"The Dark Stranger"
© VeGirl 2014

It is with dread I step into Damian's weird Rolls Royce but without the fear that I felt when he came to rescue me after my car accident.

The sound that emanates from it is actually impressive and the purr from the engine is sending shivers from my neck that ripple goosebumps along my arms.

The grip on the road is obviously exceptional that is soon clear. Damian cuts corners like a racing driver and I can't help being impressed by his driving skill.

Despite the nature scenery along the road to Phoenix, he keeps the speed up and there is nothing wrong with his reaction time as a bobcat decides to cross the road. Unwilling I am impressed both by the car and the driver.

The red leather seat seems a little too much for me though, but it is surprisingly comfortable for an old car.

I catch Damian looking at me with a disturbing smile on his face. "Stop looking at me as if I'm a happy meal," I mutter and hear him chortle as I focus on the naturescene that we are rushing past. Remembrance of him laughing out loud as I had suggested some kind of monetary compensation surge through me and I feel my cheeks redden in shame.

Of course he would demand payment in kind.

No, not that kind of payment; how could you even think that you naughty girl!

He's a vampire and he wants my blood. How could I have agreed to that? Yes, I know that we're about to rescue Vincent and I remember that had been the thing that would have make me agree to pretty much anything. And I did.

"So are you visualizing it; the bite!"

"Of course not," I snap defiantly.

He snickers. "I can hear your heartbeat!"

"Are there a lot of your kind?" I do my best to dodge and deflect. Personally I think I to a good job. "I don't recall ever having met a vampire more than in movies or books."

His snickering fades out and he sighs. "No, we are not many; not anymore. We're basically an endangered species." His serious expression is once again changing into a smirk. "But even in this day and age with all the vampires on screen and the awareness that gives, we are still superior."

I snort something incoherent that Damian chooses to ignore.

"So I have figured out that Vincent has fooled me with his origin."

"Origin?"

"Yes, he had me fooled there for some time that he's a vampire; you know, the superior race," he adds and wiggles his brows.

I feel the need to snort again

"But I get the same vibe from him and you and you taste like fairy or elf."

"Fairy or elf? Are you kidding me?"

"What?" he asks surprised. "Fae then?"

"Come on, there is no such thing!" I can't continue this preposterous conversation. "Even vampires are too weird to believe in if you hadn't already sunk your teeth into me," I mutter sardonic.

"When are you going to tell me?"

"What?" I ask surprised.

"What you are... it is obvious that you aren't human, and you are no witch; I would have sensed that." His musings are more introvert than flat out questions so I listen curios. "...now you claim not to be fae...that only leaves..." His smirk disappears as he turns towards me with a serious expression. "...really? Could you be... angel?"

My expression reveal that he has hit the nail.

"Really... angel?" He has a similar reaction to the one I had about him. "I thought that was a myth..."

"You talk about fairies, but don't believe that angels walk among us?" I almost gasp at the impossibility. "God, I'm talking to somebody who claims to be a vampire." I sigh and roll my eyes. Despite the strain I have been under during this race, I feel start to feel how fatigue is adding the gravitation pull. I yawn.

"It's not that far now," Damian says comforting.

I simply nod and look out the side window as my eyelids starts to droop. Thoughts are swirling in my mind; so much has happened during the last twentyfour hours.

Is that all the time that has passed since we hit the ground?

The next thing I'm aware of is Damian leaning over me and with a jerk I am fully awake and hastily add the distance between us.

"We've arrived to the place on your map," he snickers and I realize he was just trying to wake me up. "I'm gonna do a sweep and I recommend that you stay put," he says mirthfully. "This is not a neighbourhood for a girl like you."

"What do you mean; a girl like me?" I snort, feeling offended.

"Delicious," he smirks and closes the door around me before he disappears into the dark surrounding.

Wide awake I sit there, trying to figure out where we are and where Vincent could be. I use the special frequency he and I have developed, but it feels ominously silent.

What has actually happened during our time apart? Esme claimed that ten years has passed, but that was before she claimed to change the course of time and to Layla's reaction only a couple of hours has passed. What is the actual truth? I try to deduce something, but if I add the trip to heaven and everything there it all seems unlikely.

No sane person would be able to come up with a prepostous story like this. I smile to myself and shake my head slowly.

The buildings outside the car indicates that it is an industrial part of town and that seems rational. Is seems to be a large area and the condition of the old buildings indicate that it is no longer an active part of town. The perfect place for shady business that is, at least according to a lot of action movies that I have seen.

