The Blood of the Soul

Man or Monster

A/N: I'm so excited for you all to meet the newest character. Let me know what you think!

Billowy clouds hung low in the sky, brushing the tops of the tallest skyscrapers, illuminated by the moon buried deep within. The air was thick, and the ache in Theo's bones told him a storm was about to descend on the city even though the forecast had been clear.

Tonight was bitingly cold, but Theo didn't feel it. He hadn't felt much of anything since his fight withDoug had unearthed bitter memories. The weight of them was lead in his lungs that rattled with each inhale, but over time, his mind had blocked out the worst of it.  

Now, fragmented memories were resurfacing, bleeding into his consciousness. The screech of subway brakes from the near by tunnel entrance echoed like a distant scream. The wind whistling between buildings carried his name. The long, dark coat of a passing woman dripped blood onto the pavement, but when he looked again, the droplets from her spilled drink were clear. A boyfriend hugged his partner from behind, and Theo could've sworn he saw a stake flash through the air, but no—

None of it was real. Not anymore, at least.

Theo shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He needed to stay at the top of his game if he was going to keep the Dread Doctors in line. Since Theo had visibility into all of his coworker's schedules, he was able to give them windows of time where they could hunt safely without the threat of the slayer showing up. Their voracity for the hunt had quickly replenished their stores of blood, and alleviated the pressure. Theo no longer had to steal from work. No longer had to endure the insatiable thirst from rationing their supply.

For now, Doug's life was more or less back to the pre-slayer era, so he wasn't continuing to push Theo for answers. It was only a matter of time, though.

A scream pierced the air, sending a shiver down his spine, and it was a full second before Theo realized that the little girl in the dark alleyway wasn't a figment of memory.

That the pale creatures with prominent fangs were real.

His imagination wasn't conjuring this.

The danger was real.

Theo sprinted for the alley, bodily shoving the first vampire out of way and pummeling his fist into the other's nose, knocking them to the pavement.

The little girl was sobbing, her terror pungent in the air.

"She's a fucking child you idiots!" Theo snarled at the vampires before realizing that maybe he shouldn't have cursed in front of the little girl. "She's off limits! Those are the rules!"

Vampires abided by very few rules—no hunting on Halloween, avoid drinking from celebrities or public figures, never admit to being a supernatural creature—and most important of all, never target a child.

"Who cares?" one of them snarled back.

Hatred for vampires that had no respect for their code clanged through him.

"I do," Theo hissed and slammed his boot into the creature's face until he stayed down.

Theo crouched beside the little girl, smoothing her matted blonde hair away from her face. Her bottom lip trembled. Her entire body trembled, actually. With only a thin hoodie to protect her from the chilled March air, she must be freezing. She wiped her snot away with a too-long sleeve. Something about her was vaguely familiar, but Theo couldn't pinpoint it.

Her blonde hair dipped down into her eyes, and Theo wasn't sure she could see much of anything. If she was lucky, maybe she missed the fact that the men attacking her had been vampires. Theo gently removed her pink and gold backpack and slipped out of his leather jacket so that she could shrug it on. The jacket was practically a dress on her, reaching past her thin knees. She couldn't have been more than 12. His heart ached to think what she was doing out here in the middle of the night, unarmed and fighting for her life.