Leona skid to a halt before Tyran, who was leaning casually against the glass windows around the outside of the train station. She dropped her bag at his feet and leant forward, hands on her knees, chest heaving as it tried to drag air into her lungs.

  Tyran pulled himself off the window and into a standing position with a casual ease and raised an eyebrow in her direction.

  “Why were you running?” he asked, turning his head to look down the street, trying to keep his eyes away from her. The position she was currently standing in would mean if he was caught looking he would get a slap on his face. “The tram comes every ten or minutes.”

  “You... never said... we... we’re catching a tram,” she replied around her huffing and puffing.

  “Well, here it comes now. We should cross so we can catch it.”

  Tyran leant down and grabbed her bag by the straps and moved off to the lights. Leona followed after a moment. The walk light turned green and they crossed. Then waited and crossed again.

  “You know, I should have just met you on this corner, but I didn’t know how well you knew Melbourne.”

  Leona sighed wearily. A yellow tram pulled up alongside them and they quickly jumped on. Tyran produced two tickets from his pocket and put them into the ticket machine. Tram 96 rumbled away. Leona sat in a vacant seat, Tyran remained standing near where she sat, watching her bag and his own bag, which were on the floor.

  The tram trundled along, stopping every now and again when it reached a tram stop. Tyran was looking out the window, so Leona did the same, watching the city go past. Eventually though Tyran tapped her on the shoulder and then pushed the 'next stop' button. He grabbed the bags and waited.

  The tram stopped outside of Luna Park and the two of them got out with quite a few others. The sun beamed down warmly on them in St Kilda and Tyran took off in the direction of the beach. Leona followed blindly. They crossed the road and started following the path that ran along the beach.

  The sun was still well in the sky when Tyran stopped. Not too far from where the tram had been, but it was enough that they couldn’t see the roads anymore. Buildings still towered into their view, and the city was clearly visible in the distance, but it seemed quite peaceful there. A few people were exercising along the path, running with their dogs, or skateboarding.

  Tyran walked down onto the sand and dumped the bags on the ground with care. He quickly opened his own and pulled forth a blanket which he lay on the beach. He grabbed a few books from his bag and placed them on the blanket, then sat. He motioned for Leona to sit, so she did.

  Leona looked out over the waves after sitting, her stomach tightening a little. She glanced at Tyran, who was still unpacking a few things. He placed books down, as well as a folder crammed with paper. She turned her attention back to the waves, blushing just a little.

  “There is still something missing...” Tyran mumbled almost to himself as he started to sit. Halfway to the ground though he stopped, and Leona twisted her head to look up at him. “I know what’s missing. If you open this book to chapter nine and start reading, I will go and get it.” He grabbed a book from the pile he had there and then turned and walked back the way they had just come.

  Leona took the book gingerly in one of her hands and watched as he started walking away. She was confused as to what was going on, but decided to leave it alone. She wasn’t going to fight him. It felt good having guys going to all lengths to try and make you happy. Even if you were supposed to be studying with him. Didn’t most study sessions in movies and television shows end up in kissing?

  She blushed as that thought started swirling around her mind. She clutched the book he had given her tightly against her clothing.

  The crash of a wave snapped her out of it and she released her hold on the book. Quickly she looked around to make sure he was not back already and saw that he was not within sight. The book dropped down to her lap and she decided she better do as he said and have a look at it.

  She ran a finger along the cover and read the words on the front. It was definitely a text book, but not one she had been told about in class. It also had a feeling of age, as if this had been passed down from generation to generation. She turned the pages, careful as they seemed to crackle with what must be age. She eventually got to chapter nine and started reading from the top.

  She blinked a little. She read the titled of the chapter for a second time and started reading the paragraphs again. More intently now though. It seemed what she was reading now was related directly to what they were working on, and what their assignment was. She was a little confused as to why there had never been any mention of this text before, if it worked so closely with what they were studying. But she shrugged that aside and was just glad that Tyran had been able to bring it to her attention.

