Sylvie

About 24 hours prior…

Alan sat at the bar quietly and kept looking at his watch and the time. “She is taking her sweet time, Amos.”  Alan sighed and shook his head.  Noting that the time was close to midnight, he waved down the waitress and blood bunny Amber. 

Within seconds of Alan’s little wave, Amber came skipping over to the bar. “What can I do for you Master?”  She smiled and touched her neck while giggling. “I know that you prefer Veronica, but I assure you my blood will satisfy as well.”  She paused and cleared her throat, “Assuming that you haven’t promised Veronica anything.”  She raised one eyebrow and leaned on the bar. “So, where is my bunny buddy tonight, Alan?”  Amber saw that Alan’s drink was empty and made him another Bloody Madelyn.

Alan could certainly smell the excitement within Amber’s blood and how its heated flow gave off a subtle sweat then backed by a light fragrance of hibiscus. “Amber…”  Alan smiled, “…Perhaps later, I would like to double-check with Veronica before I brought you into the fold.”  He pointed at the flat screen that was hanging over the bar. “Please change the channel to fourteen.  They have added a new section to their news that is about thirty minutes long.”  Alan turned to Amos once again to see him on his mobile talking. 

“…I will be there soon.”  Amos concluded his light conversation and hopped down from the bar stool. “That was Sylvie, the two of them seem to be in an apartment complex doing charity work.”  Amos laughed and donned his light gray jacket. “She wants me to look at someone that is injured.”

“What about the stuff I need to go over, Amos?”  Alan asked with a slight tone of anger in his voice. “Look at the screen up there, the news channel has made that…”  He pointed at the title of the show ‘Mysteries of the unknown’.  Alan turned back to face his friend, “This is important stuff, Amos.”  He nearly yelled but recalled he was still in public. “This stuff is so strange it will break the veil at some point.  I need Sylvie to help me resolve this.”

Nodding briefly, Amos zipped up the jacket. “I know why, you are predictable.  You want to use her visions to try and solve these mysteries and patch the veil breaks.”  He sighed as he headed for the door. “That's why you are testing her with Tarsey’s skull.” Amos held onto the door exit for a few seconds. “You want to be the Veil Council leader that bad huh?”

Pursing his lips and nodding, Alan picked up his drink and sipped it before answering. “Indeed.  I thought the plan was a good one.”  He shrugged.

“Good Luck.”  Amos snorted and walked through the door into the street.

Waiting until Amos left his sight, Alan grumbled and started watching the television. “I hate that he knows what I am up to.”  He pointed at the video. “What they are all missing is right there in front of them.”

Amber finished serving another patron a martini and walked back to Alan, leaning on her elbows once more. “I have that problem myself.  Since I barely speak, people tend to not pay attention when I do say something.”  She winked one of her sparkling hazel eyes, “I will be happy to hear what you have to say, Alan.  Seems important.”

“It is coming on now.”  He pointed to the visual on the screen where a church was burning down and could hear howling coming from inside. “This happened a few days ago, news fourteen broadcast this at the time, but everyone was looking for the Cross-Killer and didn’t pay attention.”  He waited until the smoke got real thick from the large church. “There.  Look closely.”

Amber turned and to see the flames and thick haze envelop the Colonial Heights First Catholic Church.  Shocked, she barely heard what Alan was trying to explain.  When Amber did manage to look up she tried to see what Alan was pointing to. “Sorry, I don’t see anything but dust and smoke.”  She paused to move some of her long platinum hair from her ears. “I do hear them screaming..but..”  Amber peered at Alan with wide eyes. “They sound like they are celebrating their impending demise.”

“Odd, don’t you think?”  Alana affirmed.  “What I see every now and then is a pair of diamonds rising from the smoke and then disappearing within seconds afterward.”  He sipped on his drink and then continued, “This is a repeat broadcast but a new show so they can show off all of the missed news.”  Alan sighed as he watched the multiple sets of diamonds float away on the screen. “Initially the reporter was telling everyone that the church was locked from the inside and the fire was started within the main chamber by the parish members.”

“Jonestown part two?”  Amber inquired as she dug out her iPhone and tapped the screen a few times. “If this is a repeat, then maybe I can download the footage and go slow enough that you can point out what you want me to see.”

Hearing the name Jonestown, Alan raised his eyebrows and nodded. “Certainly similar.”  He smiled at Amber briefly, “You know your history, I don’t know anyone that would have made that connection.”  Finishing off his Bloody Madelyn, Alan wiped his lips clear. “I don’t think there were nine hundred people in the church.”  He tapped on his lip with his index finger, thinking. “I do believe that the fire marshal later confirmed just over one hundred were burned to death.”  Alan wiggled his finger at Amber, “This is just one strange event.”  He watched as Amber found the footage and loaded it onto her phone. “One frame at a time.”  Alan waited until he saw the first set of diamonds float out of the top of the church. “Stop.”  

Amber hit the pause button and waited. “Okay, where do you want me to..”  She stopped mid-sentence when Alan kissed her on the lips. “Wait…what..”  She froze in place and looked around. “Alan…Why did you just turn me into a ward?”  Blinking her piercing hazel eyes as they adjusted to the abilities that she was gaining, Amber saw exactly what Alan was referring to. “Diamonds floating?  It looks like sets of eyes, Master.”

“Sorry, I know that you weren’t expecting that.”  Alan looked down at his empty glass. “I didn’t know what else I could do.”  He shrugged, “I am sincerely sorry I didn’t ask.”  Alan gave a reassuring smile. “Just say the word and I will release the bond. Kinda figured you couldn’t see what I saw without ward enhancements.”  He pointed to the crowd in the bar, “Others would have spotted the anomaly in the footage if it weren’t…”  He lowered his voice to an almost inaudible whisper. “Supernatural.”