Christmas Consort

Two-Faced

"What do you mean telling me 'you need to go to the market'? I am not some little wife and NOT having to do all that is one of the benefits of being," Lara ran her hands down as if presenting a new fashion, "an immortal, unaging beauty."

Silas knew when she was fishing for a compliment. "Beauty extrodinaire. However, you did choose to bring home a...pet, thereby heaping responsibility on your head."

"Well that just sucks. Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't you change her? We'll bring her up together in our world, add strength to our consort, shake free of...that Ridley."

"Neither make nor take," said Silas. "Receive what is given and turn only when asked and with permission if possible. That's what the rule means."

"She won't admit it, won't admit it right now while she's," Lara searched for the right word, "in shock from her car accident. She was looking for one of us. Why else would she do that?'

"Did she say who she was looking for?"

There was no hesitation. "No. But I didn't exactly fraternize with our sort before I met you. So I wouldn't know the name even if she mentioned one."

"Well, maybe Jackson will be able to figure out who it is. He'll probably be by here in the next week or so."

Lara's eyes widened ever so slightly. "That's--that's true. And speaking of that I would like to start visiting the places he's likely to play in on the way through. I like to hear him play."

"So you keep telling me," said Silas.

"I could get dressed and go out to do that right now, and maybe you could go to the market and pick up some things for my, uh, pet?"

"I could do that. Only for you. Do you really think she wants to be one of us?"

"I do," Lara sounded so full of conviction.

"And you're sure you want to expand our consort with a female? I always thought you would bring home some younger hunk."

"A female's fine, and it's so hard to settle on one hunk, especially when you're always here for me."

"Well, then, I better wait till she's awake and find out what sort of things she likes to eat. Meanwhile I'll sort out what we have in the kitchen." He rose from his seat with reluctance, leaving his book on the side table. "I'm not much for going out among people like you are. But I'm willing to play the nice good host and try to win her over if that's what you want. Or maybe you were thinking of trying to change her yourself?"

Lara tried once and failed miserably. Having some more muscle on her side was always an appealing option. Not that she ever told Silas about what happened.

"Oh no. She'll be stronger and better off with an older bloodline like yours. Sometimes I wish that was what I had running through my veins."

He went to her and cupped her cheek, "That's very thoughtful of you, Lara. You have matured so much from the Wild One I first found in Saint Louis city. I'm proud of you."

Lara blinked and gave him a spontaneous hug. For a moment she wished she really had come as far from her old ways as he thought.

"Do you want to consort again before you go?"

"No. I better get a move on if I'm going to hit the most likely spots in Saint Louis over the next few nights. You sure you don't mind taking care of the pet?"

"No, it's fine. If she really might become part of our consort I should get to know her. You said her name was Kylie?"

Lara nodded.

"Guess we won't be SnL anymore."

"That was getting old anyway."

Kylie woke in the darkness disoriented. She hoped the previous night was only a nightmare but the strange bed she was in patently denied her fantasy. She felt rested and completely washed out at the same time.

"Oh good. You're finally awake," Lara slipped over like a shadow that only reached so far. She was keeping some distance tonight. "Oh, you should not tempt me so." She whispered, "I'll have to hit a dance club first thing. You, however, keep your delicious self close to Silas. I have arranged everything so he knows you want to be one of us except you're in shock, and he's going to get some food for you and try to get to know you. Your job, if you want to live to see your next birthday, is to get him to feed on you. He doesn't get out like I do, so with your scent it shouldn't be too hard to lure him in. Okay?"

Kylie wasn't sure how the vampire managed to make everything sound like a threat. The news that she would be gone was the best.

"Okay."

Lara looked askance. "I wouldn't get too attached to Silas if I were you. No matter how nice he seems, he's very two-faced, and he'll be moving on soon anyway."