Page 22 of Evil Hearts

“Did someone in your life used to call you that?” I ask.

Juli looks away from me to stare at the phonograph and shrugs. “My parents, yes. A very long time ago.”

I cross my arms over my chest and slump down. The blood I gorged myself on is starting to put me into a stupor, and soon I’ll be asleep. I want to ask her more questions, but trying to pull anything out of her wouldn’t be right. No, I’ll wait until she opens up on her own accord. “Juli it is. Goodnight, then,” I say, before letting out a yawn.

Juliette lies down in her cot and pulls the wool blanket over herself before turning to face the wall. “Goodnight, Scotty.”

A week passes, and the Helsing raids continue. They redouble their efforts in eradicating all vampire nests in the city. Juliette and I lie down in her alcove, mostly snacking on rats. We don’t go to the surface to hunt. It’s too dangerous now that the Helsings have rallied. We entertain ourselves with music. Sometimes Juliette paints or crochets. Mostly, we just chat and nap while we wait for the storm on the surface to pass.

But it doesn’t. Another week goes by, then another … until I lose track of time entirely.

Juliette watches me nervously, like she’s worried I’m going to go off like a bomb. Maybe I will. I’m not used to sitting around so much. I miss my freedom. Miss the clubs. Miss the drinking. Mostly, I miss my apartment and my own bed. Juliette lets me sleep in her cot from time to time when she isn’t using it, but it’s not the same.

Spending time with her has been comforting, though. Juli’s a soothing presence when she isn’t telling me I’m stupid or scowling at me, but she’s a hell of a lot nicer than most of the girls I used to know. Nicer than some of my ex-girlfriends, even. That’s sad.

One night, after eating a few anemic-looking rats, I pace the alcove restlessly.

“I think we should go topside for a bit,” I say. “Get some fresh air.”

Juliette looks up from her canvas. She’s been painting a field of lilacs from memory. It’s amazing what she can do with a blank canvas. I’ve never created anything, and I’ll admit I’m kind of jealous of her talent. Juliette sets her paintbrush down and smiles sadly at me, then shakes her head. “We don’t even breathe,” she says. “What use do we have for fresh air?”

Yeah, all right. She’s got me there. I move to her side and look down at her painting. “It’s coming along nicely. But you need a break, too, right? Let me take you out for dinner, for once.”

Juliette chews on her bottom lip, and for the first time since meeting her, I suddenly have the urge to nibble on her bottom lip, too. Maybe it’s the isolation that’s making me hornier than usual. It’s not like I was getting laid with any regularity on the surface, of course, but I was neverthispent up.

“Juli. Being down here with you is nice, but it’s not healthy,” I say, and take her hands into mine, then trace the backs of her knuckles with my thumbs.

She looks down at her hands as her lips part, and I can see the gears in her head turning. “Not healthy?” Juli looks up at me with wide, doe-like eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Shit. I’ve hurt her feelings again, haven’t I? I’m such an asshole.

“Don’t be,” I say quickly, and lean down to give her a peck on the forehead. “I only meant that being cooped up for this long isn’t healthy for anyone. Not even you. You deserve to be free.”

Juliette frowns and looks away. “I’m Nosferatu. I can never be free.”

That couldn’t be true. Could it? Sure, she looks unconventional. More monster than human, but surely there’s a place in vampire society for someone like her. There has to be. Maybe people just need some convincing?

“C’mon, let me take you out of the city for a bit, at least,” I say, extending my hand to her.

Her eyes lick up and down my hand and arm like a snake ready to bite before she places her palm in mine.

“That’s a good girl. Knew you had it in you.”

Juliette says nothing in response to my light ribbing. Odd for her, since she usually has something to say about my teasing. But no need to overthink it. We walk to the nearest ladder and climb out of the sewer hole to the city above.

It takes us forty minutes of creeping around like teenagers out past curfew before we reach the old junkyard past the city limits. When I was alive, this place smelled of garbage, burned rubber, and marijuana.

We climb over the fence and hop down to the other side. No guard dogs, either. Not that we couldn’t handle them. It’s easy to compel animals to do our bidding. Easy to compel humans, too, but sometimes you run afoul of someone with a steel trap mind and you can’t break in—not really a problem with animals.

“This is … nice,” Juliette says as she wipes her hands off on her mended skirts.

I roll my eyes. “You don’t have to lie to me, Juli. I know this isn’t exactly the Seine even if it smells better. But look,” I say,and run off toward one of the tire mountains. “This way. Come, come.”

Juli catches up to me as I make a sharp turn around the tires, and I grin when I hear her gasp. From here, you have a clear view of the river. And across the river? Pinecrest Hills. So close, yet so far. The neighboring city is covered in verdant trees as far as the eye can see, and rumor has it, it’s home to gangs of werewolves and shifters.

Juli steps up beside me and asks, “What is that place? With all the lights?”

“Pinecrest Hills,” I answer her, and close the gap between us so that our arms are touching. “It’s a spooky place, full of monsters and scary ghosts.” I wiggle my fingers at her as I put emphasis on the wordspooky.

---