“Knock, knock,” Linda called cheerfully. “Hi, Joe. Can I come in?” The door clunked shut.
“What’s that?” Joe asked, a reserved tone tinged with a hint of suspicion replacing his shouts.
“I think I’ve finally perfected my praline recipe. But just to be sure… I was hoping you’d taste them again for me and tell me what you think. Your taste buds are so much more sensitive than mine. If anyone can tell me what I did or didn’t do right, it’s you.”
Silence fell… and stretched long enough to worry Cliff.
“Did you use less vanilla this time?” Joe asked slowly, haltingly, as he struggled to achieve lucidity and beat back the voices.
“I did,” Linda said, a smile in her voice.
“Okay.” A rustle sounded, followed by crunching. “Mmm. These are good.”
Cliff relaxed.
“You really think so?”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Anything else you think I should change?”
“No,” Joe responded, sounding a little more like his usual self. “I think you nailed it this time.”
“Thank you!”
More rustling ensued that Cliff suspected resulted from Linda giving Joe a hug.
Damn, he loved that woman.
He loved both women. Melanie and Linda were the perfect combination of sweet and ballsy.
“You seem a little tense,” Linda said, concern entering her voice.
Joe’s crunching slowed.
“Do you want me to give you something to take the edge off?”
More silence. Then… “Yeah. I think… I think maybe you should.”
And there was just something about the women that touched the vampires so deeply that Melanie and Linda were always able to reach them even when the vamps were at their most unstable, their most violent. When Vince had been in the grips of his last psychotic break, he had attacked pretty much everyone within reach except Melanie and Linda.
Cliff sank down on his sofa. He hoped like hell the same would be true when he started to have psychotic breaks. Because he would rather die than harm those he cared about.
Linda stayed with Joe until the sedative she administered banished the voices and eradicated for a time the paranoia that plagued him. Then she returned to the infirmary to continue her research, leaving the pralines behind for Joe to enjoy.
Sublevel 5 quieted.
In her office across the hall, Melanie suddenly gasped. “I see why Seth calls ahead to warn Sarah.”
“Sorry it took so long,” Bastien said.
Richart must have teleported him in. Damn, Cliff envied him that gift.
“Did something happen?”
Richart answered. “There were other vamps at the rendezvous site.”
“Pissing on my property,” Bastien grumbled.
Cliff frowned, angry on Bastien’s behalf. The Immortal Guardians might have demolished Bastien’s farmhouse and the tunnels beneath it, but it was still his place. He hoped Bastien kicked their asses.
“I didn’t know ’em,” a new voice blurted. “They just happened to be there, checking out Bastien’s legendary lair.” That must be Stuart, the new vampire.
“Ah,” Melanie said. “I assume you kicked their asses?”
“The madness had progressed too far in all of them,” Bastien told her. “They were beyond our help, so we destroyed them.”
A smile entered her voice. “And enjoyed it a little too much, I’m guessing.”
“Just with the pisser.”
Cliff grinned.
“Dude,” Stuart said, fascination entering his voice, “you’re dating a human? Y’all can do that?”
Melanie must have made some kind of affectionate gesture.
The quiet that followed made Cliff shake his head in amusement. Bastien still couldn’t believe Melanie cared for him and constantly worried about the possible repercussions fraternizing with him might have for her here at the network.
“Yes, we’re dating.” Melanie sounded as though she was trying not to laugh. “And the jury is still out on whether or not it’s acceptable because Bastien has a bit of a checkered past.”
Cliff had to laugh at that. Checkered past was a hell of an understatement.
“I didn’t formally introduce myself the other night,” she continued. “I’m Dr. Melanie Lipton. It’s nice to meet you, Stuart.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m sorry I cut you.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Cliff knew she didn’t mind the skirmish that had resulted in Stuart wounding her because it had led to her first kiss with Bastien. “Welcome to the network.”
“Thank you.”
“I head the viral research we’re doing here and frequently work with the other vampires. There are two currently in residence—Cliff and Joe.”
“Welcome, Stuart,” Cliff said. He didn’t raise his voice. Vampire hearing was so acute Stuart would have no difficulty hearing him despite the thick walls that separated them. “I’m Cliff. It’ll be nice to have another vampire to hang around with.” Although he hated to admit it, having a vamp around who wasn’t yet battling