Seer: Thrall (35 page)

"I'm not sure I know that game, Sidney," Solange said with a smile.

"Don't worry. I'll teach you."

"I think I'm going to go downstairs and brew a nice pot of tea and toast a bagel for you. Do you promise not to drown while I'm gone?"

I closed my eyes and leaned back in the water. It felt very soothing. "Promise," I said. I heard her step away, but I stopped her. "Solange?"

"Yes, Sidney?"

"Do I have to dream more about her?"

I opened my eyes to watch her.

"Probably," she said quietly. "I'm sorry. I wish I was strong enough to go after her directly, but by the time a vampire is as old as she is, it takes a group of vampires to destroy her."

"She killed three of her humans just because she was angry, but she turned so cold. She could have stopped. She was livid when she stepped into the cages, but she was like ice even before she told them she would be killing them."

"You're going to kill your own buzz thinking about it, Sidney."

I settled back and closed my eyes. "Life was simpler before we met."

"I know. I'm sorry about that."

"There are things I would change." I opened my eyes for a moment, squinting up at her. "There are things I wouldn't change, too." I closed my eyes again. "Are you pampering me today?"

"Yes. I'll be back in a few minutes with a bit for us to eat."

"But you won't be playing find the rubber ducky?"

She chuckled but didn't answer.

I zoned out. The buzz was fading. Of course it was; it had been hours. But she must have let me take an enormous amount of her blood if I was still high from it. I let the warm water seep into me. I don't think I dozed, but I let myself fade away.

When Solange returned, I didn't even open my eyes. She sat down next to the tub. "Open." I opened my mouth and she slipped a piece of bagel into it. I'm not sure which of us was more amused as she slowly fed me breakfast.

"You're a drug pusher," I said, letting my head loll against the edge of the tub. "Anything that feels this good must be illegal."

She laughed, but she sounded nervous. "Unlike most drugs, other than the emotional addiction, my blood has no long-term negative effects. Even the short-term effects are far, far safer than alcohol. My blood causes euphoria and a burst of energy, but it kills no brain cells and instead has healing powers. Unlike alcohol, it doesn't lower inhibitions, make you brave, or encourage foolish risk-taking. Furthermore, you can't -- ahem -- drink alone, so you can't hide your drinking habits from the one closest to you."

I laughed. "That sounded defensive, Counselor." I opened my eyes and glanced at her. She was scowling. "Solange, I was only teasing."

"I think you worry about it," she replied. "To be honest, I think I was trying to convince myself as much as you."

"I'm going to think about it a little like strong allergy medicine," I said. "You shouldn't operate heavy equipment after taking some of those, either." I smiled. "But I'm still pretty sure anything that feels this good must be illegal."

"I suspect if Congress knew about it, then it would be."

We sat quietly for a few minutes. Finally I said, "You know, you never answered one of my questions."

"Which question is that?"

"I once asked you who was the most famous person you've slurped on."

"I did answer. Amelia Earhart."

"You were serious?"

"I was."

"So you two were an item?"

"No. It was a one-time thing, and she wouldn't have remembered. I'm a little ashamed."

"You didn't ask permission?"

"I definitely didn't ask permission, but I'm ashamed why I did it. Aubree dared me."

I opened my eyes and feigned shock. "You munched on Amelia Earhart's neck for the simple reason that Aubree dared you to?"

She didn't even wince at the word I had used. "Well, and I thought she was sexy."

I laughed. "I think I need to know what else you've done because Aubree dared you."

"Skydiving."

I laughed again. "Really?"

"We went together. She hated it. I, however, came away with a much different opinion."

"And did she munch on our sexy little pilot with you, or was that a solo arrangement?"

"Please don't use that word."

"Did she?"

"No. That was all me."

I opened my eyes again and looked at her. "Have you ever?"

"Ever what?"

"Shared."

"Not with Aubree. With my maker."

"How about Aubree and Cadence?"

"If they have, I don't know about it." She smiled.

"What?"

"Amanda was a hippie. The age of free love and all that."

"Oh my god. You and Cadence in a three way with Amanda?"

She laughed. "No. But she's hinted. Strongly. Both with me and with Aubree. Although not in a few decades. I think Cadence told her how hard it would be for her to share." She smiled. "I wouldn't be too surprised if she recommends something involving you, perhaps a three-some or even a four-some."

"Oh my god. No way!"

Solange nodded. "Our Amanda is quite the bohemian." She paused. "Cadence begged me for permission to tell Amanda."

"About being a vampire?"

"Yes. They hadn't been together that long, but Cadence said it was the longest relationship Amanda had ever had. She tended to go from relationship to relationship."

I smiled. "She wanted to hook her with a taste of blood."

"Yes."

"It seems to have worked."

"I've always wondered whether she let Amanda catch her, but I haven't wanted to ask." She cocked her head. "Is it working with someone else we know?"

"No comment," I replied.

Solange took that in stride. "For the record: I don't share. There will be no N-somes for you."

"N-somes?" I said. "Seriously? Have you been hanging around computer geeks too long?"

"Perhaps I have," she replied. "Starting with Ada."

"So you wouldn't want to borrow Amanda for a little fun?" I asked. "A bite here, a bite there?"

"You're teasing me again," she replied.

