Page 55 of Only Fangs

“Well no. I…” Ari twists her face as she tries to think of a way out.

“We only mean that the app will act with the utmost discretion,” I step in to help. “Recognising the population is close-knit and we need to be as inclusive as possible.”

Andrei looks at me and I want to shrink down into my seat, a primal desire to make myself as small as possible. “I don’t think I agree about inclusivity.” He raises an eyebrow as if he’s expecting me to agree. My mouth goes dry as I open it to say something – anything – in order for him to stop staring at me like that. It’s as if he’s looking into my soul.

The back of my knees start to sweat. I think I’m about to be sick.

“We can work on the marketing plan,” Ari says eventually, filling the silence. But there’s a tiny wobble in her voice to show her uncertainty.

“Hmm.” Andrei doesn’t sound convinced and I feel the dream slipping away. He pauses for a few moments, just staring into space with an expression so blank he looks more like the humans he employs than one of the most powerful vampires in the world. “Well, that’s time up, I’m afraid,” he says and stands. We follow suit and both of us shift our weight from foot to foot as he walks round from behind the desk.

Andrei pulls Ari towards him and leans in, his lips grazing her cheek as he whispers in her ear. “Do give my regards to Victor.” Victor? I must have misheard; she’s never mentioned a Victor before. Is he a boyfriend? Is that why she pulled away in Aberystwyth?

Then Andrei pulls back and his face breaks into a hideous grimace that could be a smile but could also be a scowl.

“Thank you both for coming in to see me. I think there may be some merit in Only Fangs. The next High Council is in two weeks. You will come to Hele House for the weekend to meet the investors.”

What? Did he actually just say we did it?

“Just make sure you look at that marketing plan, OK?” There’s an edge to his tone. It sounds like a warning. Or possibly a threat.

Chapter 29

Ari

The second we’re out of sight of the office, Brody turns to hug me, whooping like a kid. I try to arrange my features into something resembling happiness, but my mind is churning. Did Andrei really say Victor? As in the demon who Ivan makes deals for cheese with and I… well, let’s just say I have bigger problems than a lack of gouda. How does Andrei know about Victor? Or perhaps more importantly, what does Andrei think he knows about Victor?

“We need to go out to celebrate,” Brody is saying. “This is amazing. We actually did it. And I thought it was all over. But you smashed it. Whoop.”

A few people turn to gawp at the overexcited puppy of a man dancing around in front of them.

“Aww, come on, Ari,” he says, taking my hands and trying to make me dance. I force my feet to move with his, but I’m a stiff marionette in his arms.

He drops my hands and takes a few steps back, head cocked in that adorable way he does.

“You don’t seem happy,” he says softly, the undercurrent of a question there.

But I can’t tell him what’s wrong.

“Did he say something? At the end?” Brody asks.

“What? No of course not. He was just telling me the pitch needs a lot of work.” I’m lying and I think he can tell. But it isn’t like I can tell him the truth, is it? “I’m happy, honestly. Just a bit shocked he wants us to meet the High Council.” I laugh and try to shake the feeling of Andrei’s breath on my cheek from my memory. “And you’re right. We definitely need to celebrate.”

Clara has errands to run but Ivan needs no persuading to join us in the pub for an afternoon of day drinking. We meet in the Crimson Well, one of the first ever vampire pubs in the city. Before this place opened we were condemned to the shadows and the vampire members clubs with their cliques and entrance criteria and waiting lists. Vampire society used to be so striated, full of rules on who could do what and where and who could talk to whom. It was exhausting. But the Crimson Well helped change that.

Ivan beats us there and I’m relieved that he’s managed to snag the cosy table in the corner. You can’t book a spot here, again all part of that democratisation, so you have to get here early if you want a good seat.

He leaps up when he sees me and literally screams, jumping up and down a few times before folding me into a massive hug. “I can’t fucking believe it,” he shouts in my ear. “You did it.”

“Well, we got him to agree to us meeting the High Council,” I tell him. This isn’t a done deal by a long shot.

“Pfft. That’s a formality. You know Andrei has absolute sway over them.”

That’s what I’m afraid off. What is he going to demand from Only Fangs in order to make the right recommendations to his cronies? But I stuff that concern down, lock it away with all the other worries. This afternoon is a celebration.

Ivan asks a million questions, about Only Fangs and the pitch and about how convincing Brody was as a vampire. Brody makes short work of a couple of pints as he gives a full blow by blow of the meeting. But then he launches into a fairly long description of user interface development and I watch as Ivan’s eyes begin to glaze over.

Later, when Brody excuses himself to go to the bathroom, Ivan scooches over closer to me. “Cute but boring.” He says it like he’s delivering his final verdict in a legal case.