"But, whoa. Mortals at Damian's? Are you telling me he has pets there? I thought the council didn't like that kind of action."
Penny frowned. "Maybe I wasn't supposed to say anything. I never saw a vampire bite anyone." She sagged, like she was tired of the whole thing. "Which is weird. But Damian is hot, don't you think? The women were all over him. My guess is he could do whatever he wanted with them, once they were in his bedroom."
"Forget Damian and think about how you reacted to being around those mortals, Penny." I waited until she looked up at me. "To the blood. You craved it. Couldn't think of much else when you heard that sound. The pumping. Smelled that fresh-in-the-pipes juice. That's bloodlust, fledgling. And you've got about as much control over it as you did when you used to drive past McDonald's and smelled those fries."
"Which means zero." Penny looked at me in horror. "So you mean that, while she's still human, I could be a danger to Jenny? My own sister?"
"True enough." I nodded. At least this would buy me some time to work with Penny and keep her from spreading the word that, hey, vampires were in town.
"You're right. What if I go postal when I smell Jenny's blood and attack her?" Penny clapped her hand over her mouth, smearing her black lipstick.
"Entirely possible." I watched her tear up again and searched for reassurances. Facts were, though, fledglings were notoriously hard to control when they were thirsty. I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of synthetic out of the fridge.
"Drink this. When you're well fed, you're less likely to get out of control when you're around a mortal - we call them mortals, Penny." I smiled and patted her shoulder. "Come on. I still consider myself a human, don't you?"
"Y-y-yes, I guess. When I can think at all." She twisted off the cap and took a swallow, made a face, then looked at the label. "This isn't as good as what Damian gave me. Must be cheaper. And I don't think I'm crazy about A positive."
"Sorry. We'll figure out your faves later and make sure the council springs for it." I opened a bottle for myself.
Penny took a deep swallow. "Any other tips about being around mortals besides filling up first?"
"Not yet, but you don't go see Jenny without me. I can always intervene if it looks like you're losing control." I smiled. "I know you're smart and think you can figure all this out for yourself." Penny flushed and I knew I had her. "But give me credit for having been there, done that, a time or two. Okay?"
"I get that you're ancient." Penny looked me over. "Incredible to imagine. That you've been around since before airplanes, telephones" - she tipped her cold bottle at me - "microwaves!"
"Yes, a lot's changed. But some things never do." I gave her a stern look. "New vampires need guidance. And primal urges are what get you in trouble. Things you can't rationalize, Einstein."
Penny at least looked thoughtful as she sipped her synthetic. "Still, I can't imagine attacking my own sister. I haven't even tried taking blood from a, uh, mortal yet, just been drinking the bottled stuff. Wouldn't have a clue how to even go about feeding, as Damian called it, except for what I've seen on TV or movies and that looks pretty messy. What do you do about your blood supply?"
"I stick to the bottled stuff. That's why I have a fridge full. And I drink it cold because I spent a few years in Las Vegas and decided I liked it cold on a hot day. Plenty of those in Texas too." I smiled. "Feel free to nuke yours if that floats your boat. And help yourself whenever you feel the slightest bit hungry. Promise me that."
"Sure. But obviously not all vampires stick to the bottle." She brushed her neck. "The guy who took me down used me for his breakfast, lunch and dinner."
"I'm wondering why he didn't just drain you and leave you for dead. Turning you vampire is serious stuff. A responsibility for the sire and obviously a mistake in Austin." I leaned forward. "Did Damian tell you anything about that?" Gossip, I loved it. What can I say? It's one of my minor vices.
"He said this guy was starting his own little family. I remember the man, he said his name was Vince, calling me 'Daughter' when he