The Moon Rises (7 page)

“No.”

Simon smiled. “What do you enjoy?”

“Nina Simone, Crystal Gayle, and Fiona Apple,”
she said, naming off the three CDs she remembered from her apartment. CDs she
hadn’t picked out.

Simon’s smile grew and he slid closer without
moving. Gigi frowned at him, but his smile never wavered.

“Do you have a suitor?”

“A what?”

“A male who wants to have sex with you?”

“I have lots of males who want to have sex with
me.”

Simon continued to grin and his white teeth
shined in the dark room. “I’m sure you do. Anyone serious?”

Gigi frowned because she was trying to be dumb
and boring which wasn’t difficult since she didn’t know what he was talking
about. Yet no matter what came out of her mouth, he kept smiling.

“I just moved here,” she finally said.

“Did you leave a lot of broken hearts in your
wake?”

Gigi sighed. “I don’t know what you’re talking
about.”

“I sense that much. Have the pack boys tried to
date you yet?”

“No.”

“They will. What will you tell them?”

Gigi shrugged because she loved the gesture and
she didn’t have an answer to his question.

“What will you tell me when I try to court you?”

Gigi frowned. “Are you going to enthrall me and
make me do what you want?”

“Would you like me to?”

“No.”

“Then I don’t think I will.”

“I have a choice?”

“No, not really,” Simon said, still grinning as
he leaned back in the booth, “but I’m enjoying you in your natural state. The
problem with enthralling someone is I have to do the work for both parties. I
prefer to have willing partners when possible.”

“Okay.”

“I can’t tell if you’re dumb or just lack
knowledge. Did you grow up in some hick town with little outside experience?”

“Maybe. I’m not sure.”

“Amnesia?” Simon asked with an arch to his blond
brow.

“No. I think I had memories, but they were lies
and my mind ate them. I think that’s true because I wrote it on a paper that it
was and writing it on the paper is a real memory.”

“Interesting.”

Interesting was the opposite of boring which made
Gigi think she was doing everything wrong. Though she sensed Simon was going to
chase her no matter what she said or did.

“Someone has tinkered with your mind then?”

“Maybe. I can’t know for sure.”

“You could ask a witch to read you.”

“Read me what?”

“Read your mind,” he said with a grin. “While I
wouldn’t want a witch digging around in my head, I know who and what I am.”

“You’re a Master Vamp. What does that mean?”

“It means I am very old and powerful and I scare
the crap out of other Vamps.”

“Is it fun being a Vamp?”

“Yes.”

“Do you ever miss the sun?”

“No. I am happy it exists since the world
couldn’t exist without it, but I don’t miss seeing it. Besides I can always watch
sunrises and sunsets in movies, if I ever become nostalgic which I never do.”

“I would miss the sun, but I like the moon
better.”

“The moon seduces.”

Growing frustrated, Gigi sensed Simon picked his
words carefully so she would understand, but she didn’t understand.

“Why did you scare Dahlia?” she asked, hoping to
frustrate him like Ella frustrated Michael.

“Because she is young and often forgets her
place.”

“She just wants to be a good waitress, so Silas
won’t get mad at her.”

“No, I believe you’re speaking of yourself.
Dahlia doesn’t care what Silas thinks. She is territorial though.”

Gigi glanced at Dahlia whose back was to her.

“Territorial means she doesn’t like me?”

“Not on her floor. Only Sara is allowed to draw
attention away from Dahlia and even this does not please her. You are too
beautiful and interesting to be in her territory.”

“What should I do?”

“Ignore her.  I do.”

“But I want her to be my friend.”

“Why?”

“Because I want friends.”

“Why?”

Gigi frowned at Simon who smiled. “Don’t you have
friends?”

“No. I have minions.”

“I don…”

“Yes, I know you don’t,” Simon said, still
grinning as he sipped his drink. “How long have you known your mind was
tampered with?”

“A few days. Maybe longer. I can’t be sure.”

“I don’t understand why anyone would tamper with
a human’s mind, but possibly you are an experiment. Witches like to experiment.”

“A witch took my memories?”

“I suspect. Only witches, sorcerers, and maybe a
necromancer have the magic to tamper with a mind. Hiding memories is difficult
because the mind wants to remember.”

“What’s a necromancer?”

“One who possesses great magic and can control
the dead. Have you been on the ghoul floor yet?”

Gigi shook her head and Simon tapped at his
glass.

“Some ghouls are necromancers while others are
the result of a necromancer’s magic. Think of a necromancer as a more powerful
witch, closer to a sorcerer. While witches gain their power from their bloodlines,
sorcerers are often born into human families, yet possess great power. Most
sorcerers are harvested before they are old enough to gain control of their
power though.”

“Harvested?”

“Killed and drained of power.”

Gigi frowned. “The world is ugly.”

“Yet here you are brightening it.”

Gigi smiled slightly. “I don’t think I should
have a witch look in my mind. What if they find something I don’t like? Pretty
lies are better than ugly truths.”

“Very true. Whatever has been hidden from you
might have been hidden for a reason. On the other hand, if you are no more than
an experiment, someone will one day return to tinker with your mind again.”

Gigi took a deep breath and leaned back against
the soft cushions in the booth. Simon was closer again, an inch or two from
her, but she didn’t pay him any mind. If he wanted to hurt her, he would and it
was doubtful she could stop him.

