Blood Pact

Vancouver. Another known drug dealer has been found by the teahouse at Ferguson Point. As in the three previous cases, the head appears to have been ripped from the body and sources in the Coroner's Office report that, once again, the body has been drained of blood.”

    Celluci's grip tightened around the aluminum beer can, crushing the thin metal. His attention locked on the television, he didn't notice the liquid dripping over his hand and onto the carpet.

    "The police remain baffled and one of the officers staking out the teahouse during the time the murder occurred freely admitted having seen nothing. Speculation in the press ranges from the likelihood of a powerful new gang arriving in the Vancouver area and removing competition, to the possibility of an enraged sasquatch roaming the park.

    "In Edmonton . . .”

    Drained of blood. Celluci shut off the sound and stared unblinkingly at the CBC news anchor who silently continued the National without him. Not a sasquatch. A vampire. A new, young vampire learning to feed. Rip off the heads to hide the first frenzied teeth marks. Fitzroy was strong enough. Leave dead drug dealers in the park to make a point. He could see Vicki all over that.

    "God-damned vampire vigilantes," he muttered through teeth clenched so tightly his temples ached. Back before Fitzroy, Vicki had realized that law was one of the few concepts holding chaos at bay. As much as she might have wanted to behead a few of the cock-roaches that walked on two legs in the city's gutters, she'd never have taken matters into her own hands. Fitzroy had changed that even before he'd changed her.

    Vicki was alive, but what had she become? And why didn't he care?

    Celluci didn't want to face the answer to either question. The TV continued to flicker silently in the corner as he cracked open a bottle of Scotch and methodically set about searching for oblivion.

    Time passed but only because there was nothing to stop it.

    She stood outside for a while and watched his shadow move against the blinds. There was a tightness in her chest and, if she didn't know herself better, she'd say she was frightened. "Which is ridiculous.”

    Wiping her palms against the thighs of her jeans, the movement dictated no longer by need but by habit, she started up the driveway. Waiting would only make it worse.

    Her knock, harder than she'd intended for she still didn't have complete control of her strength, echoed up and down the quiet street. She listened to him approach the door, counted his heartbeats as he turned the knob, and tried not to flinch back from the sudden spill of light.

    "Vicki.”

    She felt as though she hadn't heard her name spoken for a very long time and couldn't hear his reaction over the sound of her own.
    With an effort, she kept her voice more or less even. "You don't seem especially surprised to see me.”

    "I heard about what happened last night to Gowan and Mallard.”

    "No more than they deserved. No more than I owed them.”

    "The paper says they'll both live.”

    The night flashed for an instant in her smile. "Good. I want them to live with it." She rubbed her palms against her jeans again, this time wiping clean old debts. "Can I come in?”

    Celluci stepped back from the door. She was thinner, paler, and her hair was different. It took a moment for the most obvious change to sink in.

    "Your glasses?”

    "I don't need them anymore." This smile was the smile he remembered. "Good thing, too.”

    Closing the door behind her, he felt like an amputee who'd woken up to find his legs had grown back. He couldn't seem to catch his breath and it took a moment to identify the strange sense of loss he was feeling with an absence of pain. He almost heard the click as the piece that had been gouged from his life slid back into place.

    "You know the potential problems with the RP never even occurred to me that night in the lab," she continued, leading the way into the kitchen. "Can you imagine a vampire with no night sight? Biting by braille, God, what a mess that would be.”

    "You're babbling," he said shortly as she turned to face him.

    "I know. Sorry.”

    They stared at each other for a long moment and a number of things that needed to be said were discussed in the silence.

    "Henry owes you an apology," Vicki told him at last. "He never mentioned to you that vampires can't stay together after the change is complete.”

    "It's been fourteen months.”

    She spread her hands. "Sorry. I got