Blood Wyne (8 page)
“As you age into your new life, yes, you will wake easier and with more clarity. Some of the ancient vampires can last against sunrise for an extra half hour or so, and can wake up even as the sun is starting to dip below the horizon. As long as they aren’t directly in its path. Listen, I’ve got work to do. Important work. I want you to stay with Tavah this evening. She’ll take you clothes shopping and then to the bar. I’ll meet you there later.”
Erin nodded, a hopeful look crossing her face. “Can I help you out? Please?” And then her words spilled out in a rush. “Menolly, I’m bored. I loved running my shop. I hate just sitting around at Sassy’s and playing games or watching TV. Put me to work, and I promise: I won’t let you down.”
I blinked. The thought of putting Erin to work had never occurred to me. Most vampires I knew were content to run around without a job to impede them. “You’re serious? You wouldn’t mind working in the bar at night?”
Erin flashed me a grateful smile and her eyes lit up in a way I hadn’t seen in a long time. “I’d love it! I miss being busy. I miss . . . being needed. With my store, my clients needed me. Now . . .”
“Sassy needs you.” I tried to make her feel better, but that opened up a whole new can of worms.
“I know Sassy needs me, but I feel like her pet.” She glanced over at me. “You think we’re in love, don’t you?”
I slowly nodded. “Sassy gave me that impression, yes.”
Erin shifted, obviously uncomfortable. “Sassy is in love with me. But . . .”
“But you’re not in love with her?” Understanding began to pound its way into my brain. Why, oh why hadn’t I talked this over with Erin before? I’d taken Sassy’s word for everything. Feeling every inch the neglectful parent, I asked, “What do you really think of her?”
“I am grateful,” Erin said with a shrug. “She’s taken me in and makes sure I’m safe and fed and comfortable. I care about her. Maybe I could love her if we were equals, but we aren’t. She’s my foster mother. She’s a good fifteen years older than me, which wouldn’t matter if I were really attracted to her in that way. But the whole affair gives me the creeps. I know what she wants and I don’t want to give it to her. Truth is, I’m not that interested in a relationship with anybody. I’ve got too much to learn about myself now.”
I sat there dumbfounded. Erin made perfect sense. I kept forgetting that full-blooded humans were more prone to focusing on age than the Fae or half-Fae, or vampires who had been in the life for a long time. Because humans age so quickly, fifteen years could signify a lifetime to some people.
Leaning forward, I propped my elbows on my knees and shook my head. “I’m so sorry, Erin. I never would have left you there if I’d known about this. I should have asked you earlier how you felt.”
“I wanted to say something, but I didn’t want to displease you.” Once again, Erin flashed back to the nervous daughter.
“How’s your inner predator?” I asked, cautiously watching her.
“Hungry, but oddly enough—I don’t feel the urge to hunt. I’m thirsty, but usually I’m just as good with the bottles of blood as I am with a host. I was a pacifist in life, you know. And somehow . . . that seems to have rubbed off on me in death.
Undeath?
” She laughed then, and I saw a little of the old Erin in the twinkle of her eyes. “I think I can control it, but I guess I should be watched a while longer to make sure.”
Undeath?
” She laughed then, and I saw a little of the old Erin in the twinkle of her eyes. “I think I can control it, but I guess I should be watched a while longer to make sure.”
Completely at a loss for words, I dropped onto the bed beside her. After a moment, I shrugged. “Okay, if you want to work, I’ll put you to work. You can sleep at the bar during the day, in the safe room unless we need to use it. Nobody will find you there. I’ll teach you how to hunt so you don’t go over the edge if your instinct does flare up. I stick to the lowlifes, the scum. Or, if I have to choose an innocent, I curtail how much I drink and leave the person with very good memories and the desire for a thick steak.”
Erin grinned at me, her fangs barely showing. “Thank you. I’ve been so worried about how I was going to make it through the next year—let alone the next hundred years. I need to be busy. I’ve always worked, ever since I was eighteen. I didn’t have a chance to go to college and my parents kicked me out of the house, so I got a job and learned how to take care of myself. I scrimped and saved to open the Scarlet Harlot, and it about killed me to sell it to Tim, though I know he’ll do a great job with it.”
“Why did your parents kick you out?” I’d never really asked Erin about her background. I knew that her parents were both dead, but her sister and brother were alive. Apparently they didn’t like the thought of having a gay member of the family. Or a vampire.