I nodded agreement. "But you wouldn't?"

"Not Amanda. That would hurt Cadence. If I asked, she'd have to say 'yes', but she'd hate me for asking."

"Oh ho," I said. "So if there were some unattached, lovely, vampire-knowledgeable, artistic fang banger available, then you'd want a three-way?"

"Maybe I'd make you watch," she said.

"Because you're such an exhibitionist, and you'd be looking forward to the fight afterwards."

"Exactly," she said. She smiled. "I think perhaps I'm not the one interested in a three-some. Do you have fantasies of Cadence or Aubree sinking fangs into your neck?"

I closed my eyes again and thought about it. We'd been teasing each other, but I decided to give the idea an honest thought. "I've never been promiscuous," I said. "I can be adventurous one-on-one, but I've never done anything like that."

"Have you wondered about inviting Dolores into our relationship?"

She had asked it casually, but I didn't believe it was at all casual. My eyes snapped open and I turned to look at her. She had her lawyer face on, and I couldn't tell if she was teasing me.

"Have you?" I asked.

"Will you let me answer completely?"

"Oh my god! You have!"

"Let me answer."

"Fine. Tell me about the fantasies you've had about my
best friend
."

"There is a part of being a vampire that means we see all humans as a potential food source."

"I don't drive past a farm and think, 'that cow looks tasty'."

"No, but you look at a restaurant menu and ask whether you want chicken or lamb today."

"Am I the chicken or the lamb?"

"Sidney..."

"Fine. How big a part of you has thought about Dolores as a meal?"

"A small part. A much smaller part than the part that sees her as your best friend, as my friend, as a human I am obligated to protect, as someone important to you."

"Did we land on this conversation because a few years from now, you're going to seduce her, or talk me into seducing her, or perhaps seduce someone else? Are you expecting a third woman in this relationship?"

Her lawyer face broke into a huge grin.

"God damn it!" I screamed. "If you think I am going to share-"

She put a hand over my mouth. "I am smiling because you said we have a relationship Sidney. And I'm really smiling because you got this angry about it. You care."

I thought a moment before nodding. Slowly she took her hand away.

"I want an answer."

"No, Sidney. No additions."

"Ever."

"Ever." But she was still grinning.

"Shut up," I said after a minute. "We're not lovers."

"Yes we are," she argued. "We're just working through a few issues."

She continued to grin as I settled back into the tub. "I should make you wash my feet."

She didn't wait but leaned forward and plunged a hand into the water, rooting around until she found one of my feet.

"What are you doing? We aren't playing find the ducky!"

She grabbed my nearest ankle and pulled it out of the water, resting my leg on the edge of the tub. She held my leg captive with one hand while her other plunged back in. I wasn't sure what she was looking for the second time.

"Stop it!" I screeched.

"I can't find the wash towel."

"That's not it!" I said. "I don't have one!"

"Oh," she said. "Are you sure? Maybe I should keep looking."

Her hand was actually not that ill-behaved, but she was pissing me off. A little, anyway.

"I don't have a towel."

"I'll have to retrieve one, then. If your leg moves while I am gone, I'm going to have to dig it back out of the water."

"You suck."

"That was last night."

I splashed water at her. She didn't even pretend to care. But I left my leg along the edge of the tub while she climbed to her feet. She retrieved a washrag from the linen cabinet, then knelt at the edge of the tub. She looked at me.

"This is meant for pleasure and pampering, Sidney."

I smiled. "It's being taken that way."

"Good. Relax and enjoy. Let me take care of you today. We both need this."

I closed my eyes. "What are we doing later?"

"Bike riding, if you like."

"Is the boat still in the water?"

"It is."

"Can we have a picnic on the boat, either lunch or dinner?"

"That would be lovely," she replied. "I'll handle everything."

"You mean the cook will?"

She laughed but didn't answer. Instead, she dipped the rag into the water and began to wash my foot and leg. I was sure it wasn't necessary, but it felt nice anyway. I sighed with the pleasure.

She washed as much of my leg as she could reach without complaint, then she told me to stay where I was. She climbed back to her feet and then I heard the shower door open and close. I peeked when she got back. She was holding shaving cream and my razor.

"Ever have anyone do this to you before?"

"Yes."

"Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes. If you cut me I know it's intentional."

"If I cut you, you'll like what I do to fix it."

"That doesn't mean I won't believe it was intentional."

"I would not intentionally cut you." But she ran her fingers along the inside of my leg far higher than I should have allowed. "Now, I have fantasies about biting you right about here."

"You wouldn't."

"You would come instantly. Well, after about three seconds."

She began shaving my leg. I wasn't sure if I should let her know how much it meant to me that she was lavishing so much attention on me. I knew it was part of her plan for forgiveness, but I didn't care. It felt good.

"Have you done that before?"

"Shaved a woman? Yes."

"No. Bitten someone there."

"Sidney, I have been alive for a very, very long time. Chances are if it's in the realm of human behavior, I've done it."

"Ever been scuba diving?"

"No. The one class of things I haven't done much of are those activities involving saltwater."

"Vampires don't like salt water?"

"This vampire doesn't. That's part of the reason I live in Minnesota. I love freshwater lakes. I really don't like the ocean. I couldn't tell you why."

"So no fun in the sun vacations in our future?"