Evelyn appeared to be insulated from the urge to feed. Still, they were approaching their second day together, and Clara doubted she could offer a vein. The last one who tried would have been better off drinking battery acid.

That brief contact with a vampire’s fangs also triggered her failsafe. While she doubted it was still in place, the potential for catastrophe was too great to take a chance. It would seriously put a damper on our relationship…

However, her concerns eased once Evelyn’s breathing deepened and slowed. Given a renewed peace of mind, Clara soon surrendered to her need for sleep, thankful the sisters had not said a word in hours.

The room itself lined up with what she expected of Evelyn. The main living space was two storeys high, with the second level overlooking the main floor. There were leather couches, standing tables, televisions, a full bar, and stairs at both ends.

“There’s a commercial kitchen behind the bar,” Evelyn said.

On the second level, there was a lounge, filled with books, and more couches. Both levels offered a view of the east side of the city. Evelyn probably loves taunting the sun.

Beyond, there was a games room, with gender-specific bathrooms. That’s odd.

“Oh!” Evelyn exclaimed before giggling. “That’s the latest in commercial display technology. The wall is an array of seamlessly connected large screen displays. They can show us a single image or be divided up as necessary to perform other functions.”

“So, that’s not the sun?” Clara asked.

“Well, a projection of it. I’m not a fan of sunburns…” Evelyn replied. “There’s a sister array on the other side, which creates the illusion that someone is having a normal life here.”

“Welcome to my home,” Evelyn chimed after the elevator doors slid open.

Clara backed up while her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped. Directly ahead, there were large windows that gave a full view of the rising sun. Evelyn stood there, as though there was nothing wrong with a vampire walking out into the sunlight.

“What?” Evelyn asked, furrowing her brow and emphasising the word with her hands.

“Do you need me to—” Clara said.

“Non,” Evelyn replied. “Marc will make sure several patrols go missing. Meanwhile, I’ll leverage some contacts to leak sensitive information to the media. The ensuing scandal might force key players to back off temporarily.”

“I feel like a minnow swimming aimlessly in the ocean,” Clara said.

Evelyn giggled before replying, “You’re more important than you imagine. However, we really need to bring you up to speed.”

“On that, we both agree,” Clara said grimly.

“Do you think that was a random patrol?” Clara asked.

Evelyn nodded and confirmed her hunch. Their opponent did not know where Clara was, or even if she was alive. However, when a patrol failed to report back, that might narrow their search.

“They took a big risk coming after us,” Evelyn said. “This requires we respond in kind.”

With those words, another piece of the puzzle fell into place. Evelyn had mentioned being at odds with others of her kind. However, retaliation meant this was not a mild disagreement… They are at war.

“So, should I be jealous?” Clara teased as they left Marc behind to deal with this mess.

“Non,” Evelyn said dryly. “It reminded me why I gave up on men centuries ago.”

“Are we burned?” Clara asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Are we still headed home?”

“Oh,” Evelyn said. “Indirectly. Marc was already taking the scenic route to avoid giving away our destination. We were actually heading away from where we intended to be.”

“Can I—” Marc said.

“Licence and—” the officer said. “What are you doing?!”

“Helping, mon homme to relax, officer,” Evelyn said in those musical tones.

“Please cover yourself up, madame,” the officer said.

“But I didn’t want to get my dress dirt—” Evelyn protested.

“Madame, I will not repeat myself,” the officer said.

“Of course,” Evelyn said in a tone oozing with disappointment.