Chapter VII

**Chapter VII**

Bren and Cessika, the vampire girl, sit and talk in her detainment cell, with her still chained up to a wall.

Bren: "So... Cessika huh? That's new... different."

Cessika: "It's from my culture... I'm half thai... Jessica would be the English name for it. When I got older and got out on my own, I changed it."

Bren: "I like it. Nothing unique about my name...well not my first name. My people took the name turtle as our last name because it was our tribe and clan name and," chuckling for a moment, "we figured it would be easier to pronounce than in our native language to other people."

Cessika: "Tribe? Oh, so you're indigenous?"

Bren: "Half... grew up on a reservation in Tennessee... when I was old enough, I got out on my own...forged my own path... hit a few bumps in the road now... I'm here."

Cessika: "Bumps... yea," she says thinking to herself with a deep breath.

Bren: "You ok?"

Cessika: "Yea... yea... just thinking."

Bren: "About the past?"

Cessika: "When you become a vampire at first the world seems like it's your oyster. You can do what you want, and nothing can stop you. You can see things people can't see in the dead night, hear the faintest heartbeat or a spider spin its web from miles away. Shit, you feel invincible but after a while... it seems like a vampire only has their past... then remorse kicks you in the ass."

Bren: "The other day I saw something in you when you were dreaming. In your mind I think."

Cessika: "Saw something? What do you mean?"

Bren: "It's an ability I have... telepathy. Sorry, sometimes it just happens...but I... am just curious how were you turned?

Cessika ignores Bren's question and stays silent.

Bren: "Who did it?" He asks as she continues to ignore him. "Ok..." Bren says as he stands up "I'll see about getting you that deer," He says as he leaves the room and closes the door behind him.

As Bren walks to his room he is confronted by Lacy and who attempts to get his attention about a favor she needs, to which he brushes her off with a calm "Yea, we will talk later." He is even stopped by Techahn who attempts to get his attention and input on some tech he has been working on, but gives him the same line, until he gets back to his room and shuts the door.

Victoria: "Sorry to disturb your tantrum but any progress on the vampire, Mr. Turtle?" she says to Bren telepathically.

Bren: "Will you get the hell out of my head?!"

Victoria: "I will take that as no."

Bren: "It's not a no or yes... it... just leave me alone."

Victoria: "You've hit a roadblock in progression toward connecting with her. A trust issue I sense?"

Bren: "Again, out of my head..."

Victoria: "Fair enough... but I must alert you to the danger we have here. Cessika is unique. If she was hiding in the woods in Canada it means she was running from something or someone. She's safe here as long as she is under my wards, but I do not know for how long... make it happen. I need all you can get from her."

Bren sits for the night alone contemplating what to do having little to no contact with Cessika outside of dropping her off blood. He then visits again and gives her more blood after entering her room two days later.

Cessika: "So I take it this means you are deciding not to be an asshole and you're talking to me again?" She says after she is handed the blood.

Bren: "Call it an olive branch...a sign of trust or whatever." He responds as she opens a small jar of blood.

Cessika: "This smell...different...." she responds in a trembling voice.

Bren: “Because it is..." he says as she gulps the blood down and stops panting and looking at him, "It's my blood," he says as Cessika begins to pant feral like as Bren unlocks her chains.

Cessika "What are you doing?!" She responds panting between each word.

Bren: "Trusting you..." he says as Cessika turns away eyes glowing purple in the shadows. "When I found you, it was in the middle of the day... you were feeding or at least tying to. No vampire does that I hear... then it came to me. In my days running from my past I would only use my powers in the daytime when needed or necessary but at nighttime it was easier...aside from fatigue. You were hiding from something if not running." He says as Cessika begins to pant softly. "Come on...talk to me."

Cessika: "Those assholes are after me... have been since I was turned." She says calmly.

Bren: "Who? Vampires?" He asks after she nods yes. "Tell me about," he says as he touches her shoulder and she begin to calm down more. "I get it, you want to be alone, don't trust anyone or anything, for that matter, to help you keep your head above water but the problem with that is, without help eventually you sink. Everyone needs a hand, even immortals like vampires... would make sense why they run in groups or covens or whatever the term is." He says as she looks up with her eyes closed toward the window as if she is thinking.

