THIRTEEN

"Ruby, are you okay? Is the sun bothering you? I made sure to check the weather forecast before Aren called Vera to go for a walk on the beach and they said it was going to be a cloudy day... but I don't know if it's cloudy enough for a vampire to feel comfortable."

"I'm fine," my girl whispered but her grimace showed me clearly that she was lying.

I didn't understand it, honestly. I'd spent all Saturday congratulating my boss on his successful date and giving him instructions about how to invite Vera to go for a walk on Venice Beach on Sunday. I talked to him about the picturesque neighbourhood with narrow streets, the stores and the promenade, I suggested him to stop by a food truck to buy some lunch for her... Aren took notes and seemed confident despite I told him that the beach was crowded usually, full of tourists and Los Angeles citizens working out or skating. I was hoping that a cloudy day would discourage some people and they'd stay at home but I wasn't sure of that so I decided we'd go to the beach too, we could walk and have lunch and I'd be close in case he needed me. The happy couple was sat on a bench under palm trees not far away from us and they shared a burrito while laughing.

When I explained the plan to my vampires Terra was thrilled with the opportunity of learning more about human behaviour but Ruby looked reluctant even when I told her about the channels and bridges that were very similar to her hometown, about stores were she could buy bohemian jewels and clothes and the delicious Italian food she was going to have. They both wore dark glasses and hoodies in case they needed to protect their delicate skins but the sun was hidden behind the clouds when I ordered some lunch to a very special food truck that I was sure Ruby would love, leaving them sitting on a bench facing the sea. But the truth is that my pretty girl kept frowning under her designer sunglasses when I came back with several bags while Terra smoked a cigarette.

"Ruby, babe, why don't you tell me what's wrong? No, don't you dare lie to me..." I cut her off abruptly when I saw her opening her mouth to tell me she was fine one more time. "You're upset, I can feel it through the bond with your blood and it's driving me crazy."

"She won't tell you because she feels embarrassed..." Terra chuckled throwing her cigarette to a close trash can. I raised an eyebrow and could've sworn that Ruby's cheeks got slightly flushed although I was unable to see her entire face due to her hood. "The spoiled princess is not used to eat on the street and she doesn't like it... that's for poor people."

"Terra!" Her sister hissed angrily while I stared at them in disbelief.

"I don't understand..." I whispered confused but keeping a quiet tone of voice. "I'm going to need more information."

"I lived in a castle, the kitchen was massive and they made food for the family and also soldiers, workers, priests... We all ate in the main hall and, even if my father could afford some fancy things from time to time like candied fruit or some spices, everybody ate more or less the same food everyday: a beans stew with some pieces of salt pork, some cheese, lot of bread, veggies soup, grilled meat and almond cakes on feast days..." I nodded at Terra, I already knew that and some of those stews were still favourite recipes in my country's cookbooks. "However, in big cities like Paris or Venice at that time... only wealthy people had a kitchen in their houses. Kings in their palaces, nobles or big merchants in their fancy manors... but normal people ate on the street buying cheap food at improvised stalls. Besides, firewood was very expensive and fires a danger since houses were made of wood, nobody dared to cook in small rooms were families lived crowded together."

"Yes, I know... And this way pizza was created. It was a cheap piece of fried dough that poor people bought for little money on Naples' streets." Terra nodded while Ruby fidgeted awkwardly. "I bet you had a wonderful kitchen in your palazzo in Venice..."

"I'm sorry..." the beautiful vampire whispered before biting her plump lip.

"No, babe, I understand it..." I took her hand and rubbed her cold fingers with mines. "Actually, you're right, this trend of eating on the street for fun is pretty new, I think it was in the early 20th century when people started to eat hotdogs frequently and they were no longer a bite that workers had when they were in a hurry. But you were brought up in a different culture that survived for centuries... You've been eating at fancy restaurants or in your home for long years and I understand it's difficult to change suddenly."

