you.”
“I have answered a dozen of the Magnate’s questions today, and I doubt that he absorbed a single thing. If I answer you, will you listen?”
“As I suspected,” I say. “General snark.”
“Excuse me?”
“Never mind.”
Modred looks up at me. His lip ring is a half-moon against pale flesh. There are bags under his eyes. He looks like a photosensitive teenager, like one of those scary orphans from the horror movie with Nicole Kidman. I don’t know how old he is really, but he does have anAnglo-Saxon vibe, which leads me to believe that he spent time chilling with Manticores and purebloods. Certainly he knew Caitlyn, the former Magnate who sired Patrick. I should be more nervous around him, but we bonded during a cab ride, or at least I think we did. Plus, disarticulating me will tick off Patrick, and Modred is nothing if not loyal.
“What is your question, Tess?”
“It’s about vampires getting drunk.”
“You came all the way here to ask me about that? Vampires get drunk the same way humans do, only it takes more alcohol. Mead often does the trick.”
“I saw a vampire who looked—I don’t know—blissed out. Kind of drunk, but kind of not. How would a drunk vampire behave?”
His expression changes. “Who else have you asked about this?”
“I don’t know his name. The bouncer at Blood Drive.”
“Is this how you conduct an investigation? You simply hail vampires on the street and ask them random questions?”
“I’m off duty, actually.”
“Ah.” He motions for me to sit down next to him. “So you want to combat idleness by investigating pointless things.”
I sit. “It sounds better in my head.”
“What was so strange about this drunken vampire that you saw?”
“I don’t know. There was just something off about him.”
“Wait here,” he says. “I have something to show you.”
He leaves and comes back with a DVD, which he puts in the player. He turns on the TV. I see Patrick sitting on the couch downstairs, along with a bunch of other vampires that I don’t recognize. They’re all singing in some language that I can’t understand. Patrick chugs his beer. Then he opens his mouth and belches so loud that it shakes the furniture on camera. Everyone laughs.
Modred turns off the TV. “That is a drunk vampire,” he says. “Did the one you saw behave like that?”
“Not at all. He seemed devious. And hungry.”
“Did he attack you?”
“No. I flashed a bit of power, and he backed off. But the next day, I saw him out with a group of his friends. It seemed bold. He didn’t go after me, but he made sure I knew that he was watching.”
“If he is that careless, I cannot see him living for too much longer. If I were you, I would turn your mind to more important matters.”
“I’m on leave, remember? I can’t involve myself in important matters. It’s either check this out or go for the all-time best score on Freecell.”
“I can see how that might drive you to distraction.” He looks at the paperwork again, then shudders. “I suppose we both could use something interesting to occupy us. How would you feel about attending a party tomorrow night?”
“A vampire party?”
“More or less. The crowd will mostly be young and stupid, but you may run into your bold friend.”
“I’d feel a bit like Lady Gaga when she wore the meat dress.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I’d be on display.”
“I’ll be with you. Nothing can happen.”
“Knock on wood.”
“What?”
“It’s customary to knock on wood after you say nothing bad will happen. You’ve probably been dead too long to remember, but it makes everyone feel better.” I knock lightly on the surface of the desk. “See? Now you do it.”
Modred stares at me as if I’ve deeply disappointed him. Then he knocks three times, with deliberation. He puts his ear to the desk.
“Who is supposed to answer?” he asks.
“No one. It’s like whistling in the
“I have answered a dozen of the Magnate’s questions today, and I doubt that he absorbed a single thing. If I answer you, will you listen?”
“As I suspected,” I say. “General snark.”
“Excuse me?”
“Never mind.”
Modred looks up at me. His lip ring is a half-moon against pale flesh. There are bags under his eyes. He looks like a photosensitive teenager, like one of those scary orphans from the horror movie with Nicole Kidman. I don’t know how old he is really, but he does have anAnglo-Saxon vibe, which leads me to believe that he spent time chilling with Manticores and purebloods. Certainly he knew Caitlyn, the former Magnate who sired Patrick. I should be more nervous around him, but we bonded during a cab ride, or at least I think we did. Plus, disarticulating me will tick off Patrick, and Modred is nothing if not loyal.
“What is your question, Tess?”
“It’s about vampires getting drunk.”
“You came all the way here to ask me about that? Vampires get drunk the same way humans do, only it takes more alcohol. Mead often does the trick.”
“I saw a vampire who looked—I don’t know—blissed out. Kind of drunk, but kind of not. How would a drunk vampire behave?”
His expression changes. “Who else have you asked about this?”
“I don’t know his name. The bouncer at Blood Drive.”
“Is this how you conduct an investigation? You simply hail vampires on the street and ask them random questions?”
“I’m off duty, actually.”
“Ah.” He motions for me to sit down next to him. “So you want to combat idleness by investigating pointless things.”
I sit. “It sounds better in my head.”
“What was so strange about this drunken vampire that you saw?”
“I don’t know. There was just something off about him.”
“Wait here,” he says. “I have something to show you.”
He leaves and comes back with a DVD, which he puts in the player. He turns on the TV. I see Patrick sitting on the couch downstairs, along with a bunch of other vampires that I don’t recognize. They’re all singing in some language that I can’t understand. Patrick chugs his beer. Then he opens his mouth and belches so loud that it shakes the furniture on camera. Everyone laughs.
Modred turns off the TV. “That is a drunk vampire,” he says. “Did the one you saw behave like that?”
“Not at all. He seemed devious. And hungry.”
“Did he attack you?”
“No. I flashed a bit of power, and he backed off. But the next day, I saw him out with a group of his friends. It seemed bold. He didn’t go after me, but he made sure I knew that he was watching.”
“If he is that careless, I cannot see him living for too much longer. If I were you, I would turn your mind to more important matters.”
“I’m on leave, remember? I can’t involve myself in important matters. It’s either check this out or go for the all-time best score on Freecell.”
“I can see how that might drive you to distraction.” He looks at the paperwork again, then shudders. “I suppose we both could use something interesting to occupy us. How would you feel about attending a party tomorrow night?”
“A vampire party?”
“More or less. The crowd will mostly be young and stupid, but you may run into your bold friend.”
“I’d feel a bit like Lady Gaga when she wore the meat dress.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I’d be on display.”
“I’ll be with you. Nothing can happen.”
“Knock on wood.”
“What?”
“It’s customary to knock on wood after you say nothing bad will happen. You’ve probably been dead too long to remember, but it makes everyone feel better.” I knock lightly on the surface of the desk. “See? Now you do it.”
Modred stares at me as if I’ve deeply disappointed him. Then he knocks three times, with deliberation. He puts his ear to the desk.
“Who is supposed to answer?” he asks.
“No one. It’s like whistling in the
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