The Progeny

by Shelley Crowley

  “I’m sorry, Evie. I had every intention of coming back upstairs. I just- I fell asleep. I’m sorry.”

  “You should have seen them, Evie,” said Alexander. Caius squeezed his eyes shut, knowing he wasn’t going to make this situation any easier. “The two of them all snuggled up together on the sofa. It was so cute.”

  Evie looked taken aback. “You stayed down here with Robin?”

  “We just fell aslee-”

  She shook her head and lifted her palm to shush him. “It doesn’t matter. I need a drink.” She passed him and entered the kitchen. The door swung shut behind her. Caius looked back to see Robin and Alexander watching him from the sofa, cringing as if witnessing the conversation was just as painful as being a part of it. Caius dropped his gaze and headed up the stairs to change.

  In the bedroom, he spotted a brown paper bag by the side of the bed which he must have missed before. Inside it was a bunch of clothes. Men’s clothes. Caius tipped the bag upside down. A pair of black corduroy trousers, a brown soft suede jacket, a simple black t-shirt, a pair of polished brown lace up boots and black boxer shorts dropped onto the made-up bed. A smile tugged on his lips as his hands ran over the clothes before he disrobed and redressed into the outfit that looked like it had been handpicked for him.

  Everything fitted perfectly and for a moment, as he looked down at himself, he felt like he was back at home. Back when it was just him and Evie. Back when things were simple. He expelled a sigh when he looked back up and came back to the present that was full of cat covered china plates, fringed cushions and three extra vampires.

  When he returned downstairs, everyone had congregated in the living room. Varsee and Evie were in the armchairs, and Alexander and Robin seemed to have not moved from the sofa. Alexander’s blue eyes shone when he noticed Caius, and a smile filled his face. “You found the clothes!” He stretched out his arms as if to embrace him. “What do you think? Do you like them?”

  Confused, Caius ran a hand down the soft suede of the jacket. “You got these?”

  Alexander nodded affirmatively. “I came back with some stuff for Evie after work then realised if I didn’t get anything for you, too, you’d be raiding that old man’s wardrobe and I couldn’t have that so I went back.”

  “But… how did you know I’d even like this stuff? And that it’d fit?”

  “I may have had a little bit of help.” His eyes flicked to Evie. “You have a very… unique style, and I knew you weren’t happy with what I put you in so I thought I’d better get you something you’d be comfortable in.” He arched a delicate eyebrow as his eyes wandered up and down Caius’ tall frame. “And I have to say, you do look good.”

  “Well, now that you’re dressed,” said Varsee, pushing herself to her feet. She was back in her usual attire of a blouse and smart jeans. “We can go.”

  Everyone got to their feet and Caius noticed Robin had a giddy twinkle in his eyes.

  “Where are we going?” asked Caius.

  “To celebrate,” answered Alexander, weaving his way out of the living room. “We just destroyed the Nest. We deserve to have some fun.”

  “Fun?” Caius echoed, as if he’d never heard of the word before.

  “Yep,” grinned Alexander. He stood before Caius and clapped his shoulder playfully. “We’re going to a vampire bar.”

  The five vampires came to a stop before a simple brick building. A neon sign that read Crimson Moon in blood red letters pulsed above the door. Robin quickly shook his hand out of Caius’ grasp and wiped his palm down the front of his sweater with a grimace. He had kicked up a fuss again when Caius had told him to take his hand so he could navigate them both at vampire speed. Varsee had offered her hand to Evie and she had seemed happy enough accepting it. Alexander had led the way.

  The windows of the club were blacked out and an intimidatingly muscular man was standing beside the door holding a hard expression. Alexander’s eyes shone with a mixture of mischief and mirth as they studied the building. “Ever been to one of these places?” he asked, looking back to the group.

  Caius didn’t know if he had asked him specifically but he answered anyway. “Not for a long time.” His eyes were on the building but he could feel Evie looking at him, her gaze prickling his neck.

  “What about you?” asked Alexander.

  “No.” It was Evie. Her voice sounded soft and almost hurt. “Caius never let me.”

