Birth of the Vampire (The Vanderlind Realm) (3 page)

I actually knocked at the front door when I arrived. It felt a little odd, seeing that I was technically one of the heirs to the castle. But just barging in smacked of bad manners. Besides, I had to assume my family still employed mostly mortals for their staff, and I didn’t want to alarm anyone. Or accidentally heighten my appetite. I had been traveling for a few days and was ready to eat.

The great hall was decorated to the nines with festive fabrics and ornaments covering every surface. There was an enormous tree, so tall that it almost touched the room’s vaulted ceiling. The entire thing was dripping with decorations. Tucked under its branches were wrapped packages of every shape and size. And the gifts that couldn’t fit there were piled into corners and nudged under furniture. I wondered if there was going to be a larger celebration than I had anticipated. I hoped not. I’d had my luggage shipped ahead, but I hadn’t bothered to pack my tails.

“Dorian,” Aunt Alice exclaimed as she entered the room. I was relaxing on the sofa, sipping some refreshment that a very tall servant with a faint Russian accent had brought out on a tray. “How good of you to come. It’s wonderful to see you.” She had always been a dark-haired beauty, and of course, that hadn’t changed.

“I was just thinking it was about time I visited the old homestead, and then Jessie extended to me your charming invitation,” I said, rising to kiss her on both cheeks. “So what’s this I hear about Jessie adopting another human?”

“Don’t be wicked,” Aunt Alice scolded me. “I get enough of that from my oldest son.”

“But Jessie has fallen for a new mortal?” I asked. “That’s what the gossip mills are saying.”

She shrugged her slim shoulders, made impossibly white by a diaphanous crimson gown. “The heart wants what the heart wants,” she said with a little sigh.

“Dorian. Did you finally decide to tear yourself away from breaking the heart of every vampiress in Budapest?” I heard Jessie’s voice exclaim. I turned to see him walking into the room, looking handsome as ever, his black hair slightly ruffled as usual. “I wouldn’t have been lounging around in bed if I’d known you’d arrived.”

“You always were lazy,” I told him, which we both knew was a lie. Jessie was unusually studious for a vampire. We did the handshake one-armed-hug that men sometimes do. It was a gesture that lay somewhere between formality and familiarity. “So where’s this human of yours?” I asked, making a show of looking behind him as if she was glued to his sleeve.

“Like I’d bring her anywhere near you,” was Jessie’s good-natured response.

“Well, he’ll meet her tomorrow night for Christmas Eve,” Aunt Alice interjected. She turned to her son. “She’s still coming. Isn’t she?”

“Of course, she is,” Jessie told her, giving her an affectionate hug. “Especially after you’ve gone to so much trouble.”

I had been thinking the holiday decorations were a bit over the top, and now I knew why. Aunt Alice was showing off a little for the mortal guest.

“Yes, we must pull out all the stops for Jessie’s little human,” said a droll voice. I turned to see my cousin Daniel stroll into the room.

“Oh, Daniel,” his mother said with a sigh. “Don’t be such a … What is that expression again?”

“Party pooper?” I suggested, earning me a sharp look from my cousin. Daniel always did think a little too well of himself and rarely showed any consideration for anyone else, even his family.

“Killjoy?” Jessie added to the suggestion box.

“No, no,” Alice said, giving us both a stern look, but I could see amusement twinkling at the corners of her eyes. “It’s the one that has to do with blankets …” She thought it over. “Wet blanket,” she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. “Daniel, I’m just trying to have a bit of fun for the holidays. Please don’t be such a wet blanket.”

Daniel ignored all of our jocular remarks and turned to address me. “Welcome home, Dorian,” he said, extending his hand to be shaken. “I hope you had a comfortable trip.”

“It went well enough,” I told him, meeting his firm grip with one of my own. I wondered if he somehow knew about my little overnight in the cemetery. Daniel was a reserved man, which made him hard to read. He didn’t have his brother’s good looks or good nature.

The large Russian servant approached Jessie. “Mr. Wanderlind. There is a phone call for you.”

