Day 6: Blood of My Blood
I smoothed my hands down my sweater, slightly self conscious. Alistair was out again tonight, but so was I. And he had suggested meeting up.
We were coworkers, technically he was my boss, but our relationship had been muddled ever since he saved my life by embracing me. He was my sire, my mentor, my Taryon to my Doty.
It wasn’t a date.
Then again, I hadn’t been on a date since my relationship with JJ ended. I would recognize a date even if I was out of practice.
Right?
This wasn't a date.
But it felt like a date.
Was it?
Wasn’t it?
The sweater felt suffocating, hands wrapping around my throat, creating a hand necklace that I did not consent to. I slipped it off, perusing my options. My casual wear was nerdy, a bit eclectic, but comfortable. I scrutinized my sage green dress that had an autumnal leaf scarf. It would go well with leggings.
Too dressy.
Too date-like.
Eventually I settled on a black cami paired with a shin length swishing black skirt with my favorite tall black boots and my lucky red and black flannel left unbuttoned. I fussed with my hair and makeup for a few before reminding myself that it was not a date.
Probably not a date.
And headed out.
He met me by the stairs that led either up to the mall entrance or down to the outside Barnes and Noble entrance. He was wearing jeans and what looked like a t-shirt underneath a zip up hoodie. It made him look young even though I knew he was older.
Much older. Just how much I didn’t even know. And it would be rude to ask, right?
He raised a hand in greeting. And offered his arm when I got close. I linked my arm with his and saw a rare full smile. Fangs and all.
“I figured this would be a good place to learn.” Public but low amounts of people. Unlikely to run into people who would know us or would come to our hospital. “And to meet up with some…friends. Ones you’ll need to meet.”
“That doesn’t sound ominous at all.” I said, walking into the lit interior of the mall. I just hoped when we met these friends of his that I would make a good impression. We ended up wandering through some of the larger department stores, but the heat of them even as sparse as they were was enough to ratchet up my anxiety.
Sybil didn’t like the racks.
Too many colors, too many conflicting patterns and textures next to each other.
I was starting to get a headache. Can Kindred even get headaches?
After about an hour or so, Gandalf squeezed my arm. “Meet me at Round One in say, an hour? Two tops.”
“Okay.” I nodded, watching him practically vanish-swallowed up by the racks of clothes. I quickly made my purchase of the few shirts I had found and escaped to my favorite place-Barnes and Noble.
I breathed in the scent of new books and felt relieved by the quiet. There were only a few people wandering around at this time of night. I wandered the shelves, picking my way through the fantasy and romance and looped around to the gaming books.
There was a young man, probably around my own age give or take a year or two perusing them as well. He was handsome. I had never really been attracted to a person by looks alone, but he was flipping through the Rime of the Frostmaiden book. So instant points in that regard. But then the world tilted. I almost had to brace myself on the bookshelf.
The world went fuzzy around the edges.
I saw him in a blue car driving down a road, passing by some pub-Fiddler’s something. And just as he passed by it there was an explosion that spilled out into the road. Flames and debris, shards of glass. He swerved and went off into a tree. The unmistakable sound of metal and plastic crunching. More glass being shattered. The car crumpled, and flames joined the wreck.
“Can I help you?” He asked, dragging me back from a scene of destruction that rocked me to my core. If my heart had been able to beat it would have been racing.
“Oh ah…” I blinked, willing the blaze of flames from my eyes. “Sorry I couldn’t help but…the book.” I blurted out. “Frostmaiden. I ran it before.”
“Did you?” He raised an eyebrow, and that was all the invitation I needed to step closer. “I was trying to figure out how it starts…any advice?”
I smiled ever so slightly, careful to not flash a fang at him. “Depends. How much time do you have?”
“For a cute girl like you?” I felt his gaze skim over me and I felt like all that stress had been worth it to pick out my outfit “Not nearly enough tonight. Maybe I can get your number?”
“Maybe.” I let my skirt squish a little bit as I shifted in a way that I hoped translated to being flirty. “ You don’t even know my name yet.” There was a thought that maybe I could delay him. Maybe it was a time sensitive event. “I don’t know yours yet either.”
“Oh right.” He offered his hand. “Ithan.”
“Ithan. Nice to meet you.” I remembered to pretend to be human. Creating warmth in my hands and cheeks before I clasped his hand. It was something that Gandalf had taught me in my first couple nights. Afraid people would worry if I looked like a corpse. “I’m…” I debated calling myself Nicole as I had been. But I responded, “Cassandra. Cassie or Cas for short.”
“Cassandra, nice to meet you.” He took out his phone and started plugging in my name with the phone number I gave him. “Maybe we can get a drink sometime? Or I can pick your brain about the module? Or maybe…dinner?”
“Maybe,” Not that I could eat or drink without being sick. I learned that the hard way in the early nights. But man did I miss food. I missed cooking and baking, the smells, the flavors…
I saw the time on the phone.
I still had some time to kill before meeting up with Gandalf.
“Sweet.” He had such earnest brown eyes, warm and full of life. “Listen, I got to get going for now. I just dropped in to get the book but I’ll call you.”
He turned to leave and I felt the fires creeping.
Smelled the blood, the gasoline.
The smoke that threatened to choke me, the glass glinting in the firelight.
