I bit my lip. “Angelo told me you’ve never made another vampire. You may be Master of the city but you don’t have vampires of your own. Is that true?”
“Angelo must be smitten with you, to start telling you my secrets.”
I chuckled. “I don’t know about that. So, is it true?”
“It’s true. It’s simple, really. Why would I inflict on anyone else what happened to me? It would bring me power. But no. I wouldn’t put that burden on my soul.”
“You’re a good person, you know that?”
“I’ve at least come to believe that I’m not entirely damned.”
There wasn’t going to be a good moment for this, but I’d dragged the thing all this way so I might as well go through with it.
“I brought you a present,” I said, retrieving the paper bag and handing it to him.
“And it’s not even my birthday,” he said. Peeling back the opening, he reached for the object within and drew it out to the open.
It was the vampire crystal skull. Rick held it before him, staring at it eye to eye. In the muted lamplight, the thing glowed golden. The little crystal fangs glinted.
“Alas, poor Yorick?” Rick said at last.
“I was hoping you’d say that,” I said, grinning.
“Well, happy to oblige. I expect it’ll make a nice bookend. Unless there’s some ancient Mayan curse on this I should know about?”
“Naw,” I said, turning it over to point at the base. “It has MADE IN INDIA etched on the bottom. I just didn’t mention that part on the show.”
“Thank you. I think.” He stood and went to the bookshelves on the wall, where he found a niche for it. But then he returned to the duffel bag and zipped it closed. “Angelo will look after the city while I’m gone,” he said.
Like I thought a kitsch item, however lovingly given, would convince him to stay.
“Angelo doesn’t want the job,” I said, standing, begging. “He’s a wreck out there. I thought he was going to cry.”
“He’ll grow into the part.”
I had my doubts about that. “As soon as they hear you’re gone, Roman’s minions will be all over the city,” I said.
“I don’t think they will,” he said. “They know you’re here, after all.”
“Rick—”
“Kitty. I have to go.” He came around the desk to stand in front of me. He seemed so calm. At peace, even. He ought to be on the edge of tears and shouting, like me.
When he stepped forward, arms open, I fell into his hug. We stood like that for a good long moment, me gripping his shoulders, him holding me.
“Take care of yourself, all right?” he ordered, as we pulled apart.
I nodded, unable to say a word.
* * *
AND THEN I left.
Angelo was still sulking by the outside doo
r. He glanced up when I approached. “Well?”
“He’s leaving,” I said. “I’m sorry.”