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Authors: Nicola Claire
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controlling the Norms and keeping themselves hidden. I don't approve of it. I never have. So, when I realised I could glaze a vampire, it was a mixed blessing. It's got me out of a tight situation before and helped me get to Michel when he needed me. But, it's not something I'm proud of and I refuse to use it unless it's a last resort. Me or them kind of deal. If my life is on the line then I'll use it, but otherwise, I'm on my own.
It's just the kind of girl I am. I have standards. Someone's got to.
“Hey, Luce.” Bruno's voice is always gruff and low, a bit gravelly.
“Hey.” I slid into the seat next to him and Doug, the barman, came over to pour me a drink.
“It's a bit early, isn't it Doug?” The sun hadn't set after all.
“I think you could do with one, Luce. You look a little pale.” He poured me my usual, a Bacardi and Coke , pushed it across the bar and went down the other end. Doug's a man, or vamp, of few words. You'd think being a bartender he'd have better communication skills, but he doesn't. I don't mind, I didn't really feel like talking anyway.
Bruno was nursing his own drink, swirling the ice around the bottom.
“It's always entertaining to be around you, Luce. Never go a week without someone after your arse. The Master's got his hands full with you, that's for sure.”
“I don't think he truly realised what he was getting himself into, do you?”
He laughed. “Hell no. But it's fun. Michel always did like to have a bit of fun.”
That was a bit too tempting to pass up.
“How long have you been with him, Bruno?”
“He turned me, I thought you knew that.”
So, that would be over 200 years, a long time for a vampire of Bruno's Sanguis Vitam to remain under another. I'd always thought there was more to Michel and Bruno's relationship than met the eye. I've never asked. I'll wait for the right opportunity, but first things first.
“What kind of fun has Michel had in the past?”
Bruno stilled slightly, but smiled at me, giving me the full force of his evil eyes. I have to be careful around Bruno, he's glazed me twice before, under Michel's instructions. I'm not usually that easy to glaze, but he caught me at a bad moment. The thing is, once you've been glazed by a vampire, it's easier for them to get a hold of you again. Like they've travelled the road and no longer need a map.
“Five hundred years is a long time to live, Luce. A long time. You get to experience everything. Nothing seems all shiny and new again. You have to find ways to keep you enthused, alive. Michel is a master at finding new ways to satisfy his hungers.”
I felt a little chill go down my spine. “Are you trying to scare me or warn me, Bruno?”
“Neither. It's just a simple fact.”
I stared at him, but all I could see was self assured knowledge. He wasn't pulling my chain, he was simply stating a fact, just like he said.
“Better I don't know the details then,” I said almost to myself.
“Luce. He has never, in all the time I have known him, ever felt for someone the way he feels for you. He may be experienced in many things, but when it comes to you, the Master ain't got it all sussed. Sometimes I wonder just which of you is the one in control.”
I didn't know what to say to that. I certainly did not want Michel to think he was in control of me, but then, did I want to be in control of him? I opened my mouth to come back with a retort, but was beaten to it.
“Are you giving away all my secrets, Bruno? Or just the ones close to my heart?”
Bruno stood and spun to face Michel, a blur of preternatural speed. “Master.”
They didn't usually go for all this Master crap, not Bruno and Michel, but with so many new vamps in the family line all of a sudden, they had upped the ante a bit on the dominant master of the line crap. It got the message across to the newbies, if Bruno showed that level of respect, they sure as hell could too.
Another blur and Bruno was gone, across the room and out a
It's just the kind of girl I am. I have standards. Someone's got to.
“Hey, Luce.” Bruno's voice is always gruff and low, a bit gravelly.
“Hey.” I slid into the seat next to him and Doug, the barman, came over to pour me a drink.
“It's a bit early, isn't it Doug?” The sun hadn't set after all.
“I think you could do with one, Luce. You look a little pale.” He poured me my usual, a Bacardi and Coke , pushed it across the bar and went down the other end. Doug's a man, or vamp, of few words. You'd think being a bartender he'd have better communication skills, but he doesn't. I don't mind, I didn't really feel like talking anyway.
Bruno was nursing his own drink, swirling the ice around the bottom.
“It's always entertaining to be around you, Luce. Never go a week without someone after your arse. The Master's got his hands full with you, that's for sure.”
“I don't think he truly realised what he was getting himself into, do you?”
He laughed. “Hell no. But it's fun. Michel always did like to have a bit of fun.”
That was a bit too tempting to pass up.
“How long have you been with him, Bruno?”
“He turned me, I thought you knew that.”
So, that would be over 200 years, a long time for a vampire of Bruno's Sanguis Vitam to remain under another. I'd always thought there was more to Michel and Bruno's relationship than met the eye. I've never asked. I'll wait for the right opportunity, but first things first.
“What kind of fun has Michel had in the past?”
Bruno stilled slightly, but smiled at me, giving me the full force of his evil eyes. I have to be careful around Bruno, he's glazed me twice before, under Michel's instructions. I'm not usually that easy to glaze, but he caught me at a bad moment. The thing is, once you've been glazed by a vampire, it's easier for them to get a hold of you again. Like they've travelled the road and no longer need a map.
“Five hundred years is a long time to live, Luce. A long time. You get to experience everything. Nothing seems all shiny and new again. You have to find ways to keep you enthused, alive. Michel is a master at finding new ways to satisfy his hungers.”
I felt a little chill go down my spine. “Are you trying to scare me or warn me, Bruno?”
“Neither. It's just a simple fact.”
I stared at him, but all I could see was self assured knowledge. He wasn't pulling my chain, he was simply stating a fact, just like he said.
“Better I don't know the details then,” I said almost to myself.
“Luce. He has never, in all the time I have known him, ever felt for someone the way he feels for you. He may be experienced in many things, but when it comes to you, the Master ain't got it all sussed. Sometimes I wonder just which of you is the one in control.”
I didn't know what to say to that. I certainly did not want Michel to think he was in control of me, but then, did I want to be in control of him? I opened my mouth to come back with a retort, but was beaten to it.
“Are you giving away all my secrets, Bruno? Or just the ones close to my heart?”
Bruno stood and spun to face Michel, a blur of preternatural speed. “Master.”
They didn't usually go for all this Master crap, not Bruno and Michel, but with so many new vamps in the family line all of a sudden, they had upped the ante a bit on the dominant master of the line crap. It got the message across to the newbies, if Bruno showed that level of respect, they sure as hell could too.
Another blur and Bruno was gone, across the room and out a
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