A/N: Just wanted to say thank you to the people who have put this story on their alerts and favorites list. So, here's another chapter. I really would love to know what you think, since I'm especially worried about Damon being too out of character. I love his snarky, sarcastic attitude and I really want it to come through.

As they walked into the Mystic Grill, everyone seemed to be staring at the odd woman accompanying Elena and Damon. On their way over, Damon had taken the opportunity to study her and he could now definitely see the appeal. Initially, she had been nothing but a threat and his interest in her hadn't gone beyond ripping her throat out. Oh, he still didn't trust her, but that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate the view.

She was slightly taller than Elena, which put her only an inch or two shorter than him. She had midnight black hair with white blond streaks running through it, which was strange to say the least. It was probably dyed, though. She had it pulled back in a pony tail on the top of her head and it fell almost to her waist in a straight sheet.

Since he was walking behind her, he couldn't see her face, but what he remembered was beautiful, with high cheekbones and an elegant nose and full lips. Unfortunately, her trench coat covered her well and he couldn't see much else, but he was curious to say the least.

They walked up to the bar and sat down, waiting for the bartender to take notice of them. When he walked up, Elena asked for three Cokes, much to the dismay of her companions.

"Love, I hope those are all for you," the woman said with a laugh. "I'll have a double of whatever single malt you have," she told the bartender. "And a bourbon for our…friend," she said, annoyance clear in her tone.

Damon looked at her and had to admit that the woman at least had good taste in alcohol. A part of him was expecting her to go for some girly drink, like a Cosmo or a Martini. He was glad to see he had been mistaken, though he had no idea why.

When the bartender brought their drinks, she picked hers up and took a sip, closing her eyes and tilting her head back as the alcohol poured down her throat. It had to be one of the most erotic things Damon had ever seen and when she moaned he felt all his blood rush south. Crap, what was wrong with him? She was the enemy, he was in love with Elena, he definitely shouldn't be reacting like this.

"Come, let's talk," she said as she motioned them towards a table in the back of the large room, where they would be out of hearing range. She took off her coat as they reached the table and carelessly threw it into the booth. Damon almost swallowed his tongue. His curiosity had definitely been satisfied, but his libido went into overdrive.

The woman was a complete contradiction. She was soft and hard all at once. She wore leather pants and a simple white t-shirt but he had never seen anyone look so hot. Her body was toned and hard yet she had the most luscious breasts he had ever seen. They weren't too big nor too small. They were perfect. And her ass! Damn, if he had had a creative bone in his body, that ass could inspire poetry. It was high and muscled just right and he found himself completely mesmerized. When she turned around and smirked at him, he quickly averted his gaze, feeling like a kid caught stealing candy.

Hell, he was losing it. He had to get out of this damn town because it was rubbing off on him and not in a good way. Since when had he turned into such a wimp? But come on, a small voice whispered in his head, look at that ass. Well, he bloody well wasn't going to be writing poetry about it but he'd definitely like to get a piece of it.

"So, what do you want to know?" the woman asked as she lounged in the booth, sipping her drink.

"For starters, how about a name," Damon said, "just so I know who I am insulting," he smirked.

"Damon," Elena hissed, as she slid into the booth beside him. He suddenly had an urge to put an arm around her but he didn't think she'd appreciate it, especially with Stefan away. He faltered as he remembered his brother.

"Kyra," the woman answered.

"Just Kyra?" Elena asked.

"Kyra Aeval Black, at your service," she said with a flourish. "Happy now?" Kyra asked with a smirk, her eyes laughing.

"Aeval? That's a strange name," Elena said. She had never heard anything like it before.

"It's an old Sidhe name. In honor of a distant aunt," Kyra replied, not feeling the need to go too far into her family history.

"It's nice," Elena said, "but what do you mean by 'see'?"

"Children these days know nothing. How about you, vampire? Do you know who the Sidhe are?"

"I know that they are a legend originating in Britain and Ireland. They are also known as the fae and they are supposed to be magical beings that live on another plane. If I remember right the legend says that there are two courts, the Seelie and the Unseelie, or light and dark fae." Kyra clapped, smiling.

"Very smart, vampire. I'm impressed. Looks like there's more to you than a pretty face," Kyra said.

"You should see the rest of me," he responded with his characteristic smirk firmly in place and a wiggle of his eyebrows. He knew he was being an ass but she stirred him on a primal level and he couldn't help but try and push all her buttons.

Kyra laughed, "Is that an invitation?"

"It might be," he responded, giving her that intense stare that worked on so many women.

"Careful or I might take you up on it," Kyra said, her voice suddenly coming out much huskier than she had planned. She was starting to like the cocky vampire, though why she did she had no idea. It was probably the combination of a very sexy package with that bad boy attitude. She actually liked his sarcasm and lack of fear, though it would snow in hell before she ever admitted it.

"Any time, any place, I'll be there," Damon replied. It was official, he was insane. But it was a good place to be, especially when it could involve lots of sweaty sex with the hot chick in front of him.

Elena cleared her throat and elbowed Damon, "What?" he whined.

"Stop it," she hissed at him. She turned to Kyra and asked, "So, why didn't you kill me?"

"I don't do humans," Kyra said simply.

"What?" Elena exclaimed, with Damon almost spitting his drink over the table.

"Oh, I do sleep with them, once in a while, when I get bored of the rest of you lot," she said motioning to Damon, "but I don't kill them." Damon was very interested all of a sudden.

"So, you protect humans?" Elena asked, hopeful as always, preferring to ignore the part about Kyra's sleeping arrangements.

"Sorry to burst your bubble sweets, but in my opinion humans are like a rash. There's so many of you that an extra few dying is actually a good thing. I simply don't waste my time killing humans because you really pose no challenge. It's boring. And it's certainly no good for my reputation," Kyra said, with a shrug. Damon's mouth nearly fell open and Elena started coughing.