I impulsively grabbed his arm pulling him to a stop. “Wait. Do you drive by the Fiddler’s Pub on your route home?”
“Uh…yeah why?” He looked disturbed that I asked something so specific.
“Please, please please please don’t go that route. I can’t explain why, I just have a bad feeling. Take another way. And let me know when you get home.”
He looked…shaken. And leery. “Uh, sure, whatever you say.” I could hear the undertone of ‘crazy lady’.
And for once I didn't care.
I just wanted him to listen to me.
Because if he did heed my warnings, he would get to run his campaign with his friends and not be a statistic.
He made his purchase and left me standing in the store.
I couldn't shake the feeling as I made my own purchases and put them in the car before making my way to Round One.
~
Gandalf was easy to spot, hard to miss him. Same with the large imposing man with the biker jacket, faded and ripped jeans, hair shaved short with a beard that he was talking to. He looked like every poster of a drug dealer bad biker that we were told to avoid in that D.A.R.E. program they force you to do in middle school.
Gandalf turned with a smile and wave. I bounded over despite the obvious displeasure on the other man’s face.
I should be quaking in my boots with the look of annoyance and size of the other man. He looked like he could put me through a wall without breaking a sweat.
But Gandalf was here.
I’d be fine.
“James, this is the blood of my blood, Cassandra.” Gandalf pulled me close to him, arm around my shoulder. “Cassandra, this is James. He's the enforcer and a Brujah.”
I offered him my hand. “Nice to meet you,” and then as though I had no impulse control “Brujah? Like sharkbait brujah-ha”
There was a heavy sigh from James and a muttered “Fucking Malks” before shaking my hand. “Why don't you go play a game kid and leave the adults to talk?”
I was about to argue that I was an adult, just not as adult as them when he tossed me a small bag of coins. Well, if he was buying, why not?
I set my sights on the most lucrative ticket games while still keeping an ear out of the conversation.
“Really Alistair? You just had to go and embrace someone? Make another crazy?”
“I’ll have you know that she is indispensable to my organization. She hasn't broken any rules, and I had a standing order from the baron anyway to make a child. Seers are very, very valuable.”
I cocked my head, aiming at the little alien rushing me. Seers? Rules? Baron? I filed them all away for later.
“Look, I don't have time to babysit a neonate crazy. There's a group of us meeting at a bar-”
The fire was creeping again.
The smoke wrapping around my throat.
I deliberately lose my game and go to them. “Is it Fiddlers? There's gonna be a fire there. An explosion.”
James rolled his eyes before narrowing them but Gandalf’s gaze sharpened instantly . “You saw?”
I nodded. “I saw a car being thrown off the road by an explosion and fire, so much fire.”
Gandalf looked at James who seemed to frown.
Unspoken communication. I looked between them, trying to figure out what was happening before James spoke. “I need to make some calls. Excuse me “ James walked off, pressing buttons on his phone.
I glanced back at Alistair. “...Did I do something wrong?”
“No. Though time will tell.” He put his hands in the pockets of his hoodie, scanning the room.
A casual stance for one so dangerous.
Like he knew no one would fuck with me.
James came back after a moment and said he’d be in touch. Gandalf nodded, watching him go. “How about we try and win some prizes?” He smiled, holding out his hand for a few of my coins.
~
It was around 2:00 when we left the mall. The night was still young, but my spoils from the venture needed to get to their new home.
I had almost forgotten that I had asked Ithan to call me when he got home. I actually had two missed calls when I checked.
Both from him.
I was actually surprised.
“Hey Cassandra, you asked me to call you when I got home so yeah. I took that other way home like you suggested. Hit me up sometime, I’d love to talk shop with you.”
The second call came in maybe about a half hour ago. “Holy fucking shit. Cassandra.” He sounded awestruck, maybe a little terrified. “There was an explosion at Fiddlers. The police and fire department have the road locked down. So far it doesn’t sound like there’s been any casualties. That could have been me…” his voice trailed off. “Give me a call back when you get a chance.”
I chewed on my lip. I figured the safer response instead of possibly waking him up, I sent a text to ask if he was awake.
He responded by calling.
I answered.
“Hey, isn’t it customary to wait like a day or so before you call a girl?” I teased lightly.
“Not if you like them. That’s middle school boy shit.” I heard a rustle of blankets and I tried not to think about his state of dress, how his hair was probably tussled. “You knew?”
“Eh…” I waved my hand in the air. Not that he could see but it helped me think of how I wanted to respond. How could you explain something like that to someone who didn’t-couldn’t see it? “No, I just had a very strong hunch and…you didn’t need to get hurt.” I shifted my grip on the phone. “Glad you’re okay. Sorry if I…came off crazy.”
I heard Sybil tsk in my head at that.
I rolled my eyes at her, turning my attention back to the call.
“You probably saved my life with that warning, Triple C.” He sighed.
“Triple C?” I cocked my head, frowning.
“Cute, crazy, Cassandra.” I heard a small relieved smile cross his face at that.
I leaned back into the seat. He thought I was cute, and cute before crazy.
“So, you busy Friday? I was thinking maybe dinner and some prep, maybe a movie if you’re up for it?” He sounded hopeful. Eager.
I smiled, catching sight of my own fanged reflection in the car mirror. “It’s a date.”
Maybe, just maybe this Kindred thing wasn’t that bad after all.