Koa sent another annoyed glance at Rojan who’d found a way to the mini mart the night before and to his apartment this morning but seemed to not have any vehicle readily available. Turning down a slightly bumpier road he followed Rojan’s directions into a small parking lot around back from what had once been a row home but was broken up into a few apartments. Placed between a barber shop and an antique store.

  “How did you get her address?” Koa asked. Rojan fidgeted.

  “It seems that one of the effects of this situation is I have a varied understand of where she is.” Rojan huffed out sounding like he wasn’t too fond of the fact. It was none of Koa’s business though, so he didn’t ask.

  Stepping out of the car Koa paused trying to stay out of the way of the man who popped out of the car and jumping around to the other side to release a little boy maybe eight.

  “Come on Dad.” The boy whined.

  “Aur. Wait a second, I need to get your things.” The man breathed. The boy pouted crossing his arms.

  They left the scene of hurrying father and impatient child. Koa looked for a buzzer and blinked at the sigil on the door. Rojan looked surprised to but let out a small zap of energy and the door clicked open.

  “Not Vampire.” Koa voiced softly. Rojan nodded and they headed inside. One either wall their was a door and back farther was a stair well that lead upstairs slightly opened down.

  “Your senses tell you which apartment she’s in?” Koa asked. Rojan glared at him and Koa shrugged letting Rojan lead the way. They trudged up the stairs and turned to a pale red door on the left side of the stairs.

  Rojan stood stiff and rigid not doing anything. Rolling his eyes Koa knocked. Surprisingly the area filled with barking but not thick intimidating barking, light almost squeaky barking. Koa looked at Rojan thinking that he must have been wrong.

  “Shush Rutabaga.” The semi familiar voice called and the door opened to show the sharp intimidatingly capable woman with her hair pulled back in knitted shorts and a large over size sweatshirt hugging a dog in almost a curl up. She swung the dog gently even as she glared daggers at them. “What do you want?” Misery asked her tone like an accusation.

  Koa looked at Rojan who annoyingly was still of no use.

  “There was more we had to cover from last night.” Koa offered deciding to take note of every second of this annoying overtime. Misery sighed and leaned back, grimaced.

  “Sure, let’s hurry this up. What do you need to know?” She asked, stepping back and letting them in. She placed the dog down after they were in.

  “Now Ruty, we need to at least pretend they are friends for the moment so no funny business. Can you do that?” She asked the dog like she was speaking to her intellectual equal. The dog looked at them ran around her legs. “Have a seat.” Misery insisted, motioning farther into the apartment.

  It wasn’t a dark dwelling full of book filled crevices and cave like demeanor. The walls were a crisp if aged white with carefully placed peal and stick swirls that left a cozy but fantastical feel. Her furniture was framed in dark woods but the fabrics were colorful. There were plants some real some fake. Thin flowy drapes shielded the windows.

  The kitchen counters had bar seating that was covered with an artists clutter both physical and digital and she had a bright but tiny dining area.

  As soon as they both were sat on the fluffy couch. Rutabaga the dog launched their tiny body across Rojan who stared down at them like looking for an explanation.

  “I said pretend.” Misery huffed out. “I’ve got teas the hot kind, coffee also the hot kind. Water, milk and juice pouches.” She listed off handedly picking up and replacing things it seemed she was working on before they got there. She grabbed something from a cabinet and placed it down.

  Ancient blue glass that seemed to bloom into the shape of a flower. She lifted the lid to show little candies.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  “Coffee would be fine.” Koa offered at the same time Rojan breathed.

  “Tea.”

  “Cool.” She breathed ducking behind the counter. Rojan seemed to take this as a chance to look around the room. Koa didn’t search as intently but he was curious. Koa blinked as his eyes caught sight of a framed picture of Misery and the man and boy they saw down stairs. They were dressed for Halloween he’d guess. They looked like a family.

  “So what do you guys need?” She asked as she set water to boil in a antique kettle.

  “There were questions about what exactly was set a flame in the truck.” Rojan finally voiced. Misery nodded.

