by Bond, Casey
I smiled. “How do you feed?”
“You’ve never seen a vampire feed?” she asked, raising her eyes. “Enoch’s never bitten you even a little?”
My face heated. “Not on purpose.”
“Well,” she said. “I tend to be a little harsh with those I feed from. I have a lot of ghosts from my past, and I’ve found comfort in making those that once haunted me… dinner. I imagine it would be different feeding from someone I cared about. I would be careful, and tender, I think.”
I loved this woman.
“Come on. Benjamin and his men just arrived. They’ll be makin’ themselves comfortable in here soon, and be ready to fill their bellies with food and wine soon enough. We need to get you ready.”
“Enoch doesn’t care what I wear,” I argued, warning her against what I was dreading – that she would stuff me in the frilliest, gaudiest gown my clone owned. She’d certainly left plenty from which to choose.
Mary asked for a tub to be sent to my room and for hot water to be boiled to warm the cold water drawn from the well. Asa filled her request for the tub and cold water, and Mary helped me clean the mess I’d made the night before, fussing over the wrinkled gowns and a missing shoe. It had to be here somewhere. Asa brought in a pot of steaming water. “Another is ready. I’ll be right back.”
“You do that,” Mary clucked, shooing him from the room. She swished the water with her hand, mixing hot into cold. “It ain’t even lukewarm. You can’t get in that,” she tutted under her breath. I didn’t tell her I’d taken a completely cold one yesterday. Most of these folks didn’t bathe every day, so they probably thought I was spoiled. I wondered what the clone did about hygiene. She seemed high maintenance enough. The colorful fabrics and frills teased me from the wardrobe. Enoch’s wardrobe, I reminded myself.
“Do you have paper and something to write with? An envelope, maybe?” I asked.
“I’ll see what I can find,” she answered. “Give me a few minutes.”
Asa returned with the second pot of boiling-hot water. “Asa, when you finish dumpin’ that, Miss Eve would appreciate it if she could borrow parchment, a quill, and a well of ink.” She smiled at him like a proud mother would her son.
“I’ll get that for Miss Eve,” he replied, gritting my name as he turned to leave the room.
“Ignore his manners. Enoch brings out the worst in him,” Mary scoffed. I turned my attention to her.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Those two have a history as violent as Cain and Abel, and neither one can die. Not that Enoch hasn’t tried to kill Asa plenty of times.”
“Is that what Asa told you?”
She put her hands on her hips. “That’s what I seen with my own eyes. Now, I know you love him, but you best know what you’re givin’ your heart to. Enoch is not a human man. You can’t expect him to act like one.”
“And Asa’s a saint?”
She quirked a brow. “Not even close.”
Asa returned a short time later with the items Mary asked him for on my behalf. She gave him a pat on the shoulder and told me she’d be back in half an hour to help me dress. “Lord knows she needs all the help she can get,” she whispered in an ornery tone to Asa.
He grinned and walked further into the room as Mary’s footsteps faded down the hall and trailed down the stairs. “Miss Eve,” he said, offering a few pieces of paper, a quill pen I’d have to figure out how to write with, and a small crystal inkwell.
“Thanks,” I said awkwardly, taking the items from him and placing them on a nearby chest of drawers.
Asa lingered. “She wasn’t lying to you,” he began.
“About Enoch trying to kill you?”
“About anything she said, but yes. He’s tried to kill me.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “But you’ve never tried to kill him, right? You’re a victim?”
His eyes turned cold. “I have tried hundreds of times.”
“And failed.”
“Failed, and in the process, learned what doesn’t work,” he volleyed.
“Does that mean you’re still trying to find a way?”
He shrugged a shoulder, refusing to comment further.
“Well, thanks. My water’s probably getting cold, so you best go.” I knew it was rude, but I didn’t care in the least.
“He told me your theory about your clone, and what you found in the wardrobe. Tell me, why did you think to search her room for anything at all?”
