"The hospital," she said. "For emergencies."
He gave her a long, measured stare, and then shrugged and put a simple cross symbol on the bag - already a quarter full - before returning it to the holder beside her chair.
Shane opened his mouth, but Oliver said, "Don't even consider saying it. Yours is already spoken for."
Shane responded to that with a gagging sound.
"Precisely why it's not earmarked for my account," Oliver said. "I do have standards. Now, if either of you feel any nausea or weakness, press the button. Otherwise, I'll be back in a few minutes."
He rose and walked toward the door, but hesitated with his hand on the knob. He turned back to them and said, "I received the invitation."
For a moment, Claire didn't know what he was talking about, but then she said, "Oh. The party."
"The engagement party," he said. "You should speak with your friends about the . . . political situation."
"I - What? What are you talking about?"
Oliver's eyes held hers, and she was wary of some kind of vamp compulsion, but he didn't seem to be trying at all. "I've already tried to warn Michael," he said. "This is unwise. Very unwise. The vampire community in Morganville is already . . . restless; they feel humans have been given too much freedom, too much license, in their activities of late. There was always a clearly drawn relationship of - "
"Serial killers and victims," Shane put in.
"Protector and those Protected," Oliver said, flashing a scowl at her boyfriend. "One that is of necessity free of too much emotional complication. It's an obligation that vampires can understand. This - connection between Michael and your human friend Eve is . . . raw and messy. Now that they threaten to sanction it with legal status . . . there is resistance. On both sides, from vampires and humans alike."
"Wait," Shane said. "Are you seriously telling us that people don't want them to get married?"
"There is a certain sense that it is not appropriate, or wise, to allow vampire-human intermarriage."
"That's racist!"
"It has nothing to do with race," Oliver said. "It has everything to do with species. Vampires and humans have a set relationship, and from the vampire standpoint, it's one of predator and prey."
"I still think you mean parasite and host."
Oliver's temper flared, which was dangerous; his face changed, literally shifted, as if the monster underneath was trying to get out. Then it faded, but it left a feeling in the room, a tingling shock that made even Shane shut up, at least for now. "Some don't want Michael and Eve to marry," he said. "You may take it from me that even those who are indifferent believe that it will go badly for all involved. It's unwise. I've told him this, and I've tried to tell her. Now I'm telling you to stop them."
"We can't!" Claire said, appalled. "They love each other!"
"That has exactly nothing to do with what I am saying," the vampire told her, and opened the door to the room. "I care nothing about their feelings. I am talking about the reality of the situation. A marriage is politically disastrous, and will ignite issues that are best left smoldering. Tell them that. Tell them it will be stopped, one way or another. Best if they stop it themselves."
"But - "
The door shut on whatever she was going to say, and anyway, Claire wasn't sure she really had any idea. She looked over at Shane, who seemed just as speechless as she was.
But he was, of course, the first to recover his voice. "Well," he said, "I told him so."
"Shane!"
"Look, vampires and humans together have never been a good idea. It's like cats and mice hooking up. Always ends badly for the mouse."
"It's not vampires and humans. It's Eve and Michael."
"Which is different how, exactly?"
"It - just is!"
Shane sighed and put his head back against the cushions. "Fine," he said. "But no way am I breaking Eve's heart. You get to tell her the wedding's off, courtesy of the vampire almost-boss. Just let me know so I can put my headphones on the going-deaf setting to drown out the screaming and wailing."
"You are such a coward."