“True.” Kraft grabbed a platter of hot bacon from the fridge and a bottle of blood for himself. “Eat, Riley.” He waited for her to dig in before responding to Max once more. “But you never know just what will kill us, since we’re all impervious to different things. Did you know not all vampires perish in sunlight? Some don’t react to wooden stakes. Some don’t even mind silver.”
Max whispered to her, “He’s lying, isn’t he?”
“I sure the hell hope so,” she said around a mouthful of smoked pork. “Oh man, this bacon is amazing.”
“It’s cherrywood smoked.” Kraft shoved a few pieces into his mouth. “Yum.”
Max stared at them, seeming puzzled.
“What?”
“I didn’t know vampires ate meat.”
Kraft winked. “We sure aren’t fussy. Some vampires even eat...lycan.”
Riley caught the double entendre immediately and coughed to dislodge a piece of bacon that went down the wrong way.
“I hope you’re joking.” Max took a step closer to Riley, as if she needed the protection, just as Khent walked around the corner and joined them.
He took in both Riley and Max’s presence and smiled like a kid at Christmas. “Well, well. The gang’s all here.”
“I hate that guy,” Max said in a low growl.
“Me too,” Riley agreed.
“Ah, my favorite lycan, the berserker. Have you come to bear restitution?”
Kraft’s jaw locked. “I swear, if I wasn’t so tired, I’d rip your lungs out right now.”
“Go head. You know we don’t really need them.”
“Then why do you have them?” Max asked.
“Why indeed?” Mormo answered from right next to him. In a blink, he’d appeared out of thin air.
Max jumped back, taking Riley with him. “Damn it. Don’t do that. I hate when mages just appear out of nowhere.”
“We all do,” Khent said with disdain. “But he’s our magician, so we must act as if he’s cute when he does it.”
Mormo gave Khent the finger, as well an insincere smile. “And that’s why you’re my favorite, Khent. My absolute favorite. Because you’re filled with warmth and cheer.”
Khent grimaced. “Eh. I’m bored by all of you. I’m going to rest.”
“Your eternal rest, one can hope,” Kraft added.
Riley grinned, because that was funny.
Khent surprised her by giving Kraft a small grin. “Nachzehrer. Lesser beings.” He turned to Mormo. “Magician.”
“Reaper,” Mormo nodded back.
Khent walked away, leaving Mormo, Max, Riley, and a tired Kraft in the kitchen.
Mormo rubbed his hands together with glee. “Ah, my friend the lycan. I have to talk to you.”
Max groaned. “Fine. I was coming to find you soon anyway. Riley told me you wanted something.”
Mormo wrapped an arm around Max’s shoulders and walked him away, up a set of stairs that appeared in the middle of the dining table, or where the dining table had just been.
