Page 6 of I Dated a Golden Vampire (Blind Date Corporation #21)

“Come on. We will head down to the registry and get your com added to the room.”

“Fine. I could use the help.”

Cabree hugged her. “I am determined to have fun, and having you here is so much fun already. I was a fan when you first did your Cooro apprenticeship.”

“Oh, so you saw.”

“Yeah. My code powered the suit you wore in recovery.”

Pria smiled. “Thank you. Being able to get up and move saved my life until Khytten came online as a healer. I remember her as a peacekeeper candidate. She was an amazing shot. I would have guessed that the accuracy was part of her activation.”

“Wait. You knew Khytten?”

“I activated in peacekeeper training. They got me out of there and said I had a mental breakdown. Six months later, Waterdance was presented in the apprenticeship program.”

“Oh. Why Cooro?”

“They are water-facing. There were already sonics and heavy-hitters on the team, so they needed a water worker. The fact that I couldn’t breathe water was quite an issue.”

They left the stateroom and walked the thick halls to the elevator. She was easily added to the room, and then they headed for breakfast.

When they were seated and menus were presented, Cabree said, “I had to give up my family as well. I was a young entry to the capitol’s program, and the others around me were not kind.”

Pria looked at her. “I get that. How young?”

“I graduated at fourteen. If it weren’t for Zera offering me a place at her company, I don’t think I would have made it. Then I had to deal with new graduates, and they were... not kind.”

“Oh. First date kind of not kind?”

“Yeah. I became obsessed when I saw happy actives in couples or more.”

Pria ordered some juice and coffee then a nice breakfast selection.

Cabree smiled. “I will take the same.”

Pria smiled kindly. “You went to work, and you didn’t come out.”

She blushed. “That obvious?”

“Based on what you said, yes.” Pria smiled. “Did you notice that there are at least three people recording us right now?”

“That would be because of you. Waterdance dancing hasn’t been seen in a while. They are probably burning up the chat rooms right now.”

“Oh, shoot. I forgot about that. It’s been a while.” Pria smiled. “That wasn’t dancing.”

“I know. I remember watching one of your performances at the Cooro centennial.”

Pria smiled at the server, and he blinked in surprise. The beverages were set down, and a second server brought the main meal a moment later.

The ship began to move, and Cabree sighed in relief.

Pria mumbled, “Were you afraid he was going to try and snatch you?”

“A little. Before you got there, he was intense.”

“Intense men have their own charms, at a distance.”

Cabree laughed. “Oh, what happened to your trainer?”

“Master Roil? I don’t know. I do know he was the one who found me, and I remember him testifying at the inquiry.”

“Why did they assign you to him?”

“Because he was half-Hyreno and could breathe underwater.”

“The Cooro archives are sealed. What happened?”

“The short version is that because I couldn’t afford a com at the time, I was dependent on a handheld com.

One of the team thought it would be funny if they fucked with it so I could send but not receive.

I never got the notice that the civilians were safe.

I kept asking the same question over and over, and there was no reply.

I finally collapsed from exhaustion and let the ocean wave in.

It broke a lot of parts of me, but I couldn’t do anything.

Master Roil found me and pulled me out of the waves, holding me against him and moving us to the medics.

They got me in braces and headed for a hospital as I kept dying on the way.

That was the last time I saw any members of my team. ”

“Oh, shit. So that’s what the inquest was about.”

“Yeah. Which one of them tampered with my handheld, and how many of them knew I was holding back the ocean for half an hour alone.”

“Oh.” Cabree looked casual. “Did you want to see the suit footage?”

Pria blinked. “You are kidding.”

“Nope. I have scary computer powers. It’s why Zera hired me.” Cabree smiled. “I can get a masseuse, and we can use headsets and watch the accumulated footage around the incident.”

Pria smiled. “How much are you willing to spend?”

“Whatever you like. I got paid for last night, so I thought we could work on spending it.”

“Work on?”

“I got paid a lot. ” Cabree chuckled.

“Oh, in that case, order the massages and mani-pedis, and while you are doing that, we will outfit me from the skin to the formalwear.”

Cabree laughed. “Now you are getting into the spirit of it. Now eat breakfast. It’s going to be a busy day.”

* * * *

R oil looked around and found the terminal he had set for mentions of Waterdance.

Images were piling in from a cruise ship of all places.

She was smiling and laughing with another woman who had dark hair and eyes.

Waterdance’s dark purple hair was longer than he remembered.

Her silvery eyes were bright, and her smile made his heart thud in his chest.

He got the coordinates and blinked. He checked the schedule and grinned.

They were coming his way. Two days and he would be looking into those silver eyes, or that vessel wouldn’t move beyond his islands.

He didn’t know who the woman was who was with Waterdance, but she would be welcome as long as she didn’t interfere with him meeting his apprentice again.

She was alive. She was smiling and laughing. His dreams had come to life, and they were moving toward the island chain that he guarded.

Roil looked in the mirror. He needed to shave and brush his hair and bathe. She deserved him at his best.