Page 85 of Death Dance

I took the lead line for the first of my mares and walked her into the trailer, secured her as my father instructed, and gave her another kiss before fetching the next and repeating the process until I had all my babies put away. Once I closed the gate, following my father’s instructions on how to do so, I climbed into the back of the truck so I could lure my husband inside. He cooperated, and after I was buckled in, I settled into the serious business of snuggling close.

My father got behind the wheel, started the engine, and took his time navigating through the tight streets of SoHo, going around the block, and heading through what had once been a warehouse sector, which as promised, underwent a great deal of construction. When we pulled up, a pair of men wrangled the oversized chain gate so we could access the property.

Half of the block had been turned into a pasture for the horses, a space for their barn and stable, and a pair of arenas, one meant for show jumping and the other for dressage. My father parked close to the pasture gate and killed the engine. “Once we release the beasts, we will unhook the truck and go to our next destination. This is part of your dowry, however. When I was young, the dowry was to provide for the daughter and start the family, and this will be an excellent place for young vampiric children to grow.” My father pointed at the stone wall along the far side of the pasture. “Three blocks down, an old hotel is being torn down from structural problems. I have purchased it, and it will be made as a place for vampires with young children to come so they can play with the horses at this estate. There will, eventually, be the patter of many little feet enjoying these fields with their friends. The horses will be taught to work well with children, and this will be a place filled with joy.”

I hoped my father recovered from the trauma of my birth, my death, and my unexpected revival. Until then, I would remain patient, make certain he could come see the girls whenever he wanted, and enjoy the true fruits of his efforts: a better future for all vampires and their families.

Women would still need to put in a great deal of work and effort to have a child, but outside of needing to drink down more high grade cattle blood, it could be done.

There wouldn’t be a need for human donors, and families would have safer options for adding to their families down the road.

The experiment to help Edgar, Robert’s nieces, and the Japanese baby thrive had resulted with two additional but wanted consequences.

“I’m really liking this whole dowry business. I get the woman and presents from the woman’s family.”

I laughed. “And we won’t have to go far to visit our horses.”

“It’s in walking distance as long as we don’t mind a parade of paranoid vampires.”

Shaking my head, I went to work helping my father to release the beasts into their pasture. “Nobody has time for that sort of drama, Emerick. You’re just going to have to wait until we’re back from our trip to become close friends with our new horses. I want to see what else my father has gotten up to without proper supervision.”

“A great deal,” my father replied with a smile.