I startle as Damian suddenly opens the door. "I think I've found him."

My heart skips a beat and I slide out of the car, suddenly standing uncomfortably close to Damian. He simply smiles while I purse my lips and glare at him. "Where is he?" I snarl.

"I started to search over there." He points to the buildings further to the far left. "But I picked up his scent over here." He gestures to a building a couple of hundred yards to the right. "Here are so many different scents that it is lucky he's a friend of mine and that you still reek of him."

My mouth falls open as I stare at him.

"Come on let's go get him," he adds to the muted conversation.

In his wake I notice how he raises his head towards the sky and it hits me like a flash of lightning that he is sniffing the air. I swallow hard and almost hold my breath as I follow carefully after him.

The warehouse or old factory closest to us is where he leads me to a door on the side of the building. With an arm out to stop me from entering the premises until he has done a sweep inside. Silently he nods for me to follow and I do so without questioning. The vast room is cloaked in darkness and it is almost impossible for me to see much beyond the closest yard.

Damian doesn't look like he has any problem and walks with long strides where I stumble along behind trying to keep up. "This way," he hiss silently and grabs my arm while he heads to the left. We round a couple of shelves or some kind of machines and heads in through a door into a completely dark room.

Damian halts for a moment and I wait patiently for him to lead me into the closed room like a mouse into a trap. Against all odds I trust him with my life.

"He's here," Damian breathes and my heart is pounding unbelievable high.

I follow on Damian's heel as he strides determinately into the room. A dark figure takes shape as we carefully close in on it. He is in shackles and in poorly condition.

"Vincent?" My voice cracks and my eyes fill up with tears. The evidence of torture is obvious and Damian has to hold on to me to prevent me from rushing over to him.

"Look at the ground," he hiss and an intricate pattern reveal itself. "It's a trap."

With wide eyes I stare at the painted circle on the ground. "Is that an angel-trap?"

"Well, due to his poor condition I would say that..."

"How on earth...?" My voice cracks and tears fall down my face as I try to figure out how to break an angel trap. I can't even remember having seen one unless on my tv where Sam and Dean Winchester saves the day. "How...?" I ask.

Damian all but rolls his eyes at me, walks the three steps to it and scrapes with his foot on the intricate dark circle on the floor. "Shit," he mutters and starts to look around.

"What?" I breathe.

"It's not just an easy paint; it's blood, probably his."

I don't know the difference trapverse and my face obviously reveals my bemusement.

"The blood seeps into the concrete and is much harder to break," Damian explains impatiently.

I watch bemused as he reaches for his fly and with rapid blinking I look away as he pulls out his dick and urinates on the floor. My head is spinning with all the turn of events and this doesn't seem rational. A loud banging makes me carefully return my gaze towards him.

He has found something that looks like a meat hook that he now is using to smash the concrete floor while cursing. "I thought that would help," I hear him mutter while keep smashing the metal to the floor.

Finally the concrete crumble and the circle is broken. Wide eyed I watch him walk up to Vincent and easily snap the bulky chains that are restraining him.

Vincent makes no sign of life at all during this ordeal, and Damian swiftly lifts him into his arms and carries him out of there. At the corner of the building the full moon is shining down on us and Damian abruptly stops. Anxiously I look around to detect somebody that might have noticed us. When I look back at Damian he doesn't show any trace of worry.

"What's going on? Why are we stopping?" I ask annoyed.

"There is the matter of payment..." His eyes have taken on an ominous shine.

Dread sinks in my stomach like lead.

"Can we take him to safety first?" I snarl, well aware if the payment issue.

"I just wanted to remind you of your part in this." His smile is glib and superior in an evil way.

"I remember what I said. Now help me!"

With the smirk still plastered on his face, he bend down and hauls up the ragged figure of Vincent again. He glances over towards me with almost a greedy face as we walk to the car.

Suddenly he starts to look around again and once again I fear that we've been spotted.

"The sun is coming up and we need to get the hell out of here."

I feel startled by this revelation and is once again reminded of what he is; not human. "But where?"

"I know about a lair nearby, but you won't be safe there. When I'm out I can't protect you."

"Can't we stay at some hotel?"

"Cutie pie I need to eat." That last word suddenly feels both ominous and crude; maybe it is the way he articulates when he says it. "And I suppose you won't put out...?"

