Broken Soul

Dannie awoke to hear October and Evan conversing. She sat up and looked at her surroundings. It appeared to be a motel room. It was small and all the curtains were down, shielding Evan from the sunlight. He and October were debating in front of the sink around the corner. Myra was resting in the other bed across the room.

"Hey," a voice said beside Dannie, making her jump in surprise. She saw it was just Erick. Dannie laughed at herself in embarrassment. "It's just me."

"I know," she said, calming down. "Where are we?"

"The castle was destroyed so we decided to come here to this inn and let you rest," he told her.

"Wait..." she muttered, remembering something. "The cat...Where's the cat??"

"Danielle, the cat is fine, I promise," he said.

"Where is he?"

Erick just stared at her and let her figure it out. She finally understood.

"You were the cat, weren't you?" she asked. "I knew it! The white fur and black eyes did not fool me."

"I needed to guard you and figured that form would be the easiest to use to get inside," he explained.

"I wonder if I can change forms," she said, recalling her abilities. "Now that would be-"

"You can't," he said bluntly.

"Why not? I thought I had the same powers as you. Speaking of which, you need to teach me how to use them."

"You have some of them," he reminded her. "Not all. Humans can't change forms even with powers. That's a skill only demons can possess."

"Well all I've been able to do so far is move a spoon," she declared. "Will I ever do more than that?"

"Yes," he promised. "I'll show you everything. But not now."

"What happened with that other demon?" she inquired.

"I was able to lead her away," he answered. "But I was not able to stop the fire after it had spread so quickly. Demon fires are nearly impossible to control."

"And where was October when all of this was happening?"

"She and Evan have been having a discussion about that. Apparently, a vampire was trying to break in and she chased him off. But it's obvious he wanted her to follow him so the demon could get inside."

"The cross you gave me saved me," she mentioned even though he had been present when she used it.

"That's good. Never take it off and no other demons can touch you."

"I won't." They were silent for a minute, listening to Evan arguing with October. "Why didn't he wake up?" she asked, referring to Evan.

"Because he was weak," Erick replied. "To stay strong, vampires have to feed at least once a day. He must have skipped a few."

"He shouldn't have done that."

"He had to. He only has one donor."

"He should get another one then."

"He tried," Erick reminded her. "But he ended up with you, remember?"

"Yeah. And my blood is useless to him. I know. I just think he should at least try to find someone else."

"It's not as easy as it sounds."

Evan's loud voice was echoing through the entire room now. "She is your first priority!" Dannie knew he was talking about her. "I summoned you to protect her. If you and Erick had both been there when that demon entered her room, you two could have chased it away before it started that fire!"

"Yes, sir, I'm sorry," October apologized for the fiftieth time. "I can have the castle rebuilt if that is what you request of me."

"We don't have time," Evan replied. "Besides, that demon might follow us back. We should stay away for now."

"What about the event tonight?" October reminded him. "Will you be going?"

"I suppose I have to."

"You were asked to bring a guest," she recalled. "Should I go with you?"

"Vampires usually bring their mistresses or donors to those things," he informed her. "A demon would raise suspicion. And Myra isn't well enough for something like that. I may just take Danielle." October just stood there and watched Evan approach Dannie, who had just stopped conversing with Erick to acknowledge him. Evan sat beside her and asked, "How are you, Danielle?"

"Much better, thanks," she replied. "I'm so glad you're alright."

"You should have left when Myra did. I would have been fine."

"I didn't know that. You weren't waking up."

"I'm sorry to have frightened you," he apologized. "I wasn't strong enough to sense the danger of my surroundings. But never mind that. Would you like to accompany me tonight?"

"Do you think it would be safe?"

"I assure you, you will not be harmed. Every vampire that attends occasions like this takes an oath not to hurt a fellow vampire and his guest. And I am inviting you."

"What is this thing exactly?" No one had ever specified.

"To put it bluntly, it's a ball."

Dannie's eyes widened with excitement. "You mean a ball, as in those dances you see on Disney movies with gowns and waltzes that take place in a gorgeous palace ballroom??"

Evan smiled ever so slightly at her reaction. "The very same. The Midnite clan are very traditional and they've been hosting those for centuries. They're also very wealthy and never miss an opportunity to show it off."

"Does this mean I get to go dress shopping and get my hair done all nicely and maybe even wear a tiara??"

"Whoa, calm down, Danielle," he suggested. "We'll take care of everything."

* * * * *

"Erick, escort Danielle to the house and then wait behind for only half an hour and then follow us inside," Evan instructed as he adjusted his suit's jacket and tie. "I don't think demons are invited so you'll have to disguise yourself."

"That shouldn't be a problem." Erick knew he'd have to make his eyes blue and skin ice cold. It was simple enough.

"I'll meet you there," Evan added. "I have something to take care of first."

Erick had to accompany Dannie while October remained behind to watch Myra, who was still recovering from Evan's last feeding. She was awake now though, watching Evan prepare for the evening. He glanced back at her and saw she was awake and he sat down next to her. "Are you leaving?" she asked, reaching for his hand. He let her hold it.

"I have to," he replied.

"I should go with you..." she insisted and attempted to sit up.

"No, you stay right there," he ordered. "Danielle is going instead. You should stay here and rest."

She remembered what he had said before about going solo. "Wait...Yesterday, you said you were going alone. Why are you taking her?"

"I thought about it and decided to bring her along so I can keep an eye on her," he explained. "After what happened today, I'd prefer to keep her close."

"Don't be away too long..."

"I won't." He leaned over and gave her a soft kiss on the lips, then whispered, "Do you love me?" in her ear. He gazed into her eyes waiting for her response.

"No."

Everyday, the same answer. He was almost sure it would be a yes this time. But Evan refused to dwell on it. He had a long evening ahead of him.