"You can't imagine how hard it was for me to persuade her to sit on a terrace at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1900 to have some waffles and lemonade." Terra whispered amused while her partner fidgeted awkwardly on the bench again. "I've always been more adventurous than her and willing to try new things..."

"Really? I thought you were just a bold and rebel countess... Ruby, do you want to go back home?" I asked kindly while Terra chuckled.

"No, I want to learn new things and, if this is normal nowadays, I'd better get used to it..."

"What if I tell you we're going to eat food suitable for princes?" I asked pointing at the bags. "The owner of this food truck is a prince of the House of Savoy, descendant of the last king of Italy, and they have the best fresh pasta dishes... Let's see what I have here..." I gave a paper napkin and a small wooden fork to every vampire and started to open cardboard bowls. "Orecchiette al Pesto, Bucatinii all' Amatriciana, Spaghetti al Limone, Caprese Salad... And my absolute favourite: Bucatini alla Carbonara."

"It smells good..." Ruby whispered fascinated and Terra let out a sound of assent while chewing enthusiastically. "And it's easy to eat, I'm not making a mess with the pasta and my clothes or anything..."

"Of course not, babe. It gets more difficult with tacos and burritos although I think Aren has handled it well and his shirt is still spotless..." I pointed at the couple on the bench on the other end of the promenade tilting my head before starting to eat. "There's another food truck near that sells homemade ice cream for dessert."

"I like the idea, thank you, Iselen..." Ruby smiled while using her vampire speed to steal a piece of mozzarella from my salad. "I'll buy the ice cream... What's wrong? It's you the one who feels awkward now." My girls stared at me frowning while I pondered if it was right to ask.

"Where does the money come from?" I whispered fidgeting on the bench. "It's pretty obvious you're rich but, how? What do you do for a living?"

"Oh you mean that..." Terra chuckled while trading her Spaghetti for Ruby's Orecchiette. "We've saved for centuries... Seriously... Also, Marcus was already a wealthy Roman patrician when he turned us into vampires and his fortune increased the following decades because, you know, when you're a powerful vampire it's easy to read humans' minds and know where to invest: silk and spices in the 18th century, gold mines in the 19th, steel in the 20th century, Wall Street later... Ruby is quite good at this stock market because she has the soul of a Venetian merchant while I invest in farmland, wineries and race horses... I guess it's in my blood too. Aren prefers shipping companies... he's a Viking at heart. We have our separate fortunes this way but there's a common fund available for the family members, some sort of family foundation we can use if necessary, it also pays the safe houses expenses... we have several in LA, NY, Paris, Rome, southern Italy... Marcus is living in the villa of Naples right now."

"But... how can you handle all those businesses not interacting with humans?"

"Brokers, lawyers, front men, agents... and now the internet. Our old housekeeper used to help us with bank paperwork sometimes..." Ruby frowned and stopped eating to look at Terra, it seemed to me she was loving the pasta dishes despite eating them on the street. "We should give Iselen the password to the family fund and also a credit card, shouldn't we?"

"I already have my credit card and you pay me a generous salary," I complained shyly.

"But you're a member of this family now and our link to the 21st century... you'll need the information to help us the way Vivienne used to do."

"Vivienne?"

"Our former housekeeper, an 80 year old lady who lives happily in Florida, in a house by the sea, learning how to dance salsa." Terra smiles sadly. "She was so lovely... We offered her the option of keeping her memories but she asked us to erase them. Maybe it's better like this... It's hard to see the humans you care about getting old and you miss them when they leave finally but some of them show resentment towards us during the last years, they're upset because we refuse to turn them into one of us, so it's better if they forget they had the eternal life at their fingertips once, probably."

"Have you done this before? Having a housekeeper..."

"It's practical..." Ruby explained while cleaning her fingers with the napkin carefully. "And necessary too... We met Vivienne in the late '50s and we had lot of fun together, the four of us lived through all the changes in the '60s, '70s and '80s: hippies, punk, freedom, short skirts, rock bands concerts, jackets with big shoulder pads... it was great. But later the world changed and it felt weird for her too, she didn't understand the '90s and the technological revolution because she was getting old... it's normal, I guess. We used to spend more time at home, Terra focused on her books, and Aren and me on our own hobbies... It's cyclical, we live through very intense periods and other years more relaxed, this is the way we manage to survive for centuries..."

