Breach

[Saramis Kismet]

This chapter takes place near the middle of my story... What has happened up until this point? Demetri is a vampire, and after accidentally nearly killing Opaline, he turned her into one, as well. She wasn't very happy about that. Now, she lives with him in his large house, where a small family of humans live to help him live in the human world. They normally go out once, maybe twice a week, in order to 'nip', or, take a small amount of blood that will sustain their needs for a certain amount of time.

Why am I posting a chapter in the middle of my story? Because this is probably my favorite chapter. I don't know. I just really, really like it. =3.

“Demetri wants me to ask: why does it take so long for all females to get ready.” The door opened and Cameron stuck his head inside.

“Tell him to shut up!” she yelled from behind the door to her bathroom.

Cameron sighed and shook his head bemusedly. He closed the door behind him and went on his way down the hall.

As soon as he was gone, Opal emerged from the bathroom, slipping on one sandal and hooking on an earring at the same time. She was late, and she knew it. She had gotten distracted by her thoughts while showering, and now was in a rush to get dressed before she had to meet Demetri and go out on a nip.

The guy was more impatient for her than Miranda on a Saturday night.

Once the earring was clasped, her hand dove for a stick of lipstick, and succeeded in knocking five sticks to the floor. She groaned and bent over to grab them, the time ringing in her mind and driving her crazy with rush. It didn’t help that her body was desperately craving this nip at the moment, but she sought to ignore that as well as she could.

She stood up and leaned over toward her vanity mirror to apply the lipstick. She was wearing black denim jeans, a studded belt, brown cork sandals, and a light brown cotton top. Her hair was pulled back into a half bun, with curly locks framing her face delicately. Demetri had told her to dress nicely, but casually, for where they were going tonight.

Maybe if Demetri would stop sending Cameron to tell her to basically hurry her ass up, this wouldn’t be quite so stressful.

At last, the preparation was complete, and after checking herself three times really quickly in the mirror, she grabbed her mini jacket from the chair and bolted for the door.

As soon as she closed the door, she slammed into a body. In sandals, that was a predicament. She fell back to the floor and tumbled to the side. In a second, she was on crouched on her feet, and looking up with wide, alert eyes searching for the cause of the stumble.

It was Jessica.

Jessica was face down, pushing herself up on her elbows. The girl slowly turned her head, obviously in minor pain, to find whom she’d run into. When Opaline was recognized, the girl gasped and pulled herself up in a flash of embarrassment.

“Oh my gosh, Miss Vasquez, I’m so sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going, I swear I didn’t mean to, it’s my fault, it won’t happen again, are you okay?”
“Jessica,” Opal groaned, rubbing her temples.

“Yes miss?”
“Stop. Now. Please.”
“Yes miss, I’m sorry.”
“I told you to stop.”

Jessica winced and looked up to her questioningly. “Stop what?”

“Apologizing.” Opaline sighed and tried to smile. “Seriously, it’s not your –“

“Opaline!”

She stamped her foot and looked down the hallway toward the stairs. “Coming! Dios mio, hold on!” Infuriating! She blew out the anger and turned back to the girl. “Just. Right. Yeah. Sorry for running into you. And stop being so spazzed around me. It’s getting annoying.” With those final words, she blew the strands of hair from her eyes and sprinted down the hallway.

Downstairs, Demetri was pacing in front of the door again. When she was able to see him, she stopped running immediately, and instead walked leisurely. Honestly, he had never been this anxious to go on a nip before.

He stopped when he saw her, and stretched his arms out gratefully. “What kept you?” he cried impatiently. “Come on, we have to leave now!”

Opal raised an eyebrow defensively. “You didn’t tell me this was urgent business, Demetri.”

“The place that we’re going to is closing in two hours,” he explained. “We might not have time to do anything there unless we hurry.”

Halfheartedly admitting that maybe his impatience was a little bit justified – he should have told her to hurry with the face making – she hurried to the door and opened it before he could get there, whisking out into the courtyard into blessed night.

Demetri walked past he effortlessly, walking as fast as most people jogged. “Let’s go! Please, Opal, even I’m hungry today!” They had both been working vigorously for the past few nights; she, learning fighting techniques and he teaching it. He had yet to decide which was the most challenging.

The two reached the car, and for a brief moment, Opaline wondered if maybe she could drive the car this time. She was about to ask when Demetri pulled the keys out and dove for the driver’s side door. She pressed her lips together and moved to the other side, taking her place.

They ripped out of the driveway in Demetri’s sedan, and in due time they were roaring down the highway. Opaline looked at him for a good while before finally asking, “Why the hell are you so excited?”

“I think you might like where we’re going,” he answered blandly, never taking his eyes from the road.

