by Gayla Twist
Ilona shrugged. “We’ll wait then. The night is still young and I can be patient.”
“Fine,” I said, as if her plan didn’t worry me in the least. “She might be awhile. Haley usually likes to linger over her meal.”
She shrugged again. “I have all the time in the world.”
I knew I was going to have to change tact if I was going to prevent an embarrassing confrontation between Haley and Ilona. So I started with, “I can’t imagine you flew all the way to America just to check up on the progress I’m making with my progeny.” I reached over and took her hand. “And you look too lovely to just be roughing it in the boonies of Ohio. What have you been up to? On your way to a glamorous soiree, I have to assume.”
“I do enjoy being social,” Ilona said, neatly avoiding answering the question. “But only with the right kind of undead. You know I don’t approve of vampires increasing our numbers with no thought to the consequences.” She glanced at the car where Haley was feeding. “And fledglings can be no end of trouble. They always think that the rules don’t apply to them.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” I said, still holding her hand. “I’m just so glad that Haley has decided to listen to reason.” Ilona had a powerful maker and friends in high places. I didn’t want her bad mouthing Haley to anyone too far up the food chain. That would definitely lead to trouble. “There was a brief time when I was concerned, but that’s all over with now. As you can see,” I said, gesturing with my free hand toward the car.
“I’m sure that’s quite the relief,” Ilona said, narrowing her eyes at me. “And you say there’s nothing between you?” she asked. “No spark. No whiff of romance?”
“She’s not my type,” I assured the vampiress. “You know I’m only attracted to worldly women.” I gave her a knowing look. “Maybe in a hundred years Haley will grow in appeal, but for now…” I brushed my hand through the air to show how little she attracted me.
“Wouldn’t you rather just stake her?” Ilona asked. “I mean, is she really worth all this trouble?”
“Is it worth the trouble to train a good hunting dog? Or learn how to deftly drive an Italian sports car?” I pointed out. “I may not feel an attraction toward Haley, but she shows promise as a member of the undead.”
“I can’t wait to meet her,” was Ilona’s reply.
I knew that Haley could be done feeding at any moment. I had to lure Ilona away under any pretense. “I’m growing a bit peckish myself,” I said after a moment. “I wish Haley wouldn’t make such a production out of these things.” I glared in the car’s direction.
“I still say you should call her over. You are her making. She shouldn’t keep you waiting.”
“I really don’t mind,” I said, casually. “Let’s go back to the castle and wait for her there. If she can’t find me when she’s finished, she’ll know to follow me home.” Before Ilona could answer, I launched into the air. “There’s some fresh AB negative that you just have to try,” I called over my shoulder as I flew. A few moments later and relief passed through me when I realized that Ilona was following me.
Having Ilona in the castle was not a great idea. But it was better than me trying to deal with Ilona and Haley. I knew that Ilona was up to no good, no matter the reason she claimed to be in Tiburon. Leading her away from Haley, but to the castle was about the equivalent of me climbing out of the fire and into the frying pan.
“I wonder if I’ve even been here since your grandfather made the move,” Ilona said, once I had her ensconced in the salon and sipping from a goblet. “It looks wonderful.”
“Entirely my aunt’s doing,” I assured her. “I only wish I could take credit.”
“Yes. Where is Aunt Alice?” Ilona made a show of looking around. “And your handsome cousins.”
“Out at a party, I presume.” I widened my eyes at her as if it was not unusual to find no one roaming the castle in the middle of the night.
“And they left you here? All by your lonesome?” she asked, batting her eyes at me.
“Actually I wanted to stay,” I insisted. “I have been spending a great deal of time focusing on Haley’s training and besides…” I took a long pull from my own goblet. “I haven’t felt much like socializing lately.” I sincerely doubted she would take the hint, but thought I might as well try.
“How very unlike you,” she remarked, scrutinizing me over her wine glass.
