"A picnic in Paris, wearing designer clothes?" She shook her head. "It's all a bit hard to believe." She stepped closer. "Are those other guys vampires, too?"
"They're my friends, Emma. Are ye planning to kill them?"
"No, I'll behave." She swatted his arm. "Besides, where would I hide stakes in my underwear?"
He smiled. "I could pat ye down just to be safe."
"That doesn't sound very safe."
He chuckled and handed her the dress. "Will ye try it?"
Ten minutes later, she was looking grand in the golden dress with a pair of sparkly golden sandals.
Robby had their basket of food ready. He grinned, but wisely kept his mouth shut.
Jean-Luc liked to live more dangerously. "Enjoy your date," he called after them as they headed for the front door.
Angus shot him a glare that promised retaliation in the near future. Jean-Luc merely laughed.
They emerged from Jean-Luc's studio onto the Champs-Elys. The street was lit up and noisy, even at four in the morning. The Arc de Triomphe gleamed in the distance.
Emma grinned. "This is great! Sure beats sitting on a plane for eight hours."
"Aye." Angus pointed at lights in the distance. "That looks like a good spot."
"The Eiffel Tower?"
"Aye." He wrapped an arm around her. "Hold on."
Blackness swirled around them for a few seconds, then melted away. They were standing on the top level of the Eiffel Tower, looking down at the City of Lights.
Emma peered over the railing. "This is cool." She hugged herself. "But a bit chilly."
"Here." Angus offered her his coat. While she put it on, he flipped open the tartan blanket Robby had placed on top of the basket.
Emma sat and rummaged through the basket. "Wow, real food." She removed bread, cheese, and grapes. A bottle of wine. "I hope there's something in here for you."
He found a bottle. "This is for me." He popped the cork. Foam bubbled out, so he held the bottle to the side.
"It looks like champagne." Emma handed him a glass.
"'Tis called Bubbly Blood, a mixture of champagne and synthetic blood." He filled the glass. "Would ye like some?"
"No way." She watched him curiously as he drank. "I've seen the commercials for Fusion Cuisine on DVN, but I thought it was a joke' cause I've seen vampires feeding off humans."
"Those are the Malcontents who refuse to drink from bottles. They enjoy torturing mortals." Angus opened her bottle of wine. "They're our sworn enemies. We've been fighting them for centuries."
"Then Shanna Whelan's claim is correct? There are two factions of vampires?"
"Aye." He filled her glass with wine. "Ye see, Emma, we share a common enemy, the Malcontents. And our goal is the same, too—protecting the innocent." He handed her the glass. "We should be… good friends."
She accepted the glass. "I'll have to think about it."
"I understand." He leaned back against the grill-work. "Ye were just trying to kill me an hour ago."
She nibbled on some cheese. "I'm struggling with this idea of good vampires. I suppose Jean-Luc and Robby are like you?"
"Aye. Robby is a descendant of mine. I found him dying on the field at Culloden."
Angus closed his eyes briefly. "I lost so many of my family that day."
"I can't imagine witnessing something so horrific." Emma shuddered.
"Ye witnessed yer parents' murder, did ye no'?"
She flinched. "I don't want to talk about it." She sipped some wine. "Tell me about yourself. When were you born?"
"In 1480."
"And you have descendants? So you… were married?"
"Aye. Three children." Angus quickly changed the subject. "I was mortally wounded at Flodden Field in 1513. Roman found me that night. I was barely alive. I thought I was dreaming when I heard this voice asking me if I was willing to continue the fight against evil. I thought it was an angel. I said yes." He smiled. "And not just because I wanted into heaven. I was pissed about dying so young. I really wanted to do more."
"Were you upset when you realized you were a vampire?"
He shrugged. "I was a bit surprised. I dinna know such creatures existed. But I never felt bad about it like Roman. I realized early on that death hadna changed me. I was still the same, only much better."
She threw a grape at him. "Vampire arrogance."