“So the reason you wanted everyone to leave is so they wouldn’t find out that the baby is still alive? And you didn’t want them to know that you’d kill her.”

Caleb glares, “You can’t even begin to understand how childish you sound to me right now. I had everyone leave because vampire procreation is not something we advertise and I already said that I don’t know what’s going to happen to it.”

Against Andrew’s initial feelings he starts to see the situation from Caleb’s point of view. Andrew, like most humans, is completely clueless about vampire life and culture so he can only take Caleb at his words and for as long as he’s known Caleb he’s never known him to lie buying him a little bit of trust towards the vampire.

“Fine, but stop calling her an it at least.” He gives in. Like Caleb had said he isn’t close to his family so getting mad and hostile at him won’t serve Andrew any good. He resigns himself to interrogating whoever comes to take the child.

Caleb smiles sardonically, “Really? You know that’s quite the label to place on a newborn. What if it grows up and wants to be a boy?”

Andrew frowns and looks down at the naked infant still covered in blood, but quietly curled in his arm nonetheless and sucking on his finger. The argument had unexpectedly turned towards foggy territory that the cisgender doesn’t know how to navigate.

~

Two people arrive to relieve Caleb and Andrew of the baby. A halfbreed servant by the name of Sibyl and a human woman named Andrea. Their entire demeanor and attires are opposite of each other. Straight-back Sibyl wears office appropriate clothes—a black jacket, white collared shirt, and long black slacks, the sound of her heels clacking against the cement

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

echoes throughout the empty warehouse. She’s a severe looking woman who always looks completely composed with her hair always swept back out of her face. Andrea is much more relaxed and in much milder clothing—she spends her days lounging on Medea’s couch or exercising wearing yoga pants and a loose fitting gray t-shirt. Paired with her casual clothes today is large canvas bag bulging at the sides.

“Callippus.” Sibyl greets him as they come closer.

“Sibyl, surprised to see you leave the office, I thought you were shackled to your desk.”

“Very funny, you know Andrea don’t you? She’s Medea’s newest familiar. I brought her in case the child needed blood, but I see you found someone else to do the job.”

“He insisted, now will you take the thing and leave. Some of us how to get back to actual work.” Caleb gestures to Andrew watching with a distrustful eye at the vampiric lot.

“Thing?” Sibyl clicks her tongue in admonishment and shakes her head. “You shouldn’t call children that.” She steps closer to Andrew to examine the baby. Andrew is surprised to watch a transformation take over her face, the hard and cold lines are softened out by the sudden appearance of a smile and a gentle look in her eyes. “Hi, little sweetie.” She carefully reaches out and takes the child away from Andrew who is still in shock by the sudden change. “Aren’t you just the cutest little thing? …Andrea.”

Without having to be asked any specifics Andrea pulls out a gray blanket from her bag and hands it to Sibyl who carefully wraps the child in it. The bag has a considerable less bulge now.

“She’s awfully quiet, is that normal?” Andrew asks like a fretting father.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Oh, that’s completely fine.” Sibyl assures him, “Vampire children never cry… unless they’re hungry.” She smiles and coos at the infant, “Of course you’re not hungry you drank mommy up like a good little baby.”

“You think she’ll go to sleep?” Andrea asks practically.

The baby has its eyes closed, but its fingers still twitch and move indicating a certain amount of wakefulness.

“I mean if she’s eaten enough than she should fall asleep…” Andrew reasons.

““Vampires don’t sleep.”” Caleb and Sibyl inform him at the same time.

“O…kay.” Andrew is officially creeped out by their synchronicity.

“Well,” Sibyl shifts the baby’s weight, “I think it’s time we left and for you to clean up this mess.” She gestures towards both the body and Andrew. “Like you said, some of us have to get back to actual work. We can’t all go running around playing pretend cop with the humans.”

Caleb narrows his eyes, “Yeah, some of us get to play pretend mom with the purebreds instead.” He retorts back cruelly.

“Okay guys, how about we don’t get into an argument while holding a newborn infant.” Andrew steps in between them to try and stop them from fighting.

Andrea meanwhile had gotten curious and decided to take a look at the deceased woman so while the others had continued to fret over the child she had slipped her way past them to see who the mother of the child she would be taking care of was. What she finds is a familiar face.

“No way,” she mutters as she stares at the malnourished face. The woman had been beautiful before whatever hardships she had had to endure, but now her face is streaked with dirt

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

and hallowed out by hunger and has a perpetual look of sadness and pain written across her features. “I think I know this person.”

The three behind her all immediately freeze and turn towards her.

“From where?” Caleb asks as he walks up closer to her

“No, I know I know her.” Andrea nods, “I can’t remember her name though.” She looks up at Caleb, “She was a complete bitch.”

“How would you know her?” Caleb asks. The familiars of vampires are rarely allowed contact with other humans.

Andrea raises a finger, “She was Marcus’s familiar. She made me add her on this stupid social media platform and she would never shut up on it. I haven’t seen or heard anything from her though in a year. I figured Marcus had kicked her to the curb.”

Caleb’s heart sinks in his chest. This investigation had just gotten more complicated than it already is.