* * *
"The third Vampire Law is this: A vampire may not contact his former family or friends." Merrill toyed with a letter opener at his desk. I wondered if this were boring to him. "Former is the key word, here," Merrill went on. "The vampire race is your new family and friends."
"What about Franklin and Lena?" I asked. I sat on my usual wingback chair inside Merrill's study. It was my classroom, now.
"Franklin is as much my child as any of my others," Merrill informed me. "He was an orphan, a runaway on the streets of New York when I found him and took him in more than fifty years ago. I taught him to read and sent him to school with the help of a housekeeper."
"He loves you," I said. Merrill had sounded a little defensive there for a moment. I didn’t want to upset him.
"I know," Merrill sighed.
"And I know not to drink from him or Lena," I said. "Not that I would, anyway, but because I would never mistreat someone I cared for. And in my book, that constitutes mistreatment."
"Are you sure you're a vampire?" Merrill asked, lifting an eyebrow slightly.
"If I'm not, then I've been drinking blood for nothing and went through that whole we're going to decide if you live or die crap for nothing, too. Not to mention nearly frying in the sun. That was almost as bad as the werewolf bites."
"I've never been bitten by a werewolf," Merrill said.
"Lucky you," I told him, my words bitter. "Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if there weren't so many bites, but I was pretty much covered. Those claws would have come in handy I think, if I'd had them."
"You haven't gotten your claws?" Merrill was up and standing for some reason.
"No. Is that a bad thing?"
"You fought werewolves without claws?"
"Yeah."
"Stand." I stood. "Force out your claws, Lissa." We were doing the compulsion thing again. Somehow, slowly, long claws emerged from my fingers. They were around a foot in length and smaller than Gavin's, but then his hands were huge.
"There we are," Merrill breathed as he came around the desk. Careful not to touch the claws themselves, he lifted one of my hands in his, examining my newly formed talons. "They look almost delicate," he said, turning my hand to look at the underside. Gavin's claws had been nearly black while mine were pale, almost the color of my normal fingernails.
"I need a manicure," I was having trouble talking around my fangs, they'd come out with the claws.
"Retract you claws and fangs, Lissa," Merrill said and they disappeared. "Now, go to mist for me." I went to mist. Merrill timed it. "Four minutes thirty-two seconds," he said. "Now turn back." He timed that, too. "Four minutes forty-six seconds," he said. "Very good. The others take at least five minutes."
"I'm not as big as they are."
"True." Merrill patted my shoulder and went back to his chair.
* * *
"Here, let me mash the potatoes," I told Franklin while he worked on the pot roast for his and Lena's dinner. I made the mashed potatoes, putting in butter and half-and-half like I always did. "I hope you don't have cholesterol problems," I said as I put them in a bowl on the island.
"Isn't that what medication is for?" Franklin laughed.
"Franklin, don't kid about things like that, my husband had heart problems. I let him cheat now and then but all the time is a bad thing."
"I don't cheat often," he was still smiling.
"Where is your husband now?" Lena asked.
"Dead," I said. "I'm a widow."
"Lissa has had a difficult life, although she looks so young," Merrill came into the kitchen. "Lissa, Wlodek wants to see you a little later. Why don't you go change and I'll drive you over."
"Did I do something wrong?" I was suddenly terrified.
"No, sweetheart, you didn't do anything," Merrill had his arms around me quickly. He let me go after only a few seconds and sent me off to my bedroom. I didn't know what to wear at first, but eventually decided on slacks and a V-neck sweater. Even summer in England can be on the cool side and it was raining out that night. I pulled my hair back in a French braid and put low heels on so my pants wouldn't drag the floor.
"That looks nice," Lena complimented me when I returned to the kitchen twenty minutes later.
"Thanks."
"These mashed potatoes are wonderful," Franklin was having more.
"Hey, now," I pointed a finger at him.
"You can't make them again for two months," Franklin grinned. I went to hug him. Merrill came in a few minutes later, car keys in hand. I hadn't even been into the garage yet and there were parts of the house I hadn't explored. I did find the indoor pool and hot tub but I didn't have a swimsuit and there was no way I was going in naked.
Merrill had a Maybach. I couldn't believe it. Well I could, but it was amazing. He also had a Rolls, a Bentley, a Range Rover and a Cadillac. Go figure. No wonder he wouldn't let me drive. I wondered if Charles were going to be there as we climbed into the car. I wouldn't mind saying hello. I really didn't want to date him seriously, but he would be a good friend, I thought. And since there was a dearth of female vampires, what else was I supposed to do?
Rolfe let us in the door of Wlodek's mansion before we had a chance to knock. They were expecting us after all, and any vampire would have heard the Range Rover crunching over the gravel drive. Charles met us in the entryway, giving me a sly wink before he led us up the stairs to Wlodek's office. I almost hissed when we arrived; Gavin was standing beside Wlodek's desk. Merrill noticed my flinch when I saw Gavin.
"Lissa, do not allow him to hold this power over you," he said quietly, so I slowly straightened up and went to sit in one of Wlodek's chairs. I was shivering again, I couldn't help it. Merrill took the other chair. "You wished to see us?" Merrill raised an eyebrow at Wlodek.
"Yes. We are in need of Lissa's talents, Gavin and I," he said. "And this was my idea, no one else's," he held up a hand.
I wanted to tell him that I wasn't about to cooperate with Gavin, but Wlodek had me over a barrel and he knew it. One step out of line and Gavin's claws wouldn't be held back from my neck a second time.
"Why do you need her?" Merrill asked, voicing my own question.
"We require a mister and the others are engaged elsewhere," Wlodek replied. "We have a confirmed rogue killing tourists in Florida. A mister would be a tremendous help." They were going to make me go. They were going to make me go with Gavin.