Chasers: A Narrative Fiction

While driving over to Chasers, Nola hit Ian with a barrage of questions regarding his existence as a vampire and his relationship with Natalia. Clearly, her interest in him extended beyond a casual crush. From the moment she first laid eyes on him, during the struggle inside Simone's condo, she had decided to delve deeper into the personal life of her newly found hero.

Fascinated by his distinct British accent, the fact that he was about as handsome as they come and willing to kick butt at the drop of a hat to defend her, made Nola want to get to know him better--a lot better.

Turning attention toward him, she said, "This all feels so surreal. I still can't believe what I just saw, but I know it happened. I can still feel his gnarly hand pulling at my hair."
Acknowledging Nola's state of vulnerability, Ian said, "You've just had a taste of what's about to go down.
That's why we have to stop Natalia cold. Can you imagine how high the body count will rise if we don't take her out? She is hell-bent on destroying the human race to satisfy her bloodlust, and she'll do anything to get what she wants."

Talking about Natalia was upsetting Ian, Nola could tell, so she decided to change the subject to get his mind off things. "If you don't mind me asking, exactly how old are you?"

"How old do I look?" he countered.

Staring at him briefly, she said, "Hmm, I'm guessing that you're about twenty-eight."

"You're in the ballpark. I'm thirty and have been for the past thirty years."

"I believe it. So, you haven't changed at all? You look great," Nola said.

"Thank you, love. I'll admit, being immortal has its advantages, but it's no way to live," he replied. "There's a natural cycle to life: You live, you grow, you grow old, and you die. Life get very lonely when you are cursed to go on indefinitely."

Nola considered his comment sympathetically. "Really, I never thought of it like that."

"Believe me when I say it ain't all it's cracked up to be," Ian added, shaking his
head.