Page 73 of Vampire's Cupcake
“What makes him good?"
At first, Tuur didn't respond.Silence stretched for so long Eli didn't think he would reply, but then he did.
“He's fair.Most leaders favor their own species, but he never has.The opposite.He's hard on the vampires, has strict rules about how they're allowed to feed, and so on.Which of course makes the vampires dislike him."
“They dislike him?"
Tuur shrugged.“He looks out for everyone.He could go about his life and not care about anything, but he took the job on the board to make sure they wouldn't launch a surprise attack.Humans might be fun to watch from afar, but no one wants to be in meetings with them."
“But you were on the board.You made sure you had majority on the board last year."
Tuur made a half-hearted shrug this time.“I wanted to have some money, so I could trade with humans.I didn't realize how little I'd be able to do with it."
“Right."Eli nodded.
“As for being in majority, they hurt Emeric.It was only Romeo begging us not to take out the entire settlement that saved it.After it became clear they'd deceived Thano, we figured it safest if we made the decisions."
It had been.“So why did you give the power back to the humans?"
“It's a human settlement.If you want to kill yourselves, you should have the power to do so.I think Thano grew tired of the meaningless squabbles around the table.Humans are like crows.The other leaders agreed.The bears never go into town, why should we concern ourselves with what the humans do?"
Eli studied his profile.“But what's the difference between what happened last year and what's happening now?It might not have been one of your crows who was shot outside my shop, but it could've been."
“It's on the paved road."
Frustration built inside Eli, and he didn't know why.It had always been the rule.Humans ruled on the paved road, others ruled off the paved road, but he didn't trust humans.It should be the other way around.He shouldn't trust Thano, shouldn't trust Tuur or Byrd or Ciar or Draven, but he trusted them far more than he did the people on the board.“But it still could've been one of you who got hurt."
“It wasn't, and now we know not to come into town."He slowed the car before coming to a stop next to a house with an overgrown garden and cracked windows.One of the lanes was still paved, but the rest had been removed, including the sidewalks.This was the only road into Last Hope from this side of the settlement.
“You're dropping me off here?"There might be old houses, but this wasn't human territory.
Tuur pointed at a house farther in on the road, and Eli spotted movement.“Who's there?"
“No idea, but I noticed metal glinting, and Romeo said not to get his car shot at."
“Fuck."Eli rubbed a hand over his face.It was still about a mile to the town center.No human should be out here.This was wild country.The thought hadn't more than formed before there was a shout.Eli stared as a man rose from behind a bush.A form shimmered into visibility behind him as a dark-haired woman fastened her lips to the man's neck.
Tuur started the car again.“I guess we can go a little farther."
* * * *
Thano followed the car as Tuur drove Eli toward Last Hope.Darcia, one of the vampires, traveled with him, and he assumed Emeric and a few others were already in town.Thano didn't need to feed, but he wanted to make sure Eli got to his home okay.
When Tuur stopped the car, Thano looked around.They were still in breed territory.
“There is a man in that garden."Darcia didn't drop her shadows, but Thano sensed her right next to him.
“Do you need to feed?"
She didn't reply, but a second later the man shouted, then gurgled.Thano waited while she ate.Tuur started the car anew but drove more slowly than he had before.
“Do I kill him?"
“He's off the paved road."
There was a crushing sound as she twisted the man's head, then she moved closer to him before gathering the shadows anew.“Do you think there are more around?"
“They never come here."