  Alexander tsked. “Little harsh don’t you think, old man?”

  Caius just threw him a glare. Alexander smiled- knowing he’d pushed a button- and looked to Robin. “You?”

  Robin shook his head. “I’ve always wanted to but they never let me in. Too young.”

  Alexander stepped closer and Robin’s dark eyes looked up at him a little fearfully. Caius understood the reasoning behind his progeny’s unsure posture. Alexander was a hard man to pin down. He never knew what he was going to do next but the longer Caius spent time with him; the more he was starting to feel at ease around the vampire. Not necessarily comfortable, but just no longer feeling like he had to keep his eyes peeled. It was the way he grinned. Like a predator.

  Alexander cocked his head, inspecting the teenage vampire. “Well, your age isn’t going to restrict you anymore, kid. There’s a whole new world out there for you to enjoy. Starting tonight.”

  A flicker of a smile turned up Robin’s lips at the corners ever so slightly. Alexander seemed pleased with the reaction and ruffled his hair. “Let’s go.”

  The big man at the door glanced at the group as they neared and nodded his head to the door. They all passed through except Robin who was shoved back. Robin wheezed and rubbed his chest with a frown.

  “ID,” said the bouncer, sticking his chest out and narrowing his eyes at Robin suspiciously.

  Robin gulped and looked to the rest of the group who had stalled in the doorway.

  “Pop out your fangs, kid,” said Alexander.

  Robin gulped and did as he was told. He flinched at the sound of his own fangs extending and looked up to the bouncer uncertainly. The bouncer nodded gruffly and gestured him to go inside.

  Caius kept his eyes on his progeny as he followed the group through the short entryway. At the end of it were two dark curtains shutting off the rest of the club. Alexander squeezed his way through the group to get to the front and threw the curtains back with the easy flourish of someone who had done it a hundred times before. Caius felt his nerves humming through his body as he followed on behind Alexander, Varsee and Evie. He pushed back the curtain and stepped through with Robin by his side.

  The first thing that Caius thought was that the outside was deceiving. The club stretched out further than he had visualised. A long bar ran along the right side and booths ran along the left. The décor was all velvet and leather, either blood red or midnight black. A dance floor was set in the middle and at the far back was a large stage with a catwalk. On it were dancers strutting around with feather boas. Pole dancers in skimpy leather outfits swung around on raised circular platforms.

  Most of the punters were also dressed in the same sort of attire. Women in tight PVC corsets and heavy black makeup. Men with leather trousers and spiked cuffs around their wrists. It was all just how Caius remembered it and it was making him feel sick. People had died because of vampires and their hunger and these people were going around celebrating it? Treating vampires as if they were providing some kind of service by biting them and drinking their blood? It was disgraceful. Vampires shouldn’t be idolised because no matter how stable they were, deep down they were all still monsters.

  Alexander sashayed his way to the bar with his sister as Evie and Robin stared in wide-eyed awe. The music that the dancers were moving to would have been considered loud to human’s ears but to Caius, it was low enough for him to catch fragments of conversations and the thrumming, excited beating of hearts. The bass vibrated through his bones and made the stale blood in his veins hum as if he still had a heartbeat of his own. />
  “Diana! How’re things?” called Alexander, leaning over the bar and giving a slim woman with a sharp black bob a one-armed hug.

  “Not bad. Can’t complain.” She smiled and nodded towards the main stage. “Are you going to be up there tonight?”

  “Afraid not. I’ve just come to let off some steam with my sis and some guys I know.”

  The woman – Diana – pouted. “Shame.”

  Alexander laughed. “Well, if you come to the VIP room, maybe I’ll give you a private show.” He winked which made Diana flush and bite down on her painted red lips. Alexander grinned and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively before his slim figure disappeared into the throng.

  Varsee was standing at the bar with Evie by her side, her eyes everywhere. The lighting was low yet every now and again the platforms of dancers and the main stage would be basked in a red glow. Caius found himself an empty stool at the bar and sank down onto it with his head bent so his hair fell forwards and shut him out.

  “What can I get for you?”