Cessika: "Before I was turned, I was a practioner of magic. Nothing fancy, just easy shit like some cleansing spells, setting fires, making shit float if I couldn’t reach it, using wards to keep out negative energy from my apartment, enchantments and charms stuff like that. Just before the government decided to go all martial law on all SPECS fucking up the country, I was looking into a way to develop my natural talent of empathy." She says as Bren looks on to her curiously now. "It allowed me to sense people’s energy, their emotions when close or even long distance at times but I couldn’t control it… so I practiced. Others like me could sense me through like a special connection they’d say... when close it would pass through us like a small burst of wind going through the mind that ended at your nerves like ice." She continues as Bran looks away intrigued," did I say something wrong?"

Bren: "No, continue please..."

Cessika: "Well in the middle of my practice I ran into financial trouble. The owner of this POS dive bar I worked at went into hiding after he was outted for being an Ogre or some shit, I don’t know for sure, but he just took off. Bar was in shambles, so I worked my magic, almost literally. Got in touch with some old contacts who helped me turn my luck around and for a small favor. Got a loan from the bank, kept the staff, renovated the bar in a matter of weeks and turned it into a club and bar grill. That's when I met this guy, his name was Stefan. He interviewed for my main DJ spot at the club even though he had no experience doing it. He was good but I hired him for bus detail. After some time passed, I found out he was a vampire... had been for over 60 years. He showed potential in security, so I promoted him to bouncer. I didn’t realize it at the time, but he was more interested in being my own personal security if you know what I mean," she says as she chuckles to herself, “little shit,” she finishes. "Well then things got bad...really bad. I mean the world was already in shit but after election day…” she stops to sigh for a moment; “I was um...walking to my car after closing. It was late, just before dawn and some assholes tried to jack me for the nightly deposit. Couldn’t get to my gun fast enough, and that’s when…"

Bren: "The vampire… he saved you?"

Cessika: "Not at first... I’m no fucking damsel, I was fully capable of wielding battle magic, but I wasn’t great at it... but then yes... he saved me. Then I saved him...from the terrible dawn as we made it back to my place with him in my trunk. He suffered some serious burns from the sun trying to help me, so I took sympathy on him and took a few days off work to help him recover... brought him blood and shit …I didn't know we would fall in love. As the days went on, we attempted to keep our affair at work secret from the others, but people knew. How we stared at each other from a distance... our, " she continues as she chuckles, "lunch and smoke breaks full of fucking in my office and in the storage closet like a couple of horny teenagers. It all happened so fast... I forgot about all I was aiming to be. Before I knew it not only were we falling in love but committing to each other... for eternity."

Bren: "That's when he turned you."

Cessika: "Yes.... He showed me what it took to be a vampire at first and then the time came… didn't seem like any better at the time; the club was thriving with success, it was a full moon on a fall night. So, I became his... and he became mine." She says as she sits down in a corner and Bren sits next to her, "unfortunately eternity wasn't in the cards for us," she continues before looking off into the shadows as if she was watching a scene play in her head. "The local coven found us. They had been watching us for weeks, building a case. My lover and maker had been alluding vampire laws he had broken for years all over the world and I was his latest law broken."

Bren: "Law broken? I don't understand...I mean I know vampires have rules like any but..."

Cessika: "He had spent years stealing from other covens and clans. When they would come close to catching him, he would flee, leave all he had acquired, and go underground then resurface; wait and do it all over again. Steal, run, lay low over and over for over sixty years. Felt like such an asshole, I had fallen for an immortal thief and con artist… but still a step up from my ex though,” she says with a sigh and chuckle. “That night... he was executed for those crimes and… unlawfully siring a new vampire....” she says choking on her own words. “They brought him out into twilight, strung him up to a pike and let the sun take him and his head soon after. I could feel his pain…every fucking second of it; until he was gone.” She says as tears fill her eyes and Bren comforts her. “They came for me after calling me many things. Abomination. Unclean thing. Violet-eyed bitch… and I don’t know if it was anger, sheer will or luck but my hands got free somehow, I ripped their fucking throats out and I escaped into the day, staying out of the direct sunlight; and from that day on I did just that. Stayed in the shadows, feeding on animals in the daytime and at night when I needed… for over a year. It was easy at first. I would feed on humans, wipe their minds like I had watched Stefan do many times before he turned me. Feed off the predators in the night if I needed to. But then the winter hit… humans became scarce and animals became more, especially wolves. Their blood was able to sustain me from desiccating in those winter months…”

Bren: “Desiccating?” he asks.

