you. I have a job for you, Menolly.”
Great. Another person yanking on my coattails, and one whom I couldn’t afford to ignore. “What do you want us to do?” I glanced over at Erin. She was happily absorbed in another movie, oblivious to my conversation. I had the feeling Sassy limited her television.
“ Us? Not us if you’re referring to your sisters, though if you need their help, I won’t object. This is a serious task. But I trust that you will succeed. You are the only one I will trust for this matter, precisely because you aren’t part of the vampire politics swirling through the town right now.” He sobered, and behind the strength, I could hear a tinge of worry.
“What’s going on, Roman?” I blinked. Vampire politics was so not on my plate right now. We had enough worries now with Stacia Bonecrusher—a demon general—dead. When Shadow Wing realized she’d vanished like her predecessors, he’d send someone bigger and badder after us.
“The phone is no place to discuss this matter. Come to my place. Eight thirty tonight. We’ll dine on the richest blood you’ll ever taste—voluntarily harvested from my stable of beauties. And I will tell you what I want of you.”
His voice lingered over the words as his energy coiled through the phone to trail around me, caress my shoulders, and gently coax me in. Roman didn’t just want my help . I could feel it, and the thought scared me shitless. He was the godfather of vampires, someone you just didn’t say no to. He was no Dredge, but I had the feeling he could be far worse if he wanted to.
“Roman . . . I’m not sure what you’re asking—”
“Eight thirty. My driver will pick you up.”
“No, I’ll drive. I’ve been there before.” I refused to be at the mercy of anyone else’s transportation.
“Very well, as you wish. But come alone. We have several matters to go over, so plan on staying late.” And then silence as he hung up.
I stared at the receiver, then slowly replaced it on the cradle. The drowsy pull of dawn beckoned, and I tapped Erin on the shoulder. She startled out of her fixation on the screen, and as she looked up at me, I could see the tinge in her eyes that marked her as a vampire. She was beginning to develop her glamour—all vampires did, at some point during their early years. Even with her rather plain looks, Erin would be gloriously magnetic in a year or so, and humans would have a hard time resisting her.
“It’s nearing sunrise,” I said. “Time to sleep.”
“I can’t sleep on the bed with you. It’s not proper. I’ll sleep on the floor.” She motioned to the bottom of the bed. “This will be fine.”
“Wait.” I ran upstairs and brought down a spare sleeping bag from the closet. Spreading it out, I tossed on a couple pillows and a lace throw. “There, that should work for you. Sleep now, my daughter.”
Holding out my hand for her kiss, I watched as she knelt and pressed her lips to my fingers. Then she silently crawled into the folds of the sleeping bag and—as I made myself comfortable in the bed—she had already sunk into that darkness that claims every vampire with the rising sun.
We walk the world in our sleep, walk through air and shadow, through dream and projection. Before I’d staked Dredge, I’d relived my torture and turning nearly every night, unable to break free from the horror.
But more and more, my dreams carried me out on a wave across the ocean, to wade through the depths of Earth, to spiral out into space and watch the turning of the world. Each time I returned and woke to the night, there was a little part of me that regretted coming back, because my dreams had gone from nightmares to visions of beauty, and they never seemed long enough.
I found myself in a long, narrow room and knew I was dreaming, but my surroundings were so vivid and brilliant that I paused to look around. The walls were heavy, Old World paneling and paper; the floors marbled white with veins
Great. Another person yanking on my coattails, and one whom I couldn’t afford to ignore. “What do you want us to do?” I glanced over at Erin. She was happily absorbed in another movie, oblivious to my conversation. I had the feeling Sassy limited her television.
“ Us? Not us if you’re referring to your sisters, though if you need their help, I won’t object. This is a serious task. But I trust that you will succeed. You are the only one I will trust for this matter, precisely because you aren’t part of the vampire politics swirling through the town right now.” He sobered, and behind the strength, I could hear a tinge of worry.
“What’s going on, Roman?” I blinked. Vampire politics was so not on my plate right now. We had enough worries now with Stacia Bonecrusher—a demon general—dead. When Shadow Wing realized she’d vanished like her predecessors, he’d send someone bigger and badder after us.
“The phone is no place to discuss this matter. Come to my place. Eight thirty tonight. We’ll dine on the richest blood you’ll ever taste—voluntarily harvested from my stable of beauties. And I will tell you what I want of you.”
His voice lingered over the words as his energy coiled through the phone to trail around me, caress my shoulders, and gently coax me in. Roman didn’t just want my help . I could feel it, and the thought scared me shitless. He was the godfather of vampires, someone you just didn’t say no to. He was no Dredge, but I had the feeling he could be far worse if he wanted to.
“Roman . . . I’m not sure what you’re asking—”
“Eight thirty. My driver will pick you up.”
“No, I’ll drive. I’ve been there before.” I refused to be at the mercy of anyone else’s transportation.
“Very well, as you wish. But come alone. We have several matters to go over, so plan on staying late.” And then silence as he hung up.
I stared at the receiver, then slowly replaced it on the cradle. The drowsy pull of dawn beckoned, and I tapped Erin on the shoulder. She startled out of her fixation on the screen, and as she looked up at me, I could see the tinge in her eyes that marked her as a vampire. She was beginning to develop her glamour—all vampires did, at some point during their early years. Even with her rather plain looks, Erin would be gloriously magnetic in a year or so, and humans would have a hard time resisting her.
“It’s nearing sunrise,” I said. “Time to sleep.”
“I can’t sleep on the bed with you. It’s not proper. I’ll sleep on the floor.” She motioned to the bottom of the bed. “This will be fine.”
“Wait.” I ran upstairs and brought down a spare sleeping bag from the closet. Spreading it out, I tossed on a couple pillows and a lace throw. “There, that should work for you. Sleep now, my daughter.”
Holding out my hand for her kiss, I watched as she knelt and pressed her lips to my fingers. Then she silently crawled into the folds of the sleeping bag and—as I made myself comfortable in the bed—she had already sunk into that darkness that claims every vampire with the rising sun.
We walk the world in our sleep, walk through air and shadow, through dream and projection. Before I’d staked Dredge, I’d relived my torture and turning nearly every night, unable to break free from the horror.
But more and more, my dreams carried me out on a wave across the ocean, to wade through the depths of Earth, to spiral out into space and watch the turning of the world. Each time I returned and woke to the night, there was a little part of me that regretted coming back, because my dreams had gone from nightmares to visions of beauty, and they never seemed long enough.
I found myself in a long, narrow room and knew I was dreaming, but my surroundings were so vivid and brilliant that I paused to look around. The walls were heavy, Old World paneling and paper; the floors marbled white with veins
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