Suddenly, I think I've reached a wise conclusion. Why the hell should I go to war with Tony? Tony is just another vampire. A son of a bitch who wants to be a leader. Wants to dream he has power. That's why he's here. He's been kicked out of every important city. He wants to shine. He wants to stand out. He wants to stop being at the back of the line. He wants to win. And I respect that. I'm the same way. But come on—what's my goal? To fight Tony and see who gets to keep Portuondo? Fuck that. What the hell do I care about this damn city? My goal is Irene. To find her. To figure out how to find her and protect her until she meets the requirements to become a vampire. And then turn her into my companion. Yeah, I've thought this through. If Tony wants Portuondo, let him have it. I don't give a shit. That way he'll be happy. And if he's happy, he won't waste time trying to screw up my life. I'll stay out of it and focus on Irene. And anyway, he can't touch me. Why would he, if he already got what he wanted? Why start a war with me if he already owns the city? Tony's a bastard who deserves to die by my hand. But he's not a stupid bastard. And I'm not going to risk my life just to kill him. Because if I die, needless to say—everything I've done so far will have been for nothing. All I've been through won't have been worth it. Conclusion: I'll step aside. Stick to my path. Focus only on Irene. Irene. My Irene. My beautiful little angel.
I sharpen my senses. Someone's approaching. It's a girl. She's afraid. A young vampire. Judging by her scent, she's only been a vampire for a few months. And I'm not saying she's young just because of that—I can also tell by her appearance. Yes, now I can see things beyond the reach of my eyes, just with my mind. I'm not an expert yet. I can't see too far. But this girl isn't far. She's close. Almost at my doorstep. She was turned at the bare minimum age. Just barely legal. You can't turn anyone under sixteen. Another rule. Who the fuck makes the rules? I don't know. But that's one of them. And you can't break it. Why not? Because you just can't. It's that simple. It's like trying to breathe underwater. Yes. That's an excellent analogy. Vampire rules can't be broken. They're like the laws of physics for humans.
The girl doesn't know whether to knock or not. God, she looks like a scared little mouse. She hesitates. And hesitates some more. What the fuck does she want? She shouldn't be here. She's a low-class vampire. The typical kind that feeds on animals instead of humans.
I speak directly into her mind:
"Go around the house," I tell her. "We'll meet in the backyard."
The girl jumps. She looks up. I don't know why. She says:
"Sir Fabrizio?"
"If you're not in the backyard in one minute, I swear I won't overlook the fact that you're somewhere you're not supposed to be. And I'll punish you."
She rushes to where I told her. It's almost four in the morning. She has no powers to help her get home quickly. I suppose she lives on the other side of the city, far from the ocean. If she stays here too long, the sunrise might catch her on the way. Stupid girl.
I step into the backyard. Ah, the smell of the Pacific Ocean is quite nice. Tonight, I fed on a graduate student from a business school. Did it Agnes-style. Well—not her style. She's not the only vampire who can do it that way. Anyway, I did it the way Agnes used to do it when we were together. I hypnotized him. Made him go somewhere isolated and drank him dry. Simple. Why complicate things? Agnes was right: we're vampires. We deserve for things to be easy.
I see the girl. She doesn't want to look me in the eye. She stares at the grass.
"What do you want?"
"I'm very sorry to be here, sir."
"I imagine so. But tell me, what reasons brought you to my house? They must be strong ones, if you're risking your life like this."
"Sir, please, you have to do something."
"Something with what?"
"Those vampires who are taking control they're evil."
"Of course they're evil. They're vampires. I'm evil too. And you should be as well."
"I can't."
"Then you're going to die. And come on, lift your head, for fuck's sake."
She lifts her head and looks at me like I'm some feudal lord, and she's a peasant in the dead of winter, begging for a little food. For herself and her baby. She's not ugly. She's pretty. Pretty in a celestial way. Not sexy. Far from it. What could this poor girl have done to end up a vampire?
We move into the living room. She stares at the upright piano on the side of the room, as if she came looking for gold and found it. For a moment, she doesn't seem so stupid.
I say:
"Do you know how to play?"
"Yes, sir," she says.
"What did you do?"
Her joy disappears in an instant. She lowers her head again, just like she did in the backyard.
I say:
"Come on. Tell me. Don't make me dig it out of your mind."
She raises her head. Her face is the clear reflection of pain. A massive, irremediable sadness.
I say:
"Shit."
"I'm sorry, sir. I don't want to be weak but I am."
"He hurt you badly, didn't he?
"Yes."
"And you killed him."
"Yes."
She wants to cry. I tell her:
"You can't cry, girl."
"I know."
I go into her head. I see her memories. Fucking hell! Goddamn it! FUCK THE UNIVERSE! How can anyone do that to a child? Holy shit. She was just a little girl. Son of a bitch. MOTHERFUCKER!
"I had to do it, sir," she says. "He hurt me all my life. I couldn't take it anymore."
"Of course you couldn't."
"I didn't want to be a vampire, sir."
" But you met the requirement. And the one who turned you did it for fun."
"And you made sure that can't be done anymore."
"I only did it to show my power."
"With those foreign vampires around, worse things are coming, sir."
"I can't do anything."
"You can make them leave."
"I have other priorities."
She sighs. She's lost. Doesn't know what to do. I don't think she'll live much longer. Maybe that's for the best. A shitty life as a human. A shitty life as a vampire. Maybe she'll have it a little better next time. Though that's unlikely. Anyway, what would be best for her? I don't know. Her chances of being happy are slim. Almost nonexistent. But hey—that's not my problem.
I ask:
"What's your name?"
"Liora, sir."
"Where did you learn to play the piano?"
"At the conservatory, sir."
"To get accepted so young, you must've been good."
"I was. Music was the most beautiful thing I ever had in my life."
"Why didn't you tell anyone what they were doing to you at home?"
"I was scared, sir."
"They would've taken you to a foster home."
"He said he'd kill me if I told anyone, sir."
"How long has it been since you last played?"
"Since I stopped being human. There are no pianos where I live now, sir."
"Do you want to play?"
Liora lights up like a girl on her birthday, as if she'd just gotten the one gift she was hoping for. She sits at the piano. Sixteen years old. Only sixteen as a human, and a few months as a vampire. Liora plays Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy. Her performance is exquisite. Sweet. Sad. Goddamn it.
I think:
1. I could let her live here with me, but that would bring trouble. If I take in a low-category vampire, they'll think I've gone soft. My reputation would go down the drain, and as a vampire worth his fangs, I can't afford that.
2. She can go fuck herself. I'll carry on like I never saw this unfortunate little girl.
3. I let her live here. And to make sure no one starts thinking I'm some sentimental weakling, I kill Tony, his brothers, and everyone who follows them.
The beautiful music Liora plays makes my decision crystal clear. I'm going with option three.