Chapter 4

Arthur strolled through the city's cultural district, feeling a tinge of excitement for the first time in decades. It wasn't the upcoming show that had him in this state, although he was curious to find out what passed for opera in this backwater. It was Mia. The girl had always been something of a disappointment. Even after a century, he still had not managed to purge her of such mortal conceits as compassion and mercy. So, he had abandoned his plans to make her his eternal companion and had begun to shape her for another use.

For years he had felt the resentment and disdain growing within her. He had pruned and tended these emotions with care both through the abuse of her mind and body and with little excesses like that which had occurred the previous night. Now his careful gardening was about to pay dividends.

The girl actually thought to destroy him. Even now she was out in the city doing her best to work around the ties of compulsion that bound her to him in order to bring about his end. He could feel Mia's pain through the bond that she was actively seeking to betray. At the very thought of her pathetic rebellion, he threw his head back in laughter, heedless of the stares this drew in the crowded street.

Even in such a bold undertaking, though, Mia had proven to be overly cautious, even timid. Fortunately, when he had forced her to watch as he defiled the young woman the night before, the last of her reservations had finally faded. Incidently, it had also increased the pleasure he had derived from the act.

The conflict would be coming soon, and it promised to be every bit as dramatic and entertaining as he had hoped. And when others of his kind came to seek vengeance against the one who had betrayed the secrecy of their existence, it would be Mia who felt their wrath. Meanwhile, the inevitable war between mortal and vampire which would grow from the conflict would not only give him the opportunity to indulge freely and openly in all of the pleasures of the flesh, but would also make the one he sought in coming to this city, the one whom he had been seeking for centuries, reveal herself. He knew his Maker was here, and he would find her.

He joined the growing crowd in front of the Byham theater, idly wishing that top hats and canes hadn't gone out of fashion. They had added an air of elegance to such affairs that was now sadly lacking. Shortly, the doors opened and he filed in with the rest, a wolf among cattle. As he moved towards his seat, he casually brushed the minds of those around him. Finding a local magistrate, Arthur set a few minor suggestions deep in his mind. They would likely never activate, but it always paid to strengthen his position whenever the opportunity arose.

The next few hours passed quickly. The performance was ... adequate. Nothing to compare to the great opera houses of London and Paris, of course, but acceptable nevertheless. He joined the cattle when they stood to applaud the performers after the curtain closed, but he had already put the show from his mind. Now his eyes searched among the crowd, seeking an insurance policy against the coming violence. A mere two rows back, he found what he sought.

He followed the couple as they left the theater, laughing happily and reliving memorable parts of the night's entertainment. As they passed beyond the brightly lit streets of the cultural district to the shadowy rows of parking garages, long dormant instincts began to rise within them. Their pace quickened and they glanced behind them with greater and greater frequency. The happy conversation came to an abrupt end, and Arthur could hear their hearts quicken in their chests. Part of them remembered the countless millennia spent on the African savannah. Part of them recalled what it was to be an animal. That part knew that they had become prey.

By the time they reached their car, they were almost running. Gasping for breath, the man fumbled for his keys, pressing the button to unlock the doors over and over again. They threw the doors open, and dove inside the perceived safety of the vehicle. Arthur heard them gasp in relief as the locks re-engaged. The moment the engine caught, the man threw the car into gear and sped towards the garage exit. Arthur smiled with amusement from the shadows.

Arthur easily kept pace with his quarry as they weaved recklessly through the city traffic before finally pulling into a two car garage attached to a stylish house in one of the affluent residential areas just outside the city. As the garage door began to close, Arthur heard them laughing, deriding themselves for giving into fears which suddenly seemed so foolish. With a final burst of speed, Arthur ducked under the garage door, which slammed shut behind him like the sealing of a tomb.