Page 85 of Vampires of Eden
“Today?” I laugh as I leave the room. The knowledge that this is a recurring argument between them amuses me. That’s relationship goals, I think. Someone I can have this kind of trivial and lighthearted quarrel with.
Down the hallway and out the back door to the patio, I type my message.
[Hi Raphael, this is Daniel. I haven’t heard from Alexander. Is everything alright?]
Maybe I’m being paranoid but it feels weird. We had an important conversation the last time we were together. Then, Leoni approached him with a loaded offer.
Did Alexander tell Raphael about it and the manservant-best-friend-brother freaked out? Did he tell Alexander that the idea of him living with a banished purebred and half-dead first-gen was shameful? Ludicrous?
I need answers.
After hitting send, I drop my hands at my sides. Almost immediately, my phone dings. Then, again and again. Over and over.
“The hell?” I lift the screen back to my face and read.
[Daniel!!]
[Omg, NO, Alexander is NOT well.]
[I’ve never seen him like this.]
[Or any vampire, to be honest!!!]
[I don’t know what to do??]
[I’m freaking out about it!]
My jaw drops in surprise as I read, then quickly type out a message.
[What’s going on? What’s wrong with him?]
Instantly, Raphael types and the replies stream into the chat.
[I cut him off from his long-term feeding source.]
[We’re trying a new source, but…]
[It’s not going great, exactly??]
[He’s being very weird and I don’t want to call his parents…]
[Involving them might make things worse.]
Dear God. What the fuck is he doing? I sense that he’s trying to be discreet, but I decide to acknowledge the elephant in the room.
[You cut him off from Oliver, cold turkey?]
[Yes.]
[When?]
[Last night. Out with the old!!]
I lift my palm to my face in distress. What a disaster. Taking a breath, I type another message and read it over twice before I hit send.
[Would it be appropriate for me to come and visit?]
Alexander coming to visit me is one thing. He holds the power in our aristocracy, so he can do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, essentially. Me visiting the private estate of a powerful Central Eden purebred family is a bit different. AFirstFamily—a clan that helped to establish the famous Peace Treaty. If a vampire like me is visiting an estate like that, it’s because I’m performing or providing a distinct service. Period.
