Page 27 of Three Bites

This time Tristan didn’t take me to the garden for lunch. No, I found myself following him to his guest quarters. I winced at the looks I got from the staff in our path. A mix of curiosity, worry, and jealousy. So far, Matthias was enough of a deterrentfor them to keep away and not ask questions but I could bet that was going to change after this spectacle.

What was done was done. I decided to let myself forget about the gossip for a while after the door separated us neatly from the outside world.

The meal was already prepared, colorful dishes waiting on the table. I took my seat while Tristan went around the room… putting pieces of paper on walls? I squinted at one of the rectangular strips and saw what looked like Japanese writing across it.

Tristan noticed my staring and waved the paper at me then stuck the last one to the wall.

“It’s a talisman to keep people from eavesdropping. I have swept the room for any electronic devices as well, so we should be free to talk.”

“Does it mean magic exists?” I asked immediately, my mind whirling with possibilities.

“Yes and no. What you would call magic is a part of some supernatural creatures’ ancestry. The talismans were prepared for us by a Kitsune, a fox spirit. While that’s one of her talents I would not be able to produce talismans and neither would regular humans, unless they had at least some of the talisman-inclined creature ancestry in their veins.”

“Here goes my hope of becoming a witch,” I mock-sighed.

“You are enchanting enough without magic at your fingertips, my dear,” Tristan responded so earnestly it made me blush.

“How about you? Is being so… handsome and captivating a part of being a vampire?” I asked, my heart beating wildly at finally acknowledging the elephant in the room.

“You flatter me, Victoria,” Tristan chuckled. “This body and its charm are organically grown… but, I admit, centuries of practice made both easier to use to get what I want.” He stepped behindmy chair and leaned to whisper in my ear. “And trust me, you will know when I use my vampiric powers on you.”

My breath hitched.

“You have some, then. Powers, that is?” I asked.

“Enhanced strength, speed, healing abilities…” Tristan walked to the seat in front of me and sprawled in it, counting on his fingers. “Seeing in the dark, fangs, and claws when we need them, resistance to many kinds of damage, including certain magics… that’s what most vampires get.”

“Most?” I prompted, hungrier for the information than for the food in front of me.

“Those are characteristics of what some call a Lesser Vampire. Matthias and Theo are ones. I, on the other hand, have been called a True Vampire.”

“What’s the difference?” I squinted at him. “Can you turn into a bat?”

“Ha! I wish!” Tristan groaned. “I once made a fool of myself when I met another vampire and asked her how to shapeshift. She looked at me like I was crazy and told me that’s a human myth.”

“You didn’t know what you could do?” A giggle tried to burst out of me at the absurdity of the situation but I smothered it in time for my mind to comprehend how fucked up it had to be to not know what your own body could do. “…that’s rough, buddy.”

“Indeed. Let’s just say my Sire, the man who had turned me, wasn’t a very nice person. ‘Forgetting’ to teach me the ins and outs of vampiric powers was the least of his crimes,” Tristan’s gaze grew distant. “That’s why I killed him and, with that deed, I gained the power of the True Vampire.”

Here he was, admitting to murder in front of me. It should scare me, make me want to be away from such a violent man. But Tristan radiated calm and a hint of sadness. That wasn’t theexpression of a rampaging killer. I choose to believe he did it for the good of others or to protect himself.

I couldn’t fault him for killing his abuser when it was what I wanted to do as well.

“Wait,” something niggled at the back of my mind. “Does that mean Theo and Matthias would have to kill you to become True Vampires?”

“That would be the simplest way to do this, yes,” Tristan didn’t look bothered by the question. He cut a piece of juicy mushroom while he talked. “Though there are certain bloody rituals that can achieve the same result, and there have been cases of Lesser Vampires snapping the bond with their Sire and becoming True Vampires themselves, but such occurrences pertain to beings who are thousands of years old.”

It was hard to wrap my head around the concept of living for hundreds of years, least of all thousands. Holy cow. Was that the age Tristan, Matthias, and Theo were going to reach as well?

“Aren’t you worried they will want to cut the bond?” I asked.

“No,” Tristan said with surety. “They chose me once and, what is more important, they keep choosing me. The bond can be a curse but, for us, it’s a blessing.”

“What exactly does this bond do?”

Tristan was silent for a while.

“I think you should hear that part from Matthias and Theo. How about we dig in for now? As much as I loathe it, we both will have to get back to work soon.”

---