“Who are you?” she asked, her tone bored.
“I’ve got an appointment with Jonas,” Elias said.
The vampire looked skeptical. “You do?”
“He’ll be expecting me,” he said.
Another female vampire joined Emo vampire, sliding her arm around her waist. The newcomer had hot pink hair in a short pixie cut and a ring in her nose. “The visitors smell delicious.”
“We’re not on the menu,” I said, more aggressively than I meant.
“Pity,” pink haired vampire said. “You seem like you’d be good for both a meal and entertainment.”
“Tell Jonas that Elias needs to speak to him,” Elias said.
“Sure,” Emo vampire said, opening the door wider. She stood back so we could walk through.
A chill ran through me as I stepped into the repurposed church. Candlelight flickered and glowed, illuminating the derelict space in a series of shadows and unstable light. Nearly every surface was covered in candles or melted wax. They must have burned hundreds of them every night. It made for quite the ambience but it wasn’t exactly practical.
Aside from the candles, the huge open space was missing the usual signs of a church. No pews or pulpit. Just couches, tables, and trash. It was as if I’d walked into a frat house that hadn’t been cleaned in a decade. There were even empty pizza boxes and piles of clothing scattered around. Vampires didn’t need to eat so the takeout was the result of human guests. My stomach tightened. I didn’t want to think about humans getting stuck in this place.
The door slammed behind us and I nearly jumped at the sound. It was aggressive and unnecessary and I knew what that signaled.
“Where’s Jonas?” I asked.
“He’s not home,” Emo vampire said. “But how about we entertain you while you wait.”
“I don’t think so,” I said. “Tell us where to find him. We don’t have time for games.”
We’d drawn a crowd. A dozen vampires moved slowly toward us, closing us in on all sides.
“You both smell so different,” a male vampire said as he approached. “So wonderful. I just want a taste.”
I pulled my stake out from its pocket. “I don’t think so. Back the fuck off.”