Page 104 of Envious Of Fire
Tristan flicks his eyes down to the martini glass, too.These are for our guests, he says, then flicks his eyes back to George.
“Do you know how few promises I have made to myself,” says George, hardly acknowledging Tristan’s words, eyes still glued to the martini glass, “over my long life? I learned the less you make, the less you need keep … and the less you feel the sting of your own betrayal. Ah, the worst … worst sting of all.”
Worst indeed, agrees Tristan coolly.
George takes one of the glasses, lifts it up as if in a toast, inspects it in the green light. “Nearly forgot how it tastes.”
It is top-shelf, drawn directly from the Bloods…
“I shouldn’t. I really shouldn’t.”
Bottoms up.
George tips the glass back, gulping it all. Tristan watcheshis Adam’s apple bob with each of his mighty swallows. Then he nearly drops the glass back onto the tray. His eyes are closed as he appears to bask in the taste that now charges through his system, the feeling incomparable to anything else on earth, not even the thrill of collecting the rarest of prized hourglasses.
Tristan wonders suddenly if collecting hourglasses isn’t, in fact, exactly the reason George has stayed sober.
Was the box truly empty?Tristan asks.It held…nothing at all?
For a while, absolute silence.
Anticipation.
And then George’s eyes pop open. “I released Brock an hour ago.”
Tristan snaps his gaze to George.
This, he did not expect.
“Our Lord of Vegasyn was growing restless,” says George, tongue coated in red, stains between his teeth, eyes manic, “and planned a trip to the Scarlet Sands. Brock could no longer be held in a room there, not for one more second. Much too risky. I took care of it, took care of the problem. He’s gone.”
Tristan nearly drops the tray.Why would you… Tristan can’t believe his ears.Even you said he wouldn’t be ready in a long time.He believes he’s a teenager one moment, then a college student the next, living a parallel life with Kyle, then an adult with his wife and son…He’s mentally all over the place, fractured and alone…He doesn’t know who he is most of the time.
“Yes, he was scared of me,” says George, as if in answer to some unasked question, his lips curling upward, pleased by the fear. “I decided I am allowed to contradict myself. Perhaps I … was wrong. Brockisready to go home, placate his God-fearing wife, allow his family to call off the dogs …” He staggers back. “I underestimated the blood. Oh, this is good … really good.” Hegiggles, for a terrifying moment making his face look predatory and psychotic. “I think I shall retire to my room for the night to enjoy the rest of my … of my last laugh.”
You will not laugh long.You have just executed us both.
“Have faith,” says George absently, licks his lips, still aloof, still somewhere else, adds, “Everything will be fine … totally, perfectly, bloody fine.”
23.
An Early Grave.
—·—
Few words are exchanged as Kyle, Drake, and Mikey walk in the night. Perhaps all three are more rattled by the interception of the vampire than they wish to admit. Too many times, Kyle and Mikey peer back, as if expecting him to be in pursuit of them. But out here in the desert, there is nowhere to hide, both for the trio of them as well as a pursuing vampire.
Maybe it really was just a malicious taunt on their way out of the cave and nothing more.
“La-La’s already forgotten about you,” assures Drake hours later when they come to rest near a bushel of cacti and a short, smooth rock. “We’re safe, I swear.”
“I don’t get the sense La-La is the type to forget anything,” says Kyle. “He seemed like a psycho obsessive type.”
Drake doesn’t respond at first. Perhaps tired of lying, he finally says, “Okay … I will admit, I would have preferred if we had made it out of therewithoutbeing seen by anyone, let alone someone like fuckingLa-La.” He peers over his shoulder in the direction of the cave, now miles away. “I’m sure the others know by now we’re gone.”
Kyle hugs his knees. “You think someone will come after us?”
“Not tonight, doubt it. It’s too late, already past midnight.”