"I don't know whether to thank you or hate you," Elena said truthfully. She couldn't believe how nonchalant this woman was about people dying.

"Oh, please," Kyra waved a hand, "after you've been around as long as me and watched this planet become overrun with humans, watched them as they try to destroy each other and doing a much better job than any supernatural faction ever could, you'd feel the same way." Even though Elena hated what she heard, a part of her agreed. If you looked at the bigger picture, vampires and werewolves were nothing compared to the destruction man wreaked on his own.

"I think I'm in love," Damon breathed. Kyra smirked at him and winked.

"Okay, but why did you want to kill me in the first place," Elena asked, curious as to why this woman had come after her, especially when she held no interest.

"Well, Klaus hired me to do a job and the price was right," she shrugged. "What he failed to mention was that you were human, a fact he will dearly regret."

"Hired you?" Elena squealed.

"I'm an assassin, if you will," she said with a cocky smile. "However, I only take on supernatural targets. It's a good job. I get to travel a lot, meet new people all the time. Beats working in an office," she said with a laugh.

"A supernatural assassin," Elena breathed, looking over at Damon who had a stupid look on his face. She elbowed him.

"What?" he scowled at her. "Can I help it if she's the embodiment of every fantasy I've ever had? Beautiful and lethal. She could work on her sense of humor, though," he said, unable to resist another dig.

"I'm starting to like you, vampire. Just make sure you stay on my good side," she said with a wink at Damon.

"Do you have a good side?" Damon asked, and Elena elbowed him again, hissing his name out in warning.

Kyra laughed out loud. "It's been known to make an appearance every century or so. And," she said looking at her phone, "you're just in luck because it's that time again." Damon couldn't help laughing. She was a refreshing change from everyone telling him how to behave and what he shouldn't do. He was enjoying this. More than he probably should.

"So, why does Klaus want me dead?" Elena asked.

"Love, I have no idea. I'm a paid killer not a shrink. I'm not interested in the why, just the who."

"How do you know you haven't killed innocent people, then?" Elena asked, outraged at how little this woman cared for life.

"No one is innocent in this world. No one," Kyra said with finality.

"How do you know?" Elena asked, getting angry at this creature who thought herself above everyone else.

Kyra leaned in, "Let me tell you something little girl," she hissed, "in the time I've roamed this Earth, there hasn't been one person who hasn't done something. And let's not get into the supernatural world. Let's take you Damon. You have killed countless humans, simply out of spite. And now, the vampire is trying to change because he is in love with his brother's girlfriend," Kyra snorted. Damon growled, angry that she had figured him out so quickly. And he really didn't like having this conversation in front of Elena.

"And you, darling, sweet, innocent Elena. You love Stefan yet you can't help but wonder what it would be like to have Damon take you. Stefan is sweet but Damon's danger attracts you. You want to know what it's like to be taken by a man who will dominate you, who will make you come so hard you can't remember your name. You want him, even though his brother is still away paying for his cure," Elena gasped, like a fish on dry land. It was as if this woman could read her mind. She did love Stefan with all her heart, but she couldn't help but feel an attraction to Damon.

"How dare you?" she squealed.

"I dare because I can do anything I like. And because it's the truth and you bloody well know it. So, now tell me that there are innocent people with a straight face." Elena was silent and Damon stared at the two women in shock. Elena wanted him? He had never thought to hear those words, yet a small part of him reminded him that she only wanted to know what it was like but she was still in love with Stefan. He was just the bad boy that women slept with but never took home.

"So, what are you?" Damon asked, wanting to change the subject. The conversation had taken a turn he was seriously not happy with. He was supposed to be the evil vampire with no feelings and he definitely didn't want his love for Elena being discussed in public, especially in front of the target of his affections. "I am convinced you are a vampire, but Elena doesn't think so."

"Elena would be right," Kyra said with a wink.

"Well, then, don't keep us in suspense. I might die of a heart attack," Damon said dramatically.

Kyra laughed that throaty laugh that made all the blood run out of his head, heading straight south and said, "That's for me to know and you to dot dot dot." She didn't. She really didn't just use his line and then bloody wink at him. Damn, he had to update his repertoire.

"Now, I best be on my way," Kyra said, as she downed her drink. "Places to be, contracts to fulfill, creatures to kill. You know," she said with a wink as she stood and pulled on her coat. She threw a few bills on the table and then she was gone, just like that.

Elena looked down and saw that Kyra had left them a few hundred dollars, which was ridiculous. But then, she presumed that for a supernatural assassin, money really didn't matter. She looked over at Damon, who was still staring at the spot Kyra had vacated.

"So, what do you think about that?" she asked him. When no response was forthcoming, she elbowed him.

"You have to stop doing that," he moaned.

"Oh please, you didn't feel it at all, so quit being a baby," she said.

"Ruin all my fun, why don't you?"

"Come on, Damon."

"I think that we were very bloody lucky. And I want you out of the way and safe. I'm going to find out more about our little interloper."

"Damon," Elena whined.

"NO!" he growled. "She knows Klaus and by the looks of it, she isn't all that afraid of him. So we can try to use her to get Stefan back." It almost hurt to say it but no matter how hard he pretended to be the unfeeling, evil vampire, he still loved his brother and he knew Elena would only be happy with him by her side.

"Oh, I didn't think of that," Elena breathed.

"See, my scheming is good for something after all," he said with a wink. Elena gave him a long look, a smile curving her lips. She might agree with him but his ego was already too big for his own good, so she definitely wouldn't be telling him so.

"Then we're going to have to find her," she said.

"Leave that to me," Damon replied and Elena knew he would find a way. He always did.