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“Slayer law says vampires are allowed to feed from humans so long as the human isn’t weakened enough they can’t carry on their regular activities, they don’t remember the interaction, and their free will isn’t affected for more than the time of the short feeding.”
“I know those rules,” Marco told him, clearly irritated. “She’ll be feeding their fear, not blood. Just as every slayer sees my talents in a different light, I’m certain the same holds true for Etta’s talent. Please give her your personal guidelines, since you’ll be acting as judge, jury, and executioner if she steps outside of what you deem acceptable.”
Marco had asked, so I looked at him when I spoke, despite the fact he’d instructed me to tell Etta. I wasn’t comfortable laying the guidelines out to her, and I’d need to analyze that later, but not now. “It seems to me, humans who see a horror movie want to be frightened. The amusement park could present problems — someone going to try to fight their fear, for instance, and she makes it worse...” I shook my head. That wouldn’t technically break a rule, but it would piss me off.
I couldn’t kill her for pissing me off, though. Once, I could have easily done so, but now...
“How about this,” Etta said. “If you’re around and I’m crossing a line you don’t approve of, tell me. I have good days and bad days, the same as anyone else. Under most circumstances, if I see the situation you present, I’d help the person, rather than make things harder.”
“Most circumstances? So, if you’re having a bad day, you might enjoy their fear?”
“I’ll feed from it whether I leach it away or build it up more, slayer. Whether I enjoy it or not will depend on their particular flavor.”
Did she realize how much she was giving away? “Fear tastes different?”
She seemed surprised at my question, like I’d asked something she assumed everyone knew. “Of course it does. Fear of flying, fear of snakes, fear of the monster under the bed. It’s more than that, though. Just as one human’s blood tastes different from another’s, even the same kind of fear will taste different when experienced by a different person.”
She looked to Marco for help, and he shrugged. “Lust tastes different, depending on the person. I imagine fear is the same.”
I had no idea what drew me to this vampire, but the attraction disturbed me, and it made me want to disturb her. “You’re afraid of me.”
Once she’d consumed her own fear earlier, I realized she was doing it all the time. If she was afraid of me, she wouldn’t smell of fear because she ate it as fast as she felt it.
“Do I smell of fear, slayer?”
That voice. Damn. I’m immune to the voice and the gaze of vampires far stronger than her, but her voice drew me in as if she controlled lust rather than fear.
“I’m here to help,” I reminded her. “The humans benefit if the power structure in the city stays stable, and that will make my job simpler.”
“Marco obviously believes this, and I trust Marco’s judgment.”
I looked to Marco and back to Etta. “I don’t make friends. I have business relationships, as with Marco, but Slayers do not have friends. Surprisingly, two people made it through whatever walls we Slayers naturally have, and I consider them friends. I’d be sad if they died, and I can’t say that about anyone else I know. One is a fellow Slayer, and the other is Cora’s friend, Kirsten. Through Kirsten, I’ve negotiated with Kendra and Marco to try to help the transition.”
Her brows drew together. “Are your parents still alive? Siblings?”
“Yes, and no.”
“You wouldn’t be sad if your parents died? Were you sad when your siblings died?”
I shrugged. “Slayers aren’t raised to feel emotions.” I was specifically raised not to feel them, but she didn’t need to know that much. I wasn’t raised with my siblings, so I hadn’t been sad about their deaths. Some had died before I’d even been born.
“So, you’re a race of sociopaths?”
“Sociopathy is a lack of empathy, not emotions. I can sense emotions in others, I just don’t feel them myself.”
That seemed to stop her. “I know that — the fact it’s a lack of empathy. You’re saying you have cognitive empathy, but not emotional empathy?”
And this knowledge endeared her to me even more. I wanted to know how she knew it, but I didn’t think she’d answer the question if I asked it outright. Instead, I said, “Most people are not aware.”
“I’m not most people.”
Ah, still not an answer. “Did you look it up, to see if you qualify?”
“You were saying that Kirsten is your friend?”
Redirection. Most of the old vampires are smoother, though.
Marco decided to join the conversation again. “I believe the point he’s circling around is that I trust Cora, who trusts Kirsten, who assures us Ryan is trying to help.”
