Netherworld: Drop Dead Sexy(19)
“You can indulge in the illusion, though alcohol won’t get you drunk and hunger is never an issue.” Dan exchanged a grin with Charles, no doubt amused at my happy surprise. “Give us the works, would you Charles?”
“Splendid, Mr. Saling. I’ll have everything sent right up.”
Dan led me to the grand staircase where a tuxedoed man and a woman in a long sequined gown descended. They nodded at us.
Dan said, “Except for the lobby, most of the ground floor is for official para business. Once in awhile, a big party is thrown in the ballroom.”
We mounted the stairs and climbed to the second floor landing. I paused to look down at the grand lobby below before continuing up the next, smaller flight of stairs. The chandelier glowed like a dream on the lush scene. I couldn’t help the smile that threatened to break my face in two. Cinderella’s first glimpse of the Prince’s castle as she ventured into the ball couldn’t have been more breathtaking. I suddenly had the notion my parents, with their expensive homes and cars, were only pretenders to society.
* * * *
Sconces emitting golden glows lit our way down the fourth floor hallway. As we passed each closed door, muttered conversations, laughter, and the unmistakable sounds of lovemaking drifted out to greet us. It sounded more like a bordello than a fine hotel. High-pitched screams of completion made me grin at Dan.
“My goodness. Somebody’s certainly enjoying herself.”
“It sounds like it, doesn’t it?” Dan chuckled.
We passed the door to another room from which more elated cries escaped.
“In there too. What are these, honeymoon suites?”
“We told you. Besides having sex, there’s not much else to do when you’re dead. Unless Tristan has you running a bunch of errands.” Dan considered me a moment before adding, “It feels like night has fallen. You think this is loud, you should hear the first floor, where the hotel’s old rooms still stand. That’s where the vampires feed on their blood donors.”
My amusement fled. “I’ve never understood the attraction of being fed on like a leech.”
“It’s quite arousing, from my understanding. For both vampire and donor. Fresh from the source is always preferred, though most vampires get along on the packaged stuff.”
“Not enough bleeders to go around, huh?” I shuddered. “At least most of us have good sense.”
“Usually the donors are romantically linked to their vampires, but you get the blood groupies too.” Dan shrugged.
Just as I didn’t like to think of Dan as a murderer, I shied away from thinking of vampires feeding on my fellow humans. Jeez, Tristan was a vampire. Surely he drank the bottled blood though. Thinking of him chomping on someone’s neck grossed me out.
I wondered about his reputation among those who knew him best. “Do you like Tristan?”
“He’s fine, a decent man as a ghost. Honorable for a vampire. He keeps those of us who have something to offer busy.” Dan sighed. “The worst thing about being dead is the boredom. The world above keeps on going, but we’re stuck here, always the same.”
I frowned. “But surely intelligent minds always find something to keep their interests?”
“Even Plato ran out of things to ruminate about centuries ago.”
I stopped, my mouth dropping open. “You know Plato?”
Dan chuckled at the awe in my voice. “No, but I’ve read everything he’s written, including the stuff after he died. If you look around the library, you’ll find a lot of the greats are still creating if death hasn’t driven them insane.” He urged me forward, past more noisy rooms.
“Does that happen a lot? People going insane?”
“Unfortunately. The monotony of eternity is a brutal master. Here we are.” Dan stopped in front of a door. Using the gold key, he unlocked it. “After you, baby girl.”
My thoughts a jumble of half-formed fears, I stepped into the room.
The room was stunning, even a little overdone, but the King George had been all about opulence. The dark mahogany of the bed, dresser, and nightstands gleamed in the warmth of glass lamps. Over the ever-present whiff of burnt things floated the freshness of recently washed bed linens. A full bar sat in one corner, with a seating area nearby. A peek in the water closet revealed a deep free-standing bathtub. Everything was old-fashioned, but the finest of its day.
Covered dishes lay on a table by the seating area. Delicious scents found their way over to tease my nostrils. A bottle of champagne sat in a bucket of ice. I shook my head and restrained myself from making the comment, this would be the life if I wasn’t dead.