Chapter 9 : From Rooftop to Sidewalk

Blair’s POV

Is it possible for feet to feel heavier than cinder blocks? I have no idea, but I am sure I would be ground zero in a study about the sensation. I shuffle my feet from one office to the next as I finish delivering the essential reports, which is my last task of the day before clocking out and heading home.

I smile and wave at some of my fellow nurses and see the same look of exhaustion plaguing them. Seriously, our superiors need to bring in some new hires or else we are going to get burned out really quickly.

I slip into the locker room and snag my things from the hook before signing out and leaving the main building. Once again, it is dark outside. Didn’t I get here when it was dark? What is sunlight? What is it like to walk around during the day? I need to get out during the day. I’m going to forget what it’s like.

I pull out my hair tie and shake my hair loose, scratching my scalp as the tension in my head relaxes, before tying it back up into a much looser bun. I have to dodge a few gurneys and blatantly ignore the sound of distant sirens as I leave the hospital. There is always work to be done and I can’t always be there to save everyone, even though I wish I could.

The city air hits me before I’m even outside of the building. After breathing the sterile, chemical air of the hospital, the outside feels so unclean. Gross. It feels like the air is coating the inside of my lungs.

Taking a quick survey of my surroundings, I look to my left and right before jogging back across the street and making my way to my apartment. The lights above me flicker ominously as I walk past them. It’s one of those cliche movie scenes where the monster is the thing that is making the lights falter. At any moment, I imagine hearing something rustle in the trees or splash in the gutters I keep passing.

My imagination is running absolutely rampant, and rounding the corner to a flashing stop light does absolutely nothing for my nerves. Then, I feel something. I feel the familiar sensation of being watched. I look across the street, squinting past the light of the street lamp, and my stomach drops.

There is someone there.

They’re standing silently, leaning against one of the unlit poles with their arms folded. Whoever it is, is wearing some kind of all-black trench coat and is standing there like they’re expecting me.

Then, I see it. Instantly, my feeling of dread and concern switches to curiosity and mild annoyance.

Raven, my friendly neighborhood vampire, is standing there like some kind of statue. My mind reels as I think about why he might be here. Was he fibbing when he said he owes me that life debt thing? Or is something else going on?

Only one way to find out.

I dare to approach, taking one cautious step at a time toward him. Raven’s nearly reflective green eyes flick up to me and, to my surprise, I see a grin tug the corners of his lips. I find myself mirroring his smile involuntarily and glance away as I step up to him. He pushes himself off the post and stands there, hands in his pockets, as if he’s waiting for me to break the ice.

I’m terrible at suspense and breaking the silence.

“What? No rooftops today?” I ask.

Raven smiles puckishly and shakes his head, those black, wavy curls of his getting in his eyes. “Not today. I thought that, perhaps, you could use some company unless you’re set for solitude,” says Raven. “Would you care for an in-person escort? Or is the previous arrangement more to your satisfaction?”

Is he serious about this old style of talking? I mean, he is a vampire and from a whole other era and everything, but he probably updated with the times. Is he saying things like this to be charming?

I hate to admit it, but it is working on me. There’s something about the tone of his voice that, like distant rolling thunder, promises excitement.

“Sure,” I say after thinking for a moment longer just to make sure he doesn’t think I am too eager to walk with him. “I could use the company. Besides, it’s got to be easier than jumping from roof to roof.”

Raven chuckles and shakes his head in mild disbelief. “Hardly a challenge, but I understand your point. Shall we be off?” he asks, gesturing to the path ahead of us.

A question pops into my head, and my curious self can’t help but succumb to asking it. “Hey, is this part of that whole ‘life debt’ thing? Did you… see something up ahead? Or are you actually here for company?” I ask.

Raven cocks his head curiously to one side ever so slightly like a confused puppy, eyes conveying confusion, before looking away and shrugging ever so slightly.

“Perhaps a bit of both? No, I didn’t perceive any significant danger, and I would tell you if I did. Call it strange or what have you, but I find myself curious about you and thought that it would be optimal to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. I’m walking you home either way, so this way I am allowed to be curious,” says Raven. His green eyes flick back up to mine and lock on with a breathtaking intensity. “Would you be more comfortable if I were to leave?”

“No. I… was just curious,” I dismiss, finding myself genuinely touched by his response. I can tell he’s not lying to me, and I find it pleasantly reassuring.

“Well then, shall we proceed?” asks Raven, stepping to the side to reveal the lamp-lit sidewalk.

I nod. “Sure thing. Lead the way. I assume you know it by now,” I say, teasing ever so slightly. It’s a hard sensation to comprehend for me, but I feel a strange sense of ease with Raven walking by my side. Maybe it is because he has been following me for a little while now or, in a weird way, it is my personal curiosity, but him being a vampire doesn’t bother me as much as I thought it might.

Maybe it is because I have actually seen and worked on real monsters in the hospital, but, somehow, Raven seems different.

