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“That man has been looking at you weird all night.”
Gloria flinched. Adelle took another quick glance to her left. The diner was crowded, which wasn’t uncommon at that time of night, so when Gloria shifted her gaze to see who her friend was talking about, she couldn’t find him.
“The black-haired man,” Adelle whispered, “he might be trouble.”
That descriptor, at least, led Gloria to see the subject. At first glance, he looked like a blue-collar worker on his day off. His hair was messy and his clothes worn-out. The one thing that stood out, however, was his piercing eyes, looking directly at Gloria. Her gaze snapped back to Adelle’s a bit too quickly. “What do you suggest we do, then?”
“Lure him out. Ask him a few questions. You know.” The white-haired woman sipped on her chocolate smoothie.
“Very well, I shall return shortly.” Gloria stood up.
“Are you sure you don’t want backup?” Adelle continued sipping on her drink.
“Thank you for your concern, but I can take care of myself.” Gloria felt that way ever since Mr. Sloan’s passing, but that wasn’t something she would divulge to a fairy so easily. “I’ll be back.”
Gloria strode up to the entrance and made her way to the nearest secluded area, a suitable alleyway. As she expected, the man followed behind her. Once in the alley, a dead end, she turned to see him. His determined eyes seemed to shine even in the darkness. Quickly, the blonde took out a retractable baton, which Mr. Sloan taught her to wield when she was a child. She took a fighting stance, and prepared for the worst.
“Behind you!” As soon as the raven-haired man said those words, he was gone in a flash. Gloria instinctively turned to face what was behind her, a creature of shadow ready to grasp at her. She brandished her baton and struck the beast with it. As the baton made contact, the creature wreathed in pain, the discharge of electricity from the weapon immobilizing it for an instant. Before the blonde could swing again, however, the mysterious man came crashing down from seemingly nowhere. He slammed an elbow at the shadow thing, and began tearing at it with primal might. In a flurry of claws and fangs, the monster was dispatched. Gloria was speechless, but she composed herself in the face of the man who remained before her.
“I’m sorry, Gloria. I need a break.” As he was about to leave, the woman stopped him with her baton.
“Who are you?” She had many more questions, specifically about the nature of his power and the reason they were attacked, but Gloria opted to not bombard the man with such matters yet.
“I’m… just someone who cares about you.” The man mustered up the words as if he was completely drained. He also seemed more pallid than before. “Please, I need to go. That fight took a lot out of me.”
Gloria raised an eyebrow. “Do you need any help?”
“No! No…” He shook his head. “I only need some time.” He licked his teeth, shaking slightly.
“We have time. Now, I understand that you know about me, but that doesn’t answer who you are.” The blonde huffed. “And quite frankly, how do I trust that you didn’t summon that monster?”
“Are you sure you want to know?” The man looked around to make sure they were alone before speaking again. “The rabbit hole goes deep, and I can’t explain without something to drink.”
“If you’re referring to the monster-hunting business, I’m afraid that I have no choice in the matter.” Gloria sighed wistfully. “It’s my duty, especially now that I’m the last of my conclave.”
“Yeah, I should’ve guessed.” He scratches the back of his head. “I’m a vampire who was turned by the black sheep of your family about… a thousand years ago? Call me Seth.”