This Is Not a Tragedy

40 | A New Kind of Christmas

December 2008

Nina's glass tips over.

"That's wonderful, Natsu!" Sergius shouts, shooting up from his seat at the kitchen table. "Ah, my godson has decided to follow in my footsteps," he sighs happily.

"Godson?" I question. "And slow down. I didn't say anything about working in medicine."

Sergius blinks and sits back down as Nina stands to fetch a towel for cleaning up her mess.

"Well, what then? Didn't you say you wanted to work for IVA and help develop things for vampires?" He gives a heartbroken, yet confused frown.

"I want to hear from people―vampires. Their thoughts and their stories... Research. And then I can use what they tell me... and help IVA help them. And understand them?"

Sergius stares at me with blank eyes from across the table. "Like customer feedback?"

I wish you wouldn't talk like that, I want to say. "Like... sociology... Like surveying. Lobbying..." I'm not sure.

"Ah." He nods.

Looking away, I do my best to explain. "I think there's more we can understand about vampires―not just as organisms but as people. And you can't help the people if you don't know what they want. We live in the shadows and take supplements... We follow a code and list of rules. But how do we honestly feel? What kind of life do we really want to lead? The different things you're developing, like pills that will allow us to eat normal food and to sleep..." I look back up at Sergius. "I want to be that bridge."

His expression is still devoid of any evident emotion. "I understand," he says. "We do have a branch that takes feedback we get from check-in visits―the ones you did last year. However, we haven't gone out specifically to get feedback from a wide variety of vampires. You're doing A-levels in English literature." He pauses to think. "Continue that for now. When it comes time to apply for universities, we'll talk again."

I nod.

Nina's already cleaned the mess on the dining table and, as she goes to blot the mess on the floor, her glass comes with her. She quickly reaches to pick up the fragments, and it isn't long before we hear her hiss. At the same time, the gravel of the house's driveway crackles.

"Nina, be careful," Sergius scolds.

Rather than tending to Nina, I make my way to the front door. I've tried to make it up to Nina—to show her my appreciation. But it's difficult when I simultaneously have to draw a line; a bit of distance is the best way to avoid hurting someone.

The door flings open right before I can reach for the handle.

"We're baaaack!" Dante sings.

As each of the mentors come in, Dante punches my shoulder, Candra pats my cheek, Emina winks, Valerian coldly glances, and the woman under his arm (note, not Emina) assesses me. A few more vampires come in, and I wonder what the hell is going on. Maybe I should leave before something unpleasant happens.

"Welcome," Sergius calls. "Welcome home!"

Emina and Nina exchange hugs and cheek-kisses.

"Happy Christmas!" one unknown vampire calls with an accent I can't place.

Christmas? I don't know what day it is, but I know it's not Christmas.

Sergius makes his rounds, greeting them all, and I just stand at the door, perplexed and appropriately feeling left out.

Everyone goes upstairs to claim and set up their rooms. The new vampires introduce themselves to me. Valerian's new lover's name is Stella, and she follows him around the way I know Nina would like to follow me around.