The smile fell from Fallon’s face. She jerked back her hand. “Why does everyone think that? I’m happy with what and who I am.”
“Chill, girl, just asking a friendly question,” Zuri chimed in. “It’s not often we meet a… friend of the family.”
“I was friends with Alyssa before she was turned,” Fallon said smartly. “And I’m not gonna lose her over a small thing like this.”
“It’s cool,” Zuri said. She nodded at Lysander standing quiet as a sentry behind us. “I see ya brought handsome again. How ya doin’? And who’s your new friend?”
“I’m well. Thank you, Zuri. This is my brother, Nicholas.”
“Sup, Nicholas.” She did a sort of half nod, half head bobble at the boys. “You ready for some music? Some of my other housemates might be along later. I’ll introduce ya if they show up.”
“Lead the way.” I hooked my arm though Lysander’s and nudged him forward.
The first band wasn’t set to go on for another hour, but being this early meant we had a good chance to secure a table. In lieu of live music, or at least while the bands were getting ready, there was a local radio station playing rock music piped in over the speaker system.
“Anyone need to head out for drinks, let me know.” Ian took a seat at a small table in the center of the packed room. “Zuri explained the rules around here, right?”
“Do not worry about my clan mates. We are well behaved,” Lysander said.
“He’s too cute.” Zuri giggled. “Do not worry,” she said in a deep voice, imitating him. “Does he always talk like this?”
I couldn’t stifle my laugh. She was right, he sounded so prim and proper, and totally out of place. “Yeah, Lysander doesn’t get out much. He’s an old fashioned homebody. But he’s mine,” I said, and scooted closer to him. Under the table, I grabbed his hand and gave it a little squeeze. He returned the affectionate gesture and smiled back at me.
“How old are ya, man?” Zuri asked him.
“I was born before BC turned into AD.” I caught the hint of amusement in Lysander’s voice. The corner of his lip was turned up in that coy boyish smile I always loved. It made me happy to see him playing along and interacting with others outside of the Peregrinus.
“Well, that explains it. Oldies don’t like to adapt. It’s like that guy… what’s his name.” Zuri turned to Ian.
“Edmond,” he said with a roll of his eyes.
“Yeah, Frenchy.” Based on her tone, I knew that nickname wasn’t a term of endearment. And it didn’t really surprise me. He wasn’t on our friends list either. “The guy sounds like Louis the Sixteenth. Seriously, drop the accent if ya want to fit in, buddy.”
“We don’t need him trying to fit in with us,” Ian sniggered.
“You know of Edmond?” Lysander perked up and leaned across the table.
“I wish I didn’t. That guy’s a prick,” Zuri’s smile turned into a scowl. “I hate when he comes to town.”
“When did you last see him?” Lysander asked.
“He’s been in an out of here every few weeks for the last couple of months.”
“Dude’s a nomad,” Ian said. “I dunno, I think I saw him last Wednesday.”
Lysander turned around and whispered something to Nicholas. Probably telling him not to mention our own run-in with Edmond just yet. Normally I might have heard him, but with the band setting up and the constant rumble of voices from all of the people piling in to the room, there was too much background noise.
A beanpole-thin waitress walked by, took one look at our empty table, and shot each one of us a dirty look, as if disappointed we hadn’t started drinking. She let out an exaggerated sigh and blew her dark bangs away from her eyes. “What are ya havin’?” Her accent was even more pronounced than Zuri’s.
None of us, apart from Fallon, were going to be drinking, but we had to keep up appearances in public. “Gimme a Fat Tire,” I said.
Fallon smiled—that was her favorite beer. “Me too,” she said. I knew she’d be drinking mine later.
“Whatever’s on tap, and your phone number,” Ian said with a flirty wink at the waitress. Her annoyed expression lightened. She smiled and leaned over the table, letting Ian have an ample view as she wrote down our orders.
“How ‘bout you boys?”
Nicholas and Lysander exchanged confused glances.
Zuri came to the rescue. “Since you guys are new in town, you have to try Boston lager. It’s tradition. Make that one more for me too.”
