Hunter's Moon

Chapter 7

            Closing the door behind him, Robert went back inside to scan for vampires. He had to admit, seeing that kid from Wednesday show up asking questions and not about the monster he fought, but about the girl. Smart kid, that one. Might make a good apprentice hunter, then his girlfriend, she could make a good one too, once she realized that monsters really did exist.

            Scanning the crowd once more he saw that the service had just started. Nearly everyone's heads were bowed down in prayer. Robert took special note of the ones that weren't. Hmm . . . a few disinterested boys there just to console their distraught girlfriends. One of the city planners, an atheist if he remembered correctly looked like he was mentally going over his calendar. And a girl, maybe early twenties, alert and watching, like he was, with a predatory gaze. She had blonde hair and was wearing a black blouse and denim skirt. He looked down right as she looked his way, he didn't want to tip his hand too soon.

            Robert watched the rest of the service in silence, keeping his eye on the suspected vampire. He didn't see anything else that changed his mind about who the vampire was. He did notice the newbie hunter couple come back in. Every time that Robert looked their way he saw Taylor glaring at him with distrust. Matthew seemed to be watching the crowd.

            After the service, people milled about slowly. Some left, others gathered into groups of like-minded types. Robert watched as his target moved to some of those who were slow to merge into any of the formed cliques, Thinning the herd, Robert thought.

            He moved in on his target and caught the tail end of an offer “ . . . et something to drink? It's not safe out there alone.”

            Robert burst in between his target and her prey, a pretty young thing that could've been Simone's cousin. “You are right, do not be alone on your way home tonight! But this is not the place to make friends of strangers.” He faced the prey and looked her straight in the eye, “Find someone you already know and don't leave their side until you get to your front door.”

            He turned to see a scathing look on the presumed vampire's face and smiled. “Not tonight.”

            The disappointment clouded over into confusion and then snapped into clarity, “Oooooh. You have my sister, I can smell her on you. Papa was sooooo upset when she didn't return. He could tell she hasn't Fed yet. You should just let her go, it's the safest way for you.”

            Robert gave her an icy stare, “The safest thing for you is to tell me exactly where your 'Papa' is and then to walk into the sunlight yourself.” He could see from his peripheral vision that the priest was attempting to usher the remaining people out of the chapel proper.

            The vampire girl laughed,. “Really, that's what you wish?” She backed away casually. “I really don't think that would be the proper thing to do. In fact, if you don't take my advice on what the safest thing is for you . . . well, I really can't protect you from all the unsafe things that go bump in the night.” With that, she turned toward the door and was gone from sight before Robert could respond.

            Okay, so I just painted a big target on my back. Not the worst thing I could have done. Robert thought to himself and turned to leave. The couple from earlier had been standing right behind him.

            “It's Robert, right?” Matthew asked.

            Robert looked up and saw the couple looking at him, “Yes?”

            “So, you’re a hunter, and she's” he indicated to the door the vampire had left through, “the huntee?”

            Robert nodded.