He propped his elbow on the table and tucked his fist against his chin. “What’s so funny?”
I averted my gaze from his milk mustache. “I just had a tickle in my throat.”
“Hurry up and eat that pie. I want to get out of here before I start smelling like processed cheese and fish sticks.”
“I’ll tell Betty to bring the check the next time she comes by the table.”
“Tell you what. I’ll just leave a flat hundred on the table, and we can skip the formalities.”
I took a bite of warm apple pie. “Don’t be such a fanghole. She’s my friend.”
“She’s a cocktail in an apron. You shouldn’t form attachments to mortals. That’s a habit your maker would have broken had he stuck around.”
I shoved my plate away and leaned back in the booth. Now I’d lost my appetite. Christian was pressing my buttons on purpose.
He slapped a large bill on the table. “Let’s go build a snowman.”
I furrowed my brow. “Say again?”
He scooted out of his seat and stretched his arms. “We drove all this way into the city. Might as well have a little fun while we’re here.”
“How is building a snowman fun?”
He grinned fiendishly. “Grab the ketchup and I’ll show you how Vampires have a good time.”
Chapter 2
As soon aswe made it home to Keystone mansion, I ducked around the winged statue just inside the front door and headed down the side hall that led to the back of the building. After I ascended to the second floor, I moved through a dark hall absent of windows but illuminated by a few wall lanterns, the light of which soaked into the crevices of the stone that arched overhead.
I should have been downstairs training with Niko, but my head just wasn’t in it today. All I could think about was my father, and I didn’t want Niko to read my color and start asking questions.
Out of nowhere, Gem flew past me from an intersecting hallway.
“Wait!” she cried out, her roller skates skidding to a stop. Gem circled back around, her wavy tresses curtaining her face. She hooked her arm in mine and swept back her purple hair—a pale shade of amethyst that matched her eyes. “Where in the world have you been? I went by your room earlier to see if you wanted to hang out. I’ve been searching all over the mansion trying to find you.”
We continued our walk down the hall, her rolling beside me.
“I went into the city with Christian to have breakfast.”
She flashed me an impish grin. “That sounds mysterious.”
“The only thing mysterious was his aversion to pie.”
“I want to hear all the details.” Gem had her eyes on Wyatt’s office just to the left and broke away to skate ahead of me through the open door. “Visitors!” she announced in a bright voice.
I moseyed inside and noticed Shepherd lying on the black sofa to the left, an ashtray on his chest. Little flecks of grey ash were scattered across his black T-shirt. His ankles were crossed, one arm behind his head while he watched an action movie on TV.
Typical Shepherd.
Gem whirled around and finally took a good look at me. As her eyes dragged downward, she gaped at my pants. “Did you and Christian get into a fight?”
Wyatt spun around in his computer chair and looked me over. “Son of a ghost. IknewI should have made popcorn. What’s the scoop?”
“There’s no scoop.” I glanced down at the red ketchup splattered on my jeans. “Suffice it to say that after building a bloody massacre of snowmen, we’ll never be invited to Saint Vincent’s Church again.”
Wyatt flipped his beanie off, revealing a messy head of nut-brown hair. “You’re going to hell in a handbasket.”
I walked around him and sat on the leather stool. “I ate your chili last night. I’m already there.”
