Acacia Gold

Chapter 6

6

“Excellent choice” the waiter commented on my meal order, just like they do in the movies. How cliché, how classy.

He scooped up the menu and walked away. As it turns out, vampires don’t eat. They can’t digest. But they can drink.

Myckah sat silent opposite me, carefully drinking his wine. He’d asked for his usual. It probably cost a whole month of my pay. That was if I still had a job when I got back.

The red liquid sloshed about his glass looking way too like blood that I had to close my eyes and breathe in deeply. Luckily the restaurant did not smell of blood, but of various mouth-watering foods.

Myckah had also ordered my food. The menu was in French and even when Myckah had explained them I had not known what most of it had meant. How simple can you feel? Very is the answer.

Which meant either Myckah’s taste was extremely good or the waiter felt the need to suck up to the biggest badest vamp in town. Obviously excluding the one intent on turning me.

“So, do you miss food?” I asked. I'd been wondering this for some time now. Everytime I dines with him but he did mot eat. 

Myckah set down the wine glass and looked up at me.

“Do you?”

“What?” I asked.

“I meant nothing by it” he shrugged in response, “I used to miss the tastes, but I have grown used to it, besides, when Atticus eats, I eat. I taste what he tastes and I see what he sees”

Myckah gave up the information very easily; I was betting he was trying to change the subject.

“What did you mean by do I, Myckah?” 

He took a deep breath, which was also weird, since vampires don’t actually need oxygen, they don’t respire, but they can still breathe. Confusing as hell, huh?

“I merely meant that there is nothing of you. Your dress size is two. You look like you don’t eat”.

I frowned a little hurt. I’m not underweight. Not really. I’m just small and I exercise lots. And I’m on my feet all day as a waitress. That burns the calories.

Ajax had made the same comment.

“I’m sorry, I did not mean it. It’s just it was a personal question that you asked and I did not feel like answering it” Myckah quickly responded.

I felt movement before his hand touched my own.

“Please, I didn’t mean it as an insult”

We sat in silence. I was still a little hurt.

“It’s hard to keep track. Over the centuries, trends have changed. Overweight, short, tall, slender, red heads” he looked up at me, “blondes”.

I felt an urge to check my own blonde hair. Was he referring to me being in?

In a split second I felt Myckah at my back, hands playing gently along my neck, my curls. He bent and nestled his lips against my pulse.

“You, you are beauty personified, whatever century”. He whispered it tenderly against my ear, his breath hot. I sighed. It did make me smile, then frown.

I turned in my chair, making his hands drop to his sides.

“What is this Myckah? Buying me clothes, taking me to dinner, flattery?”

As he went to speak I held up a hand.

“I am a small town waitress, nothing going for me. Now I want to know the truth and I want to know now. Why the hell is the vampire world interested in keeping me safe!” I nearly shouted, but kept my voice under control in an angry hiss.

Myckah looked disappointed, but returned to his seat.

“Very well” Myckah nodded.

My meal came just as he started to tell me. Damn waiters and their good service! It did look delicious however. It was venison cooked perfectly in a thick creamy sauce with some herbs. It came with a dish of green vegetables and some sort of potato dish.

The smells wafted down my nose to my taste buds, making my mouth water. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was. I began to cut the meat. The silverware tore the meat easily, and I raised the first piece to my mouth. 

Myckah was watching me intently, focused on the fork and my mouth. I slid the fork in and then out and almost died. It was pure heaven. Wow. It sure was worth the money.

My face must have shown my pleasure as Myckah sat back pleased as a cat.

“I can eat while you talk”. There was no way he was getting off telling me the truth.

“Do not worry I have not forgotten. Enjoy your meal. I will tell you over dessert”

I shook my head finishing another mouthful, “I don’t think I’ll be able to eat anything else”.

As much as I would have loved to try another fine course, I wanted to know the truth more than anything.

“Ah, the impatience of youth,” Myckah tutted ignoring my glare.

“I do really wish to protect you for the safety of humans and vampires alike, but there is more, you are right. Icarus is from the flesh eater line and I am from the blood drinker line. The two lines have been feuding for many centuries”. 

“What does this feud involve?” I asked.

“It has always been a battle for power, blood and wealth. One wishes to overthrow the other, the other wishes the same”.

He sipped his wine.

“Back when we first walked the earth we were all as one, but seven of us grew very powerful and separated turning more and more and making new clans. We lived in peace for many years, but the flesh eaters have always yearned to rule. Icarus wishes to carry on this tradition”

“So where do I come in?”

“Are you certain you wish to know?”

“Yes”

“Okay, well what I told you about turning descendants of the powerful and of a vampiric line is true. Both sides want these humans. When a human can be traced back to a vampire, they make a powerful vampire once turned. Turning them is like gaining the equivalent of ten vampires rather than just one”.

“I didn’t know family lines were that important for being turned”.

“Usually it does not matter. You are sometimes asked to prove yourself before being turned, but our world is open to all. More or less free” Myckah said

“Free?” I laughed, “You’ve got to be joking. I’ve heard all the sorts of catches newly turned vamps get trapped into by their masters. It’s more like being a slave”.

“Perhaps to you, but to many it is a very freeing experience”. Myckah half argued, obviously taking offence to my opinion of his kind.

“So is that how you see me, a slave?” he asked.

“No”, I raised my eyes, not avoiding his gaze “you are the zoo keeper keeping a bunch of animals under control”.

He raised an eyebrow, “very well, I see we won’t come to an agreement. You think what you like Acacia, just know that it is the zoo keeper risking his neck for you, not the humans!”

He had a point there so I decided to shut it and let him continue.

“These are times for being picky about who we turn. Gaining a weak or bad vampire is like destroying yourself a little. This is why your ancestry has become so important. Rather than weaken a master, it strengthens them instead”.

“So I would be one of these people to strengthen a – clan?” I asked fumbling for the right words, which was necessary since he seemed in a mood to take offence to anything I said.

“Exactly, and Icarus wishes to add you to his collection. I am thinking you are the last piece to his power. If that is so and he gets you, we are all damned”.

“Aren’t vampires already damned,” I said.

“In a manner of speaking but we can still die, we are not invincible”.

“Good to know” I murmured under my breath. Myckah seemed to hear anyway and frowned in my direction.

I pushed my plate away, sitting back, a little stuffed. 

“Dessert?”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to eat anything else for quite a while” I declined.

The corners of Myckah’s mouth creased in a minute smile, his eyes sparkling with silent laughter. I think he was being crude, but he was a vampire so maybe his humor was sick and just not that funny.

As Myckah motioned a waiter who came to take away my plates he stood, “shall we go?”

 I remained seated. “You aren’t going to wait for the bill?”

He chuckled, “My dear, I do not do – bills”. He made the word obscene and unthinkable.

“Tell me one thing”, he nodded, “What’s in it for you?”

He held a hand to his chest in mock shock as if saying ‘who me?’

“Come on, I can tell you’re holding back”

“Other than your personal safety?” he asked. I nodded.

“Ugh” he sighed, “I was hoping for you to join my clan instead, perhaps so that I could overthrow Icarus once and for all”.

I stood, scraping my chair back, in horror.

“What!”

“Acacia, please” Myckah lowered his voice, trying to calm mine.

“No, you bastard! You aren’t trying to protect me! You’re doing the same as Icarus”. 

“I will protect you, Icarus will not”

“Tell me what the hell difference that makes once I’m turned!” I shrieked at him then turned on my heels and began walking away.

“Acacia!”

“Relax!” I snarled, “I’m not running away, I’m going to the ladies”. To get away from you I added in my head.