Fred (Book 6): Undeading Bells

by Hayes, Drew

  None of the samples produced a reaction, baffling Claudius further, so we soon moved on to the next experiment. That was the pattern for most of the night, in fact. Claudius would test some aspect of my vampiric nature, from checking basic strength and speed to finding the limits of individual senses. Some exams were more exacting than others, but after the one we’d started with, I barely registered anything. My mind was in another part of the house, with a woman whose heart was slowly failing.

  After what felt like hours, Claudius made a checkmark on his large clipboard and didn’t immediately rush us off to the next part of the room—not that we had any unexplored areas left to be ushered into. “Hmm. It seems all that remains is the sunlight examination. We’ll need you to demonstrate the effect of sunlight on a finger once dawn breaks. Don’t worry. We’ve stocked blood with exceptional regenerative properties to mitigate any damage done.”

  Checking my watch, I noted that we were still a couple of hours away from dawn. Hustling as the time had seemed, Claudius worked quickly and efficiently. “What should we do until then?”

  “I don’t especially care. There are spare rooms if Agent Jenkins wants to nap, food for you both, if needed, and plenty of space to explore. Just be here thirty minutes before dawn for the next test. I’ve got data to input until then.” Claudius turned from us to the laptop he’d clacked away on as each test ended, diving back into his work.

  Not even I could miss those social cues, so we headed out into the hall, leaving Claudius to his work. Another night, the food and rest might have tempting. We could have stolen away for a few hours of peace; no doubt, I’d have been fretting that there was some final, secret test awaiting me, because the rest had been too easy. That wasn’t a concern on this occasion: the first test had been far more taxing than I imagined any ambush could hope to match.

  “How’re you holding up?” I put an arm around Krystal as we walked. Neither of us needed to name the destination; it was never in doubt. “I’m sorry that they used your past like this.”

  “More or less okay. She’s been dead a long time now. It still hurts, just not in the same sharp way it used to.” To my surprise, Krystal looked down at the floor, her voice subdued. “Actually, the truth is, all of this has me thinking about my dad. The period when Mom was sick was the last time we were close. Not long after that I had my accident, and he… didn’t respond well to the supernatural stuff. He’d just lost his wife, so he probably wasn’t in the best frame of mind, but it went over pretty poorly. The kind of poorly where we haven’t spoken since.”

  Growing up, I’d known Krystal’s father in the same way I’d known many parents of people in similar social circles: as a presence at large events and milestones, perhaps even at the occasional extracurricular outing. Her dad had appeared nice enough, a bit on the stern side, albeit nothing concerning. She’d never talked about him after our reconnection, and I hadn’t pushed the issue. We were so different from our old lives, it seemed irrelevant at the time.

  “If you decided to reach out, I’d be there with you for as long as you wanted.” It was an admittedly strange conversation to have while walking the luxurious halls of a rented mansion, surrounded by potential enemies, but it was rare that Krystal felt comfortable opening up like this. She needed to talk, and this was the time we had to work with.

  “I do reach out, every few years. A call, a card, none of it goes anywhere. He did… he did send one response. I sent him an early RSVP form, letting him know about the wedding. Got it back with just the ‘No’ checked and nothing else.”

  A flash of anger lit my chest as I saw the pain in Krystal’s eyes, followed by a wave of sadness for both of them. It must have been hard enough for them to lose Krystal’s mother. Losing each other immediately afterward made it all the worse.

  “Part of me secretly hoped that this would be enough. That no matter how things with us were, he’d show up to walk me down the aisle. It’s dumb, and I know that—I do. Especially given what we just saw someone else going through.”

  “Krystal, you never need to apologize for being hurt,” I told her. “Sheri has her struggles, and you have yours. Besides, I’d say you’re handling the news extremely well. I never even caught a blip of anything until you mentioned it.”

  A squeeze pressed my hand as we drew near Sheri’s door. “I’ve had enough time to realize blood and family are not inherently the same thing, and it’s not like I’m hurting for people who give a shit about me. When we get married, it’ll be surrounded by the people I love. If he doesn’t want to be part of that, it’s sadder for him than for me.”

