Page 118 of The Good Vampire's Guide to Blood & Boyfriends
Cole gripped Brennan’s hand and stuck close in the winter evening’s shadows, his other hand holding an umbrella over both their heads. Cole had known it would rain, of course, and was prepared as ever. He was taking in the building with a sort of open curiosity, like he was at a museum. A glimpse into a different world. Brennan couldn’t help the tinge of envy. He would never be able to walk away from all this. Cole could.
Nervous energy made Brennan feel twitchy, and he was grateful that holding on to Cole kept one hand occupied. Nellie and Sunny’s continued absence nagged at him. He’d never not gotten a reply from Sunny within minutes of texting; he’d rarely if ever seen her not glued to her phone. And he didn’t exactly like Travis.
The swaying structure that was Travis’s house and the junkyard of the clearing surrounding it didn’t add any confidence. Chickens clucked about in their fenced-in area by the greenhouse. The air as they approached the shack smelled like smoke and the sweet tang of blood.
Rosie was out in the yard, but she didn’t run to greet him like normal. She was pacing in front of the entrance to the greenhouse, whining persistently.
The tarp-flap of a front door burst open before Brennan could attempt to knock on the frame, right as Brennan had reached the stepping stone that acted as a porch. As if Travis had been watching them and waiting.
“Vampling!” Travis greeted, throwing his hands up in a flourishing welcome. He grinned wide and nodded to Cole. “And you brought a snack! Ha! Only joking. I know you’re the boyfriend!” He gave an exaggerated wink.
Cole laughed politely, putting his Southern charm back on like a mask for Travis.
Rosie barked twice, loud and pointed.
“Rosie, leave it,” Travis commanded.
As well trained as she typically was, she barked again in protest and sat down in front of the greenhouse door with a heavy sigh.
“Stupid dog. But hey, good to see you again,” Travis said. “Come on in, do you want tea? I was just making tea.”
They followed Travis inside, Cole ditching his umbrella at the door, and Travis immediately busied himself with the teakettle. “You have a lovely home,” Cole tried. Brennan held back a snort and Cole gave him a stern look like he could sense his rudeness and it upset his Southern heart.
“It’s not much, but it’s all I need,” said Travis. He fluttered about the small corner of the building that might be called a kitchen, pulling random chipped mugs from various boxes and corners. After a moment, two mugs of steaming tea came floating over to Cole and Brennan, sloshing on the box that acted as a coffee table.
Brennan didn’t love tea. He had always been more of a coffee person. But, maybe because of the long day, or the chill of the rain, the smell of it then was strong and enticing. He wrapped his hands around the mug and let it warm him.
A buzz sounded from the kitchen area but Travis made no move for whatever it was. Brennan hadn’t had the impression Travis had a phone.
“What brings you guys out here into the wilderness, then?” Travis said, finally stationary. He stood across from them, leaning against awooden crate that held mason jars filled with round buds of weed. He looked at them expectantly. Brennan looked at Cole, who looked athimwith a face he was sure matched his own—what now?
Brennan told Travis about everything with Dom, and the horribly named Boston Blood Party thing, and Sunny and Nellie not responding. The sound of heavy rain on the thin roofing was a constant backdrop.
Travis started rolling a joint as he listened, nodding but otherwise focusing his attention on the movements of his hands. Once Brennan finished the story, Travis didn’t respond for a long minute as he started to smoke. The buzzing sound went off again.
When Travis finally spoke, it was to extend the joint. “You want some?”
Cole considered it but shook his head, while Brennan swallowed down his annoyance and sipped his tea, letting the hot liquid scald his tongue. It was the first time he enjoyed tea, and he drained the cup in no time.
“Do you have any idea where Sunny or Nellie might be?” Brennan reiterated. “And if not, then isn’t it, like, your job to help stop Dom? Shouldn’t you be doing something?”
Travis’s expression went steely. “First of all, myjob,” he said, “is to do whatever the fuck I want. I know you’re new here, but don’t ever think you can tell me what I should be doing.”
Ice froze Brennan’s veins under Travis’s sharp gaze, and he remembered again that this was a powerful and possibly ancient creature that Brennan really knew nothing about. He’d made a mistake coming here.
But the ice thawed as quickly as it had emerged, Travis’s easy grin falling back across his face.
“I’m sure Sunny and Nellie are off making out somewhere. Either that, or they’re having a fight. Sometimes they go AWOL like this. Like when Sunny sold Nellie’s first-edition Game Boy to get them Taylor Swift tickets. They were missing forweeksbefore they finished fighting or fucking or whatever it is they do.”
“Then do you have any advice about Dom?” Cole asked, hands folded politely in his lap. “I don’t mean any disrespect, but she could hurt a lot of people. Or even expose vampires to everyone.”
“You guys are really killing my vibe with all this negativity,” Travis said. “Can we try to fuel this energy into something positive?”
“I’m trying to fuel this energy into making sure that murders don’t happen,” Brennan said. “Is that not positive enough for you?”
Anotherbuzz, buzz, buzz—
Rosie barked louder.
