boy has talent. That is troublesome. I should not have underestimated him. And neither should she.”
Maxine sat back in her chair. She was sorry for the passing of the vampiress and knew she should not be. Elizabeth was a monster, a predator, and had likely done terrible things. But she had also spoken of wishing to become friendly with her. Although she had not fully trusted the woman, she had enjoyed their conversation.
Any death is a tragedy. But…I do not blame Eddie. This is a war. And Dracula is winning.
“Thank you for the news. It is unfortunate, but it is not unexpected. Come, Walter.” Dracula gestured for him to enter the rest of the way. “Join us.”
“How can you so easily dismiss her death?” Maxine looked up to Vlad curiously. It was not accusatory—she was genuinely surprised.
“How many of my creatures do you think I have lost? How many do you believe I have witnessed die, or have had to euthanize by my own hand due to their madness or loss of control?” His voice was dark, like the void echoed in his words. “Take that number…and whatever you believe it may be, double it. Then double it again, and again, and again until you lose count. I am old, Miss Parker. Do not forget that. She is merely one drop in the ocean of blood that I have left in my wake.”
The room was silent.
Vlad gestured for Walter to sit. His mood shifted, and he smiled at his second-in-command. “Now, come. Miss Parker was merely detailing to me how I pursue her in a backward fashion. I was merely retorting that it seemed to work quite well in my favor, so it could not be so faulty. She resorted to violence.” He held up the roll with a smirk in her direction.
“Many have thrown far worse and heavier objects at you, my Lord,” Walter pointed out with a thin smile. The tall, pale, stoic creature seemed to be happy to see them as they were, even as he was the bearer of bad news. She could sense a quiet kind of hope in his heart. She also felt no grief over the loss of Elizabeth in him. Perhaps even relief. Curious.
“Will you join us, Walter?” She gestured to one of the empty chairs at the table. It was meant to seat six. “Please, sit by me.”
Walter glanced to Dracula, who nodded once. The younger vampire paused for a moment, as if unsure of what to do, before pulling out a chair and taking a seat.
“Tea or coffee?” she asked.
“Ah. Well.” Walter went silent and did not answer, glancing back to Dracula nervously. It seemed he would refuse to answer her.
“Very well, I assume tea.” She reached for the pot and an empty cup and saucer. “What will you take with it?”
“You do not need to do this, Miss Parker…”
“No, but it is the polite thing to do. Especially since I believe you are the one who fetched, if not prepared, all this food.” She looked up to Vlad with a coy smile. “He orders you about like you are his butler. The least I can do is make you a cup of tea.”
“I serve him willingly.”
“I know. But you do not serve me.”
Walter sat there, looking at her as though he had died in that moment. Nothing about him moved. Nothing twitched. Vampires could be so very still. Living creatures moved at all times, even unconsciously. They breathed and shifted in their chairs. But Walter simply froze as though he were a sculpture of a man instead.
He was dumbfounded. She laughed and reached out to pat the back of his hand where it rested on the table. She was grateful Vlad had let her don her gloves that morning. “How do you take your tea, Walter?”
“One sugar.” He glanced at Dracula, who was watching the scene unfold with uncharacteristic silence. He gave no indication of how he expected Walter to act. Left on his own, he looked back to her. “Thank you.”
“You lot really do not know what to do with yourselves when you are shown kindness, do you?” she observed as she handed him his tea after mixing in the sugar cube.
“No. I am afraid we do not. It is not something afforded to us often.”
“Perhaps if you did not demolish entire cities from time to time, that might not be the case.” She smirked over the table at Vlad.
“I will take your suggestion under consideration,” the Vampire