Page 8 of Help Wanted, Vampires Inquire Within
“It was about fifty acres. Most of it was too rocky to grow anything, but Mom and Dad did amazing with the small patches of fertile area. They also did really well with bees. We had a magnificent apiary.”
Reminiscing about her happy childhood made the words flow out of her like they hadn’t done since she left home. She didn’t pause until Mason interrupted her.
“You need to eat,” he grumbled, pushing the pizza box at her. Rissa had set it down a little while ago, but she hadn’t reached for any yet. “I think Mr. Cutie should tell you about himself for a little while.”
Skyler felt her face get hot with embarrassment. “Sorry,” she said, ducking her head down.
“No, none of that,” Arthur said, reaching across the table to put a finger under her chin. “There is nothing to be sorry about. Your voice is melodic, and your stories entertaining. I swear I could almost feel the sun on my skin and the scent of blossoms in my nose.”
Mason scowled darkly at Arthur before turning to speak gently to Skyler. “He’s right. The way you talk makes me want to plant things. I didn’t mean anything bad. I'm worried that you're noteating enough, and I honestly think we need to ask Arthur more questions.”
Arthur withdrew his hand and gave Mason an approving look. “Very good.”
Mason’s expression turned even darker, but he didn’t say anything.
“Don’t you want some?” Skyler asked, opening up the box to see her favorite pizza.
“There’s too much pineapple and not enough jalapenos,” Mason said, turning a teasing smile on her. He pulled a box out from under hers and opened it to reveal a pizza covered in jalapenos. She couldn’t see anything underneath the spice topping!
She pretended to shudder. “I think they emptied out an entire jar on your pizza.”
“Hopefully,” he answered. “Now ask Lord Cutie a question.”
“Oh, right,” she said. Normally, she had a mental list of questions for the vampires, but her mind went blank. “Um, where did you grow up?”
“England,” he answered, pointing to the pizza. “I’ll keep talking if you eat.”
She nodded and picked up a slice. He told her about being one of ten children in 1700s London. His story was sad, and she put her slice down after only eating half.
“No, child,” he murmured, easily reading her expression. “It was the best life anyone born in that time could have. I know it seems horrific by today's standards, but my parents were kind and did their best for their surviving children. After I was turned and could control myself, I begged my maker to buy them land and animals. They were able to move to a small village north of London and got to live the rest of their lives in comfort.”
Most vampires she’d met were old enough to see massive changes in the world, including concepts of equality, family, andchild rearing. She understood they had a very different scale to judge their lives by.
“I can still be sad that you lost six of your siblings,” she said. “And that you had to go to work at ten.”
“I suppose,” he said with a small smile. “But my ten-year-old self felt very proud for being a contributing member of the family. He wouldn’t have understood your sadness.”
“I guess,” she agreed. So far, Arthur was the easiest vampire to talk to. She was eager to learn more. “Tell me about London back then.”
The next thing she knew, hours had passed. The pizza was replaced with a sugary drink from Zan that he’d dubbed the Nymph Special.
Mason remained quiet the entire time. He ate his pizza, drank several beers, and another few coffees as she and Arthur talked. His expression didn’t change, but she could tell he wasn’t happy. He was never happy around vampires, except maybe Anatoly. Not that Mason was fond of Anatoly, but that he claimed Anatoly was more tolerable than others.
“May I hold your hand?” Arthur asked during a lull in the conversation.
“My hand?” she asked, ignoring the way Mason jerked and eyed Arthur intensely. “Why?”
“I like you, Skyler,” he said. “But enjoying someone’s company isn’t enough for me. I want something real. I want the same love my parents felt. The same love my maker had for his flock. I won’t settle for less.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more,” she said, reaching across the table. He was quick to trap her hand with both of his. She felt warmth travel up her arm, but no spark of awareness. The magic didn’t see them as a match. They could force it, but all they’d ever feel for each other was mild affection.
“That’s too bad,” he murmured, letting go of her hand. “I’d hoped we would match better.”
“I know,” Skyler said. “But you’re always welcome to come back. A lot of people come to Joy, maybe you’ll meet your person.”
“Perhaps,” he said, standing up. “If you need help, please reach out to me. Anatoly is only one vampire; he might require assistance if a determined attacker manages to disable his wards.”
“That’s kind of you,” Skyler said.
