Would she trade sex for safety, if he asked her to?

“That depends on what you ask me to do.” Her voice turned taut. “Some things are off-limits. I won’t be complicit in hurting innocents, and I won’t stand by and watch it happen. Among other things.”

If anything, his voice grew gentler. “I should have been more specific in my question. Your skills in accounting and computer programming are intriguing, but I maintain a small household by most standards. My attendants serve in different capacities and do a variety of different things.”

“What kind of things do you have them do?” Everything inside of her stilled as she waited to hear his answer.

“Think of it, if you will, as an intentional community,” he told her. “Each person is required to give blood, of course, but there are other duties that must be done for the good of the community. While I have no need for food, everyone else must eat; therefore Jordan, one of my attendants, is the cook. Another one, Angelica, looks after the house. When I have guests, I require that their needs be looked after. Raoul is in charge of security, and so forth. Most of these are not professional duties, but still they must be done.”

Was that all?

Dragging air into her constricted lungs, she said, “I see. Yes, of course, I would be willing to take on duties like that.”

His eyes narrowed. His expression turned severe, and suddenly she could see the age hidden underneath his apparent youthfulness. “No doubt, you will have heard some Vampyres require sex from their attendants. While that is true, I am not one of them. I might require difficult things from my attendants from time to time, but I do not put people who are under my care in such a position.”

It took her a moment to absorb what he said. Then the rigidity left her body as her muscles slowly unlocked. “Thank you for telling me.”

Moving two fingers, he brushed the subject aside in one beautifully economical gesture. “Do you have experience with firearms or other weapons?”

This time she didn’t hesitate. “No, but I’m strong, I have good hand-eye coordination and I’m willing to learn.”

He nodded. “Have you ever taken or wanted to take drugs?”

“Yes,” she said. “And no. Once I tried pot in college, but I didn’t like it. All it did was make me paranoid and hungry, and I don’t like to eat when I’m scared.” Again, she tried to read his expression and failed utterly. “Is that a problem?”

The severity vanished from his expression, and one corner of his mouth quirked. “No. If you were a habitual drug user, that would be a different story. Drinking from a source that has been polluted with heroin, meth, or other hard drugs can have a debilitating effect on a Vampyre.”

She shook her head. “I have no desire to repeat the experience with marijuana or to try any other drugs.”

“Very good. Do you have any dependents?”

She shook her head again. “No.”

“Magical ability?”

“Sadly, no,” she said. “I can telepathize, but that’s it.”

She had no idea if her answers were gaining her any ground, or if they counted as marks against her, but a Vampyre of his Power and age would definitely have truthsense, and she didn’t dare do anything but tell the truth.

Finally he fell silent for a few moments as he studied her. “There’s only so much information one can gain from these interviews. The truth is, becoming an attendant can be a surprisingly complex and delicate process, while it calls for a tremendous commitment on both sides. Some people cannot make the transition to that kind of lifestyle even when they want to, or for one reason or another, they are a poor fit for a Vampyre’s household. There is no shame in any of this. It’s merely a process of discovery.”

“I’m sure you’re right,” she managed to reply, while her chest grew tight again. Was he getting ready to turn her down? As horrible as this whole experience had been, she couldn’t blame him if he did. While the opportunity to become an attendant might be rare, she hadn’t exactly shown any enthusiasm for it.

Oh God, she thought. If I don’t get this job, what will I do?

Then he said, “I can see some ways in which you might be of some use to me. I’m willing to offer you a trial period of one year. If, within that time period, we have not worked out a tolerable arrangement that suits us both, we will each be free to sever the relationship.”

Her mouth dropped open, and she almost blurted out, “Why?” But she managed to catch herself before it escaped her lips.

He raised his eyebrows. “Do you find this acceptable?”

TWO

Xavier watched with patient interest as Tess’s mouth opened and closed several times.

She said, her voice strangled, “You’re offering me a chance, just like that? You don’t want a second interview, or—or references?”

Some kind of interesting, complicated emotion lay behind her question. Maybe she had a checkered employment history, or she had gotten fired from her previous job. Briefly, he considered asking for her resume and references, just to see how she handled the request, but the fact was, he didn’t care if she had been fired. People got fired for a wide variety of reasons, and something that a previous employer might have seen as a weakness could be the very trait he was looking for.

Besides, nobody gave a prospective employer bad references. They only gave references for people who would say flattering things about them. Through the years, he had seen people game the interviewing system in every way imaginable, while the truest test of a person’s mettle could only come over time.

Also, this young woman could have no references for the kind of things he wanted from her. He would need to find out for himself what she would be capable of doing, or what she would even want to do. For now, it would have to be enough to avoid frightening her any further.

He told her, “As I said, there’s only so much that can be learned from the interview process. By the end of a year, we will both know whether or not we’re able to create a successful liaison.”

Her expression turned thoughtful. “I suppose a year for someone like you is not very long.”

“Quite true. A trial year is a standard offer. Most Vampyres offer it to prospective attendants.”

His truthsense was well developed. He knew she had been telling the truth about her skills and attributes. She was smart, good with finances and clever with a keyboard, although she had hesitated just long enough to intrigue him. What had she refrained from saying? He filed that away to pursue another time.