Sydney

My mother always told me redheads would be the death of me.

So did my mentor.

If only they knew how right they would be. I sat on the edge of a row house roof in the predawn with my feet dangling over the edge. Cicadas whirred as a light breeze both brought me the scent of last night's rain and pushed the remnants of it away. I pulled my pack of Newport 100s out of my shirt pocket, ignoring the blood which covered it, tapped on out of the pack and lit it. This would be my last cigarette. As the eastern sky brightened, I thought back to the ruin of my life.

###

I walked into the tavern,

Sydney's

, and glanced at the clientele. Most were lined up at the bar, with a crowd around the pool table and a couple playing air hockey against each other.

A spot opened up at the bar, so I took it. I reached into my pocket for a cigarette before spotting the

No Smoking

sign behind the cash register next to the neon highlighted crucifix. I sighed and folded my hands on the bar and glanced at the tv. A basketball game was on, but the sound was down, likely due to the chattering crowd. I watched on of the players miss a free throw and then turned back to the register.

Instead of the machine, I found a stunning redhead with deep chocolate eyes smiling at me.

"Hi, Handsome. What can I get you?"

"Flaming Dr Pepper," I said.

She nodded, gathered the ingredients and poured the drink in front of me. After pouring Amaretto into a shot glass to the 2/3 mark, she finished it off with Bacardi 151 and lit it on fire before dropping it into a glass and adding beer to the edge of the shot.

"Here you go."

I raised the glasses, and said, "Sláinte." I then knocked it back.

"Are you Irish, or Scots?"

I shuddered and shook my head. "No. My mentor was." After fighting back a gag, I continued. "That horrid concoction was his favorite drink."

She gave a sultry laugh. "Why did you order and drink it, then?"

"I do it in his honor twice a year: On his birthday, and the date of his death."

Her eyebrows went up. "Oh. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you." I shrugged. "At least he went out doing what he loved."

"What was that?"

"He was a Nightsman."

Her nose flared as her eyes widened before she turned to glanced down the bar. "Excuse me. A customer is bleating." She tossed me a wink and headed off.

I should have known then, and been on my guard, but her flaming hair and curves distracted me. The way her ass filled her khaki slacks practically made me salivate. She glanced over her shoulder as if she knew I'd be looking and winked at me.

After a bit, she returned, carrying a bottle in her hand. She lifted two glasses to the bar, poured a healthy measure into them both before setting the bottle down and rotated it so I could see the Suntori label.

"To your mentor. May he rest in peace." She said, raising a glass.

I lifted the other one. "Kanpai!" And drained the glass.

She leaned forward over the bar, her low cut shirt almost allowing her impressive tits to fall out. "You don't look Japanese."

"That's racist," I said dryly.

She lifted her left eyebrow and I laughed.

"Couldn't resist."

"Uh-huh."

"Aw, come on. It was funny."

As she stared at me with a stone face, I laughed again. When she still did not laugh, I quieted down. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

She smiled at she lightly flicked my nose. "Got you."

"I -- you - "

She laughed harder as I continued to fumble.

"You're cute when you stutter."

In response I poured another drink and slammed it. Before I could blink, she leaned forward and slanted her mouth across mine. When I parted my lips, she slid her tongue in my mouth and swirled it around my own. After a few minutes of sucking on my tongue, she moved back and gave me a hooded smile.

"You're pretty good at that," she said.

I placed my fingertips on my chest. "Pretty good?"

She winked at me then turned away to retrieve a bottle from the collection.

"Uch!" I fake gasped. "How dare."

She turned back and waggled a fifth of Jack Daniels at me. "J.D.?"

"Make it a sour, please."

"Really?" She raised her right eyebrow at me.

"What? Whiskey sours are awesome."

As she poured the ingredients together, she said, "I would have thought you'd be a neat man."

I snickered. "Scotch neat, bourbon mixed."

"Oh. Got it."

She sauntered off to handle other customers and returned.

"That kiss came out of nowhere." I idly swirled my straw through the drink, then raised my eyes to her.

"Was it wrong?"

I beckoned her forward, and when she rested her elbows on the bar, I fed her the cherry from the sour. While she chewed it, I shook my head.

"I never said that. Just that it came out of nowhere."

"Should I ask in the future?"

I titled my head to the right. "Why do you keep dodging my question?"

She tapped the tip of my nose. "You never asked one."

