Fantasy A New Order [Closed]

[AyanaRenewed]

Shawn couldn't help but smile as the childlike expression played on her face as she took in the room before her. He wanted to chuckle at how amazed she was but his hand resting on the gapping wound in his chest reminded him of the pain would accompany that laughter so he continued to smile. He heard what she mumbled and hoped like hell that she didn't picked one of his modified cars that he could easily use for street racing. Seeing that she came upon a car he hadn't even driven yet, he had mixed emotions but still simply climbed in the back so he could lean back and rest.


"Yeah. I didn't even drive it here so I don't know how she handles, so be nice to her," he said as he fought the urge to sleep to heal. He needed to figure out where to go from here and he needed to be awake and somewhat aware of anything that happened around him so he can react to it, even if it was just listening to Laura.


After listening to her, he smiled. He wanted to point out that he did own a plane but the clan could easily track it thus destroy the whole flying under the radar thing. Instead he listened to her suggestions. He followed her line of sight to see people staring at the car, as though though they were trying to see through the blacked out windows that surrounded the pair. Laura reacted perfectly and waited until out of sight to pick up speed. "Of course she knows how to stay calm. She is a hunter after all," he thought still fighting the urge to just pass out.


"I'd like to try our luck with the plane. I don't do well on boats." He remembered his voyage to Europe. It was not on a plane or even a nice cruise liner, it was on some crap tug boat of a cargo ship. Shawn was sure he was going to die from being so sick the whole time. He could leave one car collection to start a new one as long as he didn't have to go a ship like that.


His mind began to go blank as the fork in the road drew near. "I'm going to rest for a bit. Do me a favor before I go to sleep. Reach in the glove box, I usually have blood bags cycled in and out of the cars. There should be some fresh ones in there. If I don't feed soon I'll become either extremely useless or extremely dangerous to you."

 

[Volarit]

“Airport, got it.” Laura nodded and kept to the left and towards the south of the country. When Shawn mentioned the blood and the danger the pair could be in without it her own blood went cold and a shiver went down her spine. “Sure.” Laura leant over to the glovebox and sure enough there were a few blood packs stashed away, still warm; she didn’t want to know how. A grimace engulfed her expression as she felt the weight of the packs in one hand but passed them back with no hesitation, she didn’t want another encounter with Shawn blood deprived, especially not in a moving vehicle. Eyes on the road ahead, Laura began to feel a glimmer of hope for their situation; it felt for a moment that they could get somewhere. Her lips parted to ask Shawn about their persecutors but she decided that if they were going to get onto a flight he needed to be rested and his wound at least beginning to heal; she decided to hold off on the questions. But her mind raced as her foot became heavy on the acceleration, keen to get away. What if the vampires were to follow them? How far would they go? Laura had been under the impression for the longest time that vampires didn’t move around a great deal unless it was a necessity; but seeing Shawn in two different countries in such a short space of time had thrown her aspersions to the wind. Her fingers tapped the wheel as she crept further and further past the speed limit. Out on the open road and in the dead of night there was no harm in getting to their destination a little faster. The nudging metal in Laura’s side reminded her of the arsenal she was carrying. There was absolutely no way she could take it with her to America, it wasn’t going to get through security. The thought pained her, the weapons she was carrying one of the few physical reminders of her occupation and her passion. ‘Passion.’ Laura grimaced again as she mouthed the word over and over, she couldn’t face the thought of not being a part of the order any longer; it was her life. But here she was, saving the life of a vampire above all else, her stomach tied itself in knots.


The drive was uneventful, there was almost an air of disappointment with how little effort it had been to arrive in Saint-Nazaire. Laura began to wonder if they were still being chased, but didn’t let the thought linger for too long, it was getting late and in a few hours the sun would be rising, they needed to be on a flight as soon as possible. “Shawn.” She spoke loudly, far too on edge to soften her words and wake him gently. “We’re here, give me the card and I’ll get us on a flight. How is your…” She pointed to his shoulder, her eyes not accustomed to the darkness in the back of the car, she hoped the blood had helped him. Stepping out of the car and stretching her arms up she groaned “Well the car handles like a dream come true, sad to see her go…” She wasted no time in unclipping the guns strapped to her sides and threw them into the car, her knives however, took a little more time. “Got these for my first kill…” She paused, the thought about reminiscing about hunting with a vampire too odd for now. She took them from their holsters and set them down in the driver’s seat. “Alright then, let’s go.”


