The Dragon's Bane

XV

Izmir Lefeuvre- The Witch 

I watched it pass a hand over its annoyingly attractive face. I didn't think vampires got tired. It seemed, for lack of a better term, exhausted or maybe it was just me. I picked absentmindedly at my cold fries and cardboard flavored burger. As hungry as I was before I suddenly had no appetite.

I looked up to catch eyes as dark and consuming as the void of space, studying me with vivid fascination. Hadn't he ever seen anyone eat? It did so frequently from what I understood. So, why watch me so closely? It was rude. But I kept my mouth shut. It was keeping me alive that's more than I can say for other humans, witch or not.

About the strigoi diet, I thought I would be horrified at the thought of it taking human life. I soon found out that I wasn't. We arrived at a Denny's a few miles from the airport. A kind young waitress showed us to a booth in a secluded corner.

After she'd sufficiently ogled the strigoi (poor stupid girl). She must have taken a second look at us and noticed that we weren't in the best of circumstances. Especially given the fact that I was walking around in a man's dress shirt, boxers, and slides two sizes too big.

The dark knight stopped us a few miles from his fortress home and took the liberty of spreading what remained of my clothing all over the countryside in a trail that led in our opposite direction before we took a bunch of side roads back to the city.

When we arrived at the restaurant, it encouraged me with a smile, to order whatever I wanted. When I couldn't decide, it threatened to order one of everything on the menu. Under pressure and hating the idea of wasting food, I defaulted to the standard burger and fries.

The waitress took our order and left with a smile. She was hardly ten feet from our table when some asshole who had a one too many drinks, stepped outta line and got fresh with the waitress. Openly and rudely grabbing her ass as she went passed his table. She tried to brush him off politely but he didn't get the hint or he didn't want to. I was proud of her, telling him where he could put his unwanted advances. Even going as far as giving him the one finger solute.

Embarrassed and angered by her rejection he started shouting and cussing. In a fit of rage he even hauled back and slapped the girl. Rocking her shit hard enough to send her tumbling into an empty table and chairs.

My eyes flickered to the strigoi. He was watching just as intently as I. He folded his lower lip between his teeth. It seemed like he was trying hard to restrain himself. I looked at the other faces in the room. No one stepped in. He kept shouting and making threatening gestures towards the girl.

Watching her paralyzed with fear, curled into a tight ball and covering her head as she sobbed was my breaking point. Enough is enough.

That poor wretch didn't look any older than nineteen. She was thin as a rail, with a terrible blue dye job and probably couldn't fight sleep. I'd been in the service industry on and off for years. And I've dealt with dickheads like this guy more times than I care to count. I couldn't just sit back and watch this.

Aside from the creature and I, there were only a few other patrons. I could understand why no one else seemed keen on getting involved. The asshole was nothing to turn your nose up at. He was like a naked bear on hind legs, tall thickly muscled blonde with a buzz cut and a ton of shitty tattoos.

I shifted my ass on the faux leather, an anxious sweat practically glued me to my seat. I started to make my way out of the booth when a large warm hand clutched my forearm.

"Don't." It said. "Stay here."

I don't enjoy taking orders but it's as if its gaze pinned me in place. I felt like I had to obey. Just then the man's neck snapped in our direction when he overheard the creature. I'm not sure if it was drunken bravado or stupidity but he gave the girl one last shove with his boot and made direct confrontational eye contact not only with me but with it.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" The man's sunbeaten skin flushed an angry red.

A smile cracked the perfect pale skin of the creature's face. The only word I heard it whisper was, "Perfect."

I knew then what would happen to that man. Part of me recognized it wasn't right and that I should stop it, but I didn't. He deserved it. The world would be better off with one less asshole.

The asshole's pride wouldn't allow him to bow out of the argument. Even though he must have known something was off and that he was in danger. It was obvious, some of the wind was knocked from his sails when the creature stood from the booth to his full height and squared his shoulders.

It looked down at the girl. Then in a move that might be considered chivalrous, helped her to her feet. Its large hands cupped her face gently.

"Are you alright, love?" She nodded like an awestruck mute and her cheeks glowed a rosy pink. "Go on then. No one else will hurt you." Its voice was so certain, even I believed it.

"And just who the fuck are you?" The asshole didn't know when to shut up.

"If you really want to know then meet me in the alley behind the diner." It turned to me and mouthed "Stay put" before walking out of the front door.

The man continued his false bravado making claims I knew he couldn't achieve even with an army at his back. He too walked out the front door. I knew he'd never be seen again.

On my third cup of coffee, second slice of pie and less than an hour later, it came strutting through the door. It wore a fitted white tee, denim blue jeans, and a different pair of black high tops. A pair of aviators balanced on the straight bridge of its perfect nose. I looked outside. Dawn was breaking.

"Are you finished?" It asked softly. "We're meeting Gaius in thirty."

"Who's Gaius?"

I received no answer to my question. I watched it pull much more than the tab was worth from its wallet and place it on the table.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" I folded my arms over my chest. Yes, I was annoyed. It didn't matter that it was keeping me alive. I needed to understand what was happening.

"I'll tell you when you need to know. Anything more will only frighten you. Now, come on."

When I didn't move, it raised a brow and said, "I'm not above throwing you over my shoulder."

Suffice it to say we were on the road a few minutes later. Lord, give me patience or an untraceable handgun that can kill vampires.