I rolled my eyes. "Fine. Why did you kiss me?"

She straightened up and shrugged. "I felt like it."

"Gonna get me drunk and take advantage of me, huh?"

She smirked and gestured at my drink. "I haven't charged you for any of these."

I placed my hand flat against my chest this time. "Do you think I am

that

kind of girl?"

She giggled. "You're a dork, dude."

I titled my head to the side and nodded. "True, true." I knocked back the last of my drink. "So, what happens now?"

This time she leaned over the bar. "I don't know, maybe I'll take you upstairs after I close and fuck you silly?"

I leaned back and blinked. This was a first. "I've not had anyone be that blunt with me, before."

"Life is too short to not be clear and upfront about what you want."

I nodded. "Very good point."

As she straightened up again and smoothed out her t-shirt, I decided not to press my luck with too many questions. I was once stupid enough to talk myself out of sex before, and wasn't going to do so again.

I was good at my job, but not with the fairer sex. They usually got me tongue-tied. Add in a pale-skinned redhead and I was rendered stupid. Curves like she had? Keep my mouth shut for as long as possible.

While she handled other customers, I discretely took a tab of Templar's Tears. The crystalline medicine cleared drugs out of my system almost before I could swallow them. They'd saved my life a few times. Looking around at the various religious iconography, I didn't have too much to worry about in here.

I wondered if she knew about the Masquerade, or was merely a fan. In my first year as a trainee Nightsman, I'd almost exposed a young lady to it. She, too, had had iconography everywhere, even a piece of the True Cross. I'd had a fan boy moment, and almost praised her for her service in the Fight. My mentor had shut me up with a sharp kick and a shake of the head. Turned out she was merely a collector, and was unaware of the veracity of the True Cross splinter. After we'd left, and I asked why we didn't relieve her of it, Andrew said Faith. I left it at that.

A tap on my shoulder drew me out of my reverie. I turned to see the redhead bartender standing in an otherwise empty room.

"Good memories, I hope."

I smiled. "Aye, that they were."

"We're all alone now." She nodded towards the back. "Want to come up?"

I nodded, and then said, "I'm not used to going to a strange lady's place without knowing her name."

She left out a throaty laugh. "I'm Sydney. What's yours?"

"Watson."

This elicited another laugh. "Elementary, my dear Watson."

"You know, he never actually said that."

That one only netted me a smile. And then, she placed her hand over my mouth and lead me past the bar, though the double doors to the storeroom and further back to a regular door. After she opened it, and lead me up the stairs, I tugged her hand away.

"Why don't you have your door locked?"

Before she could respond, and huge, ebony dog the size of a Shetland walked up and sniffed me. He snorted over my hand and sauntered off.

"Baby is why."

"Baby?"

The dog turned from his bed and looked over at me as if me repeating his name got his attention.

"Yes. He's very protective. If he gives you the all clear, we're golden."

I stared at her. "You trust his judgment that much?"

She giggled. "I've raised Baby since he was a wee little guy." She then made kissy noises at him and he bounded over. She walked into the kitchen. "You hungry?"

"Not really." I shook my head.

I looked over at the various pictures on the wall. Another clue as to what she was, but I didn't pick up on it, none had her in them. She stepped up beside me and pointed at a black and white one that looked like a blob of white.

"This was taken at 11:03 am on August 9, 1945. It's the only one of its kind."

"This was taken right after detonation?"

"No." She turned to face me. "Precisely

at

detonation."

"Damn." I glanced over at her. "Why do you have it?"

"A unique reminder of man's atrocities to man."

"Dark."

She nodded and then took my hand. "Come look at this."

I was lead into her bedroom where she showed me her ceiling had been painted like the Sistine Chapel.

"You like Michelangelo that much?"

"I do. He's my favorite Renaissance artist."

The rest of the room was fairly normal with clothes scattered randomly, a closet door partially open, a dresser with a small David figurine on top and a tv in front of a window. Thick, heavy, blackout curtains covered it and went behind the TV.

The king-size bed was surprisingly made with hospital corners. I turned back to see her with a hungry smile, showing off her pearly white teeth.

"What?"

"I'm just thinking of how good you'll taste." She walked forward and placed her hands on my chest.

Oh, if only I'd paid attention to my training, but no, lust clouded my mind.