He didn’t deserve the truth, but I gave it to him anyway. “I thought maybe since she was made from me, we might think alike, and that if she was as motivated as I was before I met you, she might be willing to do anything to complete her mission.”
“Including stabbing herself in the stomach.”
“She had her suit, right?”
He nodded.
“Then she had nothing to lose. If you didn’t turn her, she could use the suit to heal herself.”
“Which is exactly what she did…” he said slowly. “But I wonder what you’d be willing to do to complete your mission and claim victory over us.”
“I abandoned that mission in thirteen-forty-eight.”
He gave a cruel smile. “Before or after you slaughtered our people?”
“I had nothing to do with that.” He gritted his teeth. It wouldn’t matter what I said, he still believed I was involved with the attack. Wait, no he didn’t. “If you really believed what you just said, I wouldn’t have made it out of your camp the first day I landed in this time.”
“My sister –”
“Will say anything to make you doubt and hate me.”
“Then you won’t mind proving that you’re being truthful?” he led.
“How can I do that?”
Asa’s fathomlessly cold brown eyes locked onto mine. “You’ll kill Abram.”
“If I get the chance, I will,” I promised.
He shook his head. “Some chances must be made and not left to fickle fate.” With those words, he pivoted and left the room.
I closed the door behind him and looked between the warm water and the writing supplies. In the end, writing to Maru took precedent over the steaming bath.
Maru,
It’s insane to even write this, but I am writing you from the colony of South Carolina in the year 1777. Victor and Kael lied about our mission. There are a few things you should know. Number 1: time travel is excruciating. The pain upon landing is unlike anything I’ve experienced, and I hope that when we jump from this time, we’ll finally make it home.
Number 2: We first landed in 1348. In that time, Enoch, Asa, and Terah were not monsters at all. Instead, they offered shelter, food, and safety to anyone who survived the Black Plague. And the people fed them – voluntarily. They loved and respected them, even though they knew what they were. So, I could not in good conscience kill Enoch. They didn’t even know what vampires were, and hadn’t yet sired one. Killing him in that time would have been murder, and I couldn’t live with that.
Number 3: Abram is a vampire. In 1348, he ran a knife through Titus and attacked me, and Enoch almost killed him for it, thus becoming his first sire. I jumped out a window to pull us all through time. We are linked somehow, by the way.
Number 4: Kael cloned us. He and Victor sent an army of clones to 1348. They arrived after I left and slaughtered every innocent man, woman, and child in Enoch and Asa’s homes. And the soldiers were all me. I want to know why.
Number 5: They’ve sent clones of each of the three top Assets to every time since 1348 to hunt Enoch, Asa, and Terah. The clones look exactly like us, but are stamped on the wrist with the year of their target date. It’s really disturbing to kill someone who wears your face. Really upsetting.
Number 6: After I jumped out the window in 1348, we didn’t land back home. We landed in 1717. Don’t even get me started on pirates, but what you need to know is that once we landed, Abram sired his own vampires. But get this – since Enoch is the o
ne who sired him, Enoch can control Abram’s sires by giving verbal commands. Please do not let Victor or Kael know this.
The trio of clones sent to each year seem to have a new mission: do whatever it takes to be turned into vampires and then return to the Compound. I will not let that happen. I think Kael is trying to develop an anti-venin, or else Victor needs to collect a pure sample for more nefarious reasons. Would he make his own army of vampires? Perhaps turn humans to use as protection? Maybe he wants to fight vampires with vampires. I wouldn’t put anything past either of them at this point.
Number 7: We can’t stay in this time long, and I hope we make it home, but there’s something you should know in case I don’t. I’m sick. Something has been steadily weakening me. There have been times I’ve collapsed, times I was so weak I couldn’t even raise a finger. My head often feels like it’s being sliced apart. I’m not sure I’ll survive another jump, to be honest, but the only chance I have is landing in our time and hoping Kael can, or will, fix me before I kill him.
And I will kill him. I will kill him and Victor.
