“Work together?”

Eve set her glass on the table and leaned back in her armchair, narrowing her eyes as she observed Vincent carefully.

“I no longer need investors,” she said.

“I’m not offering to invest,” Vincent answered. “At least not in Blood Lust Corporation. What I’m interested in is tracking down a certain scientist.”

“Which scientist?” Eve asked coldly. Curiosity prickled her, but she did her best to keep a calm appearance.

“A human scientist,” Vincent said. “A certain dr. Schwein Schmitt. A brilliant mind, it seems. He’s written several highly acclaimed papers in the field of electromagnetic radiation, with an emphasis on the nature and creation of sunlight. I understand that two of your orc employees were recently charged with attempting to break into his lab.”

“Tina and Lola were merely knocking on the door,” Eve said. “Perhaps they knocked a bit too hard, given their above-average strength, but that is all our lawyers will ever agree to say. The charges have already been dropped, and, as I understand, the owners of the lab are wanted for questioning. Something about illegal weapons.”

She waved her hand as if the matter were of no interest.

“From what I hear,” Vincent said, examining his wine glass attentively, “there was a sun bomb at the lab.”

“There might have been one,” Eve said.

“Three gargoyle police officers were hurt,” Vincent went on. “Apparently, they were outside when the bomb went off. The light petrified them and they were unable to take cover, thus being hit by debris from the explosion.”

“How dreadful,” Eve said. “I hope no one died.”

“No one died. But I assume that was because your bodyguard saved your life.”

“I was never there,” Eve said coldly.

“Yes, of course,” Vincent said, taking a sip of his drink. “And you never called for an ambulance either. I suppose there’s no explanation for how your bodyguard was found unconscious and badly hurt inside the lab?”

“None whatsoever,” Eve answered. “Mr. Fidel has amnesia, so the police were unable to get any information out of him.”

“And the mysterious woman who called the ambulance for him?”

“Mr. Fidel does not remember anything,” Eve said, taking a sip of her drink.

“Of course,” Vincent agreed. “And you were never there.”

They were both silent for a few minutes, seemingly absorbed in observing their drinks and sampling the taste from time to time.

“And you have no interest in finding dr. Schmitt, I presume?” Vincent asked eventually.

“I might be interested,” Eve answered.

“As long as you are not officially there when we find him, of course,” Vincent added with a grin.

“I would like him turned over to the police,” Eve said. “Whether I’m there or not.”

***

“How did I ever end up working for a vampire?” Rex moaned, sinking back into his pillow.

“Miss Stakes does look scary, doesn’t she?” Maria said thoughtfully. “But she must be a nice person. I mean, she’s paying for your hospital bills and everything...”

“She is?” Rex asked. The beeping of the machines linked to his chest grew faster, and his face turned red.

“We should really get the nurse to turn these things off,” Maria said, her head tilting slightly to indicate the machines. “Should I go ask her now?”

“Yes, please,” Rex said.

He felt awkward and inadequate. He kept telling himself that he should act naturally around his fiancée, friendly, intimate. But every word they exchanged felt uncomfortable. It felt as though they were strangers. He told himself it was because of his amnesia. And he told himself he should try harder. And yet he failed every time.

Maria stopped at the door and turned her face to him again. She, too, seemed uncomfortable around him.

“Rex...” she said, and her voice sounded tentative, as if she were testing out the name to see how it would roll on her tongue. “Can I ask you a favor?”

“Yes, of course,” Rex answered, his shaky voice accompanied by a flurry of beeping.

“When you remember everything,” she said, “will you tell me if there’s someone you like?”

“I like you,” Rex protested.

“If there’s someone you like more than me,” Maria insisted. “I know Grandma Fidel is scary. I know my father is scary. But I’d like for us to be allies, even if we were to stand against them.”

Panicked beeping from the machines showed that Rex found Grandma Fidel to be truly scary. He hadn’t even thought about Maria’s father yet.

“You are my fiancée,” he said bravely. “Of course we are allies. I won’t let them break us up, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

A shadow passed over Maria’s face, but she quickly replaced it with her usual angelic smile.

“I’m glad,” she said, her voice barely faltering. “I’m glad that we are allies.”