Vivian soared high, truly happy. The sky was dark above her, and the stars glittered. Starshine added strength to her wings that she didn’t get on smoggier nights. She was heading off to meet her lover.

Her lover. She hadn’t had one in so long that it was exhilarating. The last time she had a lover was in the fifteen hundreds, maybe. Now he accepted her for what she was, and was even thinking of joining her lifestyle of the night. It wasn’t as hard now as it used to be, though. Now there were networks to make sure everyone had jobs, laws that protected their secrets, everything important…

Though now…She used to dream that he’d want to join her, and now that he was thinking about it, she wasn’t sure if she could mar that beautiful neck. There might even be a law against it…Though she wasn’t sure what it could be if he was willing.

Her joy shattered, she landed on the tiny balcony and knocked on the door. “Russell…?” When nothing but silence answered her, she opened the door. “Russy…?”

“I’m here…Hang on…” After a couple crashes and bangs, he rushed out to her. His luscious locks fell into his eyes as he impatiently shoved them back. “I was expecting you sooner.”

Instead of feeling guilty, she kissed the sultry pout off his face. “There were too many people for me to fly right off. I had to get alone, and you know how hard that can be.” Now that they weren’t needed, her wings melded into her back.

“Secrets, secrets…” With a laugh, he yanked her into the room. “You’re the only secret I need, Viv.”

“You’re my daylight, Russy.” But, knowing the night would be short, she was already unbuttoning his shirt. “You’re my sunshine.”

“Whoa, whoa…” Russell stilled her hands and kissed them. “Wait a minute, Vivian. What’s the hurry?”

“The sun. Russell…Last night was our talking day. Tonight I just want to touch you.” To prove it, she pressed herself against him, hands diving into his hair. “Please, Russy. Before the sun comes up.”

With a small curse, he obeyed.

***

Russell woke alone, but he didn’t mind. That’s the way it always was. Either they talked all night, he kissed her goodbye, and then went to bed, or she would tire him out, and he’d fall asleep to her little whispers.

Because he wasn’t sure he had the strength to stretch, he threw her pillow over his face and breathed deeply. The smell of her hair punched into his system and got him out of bed. Funny, he now thought, that that hadn’t worked with any other woman before.

Now he stretched as he headed toward the bathroom. A shower…That should tighten up his loose muscles. Stripping off his clothes, he spun on the shower knobs.

Of course, no other woman flew onto his balcony every night.

There was a beep when the water was the right temperature, and he stepped under the spray. As the water beat down on his shoulders, he made up his mind. “Tonight, I’ll ask her to do it,” he mumbled to himself. “One bite is all it takes, anyway. It’s not like it’s a shot or anything.”

Russell hated needles.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. He yanked his sweats on with a curse and hurried to answer it. If he was lucky, it was the supplies he needed for his next presentation to the record label. Swinging the door open, he asked, “Yes?”

The girl in front of him seemed young, maybe fifteen. She twisted her foot innocently and questioned, “Can I use your phone? I need to call my parents, and my cell died.”

Rubbing the back of his head, he sighed. “Shouldn’t you be at school?”

“At seven?” she scoffed. “That’s crazy. Come on, please? I snuck out and spent the night at a friend’s, and her brother keeps trying to get a hold of me, if you catch my drift.”

“I…alright, fine.” Standing aside, he watched her flounce in and find the phone. He was already questioning his sanity as he closed the door. “Just make it quick. I can’t leave you in here when I go to work.”

“It’s okay,” was her sunny reply. “I don’t think you’ll be going to work today.”

“What?” Russell turned to find a gun pointing at his chest. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

The question was instinctive, and he regretted it instantly as the girl pulled the trigger. There was no sound except for a small click, then an explosion of pain across his chest. He let out a strangled shout before she shot again. Unable to help himself, he stumbled backwards until he hit the wall and slid down.

She wrapped the gun’s barrel in a cloth and hid it in the back of her jeans again. Then she took a knife from its block and walked over to him. “You’re such a foolish man, you know that? You should have known that little slut would get you in trouble.”

“Who…?” he managed.

“That vampire you’ve been sleeping with.” Using an artist’s precision, she carved bite marks into his neck with the knife. “I’d ask you to say hello for me, but I don’t think you’ll be able to.”

He tried to lunge for her, but she sidestepped out of his grasp and left the way she came.

***

Vivian landed on the balcony, heart heavy. She wasn’t sure she would be able to distract Russell again tonight with sex. Tonight was a talking night, and they never deferred  from their little schedule.

She didn’t bother to knock this time and felt a scream rise up in her throat, which she denied it at its root. Instead, she whispered, “Russy…”

She half-ran, half-flew across the room to him and lifted his head. His eyes were dull and lifeless, and his chest was still. Blood…so much blood…The woman in her sobbed while the vampire was ravenous. She ignored the vampire and buried her face in his chest. “Oh, God…”

A knock interrupted her grieving and had her on her feet in an instant. Another bang, and the door swung open.  A police officer, armed and ready, barked, “Get on the floor!”

“No, you…you don’t understand…” The stickiness on her face made her realize what had happened. She had been framed. But at the expense of poor Russell… “Please, listen…”

“I said on the ground!” She could smell the fear wafting off him, and it was almost intoxicating. The measly cats and flea-ridden dogs weren’t nearly as satisfying as a human throat…

“No!” she cried out against the demons. “No, I won’t!”

“Don’t make me shoot!” The cop took a few steps into the room and saw Russell’s depleted body. “I’m taking you in!”

With a sob, Vivian turned her back to him and ran out the balcony doorway. She had to fly away, but he’d see…he’d see…

“There’s no where for you to go out there, Goth princess,” he mocked. Still, she could smell his fear. “Give yourself up.”

The sky was paling…How long had she been with Russell? But she needed to escape…She wouldn’t survive in direct sunlight…Vivian turned her head to look at the police officer. “Tell his family that I’m sorry. I never thought this would happen.”

Then, before he could say anything more, she jumped off the balcony and flew away.