one’s heard a peep in over a thousand years. Though even if they had…”
“Yeah, I get it. You’re not in the club, and you wouldn’t know.”
He glanced over at her as they drove down the highway, past an exit where the lights of gas stations and restaurantsglowed cheerily, beckoning as they lit up the night sky. The fury in her expression surprised him, and it suddenly occurred to him how young she was and how old and cynical he had become. He barely remembered what it was like to have the sort of fight in him that Lily had now. Whatever she thought of the way things worked in his world, though, it didn’t matter. Vampire society simply
was
. It was dangerous to question the power structure, to question why one mark should be venerated while another should be spat upon.
Once, long ago, he had tried to rebel against the order of things, but now he recognized his lot could be far worse. He thought of the unlucky Shade whose punishment had been to be starved and then released as bait, and knew he was doing what he had to do.
“I don’t care what you think of the rules, Lily, because I didn’t make them. But there are plenty who enforce them. My options are limited, and I’ve done the best I can with them. Your mark is what matters in my world. And if you fight it, you don’t last long.”
They lapsed into silence, Ty lost in his thought as he drove. He had expected Lily to find his way of life odd, even unpleasant. But he’d been surprised at how outraged she was at what she saw as an injustice. He hadn’t wasted any time wondering what outsiders thought of vampire society in a very long time, likely because the only times he interacted with mortals was when he wanted a drink.
He needed to either get out more or not at all.
“Tynan?” Lily’s voice breaking through the silence was a balm to his thoughts, soft and sweet. It was the sort of voice that could lull a man and leave him vulnerable. He knew he needed to resist that, to stay on his guard.He tried to separate himself from the closeness of the car, from the tantalizing scents of the soap and shampoo that overlay her own natural ones. His mouth began to water despite himself, his fangs lengthening in response.
Hungry. She makes me hungry for so many things….
“It’s Ty.”
He didn’t know what had made him say it or why he was encouraging such familiarity with a woman who was a high-value mark, nothing more, nothing less. But the words fell from his lips before he could stop them.
“Ty?”
“It’s what everyone calls me,” he said, fighting not to hunch his shoulders defensively at the confusion in her voice. “It’s, you know, less cumbersome. And doesn’t remind me so much of my mother getting ready to box my ears.”
Lily seemed to consider this a long moment, and Ty cursed himself for showing weakness. What did he know about interacting with humans anymore, much less human women who he had no intention of biting? Now she would ridicule him or simply ignore what he’d said. Yes… maybe that was best.
But her voice was considerably warmer when she spoke again, and Ty felt something, small but incredibly important, shift ever so slightly between them. A mistake, but one that nonetheless thrilled him in some dark and secret corner of himself.
“Ty, then. Has there ever been a regular human who was born with a vampire mark?”
“Not that I’ve ever heard.”
“Can vampires have babies?”
He tried to picture bloodsucking babies. “Fortunately, no.”
“Oh.” Her voice was small and quiet, and Ty felt anotherill-advised tug of sympathy for her. He might not have a lot going for him as a vampire, but at least he knew what he was and where he stood. Lily obviously did not. And he had begun to get the distinct impression that she never had.
“I just wish I knew what this thing meant,” she said, tapping her collarbone and the intricate design that was hidden beneath her shirt.
“Well,” he said as the car rushed
“Yeah, I get it. You’re not in the club, and you wouldn’t know.”
He glanced over at her as they drove down the highway, past an exit where the lights of gas stations and restaurantsglowed cheerily, beckoning as they lit up the night sky. The fury in her expression surprised him, and it suddenly occurred to him how young she was and how old and cynical he had become. He barely remembered what it was like to have the sort of fight in him that Lily had now. Whatever she thought of the way things worked in his world, though, it didn’t matter. Vampire society simply
was
. It was dangerous to question the power structure, to question why one mark should be venerated while another should be spat upon.
Once, long ago, he had tried to rebel against the order of things, but now he recognized his lot could be far worse. He thought of the unlucky Shade whose punishment had been to be starved and then released as bait, and knew he was doing what he had to do.
“I don’t care what you think of the rules, Lily, because I didn’t make them. But there are plenty who enforce them. My options are limited, and I’ve done the best I can with them. Your mark is what matters in my world. And if you fight it, you don’t last long.”
They lapsed into silence, Ty lost in his thought as he drove. He had expected Lily to find his way of life odd, even unpleasant. But he’d been surprised at how outraged she was at what she saw as an injustice. He hadn’t wasted any time wondering what outsiders thought of vampire society in a very long time, likely because the only times he interacted with mortals was when he wanted a drink.
He needed to either get out more or not at all.
“Tynan?” Lily’s voice breaking through the silence was a balm to his thoughts, soft and sweet. It was the sort of voice that could lull a man and leave him vulnerable. He knew he needed to resist that, to stay on his guard.He tried to separate himself from the closeness of the car, from the tantalizing scents of the soap and shampoo that overlay her own natural ones. His mouth began to water despite himself, his fangs lengthening in response.
Hungry. She makes me hungry for so many things….
“It’s Ty.”
He didn’t know what had made him say it or why he was encouraging such familiarity with a woman who was a high-value mark, nothing more, nothing less. But the words fell from his lips before he could stop them.
“Ty?”
“It’s what everyone calls me,” he said, fighting not to hunch his shoulders defensively at the confusion in her voice. “It’s, you know, less cumbersome. And doesn’t remind me so much of my mother getting ready to box my ears.”
Lily seemed to consider this a long moment, and Ty cursed himself for showing weakness. What did he know about interacting with humans anymore, much less human women who he had no intention of biting? Now she would ridicule him or simply ignore what he’d said. Yes… maybe that was best.
But her voice was considerably warmer when she spoke again, and Ty felt something, small but incredibly important, shift ever so slightly between them. A mistake, but one that nonetheless thrilled him in some dark and secret corner of himself.
“Ty, then. Has there ever been a regular human who was born with a vampire mark?”
“Not that I’ve ever heard.”
“Can vampires have babies?”
He tried to picture bloodsucking babies. “Fortunately, no.”
“Oh.” Her voice was small and quiet, and Ty felt anotherill-advised tug of sympathy for her. He might not have a lot going for him as a vampire, but at least he knew what he was and where he stood. Lily obviously did not. And he had begun to get the distinct impression that she never had.
“I just wish I knew what this thing meant,” she said, tapping her collarbone and the intricate design that was hidden beneath her shirt.
“Well,” he said as the car rushed
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