  He tilted his head up to see a man behind the bar cleaning a glass. He had a shaved head and a tattoo of some sort of demon crawling up his neck. A human, Caius could tell.

  Caius studied the shelves of spirits. There were all sorts to intoxicate humans. A scotch neat was really needed right about now. He was so emotionally exhausted and to get into a state where he could wipe his mind completely clear sounded extremely appealing. But sadly, he wasn’t a human, there was no way he could drink away his problems.

  Then he saw the three mini fridges that were filled with bottled blood. He knew the blood came from willing donors and there was a backroom somewhere where they were all filled. “A bottle of O negative, please.”

  The bartender nodded and spun around to get his drink.

  “Really?” said Varsee, her eyebrow raised. “We take you here where you can drink from the vein for free and here you are paying for the bottled crap?”

  The bartender placed the bottle before him and Caius took it. “Drinking from the vein has never done much good for me. And actually, you’re paying. I have no money.”

  Varsee huffed and shoved a note into the bartender’s hand. “You’re supposed to be an ancient.”

  A tentative pat on his shoulder made Caius turn. Robin was looking over at a group of women stuffed into one of the booths, his dark eyes sparkling. “Err… can I?” He looked back to his Maker. His tongue flicked out to the corner of his mouth. Caius inspected the group of girls that were eyeing them both up, giggling amongst themselves and hiding behind their drinks. “They keep looking at me. I think they know.” Robin popped out his fangs, showing them to his admirers. They all squealed with excitement and beckoned him over. He looked like a child in a sweetshop. He was practically salivating. “I can’t believe I’m an actual stud.” He spun to Caius. “Can I go? I promise I’ll behave. I can control myself. You know I can.”

  Caius nodded, giving in. “Okay. But stay close.”

  Robin beamed at him before vampire-sprinting over to the girls. Caius watched as he was swarmed. His admirers stared in awe, touching his fangs and stroking his arms as if he was the most wonderful thing they’d ever laid eyes on. And Robin was loving every minute of it.

  “I can’t believe we’re in one of these places,” said Evie, taking the stool beside him. “Of all the years you were my Maker and you never trusted me enough to be in a place like this, did you?”

  Caius felt worn out like an overworked parent and being in an environment which he hated was not helping his discomfort. And now, on top of that, Evie was looking at him like she had a bad taste in her mouth.

  “I knew about the biting, Evie,” he said simply, taking a swig of his bottle of blood.

  Evie blanched. “I only used Michael when you were away. And it was more than just the blood. I liked the company.”

  Caius shook his head. “I’m not talking about Michael.”

  “Then what-”

  Caius sent her a pointed look and she looked down sheepishly.

  “To live in this world, you must accept its rules. You can’t go around drinking from the delirious because they cannot fight back. Just because they don’t know what you’re doing, doesn’t mean it’s okay to do it. That’s exactly why we shouldn’t compel.”

  “But I didn’t compel them. It was their fault they were in that state. I mean, sure, I sometimes used my compulsions when I worked on the door but they had it coming. And I was feeding to get your attention. You were gone and I had no idea where you were. It was a last resort. I wanted you back. I needed you back. Even if it was just to come back and yell at me.”

  Caius shook his head sombrely. “That’s why I never allowed you to come to one of these places. I knew if you couldn’t resist the temptation of an unconscious drunk on your way home, how were you supposed to resist a club full of willing humans?”

  “Well, the whole point of vampire bars is that we don’t need to resist. Here we can be exactly who we are.”

  “And what exactly is that?”

  She lifted her chin. “Vampires.”

  Caius shook his head. “We have bagged blood. The humans have provided us with an easy way for us to quench our hunger without having to act like animals. This freedom we have in these places… it leads to a slippery slope.”

  “And you don’t think I can handle it,” said Evie indignantly. “That’s what it all comes down to, isn’t it? You don’t trust me.”

  “I don’t trust any vampire when it comes to their natural instincts. Myself included.”

  “And yet you let Robin do whatever the hell he wants,” she exclaimed, throwing her arm out to gesture to the booth where Robin now sat with a girl on his lap and blood dripping from his chin. “And he has killed a hell of a lot more people than I have.”

