understand what I’ve done to you.”
Anthony flopped on to the bed, laying on his stomach, head propped on hands. “All right. You said that I died. Now, either you’re mistaken or I just don’t understand what you mean by that. I feel very much alive. I think I look quite lively, too.”
Aw shit. This wasn’t going to be any fun at all.
“Here’s what I meant; I meant that last night you were thrown out of a white van into an alley. You were wrapped in a canvas tarp, and you were bleeding to death. If I were going to be crude I would say that you had literally been fucked to death. So it appeared to me.”
Anthony’s eyes were bright and clear. He wasn’t alarmed. “All right, that’s blunt. But I’m obviously fine now. So what drugs were you taking?”
Roderick stood and grinned.
He grinned wide enough for his sharp white fangs to show.
“Blood. I drank your blood. I fed you mine. I healed you, and you are no longer a human boy. You are now my boy.”
The boy didn’t say anything or react in any way.
“So. That’s what I meant.” Roderick paced across the room and back. He stood in front of the boy and looked down at him. “But you’re not acting like a vampire fledgling.”
Anthony’s eyebrows creased. He stared up at Roderick. Shook his head from side to side in the slow expected manner of disbelief. “You have to be joking.” He tried out his radiant grin, but it slipped out of place. “You are joking, right? I mean, vampires don’t exist. Right?” His body was starting to tremble.
Roderick stared into the boy’s eyes, compelling him to move. “Stand up.”
The boy stood.
“I am a prankster, have no doubt. But this is not a joke.” He reached for the boy’s left hand and tucked all but the index finger to the palm. He held eye contact while lifting the finger to his mouth and brushing the tip across his fang. He raised they boy’s hand to eye level between their faces.
Both broke eye contact to gaze at the bubble of blood on Anthony’s fingertip. “No joke.” Roderick’s tongue darted out and captured the red drop. “No joke at all.”
Anthony yanked his hand away and stepped back.
He shook his hand then held it up and squeezed his fingertip. Watched a small drop of blood well out and licked it himself.
Roderick watched Anthony’s eyes widen. The boy said, “It tastes like something I want.”
Roderick laughed out loud. Man, what a relief. “See? Didn’t I say so?” The boy just needs to hunt, he thought, and then everything will be all right. He’ll start acting like a normal vampire. “That settles it. We’ll hunt, you’ll be normal, and we’ll go from there.”
The boy grinned and said, “I don’t know about normal, but I feel great. I just need to find my contact lenses.”
“No, you don’t. You should be seeing better than ever before.” Roderick slung an arm about the boy and steered him out of the room. At the apartment door Anthony slipped his bare feet into Roderick’s favorite soft black leather boots. Roderick hesitated, shrugged, and led the way down to the street. As they walked the five blocks to the Strip he tried to dip into Anthony’s mind and was amazed to be completely blocked out.
What the hell? He tried again, watching the boy’s facial expression closely. Anthony’s expression never wavered. Roderick didn’t think the boy was keeping him out on purpose, but it was as if there were a brick wall between him and the new vampire’s thoughts.
Aggravating. This boy should be totally open to him. After all, most of Anthony’s blood was Roderick’s blood.
“What are you thinking?” Roderick asked.
“Just that the night is not so very dark at all. Everything looks strange, as if I had on a pair of light-enhancing glasses.”
“Light-enhancing eyes. Vampire eyes.”
Anthony ducked his head, “I don’t know about all of that. Vampire stuff, I mean. I guess for now I’m just along for the ride.”
Roderick laughed. New
Anthony flopped on to the bed, laying on his stomach, head propped on hands. “All right. You said that I died. Now, either you’re mistaken or I just don’t understand what you mean by that. I feel very much alive. I think I look quite lively, too.”
Aw shit. This wasn’t going to be any fun at all.
“Here’s what I meant; I meant that last night you were thrown out of a white van into an alley. You were wrapped in a canvas tarp, and you were bleeding to death. If I were going to be crude I would say that you had literally been fucked to death. So it appeared to me.”
Anthony’s eyes were bright and clear. He wasn’t alarmed. “All right, that’s blunt. But I’m obviously fine now. So what drugs were you taking?”
Roderick stood and grinned.
He grinned wide enough for his sharp white fangs to show.
“Blood. I drank your blood. I fed you mine. I healed you, and you are no longer a human boy. You are now my boy.”
The boy didn’t say anything or react in any way.
“So. That’s what I meant.” Roderick paced across the room and back. He stood in front of the boy and looked down at him. “But you’re not acting like a vampire fledgling.”
Anthony’s eyebrows creased. He stared up at Roderick. Shook his head from side to side in the slow expected manner of disbelief. “You have to be joking.” He tried out his radiant grin, but it slipped out of place. “You are joking, right? I mean, vampires don’t exist. Right?” His body was starting to tremble.
Roderick stared into the boy’s eyes, compelling him to move. “Stand up.”
The boy stood.
“I am a prankster, have no doubt. But this is not a joke.” He reached for the boy’s left hand and tucked all but the index finger to the palm. He held eye contact while lifting the finger to his mouth and brushing the tip across his fang. He raised they boy’s hand to eye level between their faces.
Both broke eye contact to gaze at the bubble of blood on Anthony’s fingertip. “No joke.” Roderick’s tongue darted out and captured the red drop. “No joke at all.”
Anthony yanked his hand away and stepped back.
He shook his hand then held it up and squeezed his fingertip. Watched a small drop of blood well out and licked it himself.
Roderick watched Anthony’s eyes widen. The boy said, “It tastes like something I want.”
Roderick laughed out loud. Man, what a relief. “See? Didn’t I say so?” The boy just needs to hunt, he thought, and then everything will be all right. He’ll start acting like a normal vampire. “That settles it. We’ll hunt, you’ll be normal, and we’ll go from there.”
The boy grinned and said, “I don’t know about normal, but I feel great. I just need to find my contact lenses.”
“No, you don’t. You should be seeing better than ever before.” Roderick slung an arm about the boy and steered him out of the room. At the apartment door Anthony slipped his bare feet into Roderick’s favorite soft black leather boots. Roderick hesitated, shrugged, and led the way down to the street. As they walked the five blocks to the Strip he tried to dip into Anthony’s mind and was amazed to be completely blocked out.
What the hell? He tried again, watching the boy’s facial expression closely. Anthony’s expression never wavered. Roderick didn’t think the boy was keeping him out on purpose, but it was as if there were a brick wall between him and the new vampire’s thoughts.
Aggravating. This boy should be totally open to him. After all, most of Anthony’s blood was Roderick’s blood.
“What are you thinking?” Roderick asked.
“Just that the night is not so very dark at all. Everything looks strange, as if I had on a pair of light-enhancing glasses.”
“Light-enhancing eyes. Vampire eyes.”
Anthony ducked his head, “I don’t know about all of that. Vampire stuff, I mean. I guess for now I’m just along for the ride.”
Roderick laughed. New
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