Dracula: Hearts of Fire (Dracula Heart's) (64 page)

    Dracula scratched his head
. “With my DNA who knows. There’s influential magic in the air these days. I can sense it but I can’t track it to its source.
The unwritten rules
of nature
appear to be changing.
”

   
Allison imagined a toddler pulling the lion’s tail.
“Jenny’s going to have a brother.”

    “I’m going to have a son.”

    “Sounds like the title of a good book: Son of Dracula.”

    Dracula stood up and stretched. “
Jenny’s probably going to want to hit me with a good book.
I believe that I shall go for a walk while you spring it on her.”

   
Allison patted his hand.
“Like hell
. That’s going to be the first of your fatherly duties, telling your daughter that’s she going to have a brother.
It’ll be good for you.
”

    The Master looked apprehensive.
He thought about Jenny’s possible reaction to the information. She wasn’t even used to the fact that he was her father.
“I think she’d take it better coming from you.
Women have a better feel for such things.
They have a
natural touch of
comfort and
understanding.
The bond of mother and daughter is infinitely stronger than father and daughter.”

    “Nice try but you’re telling her.”

    “I’ll buy you a Ferrari if you tell her.”

     “I don’t want a Ferrari.”

     “I’ll buy you whatever you want. You want an island in the pacific? I’ll buy you one.”

    “Dracula, you’re telling
your daughter that she’d going to have a little brother
and that’s final.
The conversation stops here.
”

    “We don’t have to tell her right now. Do we?”

    “So let me get this straight. You want to keep a secret from her that can’t be kept?”

    He thought
about it
as he sat back on the bed. “Are you sure she’s my daughter?”

    “Not funny.”

     “Perhaps we should do a paternity test. That would accomplish a couple of things. First and foremost i
t would give me time to head for the hills
.”

    “
Also not funny.
I’ll paternity test my foot in your ass.”

    “That sounds uncomfortable.”

    Allison smiled. “You would think that your sperm would be dust by now.”

    “One would think.”

    The lioness ran out of the room and into Jenny’s room. In less than a minute Jenny shouted out. “Mother, Sarah said that you’re pregnant! Is it true?”

 
  Dracula brought the palm of his right hand up to his
forehead.
He could hear his daughter’s footsteps approaching.
“
Tha
t cat is a tattletale
.
Help me out the window.”

    “Also not funny.”

    Jareth rang the doorbell. It was time for Jenny to face Achak.