Fifteen Years Later
***
Verchiel walked through the door of their latest den, to find the front room empty. He paused and sniffed. He could smell Kateesha, deeper in the house. An image flashed through his mind of her sprawled across the bed, her dark skin contrasted against the white sheets; a lovely surprise for his homecoming.
Not that he'd been gone long. A trip to the market had taken an hour, perhaps, but the night was still young. He'd been lucky, and the jeweler had stayed open late, just for him.
He held his purchase up, admiring the way the candlelight danced on the delicate golden chain. The jewel that hung from it was heavy and red, like the blood they drank each night; sometimes a quick snack and sometimes a reveling feast they nearly bathed in. The thought of such nights
