“Like an ultrasound?”
“I'm not sure if I could get an ultrasound machine in here,” she pursed her lips together in thought and then added, “but I know a few old fashioned ways of telling.”
I looked at her with a skeptical look. “How accurate are those?”
Agnes shrugged. “About as accurate as they could be I suppose. All the ones I did when I was alive ended up being right, save one that was twins but either way it's something fun to do.”
I thought about it for a moment. Did I really want to try to see if my baby was a boy or a girl based on some kind of old folklore? No, not really but honestly what other choice did I have and sitting here worrying about the guys was just going to make me anxious and that definitely wasn't good for the baby.
“Ok, fine.” I finally gave in with a sigh. “Let's do it. What do we gotta do?”
“Well, you sit here and I'll go get the stuff. I’ll just be a few minutes. I'll be right back.” Agnes released my hands and jumped off the couch and went to the door. On the way out she bumped into someone and the words, “Excuse me master,” was my only clue as to who was waiting outside the door.
Caleb walked in shortly after, his face the bored expression that’s been there since day one.
I wondered briefly how he became a vampire. Who in their right mind would pick somebody that looked like a run of the mill tax account to live forever?
“What's up Caleb?'' I asked, trying to act like nothing was bothering me and that I wasn't dying to know what the guys had said to them.
Caleb stood before me with his hands behind his back, his face a blank canvas. His voice ever the monotone came out slowly and precisely, pronouncing each word as if it was a life-or-death situation. “I am sure that Agnes has told you now that your Durand vampires have been pestering myself and Master Tuma about being allowed to visit you.”
“Okay,” I drew out, “and is that any different from a normal day? I mean you've got the mother of their child locked up where they can't see her. Why would they not be upset?”
“I quite understand the human mind is full of emotional responses,” Caleb explained as if I weren’t a human. “Though I would expect vampires to have risen above those responses. Sadly, it seems that your vampires have not quite evolved into my current state of being.”
“Not even dinosaur bones have evolved to your current state,'' I muttered to myself.
Nevertheless, I tried to change the conversation. “What did you want? I've got things to do.” I stood up and moved around the room as if I really did have something to do other than wait anxiously for Agnes to come back with her little test.
Caleb stayed by the door as if it would pain him to step any further into my living quarters. “I simply wish to inform you of our response to your vampires’ inquiries. We have reassured them repeatedly that we have you well in hand and you will be well protected on our grounds. I hope that you will pass this along to your master, Antoine, during your next dream encounter.”
I froze. “What dream encounters?”
Caleb's lips twitched, not quite a smile but enough of a reaction to tell me that he could read the bullshit I was spewing.
“Please do not insult me by thinking that we do not know that you have been in contact with your master. We all know the side effects of becoming a human servant.”
Well shit.
“Ok,” I said, trying not to show that he had me rattled. “Anything else?”
Caleb turned to leave and then stopped. “Oh yes, one more thing. If those hunter friends of yours try to attack us or if we find out that your vampires have disclosed our location to them in any way, we will kill you. Have a good night.”
He left, shutting the door with a firm hand.
Well, that freaking sucks.
How was I going to tell them that the plan was off?
How was I going to tell them that we were pretty much screwed?
If we didn't tell the vampire hunters where I was located or where the council was located then they were going to kill my guys and if we did tell them the council would kill me and my baby. I really was stuck between a hunter and a vampire.
Angus walked back in a moment later, happy as a clam. Completely clueless that I had just had my life and the life of my child threatened.
Smiling broadly, she held up a string and an old coin on it. “Who's ready to find out what they're having?”
I forced a smile on my face and reluctantly came over to her and sat on the couch. If anything, at least let's take my mind off of what was going on now. I just had to figure out a different way for us to get me out of here. “I’m ready.” I replied, while my insides screamed, not even close.