“Can I protect myself from the witch who tinkered
with my mind?”

“Doubtful. You have no magic to protect you and
the creature which did this to you must be powerful. I’m afraid you are helpless
against their power.”

Gigi studied Simon who smiled when her eyes
lingered for too long.

“Why are the other Vamps so pale, but you aren’t?
Is it because you’re more powerful?”

“No, it’s because I have a spray tan. The pale
thing grew tedious a very long time ago.”

“Not a frigging clue,” she said, imitating what
Ella kept saying at lunch whenever Gigi stared for too long.

“If you are dumb because your memories were
stripped, one day you might have a clue. Wouldn’t that be lovely?”

“Yes,” Gigi said, grinning. “Not understanding
gives me a headache.”

“No doubt.”

“Should I go work now?”

“No. Let Dahlia work while you keep me company.”

“But I have nothing to say and I don’t know
anything.”

“Yes, but you are very beautiful and I haven’t
grown bored of you yet.”

“How long do you think it’ll take before you’re
bored?”

Smiling, Simon sipped his drink. “It could be
awhile. I’ve been around long enough to stay focused for extended periods of
time.”

“You mean, until the end of my shift?”

“Oh, at least until then.”

Gigi stretched and watched him. “Why do you talk
to the other Vamps with your mind and not with your mouth?”

“Because I can and it saves time.”

“I wouldn’t like someone talking to me in my
mind.”

“Are you hinting I shouldn’t change you?”

“No. Hinting means teasing and not saying what I
mean. I’m telling you I do not want to be a Vamp.”

“It’s fun though.”

“I like being me.”

“You don’t even know you.”

“I will eventually.”

“But what if you come to dislike the you that you
find? Knowledge can be depressing. Dahlia is often depressed because she understands
herself better now. Those fairytales she told herself about her inner beauty
have faded away and now the truth disturbs her. Ignorance is bliss after all.”

“Are you hinting how if I don’t like me when I
know me, you can bite me and make me into someone else?”

Simon smiled and his white teeth shined. “Yes,
this is what I’m hinting.”

“Then I’d see what Dahlia sees and I’d be
depressed. I don’t know what depressed means, but it sounds bad.”

“Depressed means sad and Dahlia is sad because
she doesn’t keep herself busy. I would keep you very busy, so you wouldn’t be
sad.”

“You mean with sex?”

“Yes, with sex.”

“Does it hurt?”

“Sometimes. Good things usually do.”

“It never hurts when I eat and food is a good
thing.”

“Well,” Simon said, leaning farther away and yet
closer at the same time, “if you bite the inside of your mouth or choke, eating
could be painful. Also some food isn’t very good. Sex with me would always be
very good.”

“Why with you and not others?”

“I’ve been around long enough to know what I’m
doing.”

“But I wouldn’t know what to do.”

“Only one of us needs to know. I’m also a very
patient teacher.”

Gigi smiled because she liked the warm feelings
Simon gave her when he said those teasing words and smiled at her. She wondered
if he was enthralling her, even though he said he wouldn’t.

“Did you bite and change Dahlia?”

“No. Lawrence did, but he didn’t raise her well
and now she’s a spoiled brat. She’ll learn eventually,” Simon said as he finished
his drink. “I would raise you well and I sense you’d learn very quickly.”

“What if I realize I don’t like the real me and
want to be changed, but you have already gotten bored of me?”

“My tendency to grow bored is overblown. Most Vamps
bore me because I can read their thoughts. By the time they start to speak, I’m
already ready for them to stop.”

“Then I would only bore you once I became a Vamp?”

“Maybe not even then or for long time. I find you
curious especially for a human. Humans are too emotional these days, too hearts
on their sleeves, too Jerry Springer, every emotion must be expressed. I don’t
enjoy having emotions vomited on me.”

Gigi frowned, taking his words literally. Simon
smiled and she realized his words were more like pictures.

“Justine said there was a girl who cried so hard
she vomited. You mean like that?” she asked with a grin.

“Yes, something like that,” Simon replied. “I
think you’re catching on.”

“Maybe I’m not dumb? I told Ella I’m not, but
that I just don’t know anything yet. I hope I’m right because being dumb is exhausting.”

“Yes, but being dumb makes males want to take
care of you. This is not such a bad trait to have.”

“Ella said I could con males with my skills and
take things from them. I don’t need anything though and it sounds like
stealing.”

“Huh, I would have thought a Vamp or witch would
be the first to corrupt you. I underestimated the dogs apparently.”

Gigi smiled slightly. “They are dogs, aren’t
they?”

“Big ugly ones,” Simon said with a happy grin.

“I should get you another drink.”

“No. I’m fine. You should stay put.”

“I’m tired of talking though.”

“To me or just tired of talking in general?”

“I go long periods without talking, but today
I’ve talked a lot. I’m tired.”

“Sit with me then and say nothing. I suspect I go
longer than you without speaking and silence does not bother me.”

“Silas will be angry if I don’t work.”

“You are working. You’re entertaining me and I am
his most important Vamp client. These others are just ants.”

Eyeing the other Vamps, Gigi realized he was
using words as pictures again.

“Okay,” Gigi said, sliding her hands under the
table and onto her lap. When Simon tapped them and then the table, she apologized.

“Just a precaution,” he said casually. “Not that
I don’t trust you personally, just your species in general.”

“No one seems to like humans.”

“To be fair, they don’t like us either.”