Opaline only stared at him more now, or at least his profile. He was seriously focused, wasn’t he? “Why?”

“It might be nice for you.”

“Why?”

“Jeez, Opal, are you five now?” He laughed, however irritated, and rolled his eyes. She glared, but sat back in her seat, looking at her shiny red nails. Something about these nips was that it gave her an excuse to dress up every three or so nights, and almost always in a different way, depending on where they were going. Demetri had a system.

But tonight he hadn’t given any suggestions. That was the reason why she was late: without knowing where they were going, she was at a loss as to what she should wear. She had a wide assortment of clothes now, for being incognito, that Demetri had bought on the Internet. The vampire knew how to charm a girl.

So she had stared at her wardrobe for a good ten minutes, trying to figure out what was most indistinct and easiest to blend into any setting with. The Goth bar, club hopping, and redneck outfits were rules out. As were any crazy hairstyles or jewelry, or bright colors. A list of no-no’s scrolled through her mind for a few good minutes, things the two of them had thought up for herself, until Demetri tapped her on the shoulder.

“We’re here, Opal. Let’s go.”

She looked up, surprised at how quickly the time had passed. Demetri was already halfway out of the car; she scurried to keep up. The two walked out toward the entrance, and but she was too busy looking at Demetri in curiosity. He had a weird air of self-assurance. That was totally normal, but it still freaked her out.

He opened the door and someone inside said, “Welcome to Matziatto’s. Smoking or Non-smoking?”

Wait.

Opaline felt her pupils dilate.

What the hell?

“Bar, please,” Demetri said with honey smoothness, flashing the hostess two fake cards.


Opaline’s breath caught in her throat as she gave the hostess in front of her the once over. She had never seen this girl before in her life, but that didn’t mean there was no one inside who wouldn’t recognize her. Before she could take the two of them anywhere, Opaline grabbed for Demetri’s wrist and squeezed it tightly.

“You’re an ass,” she hissed, yanking him toward her. He stumbled back and fell into her shoulder. He gave her a look of incredulity. Idiot. The jerk had brought her to Matziatto’s! Her workplace!

And he was all worried about blowing her cover!
He turned to her and raised an eyebrow. “What?”
This was a disaster.

She growled and dragged him out the door, leaving a baffled college student behind. She pushed him into the parking lot angrily, and thus far, he obliged with every push. Her eyes were flashing with an intensity that made even him question his actions.

“You brought me to my work! Are you insane?” she yelled, taking him by the collar and pulling him toward him.

His eyes were wide. She was in a fury, and it was, beyond all other things, fascinating. “What’s wrong? It’s been weeks since you worked here, and you were only here for a few days. And it’s a restaurant; they get new employees every day. Who would remember you?”

Opaline sighed loudly and released him, backing away. Her mind was racing, her heart was pounding with anxiety. Not good, not good, they had to get out of here as soon as possible if she didn’t want to be seen.

Of course she wanted to be seen by somebody who knew her. But she knew Demetri wouldn’t allow it to last for more than two seconds, and not only that, but if someone here saw her here….

She breathed, trying to calm herself enough to speak. In full freak out mode, it was hard for her to talk. Demetri obviously didn’t understand what was wrong with this. Disadvantage to him living in a time without background checks.

“Miranda said that the police had been looking for me,” she said slowly. “In a missing persons case, they check every place they can possibly be. They contacted my dad, my friends, and most definitely where I work. Probably for a long time. If they’re still looking for me somewhere, then they’re still keeping in touch with the owners of this place.” She pointed over her shoulder to the crowded building radiated music, lights, and the smells of noodles and people. “If any of them see me here, they’ll tell my dad, and my dad will tell Miranda. If you’re not going to let me see any of the people from my life, I’d rather them have no hope of finding me than knowing I’m still in town!”

Demetri pursed his lips and sucked his teeth. “I made a mistake, didn’t I?”

“Can we go somewhere else before I get seen now?”

He nodded hastily, but them paused and pointed to the building hopefully. “Are you sure you don’t want to risk it? I like it here.”

Opaline felt as if that would mean something, but ignored it. “Let’s go!” she demanded, marching for their car, absolutely infuriated. She was so blinded by fear that, for the second time that night, she walked straight into somebody.

She rolled off quickly, every reaction heightened due to her freak-out. When she looked up, she met eyes with familiar ones.

Unfortunately.

“Oh my God,” Ashton whispered, wiping his brown hair from his green eyes and blinking those terrible human eyes in the darkness. “Are you… Opaline Vasquez!”

Opal froze like a deer in headlights. “Uhm. Hi, Ashton.”

They locked eyes for another few earth-shaking seconds before Demetri intervened.
Now the freak-out had officially infected Ashton. He reached out for her shoulder and pulled her from the ground in one swift movement, catching her in his other arm. She got the hint and without looking back, ran for the car.

