Monday," he said. "And Winkler wants to take everybody to Victoria's for dinner, including your mother. Be ready around seven; we'll pick you up."
"Will do." Ashe waved and walked out of the house. Buck waved, too, when Ashe walked past on his way home.
* * *
"The candidates for Principal will be here tomorrow afternoon," Winkler announced over a dinner of lobster, shrimp and pasta. The restaurant employees had already heard rumors that Winkler had purchased Victoria's and there was no lack of service at the table. Adele watched how they served the tables around them, since she'd be supervising the employees soon. "We'll put the applicants up with Marcus, Nathan and Jonas," Winkler added, accepting a drink from a solicitous waiter.
"That should make Sali happy," Ashe said. A guest meant Sali would be turned out of his bedroom, and Ashe wasn't sure he wanted to invite Sali for a visit while the candidate slept in Sali's room.
"We'll take the candidates out for a meal on Sunday," Trajan said. "Just to feel them out. It'll be a late dinner; we'll wait until Nathan is up for that one. Then the official interviews will take place on Monday night in Winkler's office."
"If we don't hire him, the shapeshifter has another interview in Missouri," Winkler said, dipping a chunk of lobster in warm butter before eating it. "Lissa used to tease me about eating two lobsters."
"So she really was rare," Ashe observed. He remembered Winkler telling him that female vampires were extremely rare.
"Only fifteen or sixteen like her," Winkler nodded. "And they married her off to Hancock's sire." Winkler didn't look happy about that. "He made her life miserable."
"An arranged marriage?" Adele asked. "I'm not surprised."
"Sold to the oldest and highest bidder, that's what I understand," Trajan grumbled. "Lissa saved my neck, once. I wish you could have seen that." He smiled at the memory. "Winkler was challenged outside the full moon, and the challenger wanted the Seconds to fight. Old Karl brought in a werewolf blademaster as his temporary Second, and I only fight with my hands." Trajan held up the hands in question—they were large and capable, but they'd never held a sword. "Lissa stepped in for me that night, and it was something to see," Trajan shook his head in amazement. "I wonder what happened to that video Hancock had? Thomas Williams was there as a witness, wearing a lapel camera Hancock provided."
"You know, I think you may have to tell me the whole story, sometime," Adele said. "You're making me curious."
"Any time," Trajan said.
"Lissa was the only vampire to be Pack," Trace explained when Ashe climbed out of Winkler's van later. "She saved the Grand Master's life, too."
"But if they married her off to an assassin, was she an assassin, too?"
"Ashe, walk with me a little way," Trace herded Ashe down the street while Adele stayed behind to talk with Winkler and Buck about the restaurant they were building.
"Lissa wasn't sanctioned by the Vampire Council when she was turned. Her sire didn't report it. That made her rogue. The Council sent Gavin Montegue after her. He hauled her in after watching her for a long time. She was working for Winkler, back then. The vamps almost killed her outright. Ashe, she had Elemaiyan blood. A quarter, if I understand right. She could mist and mindspeak. Gavin kept her on a short, tight leash, and they sent her out after the worst of the worst. That terrorist, Rahim Alif? She took him down. Several others, too, that Hancock or his successor, Bill Jennings, took credit for. And she took down the ringleader of all the Dark Elemaiyan vampires. I don't know that entire story. Winkler knows more, but he doesn't talk about it much. Somebody convinced her to go after another batch of bad ones after that. She died, killing them. Winkler wouldn't talk to anyone for a month after she was killed. Her grave is in Oklahoma, but there's nobody in it."
"Because vampires turn to ash when they die."
"Yeah.
"Will do." Ashe waved and walked out of the house. Buck waved, too, when Ashe walked past on his way home.
* * *
"The candidates for Principal will be here tomorrow afternoon," Winkler announced over a dinner of lobster, shrimp and pasta. The restaurant employees had already heard rumors that Winkler had purchased Victoria's and there was no lack of service at the table. Adele watched how they served the tables around them, since she'd be supervising the employees soon. "We'll put the applicants up with Marcus, Nathan and Jonas," Winkler added, accepting a drink from a solicitous waiter.
"That should make Sali happy," Ashe said. A guest meant Sali would be turned out of his bedroom, and Ashe wasn't sure he wanted to invite Sali for a visit while the candidate slept in Sali's room.
"We'll take the candidates out for a meal on Sunday," Trajan said. "Just to feel them out. It'll be a late dinner; we'll wait until Nathan is up for that one. Then the official interviews will take place on Monday night in Winkler's office."
"If we don't hire him, the shapeshifter has another interview in Missouri," Winkler said, dipping a chunk of lobster in warm butter before eating it. "Lissa used to tease me about eating two lobsters."
"So she really was rare," Ashe observed. He remembered Winkler telling him that female vampires were extremely rare.
"Only fifteen or sixteen like her," Winkler nodded. "And they married her off to Hancock's sire." Winkler didn't look happy about that. "He made her life miserable."
"An arranged marriage?" Adele asked. "I'm not surprised."
"Sold to the oldest and highest bidder, that's what I understand," Trajan grumbled. "Lissa saved my neck, once. I wish you could have seen that." He smiled at the memory. "Winkler was challenged outside the full moon, and the challenger wanted the Seconds to fight. Old Karl brought in a werewolf blademaster as his temporary Second, and I only fight with my hands." Trajan held up the hands in question—they were large and capable, but they'd never held a sword. "Lissa stepped in for me that night, and it was something to see," Trajan shook his head in amazement. "I wonder what happened to that video Hancock had? Thomas Williams was there as a witness, wearing a lapel camera Hancock provided."
"You know, I think you may have to tell me the whole story, sometime," Adele said. "You're making me curious."
"Any time," Trajan said.
"Lissa was the only vampire to be Pack," Trace explained when Ashe climbed out of Winkler's van later. "She saved the Grand Master's life, too."
"But if they married her off to an assassin, was she an assassin, too?"
"Ashe, walk with me a little way," Trace herded Ashe down the street while Adele stayed behind to talk with Winkler and Buck about the restaurant they were building.
"Lissa wasn't sanctioned by the Vampire Council when she was turned. Her sire didn't report it. That made her rogue. The Council sent Gavin Montegue after her. He hauled her in after watching her for a long time. She was working for Winkler, back then. The vamps almost killed her outright. Ashe, she had Elemaiyan blood. A quarter, if I understand right. She could mist and mindspeak. Gavin kept her on a short, tight leash, and they sent her out after the worst of the worst. That terrorist, Rahim Alif? She took him down. Several others, too, that Hancock or his successor, Bill Jennings, took credit for. And she took down the ringleader of all the Dark Elemaiyan vampires. I don't know that entire story. Winkler knows more, but he doesn't talk about it much. Somebody convinced her to go after another batch of bad ones after that. She died, killing them. Winkler wouldn't talk to anyone for a month after she was killed. Her grave is in Oklahoma, but there's nobody in it."
"Because vampires turn to ash when they die."
"Yeah.
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