smiling almost despite himself.
It was only a ten minute walk to Eugene Buckley’s penthouse, and the abundant sunshine made it a pleasant one. Remembering that he hadn’t eaten, he bought a croissant from a food truck parked outside Eugene’s building, and watched the façade of SilverHawk Games thoughtfully while he ate. Maybe he should buy a little gift for Ethan? He considered it briefly, but decided not to. He didn’t know much about any of Ethan’s card games, and would probably end up getting the wrong thing.
When he rang the doorbell at Eugene’s penthouse, the boy himself opened the door. “Sam!” he exclaimed, and the happiness in his face improved Sam’s mood by several degrees, even as he found it baffling. “Wanna see the awesome deck I’m making?”
“Uh, sure,” said Sam, following the skinny boy through the entryway. When he reached the living room of the penthouse, he stopped and did a double take; Eugene’s apartment had seemingly been colonized by cardboard boxes. Cardboard boxes full of cards. He nearly twisted his ankle tripping on one of them on the way into the room.
Good thing I didn’t get him any more cards. Eugene would have to start storing them inside the piano, because that’s the only place left.
“I’m making a purple/orange deck, and it’s hard because there are so many different models for orange decks online, but nothing for dual-color,” he explained breathlessly. “That’s why some of my cards are out, sorry about the mess.”
Sam’s eyes widened. SOME of his cards? He has more?
Eugene announced his presence by clearing his throat. “I apologize for the mess as well. Normally I wouldn’t let him keep al l these boxes out at once, but”— and here his eyes narrowed at Ethan—“he keeps telling me he’s almost done.”
“I am almost done!”
Eugene looked unconvinced, but turned away from the boy and towards Sam. “Will you step into my office?”
Sam nodded and began picking his way through the cardboard obstacle course. Ethan frowned.
“I was going to show him my best deck,” the boy said, and the obvious disappointment in his voice made Sam’s heart ache, just a little bit. He smiled at his young familiar.
“I’ll make sure to see it before I leave,” he said, and Ethan beamed.
Eugene’s office was impressive, decorated with fine paintings and various knick-knacks that looked museum pieces. Miri had told him that Eugene had replicated his office from the Buckley’s New York apartment almost exactly, and Sam had no reason to doubt her. He sat down on the antique bar stool in front of Eugene’s desk, strangely feeling more comfortable than he would in a plush chair. It seemed like the vampire’s tastes somehow suited him.
Eugene sat down and shuffled some papers, seemingly thinking about where to begin. Sam would be patient; Eugene’s thoughts were worth waiting for. Finally, Eugene pulled a manila folder out of a drawer and passed it across his desk to Sam. When Sam opened the folder, inside was a page cut out from a newspaper.
“Have you ever seen this man?”
Sam studied the image. It was full-color, so either it was from a modern newspaper, or it was from the Lifestyles section of an older one. The picture featured a grinning older man in a sleek grey suit, flanked by a pretty young woman in a cocktail dress. The man’s face looked weathered, but in a way that many women probably considered handsome, and he had mischievous blue eyes that made him seem young at heart, despite the grey hair. The caption read O’Donnel Donates Another New Wing To Auburn Hospital .
“No. Who is he?”
Buckley steepled his fingers. “A rather well-connected vampire I know.”
Sam studied the picture more closely. “You really can’t tell from this that he’s a vampire at all, even though he’s showing his teeth.”
“I’m sure Thaddeus would take that as a compliment,” said Eugene. “He contacted me yesterday. He would like to pay a
It was only a ten minute walk to Eugene Buckley’s penthouse, and the abundant sunshine made it a pleasant one. Remembering that he hadn’t eaten, he bought a croissant from a food truck parked outside Eugene’s building, and watched the façade of SilverHawk Games thoughtfully while he ate. Maybe he should buy a little gift for Ethan? He considered it briefly, but decided not to. He didn’t know much about any of Ethan’s card games, and would probably end up getting the wrong thing.
When he rang the doorbell at Eugene’s penthouse, the boy himself opened the door. “Sam!” he exclaimed, and the happiness in his face improved Sam’s mood by several degrees, even as he found it baffling. “Wanna see the awesome deck I’m making?”
“Uh, sure,” said Sam, following the skinny boy through the entryway. When he reached the living room of the penthouse, he stopped and did a double take; Eugene’s apartment had seemingly been colonized by cardboard boxes. Cardboard boxes full of cards. He nearly twisted his ankle tripping on one of them on the way into the room.
Good thing I didn’t get him any more cards. Eugene would have to start storing them inside the piano, because that’s the only place left.
“I’m making a purple/orange deck, and it’s hard because there are so many different models for orange decks online, but nothing for dual-color,” he explained breathlessly. “That’s why some of my cards are out, sorry about the mess.”
Sam’s eyes widened. SOME of his cards? He has more?
Eugene announced his presence by clearing his throat. “I apologize for the mess as well. Normally I wouldn’t let him keep al l these boxes out at once, but”— and here his eyes narrowed at Ethan—“he keeps telling me he’s almost done.”
“I am almost done!”
Eugene looked unconvinced, but turned away from the boy and towards Sam. “Will you step into my office?”
Sam nodded and began picking his way through the cardboard obstacle course. Ethan frowned.
“I was going to show him my best deck,” the boy said, and the obvious disappointment in his voice made Sam’s heart ache, just a little bit. He smiled at his young familiar.
“I’ll make sure to see it before I leave,” he said, and Ethan beamed.
Eugene’s office was impressive, decorated with fine paintings and various knick-knacks that looked museum pieces. Miri had told him that Eugene had replicated his office from the Buckley’s New York apartment almost exactly, and Sam had no reason to doubt her. He sat down on the antique bar stool in front of Eugene’s desk, strangely feeling more comfortable than he would in a plush chair. It seemed like the vampire’s tastes somehow suited him.
Eugene sat down and shuffled some papers, seemingly thinking about where to begin. Sam would be patient; Eugene’s thoughts were worth waiting for. Finally, Eugene pulled a manila folder out of a drawer and passed it across his desk to Sam. When Sam opened the folder, inside was a page cut out from a newspaper.
“Have you ever seen this man?”
Sam studied the image. It was full-color, so either it was from a modern newspaper, or it was from the Lifestyles section of an older one. The picture featured a grinning older man in a sleek grey suit, flanked by a pretty young woman in a cocktail dress. The man’s face looked weathered, but in a way that many women probably considered handsome, and he had mischievous blue eyes that made him seem young at heart, despite the grey hair. The caption read O’Donnel Donates Another New Wing To Auburn Hospital .
“No. Who is he?”
Buckley steepled his fingers. “A rather well-connected vampire I know.”
Sam studied the picture more closely. “You really can’t tell from this that he’s a vampire at all, even though he’s showing his teeth.”
“I’m sure Thaddeus would take that as a compliment,” said Eugene. “He contacted me yesterday. He would like to pay a
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