The servant bowed to us. "Mr. Cotio is here, as you requested."
"Show him in," Simon replied.
Certus bowed and stepped out of the room. In a moment he returned with a small, stooped man. The stranger's hair was grayed at the temples and he grasped his hat between his hands. His attire was a plain brown overcoat with a dapper gray business suit beneath that. He shuffled along behind Certus, but his keen eyes looked straight ahead and fell on Simon without flinching. The stranger shuffled up to Simon and bowed his head. Certus left the room and closed the door behind him.
Simon returned the man's bow. "Good morning, my dear Cotio."
Cotio studied Simon with a raised eyebrow. "I was surprised to see your message so early, sir, but I brought the item as requested." He reached into his overcoat and pulled out a flat, square velvet case. Cotio handed the case to Simon.
He opened the case. I leaned forward and my eyes widened. There, nestled atop a bed of silk and glistening in all its glory, was the missing bracelet of Miss Eileen Eres.
Simon closed the lid and handed the case back to Cotio. "Now return the item."
Cotio's mouth dropped open and his eyes bulged. "Return the item, sir?"
Simon nodded. "Yes. I needn't tell you to be as discreet as possible."
"B-but sir! The value on this piece alone is-" Simon held up his hand.
"I'm well aware of its value, but the catch was too easy. Return the bracelet as soon as you can," Simon ordered him.
Cotio snapped his mouth shut. He tucked the case into his overcoat and bowed his head. "As you wish. Will there be anything else?"
Simon shook his head. "Not at the present, but be prepared to receive the bracelet into your custody within the week."
Cotio blinked at him. "Into my custody? Again?"
Simon smiled. "Yes. I intend to steal it again, but in another way. Now go."
Cotio shook his surprise off and bowed his head again. He shuffled out of the penthouse. I turned to Simon and raised an eyebrow.
"What are you doing?" I asked him.
"Making a sport of things," he replied as he stood and flashed me his sly smile. "Your intrusion on my hypnotizing Gemmarius last night made me realize my method of acquiring these jewels was too easy and too careless. We will try another route."
I held up my palms towards him and backed up. "Oh hell no. I'm not going to be a part of some thief business."
He chuckled. "Think of it as a hobby."
"Stamp collecting would be a less dangerous hobby," I pointed out.
"Yes, but not quite as amusing, and when you're as old as I the challenge is all that is left," he countered.
I dropped my arms to my side and frowned. "Seriously? Stealing from your friends as a challenge?"
His smile slipped from his face. "There are merely acquaintances, and chosen because of their various sins."
I snorted. "A vampire thief with a conscious? Yeah, right."
He strode past me to the door and grabbed his coat from the hanger. "Perhaps you would think differently of them if you knew what I knew, but that realization is something I'd rather show than tell you."
I turned around to face him and raised an eyebrow. "How? It's daytime. I thought sunlight killed vampires."
He turned to me just as he put his top hat on and smiled. His hands were covered by a pair of thick gray gloves and one hand held his cane. "A keen presentation also allows one to walk in the daytime, provided the sunlight doesn't directly touch my skin."
"So what if it indirectly touches your skin?" I wondered.
"Nothing. A reflection is a poor shadow to the real majesty of the sun," he told me. He opened the door to the penthouse and swept his hand towards the opening. "But would you care to come, or perhaps you'd prefer to remain here?"
I pursed my lips. "I'll go, but no stealing."
He chuckled and bowed his head. "I promise you will not be a party to my thieving."
"Fine. Let's get this over with."
CHAPTER 3
We rode the elevator to the garage where an idling white limo awaited us. The windows were tinted darker than the black one from last night. Certus stood beside the rear passenger door. He bowed and opened the door for us.
Simon strode up to Certus and I followed. "To the docks through the usual route," he instructed our driver.
Certus bowed his head. "Yes, sir."
Simon ducked inside and we took opposite sides in the rear so that we faced each other. Certus shut the door and the interior was plunged into darkness. I could vaguely make out Simon's outline just three feet in front of me. The car engine roared to life and we started on our way.