The airport was bright and surprisingly busy for the time of night, Laura combed her fingers through her hair and headed straight for the check in desks. Aware that she didn’t have a passport, the process took longer than normal, but having learnt how to string together a sob story and pull on the heartstrings of others Laura was able to twist the attendant’s arm; the money she offered as a bribe not hurting either. In less than twenty minutes she had secured them a private compartment on one of the new transatlantic flights. She turned away from the desk to find Shawn with another beaming grin, she waved the tickets and whispered. “We take off in… forty-five minutes. We need to get a phone and arrange a safe pickup for you, it will be around dusk when we land but I can’t guarantee it will be dark enough. Do you have anyone you can call? That you trust?”

 

[AyanaRenewed]

Shawn could feel her displeasure with the presence of the blood bags. The glovebox was made to keep them at body temperature and if she had asked he would have explained but since she didn't ask and he was tired and hungry he didn't bother. He made sure to be out of view of her mirrors before biting into one of the bags and inhaling its contents. He did this to one more bag before licking escaping drippings from his lips and leaning back to sleep. Shawn was beginning to drift into a deep sleep when he felt the car begin to pick up speed. This didn't stop him from sleeping but it kept him close to the surface of his unconsciousness; this would still allow him to heal his wound but still be aware of the speed of the ever-accelerating car.


After a calm but speedy ride, Shawn was jolted fully awake but a very edgy Laura. He reached into his pocket and happily handed over the card. He poked where the hole was. "All healed, sore from the blessing effects but no hole." He climbed out with her, but instead of stretching, he stuck his hands in his pocket and looked around. He had never been this far south and just wanted to take in the area. He was brought back by Laura's comment on the car and smiled. If she liked it so much he would have to have one imported to the States for her to play with. He then watched as she began to disarm herself; she had no trouble with the guns but she had some sort of sentimental attachment to the knives. He just rolled his eyes until she was able to toss them in the car. He then followed her into the airport.


He hung back and let her work their way onto a plane. While she work a very sad story with the attendant he looked in the convenience store. Though he couldn't eat anything here he figured that it was something to do while waiting. When she returned to his side, she told him the information about the flight. This made him look at his watch and nodded. She mentioned the need for a phone and he pointed to a prepaid phones the store sold. "I know a couple of heirs there that are a bit rebellious but I'm not 100% on them. The news hadn't reached over there so I might be able to ask them for help. Hell, even if news has made it there they would probably be willing to help since hunters there handle problems they just don't want to deal with sour no issues there. My only concern is their connection with their Original," he said grabbing the phone. Being rebellious is one thing but kicking an Original out of your head was something he wasn't sure we as possible until today so he wasn't sure if they were aware of this or not. "What about you? No friends outside the brotherhood? They maybe more reliable than my contacts. " they walked over to the counter and Shawn placed the phone and a minute card that he'd grabbed as he walked up. As the clerk rang them up, Shawn opened his hand towards Laura, asking for the card

 

[Volarit]

The thought of fraternising with other vampires before they had left European soil felt dangerous, Laura sighed a small breath of relief as Shawn recommended a human connection. It was going to be a while before she could think about revaluating her stance on vampires. She could trust Shawn but any other vampire she had encountered gave her more than enough reason to be on guard; even when fangs had not been bared. Laura paused to think of anyone she could trust enough with their safe arrival in the states. It had been a very long time since she had set foot in her home country. A few faces came to mind but she had to dismiss them, she couldn’t go to anyone affiliated with the brotherhood. Laura knew the defector protocol and that she would be essentially blacklisted from anything tied to them and didn’t want to implicate anyone else in her doings. She was going to have to think further back than her time in the brother hood. It took her longer than expected to think of someone who wouldn’t be phased with what she would be asking, but didn’t know too much to be drawn into something dangerous. “I may have someone, a long shot though.” She handed the card over and took the phone once paid for and set up. Her fingers hovered over the key-pad, if there was ever a time for miracles, she hoped for one now.


