Vampire Heart 21

---

Scroll 22: The Rainy Night
Naoko stood at the kitchen window, staring into the watery darkness. "I can't believe it's so badly storming."
"It'll be like this for a few days and nights," Vicente muttered from the kitchen table.
"The coffee is done so we can all wake up refreshed for this lovely night!" Dameon pranced around the kitchen, collecting the things needed to make his perfect cup of coffee.
"If you didn't try to rape Naoko, I'd swear you were gay," Vicente commented as he sipped at the black coffee.
"I was just summoned by a lustful woman this morning, and I am re-energized," Dameon replied as he flipped the pancake.
"What did she want?" Naoko asked.
"The stereotypical knight in shining armor thing," Dameon replied.
"What? Tall, dark, and handsome?" Naoko asked.
Am I not her type? Vicente thought to himself.
"No, literally a knight in shining armor..." Dameon replied. "And drop that thought..." Dameon brandished the spatula at Vicente.
Vicente glared at Dameon, "I'm barely awake and susceptible to uncontrollable rage since I'm still in a grog."
"Doesn't this remind you of the vampire that we fought with this morning?" Naoko asked.
Vicente stared over at Naoko, "What do you mean?"
"The darkness, the lightning and the water..." Naoko whispered.
"Here's your pancake," Dameon handed Naoko a giant pancake with syrup flooding the surface of her plate.
"Thanks," Naoko muttered.
"Are you sure you're not hungry?" Dameon asked Vicente.
"Na, I'm good," Vicente took another sip of his black coffee and stared back at Naoko, "Thanks, though."
Dameon and Naoko turned back toward Vicente before exchanging expressions of surprise. "Are you feeling okay, sweetie?" Naoko sat on Vicente's lap and placed her soft lips on his forehead. "You don't feel very warm. Wait, can vampires get sick? And is it the same as humans with fevers?"
"I'm fine," Vicente replied in a detached tone.
"You're out of it," Dameon said as he sat at the table.
They sat in silence staring at Vicente for a bit. "No, I'm just thinking..." Vicente whispered. Naoko cradled against Vicente and found comfort in laying against his cool skin. Vicente found his hands at the small of her back instantly.
"What are you thinking about?" Naoko asked.
"Why they're so hell-bent on getting killed, mostly," Vicente replied.
"Do you sense something?" Dameon asked, his tone less bubbly, now.
"I've sensed it a while ago. I'm just not worried about it anymore. If it were negative, it would have come into the house already," Vicente replied.
"But, it's powerful..." Dameon was clearly scared of whatever he had sensed.
"Its target is Naoko..." Dameon announced. "But it has the same emotional pattern as you, Vicente..."
Vicente glanced toward the door where there was now rapping. "I think this is something that we should welcome..." Vicente patted Naoko and let her climb from his lap. Vicente stood and headed toward the door. He opened the door and a cloaked figure met his eyes.
"May I come in?" the voice had a strong British accent, a man for sure.
"Of course," Vicente stood aside and let the stranger enter the house.
"I am a vampire who needs invited in, you know," the mysterious man removed the black cloak and held it out to Vicente. "M'lady..." he moved toward Naoko and bowed to her before falling to one knee, "I wish to serve you."
"Welcome, and you don't have to bow..." Naoko replied, slightly uncomfortable with the attention.
She watched the man with long white-blonde hair rise and place his hair in a ponytail at the nape of his neck, revealing elfin ears. "My name is Claude Mana."
"My name is Naoko. My guardian Vicente," Naoko motioned toward Vicente, "And another respectful vampire Dameon."
"Good to meet you all," he nodded to each of them. "I sensed that you were in peril, so knowing one of the previous Mistresses, I felt obligated to protect you as well."
"Thank you," Naoko smiled. "If you don't mind me asking...I have two questions..."
"Please, anything you might need to know, feel free to ask," Claude replied.
"Are you really an elf?" Naoko asked.
"Yes, I believe that I'm the last elf, immortal and invincible," Claude replied.
"And were you a guardian?" Naoko asked.
Claude glanced over at Vicente, "If you mean pet, yes, I was. But, she chose the life of mortality...what was expected of her."
"I'm so sorry..." Naoko whispered. She caressed his hand softly, "But, I am grateful that you came here to help me."
"I can offer my hand as a spell caster and as a psychic vampire..." Claude informed her. “Trust me when I tell you that you will be needing me.”
"Psychic vampire?" Vicente asked.
"Yes. Right now you are thinking about Naoko's grandmother's long talk with you last night," Claude replied.
Vicente blinked a few times, "I'm satisfied with your claim."
"Thank you. Mind reading is a fine art, indeed," Claude said proudly. "And may I ask why you thought of me as another referee, Naoko?"
Naoko yanked Vicente and Dameon and set them down beside each other, "Fire," Naoko motioned toward Vicente, "and Ice," Naoko motioned toward Dameon. She then pointed to herself, "Yanked in the middle as a referee."
"Ah, well, we could cast a love spell that would make them appreciate each other more," Claude suggested.
"Is it the kind of love that will make him die?" Vicente asked coldly.
"No," Claude replied, amused by Vicente’s thought pattern.
"Then I'll stop starting fights with him," Vicente muttered, "often..."
"And I won't instigate...as much..." Dameon agreed.
"That's what I have to deal with: vampires trying to kill each other when we're not trying to kill other vampires..." Naoko commented.
"Well, rest assured that I am here to protect you Mistress, despite my likes and dislikes of my fellow vampires." Claude sat at the table and stretched.
"You act like we wouldn't stop fighting to save her..." Dameon hissed.
"By the looks of it, you'd be fighting over who should save her," Claude remarked as he readjusted his glasses.
"Would you like to get settled in for the night?" Naoko asked. "We have two spare rooms on the third floor, and one room with two beds that Dameon is using."
A roommate sounds lovely," Claude replied. "Although, I tend to travel lightly and only buy things as I need them."
"Alright, we need to at least make you two look more modern..." Naoko thought aloud as she glanced back and forth between Claude and Dameon.
"We can do it tomorrow," Dameon insisted.
"Why?" Vicente asked.
"It'll look a bit more human to shop during the daylight hours," Dameon suggested.
"That is true, and I need the most work if I don't say so myself..." Claude pointed to his elfin ears.

---

Vampire Heart 23