Cessika: “It’s what happens to vampires when we go too long without blood. Stefan said it was common only when you went underground or slept for so long, but your skin dries up and you resemble a living corpse.”

Bren: “Underground… heard that somewhere…that’s when vampires sleep to skip through the years right?” he responds as Cessika looks at him curiously, “ Sorry I read a lot in my spare time when I can….continue.”

Cessika: “Yes,” She continued, “But I didn’t know how to do it, nor did I want to. Stefan told me it’s like being an insomniac. You want to sleep but the hunger calls you, and you have to control it. But my hunger grew to control me… the more animals I fed on the more monstrous I became…until spring arrived … now here we are.”

Bren: “So you’re an empath and magician turned vampire?”

Bren is interrupted by a knock at the door and a faint voice of a young man. “Um Bren,” he says, “Um, Victoria wanted me to come get you but said not to enter for my own safety.”

Bren: “Tell her I will be up in a bit,” he replies looking at Cessika at the same time who has begun panting as if she is hungry again and speeds past Bren who stops her from opening the door. “Sorry. Sorry… shit…so sorry. I can hear his heart beating from hear,” She says with a whimper in his arms as she plants her head in his chest in tears.” “Ok, I’ll be there in a minute,” Bren responds to the outside young man before turning his attention back at Cessika. “Wait here… I will be back I promise.” He says as he begins to phase through the door.

Cessika: “You’re not going to chain me back up?” She asks curiously and Bren sticks his head back through the door and says “Why? I trust you, but I am locking the door, for your and everyone safety,” he responds before leaving.

Back in Victoria’s room she stands facing all the monitors of current and past events as Bren walks in slightly frustrated. “I trust you were able to get some information after that little stunt with the blood,” she says.

Bren: “You were spying on me?” Bren says with irritation in his voice.

Victoria: “Would not be a good keeper if I didn’t have at least camera’s in the detainment cells,” She says as she brings the camera feeds of the cells to one monitor. “Techahn’s idea… small but effect security camera’s…unfortunately there is no audio, but one all needs is to look. I want to trust you, regardless of my intuition, and to not trust your connection with this girl so I am hoping you will trust me in return; especially since we have a deal. So aside from the obvious…why is the vampire so different that I can’t see her future? Did she divulge any information at all?”

Bren: “She’s a newly turned vampire.” Bren says with hesitation.

Victoria: “Well that’s obvious I assume no more than a year two old considering her inability to control her hunger.”

Bren: “Yea well she wasn’t taught to do so…her maker was killed right after she was turned… by vampires.”

Victoria: “That’s unusual… vampires do not kill their own unless laws they have in place are broken and not tried over an extensive amount of time.” She says in disbelief.

Bren: “So a couple decades would suffice of thievery as well as making a newborn against a coven will?” He asks curiously.

Victoria: “Oh yes…that will definitely do it.” She says with a blank look to her face. “Vampire’s hold their wealth and power in high regard…stealing from one coven is a dire offense. I believe they defang them as the minimum sentence. I can’t be for sure; my vampire politics is rusty. But I do recall that to steal from many for decades, without capture or sentencing, is a death note. Not to mention they are very selective to whom they turn. The person must be of great wealth, talent or gifted as a psychic or some other paranormal attribute for example, which would give chase and reason why they are after her, if she was either of those things. Which brings me back to why I am unable to see her future?” She says as she takes her eyes off the monitors looks at Bren and starts to walk toward him slowly as he stares at her confidently. “I have seen the future of great vampires such as the Kahn’s, the Mondragon’s, the Dracul’s, Hun’s even the Rasputin’s but this one little vampire…I can’t see at all. What makes her so special?” She says as Bren stays silent and stares back at her with a daring look. “I could pull it out your mind but again…I am trusting you.”