She unbuttoned my shirt and then pushed it open. Her wet tongue ran over my pectorals and flicked my right nipple, making me gasp. I dropped the shirt to the floor and pulled hers up and off. Her magnificent breasts were barely contained by the frothy green demi-cup bra she wore.

I reached out with trembling hands and cupped them for a bare moment before she pushed me back on the bed and reached behind her. Seconds later, the bra dropped to the floor and her lovely tits were on display, her light pink nipples taut and seemingly begging for my tongue. I reached out and pulled her to me so that I could lick them.

She moaned and twined her fingers in my hair. She then pulled my head back and all but devoured me in a sloppy kiss.

I tugged her head back and bite the side of her neck. She gasped.

"Do it again."

I obliged, eliciting another gasp.

"Mmm. Harder."

Her wish was my command. She shuddered and then abruptly shoved me flat and moved to the floor. She unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans, and then pulled them down and off.

She gripped my hard dick as she knelt on the floor. Next, she ran her tongue along the bottom of my dick before engulfing the whole thing with her mouth. She moved down until her lips touched my pelvis. Up she came, swirling her tongue around my dick the whole way.

After the third time, I pulled her to her feet and unbuttoned her khaki slacks before tugging them down, revealing her pale green panties.

"Color co-ordinated. Interesting."

"Shut up."

I obeyed as she pushed me back on the bed again. Her movements as she pushed her panties down and off were mesmerizing. She crawled up the bed, pausing to stroke her hand along my dick before I sat up and pulled her beside, and then beneath me. She smiled up at me.

Her eyes were closed as she reveled in the sensations I was causing. I rested between her legs, noting how her left heel kept sliding up and down my calf. My lips touched down, very gentle, on her bare belly. Her back arched. "Please."

"Please what?"

"Stop teasing me."

I chuckled and then licked her abdomen. "But, if I do," I paused to lightly scrap my teeth along her skin. "I won't be able to," again I paused, but moved down to place a kiss below her belly button. "Do stuff like this." I flattened my tongue and ran it over her flesh just above her venus mons.

Her fingers ran through my hair and I moved back up her body. I traced the tip of my finger around the base of her left breast and then tried to cup it with my hand. The fullness of her tit defied my hand, spilling out to the side. I used the tip of my left hand to circle her areola and then gently flick her nipple.

She bucked her hips beneath me, deftly shifting so my hardon parted her lips and smearing her wetness along my length.

"If you don't hold still, I'm going to end up inside you."

"I know." She smirked at me. "That's the plan."

"Not mine."

She paused. "Why not?"

"I want to eat you out, first."

She blinked. "Oh." She then smiled. "Get to it."

"Hold your horses. There's a method to my work."

She once again moved so my dick slide between her slippery lips. "Hurry up."

When I shook my head, she growled at me.

"If you don't obey me, I'm taking over."

My eyes widened at that. "Okay, that sounds hot as fuck."

She went to sit up, but I stopped her.

"However, I like to be in charge, if that's okay with you."

She huffed. "Fine."

I chuckled. If this made her impatient, I couldn't wait to see how my next moves made her act.

First, I moved up, and then captured her hands, followed by her lips. I savored the faintly minty taste of her mouth. My tongue lightly fenced with hers before swirling around it. I coaxed her tongue into my mouth, lightly suckled on it, then very carefully nibbled it.

After a few minutes of kissing, I moved to trailing kisses along her jawline, then kissed down the side of her neck. At the middle, I gently bit her. I carefully pulled away, allowing my teeth to lightly graze her skin, then resumed moving downward.

I alternated between kissing, licking, and nibbling as I traveled from her neck, to her collarbone, to her chest. He gently nibbled on the upper parts of her breasts before capturing her left nipple between my lips. I flicked her nipple with my tongue before circling it.

Her hands roamed my back and arms, occasionally raking my flesh with her nails.

I trailed kisses down her abdomen before running my tongue just above her mons once more.

Her fingers once more twined in my hair and she simultaneously pushed my head closer to her pussy as she pushed her hips against my face. I allowed her to guide me where she wanted me and then I slid my tongue between her lips.

She tasted like a tangy honey as I licked up to her clit. She cried out as her hips bounced. I raised my head a bit so her enthusiasm wouldn't break my neck.

"Watsooooonnnn."

The way she cried out my name sent shivers along my spine. What man doesn't like to have that kind of reaction from his woman in bed?