“Opal, wait! Your family’s been looking for you for ages!”

“Shit!” Demetri hissed, pulling the door open and jumping in. “Come on, come on, come on!”

“I’m going!” She slammed the door shut and looked through the windshield one last time. She locked eyes with Ashton again, who looked exactly like she thought he would: totally amazed. By all means, she must have been resurrected from the dead right before his eyes. The car started, and Ashton’s senses finally came to him. He ran for the employee entrance at full speed.

“We need to split, now!” she urged. “I told you this was stupid!”

“You people these days do way too much work to find dead people!” Demetri yelled in defense. “Seriously, who needs to know everything about people who work for them? Anyone can hand out plates of spaghetti! That was ridiculous.”

“You sound like an old geezer,” she muttered bitterly.

“I AM an old geezer! I thought we went over this already, why are you bringing it up?”

“Because I’m pissed off!” They turned sharply and she smashed against her window. “What could possess you to take me to Matziatto’s, or all places? Wait.”

What Demetri had mentioned earlier broke into her memory again. At her silence, he glanced to the side. Blue eyes met narrow, suspicious brown.

“I never told you where I work, did I?”

“Sure you did,” he replied with a laugh. “At first, all you could talk about was how I took you from your brand new job. You’re rich by proxy now, though, so I do not see --”

“I never told you where I work,” she corrected him. Oh, snap, she had gotten him. She turned in he seat and grinned. “You were watching me!”

“Watching you what?” he asked, his voice filled with boredom. He looked back at the road. “Listen, this is trivial. We are both worked up, maybe we should just – “

“After the party that first day.” Now it was all rushing together, the puzzle pieces suddenly hyped up on magnets. “I was there to celebrate getting my first job. Talking to that guy, you must have found out where I work. Then you were there the next evening, in the bar, watching me. I saw you and you disappeared.” Her triumphant smile faded, replaced with a glare. “You weren’t avoiding me at all! You were following me!”

Demetri’s hands tightened on the steering wheel and he swallowed. He cleared his throat and pushed his shoulders back. “Okay. I was at Matziatto’s watching you on your first day of work. Before you say anything,” he interrupted, sparing a distracting glance to her. “That’s the only time I ever intentionally followed you. Seeing you at the bar? I swear, that was total coincidence.”

“Are you kidding me? That’s bull! You’re insane, Demetri!”

“I’m sorry!” Demetri roared, glaring at Opaline. All anger was silenced inside of her at such reproach. His eyes were cold, and his lip was twitching, struggling to reveal his teeth.

It seemed as if he had reached his breaking point.

“I did not realize that they would be looking for you at a place that you worked at for three days. For all they knew, you had just flaked on the job! You are nineteen, and it happens.” He braked the car on the side of the road; they were halfway out of town. The only thing other than Demetri in Opal’s imagination right now was a squadron of police cars combing the area for signs of her.

“Second, stop yelling at me. I might have been driving for fifty years, but you are insufferably distracting when you’re screaming, and if we crash, we probably wouldn’t come out like Superman.”

She frowned. He was right on that point.

“And I was not stalking you.” He looked down, figuring out the words in his head. The inside of the car had become significantly quieter since they were in the parking lot. Headlights whizzed past them, heading for the highway.

He looked up and said slowly, “I have already explained myself on the issue of what happened the second time we met. I have apologized, and I do not think you realize the guilt I still harbor for that. I watched your first day of work because I wanted to know if you were as responsible as you claimed to be.”

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

“I meant what I said at the party. I did not want you to be my prey, it just happened.”

Hesitantly, she raised her eyes to his. He was almost whispering now, his honey-flavored voice trying to persuade her. Everything he had said was easily validated, and she was less pissed than she had been. She probably even forgave him for the screw-up.

But the screw-up had been successfully screwed. In all likelihood, Ashton had told the manager what he’d seen, and the hostess will have confirmed seeing them. They would alert the police and a search party would be sent out again for them, as well as a description of the car they were sitting in, and the man at the wheel.

Hiding from all of humanity was a pain in the ass.

Demetri sighed and put the car into drive, waiting for a chance to pull back onto the road. “And I am in serious need of a nip after that. We have to stop somewhere before we go home, or tomorrow I will slip up badly.”

Oh, right. The nip. Remembering, the vampire inside of her stirred impatiently. After all of the adrenaline the two had just produced, it would soon be roaring for satisfaction.

She’d never seen Demetri when he was starved of blood. Imagining what he would manifest into if he were driven over the edge caused a cold to drip into her stomach. The memory of how it felt to suffer the pains of hunger were fresh and raw in her mind; did it increase or lessen over time?

