Josephine clenched her jaw. Shit.

“I promise I won’t bite,” said the woman who then turned to the display case that Josephine was hiding behind.

Josephine, planning on whipping around the glass case and shoot the woman, readied herself.

“That is a terrible place to hide. I commend you on your nerves. I could barely pick up your heartbeat. Now, will you stand, hunter?” continued the woman.

Josephine jerked up and turned around, pulling out her gun at the same time. Her eyes widened slightly now that she could see the vampire in full. She suppressed a gasp as her eyes trailed the twisted swirl patterned of skin that ran down half of the vampire's face and down the neck.

The vampire’s pale, bluish lips parted enough for a pair of fangs to poke out from a slight smile and light blue eyes danced with amusement. “You’ve never seen burned skin?” she said. She crossed one foot over her opposite knee before placing her—Josephine had to admit it was a pretty slick—sword across her thighs.

“Aren’t you afraid that I would shoot?” asked Josephine, her fingers twisting around the trigger of the gun. Logically, she should just shoot and run. In fact, she should have done like she planned to, but there was something about the vampire that she couldn’t quite put a finger on.

“If I thought you would, you would not be standing there let alone even enter my bedroom,” said the vampire. She cocked her head slightly. “Well, that and I’d chop your hands off before you pulled the trigger.”

Josephine smirked nervously. “You’re funny,” she said. No visions came. At least it was good to know the vampire wasn’t going to kill her, but that didn’t mean the vampire wasn’t serious about chopping her hands off. She can still lose her hands and live. Her visions wouldn’t show that.

The vampire pursed her lips a little. “Can I ask why you are here in my bedroom? In fact, in San Francisco at all? We’ve held our part in our agreement up so far,” she asked.

“Agreement?” responded Josephine. She was about to ask what the hell the vampire was talking about when she remembered what her former handler and Telera had told her about San Francisco. The very fact why, at least she believed, Father George was in the city in the first place. “Oh, that the, uh, Accords of—”

“The Accords of Sidreal,” finished the vampire, who then stood up with her sword casually at her side. “The agreement to leave us the fuck alone and we give you info on the European Council. Something tells me your bosses don’t know you are here.”

“Well, former bosses. I am sorta not with the Order,” said Josephine. She casually held out her gun to her side to mimic the vampire.

The vampire’s eyebrows lifted up. “Oh, so you’re a renegade,” said the vampire.

“Something like that,” smiled Josephine. She then blinked.

Suddenly, the vampire was not in front of the desk. Her back hand felt a strong pinpoint pressure, causing her to drop her gun. “Fuck!” she shouted. She turned to see the vampire now at her side and holding her hand. “How did you--”

“Nice gun,” said the vampire in a deadpan voice.

Josephine narrowed her eyes at the vampire and waited.

The vampire pursed her lips. “Why are you just staring at me?” she asked curiously.

Josephine grinned and, with her other arm, swung back an elbow.

But the vampire wasn’t there anymore and Josephine made an awkward twist in the air before tripping over herself and landed on the floor on her butt. “Goddamn, you’re like a silent fart," she complained.

The vampire appeared next to her gun. She frowned before crouching down and over Josephine’s gun. “I don’t think I smell but I agree with you about the silent part,” she said. She then tried to pick up Josephine’s gun. Her frown deepened, and she gripped the gun tighter. “Why doesn’t it move?” she asked.

“Cuz you’re not the chosen one,” answered Josephine.

The vampire arched an eyebrow before standing up. “I see. Then I’ll get the floor underneath,” she said. The vampire then stabbed her sword into the floor next to the gun.

“Kyaaaaah!” shouted Josephine and launched herself at the vampire but missed! She rolled on the floor, barely missing the sword impaled next to her gun. When she stopped, she realized she was staring up at the vampire.

Josephine struggled to move her arms but the vampire, now straddling over her, held them down. “How do you move so fast?” she asked. Usually, she could see a blur but this vampire was almost like she magically transports from one spot to the next.

“I just do,” said the vampire.

