The kids are throwing a tantrum, quite literally rolling on the floor and flailing their little legs and arms in protest. Their howling wails echo throughout the entrance hall, daunting and about to burst my eardrums.
These brats… Their parents have spoiled them rotten!
I can't help but glare at Jordan, who responds with his usual well-measured smile. Dude, don't smile. It's your goddamn fault your kids are acting like the worst drama queens I've ever seen and can't take 'no' for an answer.
"Dad, don't go!"
"Don't leave us alone!"
"Waaaaaaah!"
…I swear, Jordan and Eve have been doting on them too much, and lo and behold, I'm the one paying the price for their leniency.
Gosh, their bedtime is in less than an hour! It's not worth crying about us going out for the night! Or more like, about me going out, 'cause of course, the kids can't give a shit about their father leaving the house. They only care about me going out, annoyingly enough.
"Please, Dad!"
And now, they're resorting to the puppy eye tactic. Crazy how quick they get in sync when it comes to my little person and their desire to monopolize me.
"I'll be back before you wake up tomorrow morning. I promise."
"Noooo!"
Kids, what else am I supposed to say?! Whether I like it or not, I absolutely have to go out for the case; it's not by choice, I swear!
That pack of kobolds might attack during the day, but they're most active at night on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday—when young people go out to have fun and get themselves wasted, obviously.
We've already lost a few days waiting for Thursday, so we can't push it back any further. We don't know when the next victim will pop up, and I'd rather not find out the harsh way. I want Melissa to be the last victim, and I refuse to see another name added to the list tomorrow.
Jordan's been busy gathering clues, figuring out where the kobolds are most likely to be active tonight, and we are about to lose our best chance to get to them just because you, little brats, don't want your dad to go out!
"Ellena, Elois…"
I'm at my wits' end trying to calm them down, and calling them by their names only backfires.
"NO! DON'T GOOOOO!"
But I have to, for goodness' sake!
My ability is most useful in this kind of case, where the beings we're hunting have a stupidly low presence, which allows them to meddle with the crowd undetected. That's why hunters haven't been able to get their hands on them yet, since even those with the keenest senses won't necessarily be able to pick up their spiritual traces in a place abundant with people and other supernatural beings.
Kobolds are weak, sure, but they're still an annoyance to handle if you can't distinguish them from others.
I don't have that problem, as a Seer.
But that's not something I can tell them, either! Please, kids! Go to bed!
"Ellena, Elois," Jordan speaks up. "Be good."
The children purse their lips, glaring at their father. Jordan can't care less and quirks an eyebrow. It ends with the children lowering their heads in defeat.
Wait, what?! That's all Jordan had to do to get them to cooperate?! I've been squabbling with them for almost half an hour already! You've got to be shitting—
"I leave them in your hands, Todd."
"Yes, my Lord."
—me. Whatever. At least, I'm not on babysitting duty. It's Todd's turn to suffer, and seeing how frustrated the kids are, he's in for a hell of a time. Well, good luck tucking them into bed. I'm praying for you, mate.
***
It's noisy. The music is so loud that the walls seem to be vibrating, and I can almost feel the bench I'm sitting on drumming along.
A new song starts with a bang, startling me, and I instinctively eye the bar, where Jordan and Eve are standing. They've gone over to order some light drinks for us. It wouldn't do to stay empty-handed in such a place, lest we want to attract attention.
Thank God, I've received one of my ID cards just in time. I don't look underage, but you never know. The bouncers here are overly strict with age verification.
I stare at these two for a while longer before shifting my gaze forward. I've got a job to do.
People are up on the dance floor, crowded against each other; most are already inhibited to the point of being silly, rubbing their bodies against strangers and whatnot.
A snort leaves me. The place is the perfect hunting ground, with drunk, gullible youngsters everywhere.
Well, to be fair, this district is located in vampire territory, and the purpose of the nightclubs here is to pick up oblivious prey. Obviously, hunters know about it, but turn a blind eye. As long as the vampires feed responsibly and there's no death, no one is going to go around poking the hornet's nest.
"Oh my, oh my," a teasing voice travels to my ears amid the loud music, and I slowly turn my head to the newcomer. "Who do we have here? Isn't it that dear Scott Banker?"
Here comes an eyesore, great. Luck is never on my side, isn't it?
Crossing paths with vampires is to be expected in their territory, but I've been hoping I wouldn't meet this one. I can already feel the proverbial headache about to befall me.
"Sorry, sir, but you've mistaken me for someone else."
My answer seems to stun James, and he blinks his bright red eyes.
Hm, if my memory serves me right, I think they're blue in human form, not red. It's just that with the dim light, all I see is the shadow of his true form. It's not like this form is all that different from his human form, anyway.
Vampires are one of the few species that resemble humans in almost every aspect, minus the purplish to reddish eyes, pointy ears, and fangs. Even if folklore sometimes depicts them with wings, they don't have any. The way to tell their rank in the vampire hierarchy is by the color of their eyes. The redder the color, the more monstrous they are.
I've met one of their patriarchs once; his eyes were the color of blood.
As for this dear James, he has eyes the color of rubies. No surprise there, though. He's the heir of the vampire clan, after all.
"…I didn't know you had a sense of humour," James chuckles, dimples appearing on his cheeks as he sits beside me on the bench.
Dude, can't you go back to the dancing floor, please? Or savor your drink somewhere else? You're not my friend, as far as I know.
"I'd have you know that, given the right circumstances, I'm very humorous."
"I've heard, yes," he lets out a laugh, his fingers tapping on the glass.
Man, how many rings does he have on that hand alone? They're pretty, yes, but they're also distracting me. That guy loves jewelry a little too much. Piercing and tattoos, too, for all that matters.
"If I had known a wedding of convenience could be this exciting, I'd have crashed in."
"Exciting…? Watching a dude walk down the aisle in nothing but his underwear and some high heels is exciting in your book?"
He answers with a shit-eating grin.
"Well, I'm sure the view was quite something," he pauses to eye me before adding, "but I think your stepmother's face was even more spectacular. I can't believe I've missed that. Lately, everyone's been talking about it. Although I guess not that many actually attended. Tch, the ceremony was announced at the last minute… Those gooddamn demons got to have all the fun."
You know what? Good point.
But honestly, I'd never have thought the rumors about my little stunt would spread that much. It feels like everyone knows about it. Well, whatever. Not my problem anymore.
"—Not gonna lie, I'd have loved to frame that shocked face of hers and hang it on the wall. It was, indeed, spectacular, along with the other guests' faces."
I pretend not to see his amusement and let him sip his drink in silence.
We've never really talked before, as we've only crossed paths at political events, where Miria has done her utmost best to antagonize every supernatural being with her out-of-place comments. That dunce is good at socializing with other humans and hunters. But with otherworldly beings? Heck, no.
Thanks to that, James doesn't like my stepmother very much, and he's been very open about his dislike, which extends to the whole family as a principle, including me.
It's strange that he even came to me.
Anyway. How much longer is he planning to sit there? He's kind of an eyesore, distracting me from my job. If anything, I'd like him to kindly get up and get lost, thank you.