Author's Note: Audrey's first encounter with another magical being.

Somebody was taking the responsibility of my crime. Somebody who was an unwilling participant, who had all the motives to have Brian dead. If I were some small time kid who had killed his friend, I would have felt happy. But I was not. Brian’s death was fully on my conscience. And I felt guilty for it.

I couldn’t go back to the house, not after what I knew. I feared that I might pollute the house. It might destroy my foster family’s life, something I never wanted to do. It was like I was unclean, like everything I touched would become diseased. I couldn’t face anyone.

How I wished I were different.

Then I remembered about the mythology talk. I could just slip in, unnoticed. Nobody would l know where I was, nobody would find me. At least it would smell better than the toilet.

Walking to the community centre took shorter than I expected. Although most people stayed home to watch Alfred Mah’s arrest on television, there were still some people milling around. Staying in the shadows, I crept into the auditorium just before the doors slammed shut. I took a seat at the back.

Professor Cladel Vronski stood at the side of the stage, his wavy blonde hair covering his eyes, his pale skin almost glowing, his thin lips grey. In all the anguish, I had forgotten that he was Fang’s best friend.

Fang was his former best friend. Don’t forget that even Sorgfalt was his best friend too.

Vronski was wearing a charcoal grey suit, jacket unbuttoned, first button of his shirt unbuttoned too. He looked like any dashing young graduate in a movie. Except that he was a sixty plus year old professor who taught an obscure subject and this was not a movie. However, having no prior experience of seeing an actual vampire and only relying on Sorgfalt’s memory, I could see little indication of magical blood.

Vronski surveyed his audience. It was then that I noticed the reddish glint in his eyes. It would not be obvious to the casual observer, but to somebody who was looking for it, the glint in those dark blue eyes was still discernible. But just.

The professor signaled for the lights to be dimmed. The talk was about to begin. A slide appeared on the dark screen.

“Mythology: The Truth and The Lies.”

Vronski continued his survey of the audience.

“What are the differences? Can mythology be really debunked as an outright lie? Remember, rumours are started from the truth.

“Take magical beings for example. Some people believe in fairies, those lovely dancing creatures. Have anyone actually seen a fairy? No. Then, where did these delicate creatures come from?

“And this neighborhood, this neighborhood had been terrorized by a beast. Actual people have disappeared. Some say it’s the work of a vampire, a werewolf. The practical people blame it on wolves and other wild animals. Who do we believe, having never actually seen this beast?”

My heart sank. He was going to explore mythology with local examples. And only one example stood out the most: me.

Sure, the killings had stopped for a while when Sorgfalt still had control over me. But it was starting up again, Brian Hodel being the first.

Vronski had moved on, but I was too absorbed in my problems to fully comprehend what he was saying. Almost too soon, the talk ended and most people had already left. As I was leaving, Vronski caught my eye and motioned me to him.

Nervously, I went to him, watching his dark blue eyes glinting with that strange red light. He smiled, mouth full of bright polished teeth. His filed canines ended in sharp points.

“Hello. I noticed that you were the only kid here. How did you find my talk?”

His eyes bored into mine. Looking down, I felt uneasy. Imagine, a werewolf interacting with a vampire. Sorgfalt had always warned him that such friendships were always doomed from the start, as werewolves and vampires were natural enemies.

“Interesting, especially the example you gave of our neighborhood’s disappearances.”

Vronski’s smile widened, his eyes glistening excitedly. The red glint seemed to be growing, almost like it would absorb his eyes, almost like it would absorb me…

“Tell me, have you had any encounters with the beast?”

His smooth voice seemed to fill my head, like he was inside. It was almost like he knew how to communicate the way griffins did. I was mesmerized, momentarily forgetting that I was looking into hi eyes again. That did not matter. He did…

“I guess so. My classmate, Brian Hodel, was killed.”

“And why do you think it was the beast?”

“There was a lot of blood.”

“Alfred Mah was arrested for his murder.”

“There was no body.”

Vronski studied my face. He reached out, fingering my chin and tilting my head up gently. Leaning forward, so that his nose was inches from mine, he started stroking my chin. His skin was so warm and soft on my face…

“Did you have anything to do with it?”

His eyes were scarlet, almost like blood. Blood that was on my paws the last full moon…

“I…”

“Professor Vronski.”

The spell was broken. It was like I had been watching it all from under water, images distorted and I had just surfaced, refreshed and clear. I was suddenly aware of my surroundings, how dark it was. It was then that I realised that U was in a compromising position with Vronski.

The good professor himself seemed to have realised that whatever he wastrying to do had failed. He snatched his hand back and straightened his suit.

“Yes?”

A thin balding man, the cleaner of the community centre, stared at us as if we had done something wrong.

“I thought… I assumed…”

Vronski narrowed his eyes, which had turned back to their original dark blue.

“You assumed nothing.”

His voice was cold and arrogant. It was almost like he was a different person from the one before… I shuddered to think what he might have done if he had ill intentions towards me.

Turning to me, he gently led me out of the auditorium, leaving the cleaner befuddled. Vronski gave m a friendly smile.

“Have a good night, ok? I suppose we would meet again.”

I nodded and tried to smile back, suddenly feeling uneasy again. Whatever vampires had in them, I was not sure. But I was sure that I did not want to be alone with Vronski again.

As I walked, not wanting to go back to the house, I remembered the way he stroked my chin, how he had been able to make me almost reveal my secret… No, I had to talk to Sorgfalt about it.

…

Sorgfalt was flying, her huge snowy wings flapping to an unknown rhythm. Standing there, watching her graceful flying, I waited for her to descend.

When the griffin had descended, I was still standing there, eying her suspiciously, like she would do something to me. Sorgfalt tilted her head.

“Something wrong, Audrey?”

I immediately felt guilty. Sorgfalt had saved me, nurtured me, taken care of me. She would never harm me. I needed to get Cladel Vronski out of my system.

“It’s the professor. He…”

“Cladel charmed you, Audrey. Vampires have the ability to charm people to do what they want. Cladel himself had never been successful. He always needed to maintain eye contact and he was always easily interrupted.”

I remembered the cleaner. He had thought that Vronski had some ill intentions towards me. But Vronski had just been trying to charm me to reveal what I had done…

“it’s normal to be affected after you have been charmed. Only the more powerful vampires have been able to fully control their subjects. But that takes time and much practice, sometime Cladel never wanted to do.”

I smiled at Sorgfalt. She always knew what I was thinking.

Walking over to her, I stretched out my hand. Sorgfalt gently brushed her head against my fingers, affectionately nipping them. My smile widened. It was relaxing to be with Sorgfalt. At least she did not have to charm me to make me happy and more willing to do her bidding.

Would I be able to face Cladel Vronski again?

Hope you enjoyed it:)