Vampire Heart 25

---

Scroll 26: Lesser of Two Evils
Vicente stepped in front of Naoko defensively. "How can he do that in public?" Naoko asked. "Help her!"
Vicente, Claude and Dameon all darted toward the woman with Naoko at their heels. Vicente gripped the vampire's throat, forcing him to stop feeding. Naoko caught the woman as she fainted.
"We're not alone..." Claude backed toward Naoko in fear.
A crowd of bloodthirsty vampires all began to move toward them. "Since when do they hunt in packs?" Dameon hissed.
"Mistress...wants to control us..." one of the women muttered.
"What?" Naoko dragged the woman away from the vampires and bolstered her against the wall in the sitting position.
Vicente backed up and pressed Naoko into the corner. "What do we do? There are humans here, too."
"If we act, we'll give away your cover," Dameon growled.
"Mistress, all eyes are on us," Claude announced.
"What do I do?" Naoko whispered.
"What's going on?" a human worker asked. "I'll call the police..."
"No!" Naoko ordered. "Don't call the police..." Naoko trailed her thought.
"But they're going to..." the worker stopped when the crowd simultaneously glared over at him.
"Don't we can't risk any more lives..." Naoko shouted.
"Mistress..." Vicente stood firmly in front of her as a vampire lunged at him. He punched the vampire to the ground and turned to her, "Any orders?"
"I don't know..." Naoko muttered.
Dameon and Claude each backed toward Vicente, hitting vampires as they moved. "We'll do whatever you want," Dameon promised her.
"Whatever you need," Claude muttered to her.
"Everybody! Get back!" Naoko shouted. All of the humans who gathered out of curiosity took several cautious steps backward. "Alright boys, take care of them. Claude, tell us which are humans and which are otherwise.... Dameon, see what they want."
"What can I do? I feel utterly useless..." Vicente muttered.
"You're protecting me," Naoko whispered. "I am still human and susceptible to vampires."
"I actually almost forgot that..." Vicente admitted, embarrassed by his absentmindedness.
Naoko smiled, "What, did you think I was a vampire, too?"
Vicente blushed at the possibilities, "No...erm," Vicente rubbed the back of his head, mortified, "I can't smell your blood...so you don't smell human to me is all."
"They're all thirsty," Dameon announced.
"And you smell the most appetizing...other than the woman you're protecting," Claude added.
"Oh, good..." Naoko sighed.
"How strong are they?" Vicente cracked his knuckles and stretched.
"Well, aren't you just a badass?" Dameon teased.
Vicente leered at him, "Any ideas?"
"They're the average vampire," Claude replied.
"But, why are they in a pack? Vampires usually don't hunt in packs," Dameon muttered.
"I can't tell you. The only thing on their minds is feeding," Claude replied.
"That means that this is your area," Dameon grinned and pushed Vicente forward, laughing nervously.
"Mistress?" Vicente asked.
"Please, take care of them," Naoko whispered.
Vicente snagged Dameon by his shirt, "If a single vampire gets close to biting her, I will make you the most miserable being in the world." Vicente dropped him and lunged into the crowd of bloodthirsty vampires.
Naoko rand forward to give him a longer leash, "Vicente..."
"You could make things easier on yourself and tell him before he goes into doing something stupid and dangerous for you," Claude suggested.
Naoko blushed, "It's the necklaces."
"You wouldn't miss him if he didn't make it out alive?" Claude asked.
"O-of course I would..." Naoko admitted, abashed. "He's my friend after all."
"I don't think it's the necklaces," Dameon muttered.
"Neither do I," Claude muttered back.
Vicente slashed, punched and kicked the vampires who swarmed all over him. He bared his fangs and drew blood from their necks as a quick blow and slammed them around, into each other and the ground.
The crowd of conscious vampires quickly faded and became a handful, contrary to the crowd of spectators which continued to grow with the passing seconds. Vicente was eventually left with an evasive vampire who was quick on her feet. "Damn it all..." Vicente lunged at her and missed again and again.
"Vicente, I have a better idea!" Naoko shouted.
Vicente started toward his mistress and ran faster when he saw that the last vampire was lunging at her. Vicente threw himself at the vampire and rejoiced when he felt her weight beneath his before they hit the ground with a thud. Vicente panted before biting the vampire's neck to stop her movements.
"Are you okay?" Naoko knelt down in front of Vicente.
"That was your plan? You could have gotten hurt! Or worse! Killed!" Vicente scolded as he pushed himself from the ground.
"So could you," Naoko replied calmly.
Vicente was speechless as she helped him to his feet. He stood there, staring at her in awe, "The difference between us is that I worry more for you than me."
"And I knew you'd save me," Naoko smiled.
Vicente blushed, "I'm glad you have confidence in me...but don't put yourself in danger like that again, okay?"
"I'll tell the cops that they were starting a riot and you subdued them," the store manager announced.
"They're not dead, are they?" one of the spectators asked.
"No," Vicente replied. "They're just unconscious."
"You're very strong and brave," a woman muttered.
"He's already taken," Dameon announced before motioning to Vicente and Naoko.
"We had better go," Naoko said as she started toward the door. Vicente hurried after her with Dameon and Claude at his heels.
“Do you smell that?” Claude sniffed the air.
“Smell what?” Dameon asked.
“It smells like…dirt…” Claude shrugged off the smell as his over-active imagination.

---

Vampire Heart 27