She put the number in quick enough to prove that it had been engrained in her muscle memory. She paced a while as she waited for the line to connect and for the other part to answer. It kept ringing and Laura’s expression grew sterner with worry, she didn’t have any other option but this person. The call clicked and a familiar voice answered. Laura’s expression quickly softened and she almost sang hello. “It’s been too long Vas, I need your help.” Laura smiled to hear the enthused voice on the other end of the phone. She told the woman on the other end of the phone the essential details, that Shawn needed to stay out of the sun and that they would pay her once they had somewhere to stay and lie low. “I’ll text you the flight number, Vashti, I can’t thank you enough.” She kept the call brief, still wary of the possibility of loyals or vampires in the vicinity. She turned to Shawn with a smile “She’s going to help, I’ll tell you more when we’re on the plane.” She wasted no time on guiding the pair through to security and into the private departure lounge. She had to repeat the sad story she had given the check-in clerk but they had no problem getting past without a passport. From here on out they wouldn’t have any problems unless they were visited by someone who didn’t want them to leave the country.


“We’re going to need to change.” Laura looked down at her dusty and torn clothes, without her weapons serving as accessories she just looked dishevelled and out of place. “I look like a homeless person has snuck into first class. You need to cover up anyway, I don’t know what Vas has in store to get you away from the airport.” It struck Laura that she should have asked, but with time being precious she trusted her old friend to take the need for no sunlight seriously.


The pair were able to find last minute clothing amongst the cosmetic stands and suitcase shops that littered the regular departure lounge. It felt nice to have new clothes on, even if it wasn’t what she had been used to wearing the past few years. Catching a glimpse of the dark red t-shirt dress in the mirror she remembered wearing clothes like this in college; though she had been glad to find a pair of opaque tights to wear underneath, her legs looking paler than she realised next to tanned tourists. Their flight was called out over the speaker system and they were able to board quickly; the demand for flights this early clearly not it used to be.


The first class cabin was far more extravagant than anything she had been able to enjoy. She tried hard to not have the same wide-eyed reaction she had to the cars in the hangar but opulence was something she wasn’t used to. “Wow…” Her eyes darted all around, they were directed to a small door that once opened revealed a partitioned set of seats, one for Laura and for Shawn. “This will be your cabin for the flight, you will not be disturbed, but please press the call button for any assistance you may require. We will taxi the runway in 10 minutes.” The door was shut behind them and Laura quickly pulled the window cover down, leaving them only with the artificial light of their cabin. She sat in the chair closest to the window in case any daylight leaked in. She turned to Shawn and decided to tell him more detail. “So, Vashti is an old college friend. When I was doing my undergrad she was writing her PHD thesis on a not too dissimilar subject to what I was studying. We spent several months in rural Balkan areas researching folk lore and legends…” She paused, wondering if she had been close to Shawn before, having stayed in a village not too far from where she had encountered him in months passed. “She now teaches, has access to old college buildings and apartments, transport too. She’s going to spend the day arranging for somewhere to stay, boarding windows and the like… from there we can suss whether any of your contacts are trustworthy and what to next.” The plane began to move and Laura tensed. “Not the best flyer.” She let out a nervous laugh before continuing with her plan as a form of distraction. “Vashti is safe, she’s known about the existence of other beings for years but has never met anyone with an affliction as she calls it. But we’ll be out of Europe and that’s what matters right now.”

 

[AyanaRenewed]

Shawn quickly paid for the phone and let Laura grab it from the counter. He thanked the clerk before walking out of the little shop. He leaned a nearby wall as she called her lifeline. Once it seemed someone answered the call he kept an eye on passers-by and the surrounding crowds for familiar faces or people paying too much attention to the phone call. Once she was done with the talk, Laura seemed pleased so things went well. He nodded to her wanting to explain later, no telling who would be listening and certain people didn't need to know details of their new safe haven.


He allowed her to guide him through security protocols since he had never been through them; one of the benefits of owning a private jet. Once in the departure lounge and the mention of his clothes needing upgrades, he couldn't help but to now feel self-conscious about his now torn clothes. This cause him to click his tongue in disgust; he was raised to carry himself a certain way and these tattered clothes would not do. As Laura looked at dresses, he found a black button-up, of which he rolled the sleeves up on, and some well-fitted jeans. As he was about to leave the clothing section he saw the most perfect set of shades that would complete the all black emsemble. All he could smile as he walked passed a group of girls and he heard them whispering about the hot guy in all black.


He heard the flight being announced as he found he partner in this new adventure. He followed her lead as she got them on the flight. He held back a chuckle as he saw her hide her amazement at their accommodation. Shawn took the seat that was left, the one furthest from the window that was now closed. As he leaned back, Laura began to explain what may occur when they touch down. He nodded and hoped her friend wouldn't freak out at the thought of a vampire hanging around and would give him house rules.


