Page 74

“Can you imagine living with them?” I say seriously.

“Shall we take a walk outside?” Barty inquires. I wonder if he is as keen as I am to get this talk over and done with.

The castle grounds are outstanding. Lush green grass, which has been expertly cultured, surrounds the entire property, only broken by the gravel walkways that snake in all directions. Rolling fields and dense trees are the castle’s only neighbors. I can see its appeal, especially for old vampires requiring peace and privacy.

“So,” Barty begins. Anya is hanging onto his arm as they walk. Erin has her hand in mine, clutching it tightly. “I suppose we should get down to it, huh?”

“Did everything go okay with the doctor?” Erin asks.

“Oh fine, just a bit of blood and other bodily fluids,” Barty laughs.

“It wasn’t too invasive, was it?”

“No, don’t worry. We said we want to help.” Anya reassures.

“I think the first thing is to dispel some myths you’ve no doubt encountered,” Barty continues. “I’m not the son of the first vampire and Anya is not the daughter of the first human. It’s all a bit too Adam and Eve for me.”

“But you are old,” I ask.

“Yes, we are. I’m close to The Big 4-0-0-0,” he laughs.

“Four thousand years old,” Erin gasps. “Wow, I mean, that’s old.”

“Babe,” I laugh.

“Sorry, I hope I haven’t offended either of you.”

Anya laughs, “Of course not. It’s not like we look it, right?”

“And that brings me to the next thing,” Barty adds. “I’m sure Amelia has filled you in on all things vampire, but I’ll say this anyway. We found that although the aging process halts on our thirtieth birthday, it can take a few years to fully stop. That’s why some vampires look to be in their late forties or fifties.”

“Amelia didn’t tell me that.”

“Sorry, I just wanted to keep to the facts,” I shrug.

“Also, the whole immortality thing is optional.”

I stop in my tracks. “I’m sorry what?”

“What I mean is, our molecular structure changes and our bodies become immortal, but that doesn’t mean we have to live forever. Some couples live a handful of lifetimes and have had enough. I can’t blame them sometimes after what we have witnessed over the years.”

“So you’re telling us, some vampires… kill themselves?”

“You could say that, or you could say they choose when they come to the end of their lives. Humans have a natural end to their time on earth. Vampires do not.”

“Amelia, did you know this?”

“No. It never even occurred to me to think about it. As far as I was concerned, every vampire is immortal, and that’s that.”

“It’s a common thought pattern. We’re so worried about finding our mate, we don’t think about the thousands of years ahead of us,” Barty states simply.

“Can I ask about you, Anya?” Erin probes. This is what we really want to know about. How the hell did human Anya become vampire Anya.

“Sure. I met Barty and felt this pull to him. I was only sixteen at the time.”

“But you look to be in your thirties now?”

“Indeed. We mated, but my change didn’t occur until my thirtieth birthday, just like Barty.”