I remember, somehow I remember. The images and memories of a long ago place slowly congealed into a story, and I remembered. I, the being inside me, was there on that night so long ago, a night that gave birth to a nightmare.I remember it all, as if it had happened to me. I, the creature, I wasn't born yet, had been called to earth on a mission. It had done what had been asked of it and was returning home when it heard the sounds of battle. It was a battle, the sounds of which filled the air, but no human ear would ever here it. It moved through the darkness and saw the combatants; one angelic, one demonic. They fought over possession of a soul.
It was just another human soul, the taint of evil issuing from it. There was nothing special here. He flew to aid his angelic comrade in supernatural battle. The woman, she had been crying, lifted up her head and whispered. Power flowed over her and her angelic guardian died as her soul did. The guardian angel had erupted in a flash of light, like a exploding sun. When I looked again at the woman, what was left was no human woman, just another being of darkness.
I could not harm humans, except by command, but she was no longer human. Her long, black hair fluttered in the wind, her dark eyes gaining strength. As I approached, the demon fled; I was one to fear then. She looked up and somehow she saw me. She smiled, a smile she's kept to this day. It is a smile borne of knowledge, she knows what she has become and revels in it; not for the immortality it grants, but for the control over her own fate. She became her own woman in a time when to be woman was to be weak.
I saw none of this then, all I saw was darkness. I was a being of light commanded to fight the darkness in the name of the Lord. So, we danced the dance of death that night. She was strong, especially for one so recently born into a new life. She fought with a rage then, with an anger that consumed. But what is anger and vengeance compared to centuries of skill. As the night grew, she could no longer hold against me. She was to die under my blade like any other infernal creature. Then the voice of Authority commanded me to withdraw. I could do nothing else.
I, the creature within me, withdrew from the scene and Serena Sousa, Vamp, lived. Here in New Orleans, when I see the misery and horror she's created, can I deny my own role. By a action undone hundreds of years ago, I have killed thousands.
******
Vamp studied a painting on a wall in one of the rooms of the Voodoo temple that she had claimed as her temporary home. It was of some unimportant festival of ritual. What captured her were the expressions of complete abandonment on the faces of the participants. In the moment on the wall, they were transfixed on something beyond human and were transforming to meet it. Stripping away the nuisances of humanity, they were abandoning their life for the moment. She felt an kinship with those faces. She would have loved to draw out their life in that moment. She completed the picture in her mind and smiled -- a more perfect painting there could never be.
She heard motion behind her and languidly turned around. One of the recent newborns, she didn't know who and didn't care, bowed his head to her, waiting to be addressed.
"What news have you?" she asked after a moment.
"We captured the winged one as you asked my Lady." He replied, head still bowed.
"Good," she said, barely betraying any emotion in her voice. "I trust that he is alive -- that is the way I wanted him."
"Of course, my Lady, they're bringing him to you even now."
"How many of us were lost?" She continued, absently fingering the tassel of a wall hanging.
The vampire hesitated, "His fury was great this night and many were lost beyond the shadows. The initial count was sixty-four lost, but that number may rise."
She turned to the vampire and smiled eerily, "But we have him now, which is more important for the moment. He is ours. Tomorrow we shall simply find new recruits to replace those that were lost. Today is a happy day, the loss of our brethren gives us life -- what is more important than that?"
"Yes, of course my Lady!" the vampire replied.
Vamp doubted he really understood what she had said. To those new to the blood, there was little more than hunger, rage and pain. "Go now. Let the others know, tomorrow we feed well." Vamp commanded. The other vampire bowed lower and left the room. Once again Vamp was alone with her thoughts.
She let her head roll back and gloried in the chill embrace of the night. Unencumbered with the thousand worries of mortal flesh, she could feel exultation in a way humans never could. Unlike them, her thoughts and emotions were pure, purified in the fire of the Hunger. Indeed, as in everything, humans were but a pale shadow compared to her and her brethren. Why should one care about shadows?
She stretched out her arms and whirled in a complete circle. Tonight was special though. Tonight saw the capture of a most worthy and delicious soul. An angel alone would have been worth, but the one that inhabited that mortal shell held special interest to her. Yet, it was the shadow of the human that most enticed her.
