Ch 9

A small warm hand brushes against Zadie's cheek, waking her. Opening her eyes she sees a tiny white haired child smiling down at her. Smiling back she sits up slowly, a sharp pain shoots through her injured shoulder.

“Good morning Luna, feeling better?” Zadie greets attempting to hide her discomfort.

“I feel fine but you're in pain.” Luna's eyes move to Zadie's shoulder, shame written on her face.

Zadie lightly touches her arm, “It’s okay I promise so don’t blame yourself.”

Luna's dark green eyes meet hers, “I’m sorry I bit you.”

Zadie looks to the other couch seeing Blade sound asleep still. This is Zadie's first encounter with a child, she’s not certain how to comfort her.

Returning her gaze to Luna, “I’m just glad you’re safe. Besides, I’m part vampire so my wounds will heal in no time.” Zadie assures her, Luna smiles with a nod.

Zadies hair falls loosely around her.

When Luna scratched her back she wound up cutting some of Zadie's hair in the process. Leaving it uneven, the scratches on her back managed to heal overnight yet the bite still remains.

“Is everyone else awake?”

Luna nods tugging some of her short hair behind her pointed ear.

“They don’t know I’m down here so they might come looking for me.” She giggles as if it’s a game. “Well let's go join them before we wake Blade up.”

Luna leads Zadie out into the hallway with the many doors, then up a staircase. On the second floor where more doors line along the walls. Two bathrooms reside at one end of the hall marked one side for girls and the other boys .

Luna opens one of the push doors at the other end of the hall, entering a cafeteria. As soon as the door opens and Zadie walks in every werewolf head turns looking at her the room falls silent.

Zadie adverts her eyes to the white laminate flooring. Luna takes a hold of her hand pulling her over to where Cinder is sitting along with Mason, Clovis and a couple other werewolves.

“Luna! I told you not to go down there and wake them.” Cinder scolds her.

Zadie looks to Cinder, “It’s okay really.”

Cinder's tense posture relaxes as her gaze slides to Zadie. “How are you feeling?”

Cinder motions for her to sit down across from her, Clovis moving over allowing Zadie to take his place on the bench. “A little sore but I’ll be alright.”

Luna squeezes her way in between Clovis and Zadie.

“That’s great although… your hair has seen better days.” Cinder examines her lopsided hair, self consciously Zadie tries to smooth some of it embarrassed. “If you’d like I could try fixing it for you.” Cinder offers tilting her head.

“Are you sure?”

Cinder stands, grabbing a chair along the nearby wall. “It’s no problem at all, I may not be the best but I do a pretty good job.”

Zadie moves to the chair, “Cinder cut my hair, so don’t worry it’ll look great!” Luna affirms with a beaming smile on her face as she sits on the edge of the bench, her legs swinging back and forth.

Luna's snow white hair hangs just an inch above her shoulders, framing her cute little face.

“Alright let’s do this.” Zadie excitedly agrees nodding to Cinder.

Blade rolls onto the hardwood floor with a thud and an “ouch,” he sits up rubbing his head as his eyes land on the empty couch where Zadie once was. Quickly standing, scanning the room, she’s nowhere to be found. Blade does a quick weapon check, all his gear is accounted for, the once roaring fire is now just ash leaving the room cold.

Slipping on his black response gear boots, he heads out the door in search of the halfling.

After climbing the stairs a pair of werewolves pass him.

“Can’t believe she let a stinking vampire in here.”

“I know a slayer is one thing but vampires and werewolves don’t mix.” The other response meeting Blades eyes just before they enter a nearby door.

It’s no surprise to hear, most people hate vampires, although it seems werewolves and vampires have had a long rivalry that has lasted longer than the one with humans.

Blade pushes the big door open spotting Cinder on the other side of the cafeteria, and makes his way over to her. His eyes widen, mouth slightly dropping open when he notices Zadie. Her curly light brown hair is now shoulder length. Blade closes his mouth sitting down at the table across from Cinder.

“Do you like it?” Cinder asks Zadie, taking a bite of her eggs.

“I love it!” Zadie flings her hair back then goes and sits beside Blade.

“Good morning.” Zadie greets him and he returns the greeting.

Clovis begins sweeping up Zadie's hair that lays on the floor. Luna sits beside Cinder, a plate of pancakes in front of her. Blade eyes her for a moment then looks at Cinder.

“She looks better.”

“Yeah, she woke up feeling better then ever. I was surprised as well.”

Blade folds his hands on the table thinking over last night's events, trying to figure out what could have been the cause of Luna's sudden recovery.

Zadie pulls at the baby blue shirt she wore that had a skull with a winking face along with a pink bow on its head. “Thanks for letting me borrow the shirt by the way. After I clean it I’ll bring it back to you.”

Cinder waves at hand at her, “No need, It’s yours.”

Zadie's face lights up, she’s so tired of wearing the plain clothes the Slayer Organization gave her and it’s not like she can go back and pack up all her clothes. Zadie makes a mental note to ask Mr. Hunter about her going back to the house and getting some belongings once they make it back.

Luna starts humming a song as she eats her breakfast. Blade catches sight of her pointed ears, “She’s part Elven?”

“Oh..yeah. I found her a few months ago wandering aimlessly around the streets, I could tell right away she was a werewolf then I saw the pointy ears.” Cinder looks at Luna, imagines of the small dirty girl in ragged clothes flashing in her mind.

