Page 10 of High Stakes and Soulmates
“Well, that’s boring,” Casimir says. “Fine, we’ll call a meeting. I also want to see the bodies. Let Cyrus know, and then, instead of fawning all over him, simply ask him on a freaking date. Have you ever even tried that?”
I open my mouth and then hesitate. “I’m sure I have.”
“I should have eaten you when I met you,” Casimir growls.
“No! You love me!”
“And I should eat you just for fun,” he says as he points at Yorick whowasquite pleased that Casimir was bullying someone else.
“Ha… ha ha. I really was invited here. Tell him, puppers. Tell him how you begged me to come over.”
Julian nods eagerly. “I did. I called him up and was like, ‘Yorick, please, nothing would pleasure me more than having you come over.’”
Casimir points to a delivery box sitting in the corner; I think Gustov’s royal kibble came in it. “If you’re going to be here, you must be in the box.”
“Ha… ha ha. As you wish,” Yorick says before he goes over and sits in the box like a cat.
Why he’d agree to this, no one really knows. Julian gives him a wave. “Yorick, please ignore him and stop sitting in the box. I’m positive he’s been leaving boxes lying around just so he can get a chuckle out of making you sit in them.” He turns to Casimir. “So… do you think there’s a vampire who’s snuck into your territory?”
“At what point will they understand that every vampire who trots into my territory ends up dead?” Casimir asks, extremely displeased.
“Right? But what if it’s one of our own?” I question.
“I possibly know someone I can ask about it,” Yorick says. “But this cold cardboard box makes it hard to think.” He slowly runs his finger along the edge of it, looking quite dejected as his long hair that’s thrown up in a bun sticks up in the back. “There is someone… we could possibly ask… then again, if I’m forced to ask him, I believe I would cut his head off.”
“Atticus?” Julian suggests.
Yorick growls merely hearing the name. “What are your thoughts on hiring a hunter?”
“To find the person who killed these two?” Julian asks.
“What? Oh… shit, sorry. I forgot about them…yes,for…thatvampire… and not another… ooh, I bet it’s Atticus. We could simply murder him, and if no one else dies, then we found our man! How delightful!”
The look on Julian’s face tells all of us that this is not the normal reaction to have toward someone we dislike. “You and Casimir really should be friends. Both of you are delighted by the idea of murder. Casimir, let’s call that meeting soon. Someone might have seen a vampire or know something. It’s too late tonight, so let’s do it tomorrow. You guys really should be heading home; it’s already getting close to sunrise.”
Yorick listlessly runs his finger along the lip of the box before trying to sink down into it. Since the box had held dog food, it’s quite big, but not big enough to close himself inside. “So… it’s just such a far drive, and if I have to be back here when it’s dark for a meeting…”
“Isn’t it like fifteen minutes?” Julian asks.
“I’m too depressed to move,” I declare.
“You’re all just going to sleep here because… why? You’re hundreds of years old and have never had a slumber party?” Julian teases.
“Ooh! How fun! I’m so excited you’ve asked us to a slumber party!” Yorick announces. “Where should I sleep?”
“Right there,” Casimir says.
“Ha ha, you’re such a kidder. There’s a whole huge house just filled to the brim with rooms that surely have beds in them.”
Julian waves him off. “I’ll get you guys set up somewhere.”
“I will lie in misery right here,” I state before oozing out of my chair and laying my head on Gustov. The dog’s tail immediately starts going as I sink into the bliss of the fluff.
“You should make a pillow out of his fur the next time he’s groomed,” I decide.
“Please don’t give Casimir more ideas. Our house has enough Gustov in it at this point. Can you imagine him making Gustov fur pillows?” Julian says with a grimace. “You guys want to watch TV or something until bed? I have some tests to grade, but I’ll join you once I’m done.”
“I’ll help you grade them,” I offer as I grab one of the tests. “Will they notice if I leave tears on it?”
