"Michael," Vincent said. The grin was bigger than ever, and Vincent wanted to destroy him.

  "That was excellent," Michael said. "Great job, Vin. You have no idea how long I've been waiting for that." He walked slowly forward, crossing in front of the glass doors. "Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I really mean that."

  "This is what you wanted?" Vincent asked, his fists clenching and unclenching.

  Michael stopped, hearing the hostility in his voice. He crossed his arms. "This is what we both wanted."

  Vincent dropped his lighter, and the noise made Michael jump. "You're a liar."

  Michael's grin was gone and with his new knowledge, Vincent could see how he looked like Kris, but not like Lilith. He could never resemble her. "Did you really want that bitch running things?" Michael asked him, Vincent now seeing his act, his parody of a used car salesman. "It'll be better once things calm down, and they'll see who knows best."

  Vincent's jaw dropped. "You are out of your fucking mind."

  "Who better to lead our people into the future than a man who can foretell it? You listened to me, and look where you are now. I promise, Vin. I won't forget what you did for me." Michael shook his head. "I told you that you'd make it up to me."

  Vincent glanced at the smoldering black form that was Lilith. "What I did for you," he repeated. "Look at what you made me do," Vincent screamed suddenly, pointing to the monstrosity that had used to be a goddess. The fire was smoldering and showed no signs of extinguishing. Suddenly he felt like he'd never really wanted to kill her at all.

  Michael paused and frowned. "I just couldn't do it." His eyes had glazed over, and Vincent knew Michael was out of his mind. "I tried. I could never put that woman in her place." He paused. "But that was before I had the sight and realized that I didn't have to do it myself."

  "How many?" Vincent asked, holding his stomach and completely consumed with his feelings of nausea. He had a sick feeling that they'd all die now. "How many were there that attempted before me?"

  Michael shook his head as if he'd just been accused of something. "Not many. A few." Again, he looked off into the distance, and Vincent wondered how he'd ignored the signs of instability. "I could never influence her in that way, she'd have been suspicious." Vincent took a few steps toward the door. Fuck that family, he'd had enough.

  Vincent swallowed and paused for the lump in his throat to go down. "She was your sister. You two were humans. And you still remember it, don't you? That fucking flag hanging in your room. You think that gives you the freedom to defile and degrade your kid sister?" Vincent looked away because Michael appeared content. "How could you?" He was speechless. All along Michael had been his moral compass, and now Vincent recognized that he had been manipulated by a psychopath. "You were a monster before you were a monster. You know that?" Vincent shook his head.

  "Look, Vin," Michael said, "No hard feelings, okay? We're still friends, right?" Vincent didn't stop until Michael grabbed his arm. "Hey, this is serious." Vincent focused on the hand on his forearm, not on the sincere face of a friend that he'd trusted. "I'm about to save your life again."

  Oh, how generous. Vincent's hand went to the blade handle in his pocket. "Don't," Michael said, slowly and deliberately, the way you'd talk to your child. "The humans-" Michael never finished because Vincent kicked him in the chest instead.

  Betcha didn't see that coming, asshole. Then, when Michael bumped his back against the railing, Vincent brought out the blade and sliced Michael's throat open. He didn't resist the blood this time. He grabbed Michael's body from falling over into the streets below, and drank. It didn't last long because he couldn't stand the taste or the images he'd seen in his head, and Vincent stopped. He knew right there that Michael's head was not some place he wanted to be. He'd seen the future, and Michael had told him the truth, at least in that respect. The humans knew, and they were coming, and Vincent was glad he'd taken Michael out of the equation because he'd seen Kris wasn't the only family member who'd wanted Luna. The image of his tortured beautiful Luna set his mind where it should have been all along, and he left the two bodies there, after digging that steel blade into Michael's chest and twisting. He headed to the double glass doors with new purpose.

  A Vampire Slayer. I'll Be Coming Back For Her. All Right.

