Page 120 of Vampires of Eden

“He’s trying to do what, now?” Daniel pauses with his sandwich halfway to his mouth. Eyes wide in disbelief. “You have got to be kidding me.”

I shake my head. “No, unfortunately. He had this detailed multi-page proposal laid out at the last Governing Board meeting. He’d given it a lot of thought.”

I’m not supposed to discuss what transpires at official meetings, but I needed to confess this situation to someone smart, and who’s also not directly connected to Central Eden’s social sphere.

No one has ever asked me to submit a formal proposal of my ideas before. My father walked me through it, so I understand the process and expectations. I just… don’t have the tangible ideas to fill an entire document with. Not to the same level of detail as Lord Cherrington’s horrendous proposal.

Daniel sets his sandwich down and shakes his head. He wipes his hands as if he’s too disgusted to eat. “It is both unfathomable and disturbingly impressive that he could produce an entire document witheven moreways to oppress, belittle and rob ranked vampires of our dignity. Securing the borders? ‘Special clearance’ to leave? It’s already ridiculously hard to leave Eden and come back as a ranked vamp, and he wants to add more layers of red tape? Is he fucking insane?”

“He’s a vampire that’s very sure of himself, without question.”

“I can’t purchase land as it is!” Daniel protests, folding his arms. “I want to have my own house and garden, but I can’t do itbecause Eden law forbids anyone that’s not purebred from owning acreage. Did you know that?”

I nod. “Yes, I know.”

“Do you agree with it?”

“Of course I don’t, Danny. But this is why I’m struggling. How do I put all these things into words? And into a formal pitch for the board? There are so many ridiculous laws with tricky loop holes and addendums—I don’t know where to start.” I’ve been avoiding thinking about it because the prospect overwhelms me.

Our society desperately needs a complete overhaul. Piece by piece, sector by sector. A refresh that does away with our antiquated and strict ideals and embraces the contemporary trends of the international vampire community. When I watch the news or travel abroad, it seems painfully obvious that we’re too far behind. We can’t survive this way.

Daniel abruptly pushes up from the table and walks out of the kitchen. I rest my fork on the plate, nervous. Have I said something wrong again?

A minute later, he returns with a large legal pad, a pen and his laptop. “Do you have a book or document—something that lists all of Eden’s insane bylaws and addendums?” he asks, returning to his seat and propping his laptop open. “It’s not online because I’ve checked before.”

“There are only physical copies, written and updated by hand by each Royal Board member. The primary book resides in Central City Hall where we have our quarterly meetings. My father’s copy is in his study.”

Daniel rolls his eyes. “Right. Well, we need that book, for starters, to see what we’re up against. I think we should begin with housing. Once we know the specific laws surrounding it, we can start thinking about how to re-write them. Let’s focus on top-level issues as we go. Like the fact that ranked vamps can’t own land at all… fucking bullshit.”

He mumbles the last part under his breath as he writes a heading on his notepad.

Housing and Land Ownership.

Sighing, he sets the pen down and types. The white glow of the screen illuminates his pale irises. “We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Modern aristocracies will have resources online for their vamps. We could just replicate their laws and tailor them to our needs, you know? Milan for example. Or Vienna.”

As he clacks away on the computer, I marvel at his focus and aptitude. The way he’s gotten right down to business. “I thought you left the room because I said something wrong and you were angry,” I confess. “This is great, Danny.”

His movement pauses and his eyes flicker in my direction. “When are you going to stop being afraid of me? You just said you’d try to trust me.”

“I am—I do!” Nervous, I wave a hand. “Paranoia takes time to shake. We’re fine. I’m good.”

Daniel inhales a breath, watching me but not saying anything. Wanting to dispel the awkwardness, I clear my throat. “Land prices in Eden are exceptionally high—in Central and in every village. Do you… have the capital to buy property here?”

Folding his arms, Daniel leans onto the legal pad with his elbows and smiles. “Yes, Rabbit. I have the capital to buy property. Are you surprised?”

“A little,” I admit. “If you do, that means you definitely have a lot more money than me right now.”

“I probably do,” he says, unflinching. “Does this make you uncomfortable?”

Taking a moment, I consider. Searching inside myself. I shake my head. “Not at all.”

“If it weren’t for Eden’s strict hierarchy and crusty rules, I think I could realistically outbid Lord Cherrington for your hand. Resolve this ridiculous situation of yours in a single sweeping motion.”

I take a deep breath in, then blow it out because the longing in my heart is so raw. “I sincerely wish that you would.”

The air between us stills and somehow, I know that I’ve saidthe right thing. Daniel likes this answer, very much. He lifts from his seat, rests his palms on the table and leans forward.

Intuitively, I raise my chin. He draws closer and I part my lips at the precise moment that his mouth softly lands on mine in a sumptuous kiss.