Seer: Thrall (21 page)

The waitress stopped by with salads, pausing the conversation. Then we busied ourselves with our salads for a few minutes before the conversation resumed.

"If you go back to your old job, there is a price, Sidney.

"I was already weaning myself," I told her.

"Yes, but I'm not sure you fully understood." She gestured to me. "My blood did this." She meant my hair and other health benefits. "Also, I would have something to say if you wanted to take out-of-town contracts or so much work it wasn't fair to ask you to dream for us."

"Is that your way of telling me you would forbid them?"

"I would rather you avoid getting your back up, Sidney," she replied. I nodded agreement. I'd try to remain calm. "So I want to ask. We're not coming to conclusions yet, but do you even want to go back to your job? Is this a conversation we even need to have? Maybe you want a different conversation.

I looked away, thinking about everything. "I didn't think it was on the table."

"Everything is on the table, Sidney. I have certain requirements. You already know most of them."

"You have requirements for me to go back to work?"

"Wean you from my blood, you help me with the war, we don't fight, you keep our secrets and maintain your loyalty. You know all those."

I turned back to face her. "I would like a proper life. I have strong ideas what that means. I don't want to fight with you." I paused. "If this had all happened differently, if you had told me what you were, and I'd responded calmly, what would have happened? Would we have gotten married?"

"I would have wanted to," she replied. "But you would need to understand, marriage to me could be a lot, lot longer than to a human."

I laughed for a moment. That was an understatement.

"Would you have asked me to quit my job?"

"No."

"You wouldn't try to turn me into a housewife?"

"I wouldn't want to turn you into anything you didn't want to be."

"Would you drink from me?"

"Oh yes."

"And would I drink from you?"

"Yes."

"But-"

"Not every day," she clarified. "Not enough to get in the way of your job."

"Do you think I'd grow jaded about your money and eventually ask myself, why am I working so hard for a paltry amount of money?"

"I work," she replied. "I don't have to. I earn far more from my investments than I do from the law firm. I do it because I need to feel fulfilled. I want you to be fulfilled, too, Sidney."

I looked away again. The waitress stopped by with our main courses, serving as an additional distraction, and it was some time before we returned to the main conversation.

The food was wonderful, after all, and I wolfed it down for a while. Neither Solange nor Aubree gave me a hard time for my impatience.

"Sorry," I said. "I was hungry."

"So were we," Aubree said. "You were too busy eating to notice we were right beside you." She gestured, and between us, we had finished absolutely everything.

"Did you need more?" Solange asked.

"No, but I'd love some of Dolores's tiramisu."

Solange smiled. "Maybe we can have brownies and ice cream at home."

I nodded, licked my lips, then said, "I would like to go back to work. I think it needs to be cautiously, but long term, I do not want to feel you are looking over my shoulder every minute of the day. Is that on the table?"

"Yes, Sidney." It was said gently, and I detected no disappointment with the answer.

"But I've been away for over a year now. I think I'm rusty. I'd like some coding. And I think I want to ease back in helping Dolores."

Solange smiled. "That sounds like the same plan I had in mind. We should discuss the other issues then come back to this."

I nodded, but then we paused the conversation as Solange paid the bill. We gathered our things and headed for the door. Once we were outside, Solange put an arm around my shoulder.

I wasn't sure how I felt about it. "What are you doing?"

"Telling you something."

"What?"

She didn't say anything.

"Oh," I said. "You still think I'm your girlfriend."

I let her walk me to the car like that. I was feeling very confused. She led me to the front door, but I said, "I want the back seat."

* * * *

Arriving at the house, we dispersed. I thought about changing into casual clothing but decided it gave me an advantage if Solange spent time staring at my legs. We collected in the library, agreeing to dessert a little later.

"So, are we still talking about my job?"

"We'll come back to it." Solange turned to Aubree.

"Solange talked to us about the war," Aubree said. "She told us about your latest dream. Well, maybe not your latest?"

"The last one was five days ago," I said. "It was about all the vampire factions."

"Then your last dream," Aubree said. "She told us what you said about being the voice of humanity. She told us the risks of doing what you want."

She left that hanging. They both watched me, neither saying anything further.

"Are you going to make me ask?"

Aubree smiled. "Yes."

"What conclusion was reached?"

"No conclusion," Aubree said. "We don't get a vote, after all. What happens is Solange's decision. But we asked her to be careful. And we agreed that whatever happens, I should be involved. I am older than the others, and I know some of the vampires involved. I know more of the politics involved."

"We means all of you, plus Solange?"

"Yes. There was no dissent. There was discussion, but it was a given from the start I would be involved."

I nodded. "I assumed that myself," I said. I turned to Solange. "No conclusions?"

"You have asked me to do something about the monsters amongst the vampires. I would like to know why you expect me to do something so dangerous, but you do not ask me to do something about the monsters of humanity."

"Because you aren't making me dream about those monsters. But if ever I dream about those other monsters, I will expect us to do something about them."

"Us?"

"You told me you would be involved when we inform the police of what I know."

"We may not inform the police," she said. "We may deal with it more directly."

