lips, still swollen from a punch. “In short, the old order started to crumble. Superstitious hogwash now had a basis for scientific study. Old and ancient didn’t spell fear anymore.”
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“Are you an old vampire?” Poe asked, for she couldn’t take his probing any longer.
Sainvire chuckled. “Yes, I suppose I am, only compared to you. I’m sure the silly war I fought in won’t ring any bells. I left Chicago, my home, to fight with the Abraham Lincoln Brigade against Franco in Spain.”
“This was before World War II, right? I know it.
You were like Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca. ” She smiled at history learned through the insightful textbook of films.
“I wouldn’t put it quite that way. Rick Blaine ended up owning the Café Americaine in the Hollywood version, while I got to be food for a hefty Spanish vampire woman with foul breath who had been a prostitute at a seedy Andalusian whorehouse.
Did I mention she was sex crazed? The war was a lost cause, and my idealism died when shrapnel lodged into my shoulder.” He crossed one ankle over the other. “I was thirty-four years old when I changed into what I am today. We can thank the little señorita for lapping up the blood from my shattered shoulder and biting off a chunk of my noggin and spitting blood into my brain.”
“So your nails grow and you can fly. Do you have any other talents?”
“I have many talents, Poe.” His eyes left hers and stole a quick glance at her bound bosom. What a shame, he thought. “I will be sure to show them to you, but right now, I have to finish my tale. Where was I?”
Boiling from the vampire’s suggestive words, Poe said, “You were talking about the ancient vampires and the new breeds.”
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fear about the possible consequences. So like they had done for centuries upon finding freak vampires such as myself,” he retracted his claws for effect, “they hunted them down and exterminated them. However, when the gray came, it seemed silly to kill off vampires without justification. The Council would’ve been exposed. So they allowed us to be part of the new society, never letting us forget the primal order.
“Imagine their chagrin when I came up to them and offered an alternative to pure human blood. They were livid to say the least.” He sighed. “It was my fault, really. I thought everyone was going to have a fist-slamming celebration like I did. I also was foolish enough to assume that the Council owed allegiance to me for planning the cattle idea.” He looked at Poe, wincing at the cattle reference. “Here we are at an impasse. We have the Plasmacore, but we can’t let anyone outside this library know about it.”
Again Sainvire lapsed into silence, lines appearing on his forehead. “If you must know, I…I’m the one who killed Goss and Sister Ann,” he said, almost whispering.
Poe sat frozen, stunned at the abrupt change of subject. Pure anger seeped through her system like venom, and Poe bolted out of her chair. Before Sainvire could straighten his legs, Poe sprang on him, her knee on his thigh and the point of the medical scissors at his neck.
Her voice, deep and husky with pent up fury and melancholy asked, “Why?” She thought he was Sister’s and Goss’ friend.
Sainvire didn’t change his relaxed position. He looked at her dark eyes, swimming with hate, guilt, regret, two inches from his own. Her breath smelled of wintergreen toothpaste.
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“Because I wasn’t there when they needed me,”
he answered, closing his eyes. His mouth set in a hard line. “I was out of town, secretly meeting with other vampires, giving them samples of the Plasmacore and the formula and components to recreate them.”
Poe’s hand wavered, the scissors shaking, but still she didn’t let go. Her throat seemed parched and hollow.
“A master vampire shouldn’t leave his people, and that’s what I did,” he continued, his voice deep and soft. “I found out that Goss and Sister hadn’t arrived to turn over any cattle when I met with Morales and Megan in Pico Rivera.” He opened his eyes and stared at Poe. “I went to see Goss and it was too late. Trench had already gotten to them. That was when I saw you jump out of the glass window while under attack