“Vampires change,” I said with a shrug. “Eternity is a long time to stay exactly the same.” She was still looking skeptical so I kept talking. “That’s why I’m so glad to have Haley as my protégé as well as my progeny. I’ve been so bored these last couple of years that I was afraid I was becoming positively dull. But training Haley has reinvigorated me.”
“Are you sure that’s all that’s reinvigorated you? Training her?” Ilona asked coyly. “Or has your little fledgling also rekindled some heat in your pants?”
I knew the vampiress was laying a trap, but I really didn’t know which way to jump. If I lied and said that Haley and I were lovers, would that enrage Ilona or dissuade her from harassing me further?
“I’m surprised at you, Miss Firenze,” I said, allowing my voice to carry a hint of judgment. “I never knew that you were the type of vampiress who wanted to put a label on everything. I always believed you enjoyed life being more fluid than that.”
I caught her off guard for a moment, but she quickly recovered. “Well, well, well,” she exclaimed. “My how things have changed. It’s hard to believe that you’re the same vampire as the sniveling mess that was crying on my two-thousand thread count sheets just mere weeks ago.
“I wasn’t sniveling,” I protested.
“Dorian,” she said, reaching over and squeezing my knee. “I’m the one who had to listen to you drone on and on for half the night. I can assure you, there was sniveling.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Why are you really here, Ilona?”
“I have some business to attend to,” the vampiress insisted. And then she feigned hurt. “You act like you're not happy to see me.”
“Nothing could be further from the truth,” I assured her, patting the hand that was still clutching my leg.
“Good.” She gave me a smoldering look. “And if you’re really not with Haley, then I think we should head upstairs. After all, I remember there was a time when we used to have quite a lot of fun together.”
Ilona was a beautiful woman. She had obviously been quite attractive as a mortal and that beauty had been amplified by her transformation into the undead. But the thought of lying with her was repellent to me. I’d seen too much beyond the red lips and full breasts. She was dangerous and hateful in a way that was unique to the undead. And maybe a few special people in Hollywood. Plus there was Haley. I knew that it was unlikely that Haley and I would ever be together. But somehow lying with somebody else felt like a betrayal. My heart belonged to my scion and I guess that meant my body did too. I was ashamed of the way I had behaved on my recent stay in Europe, even though I was trying to forget her.
“I love you for asking,” I said to Ilona. “But I feel like that would be taking advantage of my aunt’s hospitality. You know how I hate to be rude.”
The vampiress sniffed. “I thought you were entitled to your fair share of this pile of rocks. Isn’t it part of your legacy?”
“True, but I stay here so infrequently that I almost feel like a guest.”
Ilona leaned forward, searching my eyes. “What’s happened to you, Dorian?” she asked. “You used to never shy away from a quick romp in the sheets. It’s like you’ve transformed from Casanova into a monk.”
I gave a casual laugh. “Oh Ilona. You always did have a flair for the dramatic.” She was trying very hard to get my goat and I was trying desperately hard not to let her.
“Well if the old Dorian is still in there, then take me upstairs now,” she insisted. “You can work off some of that frustration you were feeling over your scion.”
&nb
sp; “Yes, but that’s all over with now,” I said, countering her again. “And I’m expecting Haley any minute. Don’t you think it would be a little crass for her to discover us?”
“Not if she wanted to join in,” Ilona insisted, her eyes practically boring into me.
“I told you,” I said, trying to force my voice not to sound tight. “It’s not like that between us.”
“I know what you said. But are you sure your little fledging feels the same?”
“Yes,” I told her. “Without a doubt.”
Chapter 13
Haley
I caught myself feeling excited about my date with Tommy. I guess it was just a leftover habit from when I was mortal, which really wasn’t all that long ago. I was stretched out on my bed in my blacked out room trying to plan what I would wear. My uncle used to call me a slut if I tried to leave the house in a mini skirt and tights, but those days were over. I could wear whatever I desired and had the body to back it. That was definitely a perk of being a vampire.
