I heard a groan and turned my head to Vincent's dark shape on the opposite side of the alley. He still sat on his legs and his body shook with a violent tremor. A hoarse chuckle slipped from of his pale lips. "Quick learner, girl, but you nearly killed us both," he whispered.
His weakened state and my healthy state emboldened me, and I scowled at him. "Me kill us? You were the one sucking me dry," I shot back.
"Merely a survival instinct," he argued.
"That nearly killed us both?" I pointed out.
Vincent stumbled to his feet and I scuttled to mine. If he wanted to try his luck with me again then he was going to have to catch me first. "It was necessary to finish the connection between us."
I blinked. "Come again?"
He straightened and winced when his back erupted like a string of firecrackers. "I mean what I mean. We are connected."
"I got that part." I paused, furrowed my brow, and shook my head. "Actually, I didn't get that part. What are you talking about?"
He held up his left hand and showed off the ring that was identical to mine. "These pieces of jewelery were forged with more than metal. They were infused with the blood of an ancient vampire and a spiritually strong human. When a vampire and a human wear them they become bonded to one another. If one feels pain, the other will feel an echo of that pain. If one dies, the other dies."
I held up my hands in front of me. "Wait a minute. If what you're saying is true, and it sounds Cracker Box crazy, then you really are a vampire?"
"Yes."
"And if you tried to kill me you'd get hurt?" I guessed.
"Yes."
"And you're an ass?"
"No."
I shrugged. "I thought I'd try."
"Very amusing." His face was as funny as the grave. "But we don't-"
"Wait a minute." I held up my own ring. "If Tim had this ring and he's dead, how come you aren't dead?" I wondered.
"He wasn't wearing the ring at the time of his death. Instead we find it on you," Vincent pointed out.
"Why would he take it off? Better yet, how did he take it off?"
"I do not know, but we have more immediate problems," he reminded me.
I frowned. "Yeah, you're right. Those guys might find us again. I gotta get to the cops and-"
"-and tell them what?" Vincent asked me. "You escaped from men in black suits who had a werewolf in their employ and were saved by a vampire?"
I scowled at him. "I have to tell somebody about this. It's too big for me."
Vincent frowned and tilted his nose up in disdain. "There is one person in this world who would be interested in what you have to say."
"And who might that be, Count Chocula?"
"Frederick Batholomew."
"That's a mouthful."
"His mouth is certainly a problem."
"Why do we need to go to this person rather than somebody who might at least give me protection?" I asked him.
"I am your protection, and Batholomew has other uses."
I looked over the psychotic vampire and cringed against the brick wall behind me. "Hell no are you my protection. You've tried to kill me twice in twenty minutes, and for me that's a record for assassination attempts on my life."
"I am satiated, and our bond is complete. You have nothing left to fear from me," he replied.
I wasn't comforted. "Uh-huh, so you're supposed to protect me like you protected Tim?" I countered.
Vincent's eyes narrowed. "A mere oversight on his part. If he had refrained from trouble during the day then I would have been of use to him."
"Great, so you're only useful for what? Twelve hours in a twenty-four hour day?" I remarked. "Or do vampires not have to sleep and you were just napping in that wooden box I found you in?"
"My body may need to rest during the day, but my powers are yours." He nodded at the ring. "That will offer you all the powers you need. Tim forsook the powers by giving you that ring."
I paused and furrowed my brow. "Wait, so during the day I'm kind of like a vampire?"
"Yes."
"But without that whole sun-burning thing?"
"Perhaps your incessant questions are better directed at Batholomew," Vincent suggested.
"I haven't agreed to go with you to him," I countered. Vincent stalked over to me. I tried to slide away, but he grabbed my arm and swung me into his arms like before. "Hey! Let me down! I can walk!"
"Not as fast as me."
I yelped when he took off down the road, carrying me at warp speed to another adventure.