Page 41 of A Vow for the Vamp
We take a set of stairs, moving slowly to make sure Teddy doesn’t trip and fall in the darkness and break his neck. I wouldn’t be able to bring him back from that.
“And yes, we fuck and date a variety of supernaturals. I have an ex who’s a gargoyle.”
“What did you mean by your guards being masked to appear human? Is that, like, magic, or something?”
“That’s exactly what it means. Over the years, many supernatural beings have evolved the ability to mask their natural form to blend in and appear human.”
“That’s badass.”
We approach a door that has a light shining directly on the text painted on the metal.
“The 27 Club?” Teddy asks.
“The owner got the name idea after seeing a trend with celebrities dying at age twenty-seven. It’s morbid, I know, but some of those musicians who died came back as the undead.”
“No way! Which ones?”
“I’ve seen Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Biggie perform here, but it’s been years.”
“Elvis?”
“Surprisingly, no. A few books and television shows have turned him into a vampire, but every human who becomes a vampire must be registered. Elvis is not on the list. Most of the celebrities who were turned were done so with pre-approval. They bought their immortality by funding our research.”
“What research?”
“We have synthetic blood that we can drink to satiate hunger in an emergency situation. We’re also working on a cure to vampirism; however, many believe we are the products of a curse, and the cure will never be found. If there was a cure, at least we’d have a choice. We could reduce the vampire population and make way for terminally ill people without threatening the end of humankind.”
I open the door and music welcomes us. A smooth voice sings, accompanied by the notes of a keyboard and the beats of a drum set, filling the club with the sounds of my past.
“No way,” Teddy whispers, his mouth hanging open, eyes wide. “That’s Otis Redding. But he died in a plane crash.”
“And he was saved by a vampire.”
Technically, Redding’s turning wasn’t approved but the vampire who sired him was old and tired of living, so he gave his life so the R&B legend couldbecome immortal.
WOVE granted the exception.
I could give my life for Teddy.
The thought quickly vanishes. If I had that choice earlier in the night, it would have been simple.
Now? Now I have hope and hope is intoxicating. It’s motivating me to stay in this world.
Otis wraps up (Sittin’ On) the Dock of the Bayand the crowd cheers and whistles.
“Do you want a drink?” I ask, leading us to a booth off to the side of the room.
The 27 Club isn’t too large. There’s a stage at the back and booths along the side walls. A bar sits along the fourth wall and an open space in the middle allows for dancing or crowds to stand and watch whichever band or musician is on stage.
The lights are low, only the ones highlighting the stage and the bar illuminate the space.
Supernatural vision doesn’t require more.
“Any craft beer is fine. I’m not picky. I like trying new things too.”
I wave over a waitress and order Teddy a Brooklyn-made beer and a glass of wine for me.
I try to ignore all the eyes on us. Teddy is oblivious as he nods his head to Otis performingLove Man. Everysupernatural in the room gawks at the vampire queen entertaining a human.
