AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Because Gunther won’t assassinate me for not helping his sister.”
Otto blew a dismissive breath. “You know the guild won’t allow its assassins to operate within the borders of Fairhaven, and I highly doubt the mage would kill you anyway. It sounds like you’ve become friends.”
“Friendly is different from friends. It’s not like we hang out for the fun of it. There’s always a reason.”
He toyed with a Scrabble tile. “And which are we?”
I shifted uncomfortably in the chair. “Why do you need to stick a label on it?”
“Oh, my. You must be delightful to date.”
“I don’t date.”
“That’s right. You hide from the world unless, of course, a stranger needs you.”
“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”
“I don’t see why I should. It’s entertaining.”
“Speaking of entertainment, I had to meet this vampire at his house for lunch. I expected a court jester to pop out during the appetizers. I hate to say it, Otto, but in his solar system, the compound is like Jupiter and our houses are like Mars and Venus.”
Otto stiffened. “Compound? Who is this vampire?”
Oh, crap. “Vincenzo Magnarella.”
Otto’s hand slid off the table to rest on the chair. The movement didn’t escape my notice, but I didn’t prod him. I’d give him time to organize his thoughts.
“Vincenzo is very dangerous,” Otto finally said.
“I’m aware.”
“He’s part of a criminal organization.”
“Noted. Can you tell me something I don’t know?”
Otto was silent for an extended minute. “He and I were friends, once upon a time.”
Okay, I wasn’t expecting that. “Real friends? Like he came over to play chess and you fed him?”
“Yes. Before I was cursed.”
“He dumped you after you went blind? What a dick.”
“He dumped me after I could no longer drink blood. I don’t think the blindness bothered him. As you’re aware, my heightened vampire senses bridge that gap.”
“Why did it bother him that you couldn’t drink blood?”
“He’s a purist. Vin believes if you don’t drink blood, you no longer qualify as a vampire, and anything other than a vampire is basically a lower life form.”
“Still a dick.”
Otto smiled. “I appreciate the support, but it isn’t necessary. I left him behind a long time ago.”
More like Vincenzo left him behind, but it seemed cruel to make the point. “You’re better off. Why would you want to associate with someone like him anyway? You’d never know when he might stab you in the back.”
“Oh, Vincenzo would stab me in the front and smile as he did it. He can be quite theatrical.”
“Any weaknesses?”
