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Not that Eleazar would actually hurt the boy, but he was who he was and intimidation always worked on Felix.
Eleazar straightened and walked to the door, his hand on the doorknob. “Oh, and Felix?”
Felix looked up at him, sweat beading on his forehead. “Yeah?”
“Be careful.” Eleazar opened the door, the sound of the hinges creaking in the silence.
* * * *
Felix watched Eleazar leave, his mind racing with what he’d just been tasked with. Investigating rumors of what the hunters were up to? It sounded like a death wish. He had heard stories of them from his father, who had worked for Eleazar before him. Hunters were ruthless, trained to kill vampires without mercy. Felix didn’t know where to start, but he knew he had to do something. His family had worked for Eleazar for three generations, and he was not about to let him down.
Even if Eleazar was a pain in the ass most days.
He also knew Eleazar wasn’t going to punish him. The vampire talked a good game and used scare tactics on Felix. Felix played the part because that was the reaction Eleazar wanted, but the vampire was all talk. As far as Felix went.
Eleazar would put down anyone else with no hesitation.
Felix stood up, his legs feeling heavy. He walked over to the window, pushed the heavy drapes aside, and looked out at the bustling city below. If there was any truth to the rumors, he knew he had to be careful. He couldn’t let anyone know what he was doing, especially not the hunters. Felix took a deep breath and left the house, ready to start this asinine mission that was probably going to get him killed.
As he walked through the dark streets of Ridgeway, Felix couldn’t shake the feeling that someone had their eyes on him. He kept his head down, walking quickly and avoiding eye contact with anyone he passed. The rumors of the disappearances had everyone on edge, and Felix could feel the tension in the air.
He turned a corner and saw a figure standing in the shadows. Felix’s heart raced as he approached, but as he got closer, he realized it was just a homeless man. The guy looked up at Felix, his eyes filled with fear.
“You shouldn’t be out here alone,” the homeless man said, his voice shaky. He had a paper bag gripped in his hand, the neck of a bottle protruding from the top.
Felix nodded, grateful for the stranger’s concern. “I’m just passing through.”
The homeless man seemed to relax a bit. “Be careful, son. There are dangerous people out here.”
Felix thanked the guy and continued on his way. The homeless man’s warning had only confirmed Felix’s fears. There was something sinister happening in the city, even more sinister than vampires and hunters. Like the night itself was trying to swallow him up.
A shadow moved on Felix’s right. A guy emerged from the darkness behind him, only this person wasn’t a homeless guy. The stranger wore his dark hair in soft waves, accentuating his high cheekbones. If Felix had to guess, the guy looked in his late twenties. The man spoke, his voice low and smooth. “You seem lost, human.”
Felix was seriously hating this night already. “I’m not lost.”
The stranger raised an eyebrow. “You’re Eleazar’s boy. His human servant.”
“And you are?” Felix really hated being called anyone’s boy. It was degrading and pissed him off, but he wasn’t telling that to this stranger. He didn’t want to get yanked into the alley and either fed on or fed on then killed. Either way the guy would drink from him. Felix didn’t doubt that for a second, and he wasn’t anyone’s banana bag.
Not even Eleazar fed from him.
“It’s not important who I am. Move along, cattle, before I decide to disregard Eleazar’s order that you’re not to be touched and make you into my snack.”
“Fucking jerk,” Felix mumbled as he headed down the street. He needed to remember to thank Eleazar for this fun-filled trip to Chucky Sleaze.
Luckily Mr. Prick back there hadn’t messed with him. Felix knew all too well the dangers of dealing with vampires. But he had no choice. He had to find out what was going on. He might get bratty with Eleazar, but the vampire’s patience wasn’t infinite. Felix knew when to mouth off and when to shut up. He also knew when to follow an order.
He decided to start by asking around. He went to the shadier parts of the city, the places where the rumors were likely to have started and smart people avoided. Clearly Felix wasn’t one of the smart ones.
He approached a group of rough-looking men and asked if they knew anything about the disappearances. “You know, those rumors of vampires snatching people off the street.”
One man, with a scar on his cheek, eyed him suspiciously. “Why do you wanna know?” he asked, his voice rough and gravelly.
Felix needed hazard pay for this. “I’m just curious,” he lied.
The man snorted. “Curiosity killed the cat, kid. You’d do well to stay out of things that don’t concern you. Run back to your mama before you get spanked.”
Well, okay then. That had worked out fabulously. Felix backed away slowly, but oh man, he really wanted to flip the fucker off. He just didn’t want the biker and his buddies to pound him into the cement. They looked as if they’d shoot someone just for staring at them the wrong way. Felix must have caught them on a good night if they were letting him walk away.