How delicious was innocence, and how becoming was innocence lost! This one reeked of it! He had strength, which made the meal filling and satisfying; self-doubt, which gave him texture; and a touch of darkness tasted, which brought out the flavor. But it was the innocence that made for heady stuff.
Her mind reeled over the possibilities. He would not die: why waste the power that he possessed? It was a power she might want in the future. No, he would join them, scream to be made one of them. His body, his soul, would be hers. That it would be fitting retribution to the angel that resided in that delicious body only sweetened the idea. But like a fine wine, it would take time to savor all the flavours.
******
A rushing sound hit Jacob's ears, then was soon accompanied by a deep base thumping noise. The sounds slowly subsided as he regained consciousness. He had no idea where he was, only that his body cried out in pain from every pore and fibre. He tried to breathe and discovered a pain erupting in his chest. He coughed violently, trying to double over. Something prevented him from doing so.
Dimly, as the pain of his body melted away into a dull ache, he became aware that his arms were outstretched. He could feel the cold tingle of metal about his wrists and something else covering his hands. Fighting through the agony of movement, Jacob tried to bringing his hands together, only to be met with the clanging resistance of chains. Jacob let his head droop to the front, struggling to think. Flecks of moisture hit his face, and his memory flooded back. He let out a guttural snarl and lunged forward only to be met by the firm resistance of his chains and a feeling he imagined was somewhat akin to having his arms ripped off. He grimaced in pain as the rushing and thumping sound returned in his ears, threatening to engulf him. Somehow he managed to stay conscious.
In front and to the right of him, he heard the sound of clapping and then a voice. "Very impressive winged one, I thought I would have to wait for you to wake up again."
He knew the voice but wanted to visually confirm the identity of the speaker. He struggled to open his eyes and was rewarded with his right eye opening a crack, his left eye either not responding or too swollen to oblige. He shut his eye and settled back into the wall that was behind him. What he had seen was the same figure that haunted his dreams and was beginning to walk in his waking memories as well: Serena Sousa... Vamp.
Jacob felt her cold, soft hand around his chin. Her voice was soft, tempting, snake-like. "Come, come now my Angel; I would speak with you. But it is only polite to lend me your gaze in exchange for my company." A cold wetness pressed against his lips, robbing him of breath. Jacob's eyes flew open, as Vamp moved her other hand up to touch his face. She remained firmly locked in the kiss for several seconds longer before releasing Jacob. He watched her as she pulled up a cushioned chair and sat down, looking up into his face.
"There, much better. Wouldn't you agree?" Vamp said, measured coyness in her voice.
Jacob looked down at Vamp, his jaw clenching. Chained to a wall, undoubtedly surrounded by vampires, his future uncertain, one thought oddly dominated his mind: a vampire had just stolen his first kiss. It wasn't like he hadn't been interested in kissing someone before, it was just that he had decided not to. Before he had entered high school he figured he had to make a decision. He could concentrate on his school work, get good marks and be able to control his future; or, he could allow himself to slack off, date, and engage in any number of other typical teenage pursuits, living with the knowledge that his future would be significantly restricted because of his choice. He had decided to focus on his school work and had been rewarded with high marks throughout high school and university. All the while, he knew what he had sacrificed and accepted it. And now, here, what was to be his first tender romantic moment had been stolen from him.
Numerous questions and thoughts flashed through his mind, chief among them being "why?" Why had Vamp, her beautiful form only a few feet away, kissed him? Another voice within him answered. She had kissed him simply to take him off guard, to make him less sure of himself and therefore less of a threat. It would be foolish to think he meant anything to this creature of darkness. She would use him, and when he proved no longer useful, she would discard him without a second thought.
Vamp watched Jacob's face intently, a smile playing across her own. "You're wrong, I do care about you." An expression of confusion raced across Jacob's face causing Vamp to laugh. She reached out her cold hand to stroke Jacob's chest. "Oh, my Lovely, how wrong you are about me. I could have had you killed, but I want you..." she paused, adding almost as an after thought, "alive."
Jacob fought down a feeling of fear and excitement at her cool touch, struggling to find his voice. Finally, he spoke, "Why?"
"Why?" she said demurely. "There are so many reasons my Lovely. But most of all I wanted you to see what you could become. The world is changing and I do not want you to be left behind." Vamp raised out of her chair, her hands gliding over Jacob's chest. Standing on her tip toes, she whispered into his ear, "Join us, join me, and know what it is to live."
