The leech kept the car moving at a fast pace, hurtling forward through the darkness illuminated only by twin beams of light.

She was asking too many questions I was not going to answer, although at least she did not push me.

My family had not been rebels, although they had certainly had no interest in complying with the leeches who thought they ruled us. My young life with my family had consisted of survival and avoiding detection, until that last ultimate failure.

From time to time, I had brushed against people who might have been considered rebels by the leeches and I had learned from them what I could, information and technique, although I had always remained focused on my own quest.

It gave me pause. Maybe when I had taken him out, I could join with other free humans. I truly doubted there was an official rebellion, no matter how much I wished it were so. Humans lived on the edge of survival, there was no organization between the small groups that I was aware of, and littler hope that humans would rise up as a mass and throw off the chains of our oppressors.

She continued speaking and the only sound was the noise of the car engine otherwise breaking the silence. "Would you like to know more details of the strategy of how we ultimately defeated the overwhelming human armies?"

I would be stupid not to take information if she was offering it. "How?"

"We devised a wicked strategy. After battles certain vampires would go out onto the battlefield and look for survivors. Any humans who were injured would be drained of their blood and then turned into new vampires. Once the process had completed, new vampires were either permitted to enter our ranks if they were willing, or locked up to nearly starve if they were not. Most were not, to their own credit, although they probably would have been wiser to infiltrate our ranks if they did not agree with our plans. I suppose the change was too overwhelming for them to think clearly."

She continued, "Once the unwilling fledglings were starved to the point of madness, they would be released to attack the human armies. The destruction they wrought was truly terrifying. Many humans died and even some unfortunate vampires who got in their way. I know you hate vampires as a rule, but rational vampires are still typically a lot better than the insane monsters we turn into if we don't regularly feed. At a certain point, the craving for human blood is all that's left. That's one reason I feed so regularly."

There was an odd hollowness in her voice that I could not quite place. "One reason? Why else?" I asked.

"Because it's one of the best feelings in the world. I never experienced anything as good as a human. Mind you, I was quite sheltered so I did not experience much. I've more than made up for it since."

I did not ask anything further.

The leech lapsed into silence as well and we drove along like that for a period. It was not much more uncomfortable than I was in any other situation. I held little fear of leeches and I had been around this one long enough to understand that I did not constantly have to be vigilant around her. There was little risk to my life, only to my blood and my sanity.

Weirdly, driving along in this vehicle, with a leech who the other leeches believed owned me, I could let down my guard.

I was not going to willingly trade my freedom for this comfort, but in the moment it was not unpleasant.

She seemed to be finished with her explanations and that was fine. I filed away the information she had given along with other details I had learned of the leeches. I considered my plans as I watched the blackness outside. Get the info and get out, find the leech and destroy him, and then...

Gradually, I was brought out of my speculations as she began to slow the car to a halt.

"Need a break, human?" she asked.

"Yeah."

She nodded and I got out of the vehicle. I walked far enough away that I could not be readily seen and relieved myself.

She did not seem to be looking at me as I walked back to the vehicle. I guessed she was not overly concerned that I might flee, because of the collar and because of my own desire to get what I wanted from her.

"You can stay in the car with me or go to the bus if you want," she offered breezily through the darkness. I could barely make her out, leaning against her car. Behind her the other humans also got out of the bus.

I considered her offer. "I'll go on the bus." I was tired and I needed sleep more than I needed to gather information. As interesting as it was, information about the leech wars would not help me much in the present.

"Very well."

I walked back to the bus and took the place I had vacated when I had first ridden with the leech. I settled myself into the spot and waited for the bus to start moving again.

Only one of the new humans was shackled as I had been, obviously the more rebellious Travis. He had been led out for a rest stop and the chains on his wrists jangled in time with his footsteps as he walked forward.

He wore a scowl and I understood exactly where he was coming from. After a life of harsh freedom, he was now slave to a leech. There was nothing I could say to make his situation better, so I did not try.

The other slaves were loose as Trisha had once been and I decided to take the fact they had chained me in transit the first time as a compliment, since I was clearly in good company.

I settled into my seat as comfortably as I could manage and went to sleep.

* * * * *

When next I woke, we pulled over again and I went outside, not because I needed to, but rather to get the lay of the land. I knew roughly where we were since I had been in the area before. The leech did not speak to me and I did not seek her out.

Back on the bus, I waited while the other humans around me talked. The newer slaves who were loose seemed to be relaxing by slow degrees, although that was not to say much considering the condition that they had started in. The jumpy guy almost seemed to be hiding, and the girl did not seem to be better. Mark seemed less afraid, although Travis still looked wary. Could they possibly be potential allies for my future escape attempt?

Still, first thing first was to get back and discover if the demon bloodsucker's information was in there.

* * * * *

Hours later, we finally arrived back at the leech's lair. I watched carefully as we went in through the main gates of the walls surrounding the building. There were six guards posted and the two nearest to the edge had firearms.

Most free humans I knew did not typically use guns, since the noise could bring the vampires' attention down on them if they were nearby, but I began to wonder about the efficacy of such weapons against the bloodsuckers. Would a bullet be as effective as a stake? They would at least presumably slow them down.

I watched the leech's car as it pulled ahead of us and she parked. Would she would tell me if I asked? She seemed to enjoy telling me a lot of things I would have never have imagined any of the bloodsuckers would be foolish enough to tell a human.

Even her easy amusement at the idea I would kill her was inexplicable.

