Manifestation of a Monster (Warm-Blooded Vampires) Book 2

Walking into the Unknown - Cafe (7-21-2018)

With her heart racing, Amy clutched the crumpled piece of paper. She slowly opened it and looked at the alphabet soup of numbers and letters on it. She had to be careful for this to work. This was not a quiz for a class. On the other hand, she took them quite seriously. But having to repeat a semester was far worse than death.

There was also no way to deny it. There was a genuine chance that she could have been killed if she messed up. There was uncertainty around her visit to the north side that day. She couldn't believe how far it was from the safety of the hotel. He was going to want his crew with him when he met with her; she was certain of it. Maybe he's just being sneaky again. It was almost as though he didn't want anyone else to find out. Having a meeting in a public place.

If she hadn't needed to take a taxi, or if she was at least vaguely familiar with the area, she might have felt more at ease. Possibly, he was aware of this and purposely kept her on edge. Worse yet, it seemed to be doing its job.

He gave her the location, which was a quaint restaurant on the outskirts of town. It looked like the plant life had nearly run it over. The vines covered not only the building's exterior but also the vast portion of the courtyard leading up to it. Heavy abstract metal sculptures lined the path from a metal gate to the cafe's entrance. There was someone else behind them. She felt sure of it. And she knew she was inviting danger if she approached the door any further.

She slowly made her way to the entrance. Her early arrival was around 30 minutes earlier than expected. She planned to find a seat and settle comfortably before Richard entered. It was what she planned, at least.

The bald man in the distant corner jumped to his feet as she entered. Giving no mistake that he had noticed her. Sweat beaded at the back of her neck as she swallowed. Starting at that moment, she wouldn't have the luxury of showing emotion. Until she felt safe and was no longer threatened by this man (or monster).

The cafe building itself was charming. Vegetation wasn't limited to the front yard garden. It was hard to tell whether the vines on the wall were real or fake. If it weren't for this first impression, she could picture herself enjoying a visit here.

As Amy approached, he grabbed the seat next to him. If she could have forgotten their previous encounter, she could have thought he was just being courteous. However, in a feeble attempt to assert her dominance, she took the third seat at the table. While she was sitting down, he pushed the chair he was holding in. He took a seat in front of Amy again in the chair that he had earlier occupied.

That was when she noticed a half-eaten sandwich in front of him. She had always thought vampires couldn't eat human food. This changed things.

"I didn't order for you," he said as he sat back down. "Of course I could have. I have a special talent for reading people." To anyone else, she would have seen this as bragging or just showing off. But from him, it felt like a threat. He tapped the surface of the table multiple times. A beat for quiet, a word of silence. "I suggest that you go get some food." He eyed her for a quick moment. "Not a meat eater. What a shame. Perhaps the avocado egg deluxe. Their food really is to die for." The smile he gave her was pleasant enough, if not for the sinister eyes that accompanied it.

"Not hungry." A quick resolution was all she wanted. Placing her hands under the table to hide her shaking hands. But she wouldn't have put it past him, not to know what she was already feeling. As nervous as she was, he seemed equally relaxed.

He looked disappointed at her refusal to eat. A fingertip pushed down on his plate as he spoke. "It's impolite to eat in front of someone who isn't going to eat as well."

"I thought your kind couldn't eat human food," Amy asked, both as a distraction and out of curiosity.

At first, he was silent. "What exactly do you think you know about MY kind?" He spoke with venom and malice. Had she hit a button? This was good. The more she knew what made him emotional, the better chance she had. But she still needed to be cautious. She knew nothing about him other than the fact that he was potentially harmful.