“Are you going to bite me and drink me dry?” said Josephine, continuing to struggle.

“No,” scoffed the vampire.

“Then why are you holding me down?” asked Josephine.

“Because you keep attacking me in my own bedroom,” said the vampire.

Josephine had no comeback with that. The vampire was technically right. She gave up the struggle and let her head rest on the floor. There must be a way I can get her, she thought. That was when she realized something about the vampire, what made her not shoot the vampire when she had the chance.

“You have really pretty eyes, y’know,” she said dreamily.

The vampire scrunched up her eyebrows. “What--,” started the vampire.

Josephine lifted her head up and put her lips over the vampire’s. She felt and heard the vampire gasped in surprise. I got her now! Whether it was for pleasure or for her plan, it didn’t matter. She let her kiss linger. She could feel the vampire’s grip over her relaxing just a little.

Then she made her move. She willed herself and, in her mind, called out to her gun. She didn’t need to see it but she could feel it move off the ground and flung itself to her hand. In one motion, she managed to free her gun arm and pressed the tip of the gun at the vampire’s chest.

The vampire hissed. “The gun flies too?”

Josephine grinned. “Of course. I am a hunter. Hmm, you’re not faster than a bullet or else you’d disappear by now,” she observed.

The vampire’s eyes narrowed. “Not at this close range,” she said spitefully.

“Good to know,” winked Josephine before using her other hand and body to flip over the vampire. Now she straddled the vampire. “Move your hands above your head,” she ordered.

The vampire let out a sigh as she moved her hands above her head. “This is embarrassing,” she said under her breath.

“Yeah, I would be,” chuckled Josephine. Then winked at the vampire. “I promise I won’t tell your friends.”

“Thanks,” said the vampire in her deadpan voice. “So, what now? You haven’t pulled the trigger.”

“Good question,” said Josephine. She quickly scanned the surrounding area. “You need to get an interior designer ‘cause your bedroom looks like a page from my middle school history book.”

“Noted,” said the vampire. “How about we start with why you are here?”

Josephine nodded. She couldn’t tell the truth that she was here to place a spy device for Telera. “Yes, okay, I admit it was because….” She wasn’t really good on making shit up on the spot. “You told me to?” she said absentmindedly.

The vampire scrunched up her eyebrows. “I don’t think we ever met,” she said.

“Maybe I was stalking you then?” joked Josephine.

The vampire’s eyes narrowed. “That’s bullshit. You’d know my name,” she responded.

Josephine grinned. The vampire looked cute pissed off despite the gnarled burned skin. “Of course, it’s Julie!” she teased.

“Do I look like a Julie?” snapped the vampire.

“Julie is a great name!” said Josephine indignantly. “I named my first pet that.”

“You don’t know my name. It’s Zea,” said the vampire.

“Oh hey, that’s a nice name. Kinda reminds me of Xena but your is without the ‘n’,” commented Josephine.

“That was a good show but let’s stay one point,” said Zea curtly.

“Alright alright, Ms. Grumpy,” said Josephine.

Zea rolled her eyes. “You have a gun pointed at my chest. Yes, I am grumpy. Who wouldn’t?” she said.

Josephine laughed but pressed the gun into Zea’s chest. She spoke with a slight threat. “Funny. So, Zea, what are you guys meeting Leora for?”

Zea cocked an eyebrow. “I see. Well, we’re asking your friend to do a favor for us,” she said.

“She’s not a friend. What’s the favor?” clarified Josephine.

“Go get us a scroll,” said Zea simply.

Josephine smirked. “That’s it? You could send anybody to do that.”

“We wanted your non-friend acquaintance to prove she’s not a threat to House Eagle. This simple task is for her to prove her intentions,” explained Zea.

Josephine pursed her lips. She didn't really believe Zea and most vampires were liars, anyway. A vibration from her wrist had her zoned onto the surface of her Apple watch. The words, “They left. Where R U?” appeared over the watch’s face.