What?

"A motel would work," he says as he sees my appalled expression. "I can call for take out." He stops by his car where I open the door and he manages to place Vincent on the red leather seat. The compartment isn't big, but we manage to squeeze into the seat and Damian fire up the engine.

As quick as he drove us there from Phoenix, he races towards the closest motel. Instinctively he seems to know his way, but I realize that he might have been here before. Swiftly he has ordered a room and returns with a key while I stay put in the car with Vincent who is still out for the count.

I notice how Damian glances to the sky and I see the pink horizon. Hurriedly he carries Vincent inside and closes the curtains with a sigh of relief. Fatigue seems to paint him gray all of a sudden and I watch him bemused.

"I'll tuck in," he says slowly as he walks to the vacant bed and slumps down on it. As soon as he is horizontal, he is out for the count.

I crane my neck curiously to get a closer look at him, but there is not the slightest life sign. Is that how this whole vampirism works; he is out during daylight? No wonder it is hard to get hold of him.

Carefully I sit down on the other bed where Vincent is laying dirty, battered and injured. I try to examine his wounds, but it is hard in the dull light. With extreme caution I slide down next to him with an arm protectively wrapped around him. I can feel his chest rise and fall rhythmically and as silence surround us, I soon doze off.

When I wake up the room is still. Through the curtains I notice a glum light, pretty much the same as when we arrived, so at first I don't think I've been out that long. My stomach rumbles a different opinion though and I grab my phone to check the time.

My stomach is much more correct than the deceiving eyes and I glance over at my companion in the other bed. He is still laying in the same position he dozed off in and he is disturbingly quiet.

Vincent is pulling my attention and my eyes roam over his swollen blackened face. The cleanly shaven angelic face is now hidden behind a dark beard; there are bruises and cuts, obvious evidence of severe violence over time. Carefully I slide open his ripped shirt and I recognize that it is the same tunic I saw him wearing in heaven. Over his ribcage, an intricate pattern is visual. It looks like burnmarks of a chain and is dark and ominous.

"Is he still out?" Damian's voice makes me jump high and I look startled over at him.

"Yes."

Carefully as if it is painful, he sits up and stretches his arms.

"Are you okay?"

Surprised he looks up at my concerned face. "Not really."

"What's the matter; is there something I can do?"

His eyes take on a strange glow that I am surprised that I notice in the glum light. "No," he finally says. "I need to feed."

Shivers run through me like a bucket of icy water and I swallow loud. My stomach is starting to churn nauseously.

His dark chuckle gives the impression that he had heard my thick swallow and probably knows my distress. "I'm gonna make a call. Is there anything you need?"

On cue my stomach growls loud its answer and Damian chuckles again as he flips his phone up. With surprisingly slow movements he dials a number and I can see the strain as he holds the phone to his ear.

To not feeling like an eavesdropper I do my best to focus on the sleeping battered beauty on my bed, but as Damian slowly speaks into his phone I get up and head for the bathroom.

"B positive," I hear him say before I close the door behind me and shudder discomforting. He really is ordering take out, I think and nausea surges through me.

I sit down on the throne and breathe deep as the tinkling sound blocks out the weak voice of Damian's. I splash cold water on my face as I wash my hands and try to straighten my unruly curls.

When I have stalled long enough, hoping his call has ended, I walk back out to the guys again. Damian is leaning over Vincent and I have to focus to not throw him off of him. "He looks bad." There is concern in his voice.

"Yeah..."

"What is that?" Damian is pointing at the intricate burnmark on his chest. "He has the same on his arms and legs."

My brows rise and fall in surprise as he has noticed something I have missed. Without a word I try to examine it. The marks look just like the other ones; black with a hint of blue and gruesome.

"Why isn't he waking up?" I ask and tears well up in my eyes.

"I don't know," he sighs.

Fatigue runs through me and I slump down on the bed. "I want to take him home; maybe Esme knows what to do?" Tears threaten to fall.

"He'll be alright. He's been my friend for many years now and he will be alright." Damian speaks slowly and fatigue is clear in both speech and movement. He walks back to his bed and sits down heavy.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be up and about in a jiffy," he says weak. "How about you?"

"I feel like I've been wrung in and out and could use a good soak in my bathtub," I say weak as I slide down along Vincent's slumped body again. "I'll be alright when he is," I say sad and know that is the absolute truth.

Damian sits there on the bed as dusk falls outside.

