The Blood Bargain

by Reeves, Macaela

  “Daddy...”

  “Liv. Oh thank God.” He held me close for what felt like an hour. Then he pulled back, his face morphing from relief to anger. Crossing his arms he raised his voice. “What were you thinking? Why would you do such a thing?” He hollered at me. This was the side of him I feared, the commanding military man. I thought of going into details...there were so many answers I could

  give him. In the end, there was only one that mattered.

  “All I can say is I’m sorry.” I answered him flat.

  He looked at the little chain around my neck.

  “You went home?” He breathed no more than a whisper. It was that word. Home. When he said that word, the tears fell from my face. That wasn’t home anymore, it was once. I couldn.t respond through my tears, I just nodded. With a curse he gave me another hug.

  “She would have wanted you to have it.” Dad mumbled to me. He went on to lecture me on all the reasons what I did was horrible. It turns out Cole had made it back to town. Then went straight to my Dad. Who then went straight to Caius. Next came the laundry list of reasons why I endangered Cole and how furious his mother was. I bit my tongue when I wanted to interject how he caused my endangerment. Still, I said not a word, just nodded. He was after all, right in every syllable. My actions had been rash. I had almost caused my own death. Frankly, I was still in shock that I was not dead.

  Perhaps I was, and this was my purgatory.

  “Liv, you can.t go home tonight.” My eyes whipped up at that sentence.

  “What?”

  “Charges have been brought to the council for your actions. I’m going to have to escort you to a cell until tomorrow morning.” The pain in his face was clear.

  “Charges?!”

  “Evelyn, you violated every law we have. Even though you are my daughter I cannot disregard our laws. It is not my vote alone.” I took a deep breath, wrapping my arms around my sides. This was the other pill to swallow. The new-age legal ramifications of my actions.

  Hell, when I made my decision, I hadn.t even thought about this part.

  “I understand.” I tried to give him a small smile. All arrests should have been made by the colony watch, yet Dad was here himself. It was obvious he was trying to keep this as under the table and non-aggressive to me as possible.

  He did not cuff me as he escorted me through the building to the old holding cells in the building. This was a small town, city hall was combination police headquarters, jail, firehouse you name it. There were only two cells in the place. The eight by eight rooms sported a metal plank

  for a bed and a thin slotted window. Classic.

  I didn’t fight when he opened the door, or when he led me inside. I could tell it broke his heart to do so. I sat on the bed-plank and looked back at him.

  “I love you.”

  “I love you too Daddy.”

  “I will do all that I can to ensure you are not...expelled from Junction. See you in the morning.”

  With that the door closed and locked, and I was once again alone.

  As I lay against the cool metal of the jail cell, I pondered my fate. There was only one case of someone being forced to leave the colony, almost five years ago. It was less than a month until his recently turned body was shot and killed at the marker. Leaving Junction meant the closest colony was 271 miles away, with nothing but two days ration of food and water. There was no nice way to put it. It was a death sentence. I exhaled deeply and closed my eyes.

  This had been one hell of a night.

  Chapter 4

  I’ve never been filled with a greater array of fear and relief to walk into the council chamber. This room had once been used for town hall meetings, with its half circle desk and ample back seating. The desk that once served the city council now served ours. The American Flag still hung in the corner, the back wall still painted with a tribute to Washington crossing the Potomac.

  All seven members were accounted for, including Zack who was seated right alongside his father. I walked into the center of the semi-circle desk, feeling surrounded. Thankfully most were stone faced, aside from my least favorite members, Ellis and Shive. Both were looking at me like I murdered their favorite kitten.

  Both men glared at me from the right corner of the semicircle. Not that they’d ever been my fans to begin with. Ellis didn’t think it proper for a woman to be on city watch. He didn.t think much of my Dad either.

