Page 118 of Origins of Eternity

“Gigi and Miranda are dead, and we found you on the floor downstairs last night. The front door was still open. Do you not care at all that Iro killed them?”

“Why do you keep saying, ‘iro?’Whatis an ‘iro?’”

“You’re not okay, are you?” Sarah asked.

“I’m perfectly fine. Well, I would have loved an orgasm from that human and to eat again, but I’m fine.”

“Cassia, Iro is your wife. At least, that’s what you toldus,” Sarah said.

“Yeah. And Gigi and Miranda were, like, your favorites or something,” Alexia said. “You turned them three years ago, and they’ve basically followed you around ever since. I think Gigi legitimately loved you, maybe, but you were with Iro.”

“Miranda said you two have been together for centuries, but that you spend time apart, too, and this was one of those times,” Sarah added.

“You wanted her back, though, so you kidnapped the woman Iro is with now and turned her. I don’t know why.” Alexia shrugged. “We weren’t really involved much until you came back here without Zara or Gigi.”

“I don’t turn people,” Cassia argued. “I eat them, yes – I feed on them, and I fuck them – but I don’t kill them. Not anymore. I suppose I got tired of leaving a trail of bodies and looking overmy shoulder all the time,” she said and thought about that last bit.

She used to kill and turn humans, but about three hundred years ago or so, she’d stopped. She just couldn’t remember why.

“You killed someone just the other day,” Alexia replied. “We watched you. You didn’t even turn him. Amy wanted him because she said he was hot, and you let them fuck in a bathroom at a bar, but then you killed him in front of her and told her that she needs to get with the program.Yourprogram.”

“Something about no boys allowed,” Sarah added.

“Well, Idohate men. I have my reasons that you two don’t need to worry about right now. Where are Miranda and Gigi, Alexia?”

“I told you, Iro killed them. You sent Gigi after Zara, and Iro killed her. You thought Iro would come back for you last night, and we found Miranda dead on the floor.”

“We thoughtyouwere dead for a minute, too, but you were just sleeping. We assumed Iro knocked you out but didn’t kill you for some reason.”

None of this made any sense to Cassia, and she didn’t have time for it anyway.

“I’m not sure if this is some sort of ridiculous new-vampire joke you’re trying to play on me, but I want that human back in here, and I want you two to leave if you’re not willing to have a little fun. Now, do me a favor, find Gigi and tell her to book the plane for us. I don’t even know why we’re here. And whereishere, exactly?”

“DC,” Alexia replied.

“DC? I have no reason to be here.” She shook her head. “No matter. New York will be our next destination. I want to spend a little time there before I return home to Florence. You two are welcome to join us or stay here. No, wait… I should go directly–”

“What about your plan?” Alexia asked.

“What plan?”

“You were going to have us call all those people on your list. You sent it to us and told us we would talk more today.”

“What list?”

“The list of people you wanted to finally tell to expose vampires,” Alexia replied.

“Why would I want to expose vampires?”

“Because you want us to run the world. You said you want humans for food, servants, and fun because they were beneath us.”

“Well, theyarebeneath us. That’s never been in question.”

“Cassia, do you really not believe us about any of this?” Sarah asked.

“I have not now, nor have I ever been married. I do not know anyone named Iro. What kind of name is that anyway? And I don’t know this Zara, so I didn’t send Gigi to do anything with her. Now, tell me, or I will get very angry. Where is Gigi?”

“She’s dead. She has to be, or she would have been here last night,” Alexia replied. “She never came back home. She never would’ve left you. And we’ve called and called, but her phone goes straight to voicemail. Miranda’s body is buried in the backyard. You can go dig her up if you don’t believe us. I’m guessing Gigi is buried in Iro’s or somewhere else, but they’re both dead, and Iro killed them.”