Sebastian exhaled deeply as he tightly gripped the cold, metal door handle. As he watched the green Coley's Diner neon sign flashed above the transparent glass door, he began to wonder if this was a good idea.
Is this what she calls herself these days? Sebastian thought, chuckling.
He pushed the door open and walked into the diner. It was quaint, with an old-fashioned atmosphere. Most of the chairs and tables were made of wood and the room was fairly lit. Sebastian could hear the humans' indistinct chatter as he made his way towards the counter.
For a vampire who fed on humans, Claudia sure knew how to serve them. Sebastian could feel it in their auras. It was like the place itself gave each and everyone a certain level of peace that most in the diner clearly needed.
Sebastian walked to the counter and took a seat.
"I'm sorry Sebastian but we don't have anything for your kind on our menu," a woman in a white apron said.
Sebastian felt his heart jump. The woman stood facing the other way but that voice... that voice still frightened him.
He gathered himself.
"Don't you mean our kind," Sebastian replied, almost swallowing. He had to choose his words carefully. They were the bridge between him leaving this place alive or having his head torn off... and Claudia could easily do it before he even blinked.
Claudia finally turned to face him. She looked the same as she did four hundred years ago; golden hair, brown eyes, pale skin, and her red lips were curved into the devious smile.
"You know... in all my years I have never met someone who seeks death more than you do," she said, pouring him a drink from a bottle labeled whiskey.
"Coming from someone who has lived for over ten thousand years I will take that as a compliment," Sebastian said, taking a sip. The drink burned his chest. It had been a while since he tasted some of the earth's best-bottled delicacies.
"What are you guys talking about?" a man in a suit sitting next to Sebastian said, sounding rather confused voice. Sebastian didn't even notice him.
Claudia slowly grabbed the young's man's wrist and stared right into his eyes.
"Now Derek..." Claudia said. "You won't remember ever meeting me or our little discussion today... Also, I'm sure your reporting skills will lead you to the perfect story someday, so keep chasing your dream and stop wasting away your life beneath a bottle. Now go."
The guy rose from his chair and left the diner.
"Compulsion... Still popular even these days I see," Sebastian said.
"It's one of the burdens that we as dark creatures all have to carry," Claudia replied in a low voice. "So why did you come here, Sebastian? Last time we met I clearly told you not to involve me in any of you and your master's affairs."
"I need the keys of Zoria," Sebastian stated.
Claudia stopped whatever it was she was doing. Her fingers were curled into fists and veins popped across her face.
"I should tear your heart out right where you stand Sebastian," Claudia said in a firm and low voice. "So the rumors are true then... You have gone insane thinking that you can revive your so-called master... I wonder why you even hold such loyalty for him when it was because of him that you lost everything... including your own soul."
"Claudia I don't care how powerful you are but if you dare speak ill of Lord Ethan I swear you will..."
"Hey Coley!" a voice shouted. It came from the diner's entrance.
Claudia's face suddenly changed and the dark look she once had completely disappeared. Sebastian turned to the direction the voice came from only to have his eyes fixed on the one person he least expected to meet. It was one of the humans he tried attacking earlier... before the Arzyrian came in and stopped him. Earlier that morning he could only sense their human auras but looking at this one now, Sebastian was ashamed of himself. If he had caused them to crash their car he would have broken his promise; his promise to never feed on or kill children.
However, Sebastian's eyes studied the girl curiously. She had brown hair, fair skin, and brown eyes. For a moment... just for a moment, Sebastian felt like he was staring at his own daughter. He remembered his daughter's smiles, how her hair danced in the ocean waters...
"Ashley," Claudia called, pulling Sebastian out of his daze. "I see you've finally accepted to call me just by my first name."
Apparently, everyone in this town knew Claudia as Coley.
"Well," Ashley said. "If the owner offers to give you free meals every day for just calling her by her first name then how can I refuse."
Claudia laughed... it was a genuine laugh. Sebastian had never seen her laugh like that before but then again... she was a vampire living amongst humans so maybe this was just her playing her part. In his experience, it never ended well whenever predators tried living alongside their prey.
"No Samantha today?" Claudia asked.
The girl's face fell.
"Did you guys have another fight?" Claudia said.
"I guess I will be taking my leave Clau... I mean... Coley," Sebastian said. He received a frightening glare from Claudia but was also met by a stare from Ashley.
"Excuse me... have we met?" Ashley asked.
"I don't believe so miss," Sebastian replied. Claudia had clearly taken a liking upon Ashley. If she found out that Sebastian had almost killed her...
Sebastian left the counter and walked out of the diner. He found himself breathing heavily and his heart was racing. That girl really took him by surprise.
He raised his head and sighed, a cool evening breeze sweeping through his nostrils. The sun had almost gone down, casting a red glow in the sky.
That went better than expected he thought. He pulled out a small brown paper from one of the pockets of his coat, unfolded it, and stared at the map. Three 'X' marked locations, each signaling where his targets resided, were on it. The nearest one was in Salem; that was Richard. The other two were Talya and Roagu.