"Hello, Honored One," I said.
"You could call me father. You are my youngest and prettiest, after all." Oh, lord.
"I may be your youngest, but Flavio has the prettiest title all locked up," I replied. That made Wlodek chuckle.
"I will be sure and tell him this; he has been a bit depressed lately."
"The most beautiful man on the face of the earth is feeling depressed? Whatever for?" I almost snorted. Almost.
"He feels responsible for nearly killing a certain little Queen," Wlodek replied. I wanted to refute that statement. I didn't. I couldn't say for sure how Flavio felt since I didn't know him that well. What I did remember is that he and Merrill both had been as tight-lipped as bivalves on the way back to London after the big brouhaha in New Mexico.
"Then tell him to stop," I said.
"Perhaps you should tell him yourself. He refuses to listen to me. Radomir has his number if you feel charitable sometime soon."
"Oh, right, I'm supposed to just call him out of the blue and tell him to stop being depressed because I say so and I mean it?" I asked in disbelief.
"I think he might appreciate that more than you know," Wlodek replied. "Now, on to other business. Have you been introduced to Anthony's mother, yet?"
"Yes," my voice was suddenly glum.
"Is she his mother?"
My silence for several seconds probably told Wlodek what he wanted to know, but I answered his question verbally anyway. "No, father. She is not." It was Wlodek's turn not to speak for several seconds. More than likely it was because I'd called him father, rather than the other information.
"Well," he sighed after a moment. "Well. It will not be a good idea to attempt to pry the truth loose at this point, and it may harm Anthony as well, should this information become public. I can trust you to keep this to yourself, my daughter?"
"Of course you can," I grumbled. I hadn't wanted to tell him, even. Unless he asked me point blank, that is. I think he knew that. We hung up shortly after that so I misted through the roof and into the house, where I went looking for Radomir.
"Radomir, the Honored One told me that you could give me Flavio's phone number," I said. I'd found him in the hall on the way to his bedroom.
"Here," I watched as the tall, dark-haired vampire took my phone and added the name and number into my phone book. I glanced at the number briefly when Radomir handed my phone back before hitting the call button. Flavio answered on the third ring. He hadn't recognized the number, I could tell.
"Bubba," I said tartly, "this is Sissy. You need to get out of that funk right now and I mean it."
Radomir had a hand over his mouth and he was snickering. "Lissa, is that you?" Flavio was shocked, I could tell. Anyone else might be too, if they were eighteen hundred years old and a member of the Vampire Council. Especially after getting a call like that.
"Yeah, it's me. Stop dragging around right this minute."
"Lissa, I was having a glass of wine with Oluwa." I was interrupting a meeting of some sort. I knew Flavio wasn't g*y; he didn't have that vibe. Neither was Oluwa, so it wasn't a tryst. Oluwa had likely heard every word I'd just said, too.
"Then tell Oluwa I owe him a big kiss for the first time I saw him and a kick in the ass for the second time." Yeah, I don't know why I said it, either. It just came out. Radomir was now leaning against a wall and laughing out loud. I know Flavio heard that. Oluwa was laughing as well; it was a booming sound and coming through my phone loud and clear.
"You are no longer angry?" Flavio pointedly ignored the jocularity occurring all around him.
"I didn't say I wasn't still pissed. I'm pissed at lots of people, and Gavin's first on that list. You see how we're married now and all. I haven't kicked him out of bed over it." Radomir slid down the wall and was now laughing on the floor. "As far as the list goes," I continued, "I think you're probably tenth or eleventh, but I'll have to write the list down first and see where you fall. There's a separate list for bad guys—at least you're not on that one."
"Am I supposed to be pleased over that?"
"You should be, I'm determined to kill those guys," I said. "You're too gorgeous to even think about that."
"My appearance is keeping me on the good list of people you're angry with?"
"Nah, your sparkling wit kept you off the bad list," I retorted. "And you're a snappy dresser, too. What is it with you? Is there a vamp GQ somewhere and you're on the cover every month?" Radomir could barely breathe, now, he'd laughed so hard. Oluwa started laughing again over the vamp GQ comment.
"So, you wish for me to stop feeling depressed?" Flavio asked after a moment.
"That's why I called. If you were out flying kites or chasing butterflies with a net and wearing a big smile on your face while you did it, you probably wouldn't have heard from me."
"You suspect that I engage in these activities?"
"Bubba, I don't know what you like to do. I imagine you could get a kite in the air really fast, though, if you wanted to. And if you decide to fly a kite and have trouble, I'll mist your kite up for you."
"I think I would like to see that," Flavio said.
"All you have to do is ask."
"Perhaps we could have a glass of wine the next time you are in the country."
"Sure, Bubba."
"Is that slang for brother?"
"You know it, dude," I said and hung up.
* * *
"She was trying to cheer you up," Oluwa wore a huge grin. He'd been cheered up in the most irreverent fashion imaginable. Flavio smiled.
* * *
"Charles, this information is for the private records only," Wlodek offered a meaningful look to his assistant. Charles nodded. There was a special archive that he and Wlodek kept, containing sensitive information on some members of the race. "Anthony Hancock was adopted in some way. Neither of the people who claim to be his parents are his parents. At this time, we are unsure as to whom his natural parents are or if they still live." Charles tapped the information into his computer before removing the flash drive. It would be locked inside Wlodek's personal safe. Charles had compulsion placed long ago not to reveal any information stored within that safe. Charles's phone rang shortly after.
"Child, may I speak with my father?" It was Flavio, and to Charles's surprise, his sire sounded cheerful. Charles had a puzzled look on his face as he handed the cell phone to Wlodek.