Jacob coughed out, "What? As a vampire?"
Vamp smiled, he was playing right into her hand, "Of course not my Angel. If I were to do that, I would lose you. I would lose that special something that makes you so enticing. No, I would rather have all of you, just the way you are. Don't you see--"
"One eye's swollen shut, the other one can barely open, I can't see much of anything at the moment." Jacob interjected, trying to break up the hypnotic weaving of her words.
"Then give me time to show you a world you would scarce believe was possible." Vamp rejoined, edging closer to Jacob.
Jacob could feel himself being pulled into her world. A memory flashed in his mind and he found himself speaking, "What world is that Serena?"
Vamp recoiled momentarily. Almost instantly she regained her composure and replied, "I am Vamp, not Serena."
Jacob's voice was even now. "Once you were called Serena Sousa."
Vamp studied Jacob's face and realized a new tactic was needed. She moved a few steps away from Jacob, studying him. "So you do remember? That brings me unexpected happiness."
Vamp stared at Jacob a moment longer. She started walking in front of him, talking. "Let me guess: you remembered that night, remembered leaving me alive. You were overcome by a sense of guilt and responsibility for that action and decided you had to rectify it. Am I right so far?"
Jacob didn't answer. Vamp knew she was right. She had hoped and planned for such a moment; a moment when the memory of their first encounter merged with righteous indignation and guilt. When she had heard of his ferocious assault this night, she knew it was the time. She had ordered the mass attack of hundreds of vampires that had finally managed to bring him down.
Vamp continued, "The truth is I enjoy this existence. You should appreciate that, considering you drove me to it."
Once again confusion washed over Jacob's face, as dark images flashed in his mind. Vamp kept going, hoping to prey on Jacob's unsettled mind. "You were there before I was turned into what I am now. You were there and shattered my life."
Jacob swayed against the chains, trying to shake away the dark images that threatened to envelop him. Vamp pressed on, "I was born the daughter of a count. Life was pleasant enough. I was young, innocent to the world and naive." She lied easily. There never was a time she could remember being innocent. She knew, though, that it would add impact to what she said next, "Then you took that away. You watched as my ancestral home was burned to the ground, with most of my family inside. You watched as they died, blocking their attempts to escape. Of course I didn't know any of this then. I learned it all later, after you had led me into what I became."
Jacob's head swum with the images, somehow knowing they contained truth. Suddenly he felt as if he had been slammed into the ground. He heard a voice, felt his mouth moving and power collecting in his hand. "It was the will of God! His will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!" Jacob felt his own mind thrust into the foreground again. He slumped against the chains, exhausted by the experience.
Vamp moved closer to Jacob, "Temper, temper, it's what got you into trouble in the first place remember. About those gloves, they're specially designed to block your powers. I want you by my side when the world changes, but I know that will take time. But before then you might inadvertently strike out against my, and your, fellows. You see, this is all for your own benefit."
Vamp moved closer still, a breath away from Jacob's lips. Other female vampires were moving in closer as well. Vamp stroked Jacob's brow and cooed, "I know you are not the angel, not responsible for what he did. You must realize, though, it was a blessing. I only want to share my world with you." The other vampiresses moved closer still. "Don't be afraid. When you awake they will be with you. They are only here to show you a piece of my world. We will speak again my Love."
At a silent command from Vamp, the female vampires plunged their fangs into Jacob's body. He let out a gargled cry and soon fell limp. He was still alive, though just barely; Vamp could hear his heart beating in his chest. She watched as other vampires removed him from the wall and carried him downstairs. She turned to the female vampires, making sure they understood their instructions. They were not to kill him under any circumstances, just drain him enough to keep him weak. She went over other instructions as well. They nodded and left.
One lone vampire remained. Vamp knew him well. For several hundred years he had served her. He looked at Vamp, and said simply, "My Love?"
Vamp turned with the old vampire and began walking out of the temple, "They are simply words that we have learnt have no meaning. But to his kind, it is a worm in the mind. It will be amusing to watch how it grows."