The waitress jotted down our order, slid a piece of paper to Ian—probably her number—and then wandered back into the crowd.
Zuri shot Lysander and Nicholas warning glares. “You two better get with it. Have you been locked up in a vault for the last thousand years?” She turned to me. “Forget what I said earlier about him teaching you, you need to bring that man up to speed and quick.”
I laughed. “Actually, Fallon has been trying to help with that. She bought him a computer a few weeks ago.”
Zuri’s face lit up with amusement. “Really? How did that go?”
“Not well.” Fallon hung her head in mock shame. “He killed a few mice and a keyboard before he could log in the first time.”
We all shared a laugh at Lysander’s expense. I squeezed his hand again, hoping he understood we were just having a little fun, and that I still cared. I never quite knew how to read him. He’d lightened up a bit since I first met him, but he was still a very closed off person, emotionally speaking.
“I’m an old fuddy-duddy, I guess,” he said with a genuine smile. I was glad to see he was taking it in stride.
“You’re cool, man.” Zuri held out her fist to Lysander. His eyebrows pulled together in confusion. “Bump it,” she said with a giggle.
I tried to hide my smile. Now she was really playing with him.
Lysander quirked an eyebrow and shrugged.
I pounded Zuri’s fist to show him what to do. “It’s like shaking hands for us youngsters.”
“Ah.” I saw the proverbial light bulb go off in his eyes. He pounded fist with Zuri and laughed. “Teach me, I am your student,” he said with a little flourish.
We all erupted in a roar of laughter. Lysander may be old but he certainly knew how to work with people. Allowing himself to be the butt of our jokes had made a quick friend of Zuri.
“We’ll get you sorted. You’ll be talkin’ like a wicked pissah in no time.”
The waitress returned with our beers, and Ian continued his blatant flirting and started a tab for us with his credit.
“I’m impressed. You guys blend in so well here,” I said taking a fake swig from my beer as the waitress turned and walked away.
“Well, we have to.” Ian grabbed his beer and pretended to drink. “The Saints get better every year at tracking us down. I’m sure you guys do something similar.”
I looked to Lysander and shrugged. “We don’t interact much with society.”
“You said you play cards, right?” Zuri asked me looking thoroughly confused.
“Sure.” I nodded. “But I don’t really interact with people who will identify me. There are so many casinos I cycle through. The dealers hardly recognize me, and poker is not monitored as closely as the table games on the floor. Blackjack, for example, will guarantee your picture is taken. Players are marked as card counters if they win too much. Poker is different—you aren’t playing against the house. They could really care less if you win or lose. They just take a cut from each pot.”
“So you just play a few hands, win, and go home?” Ian asked looking as if I had just told him the Easter Bunny was real.
“Sounds pathetic, huh?” Heat rushed to my face. So much for being the cool Vegas vampire.
“I hate to say it, but you’re making being a vampire really suck.” Zuri said staring right at me. “You’re not dead, you’re immortal. Live a little.”
“Thank you!” Fallon held up her bottle. “Cheers to that.”
Zuri and Fallon clinked bottles and Fallon took a swig.
“What about you, beautiful?” Ian turned to Fallon. “You a homebody too?”
“Nah, I go out, but then again, it doesn’t matter if people notice me. I’m still human.”
Lysander looked at Zuri. “You said yourself the Acta Sanctorum is getting smarter each year. It isn’t safe to be out in the public eye. Even with our limited public exposure, we’ve drawn the Saints’ attention.”
“I heard about that,” Zuri said. “But didn’t Queen High Bitch move into your town? Ain’t nothing ever stopped her from acting foolish and showing off. Boston has a great handle on things. Doesn’t Vegas have a system in place to keep our secret under wraps?”
It was a good question, and one I’d been asking too.
“There is no ruling coven in Vegas. It’s a no-man’s-land,” Lysander said, as if that should settle the matter. “And those of us that live there appreciate the anonymity.”
