Page 48 of High Stakes and Soulmates
“So I’m hoping the rest of the story goes that you got him away from the evil man who is clearly a vampire, you escaped your military nonsense, and you got a nice little house where you both grew old together.”
Ezio gives me a smile and I try not to notice how sad it looks. “Sounds lovely.”
“I’m sorry,” I say.
“It’s okay.” Ezio leans back in his chair. “It’s been two hundred years; plenty of time to get over it.”
“Isthis something you can get over?” I ask, uncertain that it is. “I mean, of course time helps, but… can you get over it?”
“I don’t know,” Ezio admits. “He was only in my life for a little over a year… a year out of two hundred and twenty-six… but he sure made a fucking impact. I do okay… though sometimes I just… can’t help but wonder what could have been.”
I want to know what happened, but it seems like the story stops here. I feel like it’s not my right to ask, but I’m also unsure if he’ll think I don’t care. “I’m so sorry you lost him.”
“Thanks. He was a very special person and… I often realize that if I’d never run into him that day, he wouldn’t have died. Hell. Maybe the vampire would have turned him and he’d still be alive to this day. But I’m the fucking reason he’s dead.”
“I don’t believe that,” I say. “You didn’t kill him. You can’t control what others do. And if this vampire chose to kill him over you, who’s to say he wouldn’t have killed him over something else? You think he’d have chosen to just be miserable his entire life? You think he wouldn’t have sought out companionship at some point and this all would have happened anyway? He just wouldn’t have been as happy with someone else.”
“I don’t know… I was good. I didn’t even convince him to run with me. This man… this monster, he just… he couldn’t stand the fact that Arturo could be happy.”
“Is… he the one who turned you?”
“He is. But not right away. He hunted me… he wanted to fuck with me, make sure I never felt like I was safe.”
“Is he still alive?”
“No. He finally died about fifty years after Arturo. I felt free for the first time in my life. But nothing could bring Arturo back. Anyway… that’s how I know your family. I really didn’t watch them too closely. I just… checked in on them every once in a while. At first, it started as fear that Louis would go after them. And then it changed to curiosity. I’ve spoken to a few throughout the years, but you’re the first one I’ve really interacted with.”
“Because of the attack on my family?”
“In part. I… wanted to keep you safe, and I thought that Casimir’s presence would do that. If you lived in a city that he controlled, you’d be safer than outside of it.”
“I guess that’s true. Things haven’t been thesafestbut none of the attacks, besides Ivo sending the wolves after me, have been targeted at me. Even that was just to fuck with the others.” I trail off as I watch Ezio run his finger around the edge of the table. I find that I don’t know what to say or do. “Uh… do we want to go to Casimir’s? Julian is trying to teach Yorick how to draw. Maybe he’ll do a painting of you like you’ve been dying for Julian to do.”
Ezio grins at the thought. “I mean… I’m up for any opportunity to lie naked on Casimir and Julian’s couch,” he says. “Even more fun if I have youandYorick to watch in addition to those who watched last time.”
“I still can’t believe you did that.”
“When you get to be my age, you have to get your kicks somehow. Mine was making my best friend paint me naked while his partner watched.”
“And you admit it out loud yet still don’t see anything wrong with it?” I ask.
“Hmm… nope. Not at all.”
“Of course not.”
We head out in my car, even though we could have driven separately.
When we reach Casimir’s, we walk inside where Gustov greets us with an abundance of energy and the group looks over at us. I’m quite confused by what I’m seeing as Casimir holds Yorick in a sleeper hold and Julian just sits back snacking on popcorn like there’s nothing wrong with this situation.
“Did we walk in on something we shouldn’t have?” I ask.
Julian shakes his head, apparently not seeing any issue with this at all. “Oh no. Come, sit, sit. I see you found Ezio.”
“Walk toward the light… or away from the light. Yes. That one. Away from it,” Casimir urges.
Yorick, with nothing better to do, tries to pet Casimir’s hand. I can tell it’s making Casimir more confused by the moment.
“Why do you want to kill me? I have a secret, and I can’t tell you my secret if I’m dead,” Yorick declares.
