VAMPIRE MAN (The Librarian's Vampire Assistant Book 6) Page 9

  His arrogance has always been his downfall. The only thing I respect about Dad—I mean, Vanderhorst—is that he is quick to accept responsibility for his actions. Still, what sort of self-respecting vampire takes the blame for anything? He is the worst vampire ever! And of course he cannot become a human again because it is his blood they are using to create the cure. It has to come from a vampire with ancient, strong blood…

  My thought trails off. Dear God! I’ve got it. Liza is technically a second generation and is approximately a hundred years older than Vanderhorst! And Vanderhorst has been waiting five long years, searching for a vampire who is stronger than he is.

  Why? Great question.

  When a vampire ingests the blood of a stronger vampire, the more powerful strain of the virus kills off the weaker form using the virus’s own immune defenses. Normally, without any intervention, this results in a vampire such as Liza, who drank her maker. She was left stronger and faster, having “absorbed” the blood of a more powerful vampire.

  The cure is essentially a dose of a stronger strain’s immune system, the equivalent of white blood cells only. No actual virus. These interferons attack the weaker vampire virus, leaving behind a perfectly healthy human body. Of course, take too much of the cure and there are side effects.

  In any case, Liza is the vampire they’ve been searching for. She can take Vanderhorst’s place as the supplier of blood for the cure, and her blood will be strong enough to cure Michael, too.

  I must make her see that the vampire world needs her blood. And so do I! Perhaps I can persuade her to provide a sample.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  After saying goodbye to Liza, I head home and find Brandi stretched out on the brown leather couch, watching TV in the family room.

  “You are still up,” I say.

  “Couldn’t sleep.” She stares at the screen, some fake docuseries about vampires from New Zealand. I don’t get the humor. It makes us all seem so out of touch with the world. As if.

  “Want to talk about it?”

  “No.”

  I do not like seeing her upset. It annoys me. Also, I need to make amends. “I have a matter I wish to discuss with you, then.” I lift her feet and sit, placing her legs over my lap.

  “Oh?”

  “Yes. I would like you to go out on a date with me.”

  She stares for a long, serious moment. “What about Liza and your great seduction plan?”

  “Taking a new direction. And she would be joining us.”

  Brandi narrows her brown eyes. “You’re asking me on a threesome?”

  “As much as I would enjoying being sandwiched between two beautiful women, it is in fact a double date. Liza thought it would be nice for four of us to go out.”

  “Uh, no thanks.” Brandi turns her attention back to the screen.

  “Why not?”

  “I’m not going out with a bunch of vampires.”

  “Only Liza is a vampire—her date is human.”

  “Still no.”

  “Please, Brandi? I need your help. Liza needs to trust me so—”

  Brandi slides her feet to the floor and turns her entire body in my direction. I can almost see the angry puffs of steam coming from her ears. “So you can lie and use her? You’re incredible.”

  “I know, but that is beside the point. I have found a legitimate reason for Liza to remain a vampire—it is something even she cannot argue with.” I feel proud of myself, actually. Unintentionally, my evil plan has turned into something good. Liza lives for helping others. Her blood will change many vampires’ lives, including Vanderhorst’s, who wishes to join Miriam and become mortal again, too.

  “The answer is still no. I’m not interested in participating in your games.”

  I do not see this as a game. I need more time to convince Liza to turn me. “Brandi, I will die if I am not made into a vampire. You know this.”

  “Then tell Liza the truth. If she’s a good person—vampire—whatever—she’ll want to help you.”

  I cannot take the risk. If Liza discovers my true nature, she will never speak to me again.

  Suddenly, I feel a wiggling, uncomfortable sensation in my gut. Guilt. I can see in Brandi’s eyes that she truly wants me to be honest, and for reasons I cannot explain, I do not wish to deny her. She’s probably a witch. Maybe a succubus.

