I travelled for a few days with the cranky old man again. He seemed to be happy to have me along since we had not seen each other for more than a few days at a time since he had taught me to survive. There was a sort of familiarity to the day to day tasks and the training that I enjoyed, but I still felt adrift without my hunt for my quarry to ground me.

With time, I was certain that the feeling would fade. I ran through the possibilities before me, I could continue to simply survive, or I could find something that I could do with myself.

When I noticed the area was familiar, I asked, "Are you heading to Braydon's?"

"Nah," Hadron said. I was not too surprised. Like me, he found the idea of humans staying in one place unsettling. He never liked to talk about his past, but I knew enough to know that he too had suffered at the hands of leeches.

Still, I decided to break off from him and make my way over for a visit since I had missed him last time. Something drew me, and while a part of me worried that I might bring Ivan down on the heads of any humans I had contact with, the lack of any trouble since I had escaped the fortress lair had allowed me to relax.

The cranky old man merely shrugged when I told him I was going to leave and said, "Don't be a stranger." I nodded and went my separate way.

It only took me half a day to get to the building and I arrived in the evening, much later than I usually liked to travel. I went inside and Braydon barked a greeting at me which I returned.

"Jamie! I missed you last time you came through!" he said.

"Sorry. I had something I needed to do."

"Oh? And how did that go? I see you're still alive, at least," he commented jovially.

I smiled. "Very well."

His eyes widened with question, but he did not say anything since there were a handful of other humans sitting at tables around the room.

I nodded.

"Well, that calls for celebration! Mia, get Jamie some supper! I'll bet he's hungry," he called to his youngest daughter.

I grinned. As she poked her head out of the back and waved at me. "Coming right up, dad."

"Sit down, sit down," he prodded. I sat on a barstool as he poured me some ale. "You'll have to tell me what happened," he said in a much lower voice than he had before.

"I will, when we're alone," I said. Vienne's control did not extend to my destruction of the demon Jack, but it was never too wise to spread the stories of my exploits around lest the leeches get wind of it, and doubly so now that I had likely pissed off one of the strongest vampires on the planet.

It sounded really bad when I put it like that.

I would definitely have to keep my head low. Even if I left no evidence, they would certainly wonder if it was not the same vampire slayer that had plagued them before, and there were rumours of some of my exploits amongst the free humans as well. The last thing I needed was for the bloodsuckers to put the facts together and come after me.

"You going to stay this time?"

"Seems like, for the night at least." I did not want to travel in the dark.

The door to the back pushed open, but instead of Mia, Kira walked out with a bowl of steaming stew. I assumed Mia had run to get her sister to help, since it was usually only two of them manning the place at any given time. She set the bowl down before me with an expression I could not fail to read.

She was beautiful, I realized with surprise, with light brown hair and a cute face. At some point she had grown up. I had paid her little mind other than to avoid her with my mind focused so fully on my goal, but now there was nothing to sidetrack me.

Except my food. I turned my attention away from Braydon's daughter and began eating and drinking, while I listened to him tell me stories of rumours he had heard and news of what he and his family had been doing since I had properly seen them last.

Finally, the other humans headed off to their rooms, and I was left alone with Braydon and Kira who had spent the night hovering, always in the corner of my eye. I tried not to look at her.

"So now, I want to hear what happened," Braydon insisted. "I'll trade you room and board for the tale."

"You know you can't pass this one on?" I knew he knew, but it was more important than ever.

He laughed. "I've got no interest in taunting leeches into coming down on me to find out what I know, I promise you that."

"I found out a possible lead on a fledgling of a powerful vampire, and I followed it to a rather large lair. I snuck in during the day, but could not locate its resting place. Night fell, and I heard a human struggling, so I followed the sound and discovered not the demon leech, but a female who was drinking from a woman. It noticed me, and decided to keep me as a slave, but when it was unawares I staked it."

I heard a little sound of shock from Kira.

"I thought I was running out of time, so I pretended to be looking for handouts. The one I was looking for found me, and when it went to kill me, I returned the favour. Watched the demon turn to dust by the light of the moon." Reliving the moment brought a renewed rush of pleasure with it.

Braydon had been listening with rapt attention. "So you took out the powerful one, then its fledgling?"

"No, two of its fledglings. The ancient one is still out there, which I think explains my need for caution."

"Then how did you escape?" Braydon asked.

I could not tell him about my guess about the council, because that was information I had gleaned from my time with Vienne. "I spied and saw it leaving, so I knew I would only have to deal with the younger one. The female surprised me, though. I just did what Hadron taught me. I waited for it to let down its guard and staked it."

