on to the next door, which I unlock and open in a single motion. Nothing appears out of place. I turn to continue when a small noise from behind pulls me around. One of the maids, a young local woman of Inuit Indian heritage, walks toward me.
“Hello, Iona, how are you?” I’ve never been an uppity boss; I know every one of our employees by name.
“Hi, Vivian, I’m good.” She greets me with a warm smile. “Are you doing a last-minute check before the next bunch?”
My real name is Alexandria, but Iona, like everyone else since the day the sign for The V V Inn went up, calls me Vivian. Iona’s worked here about a year and has proven herself to be an incredibly organized woman. She’s one of the few employees not imported from another state or country. Her family resides in the nearby town, Dead Foot, with a population of only a few hundred.
“Yes,” I answer, “but I’m also up here because of an issue in room six. How long have you been on this floor today?”
Iona looks at me with a question in her eyes, probably wondering about what issue I’m referring to, but she answers quickly enough.
“I was up here with a team of three and we all left before noon.”
“Did you see any guests in this wing?”
“No,” she answers.
“What brought you back up here?”
“I’m doing a walk-through to check on the items the MacKellans requested.”
“Ah yes, the six-pack of Perrier and the Moét et Chandon White Star. That would be in the mini-fridge in room seven?” She nods in agreement. “I’ll check for it on my return through the floor.” She hesitates in leaving, like she has something to say.
“Thanks, Iona. We would’ve appeared unprofessional if we’d missed those,” I add, hoping to ease her into telling me what is on her mind.
She blushes from the acknowledgement. Iona’s attractive and the extra flush of color draws my eye to her robust good health. She looks me straight in the eye—a blatant invite in the supernatural community toward a vampire. I draw in my breath, surprised.
Iona knows a little about what goes on here. Most all of my employees do. But they’re not normally involved in the fantasies of the guests so their knowledge is sketchy. The workers do talk though, and many of them have donated blood for our virile customers.
I have a secondary trait that helps me with the clientele. It’s not as strong as my ability to project illusions, but it increases with use. I can read desires through a touch.
My hand makes contact with Iona’s starched uniform shirt and I slip into her mind. Her desires tumble close to the surface, like rainbow-colored snakes. Touching on a sliding thought, I see she hopes to be chosen to donate blood. Iona holds no hint of fear, even though she’s aware most of our guests are bloodsuckers. And she feels a strong family tie to me. In her mind, I’m like a great-aunt, one who holds a position of respect and kindness in her heart.
“Are you sure donating is a step you want to take?” I ask.
“Yes, very much so,” she says with sincerity.
When she stared into my eyes, she had innocently offered herself to me, unaware that I do not normally feed from employees.
“Iona, it would be with the guests, not with me. Is that still acceptable?”
She again holds my gaze a little too long. “Yes.”
“Sometimes it can lead to a more intimate encounter but only if you want it to. I make sure the guests know ahead of time how far you’re willing to take it.”
“I’m ready.” Her voice sounds firm, certain. “My grandmother was Junee.”
Ah, that’s why this strong Inuit woman seems so positive in her choice. Junee worked for us when we first opened our doors twenty years ago. She was an open and loving woman who enjoyed her position here for ten years.
I’ve placed a compulsion on all the workers during their employment—they can share details of sexual acts, but not of the blood donation. When they leave, I take care of the rest of the details during a specialized exit interview.
“Yes, my great aunt spoke of her very well,” I say, keeping to the ruse “my aunt” ran the inn first. The employees tell a tale every fifteen to eighteen years that’s kept us safe. After the original founder retired, then a niece and her husband ran it, and now it’s Rafe and me. I’ve inserted this belief