After getting an idea of what they were walking into, he leaned back and closed his eyes. He would likely stay awake but he figured acting as he was asleep as though he was she would relax and rest. Once the plane began to move he could hear every muscle in Laura's body tense up. As he opened his eyes and she stated how she wasn't a fan of flying. He reached over and made she her seat belt was secure and then wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "It'll be fine. We'll soon be back on the ground safe and sound, back on our old stumping ground," he whispered softly. The whispered was similar to how she use to comfort him when he was scared when he was scared or nervous about something. "Tell me about your college day. Better yet why not tell me about everything since the last time we were in America together," he said trying to distract her from the flight as the plane lurched forward. It wasn't just for distraction purposes but he wanted to know her again, he needed to know the friend that he was taken from so many years ago and this long flight would be the perfect time to talk uninterrupted.

 

[Volarit]

Shawn’s whispers were almost enough to release the tension in her shoulders. Laura wasn’t used to such comforting words but as his arm came around her she leant back into him and took a deep breath. She knew her discomfort around flying was largely unfounded but she hated it all the same. “Hmm. That’s a hell of a long time…” Laura thought aloud about what she could or would tell Shawn, there was so much of each other’s lives they didn’t know about. The lasting connection they shared, whilst still there, served only to remind them that they were very different people to the children they once were. The force of the plane taking off startled Laura, her hand reaching out to Shawn’s.


Laura slowly released her grip on Shawn’s hand after a moment, a pang of embarrassment replacing the short-lived fear in her chest. As the wheels retracting into the plane’s hull she could begin to think clearly. “Sorry… I usually just have a few drinks and I’m fine” Laura laughed, pulling at the hem of her dress as she crossed her legs. It was always more than a few. “Right, well elementary, middle and high school were neither here nor there. I calmed down, studied, got my pick of scholarships and got as far away from our hometown as possible.” She spoke in a matter of fact manner, there wasn’t a great deal from back then that she wanted to remember. She had boyfriends, friends, in general a good time in school, part of her wished she hadn’t left home and continued to live the small town dream. “That was around the time my dad passed away,” She paused, it was difficult to say out loud. “It’s fine, it was his funeral the last time I went home.” She didn’t linger on the topic long, quickly recounting her move thousands of miles away and the fun that came with studying in college. “I guess I came back out into my own…” She Laughter decorated her speech as she remembered the drinking, trouble and craziness she had gotten herself into. “It’s difficult to think I still got my degree.”


It was as if Laura had forgotten they were flying, the privacy of their compartment made it easy to believe that the pair were completely alone on the plane. “Naturally having my bachelors in history, I continued onto a masters, seemingly allergic to normal jobs.” She closed her eyes, the lack of sleep catching up with her. “I got to be Vashti’s research assistant and travel all over Europe for a while. that was fun…” Laura smirked, they had got a lot of research done but she remembered the late nights in foreign cities more. “The amount of times they didn’t speak English and we didn’t speak their language was laughable, anyone would think we didn’t get any work done.” Laura told stories of sneaking into sacred grounds and forgotten ruins to try and uncover lost secrets of local folklore, though apart from the increasing truth of vampires they often came back with more questions than answers.


With her closed eyes Laura could see everything she was talking about “I feel old already.” She stopped thinking about her past, knowing that she was fast approaching her time in the brotherhood. As interesting as it was, she couldn’t reminisce over kills she had made, nor could she spill their secrets; she had made a vow and despite all that had happened, she wasn’t about to break it.


“Well I want to know more about you too, you’ve become a man of mystery.” She grinned, tugging on the sleeve of his new shirt. “Where have you been? What have you done? There’s still plenty of time.” A surge of intrigue fought against her fatigue, she wanted to know about the man he had become.

 

[AyanaRenewed]

"Knowing your wild streak, it's probably more than a few," he teased and even chuckled at the thought of a drunken Luara wondering about a plane. He gave her his undivided attention as she told him about her adventures. Though he would never express this, he grew envious of this Vas for living these adventures with his dear friend instead of him.


With the mention of her feeling old, he couldn't help but relate; that was what the life he had been forced into made one feel. She seemed to stopped at the point where he life was taken by the brotherhood and he got it, though that wasn't her life anymore she still cared for those that she had to leave behind. And though he understood the need to seemingly protect her old comrades, he had to force all questions out his head and let the story end there.