  “You win,” I say. “Come on the date with me tomorrow, and I will tell Liza the truth.” Partially. One must keep some secrets to themselves.

  “Seriously?”

  I nod. “If it will make you happy, then yes.”

  “Okay,” she says, “but I have one more condition. You have to help me talk to my parents when they get here. I need a buffer.”

  She is nervous about telling them she was taken by a vampire. She fears they will not believe her. To be honest, I do not understand why anyone who knows this woman would doubt her. She’s probably never told a lie in her life.

  “I am here for you whether you go on that date or not,” I say, actually meaning it. Shocking. “I’ve got your back. Always.”

  We exchange looks for a few long moments. I feel my heart warming and my pulse grow rapid. It is strange how a man can go his whole life and never care about anything other than himself. Then, one day, you come across a woman cowering in a moldy shower, and she becomes like a splinter you can’t dig out. Definitely a witch. But a good one. I hate anything good. Yet…not Brandi.

  “I am going to miss you,” I say.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “I mean it.”

  She looks away at the TV. “I’m going to miss you, too.”

  “Maybe we will see each other again after this is all over?”

  “Doubtful. You’ll be off living your vampire life, and I’ll be…surviving.”

  “You truly don’t believe me when I say I will deal with the threat?” This makes no sense. I saved her once, and I would do it again. Brandi is turning out to be the one person I actually like in this world. Brave, honest, scrappy.

  “I think you’ll try.”

  “What does that mean?” I question.

  She looks at me again, her brows shrugged and eyes intense with worry. “Some situations are impossible to resolve.”

  Not if you are me. Yes, I have succumbed to doubts these last few days, but I always overcome. “I will find a way for us both to succeed.”

  She nods at the floor, and her intense gaze turns somber.

  “Are you certain nothing else is bothering you?” I ask.

  “I guess…I don’t want to be alone right now.”

  I am flattered that she wants my company and can find comfort in it. Almost makes me feel…good. “What flavor?”

  “Sorry?”

  “Popcorn. Which flavoring of sprinkles do you like?” I ask.

  She smiles brightly, and I feel like I’ve just won a medal. “Got cheddar?”

  “Coming right up.”

  I head off to the kitchen to make her snack. It dawns on me that I’ve never had this—someone to just “hang out” with and be myself. Maybe I should convince Brandi to stay a while in Phoenix.

  No. Bad idea. I shake off the thought. I do not want to be near her once I am turned. And if I fail at my endeavor to be a vampire again, I would not wish her to stay by my side to watch me wither. In a way, I am thankful that my family—I mean, Miriam, Vanderhorst, and Stella—left, too. I want everyone to remember me the way I was. With an incredibly muscular body and youthful appearance.

  What am I saying? I will triumph. I will be a vampire on the outside again.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  The next day, I begin preparations for my own transformation. I am confident that Liza will turn me after I explain the truth. I will share the most critical parts but leave out the things she doesn’t need to know. Such as, I was once a vampire who made other vampires leave puddles on the floor.

  Step one: Explain how much she is needed in the vampire world. She could support the rehumanizat
ion project and allow another vampire to fulfill his dream to be human again.

  Step two: Tell her I would like to be her partner in crime and help her leverage her clout, which she will have once everyone learns she is a gold mine for the cure. Together, we can push real change in the vampire world. Yes, yes, she thinks I mean to drive awareness about treating humans fairly, but really, I want one thing: World domination! If I have that, I can force vampires to accept my laws—the right laws!

  Step three: Have her change me.

  All I need is for Liza to sympathize with me, which requires her to see me with Brandi—my vampire-hating girlfriend. Brandi will scowl and sneer throughout dinner, and Liza will want to rescue me from my sad situation.

  Around seven in the evening, I knock on the guest-room door to collect Brandi.

  “One sec!” she calls out.