Bren: “You can try but I will tell you, this time. She used to be an empath, before she was turned, but she also practiced magic.” He says as small look of surprise comes across Victoria’s face. “What?”

Victoria: “That would explain the violet hue to the eyes.” She says as she stares off back toward the monitors and starts to walk away from Bren. “I’m sorry you want to catch me up. Hue to her eyes?” Bren responds. “Yes,” Victoria continues “I’ve only seen it once in my millennia. Dhampirs bare a silver hue to their eyes that gleams a metallic shine in the shadows. Turned or born vampires eyes usually resemble a natural hue of their birth or post transformation just more vibrant like a flower that colors vibrate the more the more sun hits it. But vampires born or turned who were magical in nature usually exuberate a violet hue to their eyes. It stands as a reminder of their descend from the fae to which their magic within was born from.” She says then continues to mumble quickly and quietly under her breath, “Fae born turn vampires aren’t favored by vampires just as like dhampirs aren’t, it’s why they are after her,” she says as she continues to utter more that Bren isn’t able to make out.

Bren: “Ya lost me at fae born. Like fairies? She’s a vampire fairy? I don’t get it.” Bren says as Victoria continues to mumble to herself while looking at the monitors. “Look at me!” Bren shouts at her as Victoria stops suddenly but still looking at the monitors. Bren walks up to her slowly to see her in a trance, eyes glowing yellow, as if she is seeing something in her mind play out, hesitant on getting her attention Bren leaves instead and returns later that evening to Cessika’s cell with a blow up mattress for her. “I figured you were growing tired sleeping on a cot, so I went into town and got you this. Was the last they had. Do uh…. Vampire sleep in beds?”

Cessika: “We do actually,” Cessika smiles thankfully. “It’s actually a popular misconception of vampires sleeping in coffins during the day. My maker did tell me that when we go underground, sleeping in a coffin did guarantee safety from sunlight, however…so I guess it really depends on the vampire. Thank you for this though, this cot is a pain in the ass, literally.” She says as she takes the mattress from Bren.

Bren: “You seem calmer than when I left earlier, you okay?”

Cessika: “I am, I mean I definitely don’t want to come off as some newborn vampire who can’t control their hunger,” she replies sarcastically.

Bren: “So you heard…?”

Cessika: “I heard you both actually, and I want to thank you for that,” she says as she opens the air mattress box.

Bren: “For what? I buckled and told her what she wanted to hear… practically sold you out. I’m sorry,” he says while crossing his arms and leaning onto the wall.

Cessika: “You only did so out of fear,” she says as she unfolds the bed.

Bren: “I’m not scared of Victoria. She just wishes I was.”

Cessika: “Not out of fear of her dumbass, fear for what she would do to me.” She says as Bren stands silently. “I heard it in your voice, a tremble. You want people to think you don’t care for them, when actually you care too much, you big softy.” She says while looking at the mattress and Bren at her softly. “But you’re also not to dumb as fuck when it comes to detail,” She says while chuckling. “This mattress has to be blown up, so unless you have an air pump somewhere...” she says as Bren walks over to her and takes the mattress out of here hand, places his lips on the hose and blows it up in one breath quickly. “Holy shit! What did you just, how did you do that?”

Bran: “Compressed air lungs. Or super breath, however ya want to describe it… little trick I picked up from one of the people here,” he says as they move the bed to the darkest corner as the sun begins to set.

Cessika: “You’re not like any other evolved person I have seen, what else can you do?” She looks curiously as she sits on the bed. “All kinds of things,” he responds as he shows electric sparks coming out his hands and throws one to the camera shorting it out. “The park… so that’s how you knocked my ass out? You’re some sort of power absorber?”

Bran: “An empath actually…like you use to be. He says as he sits in front of her on the floor.”

Meanwhile back in New Jersey, Lilith sits in a night gown listening to music in the background surrounded by candlelight as she is soon joined by Siro, who enters her bedroom.

Siro: “Mistress I have news on the exact current location of the…governments special project.”

Lilith: “I hope it’s good since you are disturbing my self-care time.”

