“This is Lily O’Connor, and who am I speaking to?” Lily answers her phone briskly. 

Ashley untenses, sitting in the driver’s seat of her truck. “This is Ashley, speaking.” She’s somewhere downtown-- after retrieving her few personal belongings from the clinic, she’d simply driven until her head cleared enough to start sorting through things. Then, she’d called the one person who could give her advice and could still stand to hold a conversation with her.

“That’s lovely, dear. Who are you to me? A nephew? Niece?” The older vampire sounds distracted. After she speaks, some sort of interference rattles the phone with static.

“We met a few days ago. I’m a veterinarian?” 

“Oh, that Ashley! How are you? Do you have more questions?” Lily brightens significantly once recognition strikes. 

“I’m… fine, thank you.” The vet glances at the clock on her dashboard. Six o’clock-- she’s missed two appointments now. It hasn’t sunk in yet that she’s not going back. “I’ve made my decision early, if that’s alright. Can you meet me any sooner than tomorrow?”

“Let me see…” There’s a pause, and intermittent static as Lily does whatever she needs to reach a conclusion. “Technically, no. But if I go there, and then…” After a clear shuffle of papers from her side, “I could arrive in the very early morning.” Another moment of silence follows.
“Dearie, did something force your hand?” 

“In a way.” Ashley considers how much she trusts Lily, someone she’s only met one time. The older vampire had only shown her kindness, and anyways, she’s a terrible liar. “No one was hurt, but there was a witness. Perhaps I could have fixed that, but-- I didn’t.”

“Well then...” Lily trails off thoughtfully, before bouncing back. “I’m sure you can tell me the whole story- and all its tragedy- but right now you need to go home and pack your things. I’ll meet you as soon as I can at that spot outside of town. Take care, dear.”

With a heavy breath, Ashley sets her phone on the seat next to her. The engine rumbles and she drives home for the last time.

...

Fading evening light reaches through slits in the window blinds, illuminating the first floor as she steps inside. Ashley walks into her living room, stopping in front of a tall bookshelf filled top to bottom. She runs her hand across the titles-- she certainly couldn’t take all of her books, but maybe this one, and that one there… 

In a few minutes, there’s a sizable pile of novels on her couch. Holding the last book on her shelf, she pauses. Looking down at the bent and creased cover, Ashley remembers the endless highlights and scribbled notations that made this textbook impossible to resell. For a brief moment in college, she'd dabbled with the idea of practicing humanoid medicine. Flipping at random to one of the first pages, her attention is drawn to bright, bold letters:

“In this updated edition, Seraphs are no longer categorized as races but subspecies, as per the most current medical knowledge,”

She scoffs, knowing that debate is still far from over-- a debate begun and continued, mostly, by humans. Recalling something, she spends a while skimming through chapters until she finds a particular section.

"Though there are too many subspecies to include in this single chapter (when whole textbooks are written on the subject) the most common groupings of Seraphs are that of raptors and songbirds. It is important to know the physiological differences that distinguish the two." 

Written in the margins are notes that had nothing to do with Humanoid Physiology 117, and in fact were added much later.

"She was definitely a raptor. The shape and color of her eyes make me sure. Raptors usually have more streamlined wings. She's probably from somewhere cold." 

That's enough with memories. Ashley claps the book shut and returns it to its shelf. Something so outdated would be useless to bring along. But Doyle, and Stoker, and Bachman…

She sighs, resolving to make final, tearful decisions once she’s packed everything she truly needs. She moves on to the kitchen.

Ashley stares into the room for a long time. Would she ever have cause to cook something again? The thought makes her heart heavy, until she opens one of the white cabinets and takes out a jar of blackberry honey. The stuff lasts forever, so why not? She carefully wraps the jar in paper and then a few tea cups. 

Finally, she makes it to her room. There’s a mess of things she never quite has time to put away-- mostly clothes and a few more books. Reaching up into her closet, she takes down a fairly standard, bulky black suitcase. As it tips forward into her hands, she hears a crackling sound from something inside.

Oh. That. She knows what that is. When she moved here, she hadn’t known where to put it. So it just-- stayed. Until she forgot. Setting down the suitcase, she peers inside at a piece of crinkled brown paper. She tucks it into her jacket, making room for the many things she needs to pack.

… 

“Ashley! How are you, dearie-- are you sure you’re alright?” Lily immediately adopts a best-intentioned fuss as she looks the veterinarian up and down. They stand together on the packed earth of the parking lot where they said goodbye two days before.

“I-- I am going to miss some things. Some people. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with myself.” Ashley trails off. She might not have much choice in the matter, depending on where she goes. Most places around the world are dangerously unfriendly toward vampires. “Thanks again, for meeting me on such short notice.”

“Yes, yes, it’s perfectly alright. I left Owain in charge. He’s much more sensible than his brother. If we head back immediately, Iain won’t have time to talk him into something.” And she does mean immediately-- turning on her heel, Lily begins walking away.

“Lily…” Ashley holds back for a moment, “You’re letting a stranger travel with your family. That’s incredibly kind of you, but-- are you sure?”

“Of course, silly! Oh I do hate it when people say things they never act upon. I’m not like that at all.” Her artificial light flickers, then dies down into something serious. “You don’t seem the sort to find trouble. Rather, trouble found you and dragged you into this life. Yes?”

Ashley nods slowly, and Lily gives a long sigh:

“It’s true, no matter how small the crime, you’re a target for STech now. Vampires get no protection from human laws, especially since so many human governments purchase so-called protection from those bastards.” She speaks bitterly, embers in her eyes. “Let us show you how to travel safely and then you may do whatever you wish.” 

Ashley relents. “Alright.” Taking the first step feels strange. Terrifyingly easy. As she walks forward, there’s a slight crackle from her pocket.

“What’s that, love?” Lily questions curiously, her batlike ears turning toward the sound.

“Nothing.” An entirely different anxiety strikes as Ashley unconvincingly answers.

“If it’s nothing, can I see it?” Lily asks, with the same innocence she feined so well in their first meeting. Her energy is at once exuberant and conspiratory. To return the friendship showered upon her, Ashley feels obligated to capitulate.

Slowly, the veterinarian takes out the unassuming paper, looking away as she hands it over.

“Well then,” Lily delicately unwraps the contents. “A feather?” A white feather rests in the paper, about the size of her hand, with the soft, fine strands of down. She almost asks another question, but pauses with delighted surprise as she assumes discovery of quite the secret. “Oh my! Whose feather is this?”

“It’s not-- it’s nothing!” Ashley attempts evasion as her cheeks darken.

“Seraphs don’t give down feathers to just anyone.” Lily purrs.

“But-- I-- I never saw her again.” Mouse-quiet, Ashley takes the wrapped feather. The paper crinkles as she covers the white down and holds it to her chest. Defensively? Protectively? Embarrassment and confusion tumble over one another in her head. How could she still feel so strongly about something so small, from a lifetime ago…