  I remember countless arguments over winter preparations that would bring Dad home slamming on the table, cursing Ellis and his mother. The other one, Shive, didn.t have a unique thought in his head. Supposedly he had gotten his council nomination eight years ago after several ridiculous acts of bravery.

  The rumor around town was he saved many lives, fending off deadheads with nothing but a lamp base. The only thing that gave the stories any accreditation in my book was Shive’s muscle tone. Alex Shive was not a small man, he was probably the closest in size to Caius we had human side. However true or untrue that had been, these days he was a parrot for Ellis. Nodding and agreeing with whatever the other man came up with.

  It was obvious the time for the theatrics had come. With me in place at the center, the council settled down and Councilman Graham began his speech.

  “Evelyn Younger. You left the colony, breaking the cardinal rule of our community. Further you did not request permission nor convene with the council on this supposed distress signal you detected. Your actions further endangered the life of Cole Marshal another member of the city watch whom you coerced into joining you on this little escapade. It is only by the gracious

  assistance of our vampire comrades that you stand before us alive today. Your actions have put this colony and every man, woman and child within it in mortal danger.” He paused for dramatic effect.

  “What say you in your defense?”

  With a deep breath, I responded. “I have no defense. I broke the law.” I raised my eyes to my dad. “And I accept whatever the council decides is right for me.”

  “The council will now vote on the motion brought forth by Councilman Ellis, the expulsion of Evelyn Younger.” Councilman Graham banged his gavel on the table.

  “No.” My father was the first to refute it.

  “No.” Zack seconded the motion.

  “Yes.” Our resident doctor, Albert Torren, glared at me as he voted for my certain death. With those little wire rimmed glasses and just a hint of gray in his hair he was what I always imagined a doctor to look like. But then again, I had thought him to be kind and compassionate.

  Apparently not.

  “No.” Councilman Mineral chimed in next.

  “Yes.” Ellis declared, with a pound on the table.

  “Yes.” Shive parroted Ellis word. No surprise there, whatever Ellis said, Shive always agreed. The last to weigh in would be Daddy Graham himself. I stared at the man’s face, he was as hard to read as any politician. My heart stopped beating in my chest as I awaited his word. So far

  it was fifty/fifty I would be an undead snack in a week.

  “No.” Graham hit his gravel on the desk surface. “Majority has not favored this action. Therefore you are released from the expulsion charge put forth.” Ellis leaped to his feet.

  “I hereby demand the secondary request of stockades be discussed. This girl’s actions cannot simply be ignored! I don’t give a damn who her father is.” He pounded on the table and shot my dad a deathly glare.

  “Understood. Calm yourself Councilman Ellis, we are not done here.” Ellis sat back down and I shifted my feet. There was more?

  “Still the council must recognize the years of service put forth by Evelyn Younger and other factors that have recently come to light.”

  “Other factors?”

  “Your recent engagement to Councilman Zack Miss Younger.” My eyes whipped to Zack, who shot me one of his million dollar smiles. So that was it. My father had swung their votes using the only leverage he had. My future.

  Before I could work
myself into being pissed off he continued. “As all members of the council must recognize the continuation of the human species is our prime directive. Any issues that lead to procreation must be treated in high favor.

  However, I cannot have your actions go without some reprimand. Councilman Younger has requested you be removed from city watch effective immediately. A motion I will grant.

  Secondly, we have received a...request from Caius on the behalf of your rescuer. Dimitri has requested your company as his blood liaison for the next term. I am inclined to approve this request. That is, unless there is objection?” He looked pointedly at his son, my new fiancé. Zack did not offer any protest to the motion.

  Great.

  “Evelyn, I trust that you have learned from your actions and will not repeat this sort of behavior in the future. After all, I cannot have my daughter-in-law endangering my future grand-babies.” A low male chuckle filled the room. With a superior smug smile that revealed years of well paid for dental work when we had dentists, Councilman Graham concluded the meeting. “All right

  then, session adjourned.”

