In pop culture, vampires are always pictured holding a fancy glass of red wine.
I wonder why.
Maybe because it looks like blood?
Still, to be honest, I think red wine tastes like crap.
I'd rather have a cold beer any day.
I love drinking it almost as much as I love the blood of hot moms—I'd chug gallons at every meal if Isabelle didn't nag me about it.
She really doesn't want to see me with a beer belly.
But whether it's wine, beer, or any other booze, what really matters is who you drink it with.
That's why even beer becomes hard to swallow when I have to share it with him—Jonh Hawkley, one of New York's rising stars in organized crime.
He only moved here a couple of years ago, but he's already carved out a big chunk of the underworld—helped by the oh-so-suspicious deaths of most of his rivals.
But his rise isn't just about brains and charisma.
Jonh Hawkley is a demon.
Yeah, a demon.
Sounds insane, right?
I used to think I was one of a kind. But this world is crawling with demons, vampires, and other freaks from another world—N'Raeth.
As much as I hate him—being near him sends chills down my spine—I have to admit he's the reason I know anything about my origins.
I have no idea how I ended up here.
For as long as I can remember, I lived in the orphanage where Isabelle adopted me.
«Ren Lazar, I hope you've had time to reconsider my offer since our last talk,» he asks, sipping red wine.
I bet he does it just for show.
Nobody actually enjoys that garbage.
Yeah, his offer… joining his organization. He's recruiting every creature from N'Raeth.
And that night, when one of his goons caught me drinking blood from a homeless guy in the Bronx—after killing him—I got on his radar.
What did you expect? I'm a vampire, after all.
Since then, he hasn't left me alone.
But why the hell should I give up my comfortable life with Isabelle to become his hitman?
I may be a vampire, but I'm not stupid.
«My answer is the same as last time, and the time before that, and the time before that,» I say. «Try to understand—I'm still way too young to get killed by some Monster Reaper.»
Yeah, the Monster Reapers… Jonh Hawkley told me about them too.
Humans whose job is to wipe out people like me.
I'm already risking enough with my hunts. I'm not about to stick my neck out for him.
He doesn't even blink at my refusal. Maybe he'd be shocked if I actually said yes. I wonder if he'll ever give up…
He offers me a ride home—we're in Queens, far from the Manhattan penthouse I live in—but only an idiot would get into a crime boss's car.
Especially one who's also a demon.
Besides, I feel like walking under the moonlight.
No need to hurry—Isabelle thinks I'm sleeping over at Elaine's, so I've got all the time I want.
The alleys of Queens are dangerous at this hour, full of the worst scum humanity can spawn.
Isabelle always warns me: «Stay away from those areas, there's bad people around! Did you read the New York Times this morning? Five men were found with their throats slit in one of those streets—probably gangs. Promise me you'll never go there, not even during the day!»
I love it when she turns into a wild nympho, but I love it even more when she gets protective like that.
By "bad people", I guess she means the three guys who spotted me alone and slipped into the same dark alley I'm walking down.
They're heading straight toward me with fast steps that scream bad intentions.
They probably thought I'd turn and run, that's why they slowed down.
«That kid's a real idiot. How hasn't he noticed we're about to take everything he has and leave him bleeding in the street?»
That's probably what they're thinking.
And just as we pass each other… two of them grab me.
Wow, what a surprise.
Who could've seen that coming…
They slam me against the wall, pinning my arms, while the third pulls out a gun.
I feel the cold barrel pressed against my stomach.
«Didn't mommy teach you to stay away from places like this, especially at night?» the guy with the gun sneers.
The other two burst out laughing, throwing in their own lines.
God, those grins are unbearable…
«Yeah, she told me there are bad people around here, so you guys should be careful—it's dangerous,» I answer with the same creepy grin.
That one line is enough to set him off.
Maybe he's trigger-happy. Maybe his day just sucked.
Too bad for him—it's about to get worse.
A gunshot, sharp and dull all at once.
Shit, it burns like hell!
Blood gushes from the hole in my stomach.
Who's going to explain to Isabelle that the hoodie she gave me for my eighteenth birthday is now soaked in blood?
I'll think of something later…
«What the… what the fuck…?!» the guy blurts, stunned, as the other two back away.
They're terrified—adorable, really.
I don't know if it's the bullet wound that just closed before their eyes… or my eyes themselves.
Sky-blue. Clear. Beautiful.
My best weapon for seduction—or so women always tell me.
But right now, they're not sky-blue.
They're glowing—bright, blood-colored embers burning in the dark.
The panicked guy fires twice more.
One bullet hits my chest, the other smashes into my jaw at point-blank.
Same result.
Healed instantly.
One of them freezes in terror.
The others try something else—pulling big knives.
I'd love to keep playing, but honestly, I'm tired.
I just want to go home and take a hot bath.
The horror on their faces is priceless when a deep gash opens in my palm, dripping blood.
The blood floats, swirls, thickens… until it becomes a huge red scythe.
Their screams don't last long.
One clean slash, and their heads hit the ground.
Might as well have a drink while I'm at it, though scum like this always taste disgusting—sour, rotten.
Yeah… BLEGH!
I don't think I've ever tasted blood this vile…
Better than nothing.
But I need to get out of here—I can't risk bumping into a Monster Reaper.
Tomorrow morning, three more decapitated bodies will be found.
More victims of New York's endless gang wars.
What did you expect? I'm a vampire, after all.