  “I will wait in the foyer. The car is already out front.” I have planned for everything to go perfectly tonight. Brandi will grow tired of the company of a vampire during dinner; we will fight; she will leave. Liza will want to comfort me, and tell her date to go home, giving me the opportunity to tell her the “truth.” She will see my plan is the best and then want me by her side and turn me. Done.

  I wait in the foyer and check myself in the mirror. Tonight I have my hair pulled back. I am wearing a fine Italian suit and a blood red tie.

  “How’s this look?” I hear a soft voice to my side.

  Brandi is standing there in a short red dress with her cleavage on display like two creamy pastries begging for a bite. Long smooth legs are accentuated by strappy black heels that remind me of rope. Mmmm…I’d like to tie those ankles up. Around my head.

  I swallow hard. “You look…um…very nice.”

  “Are you sure Miriam won’t mind me borrowing her dress?”

  Who cares? You were born to wear it. “I am certain she will not mind, but…” It dawns on me that I will not be the only person looking at Brandi’s bountiful bosom and erection-provoking hips. “But I advise you to wear a shawl.”

  “Shawl?”

  “Yes, you do not want to tempt the wrong sort of attention this evening. A vampire would take one look at you and want to take you home—perhaps lick you from head to toe, feed you strawberries dipped in whipped cream, and then make sweet, sweet love to you for several hours.”

  Brandi cocks a beautifully arched brow. Her ruby red lips pucker. “I’m not wearing a shawl; it’s a hundred degrees out tonight.”

  She does not take me seriously. I am trying to protect her.

  “Fine,” I grumble under my breath. “But don’t blame me if you end up with a stomachache and seduced by a vampire.”

  “Noted.”

  We head outside, and I open the car door for her, catching a whiff of her hair—vanilla and raspberries. Mmmm…Suave shampoo. It’s what we have in the guest bath. Brandi even makes the cheap stuff smell good. She is beginning to get on my nerves. First she holds me accountable, then she gets all sexy for our date, and now she smells good? She is a horrid woman.

  The drive to the restaurant, some fondue place, is fairly quiet. I am thinking about all the various ways this evening might go sideways and making mental notes on how to respond. For example, Liza could see the logic in remaining a vampire, but still refuse to turn me. Liza’s date could get in the way of having a private conversation with her. Brandi might flee the restaurant before making a proper display of her hatred for vampires, which could derail my plan to earn Liza’s sympathies. The list of possible derailments is long.

  “So why are we going to a cheese place?” Brandi asks.

  “Pardon?”

  “We’re going to a fondue restaurant, yes? Isn’t that a little strange for a vampire?”

  “Oh, that.” I shrug, keeping my eyes on the busy freeway. “Liza lived among yak herders for many years. She probably misses the curds.”

  “That’s weird.”

  “She is a very unique woman. She believes in following one’s dreams, which is why she is a prime example of living a full vampire life. She sees immortality as a gift to live life to its fullest.”

  Brandi is quiet for a long moment. “So she doesn’t go around collecting people and torturing them?”

  “Not all vampires are like Julia. Some are good.” Blech!

  “What kind of vampire were you?”

  I give her question some serious thought. “Rotten to the core.”

  “You’re being serious right now?”

  “Yes. I was far worse than Julia.”

  “And you want to go back to that?”

  I shrug.

  Brandi scoffs.

  “Do not judge me, woman. I did what I had to do. Surviving in the vampire world is not easy.”

  “You just said that Liza did it without being evil.”

  I supposed Brandi has a point. But Liza lived completely on her own, outside of societies. “She is the exception.”

  “I hope you will be too if you get your wish. I can see you have a big heart.”

  “I am afraid it is too late for me. I was raised without kindness or compassion. I only knew obedience and survival.”

  “That was then. This is now. You can change if you really want to. You can be a decent, caring man whether you live twelve more months or twelve more centuries.”

  I do not respond. Mostly because I do not wish to quarrel. Also, because I do not want to disappoint her by being truthful. I will never be good like her and Liza. I can only be myself. “We are here. Just remember, Liza’s date does not know about vampires.”

