Isn’t he just so cute? Peeking out from behind the bookshelf, Katie couldn’t help but sigh as she watched her history professor scan titles. A shy small-town girl, she wasn’t the kind that knew how to flit from guy to guy. In fact, she’d only ever dated one guy, and she’d broken up with him in her junior year of high school. Jim had been a self-centered jerk who put on like he wasn’t. But Mr. Finch… he was so studious and considerate. He always had a nice word to say when she saw him in class—and he knew who she was.

Unobtrusively, she worked her way towards him, “accidentally” bumping against him. “Oh, Mr. Finch, I’m sorry. I’m clumsy.” She apologized.

He smiled at her, making his blue eyes—so dreamy—crinkle at the corners. “That’s fine, Katie.” One finger holding his page, Romax turned to her, looking at her like she held his complete attention. Her heart fluttered. “How are you this evening? Picking up a good novel?”

She laughed slightly. “Oh, I wish. My roommate spilled her Red Bull on my copy of Perrine’s Literature, so I was going to check one out until she buys me a new one. How about you?”

“Nothing so industrious, I’m afraid.” He held up the book he’d been reading so she could see the cover. “The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen. I have a soft spot for murder mysteries.” He smiled, flashing even white teeth.

“I’ve heard of her. I read one of her books. It was about, um, an expedition to space and a lot of the astronauts died. I liked it.” As it turned out, Romax had read the book as well, so he and Katie spent a few more minutes discussing it before she had to leave. Smiling, she checked her literature book out, then headed out of the library into the pitch-colored night. "They really need to replace that light." Katie thought with tired annoyance, glancing up at the burned-out lamp.

Suddenly, an arm grabbed her, sending her book and purse flying. She opened her mouth to scream, but a strong hand clamped over her mouth before she could make a sound. Even as she kicked and clawed, the arm around her was like an iron band, dragging her off the sidewalk and deeper into the shadows. She could hear heavy breathing at her ear, and terror bloomed black in her chest. Oh, God, no. Katie doubled her frantic efforts to break free, throat working as she screamed against her attacker’s hand, unable to make any more sound that panicked gasps. Painfully, her head was wrenched to the side, and tears dripped from her eyes as a sharp pain stabbed her exposed throat. Gradually, as she lost more and more blood, her struggles ceased, her eyes unfocused. The pain was still there, but it slid beneath a comfortable haze—in fact, it was oddly pleasurable.

The palm pressing against her mouth relaxed as her hands dropped and she stopped struggling. Dimly, she was aware of the pressure on her neck alleviating, and a vague sense of disappointment.

He didn’t like hurting anyone. But he had no talent when it came to mentally manipulating those he fed from. Gently, Romax laid the girl on the ground, wiping a few spots of her blood from his lips. Picking up her book and purse, he laid them beside her.

Leaving her there, he walked to a payphone to call for an ambulance. They would come and give her a couple of stitches and some iron supplements. Most likely, she wouldn’t even remember what happened.

Hale was out on this most wonderful of nights and slowly the temperature was heading towards something he liked. He like the weather warm and unfortunately this place had basically six months of winter. He didn't mind the cold, he barely felt it, it was simply an annoyance like any other.

He had decided a few minutes ago that he would head to the library, perhaps to read some historical book of some sort. It was a most unusual night for Hale. The Ishak library, where he spent most of his nights when he wasn't out causing havoc, had not many books of interest besides the vampire history. So right now he wanted something different, he was sure that the mortal library would provide that.

His eyes caught movement and he paused turning towards the movement. He simply watched and saw a vampire feeding off a young female. Hale shrugged his small shoulders and continued on his way. That was none of his business. He stopped at the entrance of the library his nose smelling the mortals and even a few vampires. What did this treasure chest hold?

Romax dropped the phone back to the cradle, staring at a small child walking towards the library. The kid had appeared to have seen them, despite the shadows of the building in which Romax had slouched. But the boy did nothing.

Odd, really, unless... Did they make them that small? It probably wasn't out of the realm of possibility. At his feet, Katie began to stir. He glanced down, catching his glasses before they fell off his nose. Impatiently, he waited for the kid to go inside. If it was just a little boy, Romax didn't want him around when the paramedics got here.

But the boy just stood there, looking into the library. Damn. Well, he hadn't seemed to notice Romax feeding off of the girl, most likely he wouldn't mind if Romax called for an ambulance. Picking up the phone again, he dialed, muffling his voice when informing that there was a girl lying on the ground near the Ellis Library. He didn't give a name and hung up.

He turned to leave, but looked back. Something about the little boy caught his attention. Romax was a naturally curious sort. Ducking back in the shadows, he stood still for a moment, wondering where he could possibly hide so he couldn't be seen by the ambulance. Probably be best to play a bystander, he decided at last, heading back towards the library. He'd go in, then come back out, just another rubbernecker.

Hale simply stood there and wondered how many books could be found in such a place and how many of them would be of interest to him. He simply couldn't imagine anything like this, well he could but then again he had never been the Alexandria Library. There had been a lot of things there, yet now most of it had been destroyed. Some mortals had no respect for history or heritage.

He felt someone watching him and saw the vampire that had fed off the mortal. Was he simply going to stay there and stare at him? Some fledglings were idiots, total idiots. Well it either that or they were extremely naive. Hale stared back, hands of his hips. Either stop staring at me or I will hurt you. Hale was quite forward and it was unheard of for him not to go through with a threat.