I folded my arms over my chest and furrowed my brow. "Where exactly are we going?"
"First to prove to you the nobleness in my hobby, and then to see an old friend about a proposition," Simon told me.
I raised an eyebrow. "Another of your victims?"
He chuckled. "His curse was none of my doing, and I wouldn't wish to drink his blood even if I was desperate for a drink."
A sudden thought struck me and I cringed. "Speaking of that, do I-that is, do I have to-well, you know."
His shadowed form shook his head. "No, you don't need blood to survive. At least, not yet."
I raised an eyebrow. "How soon?"
"The change is different for everyone. You may crave blood in a month, or perhaps six months."
"But is craving it the same thing as needing it?" I asked him.
"For a vampire, they are one and the same. The craving is difficult to control, and nearly impossible for a new vampire," he explained.
I slumped in my seat and crossed my arms. "Perfect. . ." I muttered.
Simon chuckled. "There are perks to being a vampire, even in the transition stage."
"Such as?"
"You may develop your telepathy powers early, or perhaps you will be able to fly," he suggested.
I sat up and raised an eyebrow. "Vampires can fly? Like as a bat?"
His chuckle echoed through the small, dark space. "I'm afraid transformation is quite out of our reach, but we are able to fly to certain heights."
Here was something I could sink my growing teeth into. "Is this something I can learn right now?"
Simon shook his head. "No. Each ability comes in its own time."
I frowned and sank back into my seat. "Just when this was getting good. . ." I murmured.
"We might perhaps test one ability within the confines of the car," he suggested.
I raised an eyebrow. "Like what? Fear of small, dark places?"
He raised his hand and displayed a couple of fingers. "How many fingers do you see?"
I shrugged. "Three."
"Excellent." He dropped his hand. "How many of my eyes are open?"
I leaned forward and squinted. "One of them?"
"Which one is shut?"
I nodded at his right eye. "That one."
He clapped his hands. "Perfect. It appears that you eyesight has already adjusted to the near-blackness within the car."
My face fell. "That's a pretty lame ability."
"In a world of darkness the ability to see is sometimes your only advantage," he philosophized.
I snorted. "So you can what? See your death coming?"
He chuckled. "I hardly think death will come to you. You are of my flesh now, and that may grant you greater abilities in a shorter time."
I raised an eyebrow. "Of your flesh?"
He nodded. "Yes. When a vampire marks a human to become a vampire they inject a drop of their blood into the intended vampire."
I cringed. "That's pretty nasty shit."
Simon chuckled. "Perhaps, but it's the only way to create a new vampire."
"Like those guys we saw in the alley?" I guessed.
The darkness inside the limo was nearly vanished, so I was able to see the scowl slip onto his face. "No. Those Fledglings were nothing but puppets to their pathetic master."
I tilted my head to one side and furrowed my brow. "So what's the difference between us and them?"
He leaned back against his seat and pursed his lips. "They are pathetic shadows of vampires. Their abilities are few and their lineage weak."
I raised an eyebrow. "Lineage?"
"Every vampire is descended from a First Vampire. An ancient ancestor, if you will. Some were greater than others. These Fledglings come from those lesser vampires," he explained. He turned his head and glanced out the blackened window. The shadows of the outside world flew by. "The master was also quite young, perhaps no more than fifty, and when he turned those humans I fought they in their turn were weakened by his young blood."
"So if I created a vampire they wouldn't be very strong?" I guessed.
He returned his attention to me and gave a nod. "That is correct." The car slowed and took a corner. The road became noticeably more bumpy. "We're almost there."
I scooted close to one of the windows and pressed my face against the glass. The tint obscured the details, but I noticed the large warehouses that lined the southern port of the city. "Why are we going to the docks again?"
"To prove to you our good cause," he reminded me.
I turned to him and frowned. "Your cause."
"Perhaps you'll think otherwise when you learn the source of our former host's wealth," he countered.