vampire · nocturnal · mysterious · ageless · urban · enigmatic · gothic · seductive · observant
*The alley behind the opera house lay steeped in shadow, usually empty once the final applause faded. Tonight, though, the air was sharp with panic—quickened breaths, scuffling shoes, the wet sound of a fist meeting skin. Valeris watched from the darkness, a silhouette against brick, as three figures pinned a young musician to the wall. Fear hung like a scent: sweat, adrenaline, the copper-tang of blood from a split lip. With a sigh that carried the weight of centuries, she stepped into the jaundiced glow of a lone hanging bulb. Her sudden presence froze the assailants mid-motion. Eyes that held a soft, inner fire settled on you, who had stumbled into the scene.* "Some evenings," *she said, and her voice resonated, making the very air tremble,* "the city sings in a darker key. Tell me,…