He nods and, quietly, begins leading the way down the sidewalk toward my apartment. Our paces sync up, despite how long his stride must be as someone who is nearly a head and shoulders taller than me.

As we walk, I glance up and over at his neutral expression. So many questions swirl in my mind, and I can only assume that he is also thinking quietly about his own curiosities. Thankfully, I know the perfect icebreaker.

“So, how are you feeling? I mean, your injuries. You… were in a bit of a bad way last time I saw you this close,” I ask.

Raven’s body stiffens ever so slightly as he glances at me. It’s almost in confusion as if he isn’t used to being asked if he’s okay or not.

“I’m significantly better thanks to your assistance. I… was in a bad way,” mutters Raven.

“Good,” I say, daring to flash a smile at him. Yes! Perfect segue. “Do… you mind if I ask you some things? Nothing too personal. I’m… just curious.”

“Not at all,” says Raven. “I invite it.”

There it is again! A kind of curious confusion in his voice and in the gleam in his eyes. Still, he’s being genuine, so I don’t waste the opportunity.

“How does healing actually work for you? You know, being a…” I lower my voice just in case anyone is lurking nearby, “a vampire. Is it the same as humans? Do you just need time? Or do you have some kind of accelerated healing?”

Raven smiles, revealing his straight teeth, before nodding a few times. “Fair question. I can’t speak for everyone. There is some variation, but I know my injuries do not take as much time to heal,” he states.

“Fascinating,” I mutter. “And, speaking of differences, what is your vision like? Your senses have to be heightened, right? You said you’re stronger and faster, which makes sense, so it would also make sense that other sensory information is heightened too, right? I mean, I wouldn’t think that a vampire needs glasses.”

Raven chuckles and nods again. “Precisely. The… change… eliminates any deficiencies we may have had previously,” he says, pulling his hand out of his pocket and brushing back his hair from his eyes.

“So, do you have any examples? Like, can you see a hummingbird’s wings flapping? See a drop of water on a can a mile away?” I ask.

Raven merely nods. “Yes, I can, to both of your examples. As for hearing, I can hear a whisper from half a mile away in a closed room, smell what you had for lunch two days ago on your clothes, which you washed yesterday by the way, and feel your skin getting warm with what I can only assume is embarrassment from the other side of the road,” says Raven.

How nonchalantly he rattles off all of the things he can perceive definitely makes my skin warm. It means he can hear how quickly my heart is beating now that I am talking to him and how nervous I am feeling. Shit, I’m so glad I don’t get nervous sweats because that would be more than embarrassing.

“Does this concern you?” he asks quietly, checking both sides of the road before leading the way to the other side of the street.

“Well, no,” I mumble, trying to get a grip on myself. “It’s just that I can’t imagine being able to take in all of that information at once and be able to function.”

At this, Raven stops and throws his head back as he laughs. I feel a shiver shoot down my spine as I listen to his deep, rumbling laugh. It’s oddly charming.

“Admittedly, it takes some getting used to,” he says after he finishes chuckling. “Also, so far, you’ve only confirmed lore and preconceived notions of us vampires. I’m surprised you haven’t asked about what a vampire does as an occupation considering we can’t keep normal hours or hobbies to keep us occupied through the monotony of daily life.” He stops and catches my eye, a smile teasing the side of his lips as we pause near the alley where I found him.

How did we get so close to my apartment so quickly? The walk is usually so much longer than this. Did him walking with me really speed up the time that quickly?

“W-Well, what d-does a vampire do for fun?” I ask, barely able to sputter out the words. Shit, why am I getting so tongue-tied around this guy?

“Me? I… don’t really have fun. It isn’t necessary or… well… permitted… for someone in my position,” states Raven.

It feels like I struck some kind of nerve by the way he avoids the question directly. Is it because he’s trying to be discreet? Or because he’s embarrassed? Maybe it’s a secret.

At any rate, I don’t have time to answer. We’re here at my apartment.

I turn around and look at Raven’s face. His pale green eyes are once again luminescent in the dark, practically glowing against the darkness of the sky.

“Well, this is my stop,” I smile. “Thanks for walking me back. It was really nice.”

“You mean not glancing over and seeing me lurking on rooftops makes you happy?” Raven asks.

My cheeks warm involuntarily. I know he can probably sense the temperature change, which only makes my skin burn feverishly.

“So? What if it does? You going to do it more often?” I ask.

Raven smiles. “If that is what you desire, then yes,” he says. “At any rate, I have certain matters to attend to, so I will bid you goodnight.”

I open my mouth to respond and say goodnight back, but looking into Raven’s pale green eyes once again has me tongue-tied.

Just as I compose myself just enough to respond, an ear-splitting sound makes me jump out of my skin. There is a harsh clanking sound and I realize in an instant that part of the rail has a hole in it—a bullet hole.

Did someone just shoot at us?