When I was first turned, I started torturing Uncle Kevin for all the abuse he had rained down on me for the last several months. But then he had kind of a nervous breakdown. Bullies really didn’t like it when the tables were turned. He confessed to how miserable he was in his life and actually apologized for taking his anger out on me. He said that he just felt lost, and frustrated, and he didn’t really know how to handle it.
I wasn’t sure if forgiving him was the right thing to do. It sure wasn’t the easy thing to do. But I began to wonder how it felt to actually be Uncle Kevin. His wife had left him for a richer man, his daughter only showed him affection when she was trying to shake him down for something, and his job wasn’t exactly well-paying. Plus he drank too much. And he gambled away any cash he earned that his kid couldn’t squeeze out of him. He seemed to always be in a bad mood, which probably meant he was depressed. I knew alcohol was actually a depressant, so it wasn’t the best thing a person could do to feel better. But Kevin guzzled bourbon like it was soda.
So I decided to try a little experiment. Instead of torturing my uncle and making him even more miserable, I decided to try to help him improve his life. I used my influence to get him to cut down on the booze and cut out the gambling. Then I delved into his mind to find out what career he might actually want to pursue. After that it wasn’t so hard to get him to sign up for some classes. And fix up the house while he was at it. I didn’t even instruct him to stop being his daughter’s doormat. He figured that out all on his own. Ashley fought him tooth-and-nail, of course, but Kevin held strong. And I think they were both better for it. Although Ashley probably wouldn’t have agreed with me.
I began to think about how I would handle my date. Tommy Sherman was an asshole. There was no getting around that fact. He had used me and humiliated me. But what was a fair act of revenge? Ripping his throat out seemed over the top. I guess the best thing I could do was to make Tommy fall madly in love with me and then give him a taste of his own medicine. I would figuratively rip out his heart rather than literally rip out his throat. Something similar would have to go for Sheila, the Maybe-Lauras and even Ashley. They had all been horrible to me, too. Some teenagers could be so heartless unless it came to their own suffering.
I’d recently acquired a new cell phone. I’d lost mine in the crash that ended with me being transformed into a vampire. A cell felt like a weird possession for a creature of the night. I wasn’t even sure if it was something that other vampires carried around. It seemed very modern and being a vampire felt like a very old-fashion thing to me. And the sad truth was, I didn’t have anyone to call. Or text. I didn’t even have a Facebook page. So maybe I did make a good vampire because I definitely wasn’t engaged with social media like a modern teenager. On the other hand, I probably would have been a media addict, if I knew anyone to engage with.
I again felt the strong wish for someone to confide in. Or even just talk to. Being a vampire was so damn lonely. Dorian was the only vampire I knew. A new thought occurred to me. Was that why I was obsessed with him? Just because there weren’t any other choices. If I had a selection of undead males to date, would Dorian still top my list?
My heart said, “Yes!” But then again, I didn’t have a selection so it was hard to judge.
I was trying to do things honestly: work at the diner, save my money, get my GED online, only feed off of scumbags, and not kill anyone. But I was making myself miserable in the process. I needed to get a bunch of money together, exact my revenge and get the hell out of Dodge. For some reason Chicago still sounded like a good destination. New York probably had more vampires, but it felt way too intimidating. I would move to Chicago, make some vampire friends, purge my heart of Dorian Vanderlind and get on with my death.
It was time to stop stalling and get started on with my revenge. I picked up my cell and punched in a number.
“Hello?” a chirpy girl voice answered. I could tell by the saccharin ring that it was Sheila.
“Oh. Hi,” I made my voice sound as ditzy as I could, but also a little unsure. “Is Tommy there?”
“Who is this?” Her voice was immediately suspicious.
“Uh…” I hemmed. “I just want to speak to Tommy.” And then I added, “Tommy Sherman.”
“Yeah, and I just want to know who this is,” Sheila demanded.
“Listen. I don’t know who you are. Tommy just gave me this number. Why are you answering his phone?” I said, allowing my voice to sound a little indignant.