Not waiting for an answer of any sort. He strode into the library. Once inside he hesitated. By Isis, there were books everywhere. He took a few tentative steps forward, his eyes looking at everything. He then saw a board that said where the books that he wanted were. He paused looking at the board.

Romax pressed the heel of his palm just above his eye. Well, that settled it. The boy was not just a boy. The tall man watched as the knee-high stomped into the library, radiating irritation.

"I wasn't staring at you, shorty, I was waiting for you to move." Romax muttered under his breath as the door swished shut behind Hale, matching the annoyance he had heard within his head. He rubbed his temple. All he'd wanted was a quick meal. In the distance, he heard the sound of an approaching siren. "She's not that bad off, boys."

Damn. He didn't want to follow the boy into the library, but he didn't want to be out here when the paramedics arrived either. Turning on his heel, he strode towards the library, moving swiftly but without obvious haste.

Romax nearly walked into the boy as he entered the building. Hale stood staring at the sign designating which sections were which. "My guess, you're not looking for the Clifford series." Romax said drolly, swiping a hand at his black hair as the siren came closer.

Hale hesitated between ignoring the man behind him and hitting him. The man was lucky, Hale was in an exceptionally good mood tonight. He was extremely lucky, because any other night, Hale wouldn't have hesitated to tear him apart, limb by limb. It made a gory mess and that was the way that Hale liked it.

He wasn't an animal, no he did this tearing apart in a systematic way. He was perhaps a complete torturer and he did it without batting an eyelash, enjoying the pain the mortals or vampires felt.

Hale snarled at the man deciding a good in between. "I may look like child, but I probably know more than you do. I'm not looking for the children section, but the history section." He pointed to it on the board and turned to face the man, his eyes dead serious. "Now unless you need anything from me, I'm going to go read." He waited arms crossed over his chest.

It had always been told that his flippant tongue would someday be the downfall of him. In the Army, he could easily have been an officer if not for his innate ability to irritate. Reflecting on that, Romax realized that his affinity for dry comments had actually been a downfall already.

Had he not died for laughing at a most inoppurtune moment?

"That surprises me not at all." Romax replied, sliding his hands comfortably in his pockets. He had, after all, said that he didn't expect the not-so-little boy to be looking for kiddie books. As for the knowing more thing, well, he had to admit the little vampire in front of him probably had a lot more firsthand experience than he did. Romax's knowledge had come from books and study.

He waved on hand towards the stairs, where most of the history books were. "Go, read, though you probably have more insight into what the books cover than their authors did." A few people were coming near to the door, apparently drawn in by the flashing lights outside. The absolute mesmerism pinball lights had on humans... Romax didn't understand it.

Hale watched the man that was now in front of him and shrugged. The man had probably died and been in trouble for that tongue of his, it didn't surprise Hale not in the least. If Hale had grown up, he probably would have been the same, with better control over his own tongue. The Egyptian Army didn't look kindly on sarcasm or smart-mouth remarks.

HAle shook his head. "I read things I don't know, though there are times where I want to hunt down authors and give them a piece of my mind. Something that I do read is completely wrong, then again how can I ever publish anything, I'm only a child in most people's mind. I'm not worthy of their interest."

He then turned his back on the younger vampire and made his way up the stairs and into the history section. For a moment he had no idea where to start. History from his area, his time period or something different all together. He then nodded, Canadian history. He had to understand the country he lived in. He took a random book down the shelf and settled in a stuffed chair. He opened the book and started to read.

Romax moved away from the door slightly, so as not to be heard by the small crowd of people watching raptly as the girl was lifted onto a stretcher and into the back of the bus. He resisted the urge to curl his lip. Even when alive he had disliked those that looked upon misfortune as some kind of entertainment.

Even though he himself found himself drawn to watch.

He turned back to Hale. An odd sight, if any had been paying attention, this broad-shouldered man speaking so soberly to an apparent nine/ten year-old. "Why not publish something? You could submit your work under a pen name, no? Or even have someone else handle the meetings with agents and editors?" Romax asked.

He'd never published anything other than researcher papers, himself. Then again, how different would a non-fiction history book be? Romax hardly noticed the smaller vampire deserting him for a book on Canadian history, thinking instead about publishing and writing.

Hale simply didn't get along with people. It would have to be someone that was completely under his control and would do whatever he wanted. It wouldn't work well if he wasn't in control. That was the difficult thing with doing something so adult like. No one would believe that you wrote any of it. It was a depressing thought.

His eyes were wide as he read the interesting bit of history about the Korean war and the part that Canada played in it. Of course the entire war had been a failure, but the Canadian troops had heart and were willing to fight for the greater good. Hale paused at the thought. Greater good? Was there ever a thing as the greater good or were mortals simply disillusioned? He didn't believe in good, how could he when he loved destruction?

He bent his head back over the book, ignoring everything including the people crowded at the windows, looking at the ambulance.

Well, then. With Katie taken care of and the ambulance trundling away, lights and siren shut off, Romax watched the people disperse. They whispered amongst themselves, knowing only that the girl taken away was young. Drugs, they whispered, so full of themselves as they sat on their pompous thrones.

This was not worth his time.

His only peer in the midst of this herd of cattle had vanished. Romax had no desire to follow him. Waiting a few more minutes, perusing the titles stacked upon the bestseller rack to pass the time, the tall vampire slipped from the library.