After finishing up his break, Sebastian led them down the pristine white hallway, into a small patient room. An undertone of bleach and a faint scent of sandalwood drifted in the air as Lucien followed close behind Castor. He wasn’t really sure how this worked. With a trembling hand, Lucien loosened his collar and tugged his coat off.
“Do we just sit somewhere and you feed from us or..?” Lucien asked, tilting his head to expose his neck.
Sebastian froze, lips curved in an amused smile. “We take your blood like normal.”
“That’s an intimate thing vampires do,” Castor explained, concern clouding his eyes as he tugged Lucien’s jacket back up. “They keep our blood for others here at the clinic. Not for anyone to feed directly off of.”
“Oh, my bad.” Heat rushed to Lucien’s cheeks as he readjusted his collar. “I didn’t know.”
“Some vampires still prefer that traditional way of feeding.” Sebastian got the injections prepared. “But here, we don’t do that. When feeding directly off someone, it’s easier to lose control and harm you. This way, we can take just enough and ensure your well-being.”
Lucien laid down on the cot beside Castor, gazing up at the fluorescent lights above him. While waiting, Lucien couldn’t help but wonder what drove Charlotte out here. She never mentioned anything about vampires before, and from all the horror stories their dad filled their heads with, he was quite surprised she’d even consider such a thing. Unless she was doing it with ulterior motives.
Donating her blood would’ve been a clever cover-up for being down in Nevermourn. Why else would wizards drive there unless there was something they wanted or someone they needed to see? For Castor, Lucien understood his connection with the outcast vampire. They were a lot alike, shunned by their own society and disregarded as nothing but evil vermin.
Sebastian stepped over to him, gently cleaning his arm before inserting a sterile needle into his vein. A sharp pinch pierced his skin, but it vanished within seconds. As Lucien met the vampire’s crimson eyes, he realized that he had healing powers.
“AB Positive.” Sebastian’s eyes fogged with hunger as he watched the blood drain from his arm. “You’ve got one of the rarest blood types, also one of the most desirable amongst our kind.”
“Oh, r-really?” Lucien asked, struggling to hide his unease. “Do blood types taste different?”
“Of course. Yours is the richest, sweetest flavor. It provides us with more energy, strength, and healing power,” Sebastian explained. “The most common type we get here is O Positive. That’s what Castor has and Charlotte did too.”
Lucien nodded. “Interesting. I never knew that.”
“So, the victims they brought you,” Castor cleared his voice. “Describe their condition. Did you notice any markings on their faces? Any symbols?”
“Nothing like that, no. But keep in mind, the bodies were burned beyond recognition,” Sebastian replied. “It took some time to identify two of them, and the third male we still haven’t heard anything about.”
“Holy hell,” Lucien murmured. “That’s horrible.”
“Yes, but it’s the only sure way to kill a vampire. Burn them to death.” Sebastian glanced away for a moment, then went over to prepare Castor’s injection.
“Do you think someone came here to practice death curses?” Lucien suggested. “Considering how powerful vampires can be, a single death curse wouldn’t kill them, right? Then they’d cover up their tracks by burning their bodies.”
“You could be on to something there.” Castor rubbed his chin. “Nobody’s going to suspect a wizard came down here to Nevermourn, and with the bodies burned, there’s no way to trace any death curses. Not unless their wounds were fresh.”
“I doubt any of the police detectives in this district even possess the abilities to detect magic,” Sebastian remarked. “We assumed they’re unregistered vampire hunters, killing off whoever they want. But you guys brought up some interesting theories.”
After they’d both finished donating a pint of blood each, Sebastian checked their arms, then placed a colorful band-aid on their injection sites. It only stung a little. Sebastian instructed them to stay still for a few minutes, just to allow their bodies to recuperate after drawing blood. He brought them some apple juice boxes and small packs of cookies to snack on.
“You and your family have my condolences, Lucien. I hope you’re able to find her killer and make sure they pay for what they did.” Sebastian graciously shook his hand. “It was also a pleasure finally meeting you. If only it could’ve been under better circumstances.”
“Likewise,” Lucien replied. “Be careful out there and let us know about anymore murders. I’m not working this case on official Supernatural Council business, so if you can, try to inform Castor first.”
“I understand. I’ll let you both know.”
Raindrops kissed Lucien’s face when he stepped back outside. A dark aura ensnared him, but when he gazed around, he found nobody else on the streets. With a shiver, Lucien hastened his pace and climbed into the safety of Castor’s jeep. He wasn’t about to wait around and become some vampire’s midnight snack.
“Don’t you ever offer yourself up like that to a vampire or anyone again.” Castor’s voice grew stern. His windshield wipers fought to bat the rain away, screeching softly against the smudged glass.
“I thought you wanted me to be nice.” Lucien removed his glasses to wipe the raindrops from the lenses. “Sebastian seemed like a kind guy too. I’m sure he forgave my ignorance of blood drinking knowledge. I just wanted to help.”
Castor sighed, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. “When you present your neck like that to them, it’s an invitation to your body. Very intimate, yes, but it can also be lethal. Sebastian wouldn’t dare do anything to hurt you, especially not with me standing there, but you must remember that they do have strong instincts to feed.”
“I’m sorry. Honestly, I didn’t know. I won’t do it again, I promise.” Lucien raised his hands in mock surrender.
“Good. Anyway, I think we’ve got an interesting start on tracking this killer. We presumed it was someone who knew their black magic well, but it’s possible that it’s someone who’s recently learned the dark arts. They practiced on vampires first before seeking out their intended victims.”
“Yeah, at least it’s a start.” Lucien nodded.
“Charlotte must’ve learned something about the killer that made him silence her,” Castor said. “If we can figure out what it was, we might be able to find him.”
“I never knew about Charlotte donating her blood to vampires down here. Didn’t even suspect something was going on.” Lucien gazed out the window, watching as the scenery bypassed him in a blur. “What else did she hide from me?”
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