You are in danger in the Compound. Memories are surfacing, memories I can’t even describe to you because they’re unimaginable in their cruelty. If I make it back, I will unleash hell. Victor and Kael spent years making me a weapon, loaded with lies. I’ll spend the rest of my life making sure they pay for it.
Please get out of the Compound. Find Enoch. I’ve told him about you and how important you are to me, and he will help. He’s a friend, an ally, and I love him more than I can possibly describe. He loves me the same way. Please find him. Please trust me. I know it goes against everything we’ve been told, but we’ve been misled.
I hope I make it back. I miss you. I love you, too. Hope you know that.
Eve
My hands were shaking as I signed my name. I blew over the surface of the parchment to dry the wetter spots of ink, then folded a second piece of paper into the shape of an envelope – sort of. It wasn’t pretty, but it did the job.
Then, I quickly undressed and bathed, not caring at all that the water had gone cool.
Chapter Fifteen
Abram
A large party arrived at Asa’s. As they settled into a set of cabins near the rear of Asa’s home, I watched from the wood line. The men were saddle sore and glad to be there. Tonight, Asa would host a dinner for them.
A hog was already being roasted over a fire in the kitchens. Side dishes were being prepared. Desserts were being baked. Savory and sweet smells were carried on the light breeze.
I considered intervening in the fight last night between Eve and Terah, to surprise and kill them both while Terah was stunned, but thought better of it. Even as her flesh boiled, Terah was still stronger than any of us.
Besides, I enjoyed dancing. I would feast on one of the soldiers, perhaps even an officer. Their blood might be richer, given the food they were able to obtain. A simple soldier’s lacked flavor, I’d found.
After I fed, I would join the party. Someone had already begun to practice on the piano forte. I closed my eyes, imagining their fingers teasing the keys and swayed to the soft rhythm. I think I would enjoy dancing.
* * *
Eve
Mary entered the room as I was tugging my suit back on. “You can’t wear that old thing,” she chastised, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I have to.” She quirked a brow. “Religious reasons?”
She shook her head. “Ain’t no church in the land allowing that kind of skin-tight garment in the house of God.”
“I have to wear it.”
“Fine, but you gotta keep the top folded down.”
I nodded, trying to ignore the throbbing behind my eyes.
“Are you feeling okay?” Mary asked, her shrewd eyes assessing the tightness of my shoulders.
I offered my most disarming smile to throw her off the scent. “Yes. Why? Do I look bad?” I held the top of my suit over my breasts as she considered my question, looking me over a few times.
“Something seems off with you.”
“I think I dozed off in the tub. The warm water relaxes me too much sometimes,” I lied.
She gave an m-hmm sound and clapped her hands. “Did you pick out a gown?” I winced, making her chuckle. She walked to the wardrobe, examining each one until her hand stalled over a gown made of deep purple silk. “This color would suit you.”
I weighed the dress in my mind. The gown was magnificent on its own, with no need for embellishment. As such, there were no ruffles or lace. Mary removed the gown from the wardrobe and bent over to choose a pair of matching boots. A lacy silver pair must have called to her, because that’s what she withdrew. She found knee stockings in the drawer.
“I don’t need those. I’ll have my suit on,” I argued weakly, knowing I would lose the battle.
She clucked her tongue. “Unless it magically stretches over your heels, you’ll need these. Dancing causes blisters.”
Dancing in shoes would cause blisters. Dancing barefoot would be bliss.
Besides, my suit could heal blisters, which made me wonder why it wouldn’t heal my headaches, or whatever else kept assaulting me. Was something so drastically wrong with my system that my suit wasn’t up to the task?
“Let’s get you dressed. Your friend is already ready.”
Titus was probably cursing his cravat right now. “Is he downstairs?”
“He’s out back talking to some of the soldiers.”
“So he’s at home, basically.”
