Chapter Twenty-Two
"Father."
"Lance. I had not thought you alive. Your brothers? Alas, non, eh, heinous peasants."
"Sire. What have you done?"
"I found this young man and brought him back to my palace. I thought to have him for dinner. Care to join me? We have much to catch up on."
"Normally that would be extremely tempting but unfortunately, you and I are related to him."
"Ah, how so? He does not look like us."
"He, ah, takes after his schmuck of a father, Mick St. John. Long story, sire. Suffice it to say he is family. Ah, where did you say you found him?"
"Boy must have crawled away from one of those automobiles down by the far gardens near the maze. Always my favorite place, as you well know."
"Yes, you'd be surprised how many of the living have seen you there. Or I should say they've seen your "ghost". Some even claim to have been transported back in time."
"Ah. Strange creatures. So this one is human, isn't he? And you say we're family. How curious."
"Sire, May I leave your presence to make a phone call and know that the mortal will live?"
"A phone call? To whom?"
"His mother. She is Uncle Joseph's daughter. Beth Turner. She'll be very worried."
"Yes, yes, go. I shall guard him with my life."