“So, Sabina, tell me everything.”
“What do you mean?”
“About you, silly. Tell me about your life.”
She waited with a patient smile while I tried to figure out how much to tell her. “There’s not much to tell, really. Up until recently I was an assassin for the Dominae, but that didn’t really work out. So here I am.”
“Oooh, an assassin! How interesting. How many beings have you killed?”
I was shocked she took the news in stride. “I’m not sure, really. A lot.”
“Interesting. And now you want to join Clovis. I guess that makes sense if you had a falling out with the Dominae.”
“I guess so. I’m not really sure about it, though.”
“Well, why not? Clovis is amazing.”
“How did you meet him?” I asked.
She shrugged and played with the little umbrella in her drink. “It’s a long story, but the short version is the city is no place for a naive young nymph fresh from the forest. I fell on some hard times and ended up getting involved in a faery p**n ring.”
I choked on my drink, sputtering whiskey all over my pants. Vinca patted me on the back and handed me a napkin. Once I recovered, I said, “Faery p**n ?”
“Yeah. There’s a big black market for it here. And since I’m a nymph, and my kind is known for our … skills, I was a big hit for a while.” She paused to take a sip from her drink. “Anyway, Manroot, my manager, eventually moved on to a younger ingénue. I was left with no money and a bad case of crabs. Clovis heard about my problem from a friend who’d joined the Temple and offered to help me get back on my feet. The rest is history.”
“Wow,” I said. “How long ago was that?”
“Ten years next month,” she said. “Anyway, when I met Clovis, I had a vision that told me I could trust him. I don’t know where I would have ended up if Clovis hadn’t helped me. And I’m not the only one. He’s taken in dozens of vampires, mancies, and other beings since I’ve known him.”
I let the vision comment slide. “What does he ask for in return?” I wasn’t buying this touchy-feely crap. Clovis didn’t strike me as the kind of guy who’d help someone without a little quid pro quo.
“Nothing much. I volunteer at the Temple a few nights a month, making sure the plants are healthy. And of course I let him feed from me sometimes.”
My jaw dropped. “He feeds from you?”
She shrugged. “Sure. It’s a small price to pay.”
“Does he feed from all his followers?”
“I think so. Why?”
“Vinca, you’re aware that when a vampire feeds they absorb some of the essence of the host, right?”
“Yeah, so?”
I shook my head, unable to understand why she didn’t get it. “Don’t you see? If he’s feeding from all his followers then he’s gaining whatever powers you possess for himself. He must be incredibly strong.”
She frowned. “I am happy to share my powers with him, limited as they are. He needs all the strength he can get to overcome the oppressors.”
I glanced at her drink. She’d barely touched it, which contradicted my theory she was suddenly drunk. “Oppressors?”
“You know, the Dominae, the Hekate Council, the Seelie Court, the Demon League?” she said. Her voice had risen with the fervor of the converted. “The institutions that have fostered enmity among all the races for untold centuries?”
“Oh right, them.” Suddenly, I had a feeling I’d underestimated my new roommate. She seemed flighty, but hearing her talk just then I realized she was actually fully invested in Clovis’ doctrine.
“Clovis only wants to save us from the tyranny we’ve all been living under. If donating some blood helps him do that, then so be it.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. “So how does he plan to unite everyone?”
She took another sip of her drink. “By spreading his message of love.”
I almost choked again. “What does this message entail exactly?”
“Instead of answering you directly, let me ask you a question.”
I leaned into the booth with my arms spread along the back of the seat. “Shoot.”
“Do you ever get tired of being an outcast?”
I sat up straight, my arms falling to my sides. “What do you mean?”
“You—us—we’ve all been marginalized as mythology by the humans. We’re forced to blend in or hide in the shadows, afraid of discovery. But, in fact, we’re the superior beings.”
I was beginning to understand. “Ah, so Clovis really wants us to unite against Adamites.” Not with them, as he told me. Interesting.
“Exactly,” she said. “Not to wipe them out, mind you, but to finally take our place as the leaders of the earth. As the sons and daughters of Lilith, it’s our right to rule.”
I rolled my glass between my palms, considering what she’d said. It made some kind of sense, although I still wasn’t sure how Clovis intended to accomplish any of it.
“When he called me, Clovis mentioned you were a bit reluctant to join our cause,” she continued. “But Sabina, I can tell you without a doubt in my mind that Clovis’s intentions are noble.”
“I’m sure they are. But you have to understand that it’s quite an adjustment for me to go from one master to another so quickly.”
“Ask yourself this,” she said. She leaned forward and placed a slender hand on my arm. “Did you ever feel loved by the Dominae? Did they ever promise to make your life better? Because that’s what Clovis is offering you. It’s a gift. I predict you’ll thank him one day for offering it.”
I shifted in my seat, away from the intensity in her gaze. It was time to change the subject. “Listen, I need to hit the bathroom. Do you need another drink while I’m gone?”
She chugged the rest of her Shirley Temple. A delicate burp erupted from her Cupid’s-bow mouth. “Make it a double.”
13
I wandered through the dense crowd, wondering where I could score a quick bite. Usually, clubs like this one had private rooms set aside for vamps. However, being an unknown in these parts, I wasn’t sure how I’d be received, especially if the news I was vampira non grata with the Dominae had spread this far north.
I made my way back to the main bar and got the attention of the young vamp who’d served us earlier. He leaned on the bar in front of me. “What’ll it be?”