Chapter 10
“That was…a movie,” Heath said when the credits started rolling.
Jason hummed and pushed his light brown hair off his forehead. “I think it was about killing the patriarchy more than killing the love interest. I think…I think maybe perhaps I liked it?”
Bryan stretched. “Clearly, the love interest was the house. It was very romantic.”
Raven was starting to feel self-conscious, afraid they’d ask him for an opinion any moment now. Jason always does that. He did whenever we watched something on one of our laptops. His, mostly. Mine crashed too often.
Before that could happen, Heath stood and cleared his throat. “It’s time for snacks.”
He looked at the table, which held a few plastic containers that looked like they were designed to keep the food inside cold or warm, depending.
Jason hummed and moved his feet off the book bag, which he’d used as a footrest. “I could eat, but I didn’t want to interrupt the movie. Some people are super particular about that, but I was wondering what you have there.”
The curly-haired blond, Clement, snorted. “You wouldn’t enjoy that, human. You’re human, and you need human food. It used to be that guests were offered that when joining a gathering.”
“You don’t need to call me ‘human,’ you know. I have a name. And I’m really fine. I don’t want to put y’all out.”
Heath looked at Jason like he was only now seeing him. “Oops. I guess… Would you like a drink, Jason?”
Bryan hissed again. “I’ll go downstairs and find some snacks for our guest.”
Jason raised his hands. “Guys, I don’t mean to cause any trouble. I’m fine with a drink, honest.” He looked at Raven. “We can drink to you being back.”
The world went quiet and narrow around Raven, as if the lights and sounds had been switched off. He watched Bryan leave, with Clement going along, the pair of them arguing if their faces were anything to go by.
A hand landed on Raven’s shoulder. “…isn’t that right?”
Maxim’s eyes had found him again. Why is he always there? How does he aways know? He doesn’t, does he? I’ve not even been back a day, and I feel like I fell asleep on top of an anthill—itchy and achy all over.
Raven tensed, balled a fist, and tried to breathe out without bursting into tears. “Sure.”
Maxim smiled, the expression only affecting his mouth. His eyes were probing, not missing anything. “In that case, we’ll try some of the liquor we have around. Only for those who want to imbibe, of course.”
Heath gasped while opening one of the containers. “Are you making fun of me? Again? Raven, don’t listen to him, and try this blood cookie.”
Raven looked at where Heath was taking a bite out of something that resembled a steamed dumpling. A beetroot dumpling, maybe.
“Blood cookie?”
Heath nodded while he chewed. “Really good. They’re made with…cellulose? Or agar. Or something. They’re not really cookies, but—ignore me. They’re really good. Here.”
He held out the container to Raven, and at the same time, Maxim moved his hand off Raven’s shoulder. It was the second thing that made Raven frown, even as the smell of the weird cookies made him realize he was thirsty.
The elevator returned with a ding, spitting out Clement and Bryan.
“…but more than that, why would you lurk in my foyer like some ghoul, leading guests around the house?”
Clement sniffed. “I am present. If you consider that lurking, I cannot help you. You’re a child, so how would you know the difference?”
There was more hissing. Raven looked at the strange cookies, took one, and bit into it.
It was good. Really good. This consistency was strange—more squishy than crumbly, very moist—but the flavor was like nothing Raven had ever had. It was delicious in a completely unfamiliar way.
“Tastes like…lemon?”
Jason pretended to be shocked. “You just ate that! Lemon, seriously?”
Heath plunked down on the couch next to Raven, the container still in his hand. “I think it tastes…lemony too. But good, right? You can do so much with blood if you just put your mind to it. Have another.”
Raven was still eating the first cookie. He looked at where he’d taken a bite out of it. “This is really blood? I’m really…” He turned. Maxim was watching again, quietly observing. Raven spoke to him, ignoring the others. “Am I really a vampire?”
“Yes.”
Raven turned the cookie in his hand. “I thought maybe… People make mistakes sometimes. I thought maybe that was what happened. That someone made a mistake.”
“You’re a vampire. There’s no mistake.”
Raven nodded. “Eating this makes me really thirsty. How about that drink, huh?”
Maxim nodded, a minute movement. “Yes. Let’s drink to Bryan’s eclectic movie selection. And to friends.”
Jason snorted. “If you’re making fun of me for carrying your books after you, Mr. Vallois—”
Maxim stood. “Not at all, Jason. You are a good friend—one of the rarest kind.”
Raven watched Maxim as he rounded the couch, but he turned when movement drew his attention. Jason was leaning into Heath’s personal space and looking at the container with the cookies.
“So these’re really blood?”