  “From what I saw, weapons and poorly formed and executed notes on how each thing affected vampires. My theory is someone talked a bunch of people who would have happily looked for trouble any way and offered them a mission to test some theories right them down and maybe they’d get paid for the information.” Misery, offered to them. “Honestly, I’ve been approached a few times with similar offers in the past seeing as I’m not scared to go out at night.” She explained. “I figured with such poorly executed notes they probably didn’t have back ups so the flames ate the research and freaked them out enough to make them leave.” The way she spoke felt like Koa was walking right through how her mind worked.

  “Did any information stand out to you?” Koa found himself asking sure even in panic she’d have caught onto something. Before she could formulate more a knock had Rutabaga up and running in happy circles barking.

  Misery glanced at them and looked annoyed again then considering.

  “Ruty, quiet. I’m coming.” Misery stated each word pointedly. The dog stopped barking but continued jumping at the door until Misery opened it and the little boy from outside met dog like they’d been parted for years.

  “Ruty!” He squealed. Misery stood hands on hips watching the scene. Koa found his attention pulled to her she took a stance that his mind wanted to assign the title of mom too. Yet the way the little boy shot up and hugged her.

  “Hi, Ree.” He breathed.

  “Hey, Tiny Tike, where’s Dumbie?” She asked him. The little boy giggled.

  “I’m coming. How are we still transferring so much stuff back and forth?” A man laughed shaking his head shoving stuff to the side. He walked over and kissed Misery just a peck on her lips. “Things going a bit better?” He asked with a soft sort of care. Misery glanced over to them and the man followed the look and shifted back surprised but his face never leaving friendly.

  “Who are your friends?” He asked her. She gave him a dry sort of look.

  “I have friends?” She snorted at the prospect. “They are the vampire’s from last night.” She told him. The man’s face stayed placidly friendly, but his eyes lit with a mirth match by no other. He turned and grabbed the bags he’d just tossed to the side and hiked them up disappearing into on of the two doors on the other side of the apartment.

  The little boy dog at hip followed.

  The man came back without boy or dog.

  “Nice to meet you both. I’m Theo and the little boy is my son Aurelius.” The man offered standing like he was used to introductions never wavering in his pleasant demeanor and leaving them having to stand to accept the greeting. Koa mused that though the man was more pleasant seeming and friendly then Misery he clearly had as little fear as her.

  “Two teas and a coffee and whatever you’re having.” Misery called holding a plastic container and a juice box disappearing into the bedroom. Theo comfortably walked over to her stove when the water as if on que screamed and did as she directed. A tray filled he walked over and placed it on a small coffee table.

  Koa blinked at the vampiric runes imprinted in decorative swirls around the brim.

  “Misery got into ceramics for a bit.” Theo offered. Koa nodded.

  “Milk, sugar?” He asked motioning to similarly decorated containers. When Theo was handling his own drink and what must be Misery’s she ducked out.

  “He’s absorbed in his stuffy tales.” Misery stated dropping down on the arm of the chair Theo was sitting in.

  “Is Aurelius yours?” The words dropped out of Koa’s mouth before he thought of how rude they might be. Misery didn’t blink or faulter.

  “He’s, my choice.” She gave no more explanation.

  “You have to run?” She asked Theo. Theo shook his head.

  “My date’s not until later.” He told her. Misery nodded and turned back to them as if giving permission for them to continue. Koa found himself more and more simply curious about the two. Trying to sort out what they were to each other.

  “We were talking about information that stuck out to me.” Misery thought out loud weighing. “Well I guess there was…” And one thought led to another. And soon Koa found himself jotting down notes while Rojan seemed to be just watching Misery.

  “There wasn’t enough time to really analyze it.” She huffed as if annoyed by that. Theo elbowed her.

  “You just listed about twenty things they’d been looking into. Most people would need to analyze it to remember that.” He offered softly. Misery shrugged him off and huffed. He leaned back.

  Koa noticed that the two really didn’t touch. He kissed her when he came in, she sat on the arm of his chair, and he’d elbowed more at her. They didn’t have small intimate touches that he’d assign to a couple and yet their energy was that of two people who were so in sync with each other that they didn’t need words to understand.

  Koa glanced at Rojan again who was looking around the room.