by Lund, S. E.
Dr. Wu smiles proudly.
“That’s what we plan on doing once we have all our labs working at full capacity,” Soren says, and he sounds so pleased with himself. “Next week will be the full launch, but today, instead of a demonstration, we’ll be releasing it in the red zone.”
Soren waves his hand and the technicians start to load machinery onto the dirigible’s undercarriage.
“That’s the dispersal mechanism,” Dr. Wu says, pointing to the machine. “It will release the antidote once it is in the stratosphere. The wind and jet stream will take the particles and spread them over a wide area. We should start seeing it’s effect within twenty-four hours.”
Hope wells up inside of me that perhaps Soren can actually do what he claims – and will do it. I’ll know within a day whether it works. It looks like this is all coming together and Soren means business.
I can hope.
“You don’t have to hope, Eve,” Soren says out loud. “I’m a man of my word about this. I want to stop the destruction of all fossil fuels. I happen to like modern technology, but we have made some amazing technological breakthroughs and so while the age of fossil fuels will linger on for a few more decades, the age of clean energy will surpass it very soon.”
I nod and if what he says is true, I’ll be happy. The age of fossil fuels needs to come to an end, but not abruptly the way it has, with hundreds of thousands of people dying and starving.
Soon, the technicians have the dirigible loaded and ready to go. They turn on the engines that power the propellers and up it rises, the sound a soft hum compared to an airplane. It keeps rising, still tethered to the ground until it reaches a certain height and the technicians release it. It bobs up higher and sets off, increasing altitude with each passing moment. Then, while we watch, it starts to deploy the antidote.
“Isn’t it kind of low?” I ask. “It’s not in the stratosphere yet.”
“This is just the demonstration we already had planned for today,” Dr. Wu responds. “The weather balloons will take the agent into the stratosphere and release it over the next few hours and the agent will start falling back into the lower atmosphere over the next few days. It will take a week of such releases coordinated across the affected zone to nullify the existing plague and stop it from spreading.”
As we watch, other white-suited technicians inflate the weather balloons, which are released once they are filled and go high into the atmosphere to the edge of space. Their sleek silvery fabric shimmers in the winter sunlight, the material rippling as the balloon inflates and rises up. Gusts of helium fill the balloons and they start to lift off the ground, pulling the machines meant to disperse the agent beneath them.
It’s all very exciting to watch and know that the plague will be stopped. I’m starting to feel good about this cooperation with Soren, as much as I dislike him.
Dislike me, Eve? I’m crushed…
I don’t respond, but frown for it’s too easy to forget that he can access my mind whenever he wants. Then, I do respond.
That’s why I dislike you, Soren. If you understood humanity, you’d understand why.
Of course, he can’t resist.
Oh, I understand humanity very well. I’m using that understanding to get what I want and give what humanity needs. Just watch me.
We continue to watch the weather balloons float off as a trio into the sky, pulled by the prevailing winds.
“We’ll come back tomorrow and check whether the agent has been effective,” Soren says, “but as I’ve already shown, we can stop the virus using our technology. It’s just a matter of dispersing it widely enough.”
Finally, when all the balloons are no longer visible, we troop back inside the facility and go to a boardroom where we sit and have some tea and coffee. Dr. Wu spends some time pointing to a map on the wall, which shows the earth’s land masses. Areas where the plague has been released are colored in red. He points out where the various facilities are located, the labs that produce the agent and will disperse it once everything is ready.
Michel and I sit side by side, and I’m sure it pleases Soren to see us together. I’ll have to follow through with my agreement to make a pass at Michel once I have actual physical proof that the agent is working and will be dispersed widely enough to stop any further damage to our petroleum supplies.
I glance at Michel from the corner of my eye and watch him as he drinks his tea. He’s been very quiet the whole time, not asking questions or commenting. He looks very handsome in his vestments and I feel a bit bad that I find him attractive, even now when he’s in his priestly garb. I can’t deny my attraction to him – it has never waned. But no matter how I feel about him, I know that in the long run, Michel isn’t happy sharing me with Julien, nor is Julien entirely happy with that prospect. I have to choose one of them and in the end, Julien is far more in tune with me about almost everything.
Michel turns and looks in my eyes. It may be just my imagination, but I get the sense that he’s hurt by my thoughts. Can he read me as well? I thought now that he’s mortal, he has no access to my thoughts, but perhaps his prescience and telepathy are still strong enough.
He turns away and places his teacup down. Soren abruptly stands up from the table and I figure it must be time to leave. We all follow him and Dr. Wu out of the facility to the vehicles that brought us here. I sit beside Michel once more, across from Soren and Kael. We drive off and I watch the facility disappear into the distance as we take the road back to Cambridge.
“Well, Eve?” Soren says, a self-satisfied grin on his face. “What did you think? Aren’t you pleased that we’re stopping the plague?”
“Of course,” I say and nod. “Thank you. I wish it could have been stopped sooner.”