Siro: “Oh it is Mistress,” Saying as a folder with government papers is handed to her. “It seems the current location is at a military base in Texas, according to our contact on the inside. They are planning to move it to New Mexico to their top research facility for distribution if the trials in there are successful.”

Lilith: “Assemble at team, and get the RV prepped. We leave at first light tomorrow,” she says as she hands the folder back to Siro.

Siro: “We, Mistress?”

Lilith: “I’m going myself. I can’t risk this mission a failure like the one with that kid. Plus, I’m just really fucking bored, could use a road trip.” She says as she drops her robe and leaves the room to get into her large shower.

Siro: “Yes, Mistress,” saying while leaving the room.

Back in Michigan Bren and Cessika talk into the early night as many throughout the abandoned building settle in. She is highly impressed as by Bren’s powers, how they work and capabilities as an empath as the two sit on opposite ends of the air mattress.

Cessika: “Wow, so you have speed, strength, teleport, have dense skin, super breath; you’re like a fucking Swiss army knife of powers.” She says while laughing, “What else can you do?”

Bren: “If I start listing it all you’ll lose sleep and dawn will be here in a few hours,” he chuckles.

Cessika: “Damn that. Shit, this is Amazing. An empath like me; I mean like I was.” She says as Bren looks at her strangely. “Have you picked up any abilities from me? Oh! What was the first power you got?”

Bren: “Not that I know of on the first question as for the second well… I used to have dreams that I just thought they were just that. Until the events of 9-11 in New York, that I for saw, happened. This was before I even knew what I was, I was only 18 after all. I think I got my official answer when I tried to save my son from a car accident years,” he says as she looks curiously like him. “I was sitting there grilling like normal on a summer weekend day. My son was across the street playing with friends and neighbors and he ran out into the street after a ball… that’s when it happened. I jumped from my balcony and grabbed him before he could be hit by a car speeding down the street. Oh so I thought… I didn’t jump, didn’t teleport or super speed… I flew. Saved him and exposed us both.”

Cessika: “Both? I don’t understand, he was like you?”

Bren: “I was actually like him, sort to speak. He started flying when he was two. Came home one day and there he was, floating in bed during naptime. He was so happy…innocent. Dad, I can fly like superman, he would say. My wife didn’t understand it. Neither of us did until the news started the reports.”

Cessika: “So you were married and had a son?” She asks as Bren nods to her silently. “What happen to them?” She continues as Bren stares off as if he is day dreaming. “Bren? Bren you ok?” She asks as Bren’s stare grows more intense with glowing red eyes. “Hey, Hey! Snap out of it!” She says as Bren stare and glowing eyes suddenly stops, and he says “Washington.” “What was that?” she asks. “Washington.” He responds again. “Washington?” Cessika responds back. “Washington?” She continues and Bren nods. “Election Day…” she says. “You lost them on Election Day... I remember that day like it just happened. SPECS rounded up and forced to register who they are, what they are and what they can do ended in a full-scale riot that killed…” she starts to say.

Bren: “You don’t know what you’re talking about!” He exclaims as he stands up off the mattress and begins to leave the room.

Cessika: “Hey asshole, I may not have been there like you but I do know what it’s like to lose someone you love, or did you not hear me when I told you my maker was killed in front of me?” She yells at Bren before he stops and listens. “It’s okay to feel the lost,” She says as she stands up and begins to walk toward Bren, “the pain… the sorrow. It’s what makes you human.” She says as she touches his face and wipes away a gentle tear, “and you feel it even more since you are an empath, I know. I once knew what that felt like…all those emotions is what gives an empath their power, but…” she continues as she pulls his chin up to look at her. “It’s like you said, everyone needs a hand, so they don’t sink. But no matter how powerful you are, empath or not… it’s ok to be vulnerable… to feel… vulnerable… to need.” She finishes as the two slowly kiss.

