"Etienne is three hundred and eleven, Bastien four hundred and nine, I think," she added, then said, "My oldest brother is six hundred and ten or there about."
Greg's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Six hundred and ten? Why the large gap?"
Lissianna shrugged. "Just because you can't have more than one every hundred years, doesn't mean you have to have one every hundred years," she pointed out.
"True, I suppose," Greg agreed.
"Here you are!" They both glanced at the door as the twins rushed in.
"You've missed the first movie, and it was great!" Juli gushed.
"So we thought we'd better come see if you want to see the next one before we start it," Vicki said.
"We're going to make popcorn," Juli added, trying to tempt them.
Relieved to be able to drop the unpleasant subject of her father, Lissianna smiled, and said, "That sounds good. We were pretty much done here anyway. Weren't we?" She glanced questioningly at Greg.
He smiled with amusement, but nodded, and she let out a relieved breath.
"Popcorn sounds good," he said. "What's the movie? Does it have a vampire?"
"Oh please, like we'd watch vampire movies," Vicki snorted.
"They always get it wrong," Juli complained. "And they're so stupid. I mean, look at Stoker's Dracula, he wrote that Drac had a harem of female vamps in his castle and was still chasing after Lucy and Mina. Hello! You can turn only one."
"And that business of morphing into a bat, rats, or a wolf?" Vicki asked with disgust. "Puh-lease. But what do you expect when he got his info from a drunk vamp?"
"And then there's Renfield," Juli added with a shudder. "The only way you can end up with a whacked-out bug eater like Renfield is if the council has at them."
"The council?" Greg asked with interest. "And what do you mean Stoker got his information from a drunk vampire? Did he really talk to one of you like I'm doing?"
"No, not like you're doing. We're all sober," Juli pointed out.
"There you are: We were about to start the second movie without you."
Greg glanced around with surprise at Thomas's words and saw that they'd reached the entertainment room. It was basically a large living room with a huge screen on one wall and all the furniture arranged to face it.
"Oh, hey!" Juli cried. "You made the popcorn." Conversation forgotten, she rushed forward to take the large bowl of buttered popcorn Elspeth was holding out.
"Jeanne Louise and I made it," Elspeth informed them, giving one of the two remaining bowls to Vicki and the other to Greg. "We thought it would save time. Now, sit down so we can start the movie."
Greg thanked Elspeth for the popcorn, then followed
Lissianna to one of the two couches in front of the screen. They settled on it side by side as someone switched the overhead light out and the screen lit up with the image of a movie company logo.
It was an action flick, but not a good one, and Lissianna wasn't terribly surprised when Greg leaned toward her to speak, but she was surprised by the choice of topic when he asked in a whisper, "So, about this only siring one mate and having one child per hundred years bit... Who enforces that?"
Lissianna hesitated. She wasn't used to talking of these things. Those who were of their people already knew them so had no reason to discuss it, and--except for a select few trusted individuals like her mother's maid Maria--those who were not of their people knew nothing. Even Maria and the other mortals like her did not know a lot, just that they were long-lived and strong with some special abilities. She supposed they guessed about their vampirism owing to the blood in the refrigerator, but it was never spoken of that she knew of. And there was no need for them to know about the council.
"Is it a secret?'" Greg asked.
Lissianna shook herself from her thoughts and decided there was no reason not to tell him. When Uncle Lucian finished with him, he wouldn't recall anything anyway. At least, she hoped so. The alternative should they not be able to wipe his memory was unpalatable to her.
"We have a council who make and enforce the laws," she answered quietly.
"A council?" He thought about it. "Are your mother and brothers on it?"
"No. They're too young."