She pushed into her chair, arching her back until her muscles rippled with a satisfying burn. Then she glanced out the window.
Her stomach folded into a knot. The sky had never been that color before—flat, inky, and impenetrable.
She fought down a flare of anxiety as she sent her final file, entered her time for the day, and shut down her computer. She tugged her coat off the chair, dropped her phone in her purse, then scooped it and her lunch bag off the desk.
Just hold your keys between your fingers. The advice echoed through her head, a mantra she’d repeated since she was a kid.
She wound through the darkened forest of desks and out past the lobby. At the elevators, she only paused long enough to jab one of the buttons. She rolled on her heels until a soft ding sounded, then one of the pairs of silvery doors opened.
She stepped inside and hit the button for the ground floor. The glowing number above the door rapidly ticked down from 43 to 1.
The parking garage had been one of the reasons she’d originally considered this place. Of course, it had never occurred to her she might have to enter the concrete abyss hours past the end of her usual workday.
With her house key and an old car key wedged between her fingers, she strode inside. The quiet buzz of the office building replaced with the cool darkness of the garage. A rush of noise pulsed muffled from the surrounding streets. The air stirred now and then, tousling her hair.
She quickened her pace, her footfalls thudding in a harried tandem with her heart. “Just a short walk,” she muttered to herself, “and I’ll be in the clear…”
* * *
Usually, the mortals appeared in groups. Two or three were manageable; but a single was a rare blessing.
The rafters of the parking garage provided the perfect pockets in which to hide. He crept along with the grace of a stalking cat.
Contrary to popular belief, he and his kind tried to avoid killing their victims. No…the overzealous experimenting of his ancient ancestors had sparked an unfortunate myth that persisted in the minds of the mortals. He needed but the equivalent of a few vials’ worth at a time. The mortals woke up without any memory of the incident, scratching at the strange bumps on their necks or arms, which they promptly attributed to a bug bite.
The woman walked quickly, her shoes clapping sharply against the concrete. She hunched her shoulders, locked her arms close to her body, and darted her eyes about. A pair of thin objects glinted between the fingers on her left hand.
She couldn’t have known he was there…and yet her body language screamed of defense.
No…he knew what was happening. The one thing certain mortals feared more than the grotesque tales of blood-sucking monsters.
* * *
In a blink, a black shadow loomed before her.
Ice pumped through her veins. This was it—the fruition of her deepest dread. Did she still have time to escape? If she turned away and ran now—
“Please…” The man’s voice escaped in a warmer rumble than she’d expected. “I know it is hard to believe this, but do not be afraid.”
He swept down an arm, folding his cape away from his face. A flutter of scarlet peeked out from the cape’s inner lining.
She blinked. Was it possible people were just…like that?
Or…was it more likely she stood yards away from…a real…live…vampire…with skin the color of snow, mussed black hair, and eyes as dark as the night sky?
“Um…I don’t…really have…great proof of that,” she coughed.
* * *
Oh. He glanced around, then strode towards one of the parked cars. He heard her slow, distant footsteps trailing behind him as he bent before a side mirror.
His companion gasped softly. “How…does that guarantee I’ll be safe?”
“I wished to establish I was not merely an unhinged mortal.”
* * *
She snorted, slapping her free hand over her mouth. “Um…so…wh-what—what did you want?” Though the answer to that was obvious, if she really wasn’t hallucinating.
His expression gave away nothing other than a blank sort of earnestness. “I wish to accompany you to where you are going, to ensure your safety.”
There was no way to verify he wasn’t lying about his intentions. “Um…”
Strain wound across the man’s face now. “I know many mortals in your position fear attacks of a different nature. Maybe it is hypocritical of me to condemn that…but, nevertheless, I do.”
If he was lying, then she just had to be on really high alert. And pray to every deity she knew to protect her. “Okay…um…I…I guess you can walk me to my car?”
He held up his hands. “I can walk in front of you, so that you can watch me.”
She strode as fast as she could while not breaking into a run. Slowly, the correct car emerged from the tangle of concrete and shadows.
At the car, her companion walked around to the passenger side, his hands still hovering within her sight. She depressed the unlock button on her key fob, and the headlights flashed.
She tugged on the driver door handle, climbed inside, and shut the door.
Then, after a moment of debate, she rolled down the passenger side window. “Um…thank you? Thank you. Yes.” Her cheeks burned. “I hope I didn’t act too suspicious.”
He shook his head. “Do not apologize for being too cautious. It is how we survive.”
She nodded, then rolled the window back up.
As the car pulled away, she almost thought to check the rearview mirror to see if the man was still standing there—but then remembered with a blush that it wouldn’t matter anyway.
* * *
He watched as she backed up and drove away. Had it been hypocritical of him to do this?
He scratched at the back of his neck. Eh…maybe he’d just have to start picking his targets a little bit more carefully from now on.
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