Jessie looked surprised. “For me?” he said.

“Yes, I believe it is Miss Aurora,” the servant informed him.

“Your mortal?” I couldn’t help but exclaim. “How delightful.”

“Excuse me,” Jessie said, heading out of the room.

I turned to my aunt and cousin. “How wonderful that she feels at liberty just to call him up as soon as he’s out of his coffin.”

Aunt Alice gave me a frown. “She’s a teenager. As far as I can tell, they really like to use the telephone.”

“I wonder what they talk about?” I’ll admit I was curious. What did one say to a young mortal these days? Both Daniel and Aunt Alice shrugged. They obviously had no idea. I turned to follow in Jessie’s wake. “I think I’d like to find out,” I said over my shoulder as I left the room.

I found Jessie standing in a small room just off the front entrance. He was lifting the receiver of a black rotary phone to his ear. The phone was so clunky, it looked like it had been purchased back in the nineteen-fifties and had never updated. But from everyone’s reaction to Jessie being summoned to the phone, I had to assume the family didn’t receive many calls.

“Hello?” Jessie said. “Aurora?” His voice immediately took on a softer tone, and his face looked a little anxious.

The girl must have said something brief because he immediately asked, “Is there anything wrong?”

I could hear a young mortal’s voice over the wire say, “No. Why?”

“I was just wondering why you called.” Jessie was obviously being guarded. He kept glancing in my direction.

“Um, Jessie …?” she said. “It’s perfectly normal in this century for a girl to call her boyfriend. You realize that, don’t you?”

“Is that the girl?” I asked, tapping my cousin on the shoulder. I knew I should have butted out, but I couldn’t help myself. She sounded so frank and impertinent. I’d never heard a mortal speak to a vampire that way. Not one that wished to live. I had to admit I was intrigued.

“Aurora,” Jessie said into the receiver. “Would you please hold the line for a moment?” Then he muffled the phone against his chest and fixed me with a glare. “Is there any chance I can get you to mind your own business?”

I knew he really meant for me to get lost, but he’d formed it as a question, so I decided to answer him appropriately. “Very little chance,” I told him.

“This is a private conversation,” he informed me.

“I’m sure it is,” was my reply. “But I understand that the girl is underage. I’m simply standing here as a chaperone to make sure you behave appropriately. Just pretend like I’m not here.”

Jessie let out an exasperated sigh and lifted the receiver to his ear. “Okay, I’m listening,” he said, but he was still watching me out of the corner of his eye. I knew I was being rude, taunting him while he tried to converse with his mortal, but I couldn’t help myself. I was just too fascinated. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to know what their relationship was all about.

“Blossom’s Christmas party is tomorrow night,” the girl said in a rush of words. “It’s outside, so there won’t be any problems about an invitation.” She barely took a breath before adding, “I was just wondering if we’ll be going to the party together or what?”

My ears pricked up. A party. A party with young mortals on the verge of adulthood. It would be all hormones and hijinks. Quite the evening’s entertainment if viewed as living theater rather than a bunch of horny teenagers blissfully unaware of their own mortality.

“Aurora, I don’t think it’s advisable for you to go out after sunset right now,” Jessie said, his voice strained. “In fact, I would discourage Blossom from having a party at all.”

“Oh, let her go to the party. She’s a young girl. She needs to socialize with people her own age,” I goaded him. He was being a bit uptight over something as innocuous as a party.

“Jessie,” I heard the girl say, her voice coming out sharper and more formal than when she had started the call. “Would you mind letting me know who else is listening in on our conversation?”

“Oh,” Jessie exclaimed, obviously embarrassed. “My cousin Dorian just arrived, and he has a lot of opinions,” he said, shooting a few daggers at me with his eyes.

I made an apologetic face, but I was having way too much fun. I’d always enjoyed tormenting Jessie, even back when we were mortals.

“Okay, fine,” the girl said with a sigh. “Here’s the deal. I’m going to Blossom’s party tomorrow night. I would really like it if you were there. Hell, you can even bring your cousin, if it’s that big of a deal to you. But just so you know, I’m going to be there.”

