Sorilia stepped into the shining brilliance of the spotless kitchen with the deepest sense of loathing she had ever known. Sighing, she prepared for another monotonous day of servitude. At the rate she was paid she felt more like an indentured servant than an employee.
She hung her coat on the cheap piece of recycled aluminum the boss had deemed a coat rack and began her morning ritual. Arrive at four A.M., knead the dough for that mornings biscuits and hotcakes, begin the pies for the early-morning customers who could never quench that sweet- tooth, and stand smiling at the register when six o'clock rolled around.
The other employees began arriving at five- thirty. The first two, Lee and Sheryll, walked in rubbing their eyes and went to work with a simple wave and a half- hearted "g' mornin." The fourth member of their crew, Tina, was the complete opposite. She burst into the room smiling brightly as she waved everyone a cheerful hello. She was the perfect example of a bubbly morning person. Sorilia wanted to bash her face in with a meat cleaver.
Unfortunately, Tina was the only person other than Sorilia herself who could cook worth a damn, and thus, indispensable. She bounced over to Sorilia, her blue eyes sparkling, her long blonde hair swaying behind her. She hugged Sorilia, pinning her arms to her side.
"How's my favorite pastry chef this morning?" she asked in a voice that was just as bubbly and cheerful as her personality.
"I'd be much better if you let go," she mumbled gruffly.
Tina giggled. "You're so grumpy in the mornings. You should cheer up." She wrinkled her nose. "And all that coffee is really bad for you," she scoffed.
Luckily, Sorilia was saved from having to make an ugly remark by Lee shouting, "Stop fooling around over there and help me with these pies, Tina."
Pouting, she let go and skipped off to help him. Sorilia supressed a shudder and waved thanks to Lee. He smiled back at her, a dimple forming in his left cheek. He brushed the sandy blonde hair away from his eyes and returned his attention to the pies.
Sorilia put on a big, cheery, incredibly fake smile on her face and cursed her choice of work inwardly as the customers began piling in.....
Twelve hours later Sorilia stepped into the chilly November air. The sun was just beginning to set. Fourteen hours in a sweltering coffee shop then the forty-five minute walk home would probably cause her to get hypothermia some day. She was quite thankful she only worked three days a week. She began the trek home with a sigh. As she walked the sparse light from the setting sun dimmed. Dimmed much faster than it should have. Sorilia's heart jumped to her throat as she realized what was going on. Vampires. She heard chuckling from the shadows, and broke into a sprint. Her footsteps resounded through the empty streets like thunder.
A shadowy form landed in front of her, and she slid to a stop. It stepped forward as other figures appeared behind it. It was a man in a blue suit, his hair greased back so it's once blonde color looked a sickly brown. He wore dark sunglasses, which barely hid the crimson eyes behind them. He grinned, baring fangs.
"Why, hello my dear. You look good enough to eat." The people behind him broke into coarse laughter. They crept closer, moving past the man in the suit. "Dig in, my pets," the man in the suit whispered. "Three of them lept at Sorilia, who was frozen to the spot. She closed her eyes, waiting for the peirce of the fangs.
An explosion knocked Sorilia to the ground. When she opened her eyes, she saw the charred remains of the vampires that had jumped at her. All the others were looking past her with intense hatred. Sorilia turned and saw... Tina? Tina stood with her hand outstretched, Lee beside her. Lee was holding some sort of whip that emitted a bright glow, illuminating the street. "Sorilia, run!" Tina shouted. "We'll hold them off." She snapped her fingers and another explosion shook the bones in Sorilia's body, taking out another four vampires. The remaining vampires surged forward. Sorilia got to her feet and ran down a side alley. She heard more explosions, and the snarls of the vampires filled the night air. She saw a small store door open and she darted inside, locking it behind her. She moved further into the store, panting, her heart beating so hard she thought it might burst from her rib cage.