"And now we're going to live life to the full again thanks to you and Vera..." Terra leaned forward to kiss my lips sweetly and Ruby did the same one second later. I sighed delighted and decided it was time to buy our ice cream... "Fuck!" The vampire's growl sent a shiver down my spine and, even if I was unable to see them due to the sunglasses, I was pretty sure her eyes were looking at a group of boys that were walking by us fast with hostility.

"I know, it's disgusting... and no, you can't rip their heads off..." Ruby whispered with a cold tone of voice while watching them walking away and I guessed she was answering Terra's thoughts.

"What's wrong?" I asked confused.

"I thought humans would be more open-minded by now..." Ruby explained while Terra took our bags to throw them in the trash, probably to keep her hands busy and not strangle those idiots. "But three girls who love each other only cause morbid curiosity and displeasure, apparently."

"Oh babe, don't worry... I've met boys like these before." I rolled my eyes hard, amused. "Homophobia, hate, intolerance, lack of understanding... They're only excuses to hide what's deep inside them: ignorance and lack of self-confidence. Those mama's boys know that they can't compete with you... I've always thought that, if women were free to experiment with other women without worrying about criticism or society's preconceptions, most of them wouldn't touch a man with a barge pole again. That kind of relationship women can build, the intimacy and closeness, the loving and balanced union, an almost perfect bond and the way we understand each other... it's something all women wish they could have but they're looking at the wrong gender. Forget about them... The ice cream food truck in on the other end of the promenade... Why don't you tell Aren to walk there while we follow them at a safe distance?"

Ruby took my hand and Terra put her arm on my shoulders ignoring surprised and disgusted glances from people around us, actually my vampires could force them to look away manipulating their minds but they were determined to make them know we were together in order to piss them off deliberately although they'd forget our faces one minute later thanks to their powers. Their brother walked a few meters ahead of us, taking a shortcut through an alley behind a swimsuits store, laughing and looking at his soulmate entranced while my girls were busy erasing the memories of the homophobic assholes behind us... I guess that's why no one saw it coming.

"Give me the wallet and your girlfriend's bag! Move, fast!"

Everything happened in less than one second: a shy ray of sunshine flashed on the barrel of the gun, Ruby shoved me behind her violently to be able to protect me with her own body while Terra ran towards the thief moving faster than the wind, Aren blinked puzzled for a split-second before rushing to protect Vera with his body too and a shot echoed through the alley. And then, silence... I peeped over my girl's shoulder and realized that everybody was paralyzed by the shock... and they had a good reason. My friend Vera was leaned on the wall with her mouth wide open, Terra was holding the thief's arm while he stared at Aren so confused that wasn't noticing my vampire was about ripping his head off furiously, the tall Viking had his arm raised in front of his chest and the fist closed. He opened it suddenly and the bullet dropped on the ground, bouncing with a clink... Vera gasped and several witnesses mumbled surprised behind me.

"Fuck..." I whispered coming back to reality. "Ruby, take care of those and make sure they forget everything they've seen... Terra, this guy must forget everything too and you better put in his head the idea of going to a police station in order to confess all his crimes..." I ran to my friend and hugged her before she collapsed on the ground sobbing while staring at her boyfriend in disbelief, I felt my legs a bit wobbling too and was grateful when I felt the firm wall behind my back. "Vera, honey, calm down... Aren, I need you to hold her mind before she has a panic attack..."

"Don't worry, I'll erase..."