“My parents were fanatics—very right-wing religious types. I wouldn’t join their church—it was more a cult than a church, actually. So they kicked me out when I graduated from high school. I stayed with a friend until I got a job and saved up enough for a studio apartment.”
Wincing, I couldn’t help but think that in some ways, Sephreh, our father, was just as bad. He was a bigot, too, hating Trillian, angry enough at Camille to kick her out.
“I’m sorry it came to that. But I’m your family now. And my sisters, and Tim and Jason. We’re here for you.”
She smiled shyly. “Thank you, Mis—Menolly.”
“So here’s what I need: someone to clean the upstairs guest rooms, to keep track of inventory, to sweep and mop the floors after we close. You willing to do that? I’ll pay you what I would pay anybody for the job.” I knew it was below Erin’s level of expertise, but it was all I could offer at the moment.
She, however, seemed thrilled. “I’d love it. Can I rent my own place again? Now that I don’t have to go back to Sassy’s?”
“No, you don’t have to go back to Sassy’s, but as far as getting your own place, I think you should live at the bar for a while. But I promise that you’ll have more freedom. We’ll fix up one of the guest rooms upstairs for you at night. You can watch television and read, play on the computer—I’ll buy you a laptop. And you’ll sleep in the panic room.”
If we needed the safe room to hold another demon or some such creature, I could bring Erin back to the house.
She smiled, looking content. “I’m thirsty,” she said, her voice rustling.
I gazed into her eyes. Erin might think she had her predator under control, but she still had a ways to go. But for now, there was blood in the fridge and it tasted like beef stew.
“Listen to me, Erin. I’m going to do my best to help you grow into your new life. But if you ever, ever raise a fang against my family—anyone on this property or who belongs to my family—I will stake you. Do you understand?”
She nodded. “I don’t ever want to become like Sassy has. Promise me that?”
“I promise, if you do, I’ll put a stop to it.” Falling silent for a moment, I gazed at her. My daughter. I’d birthed a monster, but she was also a caring, vibrant person. Trying to lighten the mood, I added, “Come on. You’re in for a treat.”
As I led her upstairs, I wondered how things were going to shake out with Sassy. But after Erin’s disclosure, I wasn’t going to worry myself over the socialite’s reaction. She had bigger problems than losing a houseguest.
Iris was in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on dinner. Morio was helping her. The smell of roast beef permeated the air, along with mashed potatoes and gravy and a Dutch apple pie. I glanced at Erin, who was eyeing the food wistfully.
“I have a treat for you,” I said, pulling two bottles of the magically enhanced blood out of the refrigerator and popping them in the microwave. “Wait till you taste our dinner.”
The doorbell rang and Camille called out, “It’s Tavah.”
“I’ll be right there,” I called, then turned to Morio. “When the blood’s ready, can you pour a goblet for Erin?”
He grinned. “My pleasure. Does she know about the spell?”
I nodded. “Yes, but I don’t think she’s fully realized how extensive a selection we have thanks to you.”
“Okay. For dessert, I prepared a few bottles that taste like cinnamon applesauce.”
“Thank you. You’re all right, you know that?” I grinned at my brother-in-law and then headed out to the porch, where Tavah was sitting on the swing. I slipped outside and closed the door behind me. As much as I liked her, I would never invite her in. Too much danger.
Myth and legend were right—to a point. Vampires needed an invitation to enter a private dwelling.
Unless
the building was like the frat house our enemy Harold Young had owned, which had technically been an arm of the university. Or a home-based business. Or a store or bar or other public venue. I wasn’t quite clear on how it all worked yet and somehow doubted I’d ever be fully savvy.
Unless
the building was like the frat house our enemy Harold Young had owned, which had technically been an arm of the university. Or a home-based business. Or a store or bar or other public venue. I wasn’t quite clear on how it all worked yet and somehow doubted I’d ever be fully savvy.
The temperature had settled somewhere in the low thirties and promised to plummet even colder. The sky glimmered with that silvery sheen, and it was snowing again. The hours I’d spent in sleep had provided for a soft coating lining the tree branches and a scattering barely covering the grass. Now, by the looks of things, by morning we’d have a blanket of white stretching across the lawn.
