New Blood

    Remy was on his way home from work when he came across the mugging in the alleyway. As he drew closer he caught the unmistakable scent of blood and sighed.

    He slipped into the alley and brought his hand down hard on the young vampire’s shoulder. The vampire turned on Remy, all fangs and hissing and posturing. Remy slapped him across the face.

    “Now stop that. I’m not here to steal your food. I’m here to save your unlife.”

    Before the vampire could respond, Remy thrust a handkerchief at him. “Clean yourself up. You look like a damned toddler.”

    That seemed to break through the bravado. While he cleaned himself off, Remy pulled out a pocket knife and ran it across the man’s throat, making sure to cut across the fang marks in the neck. A thin trickle of blood leaked from the cut, and Remy swore under his breath.

    “Were you starving? He’s damn near empty. We’ll have to add some or the cops will never believe it.” Remy reached out to the young vampire. “Give me your wrist.”

    The vampire snatched his arm up against his chest and scowled. “What for? Why not your blood?”

    “Because I’m not the one with his blood filling my belly right now, am I? Relax. I don’t need much, and you’ll be fine again in a minute.”

    Remy understood the vampire’s mistrust. He wouldn’t have been so keen on the idea if someone else had asked for his blood. But as the sound of sirens approached, the young vampire seemed to come to a decision and offered his wrist. Remy slashed once, quickly, across the vein and held the arm up against the man’s shirt front. When the victim was properly soaked, Remy tied off the wrist with his handkerchief and pulled the vampire out of the alley after him.

    “You’re not supposed to be out on your own. Where is your sire?”

    The vampire shrugged. “Left me after a week. Don’t they all do that?”

    “They’re not supposed to. You’re supposed to be under your sire’s supervision for at least fifty years.” The council would have to be informed. Remy sighed again over the amount of paperwork he’d have to fill out over this. It wasn’t fair. He didn’t ask for this. All Remy wanted was to spend a quiet evening at home.

    “I’m hungry again.”

    Remy glared at him, but then he shook it off. He was new. His sire had abandoned him too soon, and that left him badly equipped to handle these changes.

    “Let me show you how we get food without attracting a lynch mob,” he said.

    Luckily, the blood bank was still open, and it was only a few blocks away. Nora was at the counter. That would make things easier. She smiled up at him as they came in.

    “Who’s your friend, Remy?”

    Remy faltered. In all the confusion, he hadn’t bothered to find out the vampire’s name.

    “Arthur,” the vampire said, holding out his hand for her to shake.

    Nora took his hand, then snaked her fingers around to feel for a pulse. She scratched something down on a notepad. “What’s your blood type?”

    “My what?”

    Remy tapped Arthur’s chest. “What was your blood type when you were still breathing?”

    “What does that matter?”

    Nora flashed one of her dazzling smiles. “If we supply you with that type, you’ll feel satisfied longer. We haven’t figured out exactly why it does that, but a lot of vampires think that maybe the body recognizes it more easily, so it stays longer.”

    “Oh. In that case, I’m B positive.”

    “Take a seat. I’ll be right back.”

    Remy dove for the comfier of the two chairs and stretched out. Arthur perched on one of the shoddy plastic ones and stared around.

    “I thought blood banks were for human emergencies.”

    “Most are. Some of them do a little business on the side, though. When we’re hungry, we come here. They give us blood, and we don’t have to send anyone to the emergency room, where the blood bank would just have to fill them up again. Sort of cuts out the middle man.”

    Nora came back with a warmed-up bag of blood and handed it over to Arthur. “What about you, Remy? Hungry tonight?”

    “Nah. Don’t think I could afford it, anyway.” She waited while he pulled out his wallet and fished out ten dollars to hand over. Nora took the crumpled bills and went back to her desk.

    Arthur held up his bag and stared through it at Remy. “How do I...?”

    “Just poke your fangs into it and suck. It’s a little like biting people.”

    “Oh.” Arthur dug in and was quiet for a space of two whole minutes. When he had finished, he held up the deflated bag and looked around for a trash can. Nora coughed and pointed to a bio-waste bin. He slouched over and tucked the bag in through the top.

    Remy stood to leave, and that was when Arthur suddenly remembered his manners and looked thoroughly ashamed of himself. “Did I cost you dinner?”

    “You’re fine. After a while, the blood lust dies down and you won’t need to feed as often. Part of why you’re supposed to stay with your sire. We can’t have a bunch of newbies running around. We’d be exposed in less than a week. Now we have to track this guy down and bring him to the council for punishment. Who knows how many more sirelings he’s left running around.”

    “She.”

    That brought Remy up short. “She?”

    Arthur nodded. “Yeah. She. Real pretty lady with red hair.”

    “Ah, Jesus.”

    “Do you know her?”

    “Maybe. If it’s the same vampire, this is going to be a lot harder than I thought. Come on. You can stay at my place until we get you something better.”

    He started off down the street with Arthur trotting beside him like a puppy. “Hey, Remy?”

    “What?”

    “I’m hungry again.”