The Best Way to Kill Your Boyfriend

Illusions

I couldn't keep the scowl from my face as the guard before me read out a report. The sun was setting, and I was going to be late. I had promised Jake that I'd run him somewhere special tonight. This really hadn't been a good time for a pair of vampires on holiday in Italy to decide to see who could climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa the fastest. When there were humans looking. According to the report, one even got a photo.

"Your Majesty, the humans could share news of this with the world, and our secret would be exposed -"

"So what are you waiting for? Send Lyla in already!" I snapped. I knew about the risks of being exposed. I was the one who had made the laws to keep us from being exposed!

"Queen Ashleigh, are you sure that is wise?" asked Sol. He was my advisor and the only vampire who had ever directly challenged me. "With all due respect, Lyla is untrained. Her talents are only just developing, and it would be more effective to send someone to kill the humans outright. And what of the vampires who committed the breach? We must send someone to bring them into custody."

The guards stared at Sol for speaking so disrespectfully to his queen. I merely looked at him and asked, "Who would you recommend, then, Sol?" 

He leant forwards, thinking he had gained some influence. "I think that Derrek would be more than capable of sorting this out, Queen Ashleigh. After all, we have already sent him on multiple errands such as these, and he has returned successful -"

"Thank you, Sol, for  telling me who not to send." I interrupted. Lying, traitorous snake. Of course Sol would attempt to send someone who was, first and foremost, loyal to him. "Please fetch Lyla. Tell her she's needed in the throne room." Sour-faced, Sol darted out the door. I nodded to dismiss everyone else in the room, then slumped in my throne, sighing. Then I sat up strait, shocked. I never slouched. Never sighed. For that matter, I never craved being outside like I did now. I wanted to run out of this underground palace faster than any eye, human or supernatural, could see, run out into the cool moonlight and find Jake. And yet... spending time around him... I was starting to act more... human.

My thoughts were interrupted by Lyla strutting in and giving me an over-exaggerated bow. 

"Your Majesty." Lyla's voice was mocking, like she thought I wasn't worthy of the title. Never mind that I had slaughtered the previous ruler, not to mention countless challengers. Talking with Lyla never improved my mood. I hated her, and was fairly sure the feeling was mutual. However, she was one of the few vampires that had talents - that is, a seemingly supernatural (well, as supernatural as you could get when you were a blood-drinking myth) ability besides our strength, speed, and heightened senses. It was quite rare, and every talent was slightly different depending on the one who possessed it. I had known vampires who could read minds, see the future, make you collapse in agony with a look. Lyla's talent was especially useful among humans, as she could cast an illusion on your mind, your memory. She could make you think that you were fighting a horde of enemies when you were actually dismembering your best friend. However, thanks to a trick she had pulled on Ares a couple of decades ago, her powers only worked on mortals. Only the current king or queen could give her full powers back, and none, including me, had yet seen fit to do so. Probably because Lyla with her full powers could talk her way to the throne in an hour, and no-one would be capable of resisting.

"A couple of humans saw some idiots climbing the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Wipe the memory from their minds, destroy any evidence." I ordered.

Lyla leaned back against a pillar. "Evidence?"

"One of the humans got a photo."

"Ah." Lyla observed the throne room as if it belonged to her, and I wasn't even worth looking at. "And if I do this for you, Majesty, will you restore my full powers?"

I bit back a growl. "You know the answer to that, Lyla. Now get out and go do your job." I hissed at her.

Lyla gave me one last arrogant glance, and sauntered out of my throne room.

She's planning something. Not one proper insult today. She's saving her energy for something else. I thought. Lyla was unusually polite today, which meant she was scheming. 

It didn't matter though. All that mattered was that no-one else would bother me tonight, so I could go see Jake. I glanced out the window again, and saw that the sun hadn't quite set yet - there were still some reddish-gold beams of light in the sky. Good. Jake had wanted to know why I never went into the sun. 

I took off, darting through the hidden door and running until I reached Jake's apartment. I jumped onto the window-sill and knocked on the glass. Jake appeared at the window and opened it, letting me in. 

"Ashleigh, hi. Where did you want-" he started, but before he could finish his sentence, I  had tugged him onto my back and was sprinting towards my home. I wasn't going to bring him in, obviously, but I knew a place the sun's last rays always hit. If I could get us there in time...

Finally, I reached the courtyard just outside the vampire palace. It was deserted, as few people knew about it, but still beautiful. As always, the last bit of sunlight filled the courtyard with warm, golden light. I stopped just where the shadows ended and let go of Jake. He staggered before regaining his balance and staring at me, then at the courtyard. "Wow."

"This is a place I like to come to to think." I murmured. "Not many people know about it, so it's a place I can be alone."

Jake stepped into the golden sunlight. "It's amazing." He turned towards me and held out his hand to me.

I took a deep breath and walked out of the shadows. It was time to break whatever remaining illusions remained of me being human.