Eleventh Grade Burns(59)

Vlad shook his hand, not mentioning that today was the first time Otis had ever mentioned Enrico, and certainly not making mention of his dad. “Nice to meet you.”

As Enrico settled onto the stool beside him, Otis said, “I trust you know why I’m here.”

He nodded in response. “Ah yes. The pretrial. I was so elated that the Council of Elders chose my fair city for it that I offered up space.”

“They turned you down, I trust?”

“On the contrary, they leaped at the offer. Apart from D’Ablo, of course.”

“Of course.” Otis wet his lips, suddenly looking nervous. Maybe it was just now hitting him that this was his last chance to be proclaimed innocent. “I admit, I’m surprised. I’d thought Central Park or perhaps the library ...”

“And insult me with their choice?” Enrico shook his head confidently. “Apart from D’Ablo, I am good friends with every member of that council. Refusing my offer would have created a rift—one I’m sure they’d rather avoid, considering my son.”

Otis’s jaw tightened. “Is he here?”

“He’s around, I’m sure. Probably sleeping. We all can’t be day owls like yourself, Otis.” Laughter bubbled out of Enrico as natural as breath.

“To be fair, the sun has begun to set. It’s not as if we came at noon.” The tension hadn’t left Otis, but he was trying hard to smile and act casual. But Vlad knew otherwise. Something was troubling Otis. Likely the mention of Enrico’s son ... whoever he was. “Still, perhaps it’s best that he remains resting while my nephew and I are here. We’ll retire to our hotel room in a bit and return for the pretrial at midnight.”

Enrico waved a hand through the air, dismissing the notion. “Nonsense. There’s no sense avoiding him.”

Their conversation continued, but Vlad’s attention waned. He felt the strangest compulsion to leave the bar. He shook it off for a good ten minutes, trying to focus on the conversation between Otis and Enrico. Finally, the pull was too strong to ignore, and he slipped from his bar stool and quietly made his way to the door. He paused there, taking the time to look back at Otis, who didn’t even glance at him. In fact, no one seemed to notice him at all. The bartender finished wiping off the counter. There was a woman who kept sipping her wine and feverishly scribbling something on the page in front of her. Enrico and Otis kept chatting. All of them seemed blissfully unaware that Vlad had even moved at all. Raising an eyebrow, Vlad stepped out the door and onto the sidewalk.

He turned south, following the pull at his core, and his steps only began to slow when he recognized the man standing at the end of the block. Dark eyes. Pale skin. A thin Cupid’s-bow mouth. Copper-colored hair. Vlad would have recognized that face anywhere.

Dorian.

So that’s who Otis and Enrico had been talking about. Dorian. And Vlad would have bet anything that Dorian was Enrico’s son.

Vlad couldn’t help but wonder if Dorian was responsible for the irresistible pull he’d felt at the center of his being, urging him to leave the bar and wander down the street.

Dorian nodded. At first Vlad thought it was in greeting, but then Dorian spoke. “I am responsible for that. I do apologize, but it was really the only way to get you alone without alerting the others.”

Vlad remained stiff, the thought of Dorian’s cravings for his blood never far from his mind. “And you brought me here why?”

A smile crossed Dorian’s lips. “Not for the reason you might expect, though I’m still very open to tasting your blood if you’re interested.”

Vlad crossed his arms in front of him.

Dorian chuckled. “No? Well then, onto my real motives. Do you have any idea how many vampires are allowed to know the prophecy of the Pravus in its entirety Vlad?” He paused, but only slightly. “Four. Just four. And I am the last of that four. I am the only vampire in existence that can carry such knowledge. I am the Keeper of the Prophecy.”

“The other three are dead?”

“The Foreteller and Transcriber of the Prophecy are both dead. They died to hide this knowledge from Elysia. I keep it so that I may educate vampirekind when the time is right.” He wet his lips and stepped forward cautiously, as if knowing how on edge his presence made Vlad feel. He seemed to know just about everything there was to know about Vlad. His eyes met Vlad’s and once again, Vlad was struck by how harmless he looked. “I’d like to educate you right now, if you’re willing.”