Without tasting it, I knew they’d taken the time to warm the blood in the microwave from the delicious aroma drifting up through the straw. The thoughtfulness touched me. Muriel knew I preferred the flavor of warm blood to cold if given the option, but I never would’ve expected nor even asked for Prudence to make that happen.
As if everyone had been waiting for Prudence to take her chair, the dishes of food were passed as plates were filled. Their dinner table conversation fascinated me, ranging from the recent armistice to how much longer it would be before walking the streets again without taking VPN-13 was safe. Mentioning the vaccine led to arguments between a few anti-vaxxers. The Breathnach sisters spoke over them, heartily agreeing the government would have obviously implanted tracking devices in the serum, since it was available free of cost.
I didn’t have a pony in the race, so I kept my mouth shut. The last thing they needed was a vampire weighing in on whether or not people should be vaccinated with the very thing to repel my kind, not to mention pretty much any other supe.
From there, the conversation flowed to an apparent ghost conflict on the third floor between two spirits.
Catching our eye, Prudence tried to explain. "We agreed they could stay here; after all, this was their home in life. But Grandpa Lewis and Grandma Edith get into little spats about every five or six months. She gets tired of him only wanting to watch television instead of spending time with her. I can’t blame the lady—who wants to spend their afterlife with a couch potato? I’ve tried to have a session with them so Grandpa will show her a little attention, but he’s been stubborn lately."
Darcy appeared both irritated and embarrassed to be discussing the marital woes of ghosts. “Grandpa Lewis is just mad because they keep breaking into his cowboy movies with news updates about what the armistice means for us here in Texas. He’d rather watch Roy Rogers and Gabby Hayes than listen to politicians. Once this blows over, I’m sure he’ll settle down again.”
A spinster on the opposite side of the table—whose name I’d missed—tittered behind her hand. “And when they make up, everything will go on the fritz for a few days.”
Prudence gave a loud whooping laugh. “Boy howdy, but ain’t that the truth? The last time those fool kids stopped fighting, the lights flickered at all hours, and we completely lost our internet connection for two whole days. The Wi-Fi only came back up when Grandpa surfaced and wanted to watch TV. Like I told Darcy, having the cable and internet bundled probably saved us. At least until the next time, like Iris mentioned.”
Iris. I clocked the name away and laughed along with everyone about their ghost couple.
When they finished eating—and I finished my special “liquid meal”—several of the residents made quick work of clearing the table while a few more served coffee in delicate, matching china cups, way too small for my hands. Harry carefully lifted his with a pinched grip on the handle, so I felt a little better and followed his lead. After everyone returned to the table, they talked about their after-dinner plans.
Shyly, Iris lifted a hand. “If I might make a suggestion? The storm outside is perfect weather for a séance, especially during the winter solstice. I wouldn’t say no to another opportunity to try and reach out to Mother.”
Prudence smiled and patted Iris’s hand, even while shaking her own head. “I’m sorry, dear. I know you need to know the password for the safe deposit box she left you at Austin Mutual, and we will make it happen one of these days. But we had our monthly group meeting marked on the schedule tonight. It’s important to handle any issues ready to explode into larger problems. We need to avoid conflict when living in a small, confined community such as ours.”
My sister was about to pass out from excitement. “Do you mean to say you offer group therapy sessions, Prudence?”
When his mother perked up, Darcy squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head with a low groan. “Normally, I prefer to offer private sessions, but I would certainly be happy to discuss anything the group wants. In fact—” Prudence paused and looked around the table, her eyes settling on each of the men for a few seconds before moving on and finally coming back to Muriel. “—I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it, but I read a study suggesting orgasms may be extra helpful to those with respiratory problems Something about opening the blood vessels so more oxygen can flow. We do have more than one bachelor in residence, if you need assistance.”
Muriel wrinkled her nose. “Sorry, Prudence. But, I’d be more interested in the available bachelorettes.” When I stared up at the ceiling, Muriel elbowed me. “Don’t act weird, Storm. I may be your sister, but I’m also a sexual, thirty-year-old woman with needs. And it’s not like I hide my sexuality either, as you well know.”
She glanced around the table to explain. “My brother and I both blew the doors off our nonexistent closet before we were old enough to know why we didn’t prefer the opposite sex. Our parents knew before we did and never did anything but encourage us. Storm and I have both been single these past few years, riding out the war together after we lost our parents when Dallas fell.”
While several people murmured their condolences, others smiled sympathetically, as if they’d also lost loved ones. Prudence waited until silence fell to turn her attention to me. “Back to what Muriel was saying, does your sister’s sexuality bother you? Or as her caregiver, are you merely concerned she might overexert herself?”
My eyebrows shot up, and I was too stunned to reply. Especially when I hadn’t actually said anything at all before my sister reacted assumed I’d be uncomfortable. Darcy groaned again, shaking his head at his mother. “Mama, he’s her brother. He doesn’t want to hear about Muriel’s sex life any more than I want to discuss mine with you.”
Prudence lifted her cup, muttering under her breath about sexual repression. After a small sip, she gently set it down on its matching saucer and looked at Muriel. “My son and his sex life—or the lack thereof—is the only reason you were able to enter the property without being invited. Did he tell you? Never mind. Don’t bother answering because I already know he didn’t. My uptight boy would never mention something so vulgar in mixed company.”
Muriel’s eyes danced with glee. “Now I have to know. Why were we able to enter the property yet had to be invited into the house?”
Half the table tittered with laughter, while the other half seemed embarrassed on Darcy’s behalf. Prudence ignored her son, who was apparently hoping the floor would open and swallow him whole any second now, judging by the look on his face.
“The coven he hired to create the wards gave him a list of required items. Darcy didn’t think they needed the vial of his semen—or, and this is far more likely, was too shy to do the necessary act to procure it—and his small sign of sexual repression left our property vulnerable. Supernatural types like your brother can only enter if there’s no intent to do harm. Sure, the outer barrier keeps things like fire and flood away, but it won’t keep out humans. Even if they have evil intentions. Last summer, we had to fight a group of vigilantes who wanted to kill the Breathnach sisters.”
Hope and Faith nodded in sync. Grimacing, Faith explained. “Somehow, word reached the neighborhood about fae living here in the castle. They didn’t know who and didn’t mind killing us all to find out. They had the mistaken impression fairy blood could create a repellent against the supernatural.”