Chapter 1
“You’re fifty-one?”
Victoria laughed and smiled graciously, with an air of flirtation that disarmed most mortals.
“Actually, closer to four-hundred and fifty-one.”
The middle-aged man staring at her driver’s license rubbed his eyes to make sure he was seeing things clearly. The name plate sitting on his desk identified him as Gary. Gary glanced up and down from the license to Victoria, before his eyes traveled along her curvy figure. His cheeks turned red from embarrassment and attraction, and she detected a slight change in his scent. Lust, no matter how small, had a distinct smell.
“Uh,” he stuttered, doing everything he could to keep his gaze locked on her license. “I have to ask, what’s your secret?”
“Plastic surgery. Lots and lots of plastic surgery.”
“Your doctor deserves a medal.” He pushed his chair back and looked past the walls separating his desk, his tiny world, from his fellow employees on both sides. “Hey, Danielle, check this out. We’ve found the Fountain of Youth over here.”
Victoria crossed her legs, uncomfortable with the attention and unprofessional behavior, yet keeping the smile on her face. She could fake being mortal with the best of them. She laughed shortly and thanked Danielle graciously as the praise poured in. Every compliment centered around the thought of you look so good for your age.
They had no idea.
Four centuries of life. She’d spent most of that time working from the shadows, but still accomplished much. Challenges came and went. She’d saved lives, sometimes entire countries, possibly even the world here and there. She’d come to terms with what she was, and the never-ending thirst that was a constant companion.
Still, as far as challenges went, she’d rather spend twenty minutes going fang-to-claw with a werewolf than waiting in line at the Department of Motor Vehicles.
The DMV was crowded, as she imagined it typically was. Miserable men and women from all walks of life fidgeted in place, stared at their mobile phones, frowned at the clock on the wall. Gary and Danielle should have been tending to the people waiting their turn, but instead would rather fawn over the shape of a woman they thought to be five decades old. Victoria sensed some of the glares she was getting. Her keen ears picked up conversations, quickening heartbeats. Some rolled their eyes at the sight of employees wasting their time talking with Victoria. Others envied her.
“My ex, when we were dating—I’m single now,” Gary added. “She has the same last name as yours.”
“Is that so? Maybe we’re related.”
“Oooh, I don’t think so. I think I’d remember you at any family dinners.”
Gary maintained eye contact, trying to gauge if Victoria was interested in the least. As flattered as she was, she simply wanted to renew her driver’s license and leave. She didn’t have a boyfriend, liked to go on the occasional date, but had the feeling Gary wasn’t her type.
He processed her renewal with agonizing slowness, no doubt in an attempt to keep her at his mercy a while longer. Victoria remembered when automobiles slowly gained traction in the world. She remembered when the first laws were put into place to regulate their use. She remembered her first speeding ticket, given to her by a handsome policeman named Roger. They’d spent the evening together and she fed from him that same night.
There was the first time she renewed her license, so long ago. Special arrangements had to be made due to the fact that vampires and the sun didn’t mix very well. Surprisingly, with the technological advancements humans had made, going to the DMV was still painful.
“I’m sorry this is taking so long,” Gary said.
“No trouble at all.”
“What do you have planned for the day? Where are you heading after here?”
Victoria smiled, glad to finally have the chance to say something honest, at least partially. She had a task looming before her, but not until later.
“I think today I’m just going to enjoy being outside.”
“Oh man, tell me about it. I’ve been cooped up in here all morning. Is it nice out?”
“Overcast, and it looks like it might rain.”
“That doesn’t sound like a nice day.”
“Believe me, any day outside is nice.”
It was another ten minutes of one-sided flirting before she was finally able to sit up straight in the chair and stare into the camera. Being a vampire had its drawbacks. She often wondered what it was like to taste a pepperoni pizza, or a spoonful of ice cream, without getting sick. However, being photogenic was one of the many perks. Her figure was enhanced by the supernatural. She would always have a tone body, beautiful skin, bright red hair. Her complexion was fair; her skin would never tan. But that was a minor quibble. The mortals she lured away into the darkness for a quick sip certainly didn’t complain about her pale skin.
Her lip curled into a smile as she looked over her license, at features that would never change. Five and a half feet tall. One-hundred twenty pounds. The woman staring back at her easily passed for thirty years old. Her smile faded as she sensed Gary continuing to stare at her. She had to get moving before he dropped to one knee and proposed. Gary and Danielle’s amazement at how good she looked for her age reinforced a sad thought. A change in identity was inevitable, and it drew closer than she would have liked. She couldn’t remain Victoria forever.
“Okay, wonderful,” she said, gathering her purse. “So we’re done here?”
“I’m afraid we are,” he said, sadness in his voice. “But it was a pleasure. Next time, though, you can always renew your license online.”
Victoria flinched at this new information. She suddenly felt very old, which she was. When did this happen? She could have skipped the tantalizing trip to the DMV completely? She made a mental note to yell at Kevin Mishnar, one of her dear friends. Kevin was a full-blooded witch, and enjoyed technology as much as he did cats and brewing mysterious potions. It was his job to keep her updated on all the latest happenings in the tech world, and avoiding the DMV should have been high on that list.
She managed to smile once again, so she wouldn’t frown as she walked away. Leaving Gary and Danielle behind, her sense of smell thanked her as she stepped into the morning air. The scents of unwashed underarms and dirty clothes vanished as the daylight greeted her. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the moment, reaching out with her nose and ears, her favorite two senses. A dog urinated on a tree not far away, the scent of urine mixing with a rosebush. A man and woman argued in a parked car about a boyfriend the woman had on the side. A mother quickly crossed the street, holding her daughter’s hand, while they talked about what they were going to eat for breakfast. Victoria laughed when the daughter suggested cookie dough ice cream.
