Author: catstark

From The Grey House:

“You’re worried for her.”

“She’s not doing well. If something should happen, I want you there to change her.”

“Do you think she’d agree?”

“Talk to her when you return, if you can. Make sure she’s willing.”

“If she’s not?”

Vincent took a moment, trying to decide what to do. He knew Natalia would not appreciate being changed without explicit permission. If Natalia was taking a turn for the worse, though… “Try and get her permission. If she doesn’t give consent, and is dying, do it anyway. I’ll deal with her anger when I return.”

“If you think this is wise…”

“I don’t, but there’s no other choice. I’m not done with her yet.”

From The Grey House:

Vincent normally let his accountant take care of the paperwork, therefore when he arrived unannounced, Richard nearly fainted. Vincent was in the neighborhood and had nothing better to do then to pester his manager. Vincent enjoyed throwing Richard off balance. The surprise inspections kept Richard and the rest of the staff on their toes. The Ocean’s Edge was a five-star restaurant; Vincent expected it to stay that way, which was one of the reasons he was here at midnight on a Monday. It was early for Vincent, late for Richard.

From The Grey House:

A gasp of hope escaped the frightened Aaron. Vincent cocked his head to look at the human. Aaron was quieting; becoming still. A look of pure hope was indeed spreading from his green eyes to his tanned face. A few more words and he would be completely convinced everything would be ok. A hard need worked its way from the pit of Vincent’s stomach throughout his body, making him tingle. Vincent loved the look of desperate hope on a human’s face. It had been a long time since he had seen it. He decided to play it.

From The Grey House:

Natalia wanted nothing more than to stand up on the table and scream a warning at all the oblivious customers of The Red Thread. If she did that, Zechariah would know she was no longer part of his group, and he would kill her. If it were only her life at stake, she would have killed Zechariah and the other Slayers when they first kidnapped her. Her cooperation meant she and Bethany stayed alive. Therefore, Natalia stayed silent, listening to the others talk about what kind of monsters were going to die tonight.

From The Grey House:

Vincent closed the door tightly behind him and continued to the main staircase. A very wealthy San Franciscan built the house in the late 1800’s. Vincent acquired it in the early 1900’s and made repairs and renovations to most of the house and restored the grand marble staircase. He enjoyed walking down a large sweeping marble staircase. It made for a grand entrance. Reaching ground level, he turned right walked a few steps and turned right again, walking beside and then under the staircase.

From The Grey House:

They took Charlie’s car. Both had a lot on their minds and were silent for the trip. There was no traffic, and they were unlocking Natalia’s front door within an hour of leaving the estates.

“You fixed my door.”

“Yep. I got you brand new keys, too.” He dropped them into her hand once the front door was closed behind them. Charlie looked up into her eyes and saw tears. He stepped back and held up his hands. “None of that now. You’ll get me going, too.”

From The Grey House:

They took Charlie’s car. Both had a lot on their minds and were silent for the trip. There was no traffic, and they were unlocking Natalia’s front door within an hour of leaving the estates.

“You fixed my door.”

“Yep. I got you brand new keys, too.” He dropped them into her hand once the front door was closed behind them. Charlie looked up into her eyes and saw tears. He stepped back and held up his hands. “None of that now. You’ll get me going, too.”

From The Grey House:

Carlos looked at him in disbelief then bent forward and hung his head. After a moment of silence, he got up and walked to the window. This side of the house faced woods; hence there was nothing to look at but the reflection of the room. Carlos looked at Vincent’s reflection and found it fitting that the vampire’s reflection was distorted.

From The Grey House:

Vincent turned to the window and watched the wind move through the trees. The glare from the lights in the room only slightly hindered his sight. He drew a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “It’s obvious you never truly understood the loyalty of your family.” Vincent turned, sat on the window’s edge and looked toward the map over his desk. The map was so old it still showed where the world stopped, stating ‘Hic Sunt Dracones’. He folded his arms, then regarded Carlos. “Do you not understand how easy it would have been for your family to end the debt without repaying it?”

From The Grey House:

The human bouncer was chained to the wall, as was the vampire. All the chains in the room were strong enough to hold very old vampires. The mage with the scroll was standing in front of the third bouncer, Jordan, chanting quietly. Jordan was a demon, an urban wendigo, and needed additional security, hence the mage. The creature was grumbling, licking its arm. There was a nasty burn in its flesh. It growled at Vincent as it licked its wound. Twenty-four hours ago, it had sworn undying loyalty. Now, it would probably eat him if it had the chance.