left open, not broken. I don’t know.”
“What’s his full name?” I’ll ask my vampire friend Slash, an IT and hacking expert, to do a full run-down on him and all his acquaintances. It won’t be hard for Slash to get the information.
“Eddie Martinez Vasquez. Do you know him?”
“No.” My voice is short. “Do you want to come to my house tonight?”
“I can’t. Abuela is here, sleeping. She might need me. And I need to take care of her.”
“Then I’ll stay with you until you feel better.”
“That might take a while. Can you stay for a few weeks?” She laughs and wipes her eyes. “Just kidding.”
For a split second, I want to tell her: yes.
Of course, I can’t really stay here for a few weeks. Not even a few days. We vampires need to succumb to our daytime torpor in the safety of a sun-proof lair, or risk being burnt to ash. But damned if I don’t wish I could bring her to my home and protect her there.
“And a really good thing happened, but now I’m not even excited about it.” Temi bites her lip, and suddenly she looks way too shaky.
I lead her into the kitchen, open a cabinet for a cup, and pour her a glass of water. “Sit down and tell me the good thing.”
“Remember what you said in the room of lights? About getting my work out there?” She sits on the edge of the chair, still full of nervous energy.
I remember a lot of things about that room. “Yes.” I sit next to her.
“Well, I’ve submitted my artwork to various places. And I got accepted for a huge important gallery exhibit for the city of Tucson. I heard from them today. It was so awesome, and then—this happened.” She gestures around the room, even though the kitchen itself is not as trashed as the front room.
“Congratulations!” I lean forward and take both her hands in mine. “You deserve it. More honors will come. You are talented.”
“Thank you.” She smiles for a second, happy, then the worry returns. “But that won’t pay the bills, not yet. And I need to figure all this out.” She slumps into her arms. “God, why do things like this happen? I hope I don’t have to drop out of school.”
“Why would you need to do that?”
“To pick up more hours at the warehouse. Eddie doesn’t contribute much around here, and I’m going to need to get things fixed up. Get an alarm system.”
I have the money—I could buy her a thousand alarm systems. A million couches and glass figurines. Hell, I could buy her a whole set of mansions, one for each day of the week.
But I instinctively know that offering to pay for her troubles, to fix it all, will not go over well. She’ll see it as patronizing, an insult, all the bad things.
“You’ll figure it out.” I believe she will. Just wish I could help.
“Will you stay with me? Just—lie down with me?” Her voice is low. “I really do feel better with you here. Safer. You know?” Before I can answer, she interrupts herself. “I mean, I could call some friends. They can come and help me clean and stay with me. I’ll call them tomorrow, too. But if you’re busy tonight, I could call them right now…” She trails off.
“I’m staying.” My voice is firm. “You don’t need to call anyone else.”
“I need to start cleaning.”
“First, you need to rest.” I lead her to her bedroom, where she pretty much collapses onto the coverlet and falls into a deep slumber the instant her body touches the fabric.
I sigh, arrange myself beside her, and pull her into my arms. She hums a little bit and her eyelids flutter, then she settles back into me.
“Rest,” I whisper into her ear. Just a suggestion, hopefully, that she’ll take to heart.
I don’t sleep during the night. I quickly blur around the house, cleaning up trash, arranging what’s salvageable, and ensuring all the broken shards of glass are removed from the carpet. Even though I know she won’t want a ton of help, I make a few calls to vampire friends who have business contacts and set up some workmen to come tomorrow: glass replacement for the windows. A new lock for the front door. And someone to look into the step-brother.
Then I come back and hold her again, keeping watch with my keen perception, listening in case the intruders return. But no persons approach the house; the only things