  With that the assembly disbursed. Several of the men stopped to chat about this or that. My Father didn.t leave, he stood at the sidewall conversing with Richard Mineral about the harvest. After about five minutes of me fidgeting on the sidelines I interjected.

  “Dad can I talk to you?” With a sigh he turned to me.

  “Not now, I’m very busy.” I crossed my arms prepared to wait, but he followed up with words that hurt.

  “Please...just go home.” His voice wasn't angry as much as it was tired and annoyed. With that he turned his back to me, continuing his discussion with Richard. Dad had never ignored me; ever.

  Double great. Now I’m a pariah.

  I took one last look around the room; Zack was standing with his dad nodding his head like a good little boy. He must have felt my eyes on him, he gave me a smile and a half wave. Bottling my rage, I returned the gesture. Then promptly exited the hall.

  Their nerve. Organizing my future like that. Yes, I know I screwed up. Bad. Still, didn.t I get the right to pick my destiny? No, it seems my Dad had decided the safest place for me was barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen. I can just see it now, kids underfoot while I peeled potatoes to make dinner for my wannabe leader of a husband. The good life.

  I kicked at the sidewalk as I walked home, taking out my frustration on the chipped concrete beneath my toes. I didn't. know what infuriated me more, being sold like a sofa or the fact that my new husband-to-be didn’t protest my blood service.

  A shiver ran up my spine just thinking about it. About him. He was just so...I had no way to finish that sentence. He was an adapt killer, he was handsome, he was undead, he was rude.

  He scared the hell out of me. I thought about that more as I walked, was it a rational fear? He hadn’t tried to harm me. In fact the guy, Dimitri as the council called him, seemed flat out mad I had done what I did. Perhaps it wouldn.t be so bad. After all, no one came out of a service term with complaints. Well, that I knew of.

  Perhaps it was time to do some research and I knew where to start.

  Yu Wei.s job in the colony was straightforward, although I had little idea on how she got it. She was the go-between for all of the vamp’s day to day needs and the general community. She saw to it that their blood schedule was full, and anything else that struck their fancy.

  Kind of like a post outbreak celebrity assistant. She worked out of her home, which happened to be a shop on the square not far from city hall.

  With my recent appointment to blood duty I had to check in with her anyway so why wait? It provided the perfect opportunity to get a bead on the nightmare I had just been thrust into. I opened the front door with a slight knock.

  Inside the decor had not changed since the days it was a tanning salon. The overly tacky attempt at glamour was still in place, the back still lined with little rooms. The only difference was those had been converted into sleep rooms for the needy rather than vanity cookeries. At the

  front desk, the lovely Yu Wei was scribbling all over a sheet of paper in mandarin and talking to herself. Her long dark hair was pulled back in a bun and she was sporting some lime green reading glasses.

  “Yu?” Her eyes snapped up quickly, pen pausing on the paper. Yet she did not speak to me.

  “Is this a bad time? I can come back...”

  “No no...just catching up. What can I do for you hun?” She resumed her writing, giving me less than half her attention.

  “I ah…I.m Liv Younger. I.m going on blood rotation.” When I said my name she paused and raised an eyebrow.

  “Oh so you’re the one who broke all the rules.” She looked me head to toe. “I heard you were taller.”

  Before I could react to that she pushed aside what she was working on and spun her chair to face me. Clasping her hands in her lap she started speaking quickly.

  “Okay so here is the standard procedure. At sunset every other night report to Caius. primary residence. You know where it is right?” I nodded. “They will let you inside when they are ready. Bath before you go over there. Do not use any perfumes. Do not bring any religious

  objects, silver, anointed water, wooden stakes, and so forth.”

  “Does that stuff really work?”

  “Don’t know don.t ask I just read the rules.” She glared at me, as though my interruption was the worst inconvenience she had ever suffered.

  “While you are in service, follow every command to the letter. They tell you to sit. Sit. Stand? Stand. Jump? You ask how high.”