It was as if she was designed so that I could never win against her. She had all the advantages. She had the power of her state and the knowledge of her years. She had entire networks of influence built up over centuries.

Whereas I was a mortal. She treated every action I took like a cat playing with a mouse. Yet, neither did she seem to underestimate me and let down her guard. I had overcome these creatures before, but she was in a different class altogether.

For one moment my confidence wavered, but I pushed the useless emotion away. I was going to get that information and I was going to get out of here, around the leech or through the leech, no matter how much it took. I was not going to let her and her games stop me.

* * * * *

I waited until after the leech took her rest. I walked through the now familiar halls to the imposing doors to her inner sanctum. They opened and I strode inside.

She was—as always—reclining on her chair indolently as if she were the queen of all she surveyed. Worse, she was for all intents and purposes and I was presenting myself to ask her permission, although the thought chafed.

"Good evening, Jamie," she said in that lightly sultry voice of hers, both repulsive and compelling. Her vampiric nature disgusted me, but perhaps the remnants of the human she had once been...

My thoughts were pointless. "Good evening, Leech."

"How are you faring now that we're home? Are you settling in? I should hope the transition is easier for you this time."

I could have protested and criticised her, but I recognized what she was doing, amusing herself at my expense. "I would like to see the database again."

"Ever to the point, aren't you? No time to stop and smell the roses?"

"Flowers don't interest me. I know to stay away from pretty things with thorns."

She smiled at my words, her fangs peeking out between her sweet lips. "Are you afraid of getting pricked, Jamie?"

"Not afraid, but time is too short to waste time healing from wounds."

"I have time enough for us both."

"Then give me some time in your computer archives."

She laughed. "You are a true delight. Very well. I'll have Theo let you at it as soon as it's properly updated. Might be a day or two? You'll have to ask him about the details. I don't actually know. Poor Theo would die of envy if he knew the computing power humans used to have at their disposal."

"Thank you," I said.

She nodded and then shifted on her couch before standing up. "Come, walk with me," she said.

Suggestion or command, regardless, I decided to comply. I was going to get what I wanted, so there was no reason to be stubborn in the moment.

I fell silently into step beside her.

We walked until we reached the balcony. The sun had already set, but the sky still cast enough light that I could see reasonably well. She leaned on the railing and looked out across the horizon as she had the first time I had been summoned out here.

Suddenly, she turned her face towards me. "Have you ever considered the nature of what I am?"

It was simple enough, they were twisted monsters. What more was there to know?

The thought somehow rang hollow. Although I hated to admit it, there was more to her, even if that was the essence of her core.

"I imagine you've got some rote answer in your mind already." She smiled that irritatingly indulgent smile of hers, as if I were simply some child having a temper tantrum. "Probably something like vile bloodsucking leeches or something of that nature."

She did have a troublingly uncanny way of knowing what I was thinking, although I had never heard that leeches could read minds.

It was more likely that she was observant. She was always watching me, like a hawk in a tree watching a mouse in the field below.

I was far from a defenceless mouse, merely waiting to be taken as prey.

I ignored the small contrary voice that threatened to weaken my resolve with doubts.

"Perhaps we're just human nature, taken to the extreme. Magnus is a constant bully who indulges in torture of those in his control. Willow is forever vapid and needy and cruel when she doesn't get her way. My friend Drak is an indefinite good-hearted slacker, he's the one who was busy pitying you in the halls, as you may recall? Davidson's heart will never stop bleeding for the downtrodden little humans. If you go on a vampire killing rampage, you should certainly leave him until last. Deep down, I believe he actually wants to free the humans, although he's not stupid enough to admit it. He's like Drak, except he tries to act inside the system. Mostly in vain, but credit where credit is due."

There was something unfamiliar in her voice. "You admire him?"

She chuckled. "Jealous?"

"No. Sorry to disappoint you, Leech."

"You could never disappoint me. But, back to what I was explaining, Jamie. As for me, my glorious wit was amplified to the max to bless the world over the course of centuries."

"Don't forget to mention your incredible modesty."

She laughed again, although it was not as grating as it had once been.

The sounds of her amusement faded and we were left in silence for a time as the sky darkened by slow degrees.

Finally, she broke it. "As to the question of my nature, I've had much more time than you and I have long wondered about it myself. They called us undead, but what does that mean? There is nonliving, as are many of the objects in my home. There is alive, as you are. There is dead, which is the state after life has departed.

"But undead? It is not alive, and it also cannot be not alive, because that is simply death. I bear many of the hallmarks of life. I think, I move, I need an influx of energy to continue, I possess my senses, I feel emotions similar to my time as a human.

"But I also bear the hallmarks of death. I am cold and I do not make blood for my heart to flood my veins. I don't grow, I don't age, I don't reproduce like a living thing.

"Yet I do not change, I do not decompose. We, the supposed undead, are a mass of walking contradictions. We are creatures that should not be, yet we are. Sometimes I have wondered if it is time itself that has rejected us. Perhaps, it has damned us not to follow the natural temporal flow of the universe.

"But I do not know. Some problems, the questions of human nature, of identity, and of purpose do not simply disappear with so-called immortality, it simply becomes a longer problem with no possibility of mortal resolution."

I did not know what her purpose was. I did not know what she truly wanted, or perhaps needed from me. I did not know why she kept telling me about her nature, perhaps even of her weaknesses. Perhaps she spoke this way to all her humans, but I sensed not.

The question came unbidden to my lips.

"What's your game?"