Missing Vampire: Reward Available (Hypernaturals 6)

Last Trip to Bulgaria

The Siren Hall looks pretty good, relative to two weeks ago. The tables are refinished, but the pockmarks from bullets remain. Splinters glued back down and smoothed, and then stained and coated in many layers of varnish. In a way, it gives the tables more character.

The wood plank walls are the same. Refinished in a light, more blonde color, so that the Hall did not look so dark. 

All the windows are repaired. Other than the sills being repainted, it is hard to tell anything ever happened there.

The Hall is full of Sirens, milling about. Drinking. Talking. Vera's sisters are at their usual table.

Kuzman waited by the bar, and I waved, pointed at the table full of women, and I headed over there first, with Vera and Angel. Jessica, Helen, and Morgan went to the bar to start on beer.

That is the entire retinue this time. No Crew at all. Everyone is off home, catching up on whatever business they left undone while they were here, dealing with the recent HPA unpleasantness.

Vera introduced me. 'Sisters: This is the Liaison. Adrian. Call him anything else, he gets in a snit.

"I assume a 'snit' is a bad thing?" a woman asked, smiling.

"The worst." Vera agreed.

"Welcome, Liaison. I am Rosica. These are my sisters: Sashka, Olga, and Lidiya. You are our Sisters Vera's former lover? So she says."

"For seven years we were lovers, yes." I admitted. "I came over here to make arrangements to support Toma's children in the creche. I understand he has three? A very successful singer?"

"You are correct. In both ways. Three children. Three different siren mothers. Very successful. We shall miss him deeply. As Siren men go, he was one of the better ones. A better lover. A better person. Not so good at the 'keeping a job' part of life. NO one is perfect. As a Siren goes, he may have been TOO nice." Rosica said.

Vera snorted. "Well, that describes Adrian to a damn 'T' as well. You know how sometimes you just want a guy to throw you face-first on the bed and jump you, hold you by the neck? The hair. Pound you senseless? Good luck getting HIM to do it. You want to get a fuck and cuddle? He is your guy."

I looked over at Angel, who quickly schooled the amusement out of her face.

"I do like a 'fuck and cuddle' now and then." Rosica said. The other three ladies bobbed their heads in agreement.

"See, Vera? I am NOT totally useless in the sack." I said.

"Yeah, well, I had an Angel find me some local talent because it does me no good that you are not 'totally useless' when I get NONE of it anymore." Vera told me.

"Who decided that?" Angel asked.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I would not say I decided it? I would say I fucked it up." Vera groused.

"Well, at least your horns were recently polished, and he is ready for more when you are. He enjoyed being with you very much he said." Angel said.

"You should join in next time!" Vera told her.

"I might." Angel said, in a way that said to me 'I might not'.

"Well, be that as it may, I do not know how much money per month or per year a child in the Creche requires. Here is a down payment." I pulled out cash from my back pocket. "This is Fifty-Thousand Euros. Should be a starter? I will pay more as required, of course. If they want to go to school, things like that as well."

"Uh...." Rosica was struck speechless, looking at the cash in her hand. "I have never seen this much money in one place in my entire life." She finally said.