Page 14 of Blood & Bones

Uh oh, I knew the drill. I nodded. “Yeah.” I never gave these guys an opening.

“I…are you looking for a bloodwhore?” he asked, a dribble of spit on his lip.

I shifted, uncomfortable. I didn’t want to make a scene, but I wanted to squelch his hopes as firmly as possible. I turned on my glamour and stared him down, lowering my fangs. “You think it’s glamorous, don’t you? Being a vampire? Being used by a vampire?”

He coughed and shifted. “I…I…”

“What’s your name?” I said, using the command voice.

“Eddie,” he whispered, licking his lips.

“Well, Eddie…you think being a vampire’s all about sex and passion? You’d just love to be some vampire’s toy, right?” I leaned forward, keeping my voice low.

Rolling up my sleeve, I shoved my arm toward him. The scars covered my skin like some intricately textured leather.

“Look. You think this didn’t hurt? Well, let me tell you, Eddie, you’ve never tasted pain like this. My entire body was my sire’s canvas, and he took all night, using a small, dull knife. He destroyed everything good in my world that he could, and he tried to make me destroy the rest. You want that? How would you like to end up on your family’s doorstep, ready to drain them dry and leave their lifeless husks on the floor?”

“I…I…” Eddie worried his lip, no longer looking eager.

“You want a little advice, Eddie?”

Looking like he’d rather be anywhere than here, Eddie nodded, shifting from foot to foot. “Sure.”

“Being turned isn’t like some scene out of Dracula, drenched in hot, sweaty sex. You want to be drained of your blood, used like toilet paper and then thrown away? You may not like the sun but you’ll never be able to look at it again. You’ll never again taste your favorite foods; you’ll never taste anything but the metallic taste of blood. Got anything you want to change about your body? Too bad, your body will be frozen in time.” I glared at him. “You think you know what you want, but you’re barely out of diapers, boy. Do you want a family someday? You’ll never be able to be a father. And any woman worth her salt won’t trust you around her kids because, like it or not, we’re predators. This isn’t cosplay, boy.”

“But…” He deflated in front of me. “I just…”

“What you want is some control in your life, right?” I asked.

Once again, he nodded. “Nobody respects me,” he whispered.

“Being a vampire won’t change that. Respect isn’t worth the paper it’s written on if you don’t earn it. And respect garnered through fear isn’t respect. If you want respect, find a way to earn it. Do something wonderful with your life. Give something back to the world. Power for power’s sake is worthless.” I sat back. “Well, what do you have to say now?”

I half expected him to shrug off what I had said, but he met my eyes and straightened his shoulders. “Sit down.”

He set down beside Camille, in one of the empty chairs. “That’s what my Nana says. She actually listens to me. She’s the only one who cares.”

“Your parents don’t approve of your choices, am I right?” Camille interrupted.

Eddie shrugged. “I guess it doesn’t matter…I just…I wish my dad would get off my back about how I never do anything right. I try, but I can’t be the person he wants me to be.”

“Parents can be brutal,” I said. “Trust me, we understand. But don’t throw away your future to get revenge. Use that anger, use that sadness to build something that matters to you. Your parents’ opinions won’t matter, if you’re happy in your own life.”

He sat there for a few moments till Delilah returned, then he slid out of his chair. “Thanks. I’ll think about what you said.” He turned toward the door. “I think I’ll go take a walk.”

As we watched him leave the club, I hoped that he could find his way. In the short time we’d been over Earthside, it had amazed me how many kids wanted to be vampires. They thought it would give them autonomy. They didn’t realize they’d be forever enslaved to a hunger that would never be satiated. And that they’d truly understand what being alone meant.

“Who was that?” Delilah asked, taking a sip of her drink.

“Someone I hope I got through to,” I said.

CHAPTER SEVEN

After a couple of hours, we left the club. It was still fairly early—around nine-thirty—and I felt restless. As I fastened my seat belt, I thought about Eddie, then Laddy.

“Listen, can we drive over to the Wayfarer? I want to check with Tavah to see how Laddy’s doing.” I wasn’t sure they’d be up for it, but both Camille and Delilah instantly agreed.

Camille swung into a turn lane, and we were on our way. It wasn’t all that far to the Wayfarer, especially at night. Seattle might be a big city, but the majority of traffic in the evenings tended to be either taxis or pedestrians, especially in the downtown or the University districts. We managed to find a parking space near the front door and headed into the bar less than fifteen minutes after leaving the club.