Luis frowned. Interested in becoming a vampire? The very idea of it was difficult to grasp. “Um. I don’t know,” Luis said. “I–it would cure me?”
Karim nodded. “It doesn’t repair whatever damage your body already has, but it would sort of… permanently pause it. In your case, you wouldn’t have human blood anymore, so you couldn't have a human blood disease.”
“Oh.” He licked his lips, his mouth dry. He’d never–he couldn’t–
But…could he?If his condition got bad enough, if his life was in danger…?
Cassie would choose the Change for him in a second if it was that or death. She hadn’t grown up with anti-vampire rhetoric shoved down her throat. She had no complicated feelings on the issue.
But could Luis ever make that decision?
Karim was being uncharacteristically silent across from him. He seemed to be waiting.
Luis’s phone pinged, and he jumped. Cassie never texted him on a Friday night, so it had to be his mother. As if the mere conversation had conjured her.
If he did the Change, he’d have to tell her. There’d be no hiding it. People in the vicinity of vampires sensed that they were vampires.
Luis knew if it was between vampirism and death though, his mother would rather he die. Then hiseternal soulwould be saved.
“Alright, fine, didn’t think it was that distasteful a choice,” Karim said, breaking the silence.
Luis had been making a face; he felt the stiffness in his mouth. “Uh, no. Not that–sorry. I was thinking about my mom. She hates vampires. Like,hatesthem.”
Something in Karim's expression shifted. For a moment he looked different, his expression brittle. “Ah. Family stuff. Yeah, I know how that is.”
There’d been a lot of hints, but now there was an opening to ask. “Do you also have family that… hates vampires?” Luis asked.
Karim’s eyes got hard, flinty.“Had,”he said simply.
“Oh.” He wanted to ask more, wanted to press, but Karim’s expression was a little scary. Luis scratched the back of his neck. “Well, yeah, so, no. I’ve never considered vampirism. Um.” He reached for his water for something to do. “Maybe that sounds stupid, but none of my doctors ever mentioned it as an option. I don’t know.”
Of course, the doctors wouldn’t have. His mother had always made sure to take him to professionals that aligned with her beliefs. Even into adulthood Luis had stayed with them because they had a history. He hadn’t considered a second opinion.
Karim took a breath and let it out, his shoulders loosening again. “Makes sense. Especially if you grew up sheltered.”
Yeah. Yeah, sheltered. Luis’s phone in his pocket buzzed again, and he reached to silence it without looking.
“Could we talk about something else?” Luis asked.
Karim nodded. “Yeah, sure, sorry.”
The apology only made Luis feel worse. Karim wasn’t someone who apologized.
Ugh.
He cast around for anything else to talk about, and his eyes landed on the back curtain.
“So, uh, you bite them back there?” Luis asked.
“Yeah,” Karim said slowly. His eyes flickered to Luis curiously. “Neck or wrist, depending on preference.”
“Isn’t that… kind of intimate for a bar?”
“It can be,” Karim said. “There’s a nurse present though, and antiseptic is used before we bite them, so it’s pretty professional. It’s not like enjoying a glass of wine in your living room. The antiseptic always leaves a weird aftertaste.”
Luis nodded. “I hate antiseptic,” he admitted, “bad sense memories associated.”
“Yeah, wish we could do without,” Karim said.
