The Trouble with Hades

Chapter 9

Brad was quiet during dinner. He wasn't usually talkative, but he would interact with the rest of the family while we ate. Tonight though, he was either deep in thought or distracted. It seemed as if I was the only one that noticed. With Beatrice and Niko keeping a conversation flowing, I suppose that the quiet one would easily get overlooked.

Dinner for Brad and Niko consisted of raw meat. It wasn't a regular thing, but if Niko was in the mood for a family dinner, this was what they had. Afterward, they would go in search of something more substantial. I suppose he could be bored with raw meat and wanted to feed, but I'd learned that when Niko got a bug up his ass about something, there was no changing it. So, family dinners were a thing that could not be shifted.

I said that I wasn't going to tease, but Brad wasn't making it easy on me. I'd lay money on this being about Nora. Maybe they'd decided against going further. It seemed an impossible suggestion, but I could see both of them being worried about it going pear-shaped.

If that was the case and it was about Nora and the concerns they had, it needed to be talked about. Niko would be able to help. He always had insightful words and helped wherever he could.

Glancing at Niko, I raised my eyebrows and subtly tilted my head at the silent one. Niko grimaced, almost like he detested my request.

"Care to share what is bothering you, Bradley?"

His head lifted from where he'd been watching as he pushed the piece of cut steak around on his plate.

"It's fine," he murmured.

"Clearly, it's not, so do us all a favor and call upon your loved ones for assistance."

Brad sighed, leaning back into his seat.

"Nora has concerns about the age gap."

Bingo. Niko frowned like he couldn't understand what they were worried about. I didn't know either. It's not like she was an old woman. She looked young, but it was a flawed statement anyway, considering Nora is a vampire. Maybe she was super old. Could Karina be the late-in-life miracle?

"How old is Nora?"

"Thirty-six."

Oh my god. They were a pair of drama queens. I scoffed, earning a frown.

"Eight years is nothing. You're wasting our time with this conversation."

Niko joined Brad in frowning at me. I rolled my eyes and returned to my pasta. It was more entertaining than this nonsense.

"You're twenty-eight if my math is correct, right?"

Brad nodded.

"I fail to see the issue."

"Told you so," I muttered.

"It's a bit of a gap, Evie."

"It's not really."

"I'm inclined to agree with Evelyn in this matter. Eight years is not a concern."

"This is a different era," he muttered. "You don't understand."

Beatrice reached out, gripping Brad's balled fist.

"Darling, look at your grandparents. Do you know the age gap between Niko and me?"

He shook his head.

"Two hundred years."

"See? That's an age gap. No one cares, do they?"

Beatrice chuckled, and I shot a challenging smile at Brad. He was not impressed. Did I care? Nooope.

"No, they don't. I found myself a handsome toy boy vampire and couldn't resist. Don't worry about a paltry eight years. I know that the world is different from what Niko is used to, but you can't be bound by what is happening in one era when you will live through many. Vampires are immortal, and age means little to them. No one is going to concern themselves with your age. Most won't even care to ask."