******
Minutes, hours, days, flew together for Jacob. He no longer had any sense of time. His world consisted of a few moments of wakefulness, the dull throb as his blood flowed into another, and unconsciousness. Chained to the floor, he was offered the occasional bit of food and only enough water to quench his thirst and keep him alive. Early on the female vampires has tried to tempt him into other activities during his periods of consciousness. They had failed miserably. The determination to achieve high marks in school had provided tools for Jacob to counter womanly advances, even to shut his mind to them. The vampires who kept him were beautiful though, as he discovered early. So Jacob employed another simple method to keep them at bay. As he returned to consciousness, he would shift his vision into the infra-red spectrum. There, their forms held no beauty, only icy chillness. Oddly, they never pressed Jacob, simply offering further temptations to Jacob's rebuffs.
Throughout this time visions and dark images were his constant companions. He saw pictures of fire, memories of destruction. An angel, his wings outstretched, with a sword in his hand oversaw it all. Dark shadows of plague, burning buildings, and a myriad other images tortured him. He looked down and watched as a people burned with fever and died, the ground littered with their bodies. He watched as a great ancient city fell, condemned for the arrogance of their king. He moved through the streets with impunity. He heard the voice of authority, once again, commanding him to stop. Clothed in unpleasant garments, a man after God's own heart pleaded for mercy for his people. The angel withdrew, ignoring the cries of the mourners. That city was familiar; time and again Jacob watched it writhe in pain. Then it was lost in a sea of pain, destruction, and despair: all for what? Duty, and the feeling of an elusive dream cried out in response.
Other visions flowed as well. And sometimes he was simply left alone, without the memories or images, in an ocean of grey. He woke up in the grey, alone again. Nothing stirred but nothing was here. Then, softly, Jacob could here the sounds of birds somewhere behind him. He turned to see a familiar small, scarred man playing a flute, but instead of music, the melody of birds played. He walked to the man, the only other being he had ever seen in the greyness.
"Who-- ? What-- ?" Jacob started.
"Interesting questions those two: who are you? what are you?" the little man said, lowering his flute and stretching out his hand. "If you held all of existence within the palm of your hand they would still be worthy questions to ask. So, who are you? What are you?"
Jacob shook his head, knowing the question well. "I don't really know, so much has changed..."
"Really?" the other man questioned. "Have you looked at yourself recently?"
Jacob paused at the odd question and looked down at himself. The wings were gone; the light, the height, the muscle, all gone. He was looking at his body the way it had been before he was transformed. He ran his hand over his arm and face, feeling its truth.
"You look like a man to me," the man said simply, then asked again, "Who are you? What are you?"
Jacob looked at the other man, suddenly uncertain but also certain of the answer. The other man continued speaking, "Who are you? It is an interesting question is it not. But the more important question is, what are you? We ask the 'who' all the time and so believe we know the answer. The funny thing is, the answer's usually all filled up with externals that we're no closer to finding its meaning. The better question now is, what are you?"
"So, what are you?" Jacob asked the man.
The man smiled. "A traveler on a journey who doesn't know the destination. The destination isn't important, but when I get there, I'll know. And what are you Thomas?"
Jacob struggled for an answer, struggled against the truth of his human name. There were answers in his mind, but he wasn't sure of their truth. A winged shadow passed through the curtain of grey, disrupting his thoughts. He followed the shadowy figure as it circled, sensing its calling. It was searching for him. He looked back at the small, scarred man.
"It needs you," the man told Jacob. "Here, now, it cannot existence apart from you. The question is, can you exist apart from it?"
Jacob didn't answer, dark memories resurfacing. He wanted to exist apart, wanted no part in the memories that were settling into his mind. But even within those memories he was losing himself, uncertain where the human stopped and the angel began. He wasn't even sure if there were two beings anymore. When he looked back at a 'human' memory of injustice he felt an implacable rage, a rage he didn't have at the moment of the experience. Could he ever see the world again through his human eyes? Did he want to?
"You and your companion share the same body, but your minds and souls are different." The other man continued, as if reading Jacob's mind, "They touch and you feel the closeness, you sometimes even exchange thoughts, but there is a difference. The new memories you are having are his; they are crossing into your world. If it makes you feel any better, your memories are crossing into his."
But the memories are so dark, what if I have some kind of demon inside of me? Jacob thought to himself, shaking his head.
