• Aegis adjusted her sunglasses and peered casually around. Rain pattered against the window of the small café
    A waitress bustled over toward her booth. “Coffee, miss?”
    “Black” Replied Aegis, in a slightly choked voice. She bit her lip, staring out of the café window into the dingy street beyond.
    “Something’s bothering you.” Said the waitress.
    With a sigh, Aegis replied. “You could say that.”
    The waitress wrote something on a napkin, then said, “Watch out for demons, they’re everywhere, you know.”
    Aegis looked down at the napkin, and immediately understood the woman’s warning. A roughly drawn, straight-edged spiral. She was so distracted by the all-too-familiar symbol, that she didn’t notice a man slide into the other side of her booth, until he said, “Interesting table, huh?”
    She looked up, startled, and her hand went impulsively towards the scars on her neck. He was tall, thin, and casually good-looking with sandy blonde hair, and his black trench coat. Aegis gave him a less-than-well-disguised look of pure loathing.
    “Alright. What do you want.” She glared at him, taking off her sunglasses.
    “You know, you could be a little more polite seeing as I saved-“
    “Shut up!’ She snapped.
    “Well, someone’s a bit unwilling for the chit chat-“
    “Not with you.”
    “You’ve made that evident enough”
    “I hope so.”
    With a melodramatic sigh, he said, “Right, right. Cut the small talk eh?"
    “Please.” Growled Aegis through gritted teeth.
    “It’s time for you to hold up your end of the deal, kiddo.”
    “Well, that was the original question. What do you want?”
    “I need your help.”
    “Obviously. You’re trying to make this as long and drawn out as possible, aren’t you?”
    “I shan’t grace that with a comment.”
    “Now if only you’d stop talking completely.”
    “Like I was going to say, I’ve been having some trouble back in D.C.”
    “Then what are we doing in the slummy outskirt of modern existence?” Asked Aegis, starting to get annoyed.
    “I knew it was out of your way.”
    “I should have guessed.”
    “I’ve got a gang of some sort on my tail. And I’m not talking normal old drug-dealers, smugglers, and pickpockets.”
    “Our type? Vampires?”
    “More like vampire hunters.”
    “And this is my problem because? What do you want me to do about it?”
    “Beat them up or something! You enjoy hurting people.”
    “No, I really only enjoy hurting you. Why can’t you do it yourself? I’m only half-vampire.”
    “I can’t give myself away.”
    “Right. Then my debt will be settled and if you ever come near me again I’ll break your face.”
    “Fair enough.” A sinister smile crossed his face as he extended his hand. Aegis shook it as if it was something nasty she’d found on the bottom of her shoe.
    “See you then.” He said, turning to go.
    “Farewell you brainless leech.” She said darkly.