"In a little while I will come to you again and make an offer," Kifirin said, gazing at me over the top of his menu. "You may decide what to do with the information then. In the meantime, it would mean the world to these two if you would bite them and take a bit of blood. The comesuli cannot have sex any other way; they have no genitalia."
His words shocked me more than a little. There were people who didn't have genitalia? "But you just said they have children," I pointed out, still unsure what to do. If I were capable of dreaming, that's what I'd imagine I was doing.
"A good Queen," he smiled and kept reading his menu. "They are self-sufficient in their reproduction. They develop a sac on their left side; the child grows inside that. When it is time, the sac detaches and the child makes his way out, similar to a lizard hatching from an egg. Now, these two want the bite."
"I can't bite anyone, this is a public place," I hissed, realizing Kifirin was serious. Meanwhile, the other two were begging with their eyes for the bite. "And stop saying that where anyone can hear."
"I am shielding us; no one will see, hear or approach unless I permit it. Go ahead, it will only take a bit of blood; this is what they were created for—to be companions to the vampires. They had a symbiotic relationship with them on Le-Ath Veronis. It rotates on its side, you know, so that the southern hemisphere is always in twilight. Perfect for the Veronis, wouldn't you say?" He spoke to the two small men, and they both rose and came to beg in whatever language they had. They wanted the bite—were desperate for it.
"How long has it been since they, well, had sex, I guess?" I looked across the table at Kifirin. He'd set his menu down.
"These have never had it. It is only a tale to them, a myth, almost. The vampire is the only one who can do this for them."
"You didn't want to take them to one of the others?"
"Little Queen, you are the one I brought them to, with the anticipation that you might grant their wish. This will allow them to carry the tale back to the others. To give them hope."
"Hold on, honey," one of the little guys was rubbing against me, and it was almost like detaching a determined kitten from your clothing. Once they get those little claws into you, they don't want to let go.
"They are begging you, in their language," Kifirin coaxed as the two gabbled imploringly.
"All right," I sighed. "You're sure you have us shielded?" I was taking a big chance; I could see other people inside the restaurant. And why was I believing this? Reality had been suspended, somehow, and Kifirin seemed quite convincing.
"I do have us shielded," Kifirin smiled slightly at me. To be honest, once the little guys had gotten that close to me, I could scent their blood and it smelled spicy sweet, like cinnamon rolls used to smell.
"Come here, baby," I said, and took the dark-haired one by the neck, holding his head in my hand. The worship in his eyes was frightening in its intensity. I kissed him, causing him to moan a little, and then holding him tightly so he wouldn't struggle with the bite, I sunk my fangs into the pulse in his neck. His blood was the sweetest I'd ever tasted; warm and scented, it almost made me climax as well.
His orgasm was explosive. If this was truly the first time he'd had sex, I could see that. I didn't take a mouthful of blood, even, but he certainly got pleasure from it.
Kifirin helped me get the little guy back in his seat afterward. "They replace blood faster than any other species," Kifirin explained. The other one was now waiting, so I did the same for him. If I thought they worshiped me before, they really did now. "Can you make sure they eat something?" I asked. The priests were about to walk out the door and I was standing, preparing to go after them.
"I will make sure they eat before I take them home," Kifirin smiled at me. "Be careful, avilepha. We will see one another again."
"Thanks," I said, leaning down to kiss my two donors again before rushing out the door behind the priests.
These I handled a differently. I hauled them off to the nearest city guard station, gave them compulsion to go inside and then instructed them to confess their crimes, along with forgetting they ever saw me. They were nodding eagerly at me; it was easy to place compulsion since they were a bit drunk. I went home after that.
* * *
"Dragon, have you ever heard of someone named Kifirin?" I asked the following evening as we walked toward his dojo. I was going to meet with Gabron after I did my cleaning. The news had been all over the local stations regarding the four priests who'd confessed to killings and rapes. The police were holding them, of course, but I figured their cronies might come and either try to get them out or kill them. Of course, the Solar Red temple was labeling the ones who'd confessed as renegades and no longer a part of their order. Regardless, the police now had information they didn't have before.
"I've never heard of someone named Kifirin. Kifirin is the name of the High Demons' planet. Where did you get that information?" Dragon asked.
"I just met someone yesterday who called himself that."
"Lissa, that knowledge is only known to a select few on this side of the universes," Dragon said. "It's likely an accident that he came across that name." I just hunched my shoulders and didn't mention it again.
* * *
"Honored One, I know a call from me is likely unwelcome at this time, but I've had two hits on Lissa's information. One I'm sure you or someone you know ordered, but Xenides has thrown his hat into the ring, I think." Wlodek had Tony's call on speaker and he, Charles and Radomir were listening.
"What evidence do you have, Mr. Hancock?" Wlodek was frowning deeply as he flipped the gold pen in his fingers.
"Footage from a hidden security camera, records of a box sent to an address in London and a dead legal secretary."
Charles handed Wlodek a shocked look at that news; he'd gotten the box containing Lissa's records five days earlier. Xenides must have been right behind him in his search. "Do you have Xenides on the camera recordings?" Wlodek asked calmly.
"No, Honored One. I don't recognize this vampire. I can send a copy of the digital images, though; I still have the email address I was given before if it's still good."
"How quickly can you send this?"
"I can send it now; it should only take a few minutes," Tony replied. "Why are they interested in Lissa, other than the obvious?"
"That is not something we are prepared to discuss with you," Wlodek replied, reining in his temper. "Send us the images; we will attempt to make identification."