  He noticed the tremor in her voice. He had nothing to say to her to make her feel better so he stayed silent. After a moment, Evie hopped off the stool and crossed over to Varsee. Her Maker stroked her red hair cherishingly and smoothed her hand down her side. “You can go if you want to,” said Varsee. “Go and drink. Just stay where I can see you.”

  Caius managed to catch the look Evie threw at him before she turned and headed across the dance floor towards the booths. It was a look that tightened his chest. A look that said, ‘see, she trusts me.’ A look that showed that she favoured her new Maker to her old one.

  Scratching the label on his bottle, Caius found himself slipping into some sort of dazed trance. Everything that was happening around him was just white noise.

  “Hey.” Varsee was on the stool beside him, her head cocked curiously. “You okay?”

  He heaved a sigh. “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. You seem very… distant. Like you’ve got a lot on your mind. Look, I know you don’t approve of these places but you could at least try to enjoy yourself and not be such a wet blanket.”

  Caius looked around the club. He noticed that Robin now had a different girl on his lap and was feeding from her wrist. A bolt of pain lanced through his middle when he spotted Evie with her fangs in a tanned man’s neck- her hand firmly placed on his flat stomach. What was worse about the image was that she didn’t look out of place – unlike himself and oddly, Varsee too, in her smart business attire. The black lace of Evie’s top and her statement vibrant, blood red hair made her look beautiful and dangerous, much like a certain vampire who he would like to forget. With an effort, he pulled his eyes away and searched for the missing member of the group.

  “Where’s Alexander?”

  Varsee rolled her eyes and folded her arms on the black surface of the bar. “Probably fangs deep in some blonde bimbo.”

  “How can you be like that?”

  She furrowed her brows. “Like what?”

  “Like it’s no big deal. You clearly love him yet you seem unconcerned about him being intimate with other people.”

  “You mean like how your girlfriend is
being intimate with that guy over there?” She gestured to Evie.

  Caius pressed his lips into a thin line and refused to look. “No, I’m not just talking about biting. I’m talking about the way he acts around Robin and, well, me.”

  Varsee laughed. “That’s just who he is. I love my brother more than anything in the world but who would I be if I tried to change him? Sex, to him, is a distraction. He needs company. He can’t stand being alone with his own thoughts. And as long as he doesn’t get himself into any trouble, he can do whatever the hell he wants.” She grabbed Caius’ drink and took a swig.

  “Look, I heard what you were saying to Evie before.” She placed the bottle back on the coaster. “About being on a slippery slope. And I totally agree with you. I mean, we are both ancients. We have seen how easily things can go bad, right? And you are just being cautious. But you have to understand that you have to loosen the reins a little bit, otherwise they will never learn for themselves. And then you’ll find yourself being the bad guy.” She gestured to Robin with a nod of her head. “You’re doing right with him. It’s like being a parent. You’re bound to make mistakes with the first one. But you learn.”

  “She thought you hated her, you know?”

  Varsee blinked. “What?”

  “After what happened with the phone call. She thought you hated her. Do you?”

  Her lips quirked into a smile. “Of course not. I was angry. She put us all in danger but we’ve all come out in one piece. I’ve learned to forgive and forget. You can’t live for as long as I have and hold grudges.”

  Caius took another swig of his bottle and bent his head down. His hair flopped forwards but he could still see Varsee in the corner of his eyes, inspecting him. “You’re starting to feel it, aren’t you?”

  “Feel what?” he sighed.

  “Age.”

  He clenched his jaw and put his elbows on the bar, fisting his hair. “It comes and goes.”

  “I understand.”

  And for once, Caius actually believed he was talking to someone who did. Separating himself from vampire culture and pretending to be human had come with downsides. One being that he could never talk to someone completely openly and objectively. Sure, he had always had Evie but she barely knew what was going on herself. Which- admittedly- was his fault. He had closed her off, too. But now he was talking to an ancient. An ancient seven hundred years older than him. And maybe she had the answers.