Green. What’s yours?”

Jacobi paused for a moment. “I don’t really have a favorite. I guess red for now. It’s the color your skin turns every time you feel too nervous or embarrassed. Like now, for example.” Indeed, I had felt that slow burn of my cheeks as he described it, though I wasn’t sure why. It had to be some form of curse placed upon me just to add topping to my already terrible life.

“What about music? What kind of music do you like?” I quickly tried to change the subject away from my embarrassing state. Again, he paused, as though he had to think for a while about it before he could answer.

“You could say I was a fan of the classics,” He answered slowly.

“Oh! I love the 70s and 80s,” I stated and he abruptly laughed. I was stunned by the appealing deep vibrato of his laughter. It sent a shock of pleasure through me, regardless of the fact that I wasn’t sure why he was laughing.

“I think our idea of what is consider the classics are two different things, Lysa,” Jacobi finally said, still smiling in amusement. “I went through a Renaissance phase when I was younger. I guess I thought it was ironic to enjoy the churches’ music, but I especially enjoyed Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere. It gets harder over time to keep track of the music. It changes too much. Or perhaps it never quite changes and it all starts to sound the same. I can’t say I particularly like the current music.”

“I’ve never heard of Gregorio Allegri. If I’m still alive later, I’ll look it up,” I stated, somewhat sarcastically. “I can understand what you mean, though. I don’t really keep track of today’s music. I’m always listening to the oldies… or what I consider the oldies. A little bit of Willie Nelson here. A bit of Billy Joel there…”

“You’re a fan of Billy Joel?” Jacobi gave me a look of complete disgust, but I laughed.

“You can mock me all you want, but I’m my own person. At least people have heard of Billy Joel,” I began to tap on the table top, humming out pieces of one of his songs.

“Oh, God. Please stop,” He tried to interrupt me.

“…working too hard can give you a heart attack, ack, ack, ack, ack. You oughta know by now,” I sang obnoxiously just to torture him. “Mama if that’s movin’ up then I’mmmm movin’ out. Badada-da-da-da-da-da…”

“Are you done?”

I giggled, sitting back in my chair, but didn’t continue to sing. I wasn’t a very good singer in the first place. I was a worse singer when I was doing it to specifically annoy someone. My small laughter was cut off when I saw that same raven-haired vampire who had greeted us when we first arrived enter the room. Behind her, she had the vampire hunter, Clio, in shackles and was pulling her along with a chained leash like she was a common dog. My mood was immediately darkened as I watched them walk past, Clio casting me a long look before she was forcefully tugged forward.

“It’s not our business, Elysia,” Jacobi said, his expression harsh and watching me intensely as though I might jump up and attack someone at any moment. “Unlike you, that isn’t an untrained hunter. She has killed members of Noland’s coterie. She’ll have to answer to him for it.”

After I watched the vampire chain Clio to a pole against the far wall, I turned my eyes to his sharply. “Did she march those members around like an abused animal to torture, as well? You think I don’t see those bites on her? What else are they doing to her that I don’t know about? You might claim to not be a rapist, but Noland might not agree to the same standards.”

Jacobi sharply slammed his glass on top of the table. Typically, it would have made me jump in fear, but there was a fierce fire building inside of me as I thought of the abuse Clio was going through. I leveled my glare with Jacobi’s stern eyes, challenging him to do something about my biting remarks.

“Master Jacobi,” a voice interrupted abruptly. Jacobi continued to keep those intense eyes on mine, but after a moment he shifted to acknowledge the vampire woman who had brought Clio into the room. “Master Noland is ready to hear your proposition.”

“We’re coming,” He answered darkly.

“He wishes you to come immediately… alone,” She stated before looking at me. “Your hunter won’t be harmed. After all, she is claimed.” I waited for Jacobi to decide what exactly he was going to do about me. He kept looking at me almost accusingly, as if I were plotting something devious but he wasn’t sure what it was.

I sighed. “I’m just going to go back to Aveline and Xander.”

Without waiting for him to say anything in response, I stood and moved to leave the room. As I walked down the hall, I glanced back to see Jacobi following the woman, his form tense and in a significantly more serious mood than before. Once he was gone from sight, I hesitated. Again, I thought about the abuse Clio was undertaking as Noland’s prisoner and how she was currently being held in chains just several feet away.

I finally understood what it was that made Jacobi look at me the way he had before he left. He obviously knew my train of thought before I did. I headed back into the bar room determinedly, having decided some things were worth the trouble of potential extermination.

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Music: In honor of Elysia's silly ways, Billy Joel's I'm Moving Out.