Christmas Consort

Piano Vampire

"How is Silas?"

Lara watched him pour his water, hoped it would smooth the way for her play. "He seems to be struggling a bit." She let that hang between them.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Any idea what set him off?" Ridley's eyes were so penetrating Lara concentrated on not swallowing.

"It's my fault really." Her water arrived and Ridley poured short, a small drink for her. His judgment rankled. Glad for the excuse though, she swallowed hard. "I was in a car wreck with this woman. I mean she was in her car and I was in mine. And well, we were hurt and helped each other out. Then I brought her back to the house, because I thought she was a blood--," she stopped short of saying bag, "blood donor, you know. She knew about us. Called us White-Eyes like we had a Indian name. He Who Sucks Blood. Anyway she needed to rest, and Silas took her vehicle in for repair, and he's been off a bit since. It's got me wondering what he's doing after I go to rest."

"A good thing you brought the consort home as well then. Two guests in short order, though. Guests always complicate."

Lara stirred her water with a finger and hoped the motion might distract his observations.

Jackson let his gaze wander over the people in the room. "Occasionally one of them will catch my attention, mostly the scent, not blood but...it's hard to describe. What's this woman who knows of us smell like?"

Blood, blood, blood and more blood, thought Lara. That's all she could think about. What did differences matter? She said, "It's hard to place. Part maybe smoked ham and applesauce? You know I'm not very good at descriptions myself."

He humphed.

"Would you give him...give Silas another chance if he messed up?"

"No." Ridley threw back his water. "My word and acting on that word are the only things keeping the territory safe. Why doesn't the woman move on?"

"Her car is in the shop another couple days, I think. She's half afraid and half curious. She'll go soon. It's almost Christmas and she's not from around here. I think Silas will hold it together until then. We decorated this year, you should come by on Christmas Eve. Me arranging for you to be there is the best gift I could give Silas. Or do you need to stay in the cities?"

"Have you seen any groups hunting together around here?"

She almost laughed. "In St. Louis? They'd have to be certifiable. Everyone knows this is well within your territory."

"These seem to be deliberately hunting my area. Either they don't know about me, or getting in and back out is part of their initiation rituals."

"Initiation into what?"

"The Game Coven. They're all coming from the Mission 2B Immortal conglomerate. Some of them are too young to be out on their own, many have turned wild. I don't think the Gamers hold to with the law. They certainly take whenever they please."

Lara tried not to appear too excited. These were the sorts of vampires she wanted to live with. What if they'd found a way around the death taint?

"Don't they know the taint will kill them?"

"Either they know and don't care..." he said.

Or they've found a way around it, Lara thought again.

"...or they haven't been told by their elders, in which case their elders are simply using them."

Turning them only to use them? Sounded like an idea Lara would have thought of--if she was making the rules. Maybe I could be an elder among them. "Do you know anything about their origins? Who their leaders are?"

"Nope." He downed the last of his beverage. "I'm leaving that in more capable hands."

Lara watched him roll his glass between his palms. His hands looked very capable to her way of thinking. Who was more capable than Jackson Ridley? She reached out and touched him, hoping she might find out what other skills they had besides piano and killing. Were his eyes lightened a bit?

"If you need something Lara, I'm the wrong vampire to be looking to," he said.

She left her hand on his, "You'll come Christmas Eve? We have space for you to stay, you know."

"I'll come Christmas Eve. What sort of gift should I bring you?"

The death of Silas Boone would be nice. "You know me." She removed her hand from his unresponsive one. "Jewelry, gift cards and blood are nice for every occasion."

He actually gave her a small grin. Jackson Ridley himself smiling on Lara Howard. Maybe it was her lucky day.

The Cayne vamp figured out her game, but Ridley himself declared "no second chances." Lara breathed in the scents of the bar, the hazy smoke, the polish from instruments and tables, but mostly the humans.

The promise of their blood carried on every mote in the air.