Vampiris Sancti: The Elf by Katri Cardew Page B

problem with this plan was that humans had the same
proclivities as demons leaving her host to fall invariably in love
and want sex, or attempt to tie her into a relationship. The last
thing she needed was to add another unwanted suitor to the chase as
Dhaigre would have little patience with interference. Zyre was
happy to leave the Poqir to his fate as she judged him according to
the activities of his kind, but to her humans were mostly innocent
bystanders.
    Elves had
mastered four elements that ensured their survival in the harshest
of environs; they lied exceptionally well, their preference for the
unexpected was constant, they could often hide in plain sight, and
if worse came to worse they could seduce their way into safety. It
was an unusual demon that could resist an Elf because they were
more than beautiful, or sexually magnetic. The Elf contained the
warmth of the Reveal and her emotional interior was rivalled only
by the fragile, flawed human. Demons fought their own destructive
natures, the harshness turning their focus continually inwards as
they battled the external demands of an expectant universe. It took
the magical mistress of mayhem to bring colour, warmth, tendrils of
joy back into their lives and they pursued her with vigour. Zyre
knew the minds of demons with their desire for the magical and
decided the issue was too difficult to solve on an empty
stomach.
    Her brief rest
in the garden allowed her to dissolve again, but unless she
obtained more nourishment than flowers then she would have
difficulty crossing the city with the speed she required. She took
the risky action of standing up on the roof because she needed to
search amongst the city stench to find the delicate scent that
would guide her to recovery. Closing her eyes and tuning out the
cacophony of urban life the night air engulfed her as she aligned
herself with the elusive lure of sweet. This time it came like a
bolt exploding across her senses. While chocolate had been a quiet
enticement floating delicately upon the air this was a velvet coat
lining the night. Following her nose she dissolved away from the
centre of the city back towards the Vampire Chambers and here in
the more industrial part of the city she found unimaginable bounty.
The doorway read Shamplin and Sons Natural Raw Honey, and once
through it—she discovered a storehouse of gold heaven. The human
world had been described as one full of amazing innovation,
plentiful resources, but apart from the chocolate and beautiful
flowers so far there hadn’t been much to recommend it.
    The small brick
building created a century earlier for a trade was now a repository
for a small business while the stone floor and barred windows
guarded their contents with antique grace. She wandered through the
loading dock where pallets stood ready for transport with papers
taped across them identifying their purpose. Another sign hanging
at the back explained—Shamplin Clarified and Crystallised Honey
since 1910. Zyre wandered to another room where rows of half-opened
pallets lined the wall each one identified by a plaque above it,
Ironbark, Salvation Jane, and Leatherwood. If she could read human
she might have understood the distinction of variety, but instead
she found herself consumed by the rich enticing scent of the golden
nectar. An Elf consumed was an Elf exposed and Zyre was not hiding
in plain sight when a boy of about sixteen danced his way around
the corner. He was on the cusp of being too young to work such an
early shift, certainly too young to observe work protocol as he
fended off boredom by listening to the blare of music through
headphones. The discovery of a beautiful girl slouched on the floor
surrounded by empty jars while enjoying a magnificent high was an
unexpected win in a dead end job. He should have called for his
superior snoozing in the back room or for the police to deal with
the unusual robbery. His response was as predictable as one could
expect from a bored young guy