Four more days saw Aidan back at The Sanctuary. He found he craved human company more than he’d thought. Even though most of the time he only sat back and watched what the other people were doing, somehow simply being there satisfied his need for companionship.

He found he enjoyed watching people. Just observing the continual drama of who was around who, watching who wore what outlandish outfit, seeing who danced, who sat in the corners, just observing it all was endlessly fascinating.

So it was that he noticed the new woman right away. By this time he’d been coming to The Sanctuary for more than a month and knew all the regulars, so he knew she was either new or came very seldom. She was dressed in the customary black, and wearing a leather choker with a spiked heart pendant, so she should have blended in, but somehow she stood out. She didn’t quite belong. He tried to analyze what it was, but it didn’t come to him.

She noticed his gaze and moved in his direction. “Hi,” she said, parking herself on the couch next to where he sat in his usual spot on the arm. “I’m Lucy.”

“Aidan. This your first time here?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you think of it?”

“Pretty wild.”

“I like it here. It’s one of the few places a guy like me can go and not get stared at like some kind of circus show.”

“What do you mean? I mean other than those wings and your teeth you look totally normal. I’d think once you took them off you’d blend right in.”

“Ah but that’s the rub you see. They don’t come off. Wings and teeth both, a permanent deal.”

“Why? If you don’t want to be stared at then why do something like that?”

Aidan just shrugged. He wasn’t about to go telling this stranger all about Mysteria and being a real vampire and all that. “They’re part of who I am,” he finally said.

“What do you mean by that?”

He shrugged again. Why was she so curious?

“I really want to know, if you don’t mind telling me,” said Lucy.

“Why are you asking? If you don’t mind telling me.” Aidan grinned.

Lucy looked a bit taken aback. “Curiosity?”

“You say that like a question, not like an answer,” said Aidan. He didn’t really mind the questions, but he had no intention of answering them either. There was something about this Lucy…

“Okay,” she said, her manner suddenly changing, “You want the truth? I’m writing a book. All about the goth and vampire scene. I want to know what’s really behind the vampire myth. I think there’s something. So I’m visiting places like this to interview people like you. The real vampires. I don’t think real vampires are undead, I think they’re just people, ordinary people.”

“Real vampires eh?” Aidan just about laughed. I’m more real than you could ever guess, he thought. “Well, I’d love to oblige, but I’m afraid I value my privacy. I know there’s plenty of other people around here who’d be happy to tell you what you need to know.”

Lucy took the brush-off gracefully enough. “Well thanks anyhow. Sorry to bother you.”

“Hey, no problem. If you ever want to talk without asking my life story, I’m always around here somewhere.”

As he was leaving that night he spotted Lucy walking away from the club. She was walking away from the parking lot too. “Hey! Lucy! Don’t tell me you’re walking home at this hour of the night.”

“Oh hi!” she said. “No, I was just walking to the Trax station. I’ll catch a train from there. They don’t run often at this hour, but there’s still a few.”

“Oh no you’re not. Not alone anyhow. Owen,” he called to his friend, “You going with Mouse?”

“Yeah, I’m headed for the after-party. You going to walk the lady there home?”

“You got it. See you later.”

“Hey,” said Lucy, “I’ve got mace and martial arts training. I can take care of myself. Heck, I’m taller than you are!”

“I’m still not letting you walk there alone. Safety in numbers and all that.”

She held out her hands in a gesture of helplessness. “I guess I’m stuck with you. I should make you answer all my questions in return for letting you come.”

“I doubt the answers would help you any. I’m not the sort of vampire you’re putting in your book,” said Aidan as they strolled down the empty streets.

“What sort of vampire are you then?”

“The questions never stop, do they? All right. I’ll answer that one. I’m a real vampire.” He grinned at her.

“Which is exactly what I’m after,” said Lucy.

“Sure you are,” said Aidan.

“You’re being deliberately confusing,” she accused.

“You bet.”

She shook her head, exasperated. “Will you give me a straight answer just once?”

“I’ve already given you straight answers, you just don’t have the context to understand them. And no, I’m not going to give you the context. You don’t need to know my life story.”

“All right, I’ll leave you alone. We’re almost there, anyhow. See, there’s the station.” Then she frowned as she looked down the street. “What is that?”