I crumpled the paper up, said good-bye to the band, and left the hospital. When I reached the lobby, I took out my cell phone and dialed.
'Alec? This is Georgina.'
'Hey, Georgina!' I heard the anxious note in his voice. Almost desperate.
'You were right,' I began, hoping I sounded anxious too. 'You were right. I need more. Now. Tonight. Can you do it?'
'Yes,' he said. There was palpable relief in his voice. 'Absolutely I can do it.'
We set up a meeting spot immediately. It couldn't be too soon for me. I'd been on an emotional roller coaster in the last twenty-four hours, and I was about to take it out on Alec. I couldn't wait. The fact that he seemed so eager for it was icing on the cake.
'Oh, hey, Georgina?' he asked, just before we disconnected.
'Yeah?'
His voice sounded strange; I couldn't decipher the emotion. 'You have no idea how glad I am you called.'
CHAPTER 19
The dealer's house sat away from the road, just like all sinister houses should, I suppose. My biased perceptions aside, there was actually little else about the house that was all that creepy. It was big and expensive- looking, spreading out lazily on beautifully manicured lawns, visible to me even at night. In a region where yards were at a premium, that much land signified a great deal of money. Unlike Bastien's place, this house had no similarly well-to-do neighbors. This house was in a class of its own; it could not be part of a mere suburban neighborhood.
'Where are we?' I asked, because it seemed like the kind of naive, starry-eyed question I should be asking. Alec had met me downtown and then driven me out to this place in his own car. We were about twenty minutes outside the city.
'This is where the guy lives,' he told me happily. His mood improved as we got closer to the house. 'He'll hook you up.'
The car followed the long, sinuous driveway and came to a stop by the garage. In an oddly chivalrous way, he opened the car door for me and gestured that I follow him inside. Glancing back at his beat-up Ford Topaz, I couldn't help thinking that being an immortal drug lord's lackey should pay better.
Alec led us through a side door in the house, and even I was taken aback at what I found inside. The first word that came to mind was
We crossed out of the foyer and found more of the same in a large living room. Its focal point was an enormous fireplace whose brick façade stretched to the ceiling. A multicolored stained-glass landscape hung above the fireplace's opening, and flames from the roaring fire—along with several strategically placed candles— cast the only light in the room. Nothing electrical.
In that dim, flickering lighting, I sensed the man before I saw him. The same unfamiliar immortal signature from the concert carried to me, coupled with something else. This close to him, I noticed how much he felt like the crystals. Or rather, how much the crystals felt like him, as if they were pale, fractured versions of the masterpiece. The whole vibe from him felt weird but not quite as discordant as the crystals themselves had.
'Alec,' said a creamy voice, 'who is your lovely friend?'
The man unfolded from the couch, standing in one fluid motion. I now saw the same features as before: flawless tanned skin, long black hair, high cheekbones. He also wore the same hot Victorian couture, complete with another of those gorgeous silk shirts that billowed around his arms and showed smooth skin through the V- neck.
'This is Georgina,' said Alec, voice quaking with nervousness and excitement. 'Just like I said.'
The man glided to us and took my hand in both of his. 'Georgina. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.' He drew my hand to his lips—which were full and pink—and kissed my skin. He held my hand a moment, letting his dark eyes bore into mine, and then he slowly straightened up and released me. 'My name is Sol.'
I turned off all my impulses to make snappy jokes and/or maul this guy, instead opting for stunned innocence mingled with a little fear. 'H-hello.' I swallowed nervously and looked down at my feet.
'You've done well,' Sol told Alec. 'Very well.'
I didn't have to see Alec to tell he was practically melting with relief. 'So…does that mean…I can, you know…?'
'Yes, yes.' Unless I was mistaken, a slight note of irritation underscored that pleasant voice. 'Afterward. Go upstairs now. I'll summon you when I'm ready. '
Alec started to leave, and I grabbed his sleeve, still playing frightened maiden. 'Wait—where are you going?'
He smiled at me. 'I'll be right back. It's okay. You wanted more, right? Sol's going to get it for you.'
I must have truly looked terrified because he squeezed my arm reassuringly. 'It's okay. Really.'
I bit my lip and gave him a hesitant nod. His eyes held mine for a moment, and something very like regret flickered across them. Then he left.
'Come sit with me,' intoned Sol, taking my hand again.
He led me to a sumptuous couch by the fire. Warmth from that orange glow spilled over me, and the flames were reflected in his dark eyes. I sat down gingerly, scooting back because the cushions were so big. We sat there quietly.
He smiled expectantly, and I gave him a faltering smile back. 'Alec said you could give me more…you know…of that stuff.'
'You enjoyed it then?'
'Yes. Oh yes. It made me feel…'
'Immortal?'
'Y-yes, that's it. Please. I need more. I can pay you…whatever you want.'
He waved a hand carelessly. 'We'll discuss such mundane matters later. For now, let's see if we can't satiate your hunger.' He leaned over to a small table and lifted up two goblets. Goblets. How quaint. 'This should tide you over until we can arrange a larger batch.'
I took the cup from him. It felt heavy, like gold. Nothing but the best if you were going to drink the food of the gods, I thought. They held a dark red liquid. If the crystals felt like a weak approximation of Sol, the aura radiating off of this cup felt like mega-Sol. It was intense and strong, making the vibe from the crystals seem like a total nonevent. Maybe that was what happened when ambrosia liquefied.
I realized then he'd been waiting for me while I pondered. 'Drink up.'
I hesitated, not having to feign apprehension this time. Drink up? What should I do? If I didn't drink, my cover might be blown, and I still hadn't had 'provocation' to smite this bastard or whatever one did to someone with a dart-arrowhead-thing. Carter and Jerome had said ambrosia wouldn't hurt an immortal; they'd even said an immortal could resist its nasty effects to a certain extent, much longer than humans. That didn't necessarily make me feel better, though. I preferred to be in my normal range of skills to deal with this, but it looked like I didn't have that luxury. I couldn't delay any longer.
Smiling shyly, I brought the cup to my lips and drank. He did the same. Who could tell? Maybe personality amplification would help me out here. Maybe I had a secret Amazonian alter ego lurking within me who was dying to jump out via the ambrosia and bludgeon this guy with a goblet.
Once Sol started drinking, he didn't stop. He tipped the cup back until he'd consumed it all. I followed suit. The stuff really didn't taste so bad. In fact, it tasted sweet, almost sickeningly so. Weirdest of all was its consistency. Thick. Almost viscous.
