“We encourage audience participation in the upcoming meeting,” Torres said. “But please wait until after the various speakers have presented their case. We will hold an open forum discussion first, then open the floor for questions and suggestions.”
With that, she turned to face the wing and began calling out names, Thandiwe first. Part of the crowd cheered, but even that reception was tepid. They picked up a bit on the next, Matt, and then even more for Rose, followed by Rubio, but the cheering nearly died out when Torres called for Jason Kraft. A few succubi in the front row dutifully clapped, but no one else.
They sat in comfortable padded chairs arranged in a semi-circle facing the audience. Rose found the microphone pack on her back waistband uncomfortable but resisted the urge to adjust it. She wouldn’t want to damage the thing.
She gazed at the crowd. With the house lights up, she could see them clearly. Part of her despaired at the clear lines of separation between them all.
The Africans, a smaller sample than the group Thandiwe had brought to evaluate the Order, sat in a cluster on the right side of the stage. They watched the various leaders take their seat with stoic expressions, but Rose thought they had a doubtful air about them.
Filling out the auditorium’s middle section, Rose’s own Order ops appeared attentive yet reserved. Most of them she could name on sight, though a few eluded her. No matter if she knew them or not, Rose was confident they would follow her and Matt so long as the two of them proved worthy of such devotion. Even with her heart aching, she felt determined to earn that loyalty.
Rubio’s vampires, a gaggle of pale, unimpressed faces, and Jason Kraft’s succubi occupied the remaining seats. Even amongst their group, the division between vampire and succubus jumped out. They sat together but separated by an invisible wall that wouldn’t let them mix.
As moderator for the discussion, Torres launched into a quick recitation of the prevailing facts and events that had led up to their groups coming together to defeat Alice McAleese. It didn’t take long since most of the crowd likely knew all the salient facts. Rose and Torres had cut those out, along with anything that might have hamstrung the meeting in endless questions. Better, she figured, to let their respective leaders cover that ground later. A few of the succubi in the crowd looked shocked at one fact or another, but as a whole, they appeared unruffled.
“At this point, I’d like to give the time over to Thandiwe Buhari, director of the Consortium, to explain our purpose here.” Torres moved aside and gave Thandiwe a slight nod.
The African succubus, who had chosen a shiny green and silver gown with matching headdress for the evening, smiled at the crowd, most of whom applauded her even if only out of a sense of kindness. Rubio’s vampires didn’t move, but Rose figured that was more affectation than protest.
“Friends,” Thandiwe said. “I have been asked to present a proposition for an alliance between our various peoples. Those of you who know me know I detest bureaucracy. I have no time for it. And thus, I shall address the matter straight on.”
The Consortium group sparked applause led by Sammy Wolf, who stood up to whistle through his hands.
“Sit down, Sammy Wolf; you embarrass yourself.” Thandiwe smiled despite the chiding remark.
“Oh, I wasn’t cheering you, Thandiwe,” called Sammy. “I was cheering for brevity!”
Everyone laughed, excluding the vampires, though Rose thought she saw one or two almost smile.
“Ayiee!” Thandiwe said. “Your mouth moves, old man, but nothing intelligent appears.”
This brought a rousing cheer from the Africans, many of whom slapped Sammy’s back or shook his shoulders. He laughed with them, taking the ribbing good-naturedly, and just like that, most of the tension in the room vanished. Rose still sensed doubt from the crowd, but the feeling of complete incompleteness had fled.
“As I was saying, we’re here to discuss combining our forces.” Thandiwe let the silence that followed the laughter hang for a moment, giving her words more weight. “I know many of you don’t like the idea. In some respects, neither do we on this stage. For many years, my own Consortium has eschewed all contact with coven kingdoms of any sort. While we seldom had cause to fight them, we made no efforts to ally ourselves with them, and largely ignored their existence insomuch as we could.
