Fresh, vivid memories flashed through my mind:fleeting glimpses of bodies dancing, swaying to music. Swimming in a summer ocean. Cliff jumping.
The club pulsed with life, the thumping bass and flashing lights creating an electric atmosphere. Strobing lights bathed the dance floor in hues of pink and purple as I pulled Vail into the midst of the crowd. She followed closely, her hands on my hips, and I couldn’t help but grin at her infectious giggle.
We danced, our bodies moving in perfect rhythm, swaying and twisting in sync with the music. We had done this a hundred times before, our movement fluid and effortless as we danced together.
I eyed Vail. Her eyes were closed, and she moved with the same effortless grace that defined her. A smile spread across her face as she opened her eyes, sparkling with excitement when she met my gaze. In an instant, she pulled me into a twirl, and laughter bubbled between us as we surrendered to the music, spinning and weaving through the sea of dancers. Being surrounded by Vampires made me feel raw and open. I felt free. I felt happy.
Vail and I created our own world on the dance floor. A world where worries were forgotten, and the only reality was the electric pulse of the music. Our bodies moved together seamlessly with an unspoken understanding.
As the DJ played the final buildup, Vail and I locked eyes. The anticipation hung in the air, and then the beat dropped. We unleashed a final burst of energy, dancing in each other’s arms. The years apart from Vail faded away as we slipped back into the familiar rhythm of our old routine.
Vail took my hand, breathless and exhilarated, and leaned into me, “Let’s go find Sable,” she whispered.
I whined as she dragged me away from the dance floor and toward the booths lining the room.
Taking a moment to catch my breath, I watched as Vail approached a Vampire leaning against the wall, asking him if he knew Sable. He motioned toward the private rooms at the back of the club, and with a determined nod, Vail led the way.
We pulled back the curtain at the entrance of the first room, revealing a young male Vampire in a red tracksuit and a backward trucker hat. A group of similarly youthful female Vampires lounged around him, their laughter mingling with the music. He was eating a cheeseburger and fries; the smell of deep-fried food was unsettling in the club.
“That’s definitely the half-vamp,” I whispered to Vail as we entered the room.
“Are you Sable?” Vail asked as he looked up at us.
“Yes, I am, pretty lady. How can I be of service to you?” He spread his arms wide and spoke between bites of food. We took a seat on the tufted benches.
Up close, Sable had pimples dotting his face, and his hair looked excessively greasy under his hat. I estimated he couldn’t be older than eighteen before he turned.
Vail placed a bag of the Vampire-killing drug on the table in front of Sable and cut straight to the point. “Have you seen this before?”
Sable took it, inspecting it in the light before flicking the baggie. How much of this substance did Vail have? It seemed like she and George had acquired quite a large stash through their months of investigating.
“Yeah, I’ve seen this stuff before. My bros told me about it last week. Nasty stuff, they said.” Sable tossed the baggie onto the table and took a sip of his drink through a straw. The smell was unmistakable. It wasn’t blood, but the sweet scent of soda.
“And do you know who’s distributing it?” Vail questioned.
“Yeah, my girl Kira told me,” he said, sitting back in the booth and running his hands over his hat. “Aww, shit man, I can’t remember.”
“Yo, Chloe! Can you grab Kira for me?” he asked the Vampire to his right, who got up and exited the room.
“Why does your business card say half-vamp?” I asked.
“Wow, not very polite, are you?” he replied, raising an eyebrow. “No, ‘Hi, how are you? Nice to meet you?’ Just straight to the questions. That’s rude.”
I stared at him.
“Because I’m a half-Vampire, okay?” he added, as if it should have been obvious.
“And what does that even mean?” I crossed my arms, skeptical.
“My dad was a Vampire, and my mom was human,” he clarified.
“That’s not possible,” Vail chimed in.
“Well, baby, you’re looking at possible,” he said, motioning to himself.
“How?”
“My father was a newborn Vampire, and I guess he had sex with my mom … Dude, I don’t know how this shit works, all I know is that I am part Vampire and part human.”
