Cassian Legacy: The Vampire Prince
Chapter 24

It didn’t take me long to replace thesection of town I knew all too well after having lived in the area the firsttwo months I arrived in the city. I hated this place. I hated remembering whatmy life was like before I left that crappy apartment and found the cottage Inow stayed in. I lived like a rat, with barely any money.

There was enough light on thestreet at this time of day, and though I struggled replaceing a small nest whereMs. Ingram could hunt vampires, I wouldn’t be catching them outside right now.It was a futile approach already - this was what happened when I acted rashly.I knew I would have to return later and survey the area, waiting for one toapproach this neighborhood. I could always target the warehouse, but therewould be too many for her to take on. I needed the smaller nest, where I couldlure at least one out.

I spotted my usual hunting perchfrom the sidewalk and started circling the area until it got dark enough Icould jump up to the roof without entering the building. Plus, I didn’t need tobe seen in broad daylight. There weren’t very many people outside, but thatdidn’t mean anything. This part of the city was another world - it thrived atnight, and as dusk approached, people awoke. Already others stirred from thewindows of the rundown motels and shabby apartments, though it was barelymidday.

I passed a few of the lunch hourstreet walkers. They weren’t as scantily clad as the nighttime ones, but Irecognized their clothing, easily spotting them for what they were. They didn’tgreet me while I passed. They knew what they were looking for, and I was notit.

Eventually as I crossed to the nextstreet, I stopped hearing their cat calls and hollers. I traveled around allover this part of town wondering if I would come across anything that mightlead me to what I was looking for. By now the feeders from the warehousewould’ve moved, after I took out one of their wealthier patrons, that was ifthey were smart. Sometimes the patrons didn’t move their nests, but I figuredthey would have left by now seeing I hadn’t hunted in the area in over a month.Enough time had passed to change the neighborhood.

I circled back around, giving thearea one last sweep. If I didn’t replace what I was looking for right now, I wouldreturn later. Besides, eventually I would need to feed again, and this was theexact spot I would hunt from.

The girls were headed in mydirection again, this time on a completely different street. Sometimes theymoved around, decreasing the chances the police would catch them. I hardly paidthem any attention, but as they passed their lively chatter reached my ears,and their conversation didn’t involve the usual complaints about a certainanonymous client. This discussion involved a feeder nest that I didn’trecognize. The three talked about a new depot two streets over. I had alreadypassed that area and searched for signs of life from within the walls, butafter hearing no sounds of anything bigger than a rat I had moved on. Thebuilding they discussed didn’t exactly look like a base for smuggling. Buttheir vigorous chatter had me second guessing myself.

I paused on the street and tuned myears onto their conversation. I remembered to keep out of their line of sightso that they wouldn’t be suspicious by my sudden attentions focused on them. IfI had to pay for information, I would, but first I’d glean it for free.Sometimes people talked about something they knew nothing about and droppedhints that they didn’t know were hints to begin with.

All these girls talked about werethe depot and how much money they could make by standing on the corner of theblock it was located on, which was an immediate give away that the building wasmore than it seemed. One of the girls knew that it was funded by someoneimportant and with money, which immediately drew the other two into theconversation. But the shenanigans that went on inside the depot itself weren’tdiscussed, which meant that none of them had been in its depths, signaling thattheir minds couldn’t have been corrupted by vampires. If anyone knew whathappened in the neighborhood it were them, and the fact that they didn’t knowwhat actually transpired in that building worried me.

I crossed the street once more andheaded straight for their location. I approached the pack head on, signalingthem out on the bare street. As soon as they saw me coming they stoppedchattering and turned on their appeal and charisma. Only I didn’t see it ascharisma and appeal, but a crude display of sexuality.

I straightened my shoulders andshook my head. I was not here for that purpose. “I need information.”

