Star of David, a crescent moon, a small Buddha that left a bump over my left eyebrow, even a pentacle. “Sorry. Just making sure you’re not a vampyr.”
“You keep all that stuff handy by your front door?” And then I realized what he’d said. “But it’s broad daylight!”
“Do you think that makes any difference?”
“Uh… I thought they only come by night?”
“They do, but you… if you’ve been bitten and the turning process is started—”
For a second I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head. He thought…. “Well, he didn’t bite me. But does that mean that once he does, I’ll turn into a vampyr too?” Oh crap, was this something else I had to worry about?
He stared at me with those haunted eyes, and then dug his fingers into his temples. “No, of course you won’t turn. Don’t pay any attention to me. I’m talking nonsense. Come on in.”
I entered his foyer cautiously. Had my uncle gone off the deep end? This wasn’t the best time to think of it, but was I safe here?
“What did your father tell you?”
“Huh?” I glanced around casually. Okay, I had a clear path to the front door if I had to make a run for it. I’d just have to make sure it stayed that way. “Oh, that in a couple of years a vampyr will come to claim me.”
“And…?”
What did he mean, “and”? “That was all.”
He shook his head. “If that isn’t like Ben. Okay, I’ll tell you what I can. Want a glass of milk?”
“No, thanks. I didn’t bring the lactase. I’m lactose intolerant.”
“You are?” He looked confused. “I’ve never heard…. Never mind. How about a Coke?”
“Uh… sure. Thanks.” I gave him a head start, then followed him down a short corridor and into the kitchen, which was super small.
He handed me a bottle that quickly began sweating condensation. “All right, this is the way it is. He won’t fuck you.”
Why does everyone keep saying “he”? Do I look gay?
He continued. “ She won’t expect you to fuck her. You’ll never penetrate or be penetrated. A virgin’s blood is what they want. That’s why a sabor reaches puberty so much later than normal humans.”
I paused in twisting off the bottle cap. “But Dad said I was normal!”
“Ha! What does he know? He didn’t have to worry about being valued only for the blood in his veins. He was able to marry and father children, even if the woman he chose was a witch.”
“Huh? My mother is a witch ?”
He sighed impatiently. “Not literally, Ty.”
“So we don’t even get to come?” It came out snippier than I’d intended. But then again, maybe not? I might have reached puberty only a few days before, but I’d still listened when the other boys talked about sex.
“Your generation likes to think it’s so hip and happening and now, but it’s no more so than previous generations.” He looked directly at me, and while there was exasperation in his eyes, again I saw the sadness in them. “Oh, they see we enjoy the act. In fact….” He glanced away, his face pale. “It’s addictive, Ty. Maybe we’re wired that way. If it didn’t feel so good….”
Feeling good was fine, but, “Suppose he looks like that guy from Nosferatu , with the weird teeth in the front of his mouth and the crazy eyes and long, skinny fingers?”
Uncle Phil smiled wryly. “No need to worry about that, Ty. They’re all very attractive.”
“Suppose he’s old?”
“Vampyrs don’t look old until they’re about to die.”
“They can die?”
“All creatures do. It’s the nature of things. Vampyrs have a very long life span, and it just takes them longer than the rest of us. There’s a school of thought that holds that’s possible because of the blood they drink from us.”
“Suppose he”—I swallowed—“wants to have sex with me?”
“He won’t.” He didn’t question that I hadn’t added the qualifying “or she.” “There are reasons why there are laws, and when they’re broken, the
“You keep all that stuff handy by your front door?” And then I realized what he’d said. “But it’s broad daylight!”
“Do you think that makes any difference?”
“Uh… I thought they only come by night?”
“They do, but you… if you’ve been bitten and the turning process is started—”
For a second I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head. He thought…. “Well, he didn’t bite me. But does that mean that once he does, I’ll turn into a vampyr too?” Oh crap, was this something else I had to worry about?
He stared at me with those haunted eyes, and then dug his fingers into his temples. “No, of course you won’t turn. Don’t pay any attention to me. I’m talking nonsense. Come on in.”
I entered his foyer cautiously. Had my uncle gone off the deep end? This wasn’t the best time to think of it, but was I safe here?
“What did your father tell you?”
“Huh?” I glanced around casually. Okay, I had a clear path to the front door if I had to make a run for it. I’d just have to make sure it stayed that way. “Oh, that in a couple of years a vampyr will come to claim me.”
“And…?”
What did he mean, “and”? “That was all.”
He shook his head. “If that isn’t like Ben. Okay, I’ll tell you what I can. Want a glass of milk?”
“No, thanks. I didn’t bring the lactase. I’m lactose intolerant.”
“You are?” He looked confused. “I’ve never heard…. Never mind. How about a Coke?”
“Uh… sure. Thanks.” I gave him a head start, then followed him down a short corridor and into the kitchen, which was super small.
He handed me a bottle that quickly began sweating condensation. “All right, this is the way it is. He won’t fuck you.”
Why does everyone keep saying “he”? Do I look gay?
He continued. “ She won’t expect you to fuck her. You’ll never penetrate or be penetrated. A virgin’s blood is what they want. That’s why a sabor reaches puberty so much later than normal humans.”
I paused in twisting off the bottle cap. “But Dad said I was normal!”
“Ha! What does he know? He didn’t have to worry about being valued only for the blood in his veins. He was able to marry and father children, even if the woman he chose was a witch.”
“Huh? My mother is a witch ?”
He sighed impatiently. “Not literally, Ty.”
“So we don’t even get to come?” It came out snippier than I’d intended. But then again, maybe not? I might have reached puberty only a few days before, but I’d still listened when the other boys talked about sex.
“Your generation likes to think it’s so hip and happening and now, but it’s no more so than previous generations.” He looked directly at me, and while there was exasperation in his eyes, again I saw the sadness in them. “Oh, they see we enjoy the act. In fact….” He glanced away, his face pale. “It’s addictive, Ty. Maybe we’re wired that way. If it didn’t feel so good….”
Feeling good was fine, but, “Suppose he looks like that guy from Nosferatu , with the weird teeth in the front of his mouth and the crazy eyes and long, skinny fingers?”
Uncle Phil smiled wryly. “No need to worry about that, Ty. They’re all very attractive.”
“Suppose he’s old?”
“Vampyrs don’t look old until they’re about to die.”
“They can die?”
“All creatures do. It’s the nature of things. Vampyrs have a very long life span, and it just takes them longer than the rest of us. There’s a school of thought that holds that’s possible because of the blood they drink from us.”
“Suppose he”—I swallowed—“wants to have sex with me?”
“He won’t.” He didn’t question that I hadn’t added the qualifying “or she.” “There are reasons why there are laws, and when they’re broken, the
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