A Simple Hunt, Part I

It was still light outside. The automatic blinds had not yet opened to admit the moonlight and she could sense the strength of the setting sun fading, almost hear the hurried footsteps of humans heading home for the night. The dull glow from the last dying embers on the hearth reflected off her fangs as the vampiress yawned lazily. Two full minutes ticked by and still Creide remained in bed, unwilling to leave the blissful cocoon of warmth and comfort. Then her inner drive kicked into gear, fueled by both hunger and excitement.

Extracting herself from the tangle of red satin sheets proved a bit of a challenge, but she managed to slip away without waking her husband. The stone floor was icy beneath her feet, jolting her into total awareness. Creide shivered as she crossed the room and opened the wardrobe, pausing to remove a bracelet from her right wrist. The emerald in the center glittered even in the semi-darkness, but it no longer held any attraction to her. For three long months it had bound the magic that enabled her to defy vampiric laws and bear a child. Three insanely long and sometimes painful months with no wine, no vodka-- and worst of all-- no hunting for herself.

CBK had spent a small fortune buying her the most exquisite gourmet blood available, but still... Creide felt her mouth water at the thought of bringing down a kill, drinking hot blood as it welled up from living veins... She swallowed hard, putting away the bracelet and slipping into her battle-scarred hunting gear. The black leather fit rather snugly, reminding her that she was not yet back in peak shape. A brief frown creased her usually pleasant face, but disappeared as the vampiress slid open a drawer and removed two of her favorite knives, needlessly checking the edges before buckling them on and closing the wardrobe. Stepping out of the room, she walked down the hall to the nursery.

Cailean lay slumbering in his crib, one tiny hand clenched in a fist by a mouth just like his father's. She smiled, gently lifting the baby and cradling him in her arms. He stirred, gazing up at her with wide brown eyes like her own as his little face began wrinkling up for what she called his warrior scream. Rushing to soothe him, Creide sang the first thing that came to mind-- an old song her own mother used to sing. Childhood memories flooded her mind as she watched his thick fringe of dark lashes fall flush against tan cheeks once more. She sighed, briefly allowing herself to wonder if her mother still lived and what the conservative human would think of this new grandchild.

Creide carried Cailean back down the hall to the master bedroom, humming tunelessly. Once there she walked over to the beautifullycarved cradle at the foot of the bed. It had been the first thing CBK bought for their then childer-to-be, and she smiled as she laid their son down and adjusted the blue canopy, bending to kiss his raven curls. She straightened and approached the bed to stand beside her sleeping husband, reverently brushing a long strand of black hair from his cheek and kissing him softly.

Walking out into the living room, the vampiress grabbed a lightweight cloak and headed downstairs to the main hall, laughing evilly to herself. She could just imagine what would happen when Cailean was fully awake-- and decided his father should be as well. It almost made her regret not being around to watch... but by then she would be halfway across the city.

As she opened the front door of the keep a low growl sounded in her throat, turning to a cold, cruel laugh as she caught sight of the dying sunset casting a dark red pall over the moon. Anticipation and long nights of waiting were finally about to be rewarded. Creide was back to kill... and it would be a blood moon indeed.