“I don’t have much of a choice,” I said and forced myself to laugh to downplay my frustration.
After a few minutes, Vladimir disarmed Mallory—though I bet he could have done it much sooner—sending her weapon skidding across the mat.
“Whenever you think you’re at the top of your game, you’ll find out you’re not—there’s always another level,” Vladimir said to Mallory, then handed me back my sabre. “Continue.”
I stalked back onto the mat and faced off with Mallory, who raised her sabre in preparation of our next match.
“Say when,” she said.
But instead of providing a warning, I simply slashed at her, commencing the fight. I was still unable to throw her off, but at least I got a few more strikes that time. But to reassert her dominance, she moved beyond our fencing parries and surprised me with a martial arts attack. Mallory grabbed my sword arm, twisted me around, then grappled me to the mat. My head slammed into it hard with only one hand to catch my fall, the other—my injured hand—trapped behind my back.
My ears were ringing, but I still thought I heard a whistle being blown. I felt Mallory’s bodyweight lift off me, then a faint word. “Dead.”
“That’s beyond the scope of this exercise,” Vladimir said.
“Sorry; I got excited,” Mallory said. “I needed something to break the monotony with my inferior sparring partner.”
My blood was boiling, and as soon as I could, I sprang to my feet and tackled Mallory from behind. I knew it went against everything Matthew had said. I knew she could best me at this too. But in that moment, I didn’t care and proceeded with my attack anyway.
I was on top of Mallory for only a fraction of a second before she was able to flip me off her and reverse the tables. The next thing I knew, she had her strong legs wrapped around me, immobilizing my body, her arm snaking around my throat, fully ending my assault with a headlock.
“That’s enough! Break it up! Break it up!” Vladimir yelled, yanking Mallory off me—lifting her off the ground entirely and dropping her a few feet away.
I pried my mask off, coughing violently as I lay on the mat. Matthew was now kneeling at my side, laying a soothing hand on my back.
“That was kind of the opposite of what I told you to do,” he said. “Are you okay?”
“You all saw what she did,” Aaron said angrily, now at Mallory’s side. “She must be getting her temper from her coach. This can’t be allowed to continue.”
“You’re right,” Matthew said, his nostrils flaring. “Something needs to be done about you—your entire family!”
Barry and Zelda had stopped sparring and were now watching us, along with quite a few other people throughout the gymnasium.
“You’ll have to take it up with the Assembly,” Vladimir said. “But the two of you are done with group training for this evening. Please leave the gymnasium.”
“Gladly,” I said, removing all my protective gear, and defiantly leading the way out of the training room. I stormed into the locker room and changed as quickly as possible, so I might be gone by the time Mallory got there, but she just couldn’t leave me alone.
She strolled in a minute later, a scowl permanently etched on her face. She scoffed at the sight of me and headed straight for her locker. Amidst undressing, she said, “I hope you enjoyed your night with the freaks. You make a good toy for them.”
I knew she was baiting me, so I held my tongue, trying not to get myself into more trouble.
“Oh, and by the way, I requested your termination from Hot Coffee. It’s kind of a conflict of interest at this point. I thought you should hear it from me. Your friends won’t be there for much longer either.”
“Are you serious?” I said, slamming the door of my locker. “You’re unbelievable.”
“With our reference, I’m sure they won’t have any trouble finding work.” Mallory smirked and wiggled into her slim jeans. “You, on the other hand, can join your mom cleaning houses—or whatever it is she does these days.”
To be honest, I didn’t know what my mom did for work anymore. She was typically juggling multiple jobs, with fulltime work being hard to come by. At one time she was a maid, but I didn’t know how Mallory knew about that… unless she…
Oh… my… God... I couldn’t have been more mortified.
Without saying another word, I rushed out of the locker room and slammed into Matthew as I flew through the door.
He caught my shoulders to stop me. “I was tempted to go in after you.”
“Why can’t you just kill her. It would make everything so much easier,” I said, backing up a step to stand on my own.
“Trust me; it wouldn’t.”
33
Matthew
“It seems we have a major problem,” President Bolt said, seated at the far head of the oblong conference table.
The remainder of the Assembly of Seven filled up the rest of the conference table chairs. The other candidate coaches, Mac and Anderson, sat in chairs lining the wall, along with Octavius and Vladimir, while Aaron and I stood before the Assembly. The tension in the room was so thick, it made it hard to breathe.
“We have two candidates—legacy candidates—sabotaging each other at every turn,” she continued.
“That’s not entirely accurate,” I said. “Fiona has endured the brunt of the abuse and remained steadfast and focused on her development.”
“Those are not the accounts we’ve received,” President Bolt responded. “I know you’re both backing legacy candidates, and those candidacies are typically not much more than formalities. But that is not proving to be the case this time. There has become a major cause for concern.”
“The accounts you’ve received are biased,” I argued.
“As is yours,” Douglas shot back.
Aaron tried to suppress a smirk as he stood at attention beside me, hands clasped behind his back.