She chuckled. “Seems so.” Mary helped me with the stockings, a shift, and then the corset stays… which I cursed soundly in my mind. Why did women have to bind themselves up like this? It was uncomfortable and aggravating. She adjusted my suit beneath my undergarments and looked to the bed where my holster and stakes lay. “You wearin’ those?”
“I have to.”
Mary eyeballed them warily. She must have known what they were for, but instead of offering her opinion, she held the dress up while I dove inside. Then, she brushed my hair out and braided thick sections, pinning them in whorls at the base of my neck. “You look beautiful,” she said quietly. “You know, I had a daughter once.”
Had?
The question must have been written on my face.
“She died. Wasn’t much older than you.”
“By violence?” I croaked.
She shook her head. “Thank God, no. She caught a fever and couldn’t fight it.”
“I’m sorry, Mary.”
“Me too,” she agreed. “Mamas should never have to bury their children. It ain’t natural.”
I could tell the loss of Mary’s daughter left a void nothing could fill. She would undoubtedly miss her the rest of her life. And while the sharpness wasn’t constant, every so often it would rear its head and remind her of what was lost.
I offered quietly, “My mother was killed. I watched it happen.” Her brows furrowed, and then her eyes flicked to my stakes again in sudden understanding. I nodded. “That’s why I have to carry them. A vampire killed her.”
Mary swallowed thickly. “I don’t mean you no harm.”
“I know you don’t, Mary. You’ve been nothing but kind to me.”
“Asa told me to make sure you were comfortable.”
Was she only being nice because he ordered her to, as her sire?
“Thank you. I appreciate it.” I couldn’t help the bitterness in my tone.
She inclined her head and made her way to the door, pausing with her fingers on the handle. “Watch the Brigadier General. Wine makes him think he owns the world and everybody in it.”
I inclined my head. “I will. Thanks.”
Asa told his sire to make me comfortable. I’d talked to her more than almost anyone in this time. Was she telling him everything I said? Was he using Mary to spy on me?
Hearty laughter came from downstairs. I took the knife hidden in the wardrobe and made a slit in my skirt where my holster would
be on my thigh, the small slit hid among the fabric’s dark folds.
Slipping the knife back into its hiding place, I noticed something glinting in the corner. I pulled a silver pocket watch from the tiny crevice, realizing it must have been Enoch’s. I tucked it into my cleavage since this dress didn’t have pockets, and situated Maru’s letter between my leg and holster, making sure it was tight and wouldn’t slip out.
I stepped out of my room and made my way downstairs, noting it was full of men, all wearing variations of dark blue coats on top of white shirts and breeches. Most held their hats, though some had abandoned them near the door. The hats were tri-corn, reminiscent of the ones pirates wore.
I didn’t know what was wrong with me. The sun was beginning to set. Warm, orange-yellow light spilled in through the windows facing the west. Everyone was laughing and conversations seemed light and carefree, but a feeling of dread coiled in my stomach.
I found Enoch in the dining room, sitting with Asa and Terah like kings and queens. The table was covered with creamy linens, the fabric laden with platters and trays of every finger-food imaginable. Small cakes surrounded candied fruit. Roasted potatoes and carrots encircled a long platter with a carved, roasted pig.
Enoch was laughing, relaxed. Until he saw me.
He stood abruptly, eyes locked on mine, and crossed the room. Standing in front of me, I worried he was still mad at me for baptizing his sister. But as soon as the corners of his mouth turned upward and he released a pent-up breath, I was able to finally breathe.
“You are stunning,” he complimented, taking my hand. He raised it to his lips and placed a kiss over my tech. My heart galloped. The room, I realized, had gone quiet, and when I looked around, every eye was on us.
“Enoch,” a loud voice boomed as a man wearing a tragically curled, powdered wig clapped him on the back. “You didn’t tell me we would be entertaining angels on this glorious evening.”
Enoch released my hand only for this guy to claim it and plant a gross, juicy kiss over the spot Enoch had claimed. I pulled my hand away quickly, fighting the urge to wipe his saliva on my gown. Gross.