Hotel Sanguinaria

Chapter Nine

“We can go out, right?” Shiloh asked suddenly.  “I mean, we’re not confined to the Hotel forever.”

The group – herself, Seraph, Rachael, Neith, Lily with a warm, wet cloth pressed to Dylan’s head and Dylan, flapping his arms and hissing at her to be more gentle as she drew back a little and smacked the cloth down on his head injury – were seated around one of the tables tucked way back into a corner in the pub-like front room of the Hotel.  Shiloh was amazed at how many rooms she’d passed as she moved throughout the building.  The pub was only the beginning.

“No, we’re – ouch, Lily – jeez – stop that – we’re good to go out as long as we’re careful,” Dylan replied.

“Don’t want anyone finding out about us, you mean?” Shiloh asked.

“Nah.  We’ve got more to worry about than that,” Neith grinned.  Shiloh blinked at her.

“Like what?”

The dark-skinned girl leaned forwards and whisper dramatically.

“Hunters.”

Shiloh laughed nervously.

“I thought you said hunters weren’t an issue?  That the IHA had a safe hold on rogue vampires?  There’re laws to protect us, aren’t there?”

“Yes, there are,” Rachael shot a scolding looked at Neith, who shrugged.    “But, unfortunately, just as there are rogue vampires who break the laws, so there are rogue hunters who do the same.”

“So if we go out we’re immediately at risk of being hunted down by rogue vampire hunters and killed?” Shiloh gaped, looking between Neith – who didn’t look in the least bit worried – to Rachael, who was smiling comfortingly.

“No.  They hardly ever come to this city – too much light and noise for them to make a kill easily.”

“Aside from that,” Neith interjected.  “Most rogue hunters have their heads stuck so far up their asses that they think this sort of place will never house vampires because it contradicts the idea of our nature they’ve built up in their heads from half-assed mythology that they’ve read over the years.”

“So, they’re really not much of a threat – not here,” Rachael shot Neith a warning look which the other girl noted and promptly ignored.  “They haven’t reached here in about a hundred years.”

“That’s good,” laughed Seraph.  “I’d rather not run into some scary man with a knife in a dark alleyway whilst out and about.”

“Trust me, none of us do,” Lily piped up.  Dylan growled as she pressed harder on the back of his head with the cloth.

“Hey – hey – loosen up, Lil.  I’m not going to get any better with you crushing my skull like that.”

“Ha!  As if.  You can’t get the right angle on this thing without my help,” she crowed.

“Still hurts,” he grumbled.  Lily rolled her eyes.

“Will you have to stay inside and nurse your wounds?” she teased.

“No, I’ll come out with you.  It’s not that bad.  Promise.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“So can we go out?” Shiloh asked again, her eyes scanning the group brightly for a response.

“Yeah, sure.  You wanna wait til this one’s recovered though?” Lily asked, pointing to Dylan who had hunched over in front of her, legs crossed and his elbows resting on his shins.  He glared up at her through the bits of blond hair that had fallen into his face.