“Never satisfied,” he says and shakes his head. “I do hope you’ll be satisfied tomorrow, in more ways than one.” He winks at me and I know what he means. He hopes that Michel and I will make love so he can feel all pompous that he was right.
I don’t believe Michel will break his vows again, but I could be wrong. Michel was very quick to lie on top of me that day when I kissed him. He would have probably followed through if I hadn’t stopped him.
I sigh and look out the window as we drive back to Soren’s compound, wondering what the night will bring. All I want is a glass of blood and to lie in bed with Julien and forget everything for a while.
We arrive at the front entrance and Michel escorts me to our rooms. Before he enters, he pulls me aside, and we stand outside the door.
“Have faith, Eve,” he says softly. “If not in God, then at least have faith in me. You know I love you. You know I’m trying to do the right thing.”
I smile at him. “I know. I understand now,” I say, thinking about what Soren has planned, understanding why Michel has been so secretive all this time. “But I’m afraid I can’t have faith. I know you’ll do what’s right because of your past behavior. I have evidence I can count on. I don’t need faith.” I reach up and cup his cheek, my heart filling with affection for him. Whatever else he is, he is a heroic man who is trying to do what is right and what is best.
“Thank you,” he says and leans in to my cupped hand, his beautiful eyes closing. “I wish…” he says, his voice trailing off.
“Shh,” I say, because I know what he wishes. He wishes that none of this had to happen. That we had been able to escape this fate that lies before us both.
Then he opens the door and I go inside. He doesn’t join me and I frown, wondering why.
“Where are you going?” I ask.
“I have business to attend to. I’ll be back later.”
I nod and enter our rooms to find Julien sitting by the huge arched window reading the daily paper, his head bent over to read in the dim light of the cloudy day.
My heart leaps for there was a part of me that still worried something could happen to him. I go up behind him and wrap my arms around his neck, nuzzling his skin beneath his ear where his tattoo is.
“There you are,” he says softly and puts down the paper. He turns his head and reaches back, pulling me around and down onto his lap. I circle his neck with my arms and we kiss, deeply and passionately. When he pulls away, he strokes my hair with one hand, his eyes moving over my face. “I was jealous that Soren didn’t let me come along, but I suppose he was trying to do that, so I tried not to let it bother me too much.”
“Forget Soren,” I say and kiss him again. “Kiss me. I was so afraid something would happen to you. I want to lose myself in you.”
I kiss him again and he responds, but then it’s as if he has another thought and pulls away from me.
“I’m sorry,” he says and shakes his head softly. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. Michel may come in at any time…”
“Michel said he had some work to do. Let’s go into the bedroom and close the door. He’ll understand what that means.”
Julien shakes his head, and I see he’s determined, and I wonder if Soren has compelled him to not sleep with me until I do my duty and try to seduce Michel away from his vows.
I sigh and give up, my head leaning on Julien’s shoulder. “All right,” I say and stroke Julien’s very square jaw with a few day’s worth of scruff that I find so undeniably attractive. “You can’t fight City Hall.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know what it means. Soren’s probably compelled you not to sleep with me until I’ve done his bidding.”
Julien frowns but doesn’t say anything. I imagine he’s not able to speak about Soren compelling him either. It’s so frustrating, I want to pound something, but instead, I sigh and try to enjoy sitting on Julien’s lap, our arms around each other.
That will have to suffice until I’ve done my duty.
Chapter 123
We spend the evening reading and talking in quiet voices, waiting for our call for dinner with Soren. Finally, at about seven o’clock, Michel returns and pops his head into the room.
“Dinner’s ready,” he says. “Soren asks that you both come along.”
Julien raises his eyebrows and I feel a bit of a jolt of adrenaline, wondering what Soren has prepared for us. What torture will he try to put us through? Probably sit me between Michel and Julien just to reinforce that he’s the puppet master and we’re all his puppets.
It makes me mad, but I have learned that I have to stop resisting everything and try to bend and be flexible. I have to try to go with my gut instinct more often.
My gut instinct tells me that all this posturing about Michel and Julien and me is really just amusement for Soren. He’s lived an incredibly long existence and is bored to death. But since he’s immortal, he can’t die, so he has to do everything in his power to amuse himself. Seeing the three of us together amuses him.
I determine at that moment to amuse him.
“Just so the two of you understand,” I say and lay a hand on both their shoulders as we walk down the hallway to the dining room, “I love you both. I always will.”
Michel frowns and turns to me and I feel Julien’s eyes on me as well. “Why do you say that?” he asks, his voice low and hesitant.
“I don’t want to fight any longer,” I say. “I spent far too much time fighting for the sake of fighting. From now on, I’m going to choose my battles and fighting with Soren over the two of you is not a battle I want to fight any longer.”
We walk along and I can tell that they’re both struggling with what I’m saying.
“That doesn’t mean that we’ll have a happy little ménage a trois or anything,” I say, smiling at them both. “But I won’t let it bother me any longer that Soren wishes we would. I understand why he wants it. Let’s try to just enjoy each other’s company and not be jealous or upset if one of us talks to the other. Can you both do that?”
