The Vampire's Apprentice

"Okay. I'm going to crash," Norville nodded. "Lemme know if you need anything." He headed out the door and toward home, blissfully clueless as to what he was leaving behind.

Clancy leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Humans. Either they wanted to kill you or serve you, usually with the idea of becoming you, and sometimes switching to killing you.
 
Kitty pressed her forehead to the door and let out a puff of air, somewhat reminiscent of a sigh. After a second, she went to go perch lightly on the edge of a couch seat. This would have been the moment for her to say something, but she really wasn't sure what to say, so the girl waited for him to speak first.
 
Clancy opened his eyes after a moment and looked at her blandly. "You invited him, didn't you?" he asked in a calm tone.
 
"Yes." She answered bluntly. How he had picked up on that, Kitty didn't know, nor did she bother to question. "But I had no notion of his intent to become a familiar. I only wanted to keep things straight."
 
Clancy grunted and shook his head in irritation. Humans! Ah well. "I won't turn down an offer for an easy meal, though," he commented thoughtfully. "Perhaps tomorrow night."
 
She felt ashamed for thinking so rashly, which showed through the fidgeting of her fingertips. Kitty remained in silence. She had nothing else to say.
 
Clancy watched her fo a moment. "Speak," he finally said softly. He wanted to know what was on her mind to be squirming so.
 
Kitty glanced up. For a second, she didn't reply. When she did, her gaze returned to her lap.

"I decided to bring him over without thinking it through, which was foolish of me. Telling him in the first place was foolish, and I wasn't considering the future. It was rash of me. Yet I haven't been punished for it, which bothers me." She looked to him again. "I'm not innocent. I did something wrong. Something very, very wrong. Why am I still alive?"
 
Clancy ran a hand over his eyes. "You should be punished," he agreed, "but I cannot yet bring myself to do it or even to think of a suitable one. I understand why you did what you did, but if you had not, you would have been killed, or at least too late to help me, and either way, I would be dead. You saved my life, and for that, I cannot take yours." He tipped his head and studied her. "How would you punish yourself?"
 
She opened her mouth, but closed it again and paused. Kitty thought long and hard before she answered.

"I don't know." She said finally. "I can't think of anything that measures up."
 
"Then we shall table this discussion for now," Clancy said. "There will be a punishment, but, frankly, as of this moment, I am too busy enjoying the fact that I am alive and you are here alive speaking with me to be bothered with punishing you." He started to say something else then looked away, closing his mouth.
 
Clancy reached out and took her hand in his, holding it lightly. "Is that all that is bothering you?" he asked softly.
 
"I'm worried that whatever got you might still be looking." She admitted. "So I'm worried for the both of us."
 
Clancy smiled and gently patted the hand he held with his free hand. "A wise fear. It will not happen. Not in this case. I made certain of it."
 
Clancy looked away, a frown clouding his features. His hand tightened on hers a fraction. "A werewolf. I stumbled into tis territory unawares, and it was able to attack me. I will tell you more... but not right now."
 
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