34
Astarion had gone his entire life without hugging a bird. He had no intention of breaking that streak now, but he came very close.
“Has anyone told you that you are a veritable paragon among waterfowl?”
Rooftop Henry’s eyes narrowed. “If they did, I’d shit on their head. Why? You caught someone gossiping?” He spat. “Wasn’t a pigeon, was it? That damn Light Feather’s always insulting me, thinks I won’t notice.”
“Errr…no.” Astarion slid the precious vial into his jacket, somewhat awkwardly since he had to use his left hand. “Never mind. Thank you, Henry.” He bowed as theatrically as he would have for Cazador, and with rather more sincerity.
The gull shrugged. “Nothin’ to it. Grabbed it out of the water thinkin’ it might be a bat.”
“A…bat.”
“Yeah, the little buggers around here fall into the water sometimes.”
“Please eat all the bats. Nasty little beasts.” Astarion shuddered at the memory of his time as a bat.
“Eh, there’s good eatin’ on a bat.” He cocked an orange eye at Astarion. “?’Course, they’re better with sauce…”
“I shall bring you a bottle of sauce as soon as possible,” Astarion promised. “Unfortunately, I’m dripping blood at the moment.”
“Doesn’t bother me.”
“No, but it might bother the staff at the fish and chips shop.”
Henry made a polite scoffing sound as he took to the air. “This is Baldur’s Gate, Mister Zombie. You think you’re the first toff to walk in and order food while you’re bleedin’ out?”
Astarion stifled a sigh. “You are,” he admitted, “entirely correct.”
* * *
—
“Do you have the blood?” Dalyria demanded.
“Only one vial.” Astarion set down the goblet of blood he’d been drinking, feeling the ache in his injured hand begin to recede. “Violet smashed the other one.”
Dalyria shook her head. “It will have to do, I suppose.” She held out her hand.
It took a moment for Astarion to realize what she was getting at. “This one goes to the old man. I’m not giving up being made a full vampire so that you can experiment, my dear.”
“If my research bears fruit, neither of us will have to be vampires at all.”
“And if it doesn’t, we may be trapped under the heel of both Cazador and Petras.” Astarion turned his back and took another sip of blood.
His sister was silent for a few moments, then sighed. “I suppose that’s a valid point.”
“Darling Dalyria, I promise you that if I’m made a vampire, you’ll have all the research material you need.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” the doctor said to his back. “Yes, I will very much hold you to that.”
* * *