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“Spying is such an ugly word. ” She admired her designer shoes and I paused in my tirade to do the same. The woman had exquisite and expensive taste. “I came by to compliment you and offer to help you out. We could make a run up to Olympus right now, meet your grandfather and perhaps solve the Aggie problem for you. ” She smiled sweetly.
“Give it up, Mother. I’ve told you before. I’m not going up there. You’ll figure out some way to trap me and I’d never see the human plane again. ” I sighed and sat at the dressing table. “Come on. I’m sure you could get hold of that Siren treasure if you really tried. ” You think I was being mean to my mother? We’d only met recently. Blame it on the fact that she’d hidden me away in a Siren harem for a thousand years or so under the power of the Storm God. When I’d showed a lack of killer instinct, that creep had cast me out into the mortal world to die, wiping my memory of the whole deal. Where had Mom been then? Oh, she’d forgotten she had a daughter.
Jerry had saved me, turning me vampire and giving me immortality. Now Mother was suddenly back in my life, a few hundred years too late, wanting a “relationship. ” I wasn’t so keen on the idea. She hated vampires, wanted me to dump Jerry and relocate permanently to Olympus. Need I say more?
“Gloriana, I’ve explained this. If you want to get rid of your roommate, I know she has a debt to pay. To get the Siren treasure for her, you’ll have to go to your grandfather personally and ask for it. ” Mother frowned down at her nails and stood. “I need a manicure. Let me know when you’re ready to be reasonable. Take this new vampire home with you. Try living with two difficult women for a while. I’m sure you’ll be calling for me soon, eager to go to Olympus. ” She patted my cheek. “Your grandfather will adore you. ” Then she vanished.
I rolled my eyes. Grandfather. Yeah right. When Granddad was the head honcho of Olympus, you didn’t just drop by for a visit, ask for treasure and then return to your normal life. Who was she kidding?
“Who was that? And did she just disappear, like a magic trick?” Sienna swayed in the bathroom doorway. She had a towel around her body and a towel turban on her head.
“Here, sit before you fall down. Yes, she disappeared. Welcome to the paranormal world. That was my mother. ” I did my best to explain what she was.
“And your grandfather?” Sienna stared at me, obviously seeing the resemblance now that she knew our relationship. My mother and I did look something alike, though I was a blow-up version.
“Zeus. Can you believe it?” I didn’t need to see her stunned expression to know she wasn’t buying it. “Neither can I, but I’ve felt the lightning bolts from up there as proof that Olympus is real, Sienna. I’ve got some strange powers too. Cool powers. I’ll give you a demo sometime. Mom and I have basically just met. Long story. ” I knew information overload was a danger in a new vampire. “Get dressed and then ask any questions you have. ”
“Yeah, I have plenty. ” She got up and wandered into the closet, a glazed look in her eyes. In a few moments she came out in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. She walked over to the dressing table, picked up a brush, looked into the mirror and burst into tears. “Where the hell am I?”
I put my arm around her. “I’m sorry. I should have warned you. Mirrors don’t work for us. Here, let me. ” I gently took the brush from her and ran it through her short hair, slicking it behind her ears. “You’ll figure this out. You can use a computer video cam as a mirror. We do show up in pictures. I have a nice setup at my apartment. ” I tossed down the brush. “I handle my hair and makeup just by feel. But then I’m pretty ancient. They didn’t have computers or even cameras when I was turned. ”
“How old are you?” She leaned back to stare at me.
“A little over four hundred, give or take a decade. ” I tried not to smile when she gasped. I left off the thousand years as a Siren. She was already shocked enough. “Don’t look it, do I?”
“This is surreal. ” She shoved away from me then collapsed on the bed.
“How are you feeling?” I sat beside her. “Are you dizzy? Weak?”
“Tired. Confused. Overwhelmed. But strong. ” She lifted her hands and flexed her fingers. “Does this vampire thing make you strong, Glory?”
“Yes, it does. We’ll test it later. ” I didn’t want to start breaking things yet, though trashing Ray’s bedroom would probably make Sienna feel better.
“You look early twenties. Will I always look this age, right now?” She pushed herself into a sitting position. “Am I, uh, immortal?”
“Yes and yes. That’s pretty good news, isn’t it?” I smiled as she processed that.
“I’ll say. Periods?”
“Gone. Sorry but you’ll never have children now. ” I held my breath. Was I crushing a dream?
“Oh, well, I’d already decided I wasn’t cut out for that trip anyway. So I won’t have to worry about birth control. Cool. ” She plumped up a pillow and leaned back on it. “What about disease, illness? Can I catch anything?”
