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“Yes, yes,” Brick broke in a second time, now sounding even more irritated. “All of these threats around that middle-aged psychic you so love to bugger are really quite tiresome, you know. I told you I had relinquished my claim to vengeance upon him. Even if he did kill my most effective lieutenant––”

“Your most effective psychopath, you mean,” Nick muttered.

“Potato, potato… as they say.” Brick sniffed. He leaned both hands on his cane. His eyes surveyed Nick from head to foot. “You are well, child? You look well.”

“I’m fine.”

“They are treating you well, these… psychics?” He said the word with an odd touch of disdain mixed with humor. “They haven’t grown tired of their ugly duckling in the nest with them, taking attention away from their illustrious leader?”

Nick rolled his eyes.

He couldn’t help but notice the twinge of unease that goosed his spine.

“Whyareyou here, Brick?” he asked, for what felt like the twentieth time. “What possible business could you have in San Francisco?”

Brick had already raised a finger, and wagged it at Nick in rhythmic ticks.

“No, no, my friend,” he scolded mildly. “You don’t get to ask me that. Not anymore. Our business was concluded when we made that little ‘agreement’ of ours.”

“An agreement you’re currently breaking.”

“By saying hello?” Brick sniffed, back to leaning on the cane. “How is that some dreaded form ofinterferencein your life? How is thatobstruction of your will?Those were the terms of our agreement, were they not? I was not to do anything to insert myself in your life with the psychics? I was not to interfere with any of Quentin’s work that did not impinge on mine, nor the work of his employees, nor with the lives or free will of his people?”

Brick sniffed again.

“…Nor with you? My own offspring?”

Nick just stared at him, unswayed by his sire’s theatrics.

“You’ve said hello,” he observed.

Brick hesitated. He stood there, unmoving for a few seconds longer, his eyes back to roving over every inch of Nick where he stood.

Nick couldn’t help but notice the covetousness of that stare.

It was there and gone… then the auburn-haired vampire smiled.

“I suppose I have,” he conceded cheerily.

His smile widened.

Then Brick let out a quiet and thoughtful “hmph,” and turned around, so that his back was entirely to Nick and the dog. He walked away from the end of the pier, flourishing the silver-topped cane as he returned to the street and then crossed over to a where a string of tourist-trap businesses ran along the main road.

His dark red hair glowed strangely in the dark to Nick’s vampire eyes.

Within a few seconds, Brick had disappeared into shadow entirely.

Nick continued to stand there, his fingers still grazing the top of the dog’s head. He didn’t move for a number of minutes after the vampire had gone. He stood there longer than he could really explain, as if some part of him waited to see if his sire would return.

Brick did not return.

Even so, Nick’s unease didn’t lessen.

5

THE PARADISE

The sun was getting higher in the sky now.