“Matthew, you are the exception here and you’ve been given a great deal of latitude because you built this organization, but you have relinquished your rights as a voting member after the formation of the Assembly. That was before my time, but that is my understanding. Is my account accurate?”
“Yes,” I said sadly.
“And with that, you must understand that the same exceptions and leniency does not therefore apply to your candidate.” President Bolt leaned forward in her chair to appear as formidable as possible. “If these two cannot work together as candidates, how can we expect them to work together as members of the Society? We don’t need more conflict and turmoil within our group, and right now there isn’t a unanimous vote to admit either one of them. I don’t care if they’re able to pass the tests we’ve laid out for them tomorrow or six months from now—if they cannot be productive, reliable, trustworthy team players, then they’re not going to be welcomed here.”
“My daughter has exemplary skills and will be a great asset to the Society, especially with the rise of Vampire Nation,” Douglas said confidently. “She’s been primed for this her whole life.”
“Obviously, not well enough, since a key aspect is working harmoniously within a team,” President Bolt retorted. “You of all people should know her fighting skills are only part of the equation.”
“This is not what we discussed.”
“We discussed things further without your presence since it involves your daughter.”
“The exact reason I should be present!”
“And a decision has been made for what they will be required to do, and if they agree, then there will be no going back,” Ashley said. “It is something we’ve used in the past, so it isn’t new. We’ve reserved the right to use this more immersive method of testing our candidates in years past, though not since this more conservative assembly has taken over.”
Ashley had told me her plan, and as she’d expected, I wasn’t keen on the idea for Fiona, though I’d supported it wholeheartedly in the past. And as expected, Douglas was livid since he was a major opponen
t of the practice, after being granted a seat on the Assembly—when Roland Damascus was voted to relinquish his seat.
“You better not be talking about reinstating mandatory incarceration,” Douglas said, glaring at Ashley.
“We talked about it and it’s decided,” Ashley said, glancing at President Bolt for support.
“And the girls will be roomed together,” President Bolt added.
“I vehemently oppose my daughter being subjected to such torture!” Douglas yelled, his face growing beet red.
“This is the unanimous decision since I revoked your ability to vote for this motion.”
“This is unacceptable!” Douglas slammed both fists on the conference table.
“This is the only way to move forward with these two candidates.”
Aaron didn’t look so confident anymore, his face haunted as he stared at the far wall.
“So, what’s next,” I chimed in, momentarily getting everyone’s attention off Douglas’s outburst.
“We’ll arrange a time to bring Mallory and Fiona back to Singularity Room,” President Bolt said. “I will meet with them personally to give them their choices.”
“Very well,” I said. “I will make sure Fiona’s there at the requested time. Thank you.”
Aaron glanced apprehensively at his father, who gave no indication of direction. Aaron finally took it upon himself to respond. “I’ll get Mallory there as well.”
“Then we have nothing more to discuss,” President Bolt said, rising from her chair. “Do not prepare your candidates any more than you already have. I want to deliver the news of the next leg of their journey myself.”
Douglas looked quite crestfallen, giving me a small sense of satisfaction. Mallory had been actively trying to get Fiona to quit since the beginning and now they were being punished together. It seemed Mallory had been given special treatment her entire life, so it was satisfying to learn that her father wouldn’t get her off the hook yet again.
Despite my pleasure in Douglas’s loss, I still feared for Fiona—well, for both girls actually—and hoped they would ultimately become stronger for it, like in the case of Ashley Degray. But I’d seen the pendulum swing the other way too, with candidates coming out broken, never recovering to their former selves.
34
Fiona
I went with Alexis to our evening shift as usual, curious as to what would be waiting for me when I got there. I didn’t mention my possible dismissal to Alexis or Candace while we were at school, not knowing how to explain it without diving into my new double life. And maybe Mallory had been bluffing.
My fears were realized when the store manager, Michael O’Brien, was still there that late in the afternoon and called me into the office while I was still waiting for Candace to finish making my white mocha. He confirmed the seriousness of the situation when he asked me to close the door before sitting down.
“There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to say it,” he said. “I have to let you go.”
Since I’d been anticipating this discussion, I didn’t look particularly shocked, which surprised him. This had been my first job—so I had nothing to compare it to—but I’d really liked it, especially getting to work with my best friends. It would feel weird going there and not jumping behind the counter and being able to make my own drinks. But I remained strong and didn’t get emotional. Instead, I simply asked, “Are you going to tell me why? Did I do something wrong?”
“I’m sorry, but this is coming straight from the owner. He’s requiring me to cut costs, and a big part of that is labor. We are going to start running leaner shifts. And with less hours in the overall pool, we’ll have to do a few layoffs. Your name was specifically mentioned due to your limited availability.”
“Alexis has the same availability as I do,” I argued, which immediately made me feel guilty for dragging my friend into this.
“Which is why one of you was a good place to start the cuts. Alexis has more experience, is a model in exemplary customer service, and has reliable transportation.” Michael picked up a sealed envelope from the desk and handed it to me.