“So what stops a rogue from coming in and feasting on the buffet line that is the Las Vegas Strip?” Zuri asked.
“We all want to remain anonymous. It’s an understood truth that if you expose yourself and what you are, there will be severe consequences.”
“You’re saying everyone’s on the honor system?” she asked with disbelief.
“More or less.” Lysander was much more matter-of-fact about it.
“I’m guessing you’ve had to clean up others’ messes before, haven’t you?” Zuri said with a laugh.
“Yes, and destroy the rogue causing trouble.” Lysander nodded.
“That makes you the law.”
“Do not think to give me so much credit. I like peace, that is all.”
“So cities with covens or were-packs usually try to make the law?” I asked, again feeling like my vampire education was severely lacking.
“Vampires shouldn’t have large covens,” Lysander said angrily. “Too many vampires are too hard to control. They will most certainly cause problems. It is hard enough to hide a few kills a month. Multiply that by ten or twenty. Covens do not work. Vampires only thrive in small numbers per city. Were’s, on the other hand, are generally very good at keeping order. Not to mention, they do not hunt for blood.”
I remembered his utter hatred for Kallisto’s coven. It had been very large and filled with quite a few vampires, all of which were lazy, spoiled, and overly self-indulgent. I could just imagine Vegas under their order. No-man’s-land was a much better alternative.
“I take it then that you were in on the destruction of Kallisto’s coven, yes?” Zuri asked.
“Yeah! What actually happened there?” Ian asked, leaning into the table with interest. “Edmond showed up a few months ago all pissed off. Said she was dead.”
“How well do you know Edmond?” It was the first time Nicholas spoke up. “His name keeps coming up, and he’s a bit of a thorn in our sides at the moment.”
“Down, boy,” I said. He sounded a bit more threatening than friendly, and that was not the vibe we wanted out there.
“Chill, dude. He’s no friend of ours,” Ian replied.
“Sorry. I’m not in the best mood tonight. Best if you just pretend I’m not here.” Nicholas said as he leaned back into his chair.
“He showed up a few months ago, caused a bit of trouble. After we straightened him out, he tried to sell us on becoming a coven.” Zuri laughed. “He don’t know how we do things here. Anyway, we told him to take a hike. He’s been a drifter ever since.”
“Dude’s got a chip on his shoulder though, lemme tell ya,” Ian said, and took another fake swig from his beer.
“How exactly do things work around here?” Lysander asked.
“Most vamps here are solo, you know that. It’s part of how we keep off the radar,” Ian said. “Big clans attract attention.”
“But didn’t you say you had housemates?” Fallon asked.
“Yeah, but we aren’t organized like a clan. We all get along and split the bills. It’s no different than human roommates. We all just happen to share a love of the night. And not all of my housemates are vamps.”
“Wolves?” I asked.
“Yeah. How’d ya guess?”
“Seemed the next logical leap. Isn’t that a bit weird?” I asked.
“Well, what are wolves if not our cousins, right?” Zuri said. “Supes are in the minority, so it’s best we work together to keep the peace. The pack’s been here longer than we have, so when we met with them, we decided to join.”
Ian laughed. “We’re all one big dysfunctional family.” He took another fake swig of his beer and then raised it in salute and winked at a blond woman walking by.
“You’re a part of the wolf pack?” I asked.
“Honorary members.” Ian said with another salute only this time it looked strangely close to the Boy Scouts three finger salute. “Obviously we don’t hunt with them; our prey is a bit harder to catch.” He licked his lips as the waitress walked by. She blushed and smiled at him. “But we still do our part.”
“Like I said the other night,” Zuri added. “We man a warning and cleanup crew for newbies and tourists. It helps keep the Saints off our back, pays the bills, and everyone is happy.”
“Yeah, you really look like you’re trying to keep the Saints off your back. Can’t the waitress see your teeth?” I asked Ian.
“Goth is in,” Ian quipped. “And I don’t want blood from her. A one night stand would be fun though.”
Zuri playfully punched Ian in the arm. “He may not be a wolf, but he is our resident dog.”