  When Vincent entered the hall, closing the doors behind him, he saw everyone's attention was towards the front of the room. He was able to blend right back into the crowd. He hadn't been too late. It looked as if the festivities were about to begin. Everyone's attention was on the heavy, engraved doors that were being pulled open by the former Lilith's laymen. The first person that walked out, a human with such an irregular heartbeat as to suggest that it could stop at any moment, looked familiar, even from where he stood, far back in the crowd. She was dressed in a long gray and black gown that was somehow both expensive and disturbing. He pushed his way forward, wiping his mouth and his neck hoping that Michael's blood was not obvious, trying to get a closer look at her. The gray mesh on the top half of her gown accentuated the fact that she wasn't wearing a bra, and she was obviously very cold, but the detail on the satin black lower half suggested that it had been carefully thought out and designed. The only sounds were the step of their shoes. She came forward with her eyes glazed. Her hair was pulled severely back, and there were deep gashes on her neck and a chain collar that was hanging loose around her painfully thin neck. It wasn't until he saw the other end of the chain in Kris's hand that he realized the woman he was looking at was his former lover, his life, his Luna.

  Vincent stomach jumped, and he forgot about the murders he'd committed. He pulled his cold sopping wet shirt away from his skin, wishing the blood would dry, glad that it was black and just appeared that he was wet, only the smell suggesting that it was fresh. The couple floated through the mass of people, who all moved out of the way to let them through. Vincent moved forward again, trying to get closer to that heartbeat, barely noticing that while he'd slid behind a man wearing a white jacket, he'd left a smear of blood across the back. Luna was floating across the hall, as if sleepwalking, leading her master, appearing to be a ghost in the flesh. That was their new aim, the upper class, the living as domesticated pets. As she came closer, Vincent wanted to reach out and grab her, but he resisted. Instead, he stared at her face so hard that she must have felt it, because her eyes flickered and then turned to look right into his. He was stunned. She remembered him. There was something in her eyes. Her step hesitated, and then she continued walking, and Kris glanced at him with no sign of recognition.

  The couple continued walking to the front of the hall, near the mountain that was flowing blood. Kris was dressed in a deep rich burgundy suit. He stopped, turned towards the crowd and opened his mouth as if was about to speak. Before he could get a sound out, there was a scream from the balcony and everyone was turning towards the glass. Everyone but Vincent, who kept his eyes on Luna, and noticed that there was a closed door right behind where she was standing. Not totally vertical, she seemed to be leaning on the wall for support. It made him sick.

  Someone yelled over the commotion, "It's your sister," and no one had to ask whose. Kris turned towards the doors, and someone else yelled, "It was meat bags," another yelling, "A slayer."

  It wasn't what Vincent had planned, but he was happy with the result. Kris rushed through the crowd to see what was going on, leaving Luna leaning against the wall. Vincent pushed his way through the crowd, walking against the current, fighting his way to Luna. He was hoping for more than a blank stare when he grabbed her, but at least she didn't yell when he grabbed her wrist. In one quick move, he grabbed her and picked her up easily because of all the weight she'd lost. She looked like she'd drop dead from hunger at any moment. He could feel her bones through her clothes. Anorexia nervosa had nothing on her. He opened a nearby door and slipped in, his nearly dead bride in his arms, hoping to find a hallway but found only a supply closet lit with one bare bulb. Vincent slid in so fast that he bumped into a silver breaker box, and the cover slid to the floor, causing a large clattering noise. He paused with his hand over Luna's mouth, listening over her breathing to try and see if anyone was attempting to come in, but all he could hear was the same commotion outside.

  Vincent relaxed and looked down at her face, still empty and far away. Then he focused on the wall behind her, on the breaker box that didn't actually contain anything other than white silly putty looking stuff, and intermittent fuses connected by colored wires. He'd killed Michael for telling the truth. The humans were already there.

  Vincent knew he didn't have time to hide Luna and come back to her later. He needed to get out of the building as soon as possible. So he held on to Luna's hand and looked out onto the hall. Most people were on the balcony, if not facing it, and Kris was nowhere in sight. Because of the people crowded in a group, he was able to pinpoint guards standing by the door Kris had come in. He rushed over to them, carrying Luna in his arms because he couldn't trust her to walk. There were screams and gunfire coming from the area of the balcony. His time was running out.