A kiss that turns to embrace as they begin to pull each other’s clothing off piece by piece starting with each other shirt. Bren picks Cessika up with ease and carries her over to the mattress, removing her clothing and she does the same to him until both are without clothing. She claws into his back, barely leaving a mark of scratches against his dense skin as the passion between them rages. She extracts her fangs in the ecstasy and licks Bren’s neck. “Vulnerable right?” He says as he looks in her eyes that glow violet in the shadows surrounding them, “Go on,” he tells her as he moves he exposes his neck showing his veins beating through the skin, “do it,” he says as she opens her mouth and bites down with great force. A sharp pain pierces Bren’s neck and blood flows from the bite as Cessika drinks from the open wound, as the two moan in bliss while hovering multiple feet over the mattress.

The next morning Bren is suddenly woken up by Victoria telepathically but slowly the sound fades away as he sees the sun light from outside the window touching Cessika’s skin, without burning her. Shocked at this discovery he nudges her awake to which she jolts awake in shock herself at the sun on her skin, and vampire speeds to the shadows. Bren tells her to trust him and take his hand and he brings her into the sunlight, to which tears fill her eyes as she sees no effect of it burning her.

Cessika: “What’s happening? Is this… is this real?” She asks as Bren nods to her and the two hold hands in the light gently. “How?”

Bren: “I don’t know… you drank a lot of my blood…maybe that had some sort of effect on you in the sun?” He states as she starts to sizzle in the sun seconds later and Bren speeds her to the shadows.

Cessika: “Well if that was it…didn’t last long…” she says as she sizzle stops and her wound begins to heal slowly. Bren use his psionic blade and cuts his forearm and motions to Cessika to drink. “I can’t.” “It’s ok,” he says, and she drinks with hesitation and her burn heals faster. Then both hold hands again and she places her skin in the sunlight and nothing happens to which she gasps but Bren does too. “What is it?” She asks as they both look at his forearm and see it is completely healed. “But… dense skin right, you heal…” she asks. “Yea,” he responds, “but not that fast.”

Bren stops as a consistent knock is heard at the door, and the two frantically begin to super speed to get dress until Cessika stops suddenly. “What is it?” Bren ask Cessika who sits in pause and puzzled stare as if she is seeing something play out in front of her.

Cessika: “Get on the ground.” “What,” Bren responds curiously. “Get on the ground freak,” she continues while staring blankly. “Just calm down, he’s only a boy, he’s scared” She continues to see a scene play out in front of her eyes of several paramilitary sub-human police pointing guns at the various SPECS lined up to register outside the Capitol in Washington. Bren is one of the ones in registration line, with his son and wife as the guns are drawn on him and several other people, especially a mother and son. The son, who resembles the look of a fish, is discharging electricity from his body uncontrollably attracting the police to point their guns toward him in fear, to which Bren attempts to calm the police down using peaceful means in an effort for no bled shed to occur. Doing so his own son runs to his aid with his mother, fearing for his father being shot with guns pointed at him, but both are gunned down as they reach Bren. Bren is brought to his knees in horror as he crawls to his wife and son and holds them in his arms as they lay dying, while the paramilitary police subdue any of the other SPECS from acting out to prevent a full riot. Suddenly an electrical energy charges behind the hate and pain filled eyes of Bren, the police put guns on him and demand consistently that he powers down; but it’s too late. He releases a large electromagnetic pulse that shuts down everything electrical in the area including registration stations, mobile vehicles and helicopters that crash to the surface and various structures around them; including the capitol building which had been housing some members of congress, and the police weapons as well. This leads to a full scale riot of SPECS running and fleeing, or killing and eating bystanders of the law and public protest as chaos erupts around the Capitol. “It was you…” Cessika says as she looks at Bren with a small tear rolling down her cheek. “You caused all this… the SPECS in hiding…the martial law… all this death…it was you…” she continues as Bren continues to get dress and look away ashamed almost. “I saw it as if I was there living it…I saw it through your eyes. Everything that’s followed after Election Day…was because of you.” She continues as Bren looks at her and is distracted by the outside knocking of the door.

Bren: “I’ll be… back,” responding as he nervously phases through the door to the attention of Lacy.

Lacy: “Finally, dude. Look Victoria is looking for you. Needs you immediately, sounds important I guess?” She says as Bren nods to her in agreement and the two storm off down the hallway, up the stairs to Victoria room. “Hey, while I got you here, I was wondering if you had a moment; ‘cause I need a favor, rather big one actually.”