"You sleep all day?" I ask carefully as curiosity surges through my filter on what is appropriate to say in a situation like this.

"The sleep of the dead..."

"Damian, are there many vampires out there?"

Surprised he looks up at me, as if he is about to give me a cliché answer, but rule against it. "No," he says and the expression is sad. "We are an exclusive bunch; a new one is sired only when one dies."

"Really?" Somehow I imagined it to be a whole bunch of vamps around that no one was aware of. I try to process this information in silence. "I thought vampires were just a figment of someone's imagination," I conclude silently both in awe and respect.

He smiles. "That's what we want you to think." The teasing glistening is back in his eyes and fear starts to pool deep in my stomach.

A knock on the door interrupts the dreadful ambiance and I exhale relieved. Slowly Damian walks to the door, looks through the peephole as I lay there relieved.

"Are you staying?" he ask and too late I realise that he meant me.

"Why not?" I ask, not sure why he asked. He shrugs and opens the door. As I lay on my side with my arm around Vincent, I can only perceive the muted conversation.

"Where do you want it?" a female voice whisper.

"Put it on the desk."

"And me?"

"On the bed."

A soft giggle makes me stay as silent as possible.

"An audience...?"

"Hush, they're sleeping."

"Too bad," the female pouts. "We could have a foursome."

"Hush!" Damian's voice is now harsh and I fear that I will be an unwilling witness to a sexscene played before me. Shudders runs through me at the thought.

Through my lashes I notice the girl sit down on the edge of the bed, looking with anticipation up at Damian who walks slow and surprisingly clumsy towards her. He sits down next to her and I don't know what to do as I lay there on the bed with a passed out Vincent as my only censure. Intermediately I press my eyes shut and peek through my lashes as curiosity takes the best of me.

The girl unbuttons her shirt and Damian slides an arm around her waist where he sits beside her. Softly he slides her hair away from her shoulder and she smiles. Damian leans in to kiss her neck and she leans blissfully backwards.

I press my eyes closed.

A wincing makes me peek again and I see blood trickle down her neck and Damian's free hand cups her chin. Her moan makes it sound like a sexscene and I can't keep my roaming eyes off the two of them as I realize what is happening. He is feeding on her and she is enjoying it disturbingly much. I feel breathless as I watch the scene before me like a peeping Tom. I'm not sure if the tingling sensation within me or the nausea is the most prominent, but I can't look away.

Suddenly Damian's eyes opens and he is piercing me with blood red eyes. It is impossible to look away and almost impossible to breathe.

She is not reacting as somebody should as they are violated. Her moans grow stronger and soon her chest is raising and falling rapidly. With a jerky bite that makes me flinch, Damian covers her mouth as she screams out in a blissful release. I cannot believe what I see and embarrassed I close my eyes again.

"Thank you baby, that was so good," the girl's voice whispers breathless.

"You're delicious," I hear Damian whisper back, accompanied by kissing noises.

I wish I could cover my ears.

"You were famished," the girl snickers.

"And you sex-starved..." Damian's voice is now dark and husky and feels dangerously powerful.

"I'm always starved for you."

Rustling of clothes makes me peek curiously up to find her straddling him and his grip on her ass makes me press my lids tightly shut again. The picture is burned into my retina.

Please don't let them have sex in front of me; this has been disturbing enough.

"Stop; they're waking up," Damian hisses and the girl slide off of his lap. "You better go."

"Don't wait too long," the girl croons as they walk to the door.

"You need a bandaid on that," Damian hisses.

"I've got it covered." The sound of a zipper indicates that she has the proper attirement in her purse and the whisking sound of paper makes cold shills run through my body. She has come prepared, this is obviously something she has done before and that is something that is disturbing in a whole different level. As soon as she is bandaged up, they say goodbye in a way distant friends do and she leaves.

"Did you enjoy the show?"

I don't know what to say. "I... I'm sorry..."

He snickers and walks swiftly to the bathroom. There is definitely more bounce in his step. "I need to brush my teeth," he murmurs before he exits the room and I have to bite my tongue to not laugh.

"I think I need a shower as well," he says as he returns and that turns everything on end and I start to laugh. "What?"

I just keep laughing. "This is the most surreal think I have ever..." I laugh. "And I just returned from heaven..." Tears stream down and I am definitely heading to the land of hysteria if I haven't been there already.

