Some Answers

Once we made sure that Katie was comfortable, Eric took us to an office so that we could talk privately about how Vicky became ash. I'm assuming that the office we are standing in is for one of the cardinals. Religion has never been my thing, so please forgive me if I don't get their

hierarchy correct. 

Everyone removes their masks. Wow! All three of them are even more handsome than I had imagined. Their eyes just pulled me in before, but even more so now that their masks don't obstruct their features. But I can’t let the eye candy distract me. I cross my arms over my chest, “Now, I think you all have some explaining to do.”

I think Vincent just wants some clarification, and the others might, too. “Firstly, Eva, who do you work for?”

I smirked as I replied, “Stranger Things.” Vincent blinks a few times. He looks amazed that I am a journalist, or maybe that I am Midnight Rose. Has he read my articles as Eric has?

Sam chimes in, “Hold up, so Eva, you wrote about these guys, and have no clue what they are?”

Honestly, I can't blame them for being surprised, and I can't blame Sam for his comment either. Yes, I write about anything and research it enough to appear as an expert to make it believable. But creatures like werewolves and vampires, that go bump in the night, are just fabrications of young children manifesting their fears, right? They don't exist, and I'm not in a room alone with them either. But what if I am? I look at the guys, “I write about a lot of things that don't exist, like aliens and swamp creatures, to name a few.” I study their features.

Eric sits on the edge of the desk, “Let’s assume that everything you have researched is real. Based on that, what do you think we are?”

I answer him, “Well, based on your mannerisms, skin color, voices, and the fact that I was called food, it suggests that you are vampires. But they're not real, right?” There’s just no way!

Vincent smirks as he takes a step forward, “Well, you said seeing is believing, right?”

This may come back to bite me, “I did, and you said that you would show me.” I don't even have time to blink. He’s now nearly touching me. His eyes are glowing blood red, and his smirk is now adorned with fangs. As I make eye contact, I say, “Back off.” He takes a step back and then

regains his composure. He is a vampire! Earlier he was either trying to read my mind or compel me. Why didn't he? Why didn't it work? I have no choice but to accept it. “Fine, point proven.”  Well, fuck, they are real!  I only assumed it was a possibility based on my research, but now I'm in the room with two vampires and a guy who could be a werewolf. Also, why am I not afraid? Why am I curiously aroused?

Eric breaks my thoughts, “I am a vampire, too, as was my wife.”

I needed to know if I caused her death, “I’m sorry about her. Did I kill her?”

He smiles briefly and it reaches his eyes. Does he not love his wife? Are vampires capable of love? Eric says softly, “No, but you did compel her, and I would like to know how.”

I wish I knew. Since my 25th birthday, strange things have been happening to me, and I have discovered that I can make even stranger things happen. But I also don't feel the darkness as I did when I first saw Eric. Vicky must have been what creeped me out, because I have always been able to judge people a bit, except for Victor, but I just chalked it up to my journalistic instincts. What if it was more than that? What if I can detect evil? I decided to be open with them, “I envisioned myself strangling her. I felt darkness too, and I wanted to remove it.”

Eric thinks for a moment, “Try to compel Vincent and me.” I will try. I do. I can feel a bit of their resolve weaken, but not enough to fully control them. I could maybe just control one of them, but I couldn't keep it for long. They're too strong. “You're quite strong. Not as strong as an elder but stronger than an average vampire,” Eric says. He seems impressed, too. Does he know why I can do any of this?