Fangs for Freaks by Serena Robar Page B

heart or do you have some sort of arrangement going? Like you two do all the housework in exchange for living here?”
    She visibly relaxed once I stopped hounding her to leave and wanted to know how she hooked up with such a sweet deal. Don’t get me wrong, they were still coming with me, but I needed to know the scoop before I could get them to see things my way.
    “Well, I guess the arrangement is more like we’re hostesses. We keep the party going until late in the evening, when Cookie has her, uh, guests over.” She looked a tad uncomfortable at this revelation.
    “Oh, I get it. You party up the tourists until they pass out all over the house. Then Cookie’s vampire posse comes over and gets to pick and choose over a smorgasbord of coeds, sort of buffet-style.”
    Sage brightened immediately. “Yes, that’s it exactly. It’s a win-win situation.”
    Unless you’re the buffet.
    “So what happens if something gets out of control? Like someone drinks too much … vamp or partygoer? Has that happened before?”
    Sage looked away a moment before answering. “Sure, it’s happened, but for the most part things are cool.”
    I nodded in understanding. Of course it’s happened. And judging by the way Sage was acting, all guilt-ridden, I had the feeling it happened a little more often than she was letting on.
    “What are you again?” she wondered aloud.
    “I’m the Protector. I’m a half-blood too.”
    She shook her head as though in denial. “No, you can’t be.”
    “Well, I’m certainly not a vampire.” I smiled at her while indicating the sun. “And you’re welcome to take my pulse if you want to check and see if I’m alive.” I offered her my pale extremity for examination.
    She shook her head, apparently deciding I was telling the truth. “What does a Protector do?”
    “I guess you could say that it’s my job to make sure you get to live as you want to. Psi Phi House is a place half-bloods go to learn about the vampire world and get acclimated to their role as a free Undead. I protect all half-bloods from harm. So what happens tomorrow, Sage?” I asked her.
    “What do you mean?”
    “Well, is it a party every day or do you get to do anything to shake up the monotony? The beach life is great and all but don’t you get a little bored after a while?”
    “Well, sure. When the beach scene slows down, then we hit the town and see if we can drum up some action to bring back to the house.”
    “Sounds like a lot of work for a place to stay,” I commented while looking around the porch. Still pretty light on the partygoers.
    “What do you mean?” she asked.
    Aha, I had her interested now. Step into my parlor said the spider to the fly.
    “I’m just saying you work pretty hard for Cookie and all you’re getting is a roof over your head and meals, so to speak. Tomorrow brings the same old thing. Don’t you want more out of life?”
    She stared at me for a moment before saying, very softly, “I’m dead.”
    “Ah, now there’s where you are wrong, Sage. You’re Undead. And with the recent law changes at the Tribunal, half-bloods have the same rights as vampires. Meaning you can live out your Undead existence in peace, not hiding from the Investigators or doing the bidding of another vampire, no matter how nice,” I interjected quickly when she started to object. “You could have a second chance.
    “I bet Cookie is a great gal, but you didn’t ask to be turned, did you? Of course not. Don’t you want to go to college? Get a job doing something that interests you and challenges your mind? I’m all for a good party once in a while but really, aren’t you getting a little bored?”
    She looked down at her pink toenails and nodded.
    I was on a roll. With any luck, I would have the girls packed and ready to grab the first flight back to Seattle before sunset. Take that, Thomas, I thought smugly.
    “Why don’t you call Tina over here and we can talk a little about Psi Phi House and the