Page 41 of Absolution
I opened Seiran’s computer and began to surf through weeks of news stories about vampires gone wild. Not mild stuff like flashing tits or anything. No this was smashing windows and randomly feeding off people who passed them in the streets. Apparently everything began here. What an odd place for a vampire war. Why not California or New York?
But then it did make sense. Gabe was here. So was Max. Apparently Galloway and now Tresler who had done several interviews for the press citing that he would tighten the reins on his people until they behaved. The four most powerful vampires in the world were all in one place, not a coincidence.
Was Galloway right? Was Tresler trying to get Gabe out of the picture? And what about the QuickLife. Luca said not to drink it and Gabe was drinking it by the ton.
I sipped at the reheated old blood. It didn’t taste any better than I remembered. And since my belly wasn’t whining that it was starving, I was okay with just sipping it. Why couldn’t the bloodlust have been this manageable before?
I researched the internet about the rise in vampire attacks. The two that I’d been accused of were actually done by a Wisconsin man who’d crossed the border to try to hide his kills. He’d been caught by Mike—Gabe’s right-hand man—and publicly executed. I didn’t watch the fire knowing it would be something I’d never be able to erase from my head.
There were hundreds of reports. Christ. What the hell was happening out there? More were popping up across the country, but most centered here. I dialed Mike just as the grocery order arrived. I directed them quietly to the kitchen and just to leave the bags and boxes there so I could go through them. The group of three humans were efficient, silent, and done before Mike picked up his phone.
“Are you awake or did someone steal your phone?” he asked.
“I’m awake. I think. The world has kind of gone crazy while I’ve been to ground.”
“That happens a lot actually. I went to ground in the fifties. Woke up in the seventies. Longest nap I’d ever had, felt like the blink of an eye but the world had gone nuts. War and drugs and madness. The free sex part was the best part of it. Oh and weed. Weed is great.”
I liked Mike. Probably should have talked to him before going to ground. “You slept over a decade then? And I thought two and a half months was bad.”
“Nah. The older you get the longer you get between, but when it hits, it hits for a long time. Could be decades or even centuries before we wake up.”
Hadn’t Galloway slept for several centuries? “So it will get longer?”
“Not if you do it regularly enough. Most of us older vampires try to go to ground once a decade or so. Keeps us from getting overtired. Then it’s a week to a month on average. Back before the humans knew about us, we’d go to ground each night for protection, never had these long naps then. But that’s only been the last century. No idea why yours was so long since you’re still so new. You feeling better though? More in control?”
“Yeah. Though everyone else seems to have lost control. And Gabe…”
Mike was silent for a minute. The call box buzzed from upstairs. It was Luca. I unlocked the elevator to let him down. I had to ask before Luca was close enough to hear. “Does he need to go to ground?”
Mike’s sigh was heavy. “He won’t. You know he won’t.”
“Any idea how long it’s been for him?”
“Too long. Centuries, I think. Before he met Seiran he was little more than a zombie, existing within the set rules. Lots of murmurs back then of him looking for an easy way to die. Then he met Seiran and he changed. I’d been watching him deteriorate for a while, and poof, like magic, he was the guy I remember from the days we first met, happy and willing to live. When Sei buried him after that Roman thing, he should have left him until he was ready to dig himself out.”
Fuck. That’s what worried me. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m okay.”
“Nothing like any of the other vamps are experiencing?”
“No. No more crazy than usual.”
A thought occurred to me. “Do you drink QuickLife?”
“Nope. Wouldn’t touch that shit. I’ve a couple regulars that I circulate through not unlike acibo, only not officially designated as them. It’s cheaper for me that way.Cibos aren’t cheap.”
“Lovers rather than blood whores.”
“Mundane, yes, but effective. You’re better off with the real thing if you can get it. I’ve been hearing rumors about the QuickLife being part of the problem. So steer clear.”
Meanwhile Gabe was drinking it like water.
“Luca tell you that?”
“Heard it from some of his people I’m sure. Could have been him. He’s in the bar enough. Hot for a blood whore. I’d do him, couldn’t afford him, but I’d do him. That boy looks like he comes from expensive tastes.”
“He’s Max Hart’s son and my blood whore, though Gabe is paying him.” I was a little possessive and hadn’t known Mike was into men. But again, maybe he was just into whatever was attractive food, like a good-looking burger might lure people in. “Thanks, Mike.” I told him as Luca stepped out of the elevator, and hung up the phone.