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3
Gabriel
New York City is one of my favorite places in the United States, but walking down the sidewalk with brownstones on either side of the car-lined street brings me little joy when the only thing on my mind is the fiery human I’m finding it alarmingly difficult to be apart from.
I’m heading toward the subway station when my phone buzzes in the pocket of my black windbreaker. I pull it out in a flash, hoping for an update from Washington, but my stomach sinks when I realize that isn’t what it is. Instead, I’m looking at a message from Fallon, one of the vampires I met during my stint living in Manhattan almost forty years ago.
Heard you were around. Jase and I are heading out for drinks. Let’s meet.
I stop walking and move out of the way of foot traffic.
Hey, Fal. I’m not in the city long. Maybe next time?
Her response comes less than a minute later.Don’t make me drag your ass out. I’m sending you the address of this new place we found last week. It’s super casual, so you’d better not be in a suit. See you in an hour!
I sigh into the air, fogging it with my breath. It’s unseasonably chilly for April, and I’ve never been one to enjoy the cold.Fine, I type back,but I can’t stay long.
She sends back an eye-roll emoji, then adds,Looking forward to seeing you too, Gabe.
As much as the Manhattan social scene isn’t something I’m in the mood for right now, this could be a good opportunity to catch up with Fallon and Jase and see if they’ve heard anything about Dante or the hunters in the tristate area. Marcel does an excellent job keeping his ear to the ground, but it’s always good to keep tabs elsewhere. Finding Calla is the priority, but unfortunately, we can’t forget about the ever-growing organization of people whose goal is to eradicate our kind.
* * *
The place Marcel sent me to is essentially a glamorous feeder den. From the pristine white brick exterior, it looks like a private, luxury spa, but the mouth-watering scent of blood overwhelms my senses the moment I round the corner and before I even spot the building.
Stepping inside, I’m immediately enveloped in warmth. I’m glad to be out of the cold, but the atmosphere here has unease coiling in my stomach. It isn’t my first time in a place like this—not by far. I spent the first full year after I turned in a haze of bloodlust and feeder dens, though most of those places weren’t nearly as nice as this.
The space smells of sandalwood and citrus mixed with some kind of oil—a heady herbal aroma that does little to ease the ache in my temples.
I walk further into the bright, patron-free room, my shoes silent on the polished dark wood floor. The décor is simple yet warm, welcoming. To one side is a set of gray plush couches around a glass coffee table with lit candles flickering atop it, and to the other is—
A soft gasp from behind the white and gold marble reception desk snags my attention, and I glance at the pale, black-haired girl who is staring at me with wide, olive-green eyes.
Sometimes I forget how well-known we are among the vampires. Though this girl—who can’t be older than twenty—is entirely human. The wall behind her is made of light-colored rocks and has a water feature built in. It’s meant to be relaxing, I’m sure, but the trickling sound is grinding on my nerves. I’m more on edge than normal—a quick feeding should take care of that, at least a bit. I won’t be myself again until we have Calla back, but until then, Marcel is right. I need to take care of my basic necessities.
“H-hi,” the girl stammers, a blush tingeing her cheeks pink as she pushes the dark-rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose. “Mr. Simmons, it’s such an honor to have you visit our facility.”
I offer a polite smile. I’m not in the mood for pleasantries, but this girl doesn’t deserve to be exposed to the wrath living just below the surface. My jaw clenches as my gaze flicks to the vein in her neck, pulsing with the rampant beat of her heart. I swallow hard, struggling to ignore the pressure building in my gums.
“Thank you,” I force out, dropping my gaze to the shiny metal name tag attached to her white blouse, “Emerson.”
Her blush deepens, and she quickly turns her attention to the tablet in her hand. “If you’d like to follow me, we have a VIP room ready for you.” She steps out from behind the counter and opens a set of frosted glass doors, her heels clicking softly on the wood floor that seems to carry throughout the place.
I follow her down a hallway with closed doors lining both sides. The air is filled with essential oils and warmth, but through that, I pick up on the sharp, metallic scent. The reason I’m here—blood.
“Marcel let me know you might be coming by,” Emerson says, stealing a glance at me over her shoulder as we continue toward the end of the hall to another set of glass doors. “We don’t always have, um, staff on-site for the… treatment you’ll be getting, but I was able to call someone in.”
I nod as soft piano music plays overhead, seemingly from a speaker in the ceiling, though I can’t see it through the collection of chandeliers that line the hallway.
We stop in front of the doors, and I say, “It’s much appreciated.”
“No problem at all.” She pulls out a badge and taps it against a panel in the wall. It gives a softbeepand a lock clicks. Emerson opens the door, and I grab it, holding it for her to walk ahead. “Thank you,” she says, blushing again.
My lips twitch. If this girl knew how old I was… Though perhaps she’s intrigued by it. Not many humans know of our kind, but of the ones who do—even though they’re mostly glamoured—can’t help but be curious. Some even want to be turned. This isn’t a life I would wish on anyone, but it’s hard to deter someone who desperately desires eternity.
She walks into the room, the lights turning on automatically. It’s a small, inviting space, set up like a living room with the same dark floors from the rest of the building and pale gray walls. Emerson walks toward the plush couch against the wall across the room and straightens one of the black throw pillows.
“Make yourself comfortable, and I will send Jackie in right away.”
