didn’t think he was terribly impressed. “How long will I be here?”
“Until you’re ready to live on your own.”
“But what about school?” he demanded, his voice cracking Peter Brady–style. “And work? Baseball? College?”
“I honestly don’t know. Maybe, when you’re ready, we could have Ophelia arrange some home-school lessons so you could still graduate with your class . . . assuming that they’re willing to have a nighttime ceremony. And as for college, maybe in a few years, you could try it. Since the Coming Out, more schools have been adding night classes to their schedules. I know you were probably counting on baseball scholarships, but I can help out with tuition. I feel sort of responsible for this. I’m so sorry, Jamie. I know this is a lot to take in. Trust me, I’ve been there. The thing you have to focus on is that you’re alive, technically speaking. And that once you stop thinking about everything you’ve given up, being a vampire is pretty awesome.”
“Like what?” he demanded.
“Well, you’re superstrong, for one, like athletes on illegal substances times a thousand. And that thing you did to keep yourself from falling on your face? Doesn’t compare to what you’ll be able to do, balance- and agility-wise. You can run faster than you ever imagined. And some vampires get extra bonus talents.”
“Like singing?”
Dick snickered and muttered something about “karaoke,” which was clearly a reference to the last time we’d gone to the Cellar as a group and I’d performed a particularly sad rendition of “Love Is a Battlefield.” Gabriel tried to cover his laugh by clearing his throat but failed. I scowled at them both.
“No, like Gabriel can alter human memories. It’s a handy skill when you’re feeding off your neighbors and need them to remember falling neck-first on a barbecue fork.”
“Wow,” he marveled. “What can you do?”
“I can read minds.”
Jamie looked stricken, which made me wonder what he’d been thinking in the last few minutes.
“Only human minds,” I told him. “But I try not to go sifting around in other people’s brains. It’s just rude. I still can’t get the hang of reading vampires, unless I’m feeding from them. And that’s generally when Gabriel and I are . . . never mind.”
“I want to see,” Jamie said.
I frowned. “Gabriel and I are not doing that in front of you.”
“No, I want to see how fast and strong I am. Can you take me outside? I just, I want to run or something. Please? I feel like I’ve been sleeping for days.”
I looked up and saw Gabriel shaking his head.
“I’m not sure that’s a great idea, Stretch,” Dick added, casting nervous glances at our young ward.
Jamie gave me the big green puppy-dog eyes, and I felt a strange melty sensation in my chest. I groaned. This was not a healthy precedent to set, him persuading me by being adorably pathetic.
“Please,” he begged. “I have some questions for you, and they’re kind of, um, private.”
“What kind of questions?” Gabriel asked.
“The private kind,” Jamie shot back.
Unsure, I gave Gabriel the classic eyebrow lift, meaning, For the love of God, please tell me what to do.
Gabriel shrugged. “It’s up to you. You’re the sire now.”
“That is decidedly unhelpful,” I told him.
“Douche!” Jamie fake-coughed into his hand.
I turned on my young charge and gave him a withering glare. “Seriously, did you just douche-cough my fiancé? What’s next? The dreaded slut-sneeze?”
Dick laughed under his breath. I whirled on Dick. “I so should have let you turn him.” I turned toward Jamie and poked a finger into his chest. “OK, but the first sign of you bolting for that busload of nuns, I break your ankles like Kathy Bates in Misery .” He gave me a blank look. I sighed and tried to think of a more modern cinematic torture reference. “I’ll go Jigsaw on your ass.” He laughed. “I am completely serious. You will
“Until you’re ready to live on your own.”
“But what about school?” he demanded, his voice cracking Peter Brady–style. “And work? Baseball? College?”
“I honestly don’t know. Maybe, when you’re ready, we could have Ophelia arrange some home-school lessons so you could still graduate with your class . . . assuming that they’re willing to have a nighttime ceremony. And as for college, maybe in a few years, you could try it. Since the Coming Out, more schools have been adding night classes to their schedules. I know you were probably counting on baseball scholarships, but I can help out with tuition. I feel sort of responsible for this. I’m so sorry, Jamie. I know this is a lot to take in. Trust me, I’ve been there. The thing you have to focus on is that you’re alive, technically speaking. And that once you stop thinking about everything you’ve given up, being a vampire is pretty awesome.”
“Like what?” he demanded.
“Well, you’re superstrong, for one, like athletes on illegal substances times a thousand. And that thing you did to keep yourself from falling on your face? Doesn’t compare to what you’ll be able to do, balance- and agility-wise. You can run faster than you ever imagined. And some vampires get extra bonus talents.”
“Like singing?”
Dick snickered and muttered something about “karaoke,” which was clearly a reference to the last time we’d gone to the Cellar as a group and I’d performed a particularly sad rendition of “Love Is a Battlefield.” Gabriel tried to cover his laugh by clearing his throat but failed. I scowled at them both.
“No, like Gabriel can alter human memories. It’s a handy skill when you’re feeding off your neighbors and need them to remember falling neck-first on a barbecue fork.”
“Wow,” he marveled. “What can you do?”
“I can read minds.”
Jamie looked stricken, which made me wonder what he’d been thinking in the last few minutes.
“Only human minds,” I told him. “But I try not to go sifting around in other people’s brains. It’s just rude. I still can’t get the hang of reading vampires, unless I’m feeding from them. And that’s generally when Gabriel and I are . . . never mind.”
“I want to see,” Jamie said.
I frowned. “Gabriel and I are not doing that in front of you.”
“No, I want to see how fast and strong I am. Can you take me outside? I just, I want to run or something. Please? I feel like I’ve been sleeping for days.”
I looked up and saw Gabriel shaking his head.
“I’m not sure that’s a great idea, Stretch,” Dick added, casting nervous glances at our young ward.
Jamie gave me the big green puppy-dog eyes, and I felt a strange melty sensation in my chest. I groaned. This was not a healthy precedent to set, him persuading me by being adorably pathetic.
“Please,” he begged. “I have some questions for you, and they’re kind of, um, private.”
“What kind of questions?” Gabriel asked.
“The private kind,” Jamie shot back.
Unsure, I gave Gabriel the classic eyebrow lift, meaning, For the love of God, please tell me what to do.
Gabriel shrugged. “It’s up to you. You’re the sire now.”
“That is decidedly unhelpful,” I told him.
“Douche!” Jamie fake-coughed into his hand.
I turned on my young charge and gave him a withering glare. “Seriously, did you just douche-cough my fiancé? What’s next? The dreaded slut-sneeze?”
Dick laughed under his breath. I whirled on Dick. “I so should have let you turn him.” I turned toward Jamie and poked a finger into his chest. “OK, but the first sign of you bolting for that busload of nuns, I break your ankles like Kathy Bates in Misery .” He gave me a blank look. I sighed and tried to think of a more modern cinematic torture reference. “I’ll go Jigsaw on your ass.” He laughed. “I am completely serious. You will
Similar Books
