such news, but I wasn’t surprised. I hadn’t said I was marrying a pediatrician I’d been dating for three years. This was William, a vampire, a man I’d known for only a few months.
“I can sense you’re worried, maybe even a little surprised.”
“Both,” she confirmed. “I’m happy for you. Your life was bound to be unconventional once you started work for the Council. But I’m concerned about what happens if you want out of this relationship.”
“Are you saying vampires don’t grant divorces?”
“That is exactly what I am saying,” Lily said.
“I doubt a piece of paper from a judge would make a difference anyway,” I said. “As far as William is concerned, we are already a couple permanently. The ceremony is a formality for me.”
Lily ran her finger over the rim of her wine glass, averting her eyes for a moment. She was anxious to ask me something.
“Has he asked you to drink his blood?”
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “He hasn’t really drank from me either…there were a few nips at Hearst Castle, but since then nothing. I had been hoping…”
“Olivia, you want to drink his blood?” Lily asked, incredulous. “Once you do that it will be impossible to separate from him. He’s already tasted you; you will carry his blood in your veins. You will be linked together and able to feel one another’s emotions, share thoughts. It is an ancient kind of magic that should not be entered into lightly.”
This was the second time in recent weeks that it was made clear to me that reading a vampire’s thoughts was not only a skill unheard of in humans, it was also frowned upon. I wondered what Lily would do if I told her the extent of my abilities, and then quickly I ruled out doing so. Keeping my own counsel was becoming ever more important. As much as I wanted to confide everything to her, I knew now that some things were better left unsaid.
“I didn’t say I wanted to,” I said sheepishly. “But I am curious. When we’re together, I feel this overwhelming hunger to taste him. We both do, and I would be lying if I didn’t wonder what it would be like.”
“If I were you, I would put off making such a decision until you’ve spent more time with him,” Lily said. “There’s no rush.”
True, I thought to myself, uninterested in drawing out such unhappy issues. Then I maneuvered the conversation back to more pleasant topics, such as what kind of dress I should wear for the ceremony, and whether we should visit certain landmarks. Our time quickly evaporated, and in short order we left the house to walk to the restaurant.
I hadn’t been back to The Moss Room since the night I first met Gabriel. The newspapers had posted a story announcing the restaurant was closing to remodel, and yet somehow our French host had been able to reserve the entire space for our private dining pleasure. It was the kind of grandiose gesture he was known for. Gabriel was unselfish in his lavishness, always ensuring that others benefitted from the extravagance.
We walked down the staircase into the main dining room, which had been festooned with dozens of candles and small vases filled with tulips and peonies. Most of Gabriel’s top staff people were present, but I did not see Nikola or Zoran in the crowd.
“Bonsoir,” I said, greeting Gabriel with a traditional kiss on both cheeks. Lily leaned in and gave him a kiss on one cheek, grasping his hand in one of hers for a gentle squeeze.
“Good evening, ladies,” he said, as a server passed by us with a tray of Champagne-filled flutes.
“This all can’t be for one election,” I remarked, hoping that there was more to celebrate than me.
“Yes, yes of course,” Gabriel said. “We won many elections across the country. Not as many as we would have hoped for, but overall our results were positive. This also is to celebrate you, the first human ever to be employed by the Council, and for you to meet a few more of the members of the organization.”
It was a version of the truth, but again, I knew Gabriel was once again holding something back. Invariably, these inconsistencies occurred when we were standing amidst a crowd of people, with no way for me to press further. I hoped that if he traveled to Paris to see my mother’s show, we would have an opportunity to talk privately about whatever it was he was