“You’re right,” I said. “I don’t want to insinuate I’m better than her because I know how awesome she is.”
“I know you two are close.” Michael pointed to the envelope now in my hand. “That’s your final check. I’d appreciate you turning in your aprons when you can.”
“Sure,” I said, not willing to fight anymore. “Can I go now?”
Michael nodded.
I had the apron I was going to wear on shift that day folded at my waist, so untied it and tossed it to him. “I’ve got three or four more at home, but I’ll bring them in.”
As soon as I opened the door, Candace was standing there, holding my white mocha in one hand and reaching for the doorknob with the other. “Here you go,” she said, not even suspecting anything was wrong.
Without her noticing, I stuffed the envelope into my back pocket and rejoined Alexis at the bar, still five minutes away from the start of our—her—shift.
“I’m so not looking forward to the history test tomorrow,” she said. “I haven’t had a chance to study at all. And since we’re closing tonight, I’ve got like no time. And I can’t pull an all-nighter again.” The closed text book was next to her on the counter, like it was going to give her encouragement to open it.
“I’ve only done a little reviewing,” I said. The truth was, I now had all evening to study, if that was where I wanted to put my focus. The problem was, I really didn’t. With everything I was preoccupied with lately, I didn’t have the focus or the mental or emotional stamina to study.
“Well, you’ll probably do better than me.” Alexis gulped down the rest of her iced tea and hopped down from the bar stool. By the time she’d strolled around the bar, she had her apron up and over her head, headed for the register. “Aren’t you gonna clock in?”
“I was let go,” I said, then took another sip of my white mocha. I wanted to savor it, not knowing if this was the last free one I’d be receiving.
“No way!” Alexis gasped.
“Are you effing kidding me?” Candace shouted from the espresso bar. I hadn’t realized I’d said it loud enough for her to hear. “On what grounds?”
“Cutbacks, according to Michael,” I said. “But I have good reason to believe Mallory was behind it.”
“I don’t doubt it—that bitch,” Candace said, rounding the pastry case, then glancing at an older woman ordering from Alexis. “Sorry… it slipped.”
Alexis turned after handing the woman her change. “Do you want me to drive you home? I’m sure Michael can spare me for fifteen minutes.”
“Naw; it’s okay,” I said. “I can walk.” I had already planned on doing so anyway, not that I really wanted to go home either. I didn’t want to tell Mom I no longer had a job. The thought of finding a new one and having to subject myself to interviews again sucked. It was one more thing I didn’t want to think about. Perhaps the True North Society would pay once I became a full-fledged member and I wouldn’t have to find a new job. That was the best-case scenario but I wasn’t counting on it.
While I continued to sip my drink, I noticed someone snag the stool beside me.
“Hey, Fee,” Sean said. “You on a break?” He laid an envelope on the counter. The words not at this address were scrawled large across the front of it.
“Indefinitely,” I said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t work here anymore.”
“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” he asked, turning on his stool to face me.
“I don’t know. I haven’t decided yet,” I said and glanced down at the envelope.
“Oh, it’s just another letter that came back the other day. I thought you’d want it… you know, to cross off your list.” Sean pushed it toward me.
“You don’t have to do that. We’re not together anymore.”
“It’s importan
t to you, so I want to make sure you get them.”
“Thank you,” I said, picking up the envelope and examining my writing. This one had gone out nearly two months ago, according to the original post office stamp. I thought of the letter inside; I would hand write them all, thinking typing them would be too impersonal. Each letter was on college-rule notebook paper and gave a short synopsis of my life, who I was looking for, and how I came upon that address in my search. I received a few calls and emails, which were always nice. But most simply returned the letters, many times with ripped envelopes taped back up. This one had been patched up in such a way.
“Do you want to sit outside and talk?” Sean asked, causing me to look up from the envelope.
I wanted to ask why, but simply said, “Sure.”
I caught Alexis’s gaze as I stepped down from my stool and followed Sean outside to the wire-mesh table by the glass. She wasn’t shy about letting me know she thought we ought to get back together. I wasn’t willing to put so much faith in us.
“Do you want me to get you a drink?” I asked, once we were seated outside. Perhaps, I was looking for a reason to get away already. I didn’t even know.
“No; I’m good,” Sean said, giving me a shy smile.
We sat there for a while, neither of us willing to initiate the conversation. Sean had proposed the idea, so I was waiting for him; I’d given enough throughout our time together. He sat there, picking at his nails. I was about to get out my phone when he finally spoke up.
“How have you been?” Sean asked. He didn’t look up at me when he asked the question, like he was embarrassed to be talking with me. After a moment, he added, “I don’t like the way we left things.”
“Wounds don’t heal if you keep picking at them,” I said, gazing down at my still bandaged left hand. My right still had a hint of the X I’d been branded with at the nightclub. “I don’t like how things ended either, but they did, so I’m doing what I can to move on.”
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