Page 2 of Watch Me Turn
“Um. We talking vampire years or total?”
“Vampire. Why would I be interested in anything else?”
“Forty-three years vampire,” I reply quickly. His mouth moves to say something, but I interrupt before he can. “But as you probably know, Bruja are different. I was practicing magic as a human for over a decade before I was turned, so I’m very strong. I’m what you’ve got, and I’m your best shot at keeping this guy safe.”
He rolls his eyes at me, but I’m not offended. I look at this guy, this company man, second-tier vampire mafioso destined to serve for eternity. This is the so-called brains of the operation? I’m not impressed. All I see is thinning blond hair slicked back over a shiny little bald spot, his pigeon chest padded with a stake-proof vest and leather holster containing a pistol-sized crossbow. I want to ask him if he’s compensating for something but I decide not to. This is a man with something to prove, or a score to settle and a chip on his shoulder. I know his kind, and they don't intimidate me.
He catches me eyeing the crossbow, and his hand automatically twitches toward it. After a short staredown, where both of us practice the art of loaded silences, he gives up first.
“Fine,” he sighs. “Follow me.”
We’re touching shoulders as we wind through the concrete tunnels under the warehouse, but he makes no effort to make conversation, so I choose to annoy him instead. Idly chattering away about everything from the weather to the lighting as we pass through the barely lit underground corridors. He doesn’t respond aside from the odd grumble here and there.
“What did you say your name was?” I ask. I know it, of course. It’s Julian. I could use it, but I find that when dealing his kind, it’s always fun to humble them every chance you get. Remind them how forgettable they are. They hate that.
When he tells me for the third time, his voice shaking with unmasked fury, I take a crumb of pleasure knowing how far under his skin I am.
“Tell me something, Jonathan. When were you turned?” I ask with a grin.
He clenches his teeth. “It’s Julian, and that’s none of your business.”
“I say fifty years, maybe sixty, tops?”
He grumbles. “It’s more than sixty.”
“But less than a hundred, right?”
“Yes.”
“Thought so.”
He ushers me around a corner where the tunnel opens up into a larger space. It has the same industrial feel but with a higher ceiling and the first real signs of life. There are a few scattered couches and a bank of mismatched monitors set on an old wooden desk, but nothing is turned on.
The deeper we get into the tunnel system, the more civilized it becomes. The lighting becomes less flickery, and the nasty damp smell and physical signs of neglect give way to smooth, freshly painted walls and newly fitted sconces housing bulbs that glow with soft, warm light. It would be far more peaceful, I’m sure, were it not for the sound of my voice.
When we arrive at a circular door with a huge bank vault lock, he stops and turns to me with a pained “please shut up” look. I don’t give him a chance to speak.
“Tell me about the guy,” I say. “The one I’m watching. How long ago was he bitten and branded?”
Julian snaps back at me. “Mr. Ruiz was turned at approximately 3:33 this afternoon by the Primus at an undisclosed location. Shortly after, he was transported here by a familiar and has remained in this room ever since. He was sedated prior to turning, but I believe the effects will have wornoff by now. He will be experiencing dissociation and pain, but the thirst will not begin for at least another day. He is feverish, highly agitated, and very, very confused.” He pauses and cocks his head. “Are you ready to meet him?”
I swallow. This shit just got real. “Has he been secured?”
Julian reaches into his shirt collar and pulls out a gold chain with a key on the end of it. The shiny edge catches the light as he slips it over his head and hands it to me.
“Yes. He has been secured. This is the master key to the restraints.”
I fasten it around my neck. “I’ll guard it with my life.”
“You’ll find everything you need inside,” Julian continues. “The refrigerator is stocked with ten days of blood and milk, plus a little extra. The herbs, magical items, and everything on the list you provided are in the cabinet. There’s no cell signal down here, but there’s a single landline phone that only dials us. Enter 666 on the receiver, and you’ll be connected to either me or one of my associates at the Hollow.”
I pull my phone out to verify, and he’s right. There really isn’t any signal down here. Not a single fucking bar. There goes my entertainment for the next ten days. “Hey, Jules, you got a Wi-Fi password?”
His face is stony. “No, there’s no Wi-Fi here. This isn’t a vacation. You’re here to watch him and protect him until he’s strong enough to protect himself. Mr. Ruiz is a very important man, and it’s essential he turn vampire without any interruptions.”
I flick him a fake salute and a nod. “Protect the asset. Got it.”
“You’d better.” He leans in and fixes me with his beady black shark eyes. “Because once that door closes, you’re on your own. That lock won’t open again for ten days. This is not a game. Do you understand?”
