Stealth is one of the key traits you require when hunting,
yet it can also come in quite handy in other situations. I melted into the
perfect scenery of this cute little coffee shop in Venice, perfectly minding my
own business, with the humans blissfully unaware of my presence, and the reason
why I was there. I don’t have a true home, and that truly does make travelling
a lot easier. I can come and go as I please, with no family or friends to hold
me back.

Humans grow way too attached to each other- relationships
are a waste of time. Sure, there was a time when I thought that, I too, could
be happy even when I care about others, but that time has passed. I realized
that humans tend to betray your trust; they enjoy trampling on your already
cold, dead heart and move on without a second thought. The more you care, the
more you have to lose. Besides, being me, I would outlive them all. I would
live on with their memories following me, while they go on, leaving me behind.

The sun was busy setting-the long rays reminded me of
outstretched arms, painting the sky as the sun sinks slowly into its golden
cup. It is a popular myth that vampires will be burnt to a crisp by the sun’s
rays... I suspect that it was merely a made up story to put most humans at ease,
giving the Fallen Ones the upper hand. Though it is much easier to hunt at
night, vampires can still be active during the daylight hours. If a human
happens to come across a thirsty vampire during the day, he will meet the same
fate as those who dared to wander alone at night. Daylight isn’t a threat,
there’s just a higher risk of being caught in our dark deeds.

The strong, sweet aroma of my Vanilla Latte mocked me, for
there was no way I would ever be able to taste it... it was all part of the
facade, just like these clothes that  I
purchased in Paris- the previous city I was called to.

Rumour has it that a Ba’al was lurking in this beautiful
city, searching for a few new slaves. Since this bloodline is gifted with mind
control powers, they pose a bigger threat to the human race than the
bloodthirsty Moloch. Ba’al are extremely cunning, but greedy too. Their greed
is one of their greatest weaknesses. My hand instinctively moved to the string
of pearls around my neck. Yes, this will do just fine...

I watched intently as my suspected target rose from his
seat. He was a man, seemingly in his mid 20’s, and rather average looking.
Ba’al aren’t extremely attractive, but their wit and charm are beyond measure.
That is how they manage to get their prey to trust them. With a plastered on
smile, he paid for his beverage, seeming upset about having to part with his
money. I waited in anticipation for the right amount of distance to come
between us before I got up to follow him- careful not to cause any suspicion.

A part of me enjoys the hunt- the whole game of cat and
mouse that I mastered back in the days I drank blood. Being a hunter is part of
who and what I am- it’s an instinct, and though I swore to gave up on my
gruesome urges, some things will always remain.

I found the man a few minutes later, walking towards a few
buildings that seem slightly more run down than the rest of the city. He was
heading towards an alleyway. Two women walking their dogs passed us. Without
any hesitation, the dogs immediately started growling. By now, I was used to
this- animals tend to react quite violently around a Fallen being. A smile
tugged at the corner of my lips when I noticed the dogs growling at my suspect,
too.  I am almost sure I have the
intended target- all that is left is to corner him and destroy him.

After turning around one more corner, we finally entered the
alley. It was much darker here than out in the street, and the foul stench of
garbage and a few unmentionables filled my oversensitive nostrils. At last we
were alone.

“Your skills need some more polishing, my dear. You weren’t
quite as sneaky as you thought you were... I’ve noticed you behind me for the
past ten minutes, and I know you’ve been stalking me for nearly a week...” He
turned around slowly and gave me a charming smile, moving closer to me. His
eyes seemed darker than in the coffeeshop and slight purple bags have begun to
form underneath them.

“Now, why would a pretty young thing like you even bother to
follow an old man like me?” He was standing in front of me now, still smiling, and
tucked a strand of my ebony hair behind my ear. I held perfectly still, and
faked a smile of my own. Oh, if only he knew my actual age- I might be trapped
in the body of an 18 year old, but I am almost certain that I am a few decades
older than him, at the very least.

“Oh, I’ve heard so much about you, good sir, and I just
wanted to see for myself if the stories are true. People tend to talk a lot
about a person they see as... extraordinary...”  I spoke the last word slowly, deliberately,
laughing at my own little private joke.

He leaned in even closer, perhaps trying to feel the heat
radiate from my skin or smell the sweet scent of the blood that no longer
courses through my veins. This was obviously a hungry vampire, clearly in
search of the sweet nectar that he will not be able to get from me.

“And what rumours are those?” he breathed.

My hand fondly grasped the string of pearls again, and then
in one swift movement, I plucked it off my neck. The string broke, and the
precious beads scattered all over the cold stone floor.  The strangers’ eyes widened in shock, and he
immediately bent down and started gathering them. His movements were faster
than that of a human, and it was clear that he couldn’t resist picking up
anything of monetary value. The Ba’al’s greed once again cost him dearly.

With fast movements of my own, I unsheathed my silver
dagger, plunging it into his neck. The flesh around the dagger started to rot,
his skin blackening as the poison spread. 
The pearls he held scattered to the floor once more, rolling to
unreachable corners.

Being a vampire hunter is hard work, but being one of them,
knowing their strengths and weaknesses, definitely gives me the upper hand in
any battle. No vampire can handle silver, and though the mere smell or presence
of garlic won’t keep us away, like a few other plants, it is poisonous to
vampires. That is why my blade was dipped in a potent mixture of aloe juice,
crushed iris, crushed garlic and nutmeg. Of course, I can’t touch or crush any
of these ingredients myself, so I get my “friends” in the Circle to help. In
turn, I give them valuable information.

The Ba’al was frozen, his features pulled into a permanent
expression of shock as his once pale body darkened. I pulled my dagger out of
him, cleaning it before sheathing it again- this one was my favourite, there
was no way that I was simply going to leave it here.

I felt a slight vibration as my cellphone notified me of a
new text message. I smiled when I read it- it was from my werewolf friend. I
was needed urgently:  he had some good
news to share.

With a growing excitement, I lit a match, leaving tongues of
flame and a soon-to-be pile of ash behind as I walked away.