She lay sprawled out, attempting to catch her breath.

"That was quick, Syd."

She giggled.

"Ready to go off again?"

"What?"

In response, I slipped my right index finger into her. Her fingers tightened in my hair again. I withdrew my finger before sliding it back in. At the same time, I resumed licking her clit and just around it.

I discovered that if I visualized her sex as a clock -- with her clit as the center of it -- and I licked between where seven and nine would be, that drove her craziest. When I added a second finger inside her, she howled.

Her hips bucked harder when I circled the entirety of her clit. And then she sat up, pushing me back.

"Get up here."

"I'm not done yet."

"Yes, you are. I'm ready for you to fuck me."

She pulled me up and pushed me onto my back.

"And it's going to happen now." She followed up her words by swinging her leg over mine. She paused when she held my dick. "This is going to be fun to have for a long time."

She then slid it along between her labia and then held it steady as she lowered herself onto me.

My dick slid deep into the hottest pussy I could ever remembering being in. Her velvety softness gripped me almost as if it were made for me. I moaned when she moved up and then down. She did it again, a little faster.

She braced her hands against my chest and bounced on my dick like there was no tomorrow. I reached up and held her tits, loving how they overfilled my hands and her quivers when I lightly tweaked her nipples.

She would tighten and relax her muscles around my dick, driving my pleasure to new heights. I felt the tension rising in the tip of my dick and new I was about to come.

When I told her, she smiled at me and bought her head down, close to my ear.

"Do it. I want to feel your cum shooting into my pussy."

With those erotic words, I thrust up hard and faster.

"I'm coming," I cried as semen shot out of me and deep into her.

She then bit my neck, hard.

###

I sat up, closed my eyes once more, and grabbed my head as my temples throbbed. A wet, coppery iron smell wafted in from the apartment's front room. Saliva squirted into my mouth and my throat clenched with thirst.

I briefly shook my head and opened my eyes again. I swung my feet to the floor and got up, moving to my clothes. Sydney was nowhere to be seen, so I gathered she'd be out in the main rooms. After I finished buttoning my shirt, I unbuttoned my jeans to tuck the tails in.

Nails licking on tile told me Baby walked through the kitchen. As I walked out of the bedroom, I heard the door open and Sydney's voice.

"Have fun, Baby."

"What's he supposed to have fun doing?" I asked after she closed the door.

She gave me a smile and picked up a glass from the table. "Hunting."

The metallic scent was coming from the glass. She held it towards me. "Thirsty?"

The sloshing inside intensified the odor somehow. My jaw muscles cramped as they did when I was severely dehydrated.

She then pushed the glass against my chest. "Drink up, then we hunt."

The siren call of the crimson liquid in the glass almost distracted me to her words, but the last word brought my mind away from the glass.

"Hunt?" I peered up at her, catching a feral look in her eyes. And then it dawned on me. "This is blood."

"Of course. Newborns need to feed initially before they hunt for the first time. I thought it would be fun to hunt together for your first time."

"You turned me."

I said it without inflection or tonal change. She was a vampire and I'd had sex with her. I fought the sense of nausea that washed over me, and managed to push it to the back of my mind.

"Your heart is beating faster, Watson. What's wrong?"

"You turned me."

I was unable to keep the heat out of my voice. Almost all of my attention was locked on the wide hungry maw of the glass of blood leering up at me.

"Of course I did, darling. I

like

you. I'm keeping you with me."

Her words echoed and bounced in my head over and over until they were like a madman banging on a drum. I tossed the glass over my shoulder and locked my eyes on hers as it shattered on the floor. The blood's scent shot into my nose like a freight train, demanding I turn and lap it from the floor. Only by focusing on what she did allowed me to overcome its call.

"You. Turned. Me."

I stalked forward, long used to my height and size intimidating. However, she was unfazed.

"Yes. You are mine. I am your sire."

I slowly shook my head and gripped her throat. "No. You are my ruin."

Her hand to my chest sent me flying back. I crashed through sheetrock and studs to land on the floor in a cloud of dust and splinters.

"I may not be at my full strength due to turning you and waiting to hunt with you, but I am still your superior."

I rose to my feet in time to intercept her. She managed to duck my haymaker, but caught my uppercut to the bottom of her jaw. Before being turned, I might have only pissed her off. However, my newly enhanced strength sent her flying through the air where she crashed through the table.