I broke into a broad smile. I was officially invited. “A mortal party? With young people?” I felt a tinge of excitement. It was an emotion that I hadn’t felt much in the last several years. “I haven’t been to one of those in almost a century. Please tell your young mortal that I am RSVPing yes.”

“Aurora,” Jessie said into the phone while frowning and shaking his head at me. “This is a very bad idea.”

I could tell by the set of his jaw that my cousin was going to fight her on her decision. But I suddenly really wanted to go. And why shouldn’t I? Why shouldn’t she, for that matter? It didn’t seem very fair. I knew Jessie was concerned because a few teenagers had been snatched off the streets of Tiburon without a trace, but that was no reason to lock the girl in the house. “Is that how you treat your mortal?” I couldn’t help but ask. “And this is a modern way to behave?” I ran my hand across my chin as I gave Jessie a penetrating look. “Fascinating.”

Maybe I’d pushed the envelope too far because the next thing the girl said was, “You’re right. Forget I even said anything.”

Jessie audibly exhaled. I could literally see him deflating a little. He obviously cared deeply about this mortal and wanted to see her happy. “No, I understand,” he said into the phone, his voice much quieter. “It’s important to you.” After shooting another hard look in my direction, he added, “As long as it’s outside, my cousin and I would be happy to attend.”

“Seriously?” I said, trying to appear only mildly surprised but actually feeling quite excited. I’d been avoiding mortals for so long that the idea of mingling with some of them had me suddenly feeling quite invigorated.

The girl must have asked the very same thing because he said, “Yes, I am being very serious.” Jessie was glaring at me but speaking to her. He turned his back and said into the phone, “Is it still your intention to attend my mother’s Christmas Eve party once we’ve made an appearance at Blossom’s celebration?” his voice crisp with irritation.

I wondered if Jessie’s human would be the only mortal at the Vanderlind party. Or if there would be other young people with all their traumas and dramas.

She must have said no because the next thing I heard was Jessie saying, “No, you do not intend to spend Christmas Eve at the castle?”

My hopes of an entertaining evening instantly fell. Not that I didn’t enjoy my family, but I had known them all for almost a century. It was sometimes challenging to keep a conversation going.

But no, the girl was actually trying to tell him that attending her friend’s mortal party wasn’t necessary. She was giving Jessie his way.

“I can’t believe you are denying your pet this one small pleasure after all the suffering you’ve caused her,” I told my cousin’s back. I knew that some of the undead had made threats against her. “And me, too, for that matter,” I added. “Did it ever occur to you that I might like to attend the party? It’s all I really want for Christmas,” I said, feigning hurt.

“Would you cut it out, already?” Jessie said. I assumed he was addressing me by the fierce look in his eyes.

“We really don’t have to go,” the girl was now saying. “To Blossom’s, I mean.” She obviously wanted to placate her vampire boyfriend.

I felt I was in danger of losing out on a bit of fun, so I countered with, “Oh, but listen to her. She wants to go so desperately. We really should.”

“The two of you need to stop it right now,” Jessie snarled. “Aurora, we’ll be over to pick you up at half past seven to attend both parties.”

“But …” She tried to protest. I think she really would have skipped the party if I hadn’t intervened.

“I will see you tomorrow,” Jessie snarled. “Good night.” With that, he slammed down the phone. Turning to face me, he said, “I’d forgotten what a pain in the ass you are. Everything on this planet is not solely for your entertainment.”

I feigned thinking about his comment and after a few seconds asked, “Are you sure?”

When Jessie’s expression went livid, I decided to back off before he found a piece of wood and tried to stake me. “Don’t worry, old man,” I said, slapping him on the shoulder. “I understand that you suspect one of our numbers has gone off the reservation. You’re concerned that a group of young mortals all cavorting around outside with lowered inhibitions due to too much holiday punch might be a source of temptation.” Jessie gave me a curt nod so I continued. “I will help you protect your mortal girl. And all her friends for that matter. I’m sorry if my teasing has made you so angry, but I really do intend to help.”