Damian walks up to me and lifts me with a grip around my shoulders. I instantly sober up and am disturbingly breathless. "How is Vince doing?"

I blink startled and turn to look at the motionless man still laying on the bed next to us. "I... don't know what's wrong with him." The hysteric laughter fit is far away. "What shall we do? We can't take him to the hospital, right?"

"No, I'm sure there would be raised eyebrows in our direction and I bet his test result would not fit the pattern," Damian says thoughtful. "There is only one option left."

Just as I am about to ask what that might be, he sits down on the bed next to Vincent, bites his own wrist and feed his friend the blood, as in letting it drip into his mouth.

"What are you doing?" I gasp appalled.

"Healing him."

"What?"

"Vampire blood can heal a human; I just wonder if it works on angels," he mutters and removes the bleeding wrist that amazingly enough heals in front of my eyes. I sit there, doing a fairly good impression of a goldfish again while Damian stands next to me watching Vincent intently.

"Does it usually work this fast?" My voice is breathy as we both expect a miracle.

"On humans, yes. I've never tried to heal an angel before." His voice is troubled.

I sit there contemplating his change since that morning but not really knowing what to say. "I'm sorry for the... intrusion earlier. I got curious."

He smiles wayward. "That's okay. I didn't mean to be so hard on you."

"You seem much... more energized."

His smile is honest. "I hadn't fed in..." He sucks in breath between his teeth as he thinks. "...too long, so that's why it became so urgent." He runs a hand through his hair. "I shouldn't have put you in that danger. It took a lot of strain to stay away from your carotid artery." He flashes me a smile. "Especially after your consent."

A shill runs down my spine.

"I don't need to feed that often, and usually not that much, but I needed to stay away from your allure." The smile on his face is apologetic but just the thought that he would suckle my neck the way he had done that girl makes me look away embarrassed.

Damian silence as I lock my eyes on Vincent's still figure. "It doesn't look like it works..." My voice brakes. The emotional strain I had been under during the last... well fivehundred years... is simply too much and I don't want to break down in front of Damian. "I need the little girl's room," I croak out before I hurry around the corner into the bathroom where I slump down on the porcelainthrone. Tears stream down my cheeks and I desperately try to come up with a plan what to do with Vincent. Could I take him to the ICU and say he fell down the stairs? They would probably put me behind bars for assault.

I get on my feet and take the few heavy steps to the sink where the mirror above shows a tired looking girl on the verge of conking out. With a heavy sigh I run the tap and wash my face in cold water to manage for another few hours before my body gives up. As I have dried the face off again I put the forced smile back on again and returns to the room.

"So... an angel huh?" I hear Damian ask as I round the corner.

To my astonishment a hearty laugh came from Vincent who is sitting up. I stop dead in my tracks. Damian looks up and Vincent turns towards me, his face fall.

"You're here?" He is quick on his feet and eliminates the distance between us. "Is it really you?"

I nod as tears stream down my cheeks. "Are you okay?" I squeak out.

"Now I am." He wraps his arms around me and I can no longer hold the emotional strain away. Sobs shakes my body as I cling to him. "It's okay, everything is okay." He does his best to comfort me but winces as I touch him.

"You are not okay!"

"But he's awake," Damian interrupts with a smirk.

Both Vincent and I turn to look at him before Vincent's eyes flickered between Damian and me. "Are you in cohorts with him?"

"I'd do anything for you."

He smiles and presses his lips on mine, but wince again as I respond accordingly while passion sweeps through me. I halt abrupt and withdraw to find him smile bravely through the battered face.

"You don't fool me either," I say stubbornly, thinking of other times when I have tried to reassure him of my well being.

"Apparently it takes longer to heal an angel than a human," Damian informs. "But your wounds are no longer bleeding."

I have to focus like crazy not to gasp at the thought that he knows that from across the room. That is freaking... yucky!

Vincent looks down on his arm. "Yeah, the bruises are fading out, but the fingers don't seem straighter."

I can't hold in the appalled expression as I notice the fingers that are most certainly broken, but Damian flicks his head for Vincent to step closer. After what looks like a second of hesitation Vincent cross the distance and gasp as Damian takes his hand and gives it a good jerk.

"Fuck!" Vincent swears totally out of character and watches his fingers that are now straight.

"Are you done whining?" Damian asks hard. Vincent closes his open mouth and straighten his expression instantly as he watch his cocky friend with furrowed brows. "Then let's get the hell out of here."

.