“I need you to promise me confidentiality on this. It concerns another vampire. No gossiping, no telling tales to friends, no talking about this outside my earshot.”
Tavah was officially employed by Queen Asteria now, too. She’d been paid as an Earthside vamp by the OIA, but after we got our butts kicked out last month, she’d offered to move over to the Elfin Queen’s camp with us. So we took her up on it. She nodded her head.
“Of course. What’s going on?”
I outlined the basic problem. “I need you to act as Erin’s new foster mother when I’m not around, at least for now, till I can get matters settled. I’ll take over her training, but I want to make sure she has someone to run to if she gets afraid or if something happens.”
Tavah let out a little
hmm
and cocked her head to the side. She was tall and lean like Delilah, with shoulder-length blond hair that tumbled down her back in a ponytail. She wore scant makeup and kept to herself a good deal. She was a bookworm, albeit dressed in jeans and cashmere. I’d learned enough about her to trust her, but I had the feeling she’d never let anybody in enough to be a good friend.
hmm
and cocked her head to the side. She was tall and lean like Delilah, with shoulder-length blond hair that tumbled down her back in a ponytail. She wore scant makeup and kept to herself a good deal. She was a bookworm, albeit dressed in jeans and cashmere. I’d learned enough about her to trust her, but I had the feeling she’d never let anybody in enough to be a good friend.
“I can do that,” she said after a moment. “It’s a lot of responsibility, but . . . yes, I’ll be happy to help. You said you wanted me to take her shopping?”
I nodded. “She hates the things Sassy forces her to wear. Get her a few comfortable, neat outfits and for the sake of the gods, let
her
choose them. Then take her back to the bar and show her what needs to be done in terms of cleaning up. Also, pick up a twenty-five-inch TV, or something close, for one of the rooms upstairs, and an inexpensive laptop. Use the store credit card. Erin might as well start working tonight—show her where to find the cleaning supplies and what to do. I’m going to be late. If there are any problems, call my cell phone.”
her
choose them. Then take her back to the bar and show her what needs to be done in terms of cleaning up. Also, pick up a twenty-five-inch TV, or something close, for one of the rooms upstairs, and an inexpensive laptop. Use the store credit card. Erin might as well start working tonight—show her where to find the cleaning supplies and what to do. I’m going to be late. If there are any problems, call my cell phone.”
Standing, I summoned my daughter. All I had to do was reach out with my mind and call her, she was still so freshly turned—and she came running.
“Tavah’s taking you shopping, then back to the bar. She’s an older vampire, so she’ll be able to help you if something happens.” Tavah was at least one hundred years old, that much I knew. “I’ll see you there when I’m finished with my business.”
“Yes, Mistress.” Erin automatically bent to kiss my hand, and I reluctantly allowed it. I’d never aspired to sire another vampire; I’d never aspired to control others, only to have power over my own life. Now, it seemed the responsibilities were growing and there was no turning my back on them.
As Tavah led her down the path toward the driveway, I watched them go. My daughter. How odd it felt on my tongue, especially when my daughter had been in her late forties at her death. But I was her sire, and she was my responsibility, and we would be forever linked, no matter what happened in the future.
Roman lived in a fabulous house behind a gated drive, and his staff was scared shitless of him. The one time I’d been here before, the maid had warned me that few who entered the building ever left. I had thought then I’d never come back, but here I was, staring up at the four-story white elephant, the gleaming white columns that marched along the front porch shimmering like marble pillars of light. What would it be like to live in a house like this? Full of artifacts and antiques, luxuriant to the point of excess, with a stable of bloodwhores on the premises? The house reeked of decadence, and yet it was not overripe.
I slid out of my car and slowly approached the front door.
A maid answered—not the same one as I’d met before, but a vampire nonetheless. I didn’t ask about the other woman. I didn’t want to know.
“Menolly D’Artigo, here to meet Roman. I have an appointment at eight thirty.” As she stepped back, motioning me in, I was unaccountably glad I’d worn jeans and a turtleneck and my bad-ass black leather jacket. My stiletto boots tapped on the tile floor, which gleamed—polished to such a sheen that I could see my reflection in it.
She silently led me into the parlor—the one room into which I’d ventured before. An oppressive sense of time rested in knickknacks, in opulent upholstered furniture, in hangings woven by hand from centuries past.
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