The girl who spoke about the depotearlier stepped forward. Up close her hair was extra shiny, which I knewimmediately to be a wig of some sort. They all packed on makeup and wigs, fakenails and fake eyelashes, anything that massively stood out. The blondwig-wearer even went so far putting in different colored contacts - these werelavender. But with all of the pretense and the pretending, it wouldn’tcompletely shield and protect their true identities with the men they serviced.

“We don’t provide anything withouta fee,” she sneered.

They must’ve known that I wasn’texactly one of the ones that resided in the area. I had been too far removedfrom this society for them to recognize me, plus I wore my school uniform, notthe faded t-shirt and jeans I put on when I stayed at the moldy apartment.Rather than explain to them that I used to live here and was wondering aboutthe security situation, I paid the fee. These gals needed cash more thanfriendship, plus I wasn’t their pal. I handed her all the cash I had on me.

The girl barely glanced at thetwenty dollar bill I handed her, but she hastily stuffed it into the cup of herpink bra, which showed through her scantily clad top. “That won’t buy much.”

I shrugged. “It’s all the cash Icarry on me.” I had learned long ago that one shouldn’t carry more than thebare minimum or as absolutely necessary. Anything higher than a twenty in thisage was excessive and setting yourself up for disappointment when it gotstolen.

She didn’t say anything more, so Iknew she would feed me some information just not much. This was a situationwhere I needed to choose my words carefully and only ask one or two questions.I was looking for something in particular to see if the depot was used forfeeders or nesters, and the two were very different as to how their operationsran.

I stepped closer and gazed into herblue eyes, making myself look charming and friendly without resorting tocompulsion. “I know about the depot, the new one two streets over.” I hadlowered my voice. I didn’t want anyone else overhearing this conversation. Bykeeping this a secret from the others on the street, she would indulge moreinformation rather than if I stood away, kept my distance, and talked in anormal voice. Everyone liked mystery after all, even a prostitute.

She raised her chin slightly,letting me know that she understood where I was going with my questions.

I continued. “I would like to knowwhat they deal in.”

She frowned. “I don’t know anythingabout that.”

I stared into those eyes of hersand lowered my voice even more so that it was barely above a whisper. “I’m justwondering that’s all. I heard that there were some young girls being moved intothe area, you know, for slave trafficking?”

The question hit the switch insideher mind. Her curiously but wary eyes went wide with surprise. No matter howmuch I despised their work, all prostitutes hated men who used girls in thatway, especially young girls. They abhorred human trafficking, even when theirwork allowed men to use them the way they used the girls in slave trades.

The woman swallowed and blushedprofusely, angered over the supposed gossip. “Look, that’s not what I heard,but that better not be true.”

I nodded, though I didn’t drop myserious gaze. “Will you please put my fears to rest?”

She relaxed and leaned forward. “Iwas walking by the other night from finishing up a job when they were movingsome furniture in. It was the usual kind you see normally in houses - couches,chairs, a table or two. They all told me while I passed that it was forcharity, but one brief glance inside the open door told me that was a lie.There were several more couches and chairs set up, in addition to beds andmattresses all composited in a gigantic space. The room itself was dimly lit,but I swear I saw a couple in there, nibbling on each other’s necks. The wholeplace gave me a creepy vibe so I got away as quick as I could. But I overheardthem talking, about the owner, and that’s how I found out he was made of money.It didn’t look like a depot for slave traders, and believe me I’ve seen them.”

I smiled back at her, grateful forher abundant description. “Thank you. I’ll remember to stay away.”

She shook her head at me. “If it isa slave trade you better stay away from there. Pretty girl like you? You’d besold at once. And they have ways of getting you.”

The other two looked extremelyworried about my safety at once.

I shared a smile with them both,reassuring them that I would be fine regardless. “Thanks, but I can take careof myself.”

I retreated back to the other sideof the street. She may not have known it, but she just described a nest, whichwas much better than a feeding ground. Tonight, Ms. Ingram would have herchoice of vampire to kill. All I had to do was point one of them out.