Page 14 of Forty Deaths Till Us Part

I leaned toward her. “You do?”

She nodded. “You never liked discussing our ability. So I never bring it up, but I had an incident two months ago where I was sure Dad was going to fall on the stairs to the stage. He was wearing his five-inch platforms, and I insisted on walking him up.”

“Did he fall?” I asked.

“He slipped, but I stopped him from tumbling. Those shoes have mysteriously disappeared from his wardrobe.”

“He threw them away?” I asked,

Jana gave me her classic “Are you kidding me?” look. “Please. Those were two-thousand-dollar boots. I sold them online and gave him the money.”

“He wasn’t mad?”

“He already had his eye on a replacement, and they were far more stable.”

Rene stood up. “May I offer you a glass of orange juice, Jana?”

She blinked. “You have human food in the suite?”

Rene motioned to a full fridge in the corner. I hadn’t even noticed the new addition when we walked in. “I will have all yours and your father’s... favorite foods on hand at all times.”

I had to blink away the tears that formed in my eyes as Rene moved to the fridge. “Thank you, Rene.”

He nodded to me respectfully. “Would you like a cranberry scone with your juice?”

Jana’s jaw dropped. “That is awfully specific. How did you know that’s my favorite?”

Rene smiled as he grabbed the orange juice from the fridge. “It was simple. I asked your father. He provided me with a list of... staples.”

Jana laughed. “I should have known. He plans to exploit his connection to you like a fly on shit when you marry my mom.”

I coughed as Rene paused in the process of pouring the juice. “Jana, that is highly inappropriate. Isra has no right to say things like that.”

Jana folded her arms and gave me a defiant look. “Is that true, Rene?”

Rene continued to pour her juice and grabbed a scone. “It is my hope that your father will be able to... exploit me in the future, yes.”

Jana smiled as my jaw dropped. “Rene, I like you more every time I see you.”

Rene returned to the couch and placed the scone in front of Jana before handing her the orange juice. “The feeling is mutual.”

“Are you two nuts?” I asked in an exasperated tone. Part of me was horrified, but if I was honest, another part sizzled with excitement.

Jana chuckled. “You have your work cut out for you, Rene.”

He sat back down in his chair. “I am aware. But I assure you I am up to the challenge.”

I fidgeted with my fingers. “If you two would stop conspiring against me, I would like to discuss your earlier comment about becoming a vampire.”

Jana took a long swig of her juice. “You just want to change the subject.”

“Yes.” I gave her my stern voice. One I used when she was younger and trying to change my mind about a parental decision.

“Fair enough. My mom is a witch and I have heard the stories of witch transitions. The ones about witches who died with vampire venom in their blood. They were pretty gruesome.”

Rene nodded. “They are and they are true. The early attempts to turn a witch were horrifying. There have been few deaths in the last thousand years, but I have seen firsthand the pain an empowered person endures in an attempt to transition.”

Jana finished her juice and placed the glass on the table. “I’m not into pain. That was the true reason I didn’t want to attempt transition. With Mom being a witch, I assumed I would not be compatible.”