“Huh? Did you say something?” I deadpanned, earning a smack on the shoulder.
“If you look on the inside, they have your initials and …well mine too,” I said.
A split second later, Tanya was looking inside both bracelets to confirm this new feature. She looked up at me.
“You have the same middle initial as I do,” she said.
“Actually, my middle name is rather a lot like yours. It’s Anthony.”
“Anthony is another form of Anton,” Lydia said. “That’s kinda weird.”
“Well, my mom was half Russian and half American. Her father’s name was Anthony,” I explained.
They both just stared at me.
“How did that happen?” Tanya asked.
“The way it normally does. Russian boy meets American girl.”
Lydia gave me a patient look, the sort you reserve for kindly idiots. I decided I better continue. “My grandmother on my mom’s side was an army nurse in World War II. She met my grandfather just after the war ended. He had been held in a prison camp somewhere in Germany, and when US troops rescued him, he was taken to the hospital where she was working,” I said.
“He was Jewish?” Lydia asked.
Tanya was inspecting at her bracelets carefully.
“No, it wasn’t a death camp. Some other kind of prison camp. Mom said that he would never talk about it, but I know he had horrible nightmares about it his entire remaining life.”
Lydia was tapping her bottom lip thoughtfully, and Tanya was turning one of the bracelets over in her hands.
“So, Tanya, do you like them?” I asked, just to be sure.
And when she looked up, I suddenly wasn't sure, because she had tears running down her cheeks.
“Whoa, we can take them back if you don't like them,” I said.
“You idiot, she's crying because she loves them!” Lydia said.
Tatiana started to speak in Russian and I couldn't understand anything other than the words sputnik jezni. But I could understand that she really, really liked the gift. The she stopped and her eyes got wide for a moment. “Oh, I almost forgot. I have gift for you.” Her accent was stronger when she was excited. I thought it was about the most exotic sound I'd ever heard. She danced across the room, scooped up a huge gift wrapped box and glided back to me. I took the box , which was much heavier than I had expected, and set it on the floor. Pulling out my ever present tactical folding knife (it's usually an Emerson CQC) I slit the package open. Tanya's hand beckoned to see the knife, so I deposited it handle first into her grasp. While she examined the blade, I opened the box, then rocked back, stunned.
About fifteen thousand dollars’ worth of tactical gear sat inside. Two new Dragonskin vests; one for concealment, the other a full military grade class V heavy armor vest. Hatch kevlar patrol gloves, Wiley-X ballistic sunglasses, Bates tactical boots, 5.11 plainclothes pants and jackets, multiple LED flashlights, three different automatic knives, along with batteries and other accessories.
Tanya was watching my reaction closely, as I looked back up at her in wonder.
“You have got to be the coolest girl on the planet!” I said. “This stuff is awesome! But you spent a fortune.”
She laughed and bounced up and down again, which dropped my I.Q. by about fifty points. She flicked the heavy box with her foot, shooting it across the floor and into the far wall.
“Come on, I want to show off my bracelets!” She said.
“Wait!” I held up my hand and then turned to Lydia.
“What did you get me?” I asked.
She didn't hesitate a moment. “I designed and commissioned Tanya's dress!”
I looked her in the eyes with the most sincere gratitude. “Thank you!”
This being only my second time in Plasma, there was a lot I hadn't noticed the first time through. I had been pretty busy, after all. The building was rectangular, with the narrow walls being the front and back of the structure. The right hand wall was a common wall shared with the building next door, but the left side contained the door and corridor where I first met Tatiana. This side of the dance floor was private and reserved for vampires only. Of course it didn't have that printed on signs or anything. Despite being a 'vampire' club, the coven was counting on humanity's disbelief and essentially the club was a wonderful example of 'hiding in plain sight'. Who would believe the resident vampires of Plasma were real and not just highly trained actors.
But despite the lack of signage, highly visible bouncers kept the area clear of humans. Tonight the exclusive zone was packed with vampires, all wishing to pay homage to their young princess. Tatiana led me straight into this tangle of dangerous predators with complete disregard. It was a stark reminder that the girl I found myself falling in love with was more deadly than most of the others and would one day be the apex vampire. Instantly all attention was on us. I knew some of the pale, cold faces. Blonde Nika was there, Galina watched me with ice in her eyes, Anton held court at a table near the dance floor, Vadim hovered against the back wall, and Senka stood with two other extremely old vampires in the center, a discreet space around them. The fact that I could gauge vampire age as well as tell humans, weres and vampires apart at a glance, was not something I was comfortable with yet, let alone understand.
Tatiana flowed up to the three Elders, her smile capturing their immediate attention. Three pairs of cold eyes looked me over with interest. Senka spoke first.
“Granddaughter, am I to assume that your radiant smile has something to do with the silver colored bracelets that you are wearing?” she asked.
“Yes, Grandmother. They are gifts from Christian. Elder Fedor and Elder Tzao, may I introduce my sputnik jizni, Christian Gordon.”
Fedor was just over five feet tall, slim and boyish looking, dressed in an immaculate black Armani suit. His bronze hair was almost a helmet of tight curls, framing a pair of cold blue eyes. He looked me over, from head to toe, his expression bland.
Tzao was even smaller, well under five feet and petite. Her jet black hair and upturned jade eyes gave the impression of a kewpie doll. A deadly kewpie doll. Her ruby lips twitched slightly in what might have be a flicker of a smile or maybe a contemptuous sneer. Neither offered to shake hands, but I was getting used to that quirk of vampire nature. Extremely touchy feely with 'family', vampires are aloof and disdain physical contact with strangers and acquaintances. Whatever chilly welcome I felt from Fedor and Tzao, Senka countered by giving me a pointed and public hug.
“Tell us about these wonderful bracelets, Granddaughter,” she said.
Tatiana explained about tungsten carbide, demonstrating by slashing at her left hand bracelet with my knife. Senka raised one sculpted eyebrow and looked over to me.
“Beautiful and practical at the same time.” She said.
I shrugged. “If they are going to survive Tatiana’s hobbies, they better be tough.”
“Yes dear, your comment and mine apply to all of Tanya’s recent acquisitions.” She said.
Oh, she was including me in that group.
By now a group of younger vampires were crowding around Tanya, admiring her bracelets. I took advantage of the lack of attention and moved back to observe. Some, like Nika, seemed sincere, others were fawning butt kissers. Anton’s redhead, Akilina, was one of the fawners and I noticed she was discreetly trying to move Tanya’s attention and field of view away from where I was standing. It didn’t work very well, because Tanya simply reoriented herself, keeping me in the middle of her field of view. Her sapphire eyes touched mine every so often, usually with a smile following on her blood red lips. While her fans were admiring her jewelry, I was simply admiring her. Lydia had outdone herself with that amazing spiderweb dress. A sudden breath of rose and musk announced the dress designer herself, by my left elbow. I glanced over and met her sparkling emerald eyes. “Go ahead and admit it! I kick designer ass!” she said, handing me a frosty Corona.