"No," I cut the Viking off abruptly while making sure that the beautiful Brazilian girl was breathing steadily again. "She had to know you were special sooner or later and this moment is as good as any other, I'm tired of lying to her... Vera, I know you're freaking out, I was in the same situation some weeks ago but, please, trust me... I'll explain everything in..." I looked around and noticed that Ruby had got rid of those witnesses and the thief was walking away slowly without looking back while Terra got closer angrily, she was probably trying to restrain herself from punching him on his face. "Can we go to her gym? The offices are closed on Sunday and nobody will disturb us even if there'll be people in the weight room. I think she'll feel safer in a familiar environment."

"We'll follow your instructions, you're the human expert..." Aren whispered looking at his partner worried but not daring to get closer.

We were in Vera's office half an hour later, finally, while I poured her a glass of water and she flopped down on her chair behind the desk, my girls were taking a look around with curiosity since this was the first time they set foot on a gym in their lives but Aren decided to lean his shoulder on the doorframe, he was visibly anxious but trying to give some space to his partner. I nodded approvingly at him before giving the glass to my friend.

"Vampires..." She whispered. "Are you serious?"

"I'm very serious, Vera... believe me. I know it seems impossible and that peace you feel in your brain is weird, I was unable to understand why I wasn't going crazy with fear, but it's true and they're good people... I promise. They won't hurt you and aren't manipulating your mind, well, a little... but it's because they don't want you to pass out."

"So the Zaolas my grandmother talked about are real after all..." the Brazilian girl drank more water and sighed.

"Mmmm... they drink blood, of course, but I don't think they'd be able to turn into jaguars... You can't, can you?" I looked at my vampires scared and they shook their heads immediately. "See? They're perfectly normal, only following a special diet..." My friend raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Okay, they also live for centuries, they're stronger and faster and God knows what else they're capable of... but they aren't evil, Vera, I'm sure of that. I love those women, I'd give my life for them and they'd do the same for me..." I could see Ruby smiling and Terra holding her hand while nodding out of the corner of my eye, I realized it was the first time I'd said the word love out loud although it was implied in our relationship, the bond that bound us was very powerful after all, but I'd never said it clearly and I couldn't help smiling at them in response. Vera stared at me shocked before turning her head to take a look over her shoulder.

"Both of them?" she asked in a whisper and I nodded, shrugging. "You kinky lesbian..." I got relaxed when I noticed my friend was joking and the worst was over.

"You seem pretty okay with this, actually, even if Aren keeps holding your mind... it took some time for me to feel comfortable around them."

"That's because I was waiting for him, someone foretold his arrival..." Vera smiled at the vampire who fidgeted while I frowned.

"I beg you pardon?"

"Well, you know that we have our own version of voodoo in Brazil called kimbanda and mediums can contact the spirits to provide advice, clean auras, provide protection or spiritual help. A medium told my mom while she was still pregnant that her baby would be a girl and a special destiny awaited her: an invincible warrior would travel through the mists of time to meet me and push my mind and body to a whole new level of knowledge. I'd have a new life but must leave behind everything that tied me to my mortal existence... My mom got pretty scared because she understood that she was going to lose me eventually but the medium told her it was a good destiny, I'd be happy and she shouldn't worry since I'd always be with her... And I was... till she died a few years ago..."

"Wow... so the spirits were right. Vampires are real, mediums are real... is there anything else I should know?" I asked looking at my girls. "Are werewolves real too?" Ruby and Terra exchanged glances and cleared their throats. "You know what? Don't say a word, I don't want to know it... I'm feeling fine now and don't want to get back to square one with you holding my mind again... You two..." I pointed at Aren and my friend. "We're going to leave you alone to talk... He's going to insist on the fact that you have to leave everything, your business and friends, moving in with us... But not because he's a caveman or anything, it's his protective instinct kicking in, so you have to negotiate if you don't feel ready to leave your human life behind. You must reach an agreement that allows you both to feel comfortable with this relationship while it becomes stronger."

"It makes sense..." Aren whispered with a conciliatory tone of voice while I stared at him with squinty eyes: I wouldn't let him intimidate my friend to get his way. The Viking sighed, shaking his head frustrated but smiling. "Now I understand why you're the perfect match for my bossy sisters."