Bren: “I guess… what is it?” Bren says as he fast walks to Victoria’s room with Lacy keeping up behind him, displaying a very irritated look on his face.

Lacy: “So the other day I was thinking about what we talked about a while ago, you know about what happen with me and my commanding officer; and I got to thinking about what happened with my boy friends body after that, and what creature may have attacked him. But you know the whole rule about us maintaining secrecy while we are here and stuff….” She says as she is panting behind trying to keep up with him fast walking and they stop and face each other. “Look just spit it out, Lacy!” Bren exclaims. “I had Techahn look over the autopsy report of my old boyfriend so I could see what killed him… there’s no evidence of him even being enlisted in the army. No rank, no date of birth…nothing. It’s like he never even enlisted or existed,” she continues, “Something is going on, I don’t know what but I need your help.” She finishes as Bren nods to her and says “Just give me a bit…okay?” and walks into Victoria’s room.

Victoria: “I hope you got that out of your system last night; that little stunt with the camera was not appreciated as well.” She says in a stern voice as she looks to her monitors. “Well people rightful to their privacy, I think you would know that, considering your vessel being a lady and all” Bren sarcastically responds. “She’s not a lady… she’s a creature of darkness, and abomination against nature and the natural order of things at best; nothing more,” she says. Bren looks are her with disgust. “What the hell gives you the right…” Bren begins to say as he is cut off suddenly by Victoria, “I have every right! I’m trying to prevent a war and save all your asses and I can’t very well do that if vampires have a living weapon like that thing!” Victoria exclaims. “What do you mean weapon?” Bren says before Victoria continues “The creature is capable of magic, she’s just not figured out how to use it again,” She says as Bren recalls how Cessika said she escaped her vampire captors bonds but wasn’t sure how, “same as her empathic abilities, which can grow to infinite possibilities,” Victoria continues, “Those along with her vampiric nature and now… what appears to be temporary daylight walking from ingesting your blood, which you so foolishly gave her.” She finishes as she looks at the monitors again rapidly with her eyes.

Bren: “So what you want to recruit her now or something so she can’t be used in this war you’re talking about?”

Victoria: “Actually, on the contrary, I want you to kill it.” She says as she turns to face Bren who displays a shocking look on his face. “I told you… I can’t see this thing future. But if the vampires want it, I can’t let them have it, even if they want to kill it.” She says as she turns back to the monitors. “Imagine a world war where vampires have the upper hand simply because their one weakness is a strength and on top of that they can use magic to their strengths. It would be catastrophic to everyone, human and immortal alike. Kill it, sever its head then incinerate the body.”

Bren leaves Victoria’s room takes a deep breath then heads back to his own room. After a few minutes of pacing he leaves his room and ventures to Techahn’s room without being seen by him as he sleeps in a gaming chair passed out, a game sits on screen in standby. He walks through the room invisible, looks at one of the monitors and has the computer tell him where to find a book. The computer communicates with him as if he is Techahn, as Bren uses the same ability. It tells him of a magical spell book on warding and invisibility. Knowing that books is her expertise and obsession Bren visits another person at the facility, Strange’ Granger. Granger is a bookworm creature with a vast collection of books she reads, learns and retains every bit of information. Bren found and rescued her from authorities who had attempted to capture her after she was discovered reading every book in the New York public library, in a matter of hours, by locals. She’s new to the world for she comes from another dimension, she appeared from accidentally through unknown circumstances. She has glasses that magnifies her insectoid like eyes, dark brown long hair, antennae’s receding from her temples and forehead, pink olive skin, multiple arms and legs that allow her to climb anything and wears a large leaf like dress. Bren finds her sitting on the ceiling when he comes to her room looking for the book, to which she has buried among multiple piles of books around the room. He offers her a nook he stole from Techahn’s pile of gadgets labeled “fix this.” He tells her of its digital book library and has fixed the book to show every book written in ever language on Earth and offers it as a trade for her book on warding which she accepts happily and smiling, while mentioning she had already read it six times. With her being the resident doctor as well, he also takes a couple empty vials and syringes as part of the deal and ask her to keep a secret with him. She gladly does without asking, Bren thinks it is because she feels she owes him a life debt she can never repay as she told him once. Bren soon returns to Cessika’s cell, as he looks at the miniature camera.

