"The council heard a rumor that our Savannah here is having some trouble adjusting to the new lifestyle." Gowin smiled. "And since I hadn't seen my own protege in quite some time, and I was in the neighborhood anyway, I offered to make the first delivery myself and see how you were both doing."
It was like walking into class and hearing we were going to have a pop quiz. But worse. Way worse.
Wait. Protege? "You're...my dad's maker?"
"The proper term is sire," Dad said. "And yes, he is."
I stared at Gowin, trying to see how someone who looked so young could possibly be older than my dad.
His grin widened under my scrutiny. He sighed and gestured at Dad. "These kids. They leave home, they never call or write or visit."
A smile formed before I could stop it.
Dad hesitated only a fraction of an instant before stepping back to let Gowin enter. "It is always good to see you again. Will you come in and see my latest project?"
Was he talking about the house or me?
Dad quickly sent the floor crew home early for the day, then we vamps gathered around the kitchen table.
I couldn't stop staring at our guest. Not because he was overwhelmingly gorgeous. Only Tristan's looks could really make me breathless. But it was strange to see a vamp who appeared so young yet had to be at least as many centuries old as my dad. Gowin was the first vamp I'd met who looked anywhere close to my age.
Appearances could be deceiving, though. I tried to remember that fact as Gowin and Dad talked. Gowin was such a contrast to my dad. Unlike Dad, who always seemed a little formal and old-fashioned, Gowin was completely relaxed both in how he talked and dressed. Right now, he was wearing a T-shirt tight enough to show off his well-defined biceps and trim waist, plus faded jeans and sneakers.
He could fit right in on any college campus. And yet, while he and Dad talked about the good ole days, I had to forcibly remind myself that those good old days were probably pre-American Revolution era. Gowin was anything but the harmless college kid he acted like.
He made that hard to remember though, especially when he told jokes.
"Hey, do you know how the Roman Empire was cut in half?" Gowin asked.
Startled from my thoughts, I joined Dad in shaking my head.
"With a pair of Caesars!" Gowin answered.
Dad and I both groaned.
"Missing your toga days, old man?" Dad teased.
"Ah, now those were the days." Gowin sighed and slouched back in his chair. "Talk about the perfect man fashions to show off these legs!" He stretched one leg out in my direction. "Now I have to wait for summer swimwear. And of course do the sunless tanning thing all the time so the ladies don't laugh me out of the pool."
My jaw dropped. "You were a Roman?" That would make him a couple thousand years old.
He grinned. "You are looking at one of the youngest senators Rome ever had. I had barely turned twenty-five when I joined the Senate."
"Gowin is also the third oldest vampire still existing," Dad murmured.
"And who are the oldest two?" I asked.
"Caravass is the second oldest," Dad said. "And the oldest is Lilith."
Gowin froze, his entire demeanor completely changing in a flash. Gone was the humanlike college kid, replaced in an instant with a too-still and very alien creature. "Don't speak her name, old friend, or you may not like the consequences."
Silence filled the kitchen before Dad said, "I am sorry. I forgot your beliefs."
"They're not just my beliefs," Gowin muttered. "Those who know of her also know that to speak her name is to invite her attention. And trust me, you don't want that."
"I thought she was sleeping under a desert or something," I said, wondering if maybe I should whisper. Half vamp or not, I was getting seriously creeped out. What was it about Lilith that could possibly make even the old and powerful vampires too scared to say her name?
"She may be physically asleep, but she's still always listening," Gowin said. "Saying her name, even here, is the same as standing outside someone's bedroom door and calling out to them. We're all her children through the blood, and as such, she's connected to us at all times. She has only to choose to wake up and she can be here in an instant in any form of her choosing."
Silence in the kitchen.
Clearing his throat, Gowin glanced out the kitchen window and put on a smile. "But enough about her for now. What time does the sun set around here?"
"Around eight or nine in the summer," Dad said.
Gowin checked the black sports watch at his wrist. "Plenty of time to see the local sights before our girl here has her first feeding. The drive in was quick and I didn't see much, but it seems like you might have chosen a lovely town to settle down in." He smiled at us. "I don't suppose it would be okay for Savannah to give me a short tour? Maybe check out the downtown shopping area while we're at it? I'm on the hunt for a particular little Queen Anne side table."
At my confused look, Dad said, "Gowin is a procurer of antique furnishings for some very illustrious clients."
Gowin smiled wider, and suddenly I had the impression of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. Warning rippled down my spine, reminding me yet again that Gowin was not what he seemed.
Which meant his wanting me to give him a "short tour" of Jacksonville wasn't going to really be about seeing the local sights.
He was a council member. And he was obviously here to check up on me, and maybe even interrogate me, without my dad around for protection.
After an awkward silence, Dad finally said, "Sure, why not? Savannah, do you mind giving him a quick tour?"
"Uh, sure." I tightened my cheek muscles, pulling the corners of my mouth up into a semblance of a smile.
There was no point in trying to avoid this. If I didn't agree, with one command Gowin could use his advantage as an older vamp to force my dad to go away.
Might as well play along with the pretense of politeness as long as it lasted.
We all got up from the table and headed for the door.
In the foyer, I slipped my phone into my pocket, making sure Dad saw the movement.
"I trust you will drive extra careful with a council member in the passenger seat," Dad said, his smile tight.
He knew I always drove carefully. So he must really be telling me not to forget who I was with and to watch every word that I said. I nodded to show I understood, and his smile seemed slightly less forced.