  She was deep into the book when Tyran came back, carrying two cups of coffee. Leona didn’t notice him at first, but she was forced to look up when he coughed. Her eyes caught onto the cup he was holding up to her. She gingerly took it, mouthing the word thank you, and moved it around the book in a wide arc and placed it on the sand just off the blanket, twisting it to make sure it had a good grip in the sand and wasn’t going to fall down.

  After her cup was secure she went right back to reading the book. Tyran just started talking over the top of her.

  “You'll find that the text you are reading holds almost everything you need to complete the current assignment. But what’s written there is far from complete in and of itself. When read with these other two texts you begin to have a better understanding of what the subject is about, and how it all works in together. But you need to start from the start.”

  Leona raised her eyes to look at the other two text books. They also had the aged look to them. Creases along the binding also showed they had been used quite a lot by whoever had owned them.

  “I won’t keep you here long Leona, there’s a lot to take in in that book. Chapter nine is quite extensive. I just thought you needed to get a basis to work with for the assignment. I'll let you read for another half an hour, then help you back to the tram. You don’t really seem familiar with the area,” Tyran stated as he was sipping his coffee.

  Leona just nodded a little as she read. She hadn't thought she would be able to sit there just reading. Not when she was in the hot sun, on the beach, with one of the most handsome men she had ever seen. But she was.

  Soon enough though Tyran grabbed the spine of the book and closed it in front of her face. Leona jumped a little and gave a little gasp. Tyran withdrew the book from her grasp and started packing it and the others back into his bag.

  “Now, Leona, we need to organise another time to meet.”

  “Um, yes we do. I think with your help Tyran, I could easily pass the next assignment. I just hope next time I am not so boring and sit there reading the whole time. I didn’t even drink the coffee you brought me.”

  “That is of no consequence. I didn’t ask if you wanted it, I just gave it to you. But how does Sunday sound to you?”

  “I am very sorry Tyran. I already have plans for Sunday.”

  “Then next Monday it is. I will not be around for the rest of the week.”

  “Next Monday then.”

  Leona twisted the tip of her forefinger on her lips then threw her bag up to her shoulder and motioned for Tyran to lead the way back towards the tram.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  The following days Leona was content. Her studies were finally progressing, and she thought she might actually do well with the coming assignment. Tyran was nowhere to be seen, as he had said he wouldn’t, but Adey was showering her with attention. And Leona was enjoying it. The other girls in their class seemed slightly jealous though.

  Sunday rolled around eventually though. Not as quickly as Leona would have liked, but she hoped it would take its time to pass, as she wanted to savour every moment.

  She sat on a chair behind one of the tables near the Crown Casino food court, a coffee in front of her. She looked out over the bridge and down the river banks to see if she could see Adey. She looked at her watch. He was supposed to be here forty-five minutes ago. What was keeping him? She tapped the table in front of her and resisted looking at her watch again.

  “I thought you had plans,” Tyran's voice sounded from behind her, smooth and deep as usual.

  Leona started, she had been oblivious to what was happening behind her.

  “Mind if I sit down?” He pulled out a chair anyway, “I was on my way into the casino, and saw you sitting here all alone. You had told me you had plans for today.”

  “I did have plans. I mean I do have plans,” she looks at her watch again and sighed, “No, I was right the first time. I did have plans. But it seems they are falling apart around me. I was supposed to meet Adey here nearly an hour ago.”

  “Well, Leona, it seems as though he has stood you up.”

  Tyran looks at his own watch and gives a little wince.

  “I have to go, my game starts in about ten minutes. Would you like to come watch?”

  Leona looked back and forth along the river again and across the bridge. She couldn’t see Adey. But people had started gathering very thickly along the edge of the bridge and the banks of the river. A few were pointing into the river, and a couple seemed to be throwing up.

  “I think... I think I...” she stood up and then her eyes narrowed as she started hearing sirens. Police started walking along the river and the bridge, pulling people away from the edge.

  “I think I would like to see what is going on before we go, please,” she started making her way to the river and noticed that Tyran followed her with a little shrug. They made their way as quickly as they could to the edge, where the police had started blocking the way.

