cookies.
"You look quite shaken," Jerry said, pouring her a cup of tea
and handing it to her. "Here, this will make you feel better. It's
chamomile."
Without a word, Madison took the cup and clutched the
warmth between her trembling hands. She took a sip, her mind
still turning over Evie's death and the possible reasons for it.
Bloodlines, vampires, vampire wannabes-it was all too much.
She wanted to turn back the clock to last Saturday morning,
when the only thing on her mind was reading an assignment for
school before her shift at the diner.
A sip of the tea brought Madison back to the den and its coziness. Samuel had asked her to leave the meeting because they had confidential things to discuss. Fine by her, but what she really
wanted to do was go back to bed-maybe for a week or two.
"Usually during these meetings," Jerry told her, "I'm stuck
making small talk with Samuel's latest fling, but he came solo
this time." Jerry looked Madison over. "He has quite a taste for
young mortal women who are a feast for the eyes"
Madison studied Jerry Lerma over the rim of the teacup.
"You're drinking tea." It was a statement, not a question.
He nodded at her and raised his own cup in salute, knowing
what her next question would probably be.
Lowering her cup away from her face, Madison asked, "You're
not a vampire?"
Jerry shook his head and smiled. "No, I'm not. You might say
Kate and I have a mixed marriage."
"Is that possible?"
"Very, as long as I learn to be a night owl and she doesn't
mind my growing older while she doesn't. We've been married a
couple of years now."
He picked up the plate of cookies with his left hand and held
it out to Madison. "How about a cookie to tide you over until
breakfast?"
Madison shook her head, then spotted another interesting
detail about Jerry Lerma. It looked like he had a bloodline. At
least, that's what she thought the odd line stretched across his
palm might be. It was separate from his lifeline yet distinctly
different than the other creases on the palm.
"You have a bloodline?" This time it was a question and not a
statement.
Jerry put down the plate and studied his own hand. "Yes, I
do."
"Then why aren't you a vampire? You're married to one."
Picking up his own cup, Jerry took a long sip before answering. "While I'd love to spend eternity with Kate, I'm not so sure
immortality is such a good thing for anyone. And it's certainly
not natural. Kate has offered to turn me many times, but from
what I've observed, living forever is more of a curse than a blessing." He took another sip. "No, I'm content to live the life I have
and be done with it." He gave Madison a wide, warm smile.
"Quality over quantity, you might say."
"But what about Kate?"
"Kate was turned in Paris in the 1920s, quite against her will.
At the time she was a budding writer, keeping company with the
likes of Gertrude Stein and Hemingway, and having the time of
her life. After, she had to build a new life, which has been quite
colorful but bumpy. I'm one of the many rest stops she's made
along the way." He smiled a knowing smile. "We met when I was
lecturing on, of all things, vampire legends and myths. She came
to my lecture and heckled me. After, I invited her to join me for
a drink, my intent being to convince her my lecture was sound.
Of course, I didn't know at the time she was a real vampire." Jerry
winked at Madison. "Turns out my lecture was rubbish, after all."
Madison leaned forward, getting closer to Jerry. "Does ... does
she bite you?" she whispered.
Jerry tilted his head back and laughed. "Yes, on occasion, but
mostly in the throes of passion."
Madison blushed and considered shouting TMI.
"But am I a food source?" Jerry continued, smiling at Madison. "No, I am not. Like the Dedhams, Kate is mostly into animal
blood, but human blood is better for them, so once in a while I
oblige her."
Madison thought about the human blood Dodie had enjoyed
the night
"You look quite shaken," Jerry said, pouring her a cup of tea
and handing it to her. "Here, this will make you feel better. It's
chamomile."
Without a word, Madison took the cup and clutched the
warmth between her trembling hands. She took a sip, her mind
still turning over Evie's death and the possible reasons for it.
Bloodlines, vampires, vampire wannabes-it was all too much.
She wanted to turn back the clock to last Saturday morning,
when the only thing on her mind was reading an assignment for
school before her shift at the diner.
A sip of the tea brought Madison back to the den and its coziness. Samuel had asked her to leave the meeting because they had confidential things to discuss. Fine by her, but what she really
wanted to do was go back to bed-maybe for a week or two.
"Usually during these meetings," Jerry told her, "I'm stuck
making small talk with Samuel's latest fling, but he came solo
this time." Jerry looked Madison over. "He has quite a taste for
young mortal women who are a feast for the eyes"
Madison studied Jerry Lerma over the rim of the teacup.
"You're drinking tea." It was a statement, not a question.
He nodded at her and raised his own cup in salute, knowing
what her next question would probably be.
Lowering her cup away from her face, Madison asked, "You're
not a vampire?"
Jerry shook his head and smiled. "No, I'm not. You might say
Kate and I have a mixed marriage."
"Is that possible?"
"Very, as long as I learn to be a night owl and she doesn't
mind my growing older while she doesn't. We've been married a
couple of years now."
He picked up the plate of cookies with his left hand and held
it out to Madison. "How about a cookie to tide you over until
breakfast?"
Madison shook her head, then spotted another interesting
detail about Jerry Lerma. It looked like he had a bloodline. At
least, that's what she thought the odd line stretched across his
palm might be. It was separate from his lifeline yet distinctly
different than the other creases on the palm.
"You have a bloodline?" This time it was a question and not a
statement.
Jerry put down the plate and studied his own hand. "Yes, I
do."
"Then why aren't you a vampire? You're married to one."
Picking up his own cup, Jerry took a long sip before answering. "While I'd love to spend eternity with Kate, I'm not so sure
immortality is such a good thing for anyone. And it's certainly
not natural. Kate has offered to turn me many times, but from
what I've observed, living forever is more of a curse than a blessing." He took another sip. "No, I'm content to live the life I have
and be done with it." He gave Madison a wide, warm smile.
"Quality over quantity, you might say."
"But what about Kate?"
"Kate was turned in Paris in the 1920s, quite against her will.
At the time she was a budding writer, keeping company with the
likes of Gertrude Stein and Hemingway, and having the time of
her life. After, she had to build a new life, which has been quite
colorful but bumpy. I'm one of the many rest stops she's made
along the way." He smiled a knowing smile. "We met when I was
lecturing on, of all things, vampire legends and myths. She came
to my lecture and heckled me. After, I invited her to join me for
a drink, my intent being to convince her my lecture was sound.
Of course, I didn't know at the time she was a real vampire." Jerry
winked at Madison. "Turns out my lecture was rubbish, after all."
Madison leaned forward, getting closer to Jerry. "Does ... does
she bite you?" she whispered.
Jerry tilted his head back and laughed. "Yes, on occasion, but
mostly in the throes of passion."
Madison blushed and considered shouting TMI.
"But am I a food source?" Jerry continued, smiling at Madison. "No, I am not. Like the Dedhams, Kate is mostly into animal
blood, but human blood is better for them, so once in a while I
oblige her."
Madison thought about the human blood Dodie had enjoyed
the night
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