He followed my gaze. "Not what you expected, is it?" He asked, his voice smug.
"No," I admitted. To be honest, I hadn't expected anything.
"No coffins, no skulls piled in the corners; I don't even think we have cobwebs... what a disappointment this must be for you," he continued slyly.
I didn't know what to say to that, although it seemed like it would be impossible to convince him that I hadn't actually thought ahead as to what his vampire house would look like. I struggled to compliment the place. "It's so light... so open."
He was more serious than he'd ever been when he answered. "It's the one place we never have to hide from vampire profiling."
The song he was still playing, my song, drifted to an end, the final chords shifting to a more melancholy key. The last note hovered poignantly in the silence.
"Thank you," I murmured. I realized there were tears in my eyes. I dabbled at them, embarrassed by my humanity.
He touched the corner of my eye, trapping one I missed. He lifted his finger, examining the drop of moisture broodingly. Then, in a flash, he dabbed it onto the corner of his eye and let it run down.
I looked at him questioningly, and he gazed back for a long moment before he finally smiled.
"Do you want to see the rest of the house?"
"No coffins?" I verified, not sure he would hear the sarcasm in my voice.
He laughed, shaking his head and taking my hand. "No coffins," he promised, still chuckling at my joke.
We walked up the massive staircase, my hand trailing along the satin-smooth rail. The long hall at the top of the stairs was paneled with a tawny, golden wood, the same as the floorboards.

330

Chapter 15

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