"But we'll deal with it?" I held up a hand, a quiet request for her to pause and let me think. I decided I had a pretty good idea what she meant when she said we'd deal with it directly, and so I lowered my hand and nodded to her.

"We would deal with the ones we can. I am not offering to fly to the Middle East and try to put an end to the strife there. And I will say this: I will not risk you with the human authorities. As far as they are concerned, your dreams are infrequent, never address issues of national security, and only very, very rarely address criminal activity at all."

"You're afraid they'd take me?"

"Yes. I would rather not have to spring you from the clink."

I laughed. "No one says that."

"So," said Solange. "We are agreed you will continue to dream for us, and that is your first priority above anything else."

I sighed. "Yes."

"Everything else comes second to that, Sidney."

I nodded. "I understand."

"Second are your health and safety."

"I'm healthy. Now."

"Yes, and you will remain healthy. Everything else is third. Not necessarily a distant third, but third."

"All right."

"I want to hear you say it, and say you agree. I need to know it's not said grudgingly."

"Dreams are first. I agree, at least until the war is resolved. No question. My health and safety are second. Um. Your health and safety, too."

She smiled. "All right. Thank you. Now, is it still your desire to destroy the vampires who are monsters against humanity?"

"Yes."

"Are we agreed you need me to do it?"

I thought about it. "Probably."

"Probably?"

"I could go find one of those other vampires..."

"No!" she screamed, and her fangs were immediately visible. She was out of her chair and looming over me. "You are mine!"

I shrank from her reaction but didn't say anything. Slowly she calmed down.

"I'm sorry," she said. She levered herself up and backed slowly away, but her fangs were still showing.

"I am too," I said. "I have no intention of doing that. I don't agree I am yours, not the way you meant. I was only saying there were other paths. They aren't necessarily the right paths."

"What other paths are there?" she asked.

"Given we agree that my dreaming for you is the top priority, and given that I've pledged my loyalty..." I paused. "None. Yes, you're right. I need you to destroy those vampires."

She nodded. "Give me a minute. In fact, maybe you'd be so kind as to make up dessert for all of us."

"Going to get a bite?"

"No, I just need to calm down. Aubree will help."

"Going to bite Aubree?"

"No!" She made a face. "Vampires don't feed on each other. It isn't pleasant."

"I'll get dessert. Brownies and vanilla all around?"

* * * *

I took my time and returned to the library fifteen minutes later. Solange and Aubree were both seated, and I saw no hint of fangs.

"I'm sorry," I said again.

"As am I. Sidney-"

"I understand, Solange."

I passed out the desserts and took my seat. We spent some time on our desserts before Solange said, almost casually, "So, you have something you want, fairly strongly."

"Yes."

"We do it my way, and I have requirements." That was also said almost casually.

I busied myself with the dripping ice cream for a minute, but my heart was pounding. I tried calming down but gave up. I thought I gave a good impression of casual when I finally said, "What requirements?"

"You understand you are asking me to take a great risk."

"Risk that I bet we can manage."

"Oh, we'll definitely manage it," she said. "But it is still significant risk. Do we need to argue that?"

"No."

"It is also significant effort. There may also be a cost. Do you agree?"

"Yes."

"If we're caught, it will almost certainly go very badly for all of us. Do you agree?"

"Yes."

"And you still want to pursue this?"

"Yes."

She hadn't been looking at me, but she turned to face me squarely and waited until I was looking at her. "We can discuss details, but my requirements are not for negotiation."

"It's a basic tenant of business: everything is negotiable."

"Not this time."

"You once told me to stand up to you if I ever found myself across the negotiating table."

"You can negotiate all you want, but I will tell you now. I will not be budging."

"I see. What requirements?"

"To begin: If you expect this household to take this type of risk for you, then you will accept your position in this household."

"I don't know what that means."

"You state, openly and without reservations, that you are a member of this household. You state, openly and without reservations, that you are mine in a fashion very similar to how Aubree is mine."

I stared, then looked away.

"Permanently," she added.

"I'm not asking for a thing from you for myself, Solange, except my basic human rights. This isn't for me. This is me asking you to do the right thing for humanity. But you are asking me to declare myself your servant?"

"Aubree isn't my servant."

"She started out that way. Now she's your employee, and she jumps when you bark. She cringes when you scream. She comes when you call. Is that what you expect from me?"

She didn't answer. I didn't look at her. Instead, I finished my dessert as casually as I could muster. They were both done, and I collected the plates and brought them to the kitchen, taking my time before I returned. My heart was still pounding, and it frustrated me I couldn't calm down.

I didn't sit when I got back. Instead I stopped in front of her. "As far as I'm concerned, for there to be any chance of real forgiveness, it starts with being treated as an equal, more or less. Not a pet."

"I don't treat Aubree as a pet, and she doesn't resent her position here."

"She started as your maid. I did not. I wonder if that has something to do with it."

"No," Aubree said. "It has everything to do with the love and respect I have for her, and the bond a vampire has to her maker."

I glanced at her but returned my gaze to Solange. "You once told me you didn't want me to be submissive. You told me you like me the way I am. Are you changing your answer?"