“I’m afraid that ploy is no longer useful in this changing world, my friends. The vampire, Piper Ross, is building a powerful—as she names it—coven queendom. No one knows the full extent of her network. It could be hundreds, perhaps even thousands of loyal vampires. We in the Consortium can no longer afford to ignore these numbers. We do not know her plans, but we fear they may well involve the eventual usurpation of American Society. If that happens, she will control most of North America, because there will be no one to stand against her. What about the Irish, I hear you asking. Even with Alice McAleese dead, someone will surely take her place. Won’t they attempt to stop a vampire takeover?”
Thandiwe shook her head, her lips pulled tight into a line. “Alice McAleese created a cult of personality. Someone may come along to replace her eventually, but when? From all that we see, with both American and Irish Society reeling, Piper Ross stands in the perfect position to assert her power here and defend it for centuries to come. If we fail to act, we may inadvertently forward her ambitions. I implore you all to help us avoid such an eventuality. Thank you.”
Stronger applause followed Thandiwe than had preceded her. No matter the outcome, she had at least impressed some in the crowd. Torres approached the microphone.
“Now we shall hear from one of our Order leaders, Rose Carver.”
The Order ops put up an impressive cheer, some of them drawing voice to bolster their calls or strength to turn their clapping into the sounds of gunfire. To Rose’s astonishment, many of the Consortium members almost matched her own people’s applause. Perhaps her fight with Alice had won her appreciation from the sector, which was nice considering so many voted against including the Order in their ranks during their admittance hearing.
“I feel the same as Thandiwe,” Rose said into the mic. “I don’t like long speeches. I want to know what’s going on without any fluff, and I think you do as well. Brass tacks, as my father used to say. It’s time someone takes the wheel in Society.”
That brought a cheer, especially from the Order section, but even some of the vampires clapped.
“We in the Order have spent too long begging for a place at the table from elitists inside the Society machine. I thought, after we defeated the fear factory, they might see us as something more than mere slinkers. But if the last year has taught me anything, it’s this: victory can’t defeat bigotry.” Rose felt immensely proud of that line. “Even if Alice McAleese and Piper Ross hadn’t left American Society in disarray, I see now the Order would still remain outcast. In fact, showing them our might may well have made things worse for us. I and the others on this stage are proposing a coalition of our groups not only to protect ourselves in the coming days but with the eventual goal of asserting rule over Society.”
She had more to say, but the crowd overrode her with cheers. She nodded and left it at that.
Rubio took the lectern next, moving in that staid, creepy way of his. He stared at the crowd for the better part of thirty seconds, an absolute eternity when it came to public speaking. Rose lifted an eyebrow at Matt, and he shrugged.
“Do vampires get stage fright?” Rose whispered.
“What should we do if he never speaks?” Matt looked on the verge of standing to approach the seemingly frozen vampire.
“I guess I could do his part,” Rose said. “Maybe we can—”
“Amigos,” Rubio said, his voice deeper and more resonant than Rose had ever heard it. He placed his hands on either side of the lectern, his face suddenly animated, his spine straight, his dark eyes sparkling under the stage lamps. “You and I have lived in one world our entire lives, a world of simple truths. Vampires are few; succubi
are many. Vampires have little power. Succubi have much. This world stands on its rules—rules that may have seen my kind held down and held back, and yet those same rules also protected us and our succubus cousins from detection by humans. It was never perfect, but it was ours. That world, though, is coming to an end. Society is falling, and Piper Ross wants to control it.”
The vampires in the room hissed in unison, startling many of the succubi, Rose included, who jumped in awkward surprise.
“We cannot let the upstart, Piper, take control. She doesn’t respect tradition—she doesn’t respect us. By joining with the Consortium and the Order, we cement our place in Society’s future rule. We will make certain vampires are given the same rights and freedoms as any succubus so long as we obey the law.”
Many of the succubi in the crowd appeared uncomfortable at those words, but the vampires, breaking all precedent to Rose’s mind, stood from their chairs to cheer and applaud.
