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“I start school soon. Will you be gone by then?”
“Doubtless,” I said, certain that it would take only a few days for someone to come for me. There would be trains they could take, and I might have to stay elsewhere for a week or two, waiting for rescue, but they would be coming for me. That was all I needed to know.
“So your allies will take you to wherever it is you need to go and then you’ll leave me home?”
I nodded. “Once my brother comes for me, I’ll go back to the City. Until then, I need a place to stay and you’re very sweet.”
She frowned. “So I have no other choice but to let you stay.”
“Something like that," I replied, for she had no real choice. "But you’re one of the lucky ones. Most humans would be dead by now. You might like to come with me to the City and see things very few get to see, but I understand that you’re young and need to stay home and go back to school. You’ll be none the worse for wear when I leave, except for a few bites here and there.”
She turned to him. “What do you mean by here and there?” she asked, touching her neck.
I smiled at that, but said nothing. She was innocent. I could tell that when I touched her, but it was hard for me not to let my mind wander there. Because of our powers, vampires had complete control over mortals. We could take what we wanted, when we wanted it. For the most part, it was limited to blood, but some of us preyed on humans for more.
For pleasure.
I wasn't one of them, but it had been over a century since I had been with a woman, mortal or vampire. I craved a woman's touch…
But Calla – I could tell she was a virgin and I was determined not to exploit my power over her for anything other than a bit of blood and some assistance contacting my family.
“Where’s the city you talk about?”
“There are several cities around the world where vampires live, but my city is Montreal,” I said, remembering the city in eastern Canada that reminded me the most of my home in Scotland. “It’s one of the oldest settlements in North America, and I find it retains the sensibility of Europe rather than North America. Many vampires live there. It’s the center for vampire culture in North America. I wonder how much it’s changed…”
“Are you from Montreal? You sound British.”
“I’m from Britain, originally, but I moved to Montreal in the 90s.”
“Which 90s?”
He smiled. “1890.”
“What were you doing in California?”
“On business.”
“What kind of businesses do vampires own?” she asked, a look of amazement in her eyes. Many humans found it surprising when they learned that vampires lived amongst them and engaged in daily life just as much as they did – only our business was conducted solely during the hours of darkness.
“Any business. My family was in the investment banking business. I was in San Francisco to review our investments after the fire.”
She sat quietly after that, her pretty brow furrowed.
“Your family? Are they vampires as well?”
I nodded, a surge of affection at the thought of my siblings and father. “A very old family. My father made us all when we reached adulthood so that we’d always be together. He couldn’t imagine eternity without a family and so the entire group of us were turned, each one of us once he felt we were ready.”
“So you have vampire brothers and sisters?”
“Seven, all told. Three sisters and four brothers. My father even turned my grandfather before he died so he’d always be at the head of the family but he’s now a figurehead. My father is the real power behind the throne, so to speak. I’m the eldest and so I stand in for him on business matters or when he rests.”
“What year where you turned?”
I sighed, not wanting to get into too many details. The more she knew, the more she'd have to forget when it came time for me to wipe her memories. “That’s enough of your questions about my family, Miss Calla. Suffice to say that I’ve been around for a while.”
She glanced at the clock on the wall, which read almost midnight.
“I guess I should be getting back,” she said in a soft voice.
