Free Dating for Demons by Serena Robar

Skulking is what I do.” I looked around the room for the old journals her whacked-out father used to keep. She guessed my intention immediately.
    “Sorry, they aren’t here. I gave them to Colby, though I don’t know what good they’ll do her. Or you for that matter.”
    Ileana didn’t believe in the Prophesy. Her father had worshipped vampires, had longed to become one. He served them and did their bidding, and the only thing he got for his devotion was brutally murdered and a half-blood daughter. Ileana had no deep affection for full-bloods or her father, for that matter.
    “Why you two persist in researching this Prophesy nonsense is beyond me. I told you I don’t believe in the silly thing and yet you two act like the world is coming to an end or something.”
    “What if it is?” I countered. What made her so sure she was right about the Prophecy being bogus anyway?
    “Dear Piper, the world has been around a long time before we came upon it and I daresay it will still be here for a fair amount of time after we leave.”
    “I don’t mean the literal world, Ileana, I’m talking about vampires and humans. Our existence in this world.”
    Sophie paused in her brushing and looked at her mistress in question. “Do you really think that Colby is capable of bringing the end of existence as we know it?”
    Ileana tried to trivialize my question. “She can’t even match her shoes to her outfit. Why, today she had on ballet flats with her jeans! Truly, I don’t know how she manages to get to school in one piece sometimes.”
    Sophie went back to brushing her hair. I looked at Ileana and she smiled back blankly, but her eyes darted toward her maid momentarily. I nodded and changed the subject to something less distressful … something Sophie would enjoy.
    “So Sophie, smuggle any cats in lately?”
    “No, just the one, miss. Colby made me take it back to that crazy lady. She has so many cats, she can’t possible take care of all of them. And this one was just a little thing, it wouldn’t possible be missed.” She switched to brushing another section. “Don’t know why we can’t keep just a wee little one around.”
    Of course, I knew why Colby didn’t allow cats in the house. She was deathly allergic to them, even in her Undead state. Which hardly seemed fair, but who said being Undead was fair?
    “Cheer up,” I told her. “Maybe she’ll let you get a dog or something.”
    “Do you really think so?” Sophie brightened at the thought of getting something as large as a dog and smiled while she completed her task.
    “All right, mum, I’ve finished with your hair now. Piper, I need to put Miss Ileana to bed.” She sounded like an old-fashioned nursery nanny instead of a young maid of twenty-something but I took the hint.
    “Colby?” Ileana called to me as I reached the door. “Let’s catch up when I awaken, just you and I. Maybe we could go for tea at that lovely new teahouse by PSU?”
    I tried to hide my surprise. Ileana had never asked to do anything with me, ever. In general, she tended to keep her distance with everyone. I thought it had something to do with all those years of protecting herself. Colby just thought she was a snob.
    “Sounds great.”
    “Excellent, I have Sophie running some errands for me tomorrow and I don’t want to go without my afternoon teatime.”
    Somehow Ileana had a way of turning a nice invitation into an obligation to serve her, but I ignored it because I knew she would speak frankly about the Prophesy without Sophie in the room. Sophie might be a maid, but Ileana was very protective of her and wouldn’t allow anyone to say things that upset her. Things like how their existence was coming to an end. I imagine it sort of put a damper on their daily routine.

Seven

    COLBY

    I have a soul. Full, intact, complete. My essence is the exact same as it was when I was alive. Which would probably explain why feeding was still as tough for me now as it was the first time