Rare Blood

Chapter Four: Breakfast Bites

 CHAPTER FOUR

Cyrus left Faye in his living room to make her breakfast while she sat on the couch to rest. She tried to relax, but couldn't. She knew something wasn't quite right, though she did believe Cyrus. His story about almost hitting her with his car was starting to sound right. It was all so hazy though, and the fact that she had a massive headache only served to make the situation worse. She really needed some water and a couple aspirins.

Faye got off the couch and found her way to the kitchen hoping once her headache eased up that maybe the fogginess would ease up too. When she entered the room Cyrus' back was toward her and he had a phone to his ear.

"Roxy," he said, "We need to talk. You need to call me when you get this."

Roxy... she thought and found herself instantly wondering if Roxy was his girlfriend. Looking around the kitchen it dawned on her that his girlfriend probably lived with him. Everything she had seen of the house was nice, too nice for a bachelor pad.

The kitchen looked expertly coordinated with slate flooring, warm oak cabinets, and black granite counters. The appliances were all stainless steel, the walls were painted a pale olive green, and there was even a bowl of fresh fruit on the counter. His kitchen was like stepping into a page from Better Homes and Garden. The rugged man with his long hair, loose jeans, and black t-shirt did not look capable of keeping such an immaculate kitchen.

"Faye," He said interrupting her thoughts. "What are you doing off the couch?"

"I was hoping you had something for my  headache..."

He looked thoughtful for a second then said, "I'll be right back," and he left her in the kitchen for only a moment. He was back in front of her handing her a little packet in no time, "It's from the first aid kit."

"Thank you," she said, ripping it open and popping the pills in her mouth. Cyrus opened the refrigerator then handed her a bottle of cold water and after taking a few sips she asked, "Is there a bathroom I can use?" He nodded and led the way silently.

She entered the half-bath nearly shrieking as she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror above the sink. Her hair was in a lopsided, stringy ponytail, she had hideous dark circles under her eyes, and her skin looked washed out. She felt awful.

There was an inch long cut high on her forehead held closed with two white butterfly band-aids. She looked like she crawled out from under a rock.

Fighting back the desire to cry Faye did what she could. She straightened her ponytail and then combed through the tangled ends with her fingers. She cupped cold water in her hands and doused her face with it, repeatedly, before rinsing her mouth out and shutting the faucet off.

Feeling a tiny bit better Faye stretched, rolling her head in a circle, and that's when she saw them... two purple puncture marks on the side of her neck. "What the..." she questioned and leaned in close to the mirror trying to get a better look. The wounds were hard to see but it was obvious what they were and she freaked. "Something bit me!"

Cyrus was scrambling eggs, hesitating to carry out his original plan. He was going to slip Faye a few drops of his blood putting her to sleep while it healed her injuries and a couple of hours later she would wake as good as new. Vampires could feed and erase all of the evidence; an ability necessary for survival. He just needed to find out where she lived, give her a drop of his blood, and then take her home. When she woke she wouldn't remember him and her injuries would be healed. The only problem was he didn't want Faye to forget him.

As Cyrus struggled Faye charged into the kitchen hysterical. "Something bit me! Something bit me," she squealed coming very close showing him her neck. "Look right here," she said craning her head to the side exposing the marks marring her delicate skin.