“Theodore is looking out for my best interests,” Andre replied. “Now come.”
I let Andre lead me through another door. We stepped into a richly decorated private lounge. Crimson velvet couches were placed throughout the room. A series of paintings of Greek gods and goddesses hung along the amber walls. The one-way mirrors here opened onto a balcony.
But the most shocking part was the room’s seclusion. We were alone. I couldn’t decide whether the presence of psychotic fans and pretentious VIP members was preferable to being alone with Andre.
“I figured you were the type of person who favored small, intimate settings to large crowds,” he said.
I tried not to dwell on the way he said intimate, which seemed full of sexual undertones. Then again, maybe that was just me.
“Are you pursuing me?” I blurted out, using the same wording Theodore had.
He raised an eyebrow. “Pursuing?” He paused long enough to make me feel like an idiot for bringing the subject up altogether. “That would imply that you were prey. And I think we can both agree that’s definitely not the case.” Why I thought Andre would give me a straight answer was beyond me.
“But,” he continued, “when one has lived as long as me, people become predictable—boring. You, however, are anything but.”
I looked him in the eye, trying to not be distracted by how beautiful he was. “Sorry to burst your bubble Andre, but I have a soulmate.”
“So?”
“So, I’m not going to fall in love with you.”
“I wasn’t asking for anything nearly so tedious,” he said. “Perhaps we could start with friendship?”
I snorted. Fat chance we were going to be friends. But I’d play nice.
“Fine.”
The sounds of the club dully thrummed through the room, and the song that came on caught my attention. The melody coursed through me.
I walked over to the doors that led to the balcony, transfixed by the music. Andre came over, unlatched the door for me, and followed me out.
“What song is this?” I asked, completely overtaken by the melody.
He was silent for so long I figured he hadn’t heard me over the music.
“You’ve never heard it, I can promise you that. It’s forbidden from distribution in most countries.”
Go figure.
“Why is it forbidden?” I asked, distracted.
He gazed at the crowd, who were completely lost in the music. Seeing all their empty eyes sobered me up.
“This song was sung by a siren—by your mother in fact.”
My head whipped around, the song’s spell broken. “This is my mother singing?” So much for not appearing too eager where my past was concerned.
He nodded.
“Did you know her?”
He nodded, a few loose strands of his hair falling forward as he leaned on the ledge. “Yes, I knew her.”
I wanted to flood him with questions, but the strange sound of my mother’s voice kept distracting me. “What’s wrong with her voice?”
“She is using glamour. It’s one of your powers as well. It’s the ability to bespell others.”
This was the second time I’d heard about this power, but I was skeptical that I actually had this ability. Wouldn’t I have already felt it?
“Luckily the glamour is diluted by the recording, and anyway, Celeste is only singing about enjoying the moment. Pretty harmless. But still, it’s outlawed in most places because the song bespells listeners without their explicit consent.”
I listened to the lyrics.
Carpe diem they say,
Seize the day,
Because before long,
Tomorrow will dawn,
And you will be gone.
“I read about sirens. You were right. Apparently we don’t last long.”
“I know.” He was solemn. “Lucky for you, your vampire genes gave you a back up plan.”
I gave him a long look. “I read about vampires too. And it seems like a pretty lousy back up plan if you ask me.”
In the background, my mother was still singing. I got chills hearing her voice. She might be dead, but not forgotten.
Andre’s phone rang. He pulled it out and looked at the number. “I need to take this. I’ll be just a moment. When I get back we’ll begin.” And like that, I was alone.
I walked out onto the balcony. Leaning over the ledge, I raptly listened to the rest of the song. Once it was over, I watched the crowd slowly awaken from the song. They were invigorated.
I went back inside, feeling like I was an interloper on their fun.
When I tried closing the door behind me, it wouldn’t latch. I jiggled it, and tried to force the lock into place. Distracted, I mistook the light tread of footfalls behind me for Andre.
Until someone grabbed a fistful of my hair.
Yanking my head back, my attacker placed a sharp knife at my throat.
In a gravelly voice, the man spoke in my ear. “If you move an inch, I will slit your throat.”
Chapter 12