  “I didn’t sign up to be a puppet.”

  “Yeah well, you want to live through this? Shut up and listen to me.”

  “Do they...kill?” Yu just frowned, dodging my words.

  “Next. You are not to discuss what you see within the home, you are not to discuss your role in blood service within the community. This is anonymous for a reason.”

  “Lastly, if you are dismissed for whatever reason, you will leave immediately and report in here to me for debriefing. Do you have any MORE questions?”

  “Is it usual for them to...pick someone?”

  “Nope. Never happened before. As Caius told me; blood is blood. Anything else?”

  “Who fed Dimitri last?” She glared at me.

  “Miss Younger, I can’t tell you that. Come on now.” I did know that. The ‘donations’ were kept secretive, so that those who hated the bloodsuckers didn’t harass them.

  “Well...thank you for your time.” With a smile and a pivot I left.

  The day from that point on was a blur. I went home and showered, complete with a change into civilian clothes. I got a million hugs and lectures from Candice and Zoe. Played catch with the twins and helped with dinner prep.

  I saw neither hide nor hair of my Dad. Perhaps he was pissed to the point of avoiding me.

  In hours that seemed like minutes, the sun was setting and I was walking with heavy feet to the bloodsuckers den. I wrapped my arms around myself, it was a cool night and I should have worn a jacket, a baby doll shirt and jeans were not cutting it.

  Typically I was pretty good about that kind of thing, but tonight the notion had unfortunately completely skipped my mind. Probably too preoccupied with being somethings dinner. Was it a thing? Or a person? How would I talk to him…it. I guess social grace should be the least of my worries.

  The large farmhouse on the edge of town wasn’t that far of a walk, no matter how much I dawdled. When I got there, someone was already waiting. A thirty something man who had broke out his Sunday best for the occasion. He flashed me a smile like it was his wedding day.

  “Are you excited? I’m excited. I can.t believe it’s my turn again. Oh I’m so lucky.” The blond guy to babbled like a lunatic as I lined up next to him, I didn’t know him personally but I knew the type. There were those-a very small number-who went a bit overboard with

  appreciation for the vamps. To the point of cult
style stalking. This kind of worked out well for the rest of us as these wackos were quick to volunteer for feeding rotation.

  The girl who approached on my left was more normal. Long brown hair swept up into a ponytail with a face that would have put her on the cheer leading squad if such a thing still existed. I’d seen her around town working in the vegetable gardens between the houses, a observation that was reinforced by her dungaree overalls marred with grass stains. Couldn.t place her name at the

  moment. She looked nervous as hell.

  “So you sign up for this?” I asked her.

  “Yeah...figured we owe them and all.” She replied with a strained smile and a shrug.

  “I’m Liv.”

  “Anna.”

  “Nice to meet you Anna.” I gave her my best everything will be alright grin.

  “Hey, you.re the girl who went over the wall.” When I didn’t respond she continued. “What’s it like up there?”

  “The same as it has been. Nothing but the dead and memories.”

  “Oh.” Her face dropped, but what did she expect? The world to return to rainbows and unicorns?

  “...Sorry.”

  “It’s opening its opening!” The enamored one cheered. What do you know, low and behold the door swung wide beckoning our entrance.

  The willing didn’t wait at all. He was up the steps two at a time. The worried walk slower. For me, each step felt like a mile. My jeans as heavy as iron on my legs.

  The interior of the house was not what I pictured. Not in the slightest. For some reason I thought the walls would be black, cobwebs would hang from the ceiling and the place would be full of bats and organ music. Instead I walked into something right out of Better Homes and Gardens. It had one of those gardening eco lover color palettes, with the flowery wallpaper and

  bought-new-now-vintage furniture.

  Anna stood beside me in the entryway, her eyes darting between the dark hall past the cute entryway bench and coat racks to the stairs leading up immediately to our left.