A man bumped into her harshly as he made his way inside. He didn’t apologize, didn’t slow down. He simply pushed past Victoria rudely, reminding her that not everyone shared her love of the morning.
“Get out of the way,” he hissed.
“And good morning to you, too,” she said.
Through the glimpses into the lives of the couples, families, and assholes around her, she remained aware of one thing.
The sun felt wonderful on her face.
The clouds parted momentarily, and the light that most mortals took for granted caught her eye. She raised her hand, blinded, before fishing in her purse for her cheap sunglasses. A grin took hold as she allowed herself another moment of reflection. A vampire with sunglasses. She hoped there would never be a time when she reached for them and didn’t appreciate the unique position she was in.
She’d spent centuries away from the day, living her life constantly keeping sunrise and sunset in the back of her mind. The last time she saw the sun with mortal eyes was the day her family was slaughtered by the vampire that changed her. She helped her father in the fields, helped her mother cook dinner, and then went to bed. She woke up to screams and blood, before being brutalized herself. Never once did she see their attacker, or even hear him make a noise. She wasn’t sure what consumed her the most those first hundred years. Trying to find the vampire that killed her family, or never seeing the sun again.
Then the witch popped into her life.
When Victoria met Kevin Mishnar she broke his neck and buried him in a coffin. The supernatural world didn’t agree on much, but they all agreed that a witch was too powerful to be left alive. Magic had no place in the mortal or supernatural world. It didn’t matter if the witch was a frail old woman, a young child, or a lively teenager. But Kevin wasn’t easy to kill, and somehow, some way, the two became friends.
It was Kevin’s magic that let her walk in the day. Victoria was the only vampire that could.
She crossed the parking lot and headed toward her Porsche, the favorite of the vehicles she owned. Despite the clouds threatening overhead, she rolled the top back as she settled behind the wheel. A little rain never hurt anyone. Armed with her new license, she had some time to herself, a rare thing. She’d made her millions a long time ago, and hadn’t worked a real job in quite a while. Ownership of several large companies kept her coffers full. Still, it seemed her time was always in demand for one reason or another.
Starting her car, she leaned back in the seat and thought of something fun to do. Despite her age, Victoria wasn’t a complicated woman. She liked to go out, watch movies, enjoy Baltimore, spend time with friends. The local movie theater was five minutes away, and she had several bottles of blood on ice in the trunk to get by. There was her upcoming chore, but she had plenty of time to catch a movie or two. Perhaps there would be a delicious man or woman sitting in the dark who wouldn’t mind a vampire slipping a pair of fangs into their neck.
She turned to glance behind her, and was a second away from putting the car in reverse when the smartphone inside her purse rang. Victoria froze instantly. Not many people had her number, and the ones that did had it for a reason. She cherished her close group of friends, and did her best not to let them go to voicemail.
Her eyes narrowed in confusion as she glanced at the caller ID. It was Tony, a mortal friend of hers. He owned several clubs throughout Baltimore, of which Victoria owned a small percentage. She’d known his family for several generations.
“Tony?” she greeted.
“Hey, Victoria.” His voice was deep and authoritative. She often joked with him about becoming a voice actor. “It’s been a while.”
A while was a matter of perspective. It had been six months, a half of a year. A year was a very important measurement of time for a mortal. To Victoria, six months was nothing.
“Yeah. How are you?”
“Pretty good, but actually, I could use a little help,” he said, pausing. She could sense his confusion on the other end. “Are you talking outside?”
Victoria laughed as she flipped her long hair over her shoulder and settled in her seat. Tony was one of the few mortals that knew what she was. But he didn’t know the secret she kept close, that the sun no longer threatened her.
“Of course not,” she said. “What’s going on? Is everything okay? There’s no problem with sending my check out this month, is there?”
It was Tony’s turn to chuckle. They never discussed finances. He didn’t know much about Victoria’s personal life, but knew she certainly didn’t depend on the money he sent her.
“No, money is okay. At least for now. Look, I don’t want to talk about this over the phone.”
She leaned forward. “Tony? You’re freaking me out a little here.”
“I’m sorry, just…can you come to the club tonight?”
“Which one?” she said, smiling slightly. “You have a few.”
“You know the one. Gentlemen’s. Russell Street. Don’t worry, I’ll have you home before bedtime.”
Victoria hesitated. She did have plans.
“Is this important?” she asked directly. “I’ve got something I have to do, and there’s a trip coming up I need to pack for.”
“I promise. It’s not a waste of time.”
She let out a sigh. The truth was she was being selfish. She could squeeze Tony into her night. But that would mean the me time she thought she had was gone. It surprised her how much she was looking forward to taking in a movie during the day, possibly nursing from a juicy vein in the back row. But Tony was a good man, and didn’t ask for help often. Another benefit of being a vampire was that as long as Victoria avoided fire she had many more days to come.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Thanks. I owe you one.”
Victoria hung up and shook her head. Not only did existing in the sunlight open a whole new world for her, it let her do more chores for people.
Still, life was good, and with what was on her plate, it looked to be an interesting day.
Don’t worry, I’m still here. 🙂 I “really” went on blackout this time around, much more than usual. Part of the reason is because I’ve been thinking about the next novel, and while I have an idea, I might try something else first, but more on that in a minute.
