Charlie’s jaunty youthful looks have vanished. Standing before me is a middle-aged man in a stained cardigan with a paunch and a lined crotchety face.
‘Have you been drinking bad blood or something?’
He scowls. ‘You always did have such delightful manners, bitch. You’d better come in. Your friend too.’ Charlie waves us inside, and cautiously, we follow him down the dim hallway to the parlour.
It’s so strange being back in this gloomy house. Everything looks exactly the same, like I’ve stepped into a time capsule. I almost expect Alexander to be in his study like the old days. But I push away the feelings of regret for my past life before they overwhelm me; this is neither thetime nor place for nostalgia.
Charlie gestures for us to sit on the emerald-green couch. He frowns as Sadie shakes her skirt out, and a cloud of soot rises into the air.
‘Sorry, we’re a bit dirty,’ I say hastily. ‘We’ve been staying in the Underground.’
He sniggers. ‘Can’t afford a hotel?’
Sadie tilts her head slightly at me.Don’t say anything about the money! I’ve blocked him so he can’t hear us.
‘Something like that, Charlie,’ I say smoothly as we settle on the couch, trying not to dislodge any more soot. ‘Just saving our pennies at the moment. London accommodation has become more expensive since the war.’
‘Well, you can’t stay here,’ he says grumpily, staggering to an armchair and lowering himself into it as if his knees hurt.
I thought you said he was cute? And I’ve discovered what his power is—being an arthritic arsehole!
I bite back a laugh.
‘Are you actually still a vampire?’ I ask him curiously. ‘You look a lot older, which is very odd.’
Charlie’s nostrils flare white at the edges. He leans forward slightly and hisses. ‘Papa gave me something before you left for Paris. He said it was to help me sleep, but it seems to have kick-started my ageingprocess.’
‘What the fuck?’ says Sadie incredulously. ‘Is that even possible?’
Charlie bares his fangs at her. ‘Apparently. But as you can see, I’m still a vampire—just a decrepit one. Which is making it fucking difficult to attract the pretty whores. Oh yes, they all wanted handsome young Charlie,’ he says bitterly. ‘For years, I tasted their delicious blood and fucked their lush pussies. Now I’m left with the middle-aged gin harlots with sagging tits and dried-up cunnies.’
I glance at Sadie, and she’s trying not to laugh.
‘I don’t even know why I call Dryden “Papa”,’ Charlie continues, clenching his fists. ‘He’s not my real father.’
‘Oh?’ I say, interested to hear that.
‘No, he latched on to Mama after my real father died and decided to turn both of us into vampires to create himself a happy undead family when I was in my twenties. But he did something to Mama—I don’t know what—and she died. So he was lumped with me. If he ever comes back here, I’ll cut off his cock and shove it down his throat for what he’s done to me. Iloathehim!’
Sadie and I stare at seething Charlie, his face all twisted with rage, then at each other.
Sadie:You were right. He’s got a vendetta. Seems your charming sire has made another enemy.
Me:Let’s make it work for us.
Sadie:Tread carefully. Act sympathetic.
‘I’m so sorry, Charlie,’ I say. ‘That is truly appalling that Alexander did that to you. As you might have guessed, I’ve left him because I couldn’t stand the way he was controlling me. But since we’re here, maybe we could team up and help each other out?’
Good, Floss. Let him know he can trust us.
But Charlie looks at me suspiciously after this little speech even though I’ve said it as genuinely as possible. Then he seems to consider the practicalities of us being there.
‘Perhaps we could,’ he says after a moment. ‘Some vampire blood might help me recover. But what can I do for you?’
‘We need protection, a way of making sure that Alexander can’t track Floss,’ Sadie says.
Charlie stares at me. ‘You’re blood-bonded, though. He’ll always be able to find you, just like he can find me.’