  Strong words, but they didn’t fully hide the pain in her eyes. Then again, she didn’t especially seem like she was trying to conceal it. Tonight had forcefully pulled away several layers of defense, and for the moment, Krystal appeared content to stay that way. As for me, I wasn’t quite sure how I would fare. Hard as the act of turning Sheri had been, I expected what came next to be umpteen times worse.

  Not waiting for a reply, Krystal yanked open the door, pulling me inside and ending our brief discussion. Deborah glanced up from her digital book, eyeing the both of us.

  “About time. I was going to come get you out of the hall. There’s not long left.”

  It took actual effort for me to hear Sheri’s heartbeat now; in addition to slowing, the pumping had also weakened. She was barely alive, hanging on to life with the thinnest of threads. Tempting as it was to sit at her side, it felt presumptive to do for someone I’d just met. Instead, I hunkered down next to Deborah.

  Krystal held no such compunctions. She grabbed one of the spare chairs and dragged it over to the bed, taking Sheri’s hand carefully in her own. No one made any effort to move or stop her—not that I liked either of our chances if we did.

  “The good news, Fred, is that everything has gone entirely as expected. Steady rate of decline, heart transitioning through the normal stages; so far as we can tell, your turning ability works the same as the vast majority of your other vampiric talents. Couple that with the data Claudius has been emailing over, and it looks as though we can rule out other abnormalities. We’re starting to get a handle on your condition.”

  “Great.” I didn’t mean to be rude or flippant. It was just so hard to care about such things when I was watching a life fade before me—a life that might have been near its end, but that wouldn’t necessarily have reached it tonight without me.

  I wasn’t prepared for the gentle pat on my back that came next; I was so accustomed to vampires acting aloof that I had forgotten Deborah knew how to be comforting. “I know it’s hard. I do. This is part of the process, though. We have so much power to give, and it can be tempting to try to bring our favorite humans into this world. So tempting, in fact, that some vampires think to play the odds and make the turn before it is absolutely necessary. Seeing your attempt fail and living with the consequences is harder when it’s one’s first turn. At least you get the comfort of knowing you made a difference. When this is over, I can show you some of the schools I’ve been looking at for Sheri’s kids.”

  That was something. While they’d no doubt prefer their mother, if nothing else, I’d helped to make what came next easier. Maybe I could pitch in, if that was permitted. It didn’t feel right to kill her, and then trust everything to the Blood Council. Being Sheri’s executioner, I owed her more than that.

  As with most things, Deborah proved to be right. There wasn’t much time left at all. Less than ten minutes after we returned to the room, Sheri had another spasm. When it ended, I could only just make out the faintest of heartbeats. Deborah closed her phone and rose, a gesture I quickly mirrored. Only Krystal remained seated, holding Sheri’s arm in a reassuring grip. No matter what, she wouldn’t spend her final moments alone.

  “The next shudder will be the last. She’s nearly to the end.” Deborah laid her hands on the edge of the hospital bed, smoothing the covers. “Tonight, I, Prudence of the Blood Council, do hereby bear witness to
the attempted turning of Sherilyn Devereaux by Fredrick Frankford Fletcher. Since time unknown, the blood has chosen who will join our ranks and who must return to the earth. We pray the blood should see wisdom in our selection and grant you the gift of immortality. Should you perish, we honor your efforts and bravery. Few have the courage to walk the sunless path. May the blood raise you from the shadows.”

  There was an instant aura of ceremony the minute she began to speak. I felt like a child sitting in the pews again. How many times had she given that speech, or something like it? The answer was probably uncountable in a very literal way. The room came alive as Deborah spoke, though none of the energy made its way to Sheri, who was only with us in the most technical of senses.

