Blood Red

Zephyr’s POV

Vivian and Josef sat on Mick’s couch. I sat on his stairs, looked over my shoulder, trying to get a view of what he had upstairs. Vivian and I aren’t allowed to go up there.

Mick himself walked restlessly around the room, mumbling and running his fingers through his hair. I could smell the anxiousness, grief, and fury in the air. We knew what had happened, but no one dared to speak to him.

"Mick, please don’t tell me that…"

"Yes, Josef! I felt it, the very second it happened! And when I got there…"

Mick’s voice broke. I knew he wouldn't cry, but that smell of helplessness vibrated through the air, wandered up my nostrils and hit my brain in that kind of 'Mick-is-here-and-I-think-I-should-comfort-him-way'.

I rose, walked down the stairs, snapped myself over to where he was standing, face buried in his hands and embraced him. Tightly.

At first he didn’t move, and he seemed to be a little unsure and stiff before he took a deep, shivering breath before hugging me back loosely and pulling me close to him.

"She's gone," he whispered. I felt his lips move against the side of my neck. This was the closest I'd gotten to him so far; and I almost giggled happily, but I forced myself not to. He needed this. Dear God, he smells so good!

"Come and sit down with me," I whispered in his ear, my arms still around him.

I felt him nod and we snapped over to the stairs again. We sat down beside each other on the same step, our hips and knees touching. I hesitated, but I took his hand.

Josef stood up by now. Vivian was checking out his ass while he stood in front of her. God, she's hilarious with her crush (not crush really, more like obsession) on Josef.

"Mick, tell me what happened. And who did it?"

"I felt …Beth’s life fade away, the pain and horror and then I heard his laughter. He was gone long before I got there… And so was she…" Mick’s voice was hollow and dead.

"Mick, focus. How did she die?" Josef asked.

"She got bitten! What did you think?" Mick spat at Josef and shot up from where we sat.

"Easy," Vivian cooed with a half warning, half nice tone.

Mick turned to Josef, eyes concerned and voice pleading, barely audible, "What should I do?"

"Pull yourself together and explain everything." Josef suggested.

Mick slowly walked back to the stairs, and sat down on the step below me.

"The one who did this was Dario. You all know who Dario is… that dodgy vampire from Detroit. Never liked him, and he's never liked me, either. Always hanging around your blood bank, Josef. He was gone when I got there. Why… why her…"

Mick threw his head back, his eyes got wider and milky white and his fangs grew longer by the second.
He got down on his knees and roared. He seemed to scream his lungs out for a good two minutes while rocking back and forth before he sunk down onto the floor while breathing heavily.

I wanted to walk over to him, but Vivian gave me a glance that told me not to.

I knew who Dario was. No one really knew his last name, but he’s one odd vampire. Always sneaking around the humans on the club, looking for underaged girls to bite. He hated Mick for being together with Beth, since she is a human. Was.
Dario often came to me at the club and said that he’d do me a favor. By killing Beth, I would replace her. A vampire girlfriend would be better for Mick, Dario thought.
I usually kicked him out when he said things like that. It was uncomfortable when he scented that I secretly, deep down longed for Mick.

"Where is her body?" Josef still spoke harshly.

"In her apartment," Mick whispered. His eyes were hazel brown again… and he continued;
"Don't go there. I'll take care of it… her…"

"What are you gonna do with Dario?" I asked.

"Kill him. I want my revenge," Mick snarled and stared out the window. It was pitch black outside.

"You know he comes to the club sometimes," I said. "The next time he shows up, we'll just keep him there until you come."

"I don't think he'll come back now… He probably knows that you guys know," he replied and rubbed his eyes before getting up and walking to the fridge and pulling out a bottle of blood.

"A drink, anybody…?"

*

We kept him company for a few more hours before Josef rose from the couch.

"We'd better go home, and we know where Dario usually hangs around. We'll find him, right Mick?" he said and headed towards the door.

"Can't one of you stay? Please?" Mick pleaded and looked at us, first me, then Viv, and then me. His eyes were so sad and it almost made me cry.

"I don't think it’s…" Josef began, but Vivian interrupted:

"Zephyr, why don't you stay? You and I are going to the club anyways and I can take care of it myself. Josef, you want to join me?"

I didn't hear what Josef replied, I just watched Mick.

Please, he mouthed to me.

I felt my heart beat faster. Me – alone with Mick?

I nodded nervously and took a few steps closer to where he was standing.

Vivian and Josef left, leaving Mick and I alone. He still sat on the couch, face buried in his hands. He didn’t move.

I hesitated before I sat down beside him and pulled him to me.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" I murmured.

"No… I just don't want to be alone," he replied weakly and looked me in the eyes for the first time since I met him. It was painful and addicting at the same time.

He rested his head on my shoulder, breathing faster before slowing down.

"Will you help me find Dario?" he asked with a sudden, sharp voice.

"Of course I will," I said, maybe a little to soon.

There was a good ten minutes of silence, he still had his head on my collarbone and I had my arm wrapped around his shoulder.

"You know Zephyr, I never thought you'd be this nice," he said after a while.

"Yeah? How do you mean?"

"When I see you at the club, you’re always such a hard assed girl and joking around, you know… I thought you'd always be that kind of loud person. No one you could speak to seriously."

"Is that a decent thing to say?" I wondered and smiled.

"I don’t know… I’m bad at stuff like this."

"You can trust me, you know that right? You can speak to me about anything. Keep that in mind."

"I'll remember that. But you're like me, in a way… Do you want to be human again?"

"Yes, I do… I’m not sure if I want to live forever. It seems so… Awful. You feel the same?"

"I never wanted to be one… And just look at all this with Beth. It was so wonderful, it never felt like I was a vampire and that she was human, it was… plain perfect. And then Dario shows up… I don't think I ever can be in a relationship with anyone again."

My heart sank when he said that last thing.

"But Zephyr… Thank you," he said softly.

"For what?"

"I don't know, really… For everything. For being here."

"Anytime you need me," I replied and smiled to myself.

*

"Did anything happen when we left?" I was in Blood Red’s VIP lounge with Vivian. Josef was there too, but he was asking around after Dario.

"No… We spoke briefly, but I believe he just wanted someone to be there with him. He seems to the kind of guy who wants to be alone, but he’s not. He’s coming within the hour, by the way."

"He is? How come?"

"He wants to hunt Dario down," I replied, but I didn't tell Vivian that he’d asked me to come with him.

A song by the band Brigade came on really loud, and I saw Josef in the corner of my eye, pulling a guy with him, angry as hell.

It was Dario.

At the same time, Mick came in to the lounge and smiled quickly at me before he saw Dario, and his eyes turned white-blue.

Dario smirked at Mick, then at me.

"Miss Zephyr! Aren't you glad I killed that little girl? It was for you I did it, I know how much you love Mick!"

I froze and Mick stared at me. That look hurt me.
Mick growled, walked slowly to where Dario was being held by Josef, but my neck twitched a little, and I suddenly had long, sharp fangs and clear, white eyes. I jumped on Dario before Mick had a chance to.