"I promise you're not playing host to a demon, but to an angel; a rather high-ranking one at that." The man added before continuing, "You see, not all angels are little, pudgy children with wings; not all angels sing in choirs and play harps. Existence needs all kinds: singers, poets, guardians, warriors, soldiers and many more. The thing is, you are not an angel. You may not remember this, but it is a seed I hope to plant and water over time, watching it grow: the memories are dark and the actions seem unfathomable, but the angel feels no guilt over them, and he shouldn't. On the other hand, you look at those memories and are horrified, and you're right. Those actions are wrong for you, just as for the angel they were right. You are not the angel and so are not beholden to those memories, but you are now Jacob and responsible for those actions and inactions."
Jacob looked down, pondering the words. Around him the greyness shifted, becoming lighter. He felt himself drawing away from the strange, yet familiar, little man. He wanted to stay here, he felt safe. Also, there were so many more question he wanted answers to. He struggled against the force drawing him away.
The small, scarred man disappeared within the grey, his voice offering up a few last words. "The moment here is over, but a moment up there is birthing. I wish you well traveler."
******
The familiar rushing washed over Jacob, signaling a return to the world of consciousness. He felt a presence above him and switched his eyes into the infra-red before he could fully see. It was a familiar pattern. He would wake, switch his sight. They would say something, possibly help him eat, they would continue talking, he would say nothing and after a few hours they would drain more of his blood, causing him to slip into unconsciousness again. Jacob waited for it all to begin again.
The female voice above him stirred. "Do you remember me? I was there with you in Detroit."
Jacob stirred, curious, but having enough experience to expect lies from the mouth of the undead. The woman spoke again, moving closer to Jacob, a cold hand on his chest.
"You saved my life, or at least tried to that night." She paused. "Am I dead?"
The voice stirred a memory within Jacob. He remembered Detroit, remembered the slaughter of the vampire club, but most of all he remembered the face of a young woman that night. He remembered finding her almost dead and being tempted to release her from the world. She had been bitten by a vampires and so had stood a good chance of becoming a vampire herself, if she survived. Jacob shut his eyes and sighed, if only he had known then that blood transfusions could counter-act the effects of vampirism. He wanted to see her again with regular sight, remembering her beauty. He shifted his eyes back into the visual spectrum and opened them.
Above him was the young woman from the night club, her long, light brown hair almost reaching Jacob's face. Her eyes were the colour of emeralds he noted as they stared at each other. Her face, sunken slightly now, held a dark fascination for Jacob's eyes. They continued to stare at each other, drinking the other in. He could feel her breath against his face as she moved towards him, her lips touching his. As they touched, he could taste a slight, metallic flavour in them and turned away. He could guess what the metallic flavour was.
She lifted herself up, a slight expression of pain and rejection painting her features. "I'm sorry," she whsipered, "I thought--" She straightened and spoke again, "I thank you for giving me my life that night. If I hadn't lived, I couldn't have experienced all this. It's wonderful."
"I should have killed you that night," Jacob said without conviction.
"But you couldn't," she replied. "I saw it in your eyes. There was such kindness and compassion in them. I can still see that in your eyes through the hardness you've placed over them. Your face all stern like that, it's kind of cute."
Jacob rolled his eyes, as she struggled to explain, "No, it's not like that. I'm not trying to seduce you like the others. I just think you're kind of cute." She offered as she sat down next to his prone body.
"What's your name?" Jacob asked.
"Teresa." She replied, "They keep on wanting me to forget that, to choose another name for 'my new life,' but I don't know if I want to."
"And why not?"
Teresa smiled and turned to face Jacob. Ignoring the question, she continued, "And you are Jacob, the vampire slayer. You know, I always thought vampire slayers were supposed to be petite, young women; I guess you can't trust T.V. for anything anymore."
It was Jacob's turn to smile. Softly, he asked again, "Why don't you want to change your name?"
"I'm Teresa; it's who've I've always been." She said as she stood. "Obviously I'm not the person I was, but if I'm not Teresa, then who am I?"
"I don't know, its a question you've got to answer," Jacob replied.
She paused for a moment, eyes searching the ground. Suddenly she turned. "Join us. It's an amazing world I live in now. Everything has become so real to me. I look back at what I was, just a human, and it seems like such a pale shadow. There is so much more to see than the human world could ever show."
Jacob stared at her, his face set. "I have seen it, or have the wings on my back suddenly disappeared."
"But you still protect them, you still try to live in their world when you could be so much more." Teresa responded
"All I have to do is sacrifice what I am," Jacob said softly.