  Deborah stood there, poised and waiting, I had no idea for what. It wasn’t a long mystery, as soon, Sheri started to spasm once more. This time was different. Less violent, and shorter, the last gasp her body could manage after all that had come before. Try as I might, no degree of straining found her heartbeat any longer.

  It was done. Sheri had become a corpse.

  I waited, hoping despite myself to see her spring back up, defiant of the odds. No such jolt came. She merely lay there, lost forever. Because of me. Because I’d played a part in taking her before it was time. I lowered my head, unsure of who would even be appropriate to pray to in such a moment.

  “Come on, Fred. I’ll show you that school info we talked about. We’ve got some staff who’ll get her ready to go home for the funeral. Krystal, you’re more than welcome to join us.” Deborah started for the door, almost managing to conceal the flash of pain as she looked to the bed.

  “I can’t,” Krystal replied, something strange in her voice.

  “I assure you, our staff will be very respectful and thorough. There’s no need to worry.”

  “No, I mean I literally can’t.” Krystal held up her arm, showing Sheri’s hand tightly gripping Krystal’s own. “Sherilyn just grabbed on to me.”

  8.

  It was hard to say who was more shocked between me and Deborah. Who recovered first is far less in question; she snapped into motion seconds later. Appearing at Sheri’s side in a blur, Deborah produced a flask similar to my own, enchanted to keep blood at the proper temperature, and pressed it to the apparent corpse’s mouth. No reaction at first, so Deborah pulled Sheri’s lips apart, getting a few drops onto her tongue. That was enough to stir something. Sheri swallowed, albeit not without intense effort.

  The moment she did, a change rippled through her entire form. Bone-thin appendages swelled, sallow skin tightened. Her whole body seemed to (ironically enough) come alive at those meager drops of blood. After a few seconds, her eyes opened once more.

  “Debbie?”

  “Well, well, well, look who’s back from the dead. Took you a little longer than normal. Some people just have to make an entrance, I suppose.” Deborah tapped the flask against Sheri’s lips once more. “Open up. You need to keep drinking. I went to all the trouble of getting you something special for your first meal. The regenerative properties in this will have you up and around in no time.”

  As it all unfolded, I fought the urge to collapse into a chair. Somehow, despite the odds being overwhelmingly against it, Sheri had come through. I’d had the impossibly good luck of my first turn-attempt being successful, a record I had no inclination to test anytime soon.

  It was the outcome I hadn’t dared let myself hope for, which made it all the more confusing that Krystal was visibly nervous. As Deborah fed Sheri, Krystal made her way to my side, leaning in close. No amount of whispering would keep our words from Deborah’s ears, but some habits were more powerful than reason.

  “Freddy, I am really happy to see this outcome, both for you and for her. But you do understand what just happened, right?”

  “He doesn’t, and I don’t have time for the slow walk,” Deborah butted in. “You just successfully turned the first human you tried to change. I won’t say that this has never happened in the history of our kind, but as a man of numbers, you can appreciate how unlikely it is. In any other case, I’d write it off as a lucky break. With you, we have to consider other options.”

  “Before this goes any further, I’d like to remind you that at his current station, Fred is entitled to two legal turn-attempts in a single calendar year. As the officiant—you—just declared, he’s already used one. So if you’re planning to line up a string of toadies for turning, expect the Agency to object.” However much the events of the day had been hitting Krystal emotionally, she was still an agent, and damned good at her job. I hadn’t even considered that possibility, whereas she’d already planned against it.

  Deborah didn’t respond right away, though that could have been because she was feeding Sheri, who looked healthier with every passing moment. “You make a good point, Agent Jenkins, except the Blood Council does have the right to reallocate attempts by those who give them up to interested parties. With the passing of a few measures, Fred could legally change hundreds per year.”

  “Pass the measures, and we’ll talk. For now, just be aware that I know the limits of what you can ask.”

  Coughing came from the bed. Sheri sat forward, waving off the flask. “Is anyone going to explain all of this to me?”

