"You would do that?" Kilia was ecstatic, but she also had to think to herself. she felt tingly all over, she was holding back, but kept up her mask.
"Is this really okay? Isn't that too much?" Kilia thought about rejecting his offer, but she noticed his face, it was the first time he smiled so genuinely. How could she say no.
"Alright, let's keep working together then!" Kilia held out her hand and Dariel gladly accepted the handshake.
Dariel headed off to the construction place, he felt a lot better, and could finally work more efficiently.
After work, Dariel went to the usual spot behind the apartments, and noticed Adela had arrived early.
"Hey Adela." Dariel walked over with a wave and a smile.
"Hey Dariel..." Adela looked exhausted.
"Is something wrong?" Dariel was ready for one of Adela's rants. From what he knows, she was always being harassed at work and having pay withheld from her. He had told her to work up the courage to speak back, and it seems she followed his advice.
"I got fired for telling everyone what the boss had been doing, and I called him an annoying bastard. I also told him his breath smelled very bad and that he should see a dentist because it made me sick when he walked by," Adela sighed and began crying, laying her head on his shoulder. Dariel felt bad for causing her to lose her job.
In-between the cries and sniffles, she was cursing the job for being stupid anyway. She bit her lip and lifted a finger.
The scent emanating from his body was irresistible. He didn't notice, but a drop of blood hovered in the air above her finger, and she tasted it. Dariel hugged and calmed her down before getting some soda from the vending machine.
"Don't you have other places you can work at?" Dariel took a sip of the grape soda.
"No, the boss, the one I insulted, basically owns a good quarter of the city. Even if I got a new job, it would be a pain knowing I would still work around that man. Of course, I could always hunt in some of the zones around the city. I am a really strong awakener." She had a smug look on her face.
"Is everyone a hunter around here?" Dariel thought, taking a deliberate sip from his drink, savoring every drop.
"Then it's decided," Dariel said, locking eyes with Adela, "I know just the person you should meet."
Curious, Adela took a big sip of her soda, waiting for more details. She enjoyed the company of Dariel, but she had issues in the past which made her hesitant. And she felt a little guilty for what had happened earlier, but she just wanted a taste.
"You have something in common with one of my friends," Dariel explained, finishing his soda and standing up. "Let's head over there!"
Dariel enthusiastically pulled Adela along with him, making their way to the apartments where he planned to introduce her to Kilia. Adela didn't expect that he would be so pushy.
As Dariel led Adela into the apartments, he excitedly introduced her to Kilia, who seemed a bit puzzled.
"Dariel, who's this?" Kilia asked, raising an eyebrow, clearly unaware of Adela's presence.
"This is Adela, a new friend I met recently," Dariel replied with enthusiasm.
Kilia sniffed the air subtly and couldn't help but wrinkle her nose, A strong aroma filled the air, but Dariel was oblivious. "Um, hi, Adela. Nice to meet you," As a vampire, the only things that smelled good were blood, and only blood. Strong smells deterred them.
Adela felt a bit self-conscious, unsure of what had caused Kilia's reaction. "Nice to meet you too, Kilia," she replied nervously.
Dariel sensed the tension and tried to ease the situation, "I was hoping you two would hit it off. Is something the matter?"
Kilia's unease was evident as she hesitated, "Well, I'm not so sure. I mean, it's just that. Never mind."
Adela felt hurt by the cold reception, "If I did something wrong or offended you, I apologize. I assure you, I didn't mean to."
Kilia sighed, her guard softening a bit, "It's not that. It's just that when you arrived, there was this strong smell... Who are you anyway?"
Adela wiped the beads of sweat away from her face, She was stressed about something. "I am a sylphora. My full name is Adela Petaluma. I can't help the smell, as it's naturally produced by my body. I always smell like this. I apologize once again," Adela sighed. She didn't expect such a reaction the first time she met someone, especially a girl. Sylphora are known to drink blood and usually live in forests. The unique feature is the fact that their smell lures in men and women to give them blood unsuspectingly. Sylphora cannot feel emotional attachment to a person, but their victims grow attached over time.
As Kilia listened to Adela's explanation, she calmed down. She hadn't encountered a sylphora before and wasn't familiar with their unique scent. Feeling guilty for her reaction, she realized she might have jumped to conclusions too quickly.
"I'm sorry," Kilia said sincerely, "I didn't mean to be so judgmental. It's just that strong smells can be overwhelming for me as a vampire. I should have given you a chance before making assumptions."
Adela smiled, appreciating Kilia's honesty. She was also surprised to hear the vampire part, but it made sense."It's alright, I understand. I'm not used to meeting vampires either, so this is a new experience for me as well."
Dariel Smiled brightly and chimed in, "See, now that we've cleared that up, I'm sure you two will get along just fine."
Kilia nodded, warming up to the idea. This was only on the surface. Something was off about Adela
Adela's smile widened, "Thank you, Kilia. I'm really excited to be here with you guys. Though it looks like I have competition."
"Yeah." Tension formed once again.
***
The three of them had a long conversation about plans for hunting, how they would fight, and more. Dariel hoped they could become friends.
After Adela went home, Dariel was ready to go to sleep as well. As he began walking back to his apartment, he felt a tug on his shirt.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Kilia smiled.
"That's right, I almost forgot," Dariel held out his left arm and smiled.
Kilia happily sunk her teeth into Dariel's arm. Dariel was glad he found a good friend. Vampires were simple. They just needed someone to lean on, someone to call their friend without worry. Dariel chuckled to himself.
"Don't worry about starving anymore. I'm here for you." Dariel put his hand on her head and patted her. She accepted it—the comforting feeling when she was around Dariel. She knew that he was just a good guy. There was nothing hidden behind that genuine smile.
"Thank you!" Kilia hugged him tightly. It was the first time she felt safe in someone else's arms, but she felt bad. She felt like she was about to do something horrible, but she couldn't help it "Thank you so much!"
Feeling the sincerity in Kilia's embrace, Dariel smiled, "You don't have to thank me, Kilia. Friends look out for each other. That's just what we do."
Kilia pulled back slightly, her eyes showing a mix of gratitude and vulnerability, "You're right. I'm just glad I found someone like you!"
The look in her eyes changed, and her body began heating up. "Dariel, I'm so sorry for this."
She grabbed the back of his head and gently nibbled on his neck before he felt a little dizzy. From his perspective, everything got blurry, and he needed to sit down.
A golden glow filled his veins, and he felt rejuvenated. Blood flowed throughout his body, and he felt himself get a little stronger. "My curse? It is actually helpful now! It is multiplying the effect of my ability! And my blood comes back even faster when I'm low! Kilia!"
She licked her lips, and her hair turned black, but this time, her eyes turned purple, and a black tail snuck out of her shorts. Her skin changed to a dark brown, and there were no wings on her back.
"Kilia? Are you feeling alright?" Dariel tried to back up but noticed her expression changing. Her eyes flickered red, and a strip of hair turned red again.
"Dariel, you need to lock me in a room. I can't control it any longer. My curse effects my hunger, and I haven't been fully truthful. I'm a noctyre." She jumped back, and then her face changed back. This time, she wasn't in control.
"Kilia, i didn't know. i would've." Dariel was cut off by a kiss from her, she had traveled across the room at light speed and was way too powerful for anybody he had seen so far. "I would have helped out, but this is! This is so much to take in at once!"
Dariel sighed and looked down, seeing her breasts pressed against him and his blood flowing elsewhere. "What is wrong with me?"