She seemed tired but her interest in hearing about him lit up her eyes in a way that he knew that she wasn't going to sleep. He smiled and leaned back as he began to think of where to begin, what to include and what was best to leave out for now. After a moment of thought, he started to tell her what had occurred over the years.


"So you know about my first year struggles with feeding. Well after the frenzy, hunters started looking into my master's...." He paused at the word 'master', realizing he'd almost forgotten how he was beaten into calling that man, no that monster, master. According to the servants that looked after him after each beating, it was to enhance his healing abilities that came with the Original bloodline he was to inherit. He unconsciously ran through the different ability of each line before he came back room reality to continue his story, deciding that explaining the five main line thing might be a bit much right now. Just as she had her secrets about those she had to leave behind, so would he. "Ummm my master's territory, so he started me on blood bags, which I prefer over humans, that didn't make him to happy. Once he considered I was properly trained on that front, I started to travel to learn different skills and such from vampires that have been around for well ever." He chuckled at the thought of his dead language teacher. If a human saw him, they'd think he was maybe 20 but the guy must have been a century or two old when Shawn met him and the guy still acted the way of the 19th century. Shawn was scolded a number of times by the old vampire but it always ended with the two of them laughing over Shawn's silly antics. Shawn decided to tell her about his favorite teacher. "You'd like this. My favorite teacher, Annise is what she goes by now, she was my history teacher. At night when my master wasn't looking, she would sneak me out and take me to the caves surrounding her place. Somewhere in the out backs of Australia and show me all these cave paintings and such. It wasn't long after I was taken, so imagine my still skinny self jumping from rock to rock as she would read these ancient stories to me.....like when we would tell each other stories at night," he said smiling at both the memories. Shawn continued to tell her of his travels, noting to himself that he never actually made it back to the States. "I guess all the placesI went was to allow me to explore this vast yet small world we inhabit and to remove any temptation of running away again." He didn't mean to say again for he hadn't mentioned running away before and hoped she would leave it be.


"A month after my 16th birthday, I became head of the house and claimed the territory that my master once ruled and life became pretty dull at that point. Didn't really leave the village after that, except to handle business, much like my trip to France." He paused to think what would have happened if had decided to send one of his servants in his stead. Unable to think on what would have happened, he pushed the thought aside and returned to reality once again. "By the way, I never asked where we were landing." He looked at her and smiled. As he looked at her, he could see the lack of sleep in her eyes. "But never mind that. You're probably exhausted. We don't have too long of a flight and we have my....allergy of light to deal with when we land so get some sleep." Without waiting for a response he leaned back and closed his eyes. He could only hope she would follow suit.

 

[Volarit]

A soft sigh escaped Laura’s lips as she leant back and closed her eyes. Talking about the past in such detail threatened to drag up feelings that she had long since buried, her eyelids stung as she fought of tears. Listening to Shawn upbringing since their separation was a fantastic distraction from her own brooding. She had been able to live a normal childhood and her teenage years were not dissimilar to hundreds of thousands of others, hearing what Shawn had to live through sent a pang of guilt through her chest. She couldn’t imagine how much his younger years had affected him, she could still recognise her friend but wondered how different he would be had their paths not have separated. She couldn’t help feel a little envious of his travels, having met prominent and interesting people, being able to travel the world and learn so much. Laura noticed the gaps in his story, much as she assumed he had done in hers. She didn’t pry, normally she wold have prodded him for more information but sleep weighed heavy on her mind. The last few weeks were taking their toll. Hunters were trained to function whilst sleep deprived but this length of time was proving too much.


“Yes, and I never offered the information up” A smile lit Laura’s face, eyes still gently closed for a moment, trying to rest them opposed to sleeping . “I suppose if there were any loyals or vampires on the flight, we would know by now. That and they would be heading to the same destination now.” She was mindful that whilst the separate compartments for passengers in first class were pretty sound proofed, this was only for humans and other being might very well be able to hear their every word. She looked to Shawn briefly, noting that he also could use some rest. “You’re right…” She shifted away from him and leant back into her own seat. Almost immediately she missed his presence behind her, but if she was going to sleep she needed to stop talking. She tilted her head away from him and closed her eyes. Though they were both silent, Laura’s mind continued to ruminate on the past, she tried to imagine Shawn going to college, travelling with her and what they would have done together. It felt strange to be returning to America after so many years, she couldn’t imagine how it would feel for Shawn, being that much longer. The thoughts became less urgent as she couldn’t fight the need to sleep off much longer. All she could wonder was whether their troubles could be over. She didn’t know great deal about American vampires or hunters, but she wasn’t convinced they had heard the last of their doings in Europe. “Oh by the way,” Laura murmured, “We’re flying into Seattle, Vashti teaches at UW.” Her sentence trailed off as sleep finally took over.