“They’re blood cookies. I clearly said that they’re blood cookies.” Heath was frowning at Jason. “Why are you looking at them like that?”
“Lemme have one. I mean, that’s okay, right? I can’t get sick from them?”
Clement cackled, the sound humorless. “This is what this house has fallen to. Human guests are starved until they will eat whatever scraps the vampires leave.”
Bryan hissed at him yet again.
“It’s not like that.” Jason’s hand hovered over one of the cookies. “Can I?”
Heath’s eyes were going wide. “W-well, yeah. I mean, all our donors are healthy, and these’re always made fresh, so—”
Jason grabbed one of those cookies and stuffed the soft creation into his mouth while smiling at him. “Hmmmm… Hm. Not terrible, right?”
Raven saw the red now, saw it on Jason’s teeth, because Jason could be a messy eater and had a tendency to try to talk while chewing.
Heath stared, his mouth hanging open. Then he shut it and nodded. “Yup. Yeah, exactly right, this is good.” He shoved one more cookie into his own mouth then held the container out to Raven. “One more?”
Raven tried to curb the chuckles as both Heath and Jason looked at him with a sheen of blood on their lips and teeth. The chuckle turned into a full-blown laugh, and before he knew what had hit him, tears filled the corners of his eyes while his diaphragm pinched from the laughter.
“Dude,” Jason said, eyeing the remaining cookies. “You okay?”
Raven put his hand over his mouth. “I think you’re officially a cannibal now, Jay.”
Jason’s eyes went wide. “What, me? No, that’s not right. You’re only a cannibal if you, like, eat people.” He pointed at the cookies. “That’s not people.”
Clement and Bryan were standing in front of the screen, watching them.
“You did this,” Clement said. “You ruined your favorite resident and the handsome guest.”
“You stay behind your bar and mind your own damn business. Heath, I got fudgy chocolate bites for you.”
Clement snorted. “And the guest?”
Raven leaned back, relaxed. He lifted his feet onto the couch and finished the cookie he’d been eating before taking one more from Heath.
Heath handed him the container—probably a good idea, seeing as how that moved it out of Jason’s easy reach. “Have the rest of them. I’ll… We have some cake that’s nice too, and the chocolate… I mean, thanks, Bryan, but I was actually thinking of sticking to blood for a while. I’ve been…missing it.”
Bryan looked nonplussed. “Missing it?”
Jason pointed. “Yeah, that. It’s not too bad. I think I’ll try the blood cake.”
“I didn’t say it was blood cake.”
Maxim tsked from behind them. “Darling, if Jason feels the need to explore a new culinary field, let him. And have the chocolate Bryan specifically got for you. It’s rude to reject special treats.”
The hunter carried over a bottle and several glasses.
Jason gasped. “Whoa, is that real?”
“The Armagnac?” Maxim asked.
“Yes. It looks fancy. Mr. Vallois, this is nice and all, and you’re super kind for offering me blood cakes and all that.
I mean, don’t think that it’s enough to make me forget that you left nothing but a note when you took my roomie with you.
But I’ll tell you right off the bat that I don’t know my cheap vodka from your over-expensive whiskey or whatever that drink is, so… ”
“No harm in that. This is a type of brandy. Our palates change only if exposed to new things. Raven, do you drink?”
Their eyes met again, and Raven’s thoughts drifted. They’re such a bright green. Jason’s eyes look green in the right light, but Maxim’s are like emeralds. Why does it feel like I’m under a spell when I look at him?
Raven swallowed the last bit of the blood cookie. He’d finished all of them, barely realizing how hungry he’d been. A trace of red remained at the bottom of the container.
“I drink.”
“He’s a total lightweight though,” Jason said. “I’ll watch you, Raven.”
“Nothing bad has ever happened to anyone who got drunk in this house,” Bryan said as he squeezed in between Heath and Jason.
“Which is an unholy surprise.” Clement sat down on Jason’s other side. “Human, I brought you breads and spicy dips, pickled and sweetened things, and honey-drizzled cookies. Eat.”
Jason took in the platter Clement uncovered with a hungry gaze. “I told you I have a name, yeah? This looks really nice. Thank you.”
Raven took a glass from Maxim. It was filled with amber liquid. Their fingers brushed, the contact so brief Raven shouldn’t even have noticed, but he did. It was as if Maxim spoke only to him.
“To all the bright things we’re yet to see.”
Bright things…
Raven took the drink, eyed the spirit that was the color of polished copper.
Heath cleared his throat. “Bright things sounds about right. Bryan, release the next movie. That one’s a rom-com, right? No murder this time?”
Bryan’s response was mumbled, and Raven couldn’t quite make it out. They’d barely watched the first reel when Jason asked where the blood cakes were at.