She saw a face looming out of the darkness and screamed. She sighed in relief as she realized it was only a statue. She looked around and saw antiques lining the shelves. Old jukeboxes were lined up in a corner, an ancient radio propped in a small chest. The statue was completely out of place. It was a man, crafted so beautifully it seemed real. His hair reached just past his knees, and through the artists sheer talent seemed to shimmer and sway in the wind. It's eyes seemed so mournful she felt her heart ache. It's face was gorgeous, full lips over a soft, but masculine chin. Without thinking, she stretched her hand out to touch it's cheek.
She felt what could only be described as a pulse pass from her hand into the statue. The jukeboxes exploded, wood fragments shooting throughout the room. Sorilia was blasted backwards, landing on her back on the floor. There was a crash from the front of the store as the window shattered. The vampire in the suit stepped into the room, chuckling. "You humans have no idea what the word quiet means do you?" His eyes rested on her for a moment, then scanned the room. When he saw the statue he gasped, his eyes widening. "Impossible," he whispered, the words so quiet Sorilia had to read his lips to make them out. What could scare a vampire? She looked over her shoulder and gasped as well. The statue was no longer a statue. In place of stone, the figure now had pale skin. His hair was so black it made the darkness of the shop seem grey. He opened his eyes, which were a dark violet. The color was enthralling. Sorilia could do nothing but stare at them, feeling herself slip away into them. She snapped out of it as the vampire screamed.
"Calypto! So you were right under our noses this entire time! Over five centuries we've searched for you. But now I can kill you myself." He smiled broadly, his eyes as wide as they could go. He seemed to have gone almost mad. "How pleased the queen will be when I bring her your head!" He rushed forward so fast Sorilia saw only a blur. His blow struck dead on in the man's temple with all the vampiric force the vampire had. The man's head didn't so much as move an inch. The vampire gasped as the man's hand appeared around his neck. In a second his head was rolling across the floor, blood spewing from his torso splashing the walls and floor of the shop. The man let the body fall and advanced on Sorilia. She backed away frantically but on he came. She felt her back press against a wall and started to cry, knowing she was about to die. The man reached her... and fell to one knee. He looked into her eyes and said in a voice like silk rubbing against velvet, "I am in your debt for freeing me. I thank you."
Sorilia felt the full force of what was happening hit her head-on. "You're welcome," she whispered, and everything went black.
~~~~~~
Calypto blinked as she fainted. He thought over the last few moments and agreed she had probably been a bit shocked. Apparently she didn't know what she was, or what he was for that matter.
"I suppose it's for the better," he mused, a slight grin playing across his lips. "After all, if she had full control over her powers now she might well destroy herself."
Sighing, Calypto picked her up and carried her from the shop. He stepped from the remains of the store front, boots crushing shattered glass. He heard footsteps and whirled around. A man and woman were running towards him. The man was brandishing an odd glowing whip, the female reeked of magic. The man lashed out with his whip, which wrapped around the woman. He yanked, and she was jerked from Calypto's arms towards the man, who rushed to catch her. In a blur, Calypto leapt forward, reaching the man before his quarry. His knee connected with the man's forehead and sent him flying. Spinning quickly, he caught the girl. The man was standing up, blood trickling down his face. Cursing softly he wiped the blood away from his eyes.
"Some help would be nice, Tina," he called to the woman.
"I can't use any spells without hitting her," she replied.
Calypto glanced at her. "Wait, you don't want to kill the girl?"
The man glowered. "Of course not. She's our friend. Not something a vampire like you would understand," he spat, the hatred in his voice evident. Calypto laughed. "It appears you are mistaken. I'm no vampire." He smiled broadly. "See? No fangs."
"Bullshit. No human is that fast. And weres always smell funny."
"I never said I'm a human. Just not a vampire. But it doesn't really matter what I am. What's important is that we're both trying to protect this girl."
The woman gasped. "You-you're Calypto."
Calypto turned to her. "And how did you know that?"
"We're from the Illuminati," she answered. "We were told about about you, but everyone thought you were dead."
"Not dead, just asleep. You can ask me questions later. For now we need to get her somewhere safe."
The man stepped forward. "I don't trust you yet, but I agree. No more questions," he cut off the woman, who was about to say something. "Our headquarters is two blocks from here. We can go there."
With a shrug, Calypto motioned them to proceed, falling into silent step behind.
