A Shade of Kiev (A Shade of Vampire #8)(10)
Author: Bella Forrest

Barely had she said the words when a tall vampire wearing a long dress and an apron snaked her way around the tables and stood in front of Mona. She smiled briefly at each of us.

“Nice to see you again, Mona. How are you?”

“Fine, thanks. I’m actually planning to stay the night. Do you have an extra guest room available?”

“I’m sure we can arrange for that.” Elizabeth pulled out a small ledger from her apron pocket and flipped through it. “Room forty is available. You can get the keys from Michelle behind the bar. Anything else you wanted?”

“Yes.” Mona gestured toward my direction. “This vampire here… his name is Kiev Novalic. He wants to become a resident. I think you’re the best person for him to speak to?”

Elizabeth looked me over before nodding her head. “Yes,” she said. “I can assist with that.”

“Good!” Mona sighed. She finished the rest of her second glass of water and stood up. “I’m going up to my room now.”

“My room isn’t far from yours,” Saira said.

Mona didn’t so much as glance at me as she nodded and left with the wolf. Elizabeth took a seat next to me and eyed me cautiously once again.

“Well,” she said. “First of all I suppose I should welcome you to The Tavern, Kiev. Did Mona brief you at all on how things work here? Or should I start at the beginning?”

“You’d better start at the beginning.”

“Very well.” She cleared her throat and settled down into a more comfortable position in her chair. “I first need you to answer some questions about yourself. Who are you, where have you come from, and why do you want to stay here?”

Who am I?

That question again.

Who am I… or who do I want to be?

I settled for the same answer I’d given Mona. “I escaped from Aviary where I was being held hostage. I simply seek shelter, a place I can live without my life being at risk.”

“Very well,” Elizabeth said, peering at me from across the table. “Sounds simple enough. If you want to live here, you’ll have to contribute. You’ll have to take part in daily service, which can range from manning the gates, to fetching food, to helping with construction projects… Are you willing to be part of a community?”

“Yes,” I said without thinking. “I’ll do whatever it takes to be accepted here.”

The truth was, absolutely anything sounded better than my previous existence. I really was willing to do whatever was required to give myself a chance to breathe and experience my own thoughts.

“That’s what we like to hear.” Elizabeth smiled. “Well, I suggest you get some rest now and I’ll talk with you more about the details of your service tomorrow. I’ll also go over the rules you must obey if you are to live here without getting into trouble. I’m too exhausted to go through all of that with you now. I’ve had a long day.” She closed her ledger. “For tonight, we’ll lodge you in one of the pub’s guest rooms. But tomorrow, we’ll move you to the vampires’ quarters, which is much better suited to your needs.”

She got up and led me over to the bar. “Hand me the key to room fifty-three please, Michelle. Oh, and is there a spare parasol somewhere behind the counter?”

Michelle handed her a key and a folded umbrella made of straw. We proceeded through a back door and up a winding staircase. We walked along several dim, carpeted corridors until we reached a small, tidy room that contained nothing but a single bed and a narrow window.

“Thank you,” I said. “I think I’ll take a walk before resting.”

“As you wish.” She handed me the umbrella. “Keep this for walking around in the daytime. It’ll save you getting burned to a crisp.”

With that, she left the room and shut the door behind her. I looked out of the window. The building wasn’t high enough to allow a view of the sea. All I could see were large trees.

I left the room and headed downstairs. The pub was much emptier now, and as I stepped outside, so were the streets. I tried to remember where the door was that Ronan had let us through. I ended up asking a couple of vampires who were still out late. They soon pointed me in the right direction. When I reached the door, Ronan was slumped down in a chair sleeping, an empty bottle of rum on his lap.

Unwilling to wake him, I unlatched the door myself and stepped out, closing it behind me as silently as possible.

The fresh sea air blew against my face and I breathed in deeply. I could get used to living in a place like this. There were many people, but I had gotten the impression from Mona that not many were full-time residents. That would make it easier to blend in with the crowds. Notorious as I was back in the human realm, most vampires here wouldn’t know me. Hopefully this isn’t just my wishful thinking.

As I walked further along the beach, a bonfire blazed in the distance. A group of vampires sat around it, chatting and drinking. As I drew nearer, one of them shouted out.

“Who goes there?”

“Uh… a vampire,” I called back.

“Yes, I can see that! What’s your name?”

I paused for a moment before responding.

“Kiev.”

A blond vampire with grey eyes got up and staggered toward me, a half-finished bottle of rum in one hand. He grabbed me by the shoulder and pulled me toward the group.

“Come join us!” he said with a grin.

Pulling away from him would have looked awkward, so I acquiesced. I sat down on the sand near the edge of the circle.

“Do you want some, Kiev?” the vampire nearest to me asked. He had a slight European accent. I looked up to see a dark-haired man—probably not much older than me—with warm brown eyes holding up a jug of rum.

I didn’t trust myself in a sober state, let alone a state of intoxication.

“I don’t drink,” I said.

“Suit yourself.” He smiled at me, topping up his own cup.

When I looked at him more closely, something about his appearance made my breath hitch. His dark features and warm brown eyes were eerily familiar.

“You’re new here, aren’t you?” His expression was that of mild curiosity.

“Yes.”

“How are you liking it?”

“So far, it seems to be a welcoming place.”

“That it is,” he said. “Providing you follow the rules and don’t push any boundaries, The Tavern is a safe place. One of the safest you’ll find in these parts.” He paused to take another sip from his cup. “What brings you here anyway?”