Sirius —

Sometimes, you hear something but don’t quite grasp it right away, leaving you to wonder if you actually heard it correctly or even hearing it at all. But after a second, it clicks just like that, like a snap of the finger. You realize you did hear it, or at least you managed to tune in after all.

To me, it sounded muffled—at least that’s what I initially thought. However, after taking a moment to really listen, I began to realize...

“Grimes…”

I could hardly make out who was looming over me. It was a dark figure, illuminated by a harsh white light that cast a shadow, obscuring any recognizable shape. I assume my vision is adjusting because it feels like waking up from a long nap.

“You shouldn’t get up too fast!” They spoke with heavy concern.

That voice…

I recognized it—at least, I think I do. The pitch and tone. Trying to piece it together left me with a searing pain in the backside of my head.

“Wh-what…”

“Grimes…”

My vision finally returned to what it usually was. And I could see a gloomy room with the stench of the dead. For some reason, I was lying on a table with a white sheet covering my legs like a blanket. 

“This isn’t…”

“No, it’s not. It’s the morgue,” answered the voice. Finally, putting a face to it, I could see who was hanging about by my side with a look of concern.

“Macie…?”

“Oh, thank God. When I got the call, my heart stopped. What sort of nasty business have you been up to since you’ve been away? I knew it. You do need me as your trusty sidekick.”

“What? Shut up.” Taking a moment to collect my thoughts, I turned to her. “Where… No—why are you here?”

“The, the morgue…? Is your hearing still not working? Of I would be here, as they called me. I am your emergency contact after all, silly. When they told me, you got shot in the head…”

“S-shot?” I tried to recall how I ended up here, but the very moment I thought about it, my head felt like it was about to split open.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you…” chimed a sweet, sultry voice.

My attention was drawn to the corner of the room where a peculiar woman sat. She had long, curly orange hair framed by a slender face, adorned with long lashes. Her striking crimson-colored eyes sparkled behind glasses that were clearly not prescription. For a moment, her fangs glinted playfully behind her supple lips, which curved into a mysterious smile.

An instinct washed over me, centering on one feeling—to fear her. I couldn’t pinpoint why, but the hairs on my neck bristled, and my skin felt foreign. I instinctively shifted Macie further away from the woman sitting there, entirely devoid of any presence. As it left me to be frankly uneasy and unsure if she was even real or a figment of my imagination.

“Who are you?”

“Before we get to that, let’s clear the room, shall we?”

She snapped her fingers.

Without another word, Macie’s hands dropped from me. Her posture straightened as she slowly headed for the door, her vacant expression leaving me struggling to rise, only to stumble back and lean against the table.

“Careful little one,” she warned.

“Shut up!”

“You aren’t fully healed. Much to my advice, it would be best to refrain from doing anything too drastic so soon. That includes heeding my earlier words—recollecting the moment of what happened to you, at least not yet, until you’re fully healed. One well-placed silver bullet shot to the hippocampus, oof. Most vampires would take days to recall even who they were. Not you. Not surprising, at least.”

When I could bring myself to stand properly, Macie was already out the door.

“What the hell did you do to her?”

“It’s alright, just some hypnosis. You and I need to speak privately, after all.”

Hypnosis? Is this really what it looks like? I've only heard of a handful of people who recognized such a genuine ability exists. Even fewer who can identify an individual capable of executing it.

“Why would I want to speak with the likes of you? Who are you?”

There was some concern. A question lingering in the air for me to pluck. All I needed to do was just say the words.

“It is quite a parlor trick, isn’t it? But don’t worry. You’re not under it. Vampires can’t induce the suggestive influence on one another. You have your eyes to thank for that, among other things.”

It was as if she had read my mind, supplying an answer to a question I had not even posed yet. 

“Piss off!”

“Quite a snappy one, aren’t we? Be wise about this little one. Much like the ones you’ve gone and crossed, you’re in no league to bite off more than you can chew.”

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder—it was hers. Instantly, she had abandoned her seat and stood by my side. Her grip was gentle, yet every fiber of my being screamed for escape. It was only a brief moment before she removed her hand and walked around me. Her heels clicked against the floor as she leaned against the table, positioning herself comfortably.

“What—”

“Who, little one, and it is Evelyn. I know all about you. Sirius Hush Grimes. A private detective who deals in special cases for the very discreet or at the very least the ones involving monsters. Here’s the thing. Some of the very monsters you have dealt with, well, don’t take kindly to your snooping.”

“Is that right? What does it matter to you?”

“Just call me a concerned citizen, that’s all. A hit out on your head…color me curious when I heard because only folks at the Velvet Heights have the authority to do something like that?”

“It shouldn’t be a problem for a concerned citizen, so let's cut to the chase. What do you want?”

“It’s quite simple, I suppose.” She paused for a moment before tossing a bag to my heels. “’Tis the season of giving after all, isn’t it? So I am feeling a bit generous.”

