Page 14 of Taste of Death

“I am unfortunately more important than I ever would have preferred to be,” he sighed.

“That tells me absolutely nothing.”

“You should probably get the hang of being a brusang before finding out what my role in Sanguine is.” The smile he gave was tight, more like a grimace. “As with all vampire clans, there are a few centuries of history to take into account.” He gestured toward the open doorway. “After you.”

I turned, heading for the stair landing. “Which clan are you part of?”

Novak inhaled sharply, his strides slightly ahead of mine as we took the stairs together. “My clan is called Rathka’s Order.”

“Does your whole clan live here? And who’s Rathka, an ancestor, I take it?” My fresh burst of energy seemed to have dialed up my burning curiosity as well.

“No. Aside from my household staff, I live alone. And Rathka is a deity, the younger brother of Temkra, our goddess. Some say Rathka’s our first ancestor, but that’s where history and legend sort of bleed into each other to where you don’t know which is truth or myth. But my clan and family line have embodied his ideals going back many generations.”

“Oh, wow. So everyone in your clan has their own place? Are they all like this?” I gestured toward the chandelier above us.

Novak chuckled. “We have a few homes like this but no, not exactly. My clan’s situation is… complicated.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” We made it to the bottom of the stairs and I gave him a rueful look. “I didn’t mean to ask personal questions, that was rude of me.”

“It’s all right.” Novak headed across the foyer and I followed him dutifully. “It’s refreshing to hear a lot of direct questions, actually. As vampires get older, we tend to assume and infer a lot. Once you reach a certain age, you think you know everything.”

He led us to an open-concept kitchen with a huge, dark marbled island and matching cabinetry.

“There’s a human saying about assuming.”

“And that is?” Novak opened two large doors that I realized was a refrigerator designed to look like the rest of the cabinetry.

“When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me.”

Novak laughed so suddenly that he nearly dropped the wooden tray covered with foil. He recovered quickly though, and placed the tray on the island. “That’s clever. I like it.”

All kinds of tantalizing smells hit my nose as he peeled back the foil. Vinegar, salt, spices, plus traces of blood and muscle.

“Help yourself.” Novak pushed the tray toward me. “My chef made it for you.”

My mouth watered. “All this for me?”

It was an assortment of bite-sized meats, all beautifully arranged and prepared in different ways. Marinated, smoked, seared, and even some pieces that looked raw with just a touch of seasoning.

“I’m not too familiar with human food,” Novak said. “But she said this is all suitable for humans if you’re not fully adjusted to eating like a brusang yet.”

“It looks too pretty to eat,” I admitted, eyes roaming over the display.

“Oh, don’t worry about that.” Novak scoffed. “When Jo wants to put on a presentation, you’ll know.” He pointed to the red cubes of raw meat. “I know that one. This is mukrot.”

“Oh yeah, muck-rot. I totally know what that is.”

His smile was roguish, but not cruel. “A mukrot is a livestock animal that can drop limbs and regenerate them. Kind of how lizards can grow their tails back.”

I stared at him. “Are you pranking me? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“They’re kept by Marrowers underground, who harvest bone marrow and meat from the discarded limbs. It’s a very popular food among vampires, and can substitute for blood in a pinch.”

“Uh-huh,” I said, still skeptical.

“You can dip it in this.” Novak’s finger moved over a small condiment bowl that looked like applesauce. “It’s a bone marrow mash from the same animal. I eat it at least once a week. It’s my favorite.”

“So you do eat things besides blood?” Feeling brave, I picked up one of the red meat cubes and swiped it through the mash.

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