  "They want everyone out there," Vincent said, trying to sound out of breath and nervous, which didn't take much acting. "I'm to watch the humans." He hoped he looked official enough, with one of Kris's most prized possessions in his arms.

  "What's going on over there?" Asked one of the vampires, an Asian man who looked like a teenager.

  "It's bad. I think some blood bags got out," Vincent said shaking his head, and it made the vampires grin at each other and hurry towards the crowd, some of which were filing out of the exits. Vincent opened the door they had been guarding and stuck his head in, thanking his luck at finding a kitchen where humans were sitting on the ground, chained together like slaves. He walked in, making sure he was the only vampire in the room, still carrying Luna, who made no effort, no sounds, and no resistance. It was an improvement from the old frightened one, but he was deeply afraid that when it was all over and Dr. Walker wouldn't be able to get that mind back. Vincent shoved a chair under the doorknob like he'd seen in movies, and hoped that it would at least buy him some time. He saw Harvey and Scott chained, looking a bit shaken up but smiling when they saw him enter. He took a step towards them, but Harvey jumped up and pointed back to the door.

  "The keys," Harvey said.

  Vincent put Luna down carefully on the floor and turned to find the keys hanging on a hook next to the door. They were huge iron keys that looked like they belonged to nineteenth century jail cells, and they jangled loudly when Vincent picked them up. He guessed they'd wanted to make that part idiot proof. The last thing they needed was some stupid jerk losing the keys. Vincent ran over and knelt next to Harvey, who grabbed the keys out of his hand and began trying them in his lock. Scott was bouncing up and down, waiting for his turn.

  "You did it," Scott said, looking giddy, "I can't fucking believe it."

  Vincent didn't allow himself to celebrate. There was no telling how long they had. There hadn't been a timer.

  Harvey looked up at him, noticed the look in his eyes, kept trying the keys but periodically kept looking back at his. "So you found her." It wasn't a question, and he said it in a low tone.

  "What was left," Vincent replied.

  Harvey glanced at his eyes again then slid the right key into the lock. "What's going on out there?"

  Vincent hesitated then figured Harvey needed to know. He leaned in to whisper it in his ear, sure that no one else could hear. "There are bombs in this building."

  Harvey froze for exactly one second, then released the lock and stood up. He looked like he was going to be sick. There were at least twenty-five people in the room, all locked individually, most of whom had been sitting and crying silently. Vincent could see in his mind he was calculating whether or not he'd have time to release all of the locks.

  Vincent unlocked Scott, finding the right key on the second try and wondered what it was that had given him such good luck that night. Then he knelt down next to a man in a business suit, the next human in line. "Start unlocking yourselves." He looked into the man's eyes, knowing he'd be easily controllable because of his state of mind. "Work fast but calm and don't leave anyone behind." The man nodded as if he were in a trance but as soon as Vincent stood up, he began working on the locks. "Where's your father?" Vincent asked.

  Harvey shook his head, looking shattered, knowing they were out of time. "I don't know. I haven't seen him."

  Scott suddenly jumped up and down. "I think I saw him when they were being led in. There was a man with a beard, and a dirty white coat, he was in a cage."

  Scott turned and started running towards the back of the door. He slipped on some blood on the floor and fell, giving Harvey a chance to catch up and Vincent a chance to grab Luna's hand and pull her to her feet. He glanced back at her and realized he'd left that collar on her. He stopped and unbuckled it, wanting to kiss her because he was so glad they were doing it, they were getting away. If only he'd had a chance to set Kris on fire too and kill that fucker to make sure he wouldn't be able to follow. Harvey stood above Scott, waiting for him to get up. "Let's go," he said.

  Scott looked up at him, wide-eyed and pointed under the kitchen counters. "Guys, I think there's a bomb under here."