"Not sacrifice," Teresa explained, "but rather release. You and I, we are beyond humans, we are capable of experiencing so much more than they ever could possibly imagine. You fly in the sky unaided by any machine or device, and I-"
"Suck out people's blood," Jacob said.
"No! I taste life!" Teresa responded, her voice rising with emotion. "Humans eat meat, but they do not feel the life coursing within it. We do! And it is the most amazing thing you could ever experience. Just as humans don't care about the meat they eat, because they are above base animals, so we don't concern ourselves with humans. We, you included, are as far above humanity, as humanity is above cattle."
Jacob said nothing so Teresa continued. "You were meant to be with us. Angels, vampires, we are above petty morality. Join us, join me. This was meant to be, you shouldn't fight it. I saw the way you looked at me when you woke up, and I feel the same way. Together, what things we could see."
"And what do I feel for you?" Jacob interjected.
"Desire, passion, need," Teresa purred.
"Wrong," Jacob responded, seeing Teresa as emanations of heat. "All I feel for you is pity. Once, that might have been different, but not anymore. I pity that you cannot watch the sun rise above the horizon on a beautiful day. I pity that you cannot glory in its warmth. I pity that you can not even be warm, your heart and hands cold as ice. And I pity that you are beginning to believe the emotions of humanity are shadows. No Teresa, I certainly don't need you."
Teresa moved back a few steps, her lower jaw trembling almost imperceptibly. Jacob continued, "As for me joining you? You have nothing I would want and all I have to offer you is the possibility of becoming human again, or simple oblivion. That is all I can offer you and your kind."
Teresa turned away and moved towards the door, Jacob's voice stopped her for a moment. "Teresa, I will escape from this place soon. When I come back, don't be here."
******
A large, burly vampire examined the shattered remains of the Voodoo Temple's front door. The hinges were largely intact, but the center of the door was blown to splinters. Inside the Temple, there was ample evidence of more destruction. Other vampires limped about or clutched at recent wounds, their moans filling the room. As he moved about the room he noticed evidence for the loss of at least four vampires, their spattered remains flung against the walls. But there was no mystery here, he knew who had caused the damage. He moved further into the room, towards stairs that lead to the basement.
About an hour ago a vampire had staggered into the Voodoo Museum, desperately seeking out Vamp. For the most part, the vampire had jabbered incoherently, but certain words could be understood. 'Angel' and 'escape' were the most important. Vamp had selected a vampire to examine what had happened. He had been chosen. Though he looked scarcely a day over thirty, he was well over two hundred, and for two centuries he had served Vamp. They almost even trusted each other.
The old vampire warily made his way down the stairs, discovering at the bottom the possible remnants of three more vampires. In front of him stood the remains of another broken door. It had been behind this door that Jacob had been kept. As he approached, other vampires moved out of his way. They knew who had sent him. Walking through the doorway he crouched, surveying the scene.
To his right lay the remains of a table, two of its wooden legs gone. Just inside the doorway lingered the smell of two more destroyed vampires, a third slightly off to his left. He noticed the light flickering in the room and asked a nearby vampire a question. It was as he expected: before the angel had appeared, the lights had flashed off. Interestingly, another vampire claimed a beam of light had flashed out from the creature's eyes. The old vampire made a mental note; this was a new skill and Vamp would hear of it. He ignored the splattered markings on the wall, moving to the chains. A link had been broken in both of the chains. He bent down and studied the metal. They bore the subtle marks of a slow, long stretch. The angel had probably been pulling on them when he was alone, weakening them. When the time was right, he had snapped them with a sudden, intense effort.
He stood and allowed the entire scene to play itself through his mind. When one of the angel's female capturers had come into the room, he had probably darkened the room and shot a beam of light with his eyes at the vampire. Momentarily incapacitating her, he managed to break his chains. Suddenly free, he had smashed the table and used two legs as stakes. The other vampires struggled to restrain him, but all for not; he was simply too powerful an adversary. Moving up the stairs, he had shot open the main doors and flown to freedom, vampires struggling to capture him.
The experienced vampire smiled slowly. Everything had gone exactly as Vamp had wanted. The angel had struggled to free himself, no hint of weakness at the vampiric resistance. He had barely escaped with his life. There could be no suspicion at all that his escape had been willingly allowed by Vamp herself.
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