Rubio nodded once and then, resuming his statue-like mannerisms, marched swiftly back to his seat, all signs of his previous emoting gone.
“Thank you for that impassioned address,” Torres said, seemingly uncertain whether to smile or frown. She settled on the former and adjusted the mic for her height. “There you have it, folks. You’ve heard from your various leaders what we’re proposing. We’d like to form a new organization that encompasses all of our people worldwide based here in the States. Our immediate goal, meaning in three to five years, will be to establish control over American Society with the intention of reshaping it to become more equitable for us all. Now, I would like to open the floor to questions. Please approach one of the mics set up on either aisle to address the stage.
Fewer people than Rose expected offered up questions. Most involved how she and the others proposed to govern a large group of succubi and vampires, two factions that had never gotten along well in the past. Since this was a preliminary meeting to gauge the popular opinion of establishing the coalition in the first place, Rose and the others could provide few details.
“We don’t know yet, I’m sorry,” Rose said, addressing a young succubus in the fourth row. She looked maybe twenty and worried.
“Well, who would be the leader?” asked the woman. “Which one of you will be in ultimate control?”
Everyone on stage stared around at the others in silence. For a moment, Rose worried Jason Kraft might speak up. The group forbade him from addressing the crowd, leaving his faction’s part up to Rubio. Most people hated the man, but he had motivated Rubio and his loyal vampires, along with no small number of succubi, to band together. Saving Rose and her crew from Alice hadn’t hurt either. That was probably why she hadn’t heard too many disparaging remarks about Jason’s presence.
“I think it should be Rose Carver,” said Rubio, stunning everyone not just with his outburst but his words.
Rose could tell by the expression on Thandiwe’s face, the African woman fought some internal struggle before she nodded. “Yes, that is a good idea.”
Rose held up both hands. “No, on two counts. First, this is premature. We haven’t even voted on allying ourselves.”
“That can be remedied,” Thandiwe said.
“And second,” Rose said, ignoring the interruption, “if anyone should lead, it’s Thandiwe. She has more experience than me leading a much larger organization.”
Truth told, Rose wanted to nominate Matt for the position, but when she suggested it the night before, he roundly vetoed the idea. Not only did he detest the very thought, but he also pointed out his former role as one of his father’s top wranglers, commissioned to kidnap succubi for the fear factory. While he had proven himself to the slinkers within the Order, he didn’t feel others, especially in foreign nations with whom their new coalition might one day seek alliances, would be willing to ignore his past sins.
Kraft and Rubio were out. Kraft for the same reasons as Matt only tenfold, and Rubio because the succubi in their group would never accept a vampire as their top leader. The mere fact they seemed okay with the idea of including vampires, especially the Consortium members, was already surprising enough. Rose figured pushing them further might introduce strain their new group couldn’t yet absorb.
That left her and Thandiwe. Between them, Rose knew Thandiwe coveted the position more. In fact, Rose didn’t want it at all. That left her wondering why the Consortium director had seconded the suggestion. She gave Thandiwe a quizzical expression.
“I know members of the Consortium may wonder why I shouldn’t lead,” Thandiwe said, projecting her voice with a draw. “And yes, I have had experience with this sort of thing. But the bulk of our members, both succubus and vampire will, at least for now, reside in the United States.”
“That’s right!” said an incubus in the Order section of the crowd.
“Perhaps in the future, we may elect a leader—and yes, I said elect—from outside this country, but I do not think that time is now.”
The crowd cheered Thandiwe’s words.
“We should choose Rose Carver because she knows what it’s like to lead and to be led,” Thandiwe went on. “The succubi here, while many of them may not respect her due to her upbringing, they at least know her name. To them, for the most part, I am no one. Better they should fight for a succubus they know, and one from their own country, than a complete outsider like me.”
“How about it?” Matt said into Rose’s ear over the applause that followed. “It looks like you’ve got a job offer, and it sounds a hell of a lot better than waiting tables.”