  Vincent reached down and physically picked him up. "I know. And who do you think did it?" Harvey began leading them to the back door. "Living beings, a force worse than vampires."

  Scott mouthed the answer with him, laughed, but it wasn't a normal laugh, it was more of an 'oh shit I'm going to die' laugh.

  "Where?" Harvey demanded. They'd walked out into an open warehouse area. There was coughing coming from a covered crate on one side, and although Vincent hurried, Harvey still sprinted and beat him to it. When they removed the canvas, they found Dr. Walker covered in dirt and blood, but still breathing. Harvey laughed out loud and knelt down in front of the door. "Dad."

  "Son?" Came the small frightened voice of the doctor. "They were going to torture me, son. Please, help me."

  Scott knelt down too, looking at the lock that was attached the latch on the oversized dog crate. He paused for a moment and then let it fall with a huge clank on the metal. "We left the keys." He looked back into the other room.

  Vincent shook his head. "No time, we have to move."

  Harvey was inspecting the sides. "We could probably just take it apart."

  They all stood up, and Vincent gave Luna's hand to Scott. "Don't take your eyes off her for a second," he said, still not sure if he could believe her comatose state was genuine.

  Scott nodded. "Is she going to be okay?"

  Vincent didn't answer, just picked up the doctor's crate and carried it over his head. "You're going to have to cover us," he said to Harvey, who nodded and reached into his pocket.

  Once the door swung open, Vincent could see that Scott was going to get the vampire battle he'd wanted. They emerged into the back alley where they'd came in, but now there were five vampires watching guard, and they weren't going to give Vincent a chance to talk his way out of things. Harvey had his full size bottle of hairspray in his jacket and lighter ready, and created a ball of fire that consumed the first vampire, who Vincent never even had a chance to see. Scott slipped past him without a word and shined his flashlight in the eyes of the vampire with the big afro that they'd seen coming in, causing the vampire to cry out and clutch his eyes in pain and the entire time, Scott never let go of Luna, who was covering her eyes with her free hand. Harvey shot another ball of fire at a couple of female vampires, and Vincent walked past them as they tried to roll on the ground to put it out, but it didn't seem to be working on the concrete. Eventually, they just stopped moving. Scott seemed to feel the need for variety and pulled out his bottle of holy water to stop another vampire who was about to pounce on Vincent as he walked down the loading ramp. Scott sprayed it into his face, which had the same effect as it had on Lilith, the smell and burn of acid. Vincent had to take a few steps to the side to keep the splash to a minimum because he could feel the individual drops that landed on his arm.

  They all looked around, expected more, but vampires were on a shortage. They were all inside trying to find out what was going on with Lilith, and Michael. They had to keep moving. Vincent headed for the truck that was still sitting there with its back door open.

  "You think they left the keys in the ignition?" Scott asked, struggling to keep up, pulling Luna behind him.

  "Why not? They have excellent security," Vincent said, groaning as he placed the doctor gently in the back of the Mac truck. He pushed it far enough to the back where it was in no danger of sliding out unless they were going up some steep hills.

  "Keys," Harvey cried as Vincent came up to the passenger's side. They were in the ignition. Harvey started the truck as Vincent slid in next to Scott and Luna. As they pulled away from the curb, Vincent took Luna's hand and held it in his own. She looked at him blankly and didn't say anything.

  "Will she come out of this?" Vincent asked Harvey without ever taking his eyes from her face. He wanted to be sure that if he never saw her face again that he'd remember it forever. It was all worth it, even if that was all he'd have a chance to do.

  Harvey glanced over. "We can turn her into a person again. I just don't know how much of her memory we're going to get back."

  Vincent nodded. Luna's eyes had drifted off again. Harvey was coming to an intersection. The light was red. "Run it," Vincent said flatly and Harvey did. "Is your Dad okay?"

  Harvey nodded and grinned. "Yeah, I guess so."

  "Where are you going to take her?" Vincent asked.

  "Me? Come on, we're in this together. And we're going to have to disappear."

 

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