The Crime in Callahan's Morrow - being rewritten

Chapter 8: Vampires aren't so scary

"Emotions can be used to accomplish anything; from nurturing to killing, everything is possible with the right amount. It just depends on the one wielding them."

~Third Prince Alistair of the Royal Vampire Dynasty

VIII.

"Why are you so afraid of vampires?"

Why, indeed? This was the first time anyone had been blunt enough to voice the question. And Nicole wasn't sure she wanted to admit to herself the truth, much less to someone who genuinely wanted to know.

"Um..." she started so intelligently.

She should've expected that from Giuseppe. He wasn't known for subtleness. Sometimes his blunt demeanor bordered on blatant disrespect, yet she couldn't really be mad at him for broaching this subject. He was a vampire. She was afraid of vampires. What was more, he'd never gave her a reason to be afraid of him.

There were four pairs of expectant eyes on her making her skin prickle in goosebumps. Adrian's eyes were the worst. They held sadness and guilt.

To be fair, she'd never thought about explaining it, that fear festering inside her heart, consuming her at times to the point she couldn't function properly.

Should she try? Or...

"I just have a slight aversion towards your kind," crossed her lips before she could stop herself. She clamped her mouth shut immediately after, but the deed was done.

She sighed. The four pairs of eyes seemed open and expectant as the first time, maybe a bit widened in the case of Tucker. Nicole mentally patted herself for managing to fool one vampire. But that wasn't the point here. The point was that if they wanted to cooperate as a team, it would be in her best interest to talk to them.

Tucker didn't seem so bad, and if no one said anything, she wouldn't have found out he was a vampire. He was cheerful, a bit annoying, and friendly.

(Vampires kill for no good reason.)

Adrian even went that far to conceal his fangs, never showing that part of him, never drinking blood in front of anyone. Heck, their office thought him to be addicted to coffee.

(Vampires find humans as nothing more than food.)

Giuseppe had always been a wild card in Nicole's eyes. Teasing, but never making fun of her. Polite, but never assertive toward her. Smiling with his fangs out, yet he'd never hinted he wanted her blood, never acted beyond what was socially accepted.

(Vampires take whatever they want, whenever they want and don't care who they step on while doing it.)

Have I been judging the whole race because of acts of one individual?

"I'm sometimes afraid of you guys with fangs."

She mentally sighed. That didn't sound much better than the previous answer, yet she felt guilty enough to try to explain herself.

She noticed Adrian wincing which fed her guilt. He'd never deserved her judging him over something he had no control of. If it weren't for him, who knew what would've happened to her. In some way, Adrian was her role model, a perfect investigator, always fighting for truth and justice.

She shifted her eyes away. She couldn't deal with that now. Concentrating on Giuseppe. Yes. Much easier.

"Okay, I'm not scared anymore. I certainly had been frightened when I met you, Viola. But in the last few years, it's not that strong." She paused while contemplating how to put it in words.