"Well, the world's better with less leeches in it," Braydon said with a hearty laugh. I could do nothing but agree, although I could not help the fact that I was glad that I had not managed to get rid of one particular leech.

In some ways, I felt like a traitor to humanity, but I told myself that my reaction was reasonable considering what I now knew.

I ignored the fact I had faltered even before I knew about the rebellion. I pushed aside the thought when Braydon stretched. "Well, I've got to get to sleep, Nelson and I are going hunting in the morning. Want to come?"

"Maybe."

He chuckled. "Well, either way, don't stay up too late."

Kira nodded and watched her father leave.

"I should be heading to my room, too," I told her. "Don't want to keep you up late."

She shook her head quickly. "Don't worry, I still have to clean up for the night. Want another drink?"

"No, thanks."

She nodded and then began wiping the counters and then sweeping the floor. I found my eyes following her movements as she worked.

"I'm glad you came back alive, and that you finally got the leech you were after," she told me with a shy smile.

"Thanks," I said, at a loss for a response.

"Do you know what you're going to do now?"

"Not really."

"You could stay here. I know Dad would be happy if you did," she commented. She looked at me, eyes wide and hopeful in the candlelight.

"It's not safe here," I told her, not sure of how to respond to the unspoken question her eyes asked.

She shrugged. "We've been here for years. We're far from any vampire strongholds."

It was more likely that they were in one of the nature reserves Vienne had mentioned wanting to shrink.

Was she trying to make humans hate the council by putting forward a bill like that, or had it just been another level of her messing with me?

I would never know what was going on in her head, especially now that I would not see her again. The idea did not make me nearly as happy as it should have.

Kira's voice brought me back to reality and our conversation. "And since we've never been attacked, I feel pretty safe."

I did not want to scare her, so I did not share my misgivings about her optimism, but rather nodded.

She smiled at me, but she seemed a bit nervous. "Jamie?"

"Yeah?"

"I, um, I've liked you for a really long time. I know that you've had your own things to do, but now that they're over... Maybe...?"

I could have groaned, but my eyes wandered to her nervous face, her hands still clutching the handle of the broom. She looked so young and untouched by the misery of the world. "I don't mean to put you on the spot, but I just wanted to, um, tell you how I feel."

"Just give me a second, Kira. I need to think." It did not help that I had had one too many drinks while I sat there, making my thoughts more sluggish than they should have been.

All I would have to do if I wanted her was reach out and she would be mine. She was desirable, and she was sweet besides.

I was tempted, more than tempted.

Now that I had my justice, I could work to remake what I had lost. There was no reason not to take Kira up on her offer. I could be a part of something beyond myself again, be a part of Braydon's family like his son in law Nelson was, likely have children.

I could begin the next generation, new humans for the leeches to prey upon, doubly so if they ever found out what I had done to the other leeches. If they did, I had no doubt they would happily kill the trusting people who I had allowed myself to get too close to. Did I really want more weaknesses?

I was likely already too close.

It had been a long time since I was the boy with hopeful dreams. He had died along with Melissa, and the person who I was now would never be able to stop looking over my shoulder.

"Kira, it's too dangerous for you."

Her face fell. "But—"

"I made my choices a long time ago. I could have run and tried to live a normal life in hiding, but I didn't. Some day the leeches could catch up with me and anyone I was with. It sounds...nice. It really does, but, I can't. I'm sorry."

She wiped moisture from the corner of her eyes. I felt like the cruelest asshole, but my reasons were solid. "I understand."

I decided to leave her then. I would sleep in this unsecure place for the night and then in the morning I could arise and, and then what?

As if she could read my thoughts, she asked, "What will you do?"

The words came unbidden. "Probably kill more leeches."

Then I left her on her own, because nothing I would say would fix anything for her.

* * * * *

We made it through the night unassaulted. I spoke with Braydon again before excusing myself and journeying out alone.

For a few more days I wandered, hoping to find clarity on what I had to do. I could not settle in one spot indefinitely, and travelling felt pointless. Everything was tinged with the feeling. I missed having a goal.

I had to continue hunting them, although Hadron was correct that it was the most certain way to shorten my lifespan. Eventually my luck would run out.

Or I could give up my freedom and take the most effective route. I could work to shove a stake into the centre of the bloodsuckers. I could return to her and join in the rebellion she had already begun.

I didn't want to go back almost as much as I wanted to return.