“What about—” Rose glanced around, aware of how many gazes rested on her, how many super-powered ears could likely hear every word she was saying, especially once the clapping died off a bit. Then again, what did they matter when it came to her and Matt? “What about us, our plans? We were supposed to have that talk, but I didn’t think that meant on a stage in front of a hundred people.”
He flashed his lopsided grin. “So, we put it off a little while. We’re still together. I wouldn’t let you do this alone, and I think, right now, they need you more than me. Go for it.”
Rose watched his eyes for a moment and saw reflected in them all the hope, love, and pride she felt in her own soul. She kissed him, and the crowd erupted in cheers. Drawing calm and strength, she approached the lectern. It took her a moment, even with votary-supplied calm, to find her voice.
“I’m willing to lead you if that’s what you want, but maybe we should have that vote first?”
Succubi and a surprising number of vampires laughed. Chibueze appeared from the wings with a tablet. He proceeded to quickly explain the voting system. Everyone in attendance had already downloaded the Consortium’s voting app, which they used to quickly make their desires known.
The results, a ninety-three percent victory in favor of forming a united coalition, appeared on the enormous flat-screen behind Rose, who hadn’t left the lectern. She smiled up at it despite the overwhelming responsibility settling on her shoulders and the aching sadness over Olivia’s death she had managed to suppress until now. For some reason, even as a wave of happy charm and adulation washed over her, those emotions returned. Part of her didn’t deserve happiness, she knew, not with Leslie and now Olivia dead. She wanted to cry and held it back to mimic joy and pleasure at the vote.
“Shall we vote now for a leader?” Chibueze asked. “Is it necessary? Or do we all know it’s Rose Carver?”
“I won’t accept without a vote,” Rose said, making sure her voice carried to the open mic.
“Fine, fine. Give me a moment to set up the next poll.” Chibueze tapped away at his tablet, his handsome face focused hard on the screen.
A phone rang in the crowd. One of her people answered it, but he wasn’t alone. More phones rang, the sounds accompanied by hundreds of new message alert chimes. Rose twisted around to the other leaders on stage, most of whom had already pulled out their phones to check their incoming alerts, even Matt.
Someone in the
first two rows cursed loud enough to be heard across the silent auditorium, and a welter of moans and gasped followed.
“What the hell?” Rose asked as she resumed her seat next to Matt to peek at his phone. Her eyes went wide at the image on his screen, and all the breath left her.
Piper Ross, lounging in a comfortable chair, one foot tucked up under her opposite thigh, sat opposite a well-known reporter named Allen Mitchell, a man known for insightful interviews of people from the biggest Hollywood stars to everyday bus drivers.
“Do we have enough live viewers yet?” Allen asked someone off-camera.
“Up to three million,” said a faint voice.
“That should be enough,” Allen said. “Don’t you think, Ms. Ross? I bet we’ll get more as we go along.”
“Three million should be plenty, hon.” Piper’s southern drawl sounded particularly deep juxtaposed to Allen’s polished news speak.
Allen faced the camera, which zoomed in on his chiseled features. Rose had always thought the guy could have made it in the movies if had wanted. He flashed his trademark smile, the one that made all the stay-at-home-moms crush on him, and cleared his throat.
“Hello,” he said with utmost confidence. “I’m Allen Mitchell, and this is an exclusive live event being simultaneously streamed on the internet and my mother network, CNN. We’re interrupting our usual programming to bring you an exclusive story, one I’m not sure many of my viewers will at first believe. Sitting before me is Piper Ross. Ms. Ross is a vampire. Yes, friends, you heard me right. I’m not insane or drunk, nor is this April Fool’s in July. Ms. Ross is an honest-to-God vampire. Is that right, Ms. Ross?”
The camera switched to Piper’s exquisite face. She smiled, and her fangs slowly extended to cover her human teeth. “Yes, Allen, I am.”
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