“Sorry to interrupt, but could you take the prisoner into custody?”
The nervous guard gave a high pitched “eep” sound, snapped a salute and muttered apologies as he ran to take one of Tom’s arms. Roger produced another eye roll, but did the same. They quickly bound Tom and hauled him towards a van that sat half concealed in shadows.
“We’ll take him in,” Roger said with no small amount of bitterness. “And I imagine we’ll do the paperwork.”
Normally Aine would have done it himself, but his head still hurt and Roger’s attitude annoyed him. “Sure, go ahead. You’ve had a lot more practice than I have, since you’ve been a guard longer.”
Roger scowled darkly. “The next time an Executioner spot opens-”
“You should put in for it,” Aine agreed. “You’re probably good at filling the application out by now.” He nodded to a black sports car that was parked near the van. “I’ll follow you in, unless they give me another assignment in the meantime.”
“Your phone would have to work for that.” Roger sniffed disdainfully.
Aine gave him a smile. “Then I guess I’ll get a vacation.”
When Aine got back to the citadel he filed his report and turned his cell in for a new one. As he tested out the menu he asked causally, “So, the prisoner?”
“They, uh, took him to detention. Looks like he’s likely to get ten years or more, if they go by the, uh, book.” He gave Aine’s paperwork a quick, nervous read through and stammered, “Uh, s-sir? You, uh, you mentioned a cat in your, uh, report.”
Aine wanted nothing more than a shower and a nice big glass of blood. “And?”
“Well, beg your pardon, sir, but I, uh, you- you didn’t fill out an extermination request for the, uh, for the animal. I’m sorry, but you’ll need to fill one out and, uh, you’ll have to take the animal down to the basement to be destroyed.”
“Didn’t Roger do that already?”
“Roger? Uh, no, no sir, I don’t believe so. He did file some paperwork on the prisoner and such, but um, not, not anything on an animal.”
Aine rubbed his forehead with irritation. “He didn’t let the damn thing escape did he?” He suddenly narrowed his eyes and snapped, “That’s great. Now there’s a vampire cat running loose somewhere. Put him on report for negligence!”
The stammering guard gave a quick salute, and started to shuffle through papers. “Yes, yes, sir. Of course, sir. Right away, sir.”
“I’m tired of incompetence,” Aine added for good measure. “If there’s nothing further that Roger forgot to do, then I’m going to my quarters.”
“Y-yes sir. Of course, sir. Have a nice day, sir.”
Aine took a shower, dressed in fresh clothes and fetched himself a large bag of blood. He dropped onto the sofa and poured some of the crimson liquid into a cup. It shimmered in the light and he reluctantly set it aside and turned to the metal security box at his feet.
“All right, monster. I’m going to open this, and if you try to take my head off I swear I’ll fill one of those forms out.” It was a lie. Evil or not, he couldn’t bring himself to have the thing destroyed.
He snapped the locks and waited for the cat to spring at him, but instead it sat hunched back in its box and meowed piteously.
Aine sighed and stuck his hand inside. “Come on, kitty, kitty. I won’t fill the form out. Come on.” He picked the cup up in the other hand and waved it towards the feline. “Come on and have some nice blood.”
The cat gave a long, low howl and leaped. He bounced off of Aine’s chest, ping ponged off the arm of the couch, and pounced to a stop on the floor at his feet, expectant eyes peering upwards. Aine slowly set the cup in front of it, and drew back before the beast could tear him to shreds. It set on the blood like a kitten to milk, lapping happily.
Aine leaned back and sucked at his own dinner. He’d have to wait a week or two, but then he could put in a request for a cat. Everyone was so busy with construction and organizing new policies that he doubted anyone would oppose it.
Finished with its meal, the creature hopped up on the couch and settled itself in Aine’s lap, purring loudly. The vampire tensed for an attack. When none came, he relaxed and gave it a half-hearted pat on the head. “Good kitty. Nice Salem.”
Salem it did have a ring to it. At least Tom was capable of giving the cat a good name. Aine scratched its fuzzy ears. A cat was something he needed like a hole in the head, even if it wasn’t permanent. He’d have to give Tom back his cat when he got out.
Maybe.
* * * * * * * * * *
You can find Aine in the full length novel Ashes of Deceit by Joleene Naylor.
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About the author:
Joleene Naylor is the author of the glitter-less Amaranthine series, a world where vampires aren’t for children. As a compliment to the novel series, she has also written several short story collections and the Amaranthine Files encyclopedia.
In what little time is left she watches anime and updates her blogs, all from a crooked Victorian house in Villisca, Iowa. Between her husband and her pets, she is never lonely, and should she ever disappear one might look for her on a beach in Tahiti, sipping a tropical drink and wearing a disguise.
Ramblings from the Darkness at https://www.joleenenaylor.com
You never know what you’ll find in the shadows…..
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