Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1)(66)

"She can't, Adrian, and you know it," said Eddie. "Can't you... I don't know. Find a hobby or something?"

"Being charming is my hobby," said Adrian obstinately. "I'm the life of a party - even without drinking. I wasn't meant to be alone."

"You could get a job," said Eddie, settling into a corner chair. He smiled, amused by his own wit. "Solve both your problems - make some money and be around people."

Adrian scowled. "Careful, Castile. There's only one comedian in this family."

I straightened up. "That's actually not a bad idea."

"It's a terrible idea," said Adrian, glancing between me and Eddie.

"Why?" I asked. "Is this the part where you tell us your hands don't do manual labor?"

"It's more like the part where I don't have anything to offer society," he countered.

"I could help you," I offered.

"Are you going to do the work and give me the paycheck?" Adrian asked hopefully. "Because that actually could help."

"I can give you a ride to your interviews," I said. "And I can make you a resume that would get you any job." I eyed him and reconsidered. "Well, within reason."

Adrian stretched back out. "Sorry, Sage. Just not feeling it."

Clarence and Keith entered just then. Clarence's face was exuberant. "Thank you, thank you," he was saying. "It's so nice to talk to someone who understands my concerns about the hunters."

I hadn't been aware that Keith understood anything except his own self-serving nature. Lee's face darkened when he realized Keith was furthering the old man's irrationality. Nonetheless, the Moroi withheld the comments he undoubtedly wanted to make. It was the first time I'd seen any sort of dark emotion on Lee's face. Looked like Keith could bring down even the most cheerful person.

Clarence was happy to see us, as was Dorothy. Humans who gave blood to vampires weren't just disgusting because of the act itself. What was also appalling was the addiction that resulted. Vampires released endorphins into those they drank from, endorphins that created a pleasurable sort of high. Human feeders who lived among Moroi spent their entire days in that high, becoming heavily dependent on it. Someone like Dorothy, who had lived only with Clarence for years, hadn't experienced enough bites to really get addicted. Now, with Jill and Adrian around, Dorothy was getting an increased amount of endorphins in her daily life. Her eyes lit up when she saw Jill, showing she was eager for more.

"Hey, Sage," said Adrian. "I don't want an interview, but do you think you could give me a ride to get some cigarettes?"

I started to tell him I wasn't going to help with such a filthy habit and then noticed him looking meaningfully at Dorothy. Was he trying to get me out of here? I wondered. Give me an excuse to not be around for the feeding? From what I understood, Moroi normally didn't hide their feedings from each other. Jill and Dorothy just usually left the room for my comfort. I knew they'd probably do it again but decided I'd take the opportunity to get away. Of course, I glanced at Keith for confirmation, expecting him to protest. He merely shrugged. It looked like I was the last thing on his mind.

"Okay," I said, standing up. "Let's go."

In the car, Adrian turned to me.

"I changed my mind," he said. "I'll take you up on helping me get a job."

I almost swerved into oncoming traffic. Few things from him could have surprised me more - and he said pretty surprising things on a regular basis.

"That was fast. Are you serious?"

"As much as I ever am. Will you still help me?"

"I suppose so, though there's only so much I can do. I can't actually get you the job." I ran down my mental list of what I knew about Adrian. "I don't suppose you have any idea of what you'd actually like to do?"

"I want something entertaining," he said. He thought some more. "And I want to make lots of money - but do as little work as possible."

"Lovely," I muttered. "That narrows it down."

We reached downtown, and I managed a flawless parallel-parking job that didn't impress him nearly as much as it should have. We were right in front of a convenience store, and I stood outside while he went in. Evening shadows were falling. I was off campus all the time, but so far, my trips had all been to Clarence's, mini-golf courses, and fast-food joints. It turned out that the city of Palm Springs was really pretty. Boutiques and restaurants lined the streets, and I could've spent hours people-watching. Retirees in golfing getups strolled alongside young glamorous socialites. I knew a lot of celebrities came here too, but I wasn't in tune enough with the entertainment world to know who was who.

"Man," said Adrian, emerging from the store. "They raised the price on my normal brand. I had to buy some crappy one."

"You know," I said. "Quitting would also be a really great way to save some - "

I froze as I spotted something down the street. Three blocks away, through the leaves of some palm trees, I could just barely make out a sign that read Nevermore in ornate Gothic lettering. That was the place. The source of the tattoos running rampant through Amberwood. Ever since Kristin's incident, I'd wanted to delve into this more but hadn't been sure how. Now I had my chance.