Zadie looks at Luna thinking, “So that’s what she meant by, I’m like her.” Knowing Zadie isn’t the only one who’s so different makes her feel not so alone anymore.

“Maybe her Elven side saved her?” Blade suggested.

Cinder shakes her head, swallowing her food, “If that was the case she would have been better a long time ago, she started showing signs of rabisum about a week and half ago. Then you two show up and she’s magically better.”

Blades eyes drift to Zadie, Luna bite her so she must have ingested some of her blood.

“Do you think Luna could come back to the organization with us?”

Cinders and Blades eyes lock, “I have a theory to what cured her.” Blade explains.

Cinder is quiet, taking a drink of her water before speaking, “Not today but I will bring her there tomorrow myself.”

Blade doesn’t argue knowing that’s the best answer he’s going to get. He nods in agreement.

Zadie's stomach growls, she puts a hand over it looking down sheepishly, Cinder chuckles. “You two can eat then be on your way.”

Blade and Zadie quickly get up grabbing a plate of food. Luna begins asking Zadie all sorts of questions about herself until Cinder steps in telling Luna to let her eat her breakfast in peace.

“Do you have to go?” Luna asks Zadie with a frown. Zadie bends down so she’s eye level with Luna.

“Yes I do but don’t worry I’ll see you tomorrow when you come to the organization and we can hang out some more.” A smile spreads across Luna's face. “You promise?”

Zadie nods, “Yes I promise.”

“Okay!” Luna then skips off back into the building.

“She seems to have become attached to you.” Cinder acknowledges not sure what to think of it.

Zadie shrugs, “I don’t mind it, I mean who could tell that adorable face of hers no?”

Blade smirks, then gets to business. “Thank you for allowing us to stay here overnight and for the food.”

Cinder crosses her arms, “ Couldn’t exactly throw you out and let you starve. I don’t want to cause trouble with the organization, besides you did help me out with a rabisum situation so it was the least I could do.”

Blade smirks, “We’ll see you tomorrow then.”

Cinder nods glad things worked out. Zadie waves goodbye as they walk off down the road to meet their taxi that Cinder had called for them, seems Blades phone is broken.

“Are you feeling okay?” Blade questions, Zadie seeing how her head is resting against the car window.

“I think I’ll go visit the lab once we get back. Once I get some more blood, the wound should completely heal.” She replies, not knowing how much longer she can conceal her pain.

Blade looks out the front windshield, “Looks like we are getting close, it shouldn’t be too long.”

Blade looks over noticing the sheen of sweat on her forehead and her labored breathing, she's in pain.

Blade’s blood smells remarkably sweet being this close Zadie can almost taste it, Zadie’s mind whispers, pushing herself as far away from him as the car door will allow without opening it. Zadie doesn’t understand why she’s hungry for blood when she just had some a few days ago, perhaps it’s because of her wounds causing her the need to replenish the blood she lost after healing her back. Her fangs slide out demanding blood, Zadie quickly shuts her mouth not wanting Blade to see.

A couple minutes later the taxi stops in front of the Slayer Organization, they both unbuckle their seat belts, “I’ll go report what happened to my father while you're at the lab.”

Zadie nods to him without a word then quickly gets out of the car, speed walking to the doors.

By the time Blade closes the car door behind him, Zadie is already in the building.

“That concludes my report.” Blade stands straight with his hands behind his back in front of his father's desk.

Angus leans back in his chair, processing the details he was informed of.

“And are you certain the wolf was rabid?”

“Yes, she had foam coming out of her mouth, bloodshot eyes causing the wolf to be in a rage. She was also strong enough to knockout three other fully grown werewolves.” Blade answers him, remembering it all.

“You say the next morning the wolf was completely fine?” Angus raises an eyebrow.

“Yes sir, I believe it was because the wolf had ingested some of Zadie's blood.” Blade shifts his weight but doesn’t change stances, Angus leans forward making a “hmm” sound.

“If that’s the case the half-bred will be more useful to us then I anticipated. “

Angus starts messing around on his computer. “Can I count on you to look after her, to make sure she doesn’t try to run off?”

Blade tenses, “Of course father... but is she not free to leave whenever she wants?” Blade asks him confused by his order.

“I only told her that so she would feel free to do as she pleases. I always have someone keeping an eye on her to be safe.” Angus pushes the send button in his email before looking at his son.

“I don’t understand, she has done nothing wrong so why keep her under surveillance? I understand not letting her leave without someone else with her, for she might be going to see her father but why while she’s here?”

“She is one of a kind, you have seen what she is capable of first hand and who knows what other abilities she has hidden up her sleeve. If this other werewolf is like her then she may also have to be supervised twenty four seven.”

They stare at one another for a long minute, “I have just emailed Dr. Johnson, of the details about the wolf girl who will be here tomorrow, if you can’t handle this case, son I can assign someone else to it. I know you and I both have our problems when it comes to vampires so there’s no judgement here.” Angus says with consideration.

“No it’s fine dad I promise. Zadie isn’t like other vampires so it doesn’t bother me.” A small smile spreads on Blades face.

With a stern expression Angus replies, “Even so she is still a vampire Blade never forget that. If she breaks the law then it is your duty to carry out her punishment no matter if she is part human.”

Blade loses his smile nodding in understanding even though he could never see Zadie ever hurting anyone.