“Fine. Can we please go out of town for this one, though?”




When they returned, Cameron was waiting for them
.
“That took longer than it should have,” he observed.

“Thanks, Captain Obvious,” Opaline sneered, kicking her shoes off as soon as her feet met tile. It was three in the morning. Double nips always took longer than singles, and not only had they been severely distracted, but they had to make a twenty mile detour.

Demetri came in after her, his demeanor much better than hers. They both felt considerably more relieved, physically, now, but Opal had worries that weren’t quite so dire for him.

Cameron looked on, confused. “Did something happen?”

“Yes,” he muttered.

“What?”

“Demetri was being stupid!” Opaline yelled from the hallway. “Where’s the closest TV?”

In all her time here, Opal had never asked for a television. Evidence for worry, number two. Demetri shook his head and followed in her footsteps, leaving Cameron at the door. “There’s an entertainment center in a room on the left!”

“Thanks.”
“Nothing is going to be on at this hour except for infomercials, my dear.”
“Shut up.”




Four hours later, the local morning news came on.

Opaline sat on a couch, her knees pulled up to her chin, and watched as the weather and something about elementary schools whizzed by. The third story of the half hour show was, of course, a police report.

The missing woman, Opaline Vasquez, was reportedly seen fleeing from her prior place of work by an employee. An unidentified man accompanied her. After that, Opal didn’t care what information they had gathered, and she turned the television off.

This was her second blunder as a vampire. The first was almost killing Troy. The second was letting her presence be known. Demetri, when she began to appear extremely stressed, was apologetic enough. It wasn’t enough.

“It’s dawn,” she whispered as she rose from the couch. Demetri was seated in a chair to her right, looking even more exhausted than she. “I’m going to bed.”

“Excellent plan.” He stood and stretched his arms. “Let’s put this night behind us.”

Before Opal could leave, he placed his hand on her shoulder. “Do not worry. No one is going to find you here. Living on huge property makes you inconspicuous to random crime.”

Opal shrugged him away and silently went up to her room.

Like she cared. It was in Demetri’s best interest to just leave her alone.

She walked mechanically through the hallway, not even really thinking. She sensed someone behind her and looked over her shoulder to find Cameron, hands in his black pant pockets.

“Can I have a word, miss?”

She slowly turned around and crossed her arms expectantly, implying her permission.

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, the servant’s posture falling for a moment. “He really did think you’d like it,” he grumbled at last. “He’s completely surprised that you were recognized this long afterwards.”

“I’ve already heard, and mostly accepted, Demetri’s apologies, Cameron,” she interrupted.

“That’s not all,” he continued hastily. He pulled his hands out from his pockets and wrapped them together behind his back. “I understand why you’re worried. Demetri has more trouble. He hasn’t had a family for some time, so he doesn’t know exactly why you’re freaking out.”

“And how do you know?” She rolled her eyes. “If Demetri can’t figure it out, how can you? You don’t know me half as well.”

“Because I, unlike him, have parents. It’s the same for anyone, and knowing your personality has nothing to do with me understanding it.”

This was mildly surprising. She had hardly seen elder servants, and never had she seen Cameron with anyone but Jessica. It wasn’t enough to engage her interest at the time; she was tired, and weary from the night prior.

“Good night, Cameron,” she muttered, turning a shoulder of denial on him. She did not want his sympathy now.

“Good morning, miss.”

Oh. Right.

They separated, going different directions, happily. She solemnly pushed her bedroom door open and closed it, blinking distastefully in the morning light that came through her curtains. She staggered to the window and pulled them securely shut. The daylight world was dangerous now. Not to herself as much as to her father.

He must be in agony on the inside now. Believing his daughter to be gone forever, certainly, when no trace of her had been found. If not, then his hope had most certainly been dwindling. He was probably in a slump of depression, now completely alone, as was Miranda.

Miranda knew the truth about her situation, but Gabriel Vasquez did not. When the police alerted him about the new lead, he must have been overjoyed. His daughter, still so near, confused as to why she had never reached him before now, but jubilant that the police had more information.

And, of course, she was alive.

She laid down on her bed, her feet on the pillows, and bored holes into the drawer beneath her vanity. Through the holes, she saw the crisp smelling envelope with her sloppy cursive words on the outside. It would be so simple to sneak to the post office one day, supposedly on a single nip, and send it to recipient. She would never be caught, of course, if there was no return address.

She was tempted to reach into it, and write another letter. One to her father, to assure him that she really was safe. But that he would be alone in the world forever, no matter how well and alive she was.

The desire to move was less compelling, though, and eventually, she pulled her clothes off and fell asleep in her bed, upside down.

[Not Bran Muffin]

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