“This isn’t my boyfriend’s phone. It’s my phone,” Sheila snarled. “And Tommy’s taken. Way taken. So don’t ever try to call him again. Got it?”
“If he’s taken,” I said, “then he shouldn’t be handing out his number.” I hung up with a smile curling my lips. That would get Sheila’s suspicions running hot. I was pretty confident that Tommy wasn’t the kind of guy to straight out tell a girl he wanted to break up. He seemed like the kind of guy who would avoid her, just hoping she would take the hint. It was a cowardly way to act, but not uncommon with males, according to my reading. And I was pretty confident that Sheila was the kind of girl who didn’t shy away from being confrontational. Especially if a guy was trying to blow her off. No one had my new cell number so Sheila would have no way to figure out who had called.
The sun was setting, so it was time to get out of bed. I was so much better looking as a vampire than I had been as a mortal, but I wanted to try to make myself even hotter before my date. Tommy Sherman was going to get the full heartbreak treatment.
Right away there were a few surprising things about my date that evening. First of all, Tommy was on time. Secondly, he didn’t just pull in the drive and honk his horn. He actually got out of his car, came up the walk and knocked on the front door. It would seem like rudimentary manners, but good manners weren’t something high on Tommy’s list of things to accomplish in his lifetime.
“Good evening Mr. Hale,” Tommy said when Uncle Kevin answered the door.
I had to do a double take. Tommy was being all formal and polite. It was almost like aliens had replaced his personality with a person who had been a teenager in the 1950s.
“Tommy,” Uncle Kevin said, giving him a hearty handshake. “Sorry, but Ashley isn’t here.”
The boy nodded, caught off-guard for a moment, but then managed to say, “Actually, I’m here for Haley.”
“Oh,” my uncle said, having the good grace to look embarrassed. “That’s great. What are your plans for this evening?”
“Probably just a movie,” Tommy said with a shrug. “And then maybe we’ll grab something to eat.”
And that was the biggest big surprise. Tommy was willing to take me out in public. When I was a mortal, he’d always insisted that we had to keep our dating a secret. He’d claimed it was because he’d just broken up with another girl and didn’t want her feelings to be hurt. But that wasn’t the truth. Tommy didn’t care about anyone’s feelings but his own. The truth was he wanted to kee
p our relationship hidden. He wasn’t sure if I was cool enough to be his girlfriend. He wanted to keep his options open in case something better came along. And like a dumb-ass, I’d gone along with it. When I was a mortal, I obviously didn’t have super-high self esteem.
Define irony: When your mortal date wants to take you to see a vampire flick. Yes, that was Tommy’s choice for a movie. And it wasn’t even one of those romantic vampire flicks where the pretty girl gets saved by the hot vampire. It was a movie about vampires fighting zombies over the last remaining survivors of the human race, or something like that. Very post-apocalypse.
“That’s not my first choice in a movie,” I told him when he suggested we see it.
Tommy frowned. “Why not? I hear it’s really good.”
I had to assume he’d heard it was good from some of his jock buddies and not from actual professional reviewers or anything like that.
“I just don’t like scary movies,” I told him.
“Yeah, but that’s the point,” he insisted.
“What?” He’d lost me.
“You always want to take chicks to see a scary movie because then they get frightened and they’re all over you,” he explained.
I found it telling that Tommy had revealed his master plan to me without pretense. I knew he wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, but still…
“Oh, come on,” he said. “If it’s awful, you can hate me.”
I already hated him, so it wasn’t much of a temptation. But a perverse part of me wanted to see how the vampires were portrayed. Were we given any remnants of humanity or were we just killing machines?
“Okay,” I finally agreed.
Tommy started his mother’s Mercury Sable. “The tickets are on me,” he said, displaying his high school version of gallantry.
I gave him my most dazzling smile. I could tell by the way his eyes lit up that making Tommy fall in love with me wasn’t going to be much of a challenge.