First Taste (Part 3)

Hannibal's Song

Hannibal sat in front of his harpsichord scratching little marks on his sheet music. His fingers danced nimbly over the keys letting the notes he just wrote ring out. He pursed his lips as he contemplated Jade’s return. His playing settled into a dancing melody, the base of a slow crescendo. Jade was a curiosity, not as curious as Will, vampiric nature aside, but interesting all the same.  She was another piece in the ongoing chess match. The notes rose with the swell of his intended ascension, dissonance building in tandem. His brow furrowed slightly as he contemplated the debt he now owed to Jade. The music cut off abruptly as he paused to scratch the last notes he just played; his pen pressing just a bit harder.

His playing resumed.  He returned to a pianissimo playing an eerie minor key in the upper register. It was more irking that her interference was seemingly unnecessary. Jack and Alana would have shown up in a few moments and ensured his survival. In fact, he thought punctuating his irritation with sharp staccato, it was more of hassle to explain why his attacker was already dead. His playing smoothed out again returning to a stronger but more tenuto style of playing. It wasn’t hard to explain away the seeming inconsistency. Jade was simply an acquaintance that he’d encountered a few times and was trying to do the right thing. She killed the man in a panic while trying to save him and ran off when she heard others, afraid of possible legal trouble.

The notes paused a second time followed by the sound of more scribbling. Regardless, while some of his debt may have been paid by deterring Jack, she did go out of her way to save his life, getting shot in the process. Not to mention the vampire debacle; he was quite pleased he had the liberty to attack at will. His playing soared again although his fingers tensed, demeaning official titles aside.

Jade was unique though. It was unlikely she’d collect the debt he owed her; at least not in the way most people would, of that he was sure. She’d call in a favor for something illegal, something interesting, rather than something bothersome or humiliating.

The silk of his dress shirt slid over his stitches as his fingers darted across the keys. Unfortunately, despite the fact Jack and Alana were only a few minutes behind her he could not guarantee what would have happened. He was sure his life would have been preserved regardless; its state on the other hand would be questionable.

Jade was rude and disruptive. She barged into his private spaces like a storm with no regard to decency or propriety. Normally, he’d eat one such as her. He’d refrain if only because she was such a peculiarity and her tendency toward occasional cunning and ruthlessness redeemed her in his eyes.

Her interference with Will and his own dealings while putting both of them in danger almost earned her his retribution for a second time. He’d know how to end her this time too.

On the other hand, his thought accompanied by a slight flourish of music, she could prove to be very useful to him in the future.

Her vampiric nature, while not as intriguing as Will’s natural empathy, was still a fascinating subject. What would she  have done with his captor if Jack had not shown up when he had? Would she have indulged her kind’s apparent bloodlust and tortured the man to death or would she still have snapped his neck in an instant?

A few more notes and a few more scribbles punctuated the passage of time. His thoughts neverending. He had seen Jade take blood twice now, once from him, and then again when she saved him. It obviously functioned as both a source of sustenance and as a rapid healing agent; a healing agent so powerful it potentially conquers death. Surely, the biology of a vampire was more complex than that.

An irritated hiss of air escaped from between his pursed lips. Hannibal did not like being ignorant in anything. Unfortunately, the existence of vampires made a large hole in his understanding of the world. The only reliable source of information was Jade. He looked up then. As rude as he found her intrusions, he’d excuse her discourtesy if she did him the favor of appearing and providing him with some answers.

His playing halted. Yes, Jade had all his answers, he’d rather take initiative and seek her out on his own terms. Gracefully, he rose from the seat smoothing down invisible wrinkles and rebuttoning his suit jacket.  One hand gathered his sheet music while the other reorganized the space leaving it immaculate.

As he was making his way to the door his cell phone rang. An exasperated sigh slid passed his lips. He pulled it from his pocket. It was Jack. He could very well ignore it, but that would cause more problems than it was worth. Shifting his papers around, he answered the phone.

“How may I help you Jack?”