  “Eventually. I’ll tell you everything,” Deborah promised. “For now, you need to relax and let your new body settle. I can walk you through the basics for the rest of the night. Fred, after you finish with Claudius, you can be done, as well. While Krystal is right that this isn’t over, we don’t have to tackle it all at once.”

  Sheri blinked, looking at me closely. “You’re Fred? Sorry, I could barely make you out before.” She smiled—the first time I’d seen the expression on her filled-out face—and I felt the stress of the night fall away. “Thank you, Fred. This is so much more than I dared to dream about. Thank you for giving me a second chance.”

  Her words hit me hard, especially on the heels of Deborah and Krystal’s points. It wasn’t often that I got to play any sort of hero, nor was that a role I particularly yearned for to begin with. Rare was the time I ever got to really help, let alone save someone. Tonight was an exception to the rule. Looking at Sheri as she moved so easily, I remembered her struggle to sit up and stare me in the eye. Krystal was afraid of what this successful turn could mean for me, and I understood why. If my turnings were more likely to succeed, the Blood Council might be tempted to put me to work changing their loyalist humans and expanding the number of vampires overall. But there was a flip side, as well: a world of people who needed second chances.

  “You are more than welcome, Sheri. I’m proud to be your sire.”

  “Speaking of, there is one quick formality we should probably get out of the way. Sorry, but this will probably sting.” From her pocket, Deborah produced a small box, from which she drew what appeared to be a nail with the bottom covered in rubber. I could smell the silver as soon as it moved through the air, striking Sheri’s arm briefly before Deborah returned it to the box.

  Sheri let out a sharp curse and a hiss at the red mark now stretched three inches across her skin. “Sweet molasses, that hurts.”

  To my surprise, Deborah appeared relieved as she tucked the box back in her pocket. “That was silver, something you’re going to want to avoid for the remainder of your days. The good news is that most parahumans are weak to it, so you’ll rarely see it used by other supernatural entities.” Her eyes fell hard on me during that bit, not that Sheri noticed.

  With the glance, it snapped into place. Deborah was seeing if I made normal vampires, or ones who were like me. The slowly healing strike to her arm was all the proof needed that my silver immunity didn’t carry over, which was a very good sign for Sheri. I had Krystal, some standing as the leader of a clan, and a myriad of allies to help protect my free will. She was entirely in the Blood Council’s hands; it was hard to imagine her situation being as favorable. Then again, I’d yet to hear anyone else get away with calling
Deborah by a nickname. Maybe Sheri was more protected than I thought.

  “All right, you two, time to clear out. I’m going to walk our new member of the undead through the basics, as well as get her something more fashionable than this hospital gown. Fred, you did good work today. I won’t say it gets easier, but they won’t all be this hard. They also won’t all have a happy ending.”

  “That much, I was already braced for.” Making sure Krystal was ready with a quick glance, I moved on to goodbyes. “Deborah, it’s always an experience. Sheri… I honestly don’t know what to say to someone newly changed. It will be difficult at times, a new kind of living, but it’s a life worth holding on to. Take things a step at a time, and remember that much like humans, parahumans can be more than reputation and appearances suggest.”

  “Thank you again, for everything,” Sheri called back.

  “And make sure you listen to Deborah about the rules,” Krystal added as we headed for the door. “You’ll find out that the people who enforce them are some scary motherfuckers.”

  Not quite the ending I’d have chosen to depart on, but it was certainly a fitting one for us.

  With roughly an hour left until sunrise, we opted to head back toward Claudius’s lab, giving me the distinct feeling of being a ping-pong ball. In truth, though, my spirits were high. This was an outcome I hadn’t dared picture, let alone expect, yet for once, things had gone well. Ignoring the possibility that I might have a higher turning success rate than others and how that could impact things long term, of course.

  “Out of curiosity, if it turns out I am better at making new vampires than everyone else, how do you think that would play?” I assumed we were being listened to as we walked, but I doubted Krystal would suddenly offer some bold new plan they hadn’t already been considering. Mostly, I just wanted to know what to brace for in case they made a play tonight.