  In the river things were floating along, and after a few moments Leona could see that they were body parts. Not just a whole body. This body had been cut or ripped to pieces and left to float down the Yarra. The river swelled and the head came into view. Tyran gasped and Leona vomited onto the grass.

  Tyran helped her get to a crouching position on the grass in case she vomited again. He moved towards the barricade a little.

  “Officer,” he called out, waving for a policeman to come over. One came quickly and stood before the two of them.

  “Please, we are very busy here, we cannot answer any questions about what is in the water,” the officer spoke as if he had been saying the same thing all afternoon.

  “We don’t have a question, officer,” Tyran raised his arm and pointed at the body parts in the water, “but we do know who that is.”

  The officer spoke briefly into the short wave radio resting on his shoulder. He lifted the barricade and helped Tyran get Leona onto the river side of it. People around them started complaining, but the officer took them away from the crowd a little. More officers came and stood around them. A number went off to hold back the watchers who were curious about these two who knew who the body parts were.

  “I am Detective Graham,” a man in a suit stood before them before crouching down to be at Leona's height, “I know this must be hard for you if you truly do know this person. But I need you to be strong. Now, who are you?”

  “My name is Tyran Vitus,” Tyran looked the detective directly in the eyes and the detective looked away quickly.

  Leona managed to get her name out through the dry retching she had started doing.

  “Leona Remus.”

  Tyran blinked quickly a few times and the detective looked at him briefly for a moment then back between him and Leona. His eyebrows narrowed.

  “Ok, so care to tell me who this is?”

  Leona looked out into the river and gave Tyran a nudge so that he could tell him.

  “Detective Graham, the person out there, is one of our classmates. Adey. He was going to university with us.”

  “Oh my god. This is not good,” he said in hushed tones, “now, you’re absolutely sure about this?”

  “I was supposed to meet him here a few hours ago, sir,” Leona said as she turned away from the river.

  A female officer took a blanket and wrapped it around Leona's shoulder, holding her close and whispering to her that it was going to be alright. The detective stood and walked a few paces away, grabbing one of the officers by the shirt sleeve as he went to pull a notebook out. They spoke quietly together, but both Leona and Tyran could hear them.

  “Detective, do you want me to take statements from them?”

  “No, thank you. I don’t want us getting involved with him. It will bring too many problems down on us in the long run. Take down the victim’s name and let the Vitus go. The Remus girl probably needs to be looked after a little before we release her. But if this Vitus offers to take her, then let him.”

  “What’s the problem? I have not heard of him before.”

  “The Vitus' own so many buildings in this city it’s not funny. They are behind so much that goes on. Just stay out of their way.”

  “Mob?”

  “No, not even close. They actually do make money legitimately. Just do it.”

  The officer shrugged and walked over to the two of them. He flipped his notebook open and took his pen in hand.

  “Could you repeat that name again, and tell me the university.”

  They did so as briefly as they could and soon the officer was telling Tyran to head off. Leona looked at him as he walked off, following his back as it trailed through the crowd. The officer was talking to her but she didn’t notice. They helped her up and took her to a squad car. They seemed to be asking her a question, but she couldn’t make it out. Her mouth moved and words must have come out, but she wasn’t sure what she had said. The officers nodded and drove away, dropping her off at home.

  She walked up to her room in a state of daze. Everything was going crazy right now. She had known Tyran was wealthy, but not that detectives would be scared of him. Adey was dead too, she had really liked him. Things were starting to go crazy in her life.

  Gorat and Ida came into the room and started speaking with her. She answered their questions without thinking, but kept out everything she now knew about Tyran. They stood up and looked at each other. When they spoke again it didn’t seem to be directed at her, but rather just between themselves. But for the first time since she had seen the detective she was hearing things properly.

  “Ida, a killing like this can only mean one thing.”

  “You are right Gorat. The vampires are still in Melbourne. We may need to deal with them before too long.”

  “We must keep Leona out of it though.”

  They walked out the door and closed it behind them. Leona lay on her bed and fell asleep. Her dreams were troubled by nightmares.