I look in both of their faces, one after the other, searching to see if they understand and can accept my proposal.
“Let’s not let him win,” I say firmly. “Let’s not let him decide how we will be with each other. Let’s be the way we want to be. Let’s be kind and considerate and loving, no matter what Soren tries to put us through. Okay?”
I turn to them both. We stand in the hallway outside the dining room.
“Okay,” he says.
We turn to Julien and he shrugs. “I’ll do what I can, but you know my situation. I can’t make any promises.”
I nod and touch his shoulder affectionately. “I understand. He’s compelled you and there’s only so much you can do that’s completely free.” I turn to Michel. “So Michel and I will have to be the ones to act responsibly and thoughtfully. Right?”
Michel opens the door. “After you,” he says and ushers me inside the dining room, his hand at the small of my back to help me inside. Then he does the same to Julien, who walks beside me to the large dining table. A number of the Twelve are already seated and I nod to a few of them. I see there are place cards at each setting so I search for my name. There it is, precisely where I thought it would be, a few seats down from Soren, on the right side. Michel’s place card is closest to him, followed my mine, and then Julien is on the other side of me. I smile to myself, for Soren is getting so predictable.
Julien pulls out my chair and then I sit, waiting while Michel and Julien are seated on either side of me. A servant comes right over with a carafe of blood and pours for Julien and I, while he pours wine for Michel.
Michel turns to us and holds out his glass of wine. “To the three of us. We started this journey together and let’s hope we all end it happily, with the world saved from further ruin and on its way back to recovery.”
“Hear, hear,” I say and raise my glass of blood, clinking our glasses together. Then I turn to Julien and we touch glasses. I look in his eyes, wanting to make a connection with him so he knows I’m there with him, and our eyes meet. He smiles softly, his eyes no longer dark.
We drink and wait for Soren and Procel to join us. I note that Kael is missing as well. The two of them seem to be the most powerful of the Twelve and the ones that Soren spends most of his time with.
We listen to the others speaking, and I hear news of the day. How the agent has been released all along the Eastern Seaboard and will be released elsewhere in the next few days. How once it is proven to have stopped the progress of the plague, that there will be a big event that will announce Soren’s accomplishments to the world. How their technicians have been working night and day to restore power to the communications networks so that Soren can broadcast on the old cable networks.
All of this has been undertaken in such a short time. I wonder if this wasn’t in the works all along and Soren’s and the Twelve’s stasis was just a speed bump along the way. If so, I have to admit a grudging admiration for his planning.
Was he planning even back when we were in Jordan?
I thought he was trying to influence the wars, but perhaps he was trying to set up his networks to respond to the plague…
Why can’t I do both?
I frown and then the doors open and in walk Soren, Procel and Kael.
They enter with a burst of applause from the Twelve and Soren smiles at all of us. Several of the Twelve stand at their places and so we do as well, ushering them in while they take their seats at the head of the table.
“Thank you, brethren,” Soren says and he sounds so officious. He and Kael and Procel stand at their places and bow slightly while the rest of the Twelve clap. Finally, they stop and once Soren sits, the rest of us sit as well and the servants quickly fill their glasses with blood and wine.
Soren catches my eye and smiles, and I make sure I smile back. I raise my glass of blood to him, nodding in acknowledgement. It still irks me a bit to do so, but I’m determined to fight the right battles.
Our meal is delicious, of course, and I try to enjoy it and not think about the others who are going hungry because of the effects of the plague.
The talk is about the antidote to the plagu
e and then the cure for vampirism. My ears perk up when Soren begins to speak about it.
“We’re working on a way to disseminate the cure,” he says. “The way we initially intended. We’re working out the kinks right now but should have it ready to deploy very soon,” he says and turns to me with a smile. “Dylan is my main man on that project. And then I expect to call in a few markers.”
I nod but say nothing. I know what he means. He intends for me to help him do some feat of marvel so he can cement his rule in the Church. He wants to become the head of the Church in Rome. He wants to be worshiped as a god. Not THE God, but a god. He thinks humans need gods to keep them in line and keep them happy.
I don’t even let myself argue with this goal in my head. It is what it is, but I find it an effort not to immediately go into why I reject that kind of future.
Still, I blot my disapproval out of my mind. It doesn’t matter in the end whether I support Soren. He will do what he will do, and if it means Humanity will be saved – from the plague and from Dominion, and if vampirism will be eradicated – I’ll accept what Soren wants. People who want to believe will believe. People like me who can’t believe can go on our merry way.
We finish and after dinner is cleared away, Soren leans back in his chair and eyeballs the three of us sitting a few chairs down. I feel his eyes on me and I feel like my best move would be to leave now and get out of the room in case he wants to toy with us some more.
Toy with you? Moi? Eve… you have such a low opinion of me… I’m crushed.
Of course, I know he isn’t crushed at all. He’s smirking. He enjoys manipulating us all. We’re his pawns in this game of power. And Pawns are notorious for being sacrificed to save the Queen and King.