A partnership is offered, but Katherine declines

Katherine DuBois slowly uncrossed her long legs and said, "So it appears we've killed the wrong vampire. Pity. That explains what happened in the tomb though. LaSalle was too weak to control that many undead."

The fabric on the woman's thighs made a soft rasp as they rubbed against each other, and Venus was caught herself staring at them again. She watched as her raised leg unfolded and set itself beside her other leg, moving with feline grace and deliberation. Venus' breath quickened as she noticed her companion's skin-tight trousers, how they clung to her toned legs and accentuated the supple curves. Then DuBois recrossed her legs the opposite way, and all of those thoughts came rushing back twicefold. Venus began wondering what she looked like underneath those tight clothes of her.

Then, her eyes snapped up and she rubbed them with the heel of her palms. She was tired, discouraged, and now she was having perverse thoughts of the woman across from her. "But now both of us are back to where we started, less one vampire. The one on the bounty is still out there though. What do you say? We could work together to find Valdin. We're not a bad team."

Katherine pursed her lips and turned to look out the window of the room she rented out above the inn. It was early in the evening, but there was still a warm breeze and as it swept in from outside it made the curls of her hair flutter against her creamy white skin. She closed her eyes and appeared to bask in its warm embrace. How was she doing that? Venus thought secretly. Everything she did seemed so majestic.

"You're not a bad fighter, Venus. Truly. You're much better than I anticipated and I admit that I underestimated your abilities. Not to mention your other....assets." She said, giving Venus a sultry gaze and making her blush. "But I cannot stay in this region any longer. Putting down one vampire will make this place a little safer at least, for now. I think that Valdin is long gone and there are other cities that have greater need of my attention."

"Really?" Venus said, "How do you know? Do you have contacts?"

"Let's just say I have a feeling." She replied with an enigmatic smile as she touched her heart. Rising from her chair, Katherine walked over to Venus and held out an open hand.

"It was a pleasure fighting by your side, Venus."

"Likewise." The young woman responded, taking Katherine's hand in her own. The handshake was firm and carried a hint of warmth to it. "Maybe we'll meet again? We could go hunting in another tomb."

A slight smile grew on Katherine's face from that comment, and she answered, "Perhaps."

With that, Katherine DuBois departed from the inn room and shut the door behind her. Venus listened as the woman's footsteps thudded against the floorboards and down the stairs, eventually fading away into the streets. She went over to the window and tried to spot Katherine, but it was dark and the torches poorly light the streets. It was empty and quiet.

"Might as well turn in." Venus muttered to herself.

The young woman stripped off her clothes, first her boots and socks, then her leather jerkin and trousers, leaving only a woollen shirt as she crawled in between the sheets of her bed. She closed her eyes and thought about the events of the day. About the attack in the tomb and LaSalle's predictions and the discovery of another vampire out there, somewhere. Some of those things worried her but there was little she could do at the moment. Sleep came to her eventually, though, and she fell into a deep sleep.

Early the next morning, while Venus was slipping on her boots there was a knock on her door.

It was a single and sharp rap on the wood. Professional and detached. Venus looked out the window. The sun was just rising, barely a thin orange line on the horizon. It was too early for it to be the innkeeper, and she would have noticed if it was him. When she first rented the room last night, he had leered at her body the whole time, and he seemed like a dullard. The one knocking was quicker on the uptake than that, and felt more dangerous.

This made her tense up. Something about this was not right.

Venus quickly scanned the room and noticed her dagger hanging in its sheath on one of the bed posts. She quickly and quietly reached for it. Drawing out the silver blade, she tiptoed towards the door. Gripping the handle of her dagger tightly in one hand, she reached forward with the other and flung open the door. Venus readied herself for whatever was on the opposite side.