Amber tapped py on the new reel and saw another horrific se. A woman who looked to be in her early thirties had a set of children tied up in the middle of the street and was steadily running them over with her car. After hearing the bones of the kids d watg their blood sptter all over the wheels, Amber looked up. “Who would just record this? I take it the woman in the car is their mother?”
An solemnly nodded. “She recorded this. Laughed the eime her kids were screaming ireet. The news ed up the rec so it could be shown on television.”
“They didn’t up too much, it’s still beastly.” Amber took down her shoulder-length ptinum hair and began to braid it. “Wait…there we go, the police arrived…finally.”
An smiled, “Okay, slow down the frames. You will see her attempt to attack the police with the car, they will open fire and then you should see..”
Cutting off her new master, Amber quickly spoke. “There they are, the diamonds. Just like you said for the st few.” She shivered and pressed stop on the phone. “Do you have any idea what those things are?”
Dejected, An shook his head. “Not a clue. Again, I was hoping that Sylvie could tell me or even discover them on her iigations.” He shrugged. “Whatever they are, they are breaking the veil. Which we ot have.”
“Is this why I keep hearing that there are no more spaces ial hospitals?” Amber asked while making a patron a rum and coke. “It’s been all over the i and news for the st few months. Pces like tral State are double booked and because police are taking delusional people for help.” Amber sliced a lime and ran it over the rim of the gss. “Here you are, ma’am. One rum and coke. Is there anything else?” Amber smiled when the woman shook her head and resumed talking to her other friends.
An waited for Amber to e back over, “Oddly enough I was just about to address the hospital issue. I suspect that these things are the reason for the influx of patents, yes. Though I ’t prove it.” He sipped more of his drink. “It isn’t like the news has anything on the individual people, and doctors ’t discuss it openly.”
Amber smiled at her new master. “You could infiltrate the hospitals just to see their eyes, if it’s that important to you.” She chuckled and watched An finish off his st Bloody Madelyn. Feeling that the versation about the stras had e to an end, Amber raised one eyebrow and spoke, “I would like to discuss oiail that you mentioned before you told me all about the diamond-eyed things.”
An looked at his watd was amazed by how fast time went by. “You have about fifteen minutes left before you and Jessica shut down for the night, so I guess you have to make this quick.” An winked.
Clearing the mug from the bar that held An’s drink, Amber began washing the gss in the sink closest to her. “It won’t take long at all.” She cleared her throat. “You mentioned before that you would have t me into the fold.” Amber ughed, “An. No. I am not asking for a polyamorous retionship.” She watched the look of fusion cross through the man’s brown eyes. “I am certainly monogamous, so I will try to expin.”
“Please do.” An quipped.
“Love is an odd thing. You love multiple people without any prejudid still not be romantically involved with them. I am like that with all of the Blood Bunnies as well as Sylvie.” Amber started wiping down the bar, “It’s that simple. I don’t mind being close as in kissing or cuddling if a loved one needs it. I have gone so far as to let Jessica sleep beside me when she was having nightmares about Phantasmagoria. It was pletely ptonic.”
“How do you view your wardship? I mean I have seen some vampires have a romantivolvement with theirs. In fact, in the past, I have.” An shrugged, “This is clearly not the case this time around. Perhaps I used the wrong word. you stop by the do after your shift? Give me a couple hours with Veronica to expin what happened and why.”
“No problem, Master. I don’t need an address.” Amber winked one of her chestnut eyes, “I track you now.” She took off the small apron around her waist and draped it over the sinkwell. “I wao shower a ed up anyway. See you in about two hours.”
---
Tension began to rise again in An as he drove his silver BMW luxury car down the main road of ial Heights called the Boulevard. It was ohing not to get upset with his new ward and finally have the opportunity to show someoher than Amos the happenings, it was ao have the one person that he o overe the challenges ignore him. “If she’d just take ten mio listen, instead of running off.” An tried to calmly tell himself as he steadily passed the older ses of town to reach the edge of the city limits.
Windows down on his car, An took note of the water that assih him. “Swift Creek. Nothing like being home.” An took a right turn after a small bridge a down a newly paved street named ‘Creek Landing’. It took nearly a mio get through the grove of trees that the street weaved its way through, and opened into the oldest se of town.
An had purchased the entire old subdivision on the promise to the ial Heights City cil that he would restore the history surrounding the small area. It had everything the vampire o stay carefully hidden if necessary, but could joiown in a few minutes if need be. Historically, the area had been designed during the 1800s Victorian era and was mixed with relics of the Ameri Civil War. Long abahe grand houses and small local farms had bee rown and were falling down.
Taking nearly four years to plete, An turhe whole se bato a thriving little unity of geous three-story homes that reflected the Victorian style that had been there, but were in fainiums on the ih the test teology. Huge pte windows and -around porches were everywhere to be seen, dotted with little rog chairs where the enants now spent their evenings.