Cessika: “Didn’t think you’d actually come back after what I said…” she says reluctantly. “Look, I wanted to say…”

Bren: “Say nothing… right now… I am looping the camera over my shoulder to show we are just talking like this; I also muffled the sound to just this room so any super hearing folks can’t hear us. Should Buy us a few minutes… it’s all we have” Bren interrupts.

Cessika: “I don’t understand.” She says confusingly.

Bren: “This book is a book on warding and invisibility spells, it should help conceal you from the people after you when you escape.”

Cessika: “Escape? Bren, you’re not making any sense.”

Bren: “Take the book. I have some food for you too, and these.” He says as he shows her the vials of blood. “They should help you when you need to during the day.”

Cessika: “Dude, shut the fuck up and talk straight! Escape? You want me to leave? Is it ‘cause I know your secret about election day? I won’t say anything to the others if you want to but…”

Bren: “It’s not about that! It’s… look you’re not safe here and you’re not safe out there with them hunting you but I need to know you are ok when you go… just trust me. Do you trust me?” He asks as Cessika nods. “We’re connected now… not just as empaths but more…I feel it. I know you can too.” He says as she nods in agreement. “So, take this book and these supplies” he says as he materializes a bag out of thin air and places everything in it “and go” he says as he looks right into Cessika’s eyes that seems like a moment that last longer between. She takes the bag, and as she does punches him so hard, he flies through the concrete wall to the outside. She then speeds off, past Bren after he hits the ground and he looks up to see her escape. Moments later others through the building come outside to the commotion to find Bren getting up looking off into the distance as he is soon joined by Victoria.

Victoria: “You let it escape?!” She exclaims

Bren: “I think the fact I just got punched through a wall and standing here shows I did not! I underestimated her strength and capabilities… you were right. I’m sorry.” Bren says in a defeated voice.

Victoria: “That means we will just have to hope she isn’t picked up by anyone, until you find her at least.” She says annoyed. “Yea…yea I guess so.” Bren says rubbing his jaw. “And kill it,” Victoria finishes as she walks away, with a couple of others who have all started to return inside.

Lacy: “Hey… so are you able to help me out now that’s over with?” Lacy walks up to Bren and ask.

Bren sits looking to the distance with a small grin as Lacy ask the question and recalls his last moment with Cessika in her cell.

Cessika: “Dude shut the fuck up and talk straight! Escape? You want me to leave? Is it ‘cause I know your secret about election day? I won’t say anything to the others if you want to but…”

Bren: “It’s not about that! It’s…look you’re not safe here and you’re not safe out there with them hunting you but I need to know you are ok when you go… just trust me.” He says while looking at Cessika in the eyes and continues to speak telepathically “Victoria has sent me back here to kill you because she thinks you are a threat to a war that is supposed to come. She’s forcefully made me her weapon in it, and I refuse to let you be a pawn or something worse.” He asks her verbally, “Do you trust me?” as Cessika nods. “We’re connected now… not just as empaths but more…I feel it. I know you can too,” he continues verbally. “I do” she says telepathically as she nods in agreement. “So, take this book and these supplies” he says verbally as he materializes a bag out of thin air and places everything in it “and go. But when you do punch me as hard as you can, make it look good, I will take care of the rest.” He says as he looks right into Cessika’s eyes and telepathically tells him “I’m sorry for what I said and how it made you feel. I’ve not felt anything like that since before I was turned, as an empath. Now as a vampire it’s like that feeling was magnified and I couldn’t control it. I have a lot to learn and figure out about what I am now, but I have another chance to do that because of you; thank you.” She takes the bag, and as she does punches him so hard, he flies through the concrete wall to the outside. She then speeds off, past Bren after he hits the ground and he looks up to see her escape what seems like a flash of speed to others slows down for both of them as they look at each other and Cessika telepathically says to Bren “Remember, it’s ok to be vulnerable…connection is an empath’s power…” as she strokes his cheek, he touches her hand and she speeds off.

Bren: “Yea…yea. Where are we going?” He says as Lacy walks with him.

Lacy: “A military base…in Texas.”