Free Spirit Sanguine by Lou Harper Page A

we killed our first vampire. Well, he did. I was busy pissing my pants.” That still counted as the number-one weirdest day of Gabe’s life.
    “Then what?”
    “Lots of training, followed by traipsing around Eastern Europe, looking for undead. I have to tell you, that part of the world is full of ruins and all sorts of old places. Even the cities have miles of underground tunnels and secret passages.”
    “Sounds picturesque—in a dark and creepy way.”
    “The undead we met were all foul-smelling monsters, primitive and ferocious. They only had two modes—either sleeping or attacking. It was strange, though, we often found groups of them in deep sleep, almost hibernation. Like somebody left caches of bloodsuckers around for later use.”
    Harvey snorted. “Maybe a master vampire bent on world domination. He and his sidekick, Pinky, must be awful pissed at you right now.”
    “You’re making fun of me.”
    “Only a little, my Angel. So what, if your uncle hadn’t kicked it, would you still be there doing the same old thing?”
    It was something Gabe occasionally wondered about too. “I dunno. After my parents’ death I had a lot of unfocused rage in me. The slaying channeled it, and having a purpose got me out of my depression. You know what I mean?”
    Harvey scrunched up his face, but it failed to make him any less good looking. “Yeah, I think so. I was plenty pissed after…stuff, but I had friends to help me through. Eventually I moved on. What about you?”
    Gabe shrugged. “The anger wasn’t quite there anymore, and I got homesick too. Miklos didn’t like hearing that.”
    “Did you have anyone beside your uncle? Boyfriend?”
    “Hah! He didn’t even know I was gay. The Old Country is not on the leading edge of tolerance. And my uncle…he wasn’t particularly open-minded. He kept urging me to settle down, marry a nice local girl and father lots of boys.”
    “But you didn’t tell him there was no chance of it?”
    “In the end, I did.”
    “What happened?”
    “He clutched his chest and keeled over.”
    “Shit.”
    “Yup. I killed him.”
    Harvey was quiet for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was softer, and he brushed a hand on Gabe’s arm. “He probably had a heart condition already and it was just a question of time. Take it from me, healthy people don’t drop dead that easy.”
    “That’s probably true, but still…”
    “I know.”
    They were both quiet for a moment. Then Harvey perked up. “Hey, wait. Why didn’t your uncle have his own kids?”
    Gabe remembered how touchy Miklos used to be about the subject. “Couldn’t. Mishap with a vampire when he was younger.”
    “Ouch. Those Eastern bloc vampires sound like a nasty bunch. No wonder you’re so aggro.”
    “You’re not exactly the picture of serenity yourself.”
    “I have a temper, I know. I’m working on it.”
    “What’s up with the fangs? I don’t see them now.”
    “Retractable. Hurt like a bitch when they were growing out. They descend on their own when I’m angry or horny. Or hungry. I can’t always control them yet—it takes time to master, and I’m still young. By vampire standards.”
    Gabe had spilled his story, and now wanted to know Harvey’s, before making a decision about cohabitation.
    “Tit for tat. Tell me how you became a vampire,” he said.
    “I’ve told you already.”
    “Tell me how it really happened.”
    Harvey sighed. “You won’t let it go, will you?”
    “No.”
    “Fine.” Harvey’s eyes lost focus, as if he was gazing inward. “I was working night shift at the hospice. It was quiet. I was just making my rounds when I found three strange men in Mrs. Simpson’s room. She was in the final stages of cancer, totally out of it. One of the men was bent over her. When I stepped into the room and demanded to know who they were and what they were doing there, he straightened up, and I saw blood on his lips. I ran to call security but of course never made it.”
    “What