Once More, With Strangeness

Chapter 5

 Becca paused, slowly lowering the stake in her hand as she assessed the vampire in front of her. Her brain was running on overdrive as she tried to figure out how he knew about Eddie. She should probably just stake him and be done with it. She knew better than anyone not to trust a demon, but if he had information, she needed to know.

"Talk," she stated, crossing her arms, her eyes hard as she stared him down.

"Mmm," he murmured, running his hand down over his chest, his tongue running along his top lip as his eyes roamed over her body. "You're a feisty little bit, aren't you?"

Becca cringed, "Okay, eww."

"Oh love, don't try to play that card. I know all about your boyfriend. Fangs and lack of a heartbeat get you all hot and bothered," he said with a grin. "I wouldn't mind getting to have a go at that hot, tight little body."

Becca flew forward, her hand gripped his throat, slamming him back against a tree. The grin on his face just got wider as he looked down at her.

"Do it again, pet. I like it rough," he growled.

She grabbed her stake, pressing it into his chest, "Yeah, well if you don't want to blow away with the breeze tonight, I suggest you stop being a disgusting perv and tell me what the hell you know about Eddie."

"Alright, be a buzz kill then," he mumbled, pushing her off of him. He took a few steps away, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. He took a long drag and then ran his tongue across the front of his teeth. "Your boyfriend's trapped in the Upside Down and he can't leave."

"Yeah, I already know that. So far, you are not telling me anything useful," she sighed. "And if you're not of use to me..." She shook the stake in her hand.

"Look dollface, I am trying to help you here so maybe you could stop threatening to stake me," he snapped. "I didn't have to come to you with this information, you know."

"So far you haven't given me any relevant information. Now, tell me what you know so I can decide whether I should let you keep living or not," she demanded.

"Pushy little thing, aren't you? Fine. Your boyfriend can't leave the Upside Down because the dimension requires a master," he explained, opening his arms out. "You and your little band of monster hunters took out the king of the castle and the little peons can't function without a leader. Your metal muffin was the only thing resembling a monster when it all went down. You took him back in there. They knew exactly what he was, recognized him as one of their own, and once the big bads of hell were killed, they latched onto the next best thing they could find."

Becca's eyes narrowed, "Okay, and exactly how do you know all of this?"

"Does it matter how I know? I just know and now you know. I would think you'd be a little grateful for this information, considering you've been spending months trying to find what I've just told you in five minutes," he scoffed.

"And why exactly do you care about helping me find Eddie?" she demanded.

This vampire had to be playing games with her. Why would he care about her getting Eddie back? Vampires had no souls. They cared about nothing but acquiring blood and causing as much death and destruction as they could. Eddie was the exception to the rule. This guy had to have some kind of ulterior motive.

"What? Can't a fella just do a good deed out of the kindness of his heart?" he asked, clicking his tongue as he tossed his cigarette to the ground, stubbing it out with the toe of his boot.

"You're not a fella. You're a demon and I highly doubt it," she snorted.

"Sticks and stones, pet. You can't pass judgment when you're sleeping with the enemy. Your boyfriend and I have an awful lot in common," he said.