Page 53 of Bloody Temptations

“If at any point you do feel uncomfortable, just let us know, okay? You cannot be made to participate in anything you don’t want to. If anyone gets pushy, let us or a staff member know.” At least his clarification is somewhat, not nice, but at least helpful.

“Is that a real risk?” Bedeer asks, no doubt feeling everyone else’s apprehension on top of his own.

Nikolo shrugs, turning to Bedeer. Bedeer and Jesminda are standing right next to Willan, but somehow Nikolo manages to edge the mage out of the interaction entirely. It’s as skillful as it is rude.

“To be honest, we’ve never come here with guests before. We’re responsible for you while you’re in there. If you fuck up, we can get banned.” His eyes cut to Jax and Lusce. “So, behave yourselves.”

“Right, that’s enough of that.” Kai claps his hands and rubs them together. “Who’s ready to have some fun?”

After all those warnings, I’m not exactly sure that’s still the vibe, but we manage to rouse some of our earlier enthusiasm and follow Kai and Nikolo up the stairs.

The gate looks as if it is locked, but when they approach the gateway swings open, allowing us to enter. When I step through the gateway, I can feel the magic of the wards wash over me in a rather pleasant tingle.

Thankfully, the gates don’t shut on the others and we’re all once again huddled together in front of the large wooden door once again blocking our entrance.

Kai shoots me a cheeky grin and raises his hand to the brass knocker—yet another heart. This time three-dimensional, which makes it slightly more grotesque.

The door swings open and at last we’re inside Hearts Gate.

We find ourselves in an expansive entry foyer, with a magnificent double staircase leading to the second story and a huge, glittering chandelier overhead. The former home has obviously been remodelled to suit its evolving purpose as a club for vampires. The sounds of the vampires and music filter through the doors leading from the foyer, which is currently empty save for our group and the host who is smiling patiently at us from behind their small podium-style desk.

Kai and Nikolo step forward to talk to the vamp manning the entry, while the rest of us try not to stare like bumpkins—some of us with more success than others.

I hadn’t known what to expect from Hearts Gate, but in all my fantasies about the place, I never quite pictured this, with its fancy antique furniture and stiff, formal portraits of long dead vampires and classical paintings of vampires lounging in the countryside under a full moon.

I’d been picturing something more along the lines of a nightclub. Okay, and maybe a sex club. Not that I really know what they are like, but I’ve seen enough porn to have a rough idea.

But this looks like the kind of place rich old men gather to talk about the economy or something. Or the set of some movie about people who wear wigs and lots of petticoats.

“Finn, come here,” Nikolo calls me over sharply, earning a look from Kai. Sharing my own look with Willan, I leave the comforting safety of my friends and join Kai and Nikolo at the desk.

“What’s up?” I ask hesitantly. I direct my question to Kai, but he nods in the direction of the host.

“Hello Finn, I’m Matteus. Welcome to Hearts Gate. I have been told this is your first time?” Matteus—a tall, slender vampire with jet black hair, a charming smile and no other distinguishing features—has an impeccable customer service voice.

It’s uncanny really. I thought I was unbearably generic. This man seems almost manufactured in his genericness. My brain almost can’t process it as he stares at me, a banal smile pasted across his nondescript face. His unblinking stare makes my eyes feel impossibly dry, forcing me to blink rapidly.

“Uh, yes? Thank you?”

Nikolo snickers at my hesitancy and I really don’t know if he’s laughing at me or with me.

Matteus tilts his head and produces a clipboard. It’s jarringly normal, like being at a doctor's office or something.

“Excellent. We’re always so excited to have new members.”

Really? Because there is absolutely no genuine emotion in your voice, I think to myself, taking the clipboard and pen from him.

“If you could please complete these forms, we can get you all started on your introductory membership. After your visit tonight, we candiscuss what level of membership you would like to continue with. Please don’t forget the information on the back for your guests. When that’s done, I can give you a tour if you like?”

I flip over the top sheet on the stack attached to the board and look back up at Matteus, mildly overwhelmed and trying to do the mental maths on the membership fees. Like, secret vampire clubs are fine until you have to pay the bills—I should be able to swing the basic membership, but I need to run the numbers. At least tonight we don’t have to pay as guests.

“Uh, yes? A tour would be good, I think?”

With Matteus appeased, I quickly rush back to the group, Nikolo and Kai sauntering along behind me.

There are a couple of spindly looking chairs free, so I take a seat and I rush through the paperwork. I may not have Bedeer’s gift of empathy, but I can still feel the impatience itching at the group. Even having to provide emergency contacts and sign waivers doesn’t dull the renewed anticipation burning them.

“Oh, I’m sorry. You missed a question.” Matteus politely grimaces when I hand the paperwork back, pointing to the unfilled box requesting my maker’s contact details.

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