Page 37 of Charmed By Apollo

“Sure but—oh, I thought you were together?”

“No!” Geri protested a little too loudly. “I mean…we’re not.”

“Alright, alright, we’ll get you separate rooms,” Marley said. “Sorry for the wrong assumption. So, what do you say? Do you guys wanna hang here at our pad and wait for the elders to arrive tomorrow?”

“Sounds great,” Apollo said.

After the vampires had finished their breakfast, Marley led them to another room in the castle—what appeared to be a drawing room, complete with a fireplace roaring, giving the room a cozy glow. However, it was obvious its current occupants had given the room a makeover—posters from bands from the 60s and 70s lined the walls, as well as tapestries that had tie-dyed designs or mandalas and floral motifs. A vintage stereo and speaker set up played records while the floor was covered in shag carpets, and beanbags and floor cushions were strewn about.

As they made themselves comfortable, the staff came in to serve more refreshments—more blood substitute for the vampires and tea and coffee for Apollo and Geri, as well as some snacks.

“Sorry, we don’t have anything stronger for you,” Marley said to Geri as she accepted a mug of coffee from one of the staff. She and the vampire leader sat down cross-legged on the floor as the other members made themselves comfortable.

“It’s alright, coffee is good, but it might not help me sleep tonight,” she joked.

“Sleep? Oh yeah, I keep forgetting you non-vamps sleep at night.”

Geri took a sip of her brew. “I’m jet-lagged anyway, plus, because I’m a shifter, I don’t need as much sleep as humans.”

“I see. Same with us.”

“It’s really interesting what you told us about vampires,” Geri began. “Thank you for sharing.”

“And thank you for not judging us right away,” he said. “It’s tough when people have these preconceived notions of you.”

“Well, to be honest, we did think you guys were going to eat us. Sorry about that.”

“No worries at all,” he said with a laugh. “And speaking of which, sorry about the assumption that you and Apollo were?—”

“It’s fine,” she quickly interrupted.

Marley scratched at his head. “You just gave that vibe, you know?”

Curiosity pricked at her, wondering exactly what vibe Marley was talking about, but at the same time, she did not want to discuss her and Apollo’s non-relationship. “So, um, did you all become vampires in the 1960s?”

“Sure did,” Marley said. “We were one of the first vampires turned after the council declared drinking human and animal blood illegal. We formed our own coven, and then the council gave us this territory and this castle.”

“You don’t mind being all the way out here? Isn’t it boring?”

“Boring? Not at all. We traveled around a bit, but it was getting harder and harder to stay under the radar since we were all supposed to be growing older. Also, with technology like biometrics, not to mention camera phones and the Internet, it was difficult to stay under the radar. And it’s kinda nice. We have a safe place where we can just be ourselves, and we stay busy—many of us work online for the Improbable Corporation. I’m actually a manager in the accounting department,” he said with a chuckle. “If my old man was around, he’d be laughing his head off.”

“Why?”

“Well, back when I was a teen, I told him I didn’t want to go to college, and he was furious. He said, ‘Harold Fowler’—that’s my real name—‘a business degree will help you climb the corporate ladder and ensure you have a stable career.’ But after I went to Woodstock in sixty-nine, all I wanted to do was be free to travel around the country to follow my favorite bands on tour.” He slapped a hand on his knees. “And now, when Monday comes, I have to make sure our quarterly reports are ready to be submitted to the compliance department. I’ve been doing this for three decades and probably will for the rest of my life.”

Geri, too, couldn’t help but laugh. “I guess immortality isn’t what it’s cracked up to be, huh?”

“Sure isn’t, but…with the right person, it might be.”

“Oh? Is there a right person in your life?” Geri couldn’t help but ask.

“There was…” A shadow seemed to hover over Marley’s bright disposition. “But…he decided immortality wasn’t for him. And I loved him too much to force the issue.”

“But you said vampires aren’t true immortals, right?”

“Yeah. But still, I’ve been a vamp for decades, and I don’t even have one gray hair on my head. We don’t live forever—either we can choose to die, or we eventually wither away. But he decided he didn’t want that, and so he remained a human, and he died ten years ago.”

Geri wrapped her arms around her knees. “Doesn’t sound like it was worth it in any case.”

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