Inside were several barely translucent bags that held a dark red liquid. Each was labeled, of course, with specific details and, among other things such as files and photos.

Taking but a only second to glance through them, left me more curious then suspicious. 

“I have to wonder what exactly is in it for you.”

“Of course you do. But as I said, I am nothing more than a concerned citizen. As a medical professional, I can’t stand by while someone is hurt. It took you four hours to recover from a shot to the head. Whoever did this was meticulous. They didn’t bother staking or dragging you out to burn on a cross. This was a message.”

“To say what?”

“That you are at their mercy. That you should stop meddling where you aren’t wanted. Turn on the news, love, whenever you get the chance. You were shot in a public space with quite a lot of eyes, yet all that stir is now gone.”

“Hypnosis…?” I asked skeptically, eyeing her in the corner.

My words only inspired a smile to cross her face. Her whole spiel didn’t come from a place of concern or worry but an inconvenience. She had gone and done the very same thing with Macie that she so warns me of.

“I’ll ask you again, what do you want?”

Evelyn took a little smoke break, her gaze tracing along everything and nothing at all before falling back on me and providing an answer.

“A month ago, you had handled a case on a private cruise vessel from here to London. Before it left, you managed to locate a serial killer hiding among the passengers, hoping to board and escape these lands. I must admit I was impressed by your skills, but consider this a courteous warning and stand down. You have no idea what sort of Pandora’s box will open should you cause too much stir.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I am talking about the real reason you were on the ship. You could’ve caught the bastard before that, but you didn’t. All because you wanted the excuse to see if a rumor was true. The crate. Were you looking for that?”

“How do you—”

“How adorable. No need to shoot such a harsh glare. Relax yourself, I am in no need of getting my clothes dirty. Even if I was, do you really think you can take me in your state?”

I thought about it, and she was right, as frustrating as it was. Killing vampires required a lot of effort. Speed, endurance, and luck were all critical factors, and I didn’t have any of them at the moment.

“Don’t be a fool. Drop searching for that monster, or the people you care for will get hurt. You wouldn’t want them involved in the crossfire of a true evil who knows no end. Be smart. You are a detective, after all. Now, if you will excuse me, I am a doctor, and my patients are waiting for me upstairs.”

Her words left me in my thoughts for a moment before looking at the bag by my heels containing blood. It never left the room as I bashfully took to draining them individually. My fangs pierced the bag’s barely translucent plastic as I brought my lips to kiss each before sucking the one in my hands dry. The sweet nectar flooded down my throat, making my body feel whole. But it wasn’t enough. Nowhere near close, given how long it had last been. My hands trembled with a craving for more. Steadying them, I breathed. 

Focus. Focus. Get control over yourself. The hunger doesn’t control you. You control it.

After wiping my mouth clean and gathering myself, I finally opened the door to see that Macie had been there all along, sitting on a bench down the hall. Her face was expressionless, her eyes transfixed on nothing but the wall in front of her.

“Macie…”

My words finally caught her attention. Her posture relaxed ever so slightly before turning toward me.

“Oh, Grimes! Thank goodness. They told me to wait since I am not family, but the news worried me.”

“Are you alright?” I asked. I suspect her words spurned by the effects of the hypnosis. “Do you remember anything about the woman?”

“Of course, I am not alright. When they said that you had been shot over the phone—I had rushed right over. But…but when I arrived…”

Macie’s words trailed off as if she was lost in thought. Her focus went elsewhere as she dazed off into nothing in particular. It was brief before her attention fell back on me, and words came to her lips again.

“Grimes… Oh my goodness! Are you alright? I heard…”

“Yes, I am fine. You should head home before it gets too late.”

“But it’s only 4 in the evening. Oh no, are you mad at me for going into your phone without permission and putting myself as your emergency contact? I know, I know, we talked about this, but come ooooonnn.”

Honestly, I had half a mind to give it to her for several reasons but shelved it to the side, worried that her psyche was probably not in the best of conditions right now.

“It’s really alright. Go home and get some rest. I will give you a call if anything else comes up.”

“But…”

After some persuasion, I finally managed to convince Macie to take my word and go home. She’s a bit peculiar, but not as strange as the doctor who just gave me a "courtesy warning" along with a bag full of intriguing information. Among the contents was a folder detailing a man named Samuel Hummings.

The name was familiar, but I couldn’t place it as I had never seen the man’s face before, until now.

“Wait a minute...”

The more I read, the more I connected the dots of the various information provided. News articles, DNA reports, eyewitness accounts. I had several concerning questions about how that woman had procured these, but if this was true, then that meant my suspicion about the missing children was correct. It wasn’t just the Piper; it was Samual Hummings, the one who had been caught several years back and was reported dead within his cell. 

How was he still alive?