Misery noticed a period of time where the foot traffic died down to a snails pace on a Thursday evening before they closed their doors for the three days before they once again opened on Monday. Misery though wouldn’t crack the free time pulling out her sketch book and sketching out the latest symbols she’d researched the night before. They weren’t detailed notes she’d already done that the night before. This was more design and playing with the symbols to decipher how to hide them in plain sight, so she’d be able to quickly identify them faster.

  She couldn’t do mugs again she was overflowing with mugs after finding interest in ceramics for a bit.

  Misery had a design for curtains started but not nearly finished by the time she heard the bell ring and looked up to see hiker vampire again. Misery wasn’t overjoyed to see him, but he was a better presence then the blonde vampire. Though Misery managed to reason away the fear of the blonde vampire, after all even if she had answered honestly what information did, she have about this vampire? His receipt?

  “Hey.” She greeted and when he approached the counter. “What can I help you with today?” She asked him. He looked around everywhere but at her like she didn’t concern him in the least. Which didn’t bother Misery much she wasn’t out to prove to a vampire that she was a threat.

  “The police were here.” He offered after a bit. Misery nodded not even the least curious on how he knew that.

  “They were.” She agreed. “I don’t know many details as to why. My relationship with the police is I tell them things they don’t ask too much more and I don’t ask too much either.” Misery explained with a shrug. “Come’s with the territory of working at night.” She informed him not pointing out she’d had that arrangement before night was a conscious issue.

  “And what did you tell them?” He asked her his gaze focusing a bit more on her. Misery rolled her eyes at the question.

  “I told them these two guys were looking for some trouble, caused some problems. I told them that they accused me of being a vampire not noticing the actual vampire because you did purchase blood items. I didn’t tell them that I gave you the license plate number, they think I gave you a phone number. Which is believable to them. I also didn’t mention to them the blonde dude who came through after you being all intimidating and shit presenting your photo and asking questions about you.” Misery told him.

  The hiker vampire frowned.

  “A blonde?” He asked. Misery nodded and turned to the page in her sketch book where she’d just drawn the blonde vampire and showed it to him.

  “I told this guy that you were just one in a hundred faces and I couldn’t be sure if you came in.” Misery informed him. Then she flipped and showed the marks on the guy’s wrists. That had the vampire pausing. Misery thought that it was probably worse to pretend not to know they meant something then to not know if blonde vampire was a threat to her safety.

  “What are the chances you come around twice, and he doesn’t come back?” Misery asked him. When the vampire didn’t jump to smooth things over or pester her on how she had her knowledge she sighed.

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  Great.

  “I think you should come with me.” The hiker vampire informed her his face impassive. Misery short a bored glare at him.

  “I think that I’m the only one willing to work nights here and I’ve still got a decent stretch on my shift.” She offered leaning back and kicking her feet on the counter. The vampire looked around again as if deciding exactly the best way to extract her. She had a bat under the counter to scare normal troublesome customers in need be and a few vials of mystery liquid that was supposed to either temporarily paralyze someone or make them forget thirty seconds.

  Before she came into the picture Grove wasn’t too conscious about remembering exactly what his spells did. If they did anything at all seeing as he didn’t get rid of anything either and Misery saw more harm then good in testing out random spells.

  She also didn’t want to have vampires looking too closely at her because she threw a spell at one without being fully provoked. So she waited.

  “If I can find someone to cover the counter, will you come with me?” He asked. Misery took him in and weighed her options.

  “Okay as cool as I am with people being themselves and doing their thing people who request someone to come with them knowing nothing about what is going to happen is disconcerting as all Hell. Keep that in mind. Especially when I don’t know who the fuck you are. Two if I do go with you can you one hundred percent guarantee I will be back here unharmed by the end of my shift?” She asked him.

  The Vampire shifted his arms crossing and if she didn’t mistake it she was pretty sure he smirked.

  “My name is Koa Hazelton, I am an enforcer for the Elgora Valley Hive.” He presented his wrist showing the marks that told her a little more then the night before because of her research. “And if everything goes as planned this won’t take more then an hour or two.” He promised.

  Misery considered that then weighed again. Misery shrugged.

  “Then make the call and as soon as the register has coverage. I’ll follow you where you need me to.” Misery agreed.

  “You’re not going to ask where?” He asked her.

  “You said two hours. If it goes longer then that I promise you I will become an issue.” Misery offered with mock pleasantry. She stood as he made the call searching for any sign of deceit pocketing one of the spells while he was busy.

  As they waited he never moved toward her. They just stood exchanging glances or looking around the room while they waited. A petite woman with a tiny knot of brown hair and very warm brown eyes ducked through the door, her energy radiated brightly and with a comforting warmth.

  Honestly out of any of the vampires she’d seen this one gave off the least energy of being one. She walked right up to Misery.

  “It’s very nice to meet you. I’m Julissa.” She introduced herself dimples pulling at her cheeks. Misery felt eased by her and started to introduce herself but a customer ducked in a started looking over a bag of chips glancing over at them mildly curious but not too concerned.

  “Let me grab my coat from the back.” Misery offered as a test in a bright tone to match Julissa’s. She caught sight of Koa’s raised brows. She ignored it seeing as neither argued and she did follow her word grabbing her coat and a handful of more of Grove’s mystery items quickly organizing them into pockets. She held her sketch book close to her at all times.

  Julissa was cheerfully greeting the customer with the chips and ringing him out with no explanation on how the register worked or the passcodes. The customer who was a semi regular looked far more eased in Julissa’s and Koa’s presence then he ever did in front of Misery.

  Not seeing her the customer admitted.

  “If you’re going to be around it might be more comfortable to come here.” He voiced then stepped away with his things caught sight of her realized she heard. Misery watched his face pale and the fully grown man ran away like she’d threatened him.

  Both vampire’s seemed baffled and glanced over at her. Misery shrugged.

  “Ready?” She asked Koa. Koa nodded and started out just trusting that she was following. Misery did.