• When Ellie woke up the next morning, she was incredibly sore. She sat there, looking at the ceiling and hoped that Clouse was okay. After a few moments, she noticed another presence in the room and tried to sit up. After a few futile tries, she just settled for looking around the room. She spotted Clouse on the love-seat across from her, sleeping and muttering while he slept. So, I must be in the living room. She thought. She rolled herself off the couch which ended in a cry of pain.

    Across from her, Clouse stirred. His brown eyes opened and he looked at her. He got up and walked over to her. He helped her up and they both sat on the couch. “How are you feeling?” Clouse asked.

    “Like someone sent a cinder-block to my back, but I'll live,” Ellie replied, “What happened after I took my “nap”?”

    Clouse told her what happened, unconsciously rubbing at the bruises on his neck that were already healing. “After that he left and told me that he'd be back, but next time” - Clouse smiled- “We'll be ready for him.”

    Ellie hoped that he was right about that.

    @@@

    A few hours later, Clouse and Ellie were heading to the place where Ellie used to live(by her request.) She told him she needed to get a few things from there. Ellie got out of his car and began walking up to the house she hadn't been in in so long.

    Clouse stayed in the car, waiting for her to get back.

    Inside, Ellie was looking at the blood on the walls. She was surprised it hadn't been cleaned up. She went up to her bedroom and rummaged through her drawers. The third drawer, she found what she was looking for: a small pendant with a cherry blossom on it. She'd had it since she was very little. She undid the clasp and put it around her neck. Then, she went back to the car. Clouse looked at her with a puzzled look. “I'll tell you later.” She told him, shaking her head.

    As soon as they got home, Ellie tucked the necklace away in a pouch. Then, she went downstairs and told Clouse about how important the pendant was to her. After this, they had lunch out on the patio in the back. Ellie buried herself in thoughts of the past. Why was the god so determined to have her? If she was a faerie, then, there had to be more like her. Why couldn't he find another? Why did he have to destroy her whole family just to get to her? She sipped the iced tea in front of her and looked at Clouse.
    He looked back at her with a questioning gaze. “What's on your mind?” He asked. Ellie shook her head. “Ms. Markawitz, as your master I command you to tell me.”

    He just had to pull that card, didn't he? Ellie thought. She sighed. “I'm thinking of my family.” She told him.

    He didn't press her after that. Ellie went back up to her room and laid down, careful not to fall asleep. Unfortunately, this was not be so, since she fell asleep almost as soon as she hit the bed.

    @@@

    In the kitchen, his pale hands wringing a sponge, Clouse stood by the sink. His thoughts weren't on the sudsy water or the dishes soaking in said sink. No. They were on hunger. The insatiable thirst he'd not quenched in days. He needed to get out and drink or he would feast on the “servant” in the spare room.

    He strode to his coat rack and grabbed his black jacket and left the house to find a good meal. The evening was cold, though, it didn't bother him. The crickets were like a symphony for the night, playing a tune for his soundless movements. He spotted a drunken woman with straggly brown hair and approached her.

    “Hey, pre'y boy,” She slurred, “How's abou' spendin' the night wi' me?”

    Before she could say anything else, Clouse sank his fangs into her neck, hungrily.

    In roughly five minutes, he'd ceased drinking from her. He knew, for a fact, that she would wake up later and think it was a bad dream.

    When he got home, Ellie was laying on the couch, one arm lazily slung over the side. A book was on the floor, closed in front of her. He looked at her long legs that seemed to be kicking at some nightmarish foe. He looked at her closed, squinted eyes and wondered what it was she was dreaming of.

    He pulled a blanket off of the chair closest to her and threw it over her. She stopped kicking, but her eyes were still squinted. He looked at the window where Ezekiel had broken in; he would need to replace that. Or just move somewhere else, a part of him said, Leave the abnormal girl somewhere and be done with it!

    No! Another part thought, She's in servitude to you! That means you are in charge of keeping her safe!

    He'd never thought of it that way. Him? The keeper of another? It was laughable. He hadn't been the protector of anyone since-

    Clouse shook his head. He wouldn't think of him. He went to the kitchen and did the dishes. The doorbell rang. He wiped his hands on a towel and went to answer it. He opened the door and icy blue eyes stared back at him. “Hello, Clouse,” Lioyd greeted, smiled his Cheshire grin and looked around. “How's the little servant girl? Is she behaving?”

