Colum had left the Ave Verum Concert Hall with several mixed emotions running through his head. He was embarrassed by his performance tonight, one would think after months of endless practice he would be able to play one simple song without even blinking an eye, but he’d done more than blinked, he’d flinched – and all because of Marcus. Colum cringed as he thought about the Amman leader; how could he have been so foolish to think that he would be taken back so easily.

Colum pushed on through the streets, depression guiding his every step. The immortal hardly looked up as he passed through darkened alleyways and busy streets. He was hunting, subconsciously hunting for something – anything – that would take his edge off. He need it now, he didn’t know what it was but he could feel its lacking presence beginning to eat away at his mind, degrading his thoughts into simple, uncontrollable animal urges. And then he was gone, slipping into the shadow of the night as if he were passing through the door way to another plane.

***
The man was walking briskly towards his car, fumbling with the keys to his automobile as he glanced nervously about. It was oddly cool this evening, Summer was definitely coming to its end, the chilled air was stiffening the man’s joints and making his fine motor skills nearly unresponsive – or maybe that was the alcohol.

At any rate he made it to his car, fumbled again with the keys in the door and finally made it inside, shutting out the shadows of the cold night. He flipped through the objects on his key ring before he came to the key that would be needed to start the ignition; he slid it into place and turned, sighing with relief as the car rumbled to life.

Then there was that moment, that small moment that he felt as though he was being watched. It was a short feeling, as if someone was just waiting for him to make his next fine movement, and was watching every little twitch in between, followed by a shiver running up the length of his spine. In the darkness of the rumbling car the man chose to take one quick glance in his review mirror where he met, not his own reflection, but that of the watcher, the shadowy man who had been waiting for him.

Colum’s mouth parted slowly, the vampire taking great care in allowing his fangs, and their fully meaning to set in for the driver – and then he lunged. His strong right hand covered the man’s mouth, his thumb and forefinger clasping over his nose, effectively shutting out his precious air. Colum’s left arm wrapped about the man from the back seat and forcefully pulled him pack into a lying position, his head resting in Colum’s lap.

Dark eyes, filled with an ancient insanity only now having burst to the surface store down at the poor victim. Colum wanted this man; his smell was boiling the Amman’s blood, filling him with increasing desire. The century old vampire looked over his prey, wondering if he should ravage the man’s body first, or wait until after he had bled him dry. In any case the man would fulfill both of Colum’s needs, and the immortal had enough patience to make sure each was done slowly and to his utmost pleasure. It would be a truly interesting night indeed.