“It’s pretty rare. There are a few vampire doctors but they are mostly engaged in research, working on drugs to help vamps see daylight, eat solid food, stuff like that. ”
“Daylight?” She glanced at the French doors which had automatic shades that closed at sunrise. They were open now and we could see the terrace with its steps down to the lake and Ray’s boat dock. The moon was shrouded in clouds so it was dark except for deck lights.
“We sleep all day, wake up at sunset. ”
Surprisingly, Sienna took that news without much reaction. Then she jumped up and faced me. “Why did Ray call you, Glory? You two still have something going?”
Was Sienna jealous? Hard to believe. “No, Jerry is my boyfriend. I’m Ray’s mentor. I helped him right after he was turned. So naturally he called me for advice when he saw he was in trouble. You would have died otherwise. He did the right thing. ”
“Forgive me if I’m not grateful to the bastard. ” She paced around the bed, finally jerking the sheets off and tossing them out the sliding glass doors onto the deck. “I’m so mad I could kill him. Vampire! Can I go back? Be normal again?”
“No. This is it. ” I put a hand on her shoulder but she shrugged it away. She grabbed a crystal vase and threw it at the mirror over the dressing table.
“Won’t be needing that, will we?” Her laugh gave me chills.
“Calm down, Sienna. ”
“Why? Why the hell should I? I’m vampire. And you are going to tell me what I can and can’t do. Thanks a heap, Glory. ” She stomped out to the deck and took a breath. “Shit. I don’t think I can even breathe the same. Though I can smell everything, even the bird shit on that rock over there. ” She pointed to a spot yards away.
“You don’t have to. Breathe. But your enhanced senses are cool. Enjoy them. ” I stayed a few feet away from her. I saw the men standing around in the living room and knew they could hear us from here through the open terrace doors.
“Not breathe? That’s just plain creepy. ” She faced me, her eyes full of tears. “You meant it. Undead. ”
“Afraid so. ”
“How do you keep it a secret? This vampire thing. ” Sienna reached for me, squeezing my arm. “I had no idea and I was, um, surrounded by you guys. ”
“It’s not easy. We use the whammy. If a mortal sees something he or she shouldn’t, we make them forget it. Like Ray did with you. ” I hated to remind her. Of course that had her looking back at the living room. At Ray. The tears were gone, her mouth a hard line. I kept talking.
“I’ll teach you how to do that. You’ll have to deal with mortals constantly if you continue your singing career. You’ll have to be careful, Sienna. ”
“What the hell do you mean, if I continue my career?” Now she glared at me, her eyes blazing. “I’m on top, my records are hitting the charts and I’m about to go on tour. I’ve got—” I could see when her new reality hit her.
“Oh, God. Radio interviews, talk shows. Can I stay awake but inside out of the sun?” Her squeeze became a painful clutch.
“No. When sunrise hits, you’re dead, out like a light. You can’t function at all. ” I covered her hand with mine. “I’m sorry, Sienna. But Ray has managed to keep his career going. Much as you hate to deal with him, he can give you good advice. Or his manager can. Nathan knows about us and our world. Ray clued him in as soon as he was turned. ”
Before I knew what she was going to do, she ran inside and landed on top of Ray, taking him down to the floor. Her new fangs tore into his neck and she sank them into his jugular.
“Guess she figured out how to feed on her own. ” Jerry just stood there, watching.
“Think I should pull her off?” Will, as bodyguard, had a duty, but Ray waved him off.
“If she takes too much, we’ll have to do something. ” I stopped in the doorway. Sienna was crying and drinking, making an ugly mess of Ray’s throat. Her bloodlust had kicked in and her anger had taken her straight to Ray to satisfy it. He had his head back, eyes closed while he stroked her back. I was silently counting, making sure this didn’t go on too long.
“Okay, Will, pull her off now. Killing Ray might make her feel better but I’m not letting it happen. ” I knelt down and touched Sienna’s cheek. “Let go, Sienna, you’ve had enough. ”
She shook her head and held on. I could see the ragged wounds she’d torn into his neck. Luckily Ray would heal fast or there could be ugly scars.
“Pinch her jaw, Glory. That’ll get them open. I’ve got her shoulders. ” Will knelt on her other side.
Strong pressure and her fangs popped loose. Then we heaved her up and off.
“Selfish bastard. You ruined my life. My career. ” She kicked at Ray, connecting with his ribs. “We wrote that love song together. Did that mean anything to you?” Tears ran down her cheeks to mix with the blood that smeared around her mouth.