    Clouse nodded. “What brings you here?”

    “I came to tell you that her time here is up in two months. Have you drunk from her?”

    “No...” Clouse trailed off. “Why would I?”

    “I sent her here to be just that.” Lioyd smiled.

    Clouse's hand curled into a fist. “They're not just our blood banks,” Clouse hissed, “Unless you've forgotten we took over their town! Not the other way around.”

    “What has brought you to that-” Lioyd stopped himself and smirked. “You have feelings for her, don't you?” Clouse shook his head. Lioyd laughed. “Don't try to deny it, old friend. I know you better. What did she say her name was?”

    “Ellie,” Clouse walked into his kitchen and poured two glasses of wine. Lioyd followed him and leaned up against one of the counters. Clouse handed Lioyd his glass and sipped some wine from his own. “She's not all human.” He took another sip.

    Lioyd's eye-brows rose. “Really? Well, what else is she then?” He took a sip of his wine.

    “She's a faerie,” Clouse finished his wine and poured another glass. He began to wonder if a vampire could get drunk. He chugged the rest of his wine glass and poured another glass. “She seems to run into trouble everywhere we turn.” At this he took a sip of his drink, then, guzzled the rest of it down.

    Lioyd moved the red wine to the other part of the counter. “Careful, Old friend. You don't want to-”
    Clouse cut him off by reaching across the counter for the bottle of wine and pouring another glass. “Oh my... Clouse, you're making a huge mistake!” Clouse chugged down this glass and poured another. He drank it and dropped the glass. The glass shattered into a million pieces as Clouse stumbled into the living room. “Oh, gods...” Lioyd muttered, “He's done it!”

    At the sound of the glass shattering, Ellie tossed and turned in her sleep. Lioyd looked at Clouse who was stumbling toward the couch like, well, what he was at that moment- a drunk. He tripped and fell on top of Ellie.

    Ellie's eyes immediately popped open and she stared at him, in shock. “Clouse, what are you-” Before Ellie could say “doing”, Clouse had covered her mouth with his own. He bit her lip and began to drink from her. Ellie looked over at Lioyd who stood there, staring at them with a shocked expression. Lioyd shook his head and walked towards them. He thought of just leaving Clouse to drink, but then thought of what he'd said before they started drinking. “Clouse, stop this madness!”Lioyd tried to yank the blood-lusting vampire away from Ellie, but Clouse turned and trained his dark red eyes on him. Ellie's face had paled since Clouse had started drinking. With a bit of effort, he ripped Clouse away from Ellie.
    Ellie looked like she would pass out at any minute. A vampire- drunk! He thought, as Clouse fought against him, Who would have ever imagined it?

    Clouse pitched forward and purged himself. “Awe man...” Lioyd whined, “Not my fancy clothes!”

    Clouse slumped in his arms after quickly muttering, “Food...” Lioyd took Clouse up to his room, then, shut the door. In the living room, Ellie still lay on the couch, shaking and trying to stay awake. She managed to stumble off of the couch and over to the stairs. She stopped when she reached the landing, her eyes narrowing.

    “What are you doing here?” Ellie asked, weakly.

    “Why hello, again, human,” Lioyd greeted, smiling, “I'm friends with the one you're supposed to be a servant to.”

    Feeling a wave of dizziness, Ellie gripped the banister beside her. As Lioyd moved to steady her, she shook her head. “I'm okay.”

    “You can't fool me, human. You're almost as pale as the vampire who just tried to drain you,” Lioyd laughed. Ellie slid past him and, after a few steps, slowly sank to her knees. At this, Lioyd laughed, again, and helped her to her feet. Ellie tried to walk away. Lioyd waited till she started to sway, then, against her will, hoisted her up onto his shoulder by her waist.
    Ellie struggled for a moment, then, realizing it was futile, let her arms fall onto Lioyd's shoulders. Lioyd chuckled and carried her to the guest room. He then laid her down on the bed. “Why do you care?” Ellie asked.

    “Clouse seems to care for you so I don't have a choice, but to be nice to you,” Lioyd answered.

    “You purposely put me in his care,” Ellie whispered, “Why?”

    Good question, Lioyd, A voice in Lioyd's head said, Why'd you do it? He silently shushed the voice and put a hand over Ellie's mouth. “I'm not obliged to answer that, human.” With this, he left the room.

    A few minutes after he left, Ellie fell asleep, once more.

    Only this time, she was smiling.