Sylvie

Other than speeding through the battle zone close to Richmond, Sylvie took her time getting back to the relative safety of Colonial Heights.  She considered stopping by her bar to check in, but the little HUD that Code had in her vision, flashed the time as three o’clock in the morning. “Code, can you call Amos for me?”

“Processing request, connecting to your mobile device.  Amos Whitelock contact acquired.”  Sylvie’s AI quickly responded and dialed the number. 

“Sylvie.  What can I do for you?” Amos gleefully answered. “Please tell me you have good news.”

Swerving her bike through a few cars that had stopped, Sylvie burst through a red light and kept heading down the main street called ‘The Boulevard’.  She looked into her mirrors and happily didn’t see any police chasing behind her. “Yep, I have good news Amos.”  Sylvie paused when she felt Casey tapping on her shoulders as though listening to a song playing in her head. “Amos, hang on a second.”  Muting the call, Sylvie reached one hand behind her and squeezed Casey’s thigh. “Oh, I’m your drum set now?”

Keeping her hands going to the little beat in her head, Casey ignored Sylvie’s little quip and decided to let her girlfriend hear the song she was thinking about.  She suspected why the song ‘Please Don’t Stop the Music’ by Rhianna with its sultry beat invaded her mind.  Initially clutched tightly to Sylvie, the music took over Casey’s senses and she couldn’t help matching the drum beat with her hands.  Using her vampiric-enhanced voice, Casey sang a few lines of the song pitch perfect.

“Baby, are you ready 'cause it's gettin' cold
Don't you feel the passion ready to explode?
What goes on between us no one has to know
This is a private show

Do you know what you started? I just came here to party
But now we're rockin' on the dance floor, actin' naughty
Your hands around my waist just let the music play
We're hand in hand, chest to chest, and now we're face to face

I wanna take you away
Let's escape into the music
DJ, let it play
I just can't refuse it
Like the way you do this
Keep on rockin' to it
Please don't stop the, please don't stop the music..”

Once she lightly sang the last word, Casey slipped her hands back around Sylvie’s waist and laughed, “I didn’t mean to interrupt you and Amos.”  Speeding past a twenty-four-hour department store, Casey spoke up. “While you tell him this great news, can we stop in there for a few minutes?  I want to run in for something quick.”  

“What are you up to, missy?”  Sylvie snickered and lightly swatted Casey’s thigh. “Now I want to hear the whole song.  Damnit.”  Sylvie had Code start playing the fun track in the background while she spoke to Amos. “Alright, Sorry about that, Amos.  Are you still with Miss Walker, helping her to adjust?”

“Yeah, she doesn’t believe that she’s both still alive and a vampire.  The woman is pretty strong, she’s held off a few of my commands…I don’t know how she’s doing it.”  Amos quickly changed topics, “Anyway, you said good news.  Please tell me that you have the diary.”  He waited a second, “Taini don’t tease me.”

Turning at a few wide intersections, Sylvie gunned her bike and leaned it down as she rounded the large circular parking lot. “Damn I love this store, they always make a race track.”  Sylvie laughed and a few seconds later stopped in front to let Casey off. “Should I be worried about what you are doing, darling?”  

Laughing, Amos spoke up. “I didn’t know you still cared about me Sylvie.”  Getting a light kiss from Casey, She watched her newborn vampire dart off inside the store.  Figuring that she had a few minutes to waste, Sylvie took off and opened the bike once more, doing concentric circles at a breakneck speed. “Oh, Amos.  You think too highly of yourself and that awful mustache of yours.”  She stopped talking as her tires squealed lightly coming out of a little turn. “However, I am a lady of my word and I have the diary and ledger.  I didn’t look at the personal stuff, but the list of politicians all the way to DC is impressive.”

Excitement clear in his voice, Amos chimed in. “Luna…Luna..I can’t find the words to thank you properly.  Can I have the ledger too?  I think a little pressure on some of these locals could help me in the long run.”

Hearing Amos as he clapped loud enough to reverberate in her headset, Sylvie shook her head. “You are entirely too excited..and sure you can have the ledger, Just let Code scan it when I get to the apartment.”

“Do I want to know what you mean by code, Sylvie?”  Amos inquired. “Just so you know, the boy and your older blood bunny - Vera, are safe.  Samantha hasn’t tried to attack either of them.”  Amos added, “Have you had her blood-muffins?”

Making her fourth loop around the department store road, Sylvie affirmed and recalled the sweet taste of the little cakes, “Yeah, she’s got a talent for it.”  Sylvie stopped talking long enough to get through another loop, “How much longer are you going to be there with Samantha?”

“You made me change her, Sylvie.”  Amos quipped. “Technically, I am with her forever…like I am with you.  I made you both, even freed…you are sorta my responsibility.”  Amos laughed, “Although you ditched my advice years ago.”  He heard Sylvie purposefully sigh, “Fine, fine.  I planned on being here until she is stable, at the very least.”  He paused, “Though, she hasn’t left my side really..through no command of my own.  Her son…he’s jazzed about it.  Wants to tell all his friends that his mother is a bloodsucker, wants little fangs and everything.”

“I didn’t need all that, I am sure you will handle it with the same grace you’ve always claimed to have.”  Sylvie sarcastically replied. “I want to drop off these books and go home, sunlight is coming.”

“Yes, I will be here.  Just bring me the stuff like you promised.”  Amos dear demanded. “Alan will be happy that at least one part is done.”

Refusing to get baited into more conversation that would reveal she and Casey had gotten the skull, Sylvie simply said, “Thanks, I’ll be there soon.”  She muted the microphone and spoke to Code. “End call.”  Hearing the line drop, Sylvie focused on her frantic pace around the parking lot, grateful for the late morning so that she didn’t draw attention to herself.

Lost in thought, Sylvie found herself going over the events of the last few days that brought her to this frantic-paced point.  Taking her thoughts out on her motorcycle, Sylvie kept the bike near its red line while going over everything that had occurred between her and Casey.

-Kigatilik..is that the thing behind the dark decision to make Casey a vampire?  Or was it her laying there in my bed..looking so hopeless, charmed by my body that betrayed me?-

Moments after she asked herself the question, a flow of innocent warmth seemed to pulse through her dead veins and comfort her mind with Casey’s genuine smile and softly glowing eyes that conveyed her appreciation and devotion to Sylvie.  

-It was always that first touch.  The one that turned my head to notice her curly auburn hair and velvet chocolate eyes.  Yet, the vision was in shadow.  What I saw couldn’t ever be and…and..-

Sylvie instinctively glanced at the moon, admiring its simple white glow.

-..never saw an eclipse.  Sunshine, yes.  People running in an open field..both adults and kids, a lovely lake house, a bright and sunny summer day…then time seemed to just flow like a river, and I still stood there..was it me?- 

Before she really knew what she was doing, Sylvie slipped out of the circle and brought her ‘Indian’ to a slow and easy stop in a parking space close to the department store front door and looked at the large circular lot.

-I grabbed Casey shortly after that vision.  There was a freedom in seeing the pretty day, just like the freedom of going around in circles.  Freedom..sunlight…sparks of life…-

Sylvie flipped the kickstand down and noticed Casey and her full strawberry-blonde hair bouncing with her hips as she walked.