“Uh, huh. Alright,” said Josephine. She had to leave but first there was something that had been bothering her for some time. “How did you guys find my hideout?” she asked.

“I followed you,” Zea answered.

Josephine narrowed her eyes and cocked her gun. “How?” she repeated.

Zea shrugged. “I stayed in the shadows and watched where you went from your apartment,” she said.

Then it dawned upon Josephine. “So that vampire wasn’t alone that night.”

“No, he wasn’t. Granted, I was following him at first,” said Zea. She looked down at the barrel of the gun and noticed it was inscribed with runes. She partially made out some words, but it didn’t quite make sense to her. “You haven’t pulled the trigger,” she said.

“You keep saying that. Did you expect me to?” smiled Josephine.

“It would be the best option. Well, if I were you, I would do that,” said Zea a matter-of-factly.

Josephine bent over and kissed Zea once again. She sighed when she parted. “You have soft lips... I’ll tell you what. I am going to make a deal with you. Unless you want me to pull the trigger?” offered Josephine.

Zea looked down at the gun barrel before finally speaking. “What is that you want?” she asked.

“You let me leave in peace and I let you live. Simple enough,” answered Josephine.

“You’re not very good at making deals,” said Zea and wondered if it was a good idea what she was about to propose to the renegade hunter. “I don’t care what you do here, but I do care about you killing my fellow vampires in the city. I’ve let you slide so far but only because you haven’t killed one of us.”

“I dunno about that. I shot that one vampire, and I got a few handfuls at my hideout,” Josephine said as she recalled her rescue of Leora.

“They lived. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here over me with a gun over my chest,” said Zea.

“Hmph, you make it sound like you can take me out but I am here with my gun over you. Maybe I should just shoot you,” responded Josephine and went for a third kiss before Zea could respond. “So you want me to not kill your friends and you leave me alone?” she said huskily, finally parting.

“Yes,” said Zea slightly out of breath.

“What if your homies try to kill me?” Josephine asked.

“They won’t unless you tried to kill them,” answered Zea.

“Fair enough but just letting you know if they did try to kill me, I will kill them. Sounds fair?” added Josephine.

“I agree. I will warn them that,” nodded Zea.

Josephine searched Zea’s face. Partially because she was seeing if any visions popped up in case the vampire changed her mind decided to kill her. Also partially was because, up close, those burns looked at least a few days old.

An average vampire would have recovered to perfect skin the next day. Those that didn’t were, as her old handler described, bottom feeders of vampire society. Bottom feeders were the weakest type of vampires having only the bare minimum abilities and those abilities were half as good as the average vampire.

Heck, the Order would use them as training for baby acolytes. However, after seeing Zea’s speed, she may have to rethink about these bottom feeders. Also Zea, if she closed one eye to not see the burned side, was ridiculously hot!

Zea felt her cheeks burning up from Josephine’s gaze. Did the Hunter want something else? Or perhaps seal the deal physically? She cleared her throat. “So are you in agreement, hunter?” she asked.

“Yes,” answered Josephine. She pulled away from the vampire and stood up. She then tucked away her gun and let out her hand. “And my name is Josephine. In case you didn’t catch that with your stalking.”

Zea reached up and grabbed Josephine’s hand. For a second she felt the hunter’s strength and, somewhat worriedly, the potential for more. She let the Hunter pull her up. “I did,” she said.

“So you saw me in the shower then?” teased Josephine.

“No, I just watched outside of your building--” Zea stopped speaking and stood frozen in her position.

Josephine moved her hand away to reveal a round gadget with a needle end in the vampire’s skin. She had secretly retrieved the gadget from her inner pockets when she was putting away her gun. Vampires had a nervous system like all mammals. The paralyzation toxins in the gadget will immobilize for them for a short time. Even longer time with bottom feeders. “I just need a head start. It’ll wear off in an hour,” she said. She then lightly tapped Zea’s nose. “And remember, I didn’t kill you so you have to let me be. Bye stalker.”

She turned around and quickly left the room, leaving the vampire standing frozen in place.