  “Got it.”

  We park the car out front in the lot and go inside to the dimly lit restaurant. Liza and a thin man, hardly any meat on his bones, are seated at a booth, sipping cocktails.

  Liza smiles and waves Brandi and me over to make introductions. Liza’s date is named Craig. He is wearing a tie-dyed T-shirt and has long stringy hair.

  Couldn’t bother with a brush for your date? Slacker!

  Liza is dressed in a flowery peasant blouse and has her blonde hair in pigtails. I like her unique style. It says she doesn’t care what anyone thinks, but that she’s also fun.

  Brandi sits down and immediately starts chatting it up with Liza. “So, Racker tells me you were a yak herder?”

  “Well, not exactly. I lived with a family and helped out. You know—milking, making cheese, weaving colorful yak blankets for winter.”

  “That is so interesting.” Brandi goes on with her long string of questions while I look on, trying not to fume.

  Brandi is supposed to be uncomfortable and annoyed over sharing a meal with a vampire. This is not going well!

  When Liza mentions that she spent time in Machu Picchu, deciphering hieroglyphics, I know I’m done for. Brandi is completely enamored of Liza. Meanwhile, Craig helps himself to huge gooey globs of oily melted Gruyere and Swiss while I try not to implode.

  Calm. Be calm. If I am unable to earn a sympathy card this evening, all is not lost. Perhaps Liza will still see value in our friendship after I tell her the news: She is needed! And I should be a vampire again so I can assist her.

  “I’m so sorry. We haven’t let you gents get a word in,” Liza says to Craig and me. “How’s the food?”

  “Runderfrul.” Craig bobs his head with a mouthful of goop.

  Brandi takes a nibble and so does Liza.

  “You know,” says Liza, “the flavor of this cheese reminds me of my time in Italy, working for a baker. He made the most wonderful cheese bread.”

  “I love baking!” Brandi exclaims.

  “Oh, me too,” says Liza. “Just this morning I made a jalapeño-cheddar bread that was to die for.”

  “I need the recipe!” Brandi says.

  Seriously? Seriously, Liza. Now we are going to talk about baking? What’s next? Knitting? Kayaking? Naked Roller Derby? Actually, naked Roller Derby is quite enjoyable. God, I miss the eighties.

  “Are you all right, Racker?” Brandi asks.
>
  “Glorious.”

  “Then what do you think?” Liza asks.

  “About what?” I say.

  “Liza just invited us to a party.” Brandi’s eyes are lit with excitement, so of course that means I can’t say no.

  “I can’t go,” says Craig. “I have a five a.m. hot yoga class.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad,” says Liza, who then turns her attention to me. “How about you, Racker? You game for a little fiesta?”

  This will present an opportunity to get Liza alone and talk to her. Especially because Craig is not coming. “That sounds fun.”

  “Then it’s settled,” says Liza.

  We finish the meal, and Liza walks Craig to his car to say her goodbyes. She tells us she’ll pull around so we can follow her.

  “What’s wrong?” Brandi says as we get into my SUV.

  “Nothing.”

  “Then why do you look like a bee flew up your nose?”

  “I am fine.” I put on my seatbelt and try not to ruin the mood. Tonight could be my last chance to persuade Liza. The day after tomorrow is her appointment for the cure.

  “I thought you wanted me to go on this date so you could make a good impression on Liza.”

  “Yes.”

  “So then?” she asks.

  “Nothing.”

  “Well, I think Liza’s awesome. Incredible, really. I’m almost glad her date is leaving so we can talk more openly. Listening to how positive and adventurous she is makes me see I don’t have to be so afraid.”

  “Of?”

  Brandi shrugs. “Vampires. After being kidnapped and tortured by one, the thought of this world being filled with Julias was terrifying. But now…” Her voice fades.