There was no chance to take full advantage of her position in first class, Laura woke as the seatbelt light flashed on and the pilot announced their descent into Seattle. “Bloody hell I needed that.” It was as if someone had flicked a switch on as she wasted no time in coming to, instead she ignored the seatbelt sign to get up and rummage through the small bar that filled the corner of their compartment. Quickly finding a small bottle of rum she half-heartedly offered some to Shawn, before unscrewing the cap and taking several glugs, emptying it in a few moments. She didn’t explain her actions to Shawn, hoping that it didn’t look too out of place. Laura wasn’t about to say explicitly, but she was nervous about meeting her old friend, they hadn’t parted on the best of terms when they had last seen each other. Coupled with the plane landing, she needed something the take the edge off their arrival. “Well, here goes nothing, right?” The landing would take another half an hour but already her heart rate was rising. Looking over to the bar she was tempted to raid it but a tremor of turbulence forced her back into her seat, seatbelt quickly fastened. “I hope Vas knows what she is doing.” Her words weren’t directed at Shawn but rather to herself, if anything went wrong she would be to blame. She looked over to Shawn and then to the clock embedded into the wall, it was approaching nightfall but the sun could easily still be out. “I’d put your sunglasses on just to be safe.” She felt the plane descending quicker as they were about to hit the runway. Similar to take off her entire body stiffened ready for the impact. The brakes screeched against the wet tarmac of the runway and soon enough they were invited to leave the plane. Laura paused, not having planned with Vashti the specifics of their meeting. “Shit.” Laura glanced to Shawn but couldn’t say anything as others were now passing their open door. She took a deep breath and hope that Vashti had been more thoughtful than her. Walking towards the exit of the plane into the jetbridge the pair were stopped by a man dressed in all black. “Laura Riley?” She nodded, “Right, you and Shawn are to follow me.” Laura’s fists clenched, unsure if this man was friendly or not. “Dr. Chandra has arranged separate entrance on account of the EPP case.” Laura looked blankly before agreeing “Yes, EPP, carry on.” She looked back to Shawn before following the man through a separate tunnel and down a flight of stairs, a set of glass doors were ahead, giving way to a large black vehicle with its doors open. The sky was full ablaze with different shades of red and orange, but it was growing dark, they had times it almost perfectly. “This way.” The man gestured to the car and Laura was the first to enter, she hoped that the short distance wouldn’t cause Shawn any damage.


As the doors shut, Laura took in the sight of her old friend sat opposite in the dim light. The fully tinted windows proved enough cover for Laura to launch forward and embrace Vashti. Her friend hugged her tightly back. “It’s been too long.” Laura leant back into her seat after few moments with a smile. “How did you manage this?” Vashti laughed a little, “When you have friends in the biochemistry labs, you’d be surprised about the conditions you hear of…EPP?” Laura didn’t pretend to know what it meant. Vashti could see this and quickly explained. “Erythropoietic Protoporphyria, it’s a serious reaction to sunlight and ultraviolet rays. The rest was pulling in favours here and there, so you best repay me and introduce your gentleman.” Vashti spoke matter-of-factly and looked to Shawn with no more than pleasant curiosity. A flush of colour tinted Laura’s face as spoke “Vashti, this is Shawn Blakely, Shawn, this is Dr Vashti Chandra.”


Vashti leant forward “The vampire. Oh, I apologise, I hope you don’t mind me being so blunt but I am not afraid or in need of an explanation.” She looked to Laura briefly before offering her hand to Shawn. “I assume that Laura has explained our research into folklore and our dealings with vampires in the past.” Vashti sat back and pulled her long dark brown hair to one side. “Well it is a pleasure either way. Out first stop is going to be my place, it should be dark by then and you both can stay there for as long as you need, but I will need to head back to the university tonight, I will catch up with you later on.”