Control

by James D. Horton

  “Welcome,” Aiver says.

  He is a cowardly man; it was his failed machinations that started me down the path which led me here. I have not yet decided to forgive him or hate him so I smile showing the slightest hint of fang.

  “Thank you,” I say smoothly. Even though he is taller than me I feel I am looking down at him and he seems to feel it, too. He grabs my hand a little too firmly, I feel the slightest tremor in his grip and my smile broadens. “It’s a pleasure to see you again Mr. Aiver.”

  “Ah, yes, of course,” he starts to remove his hand from mine but I grip it tighter instead of letting it go, my beast raising its figurative head. Aiver’s eyes widen and he looks quickly at Athene but she is occupied with the next person waiting to greet me.

  “No, truly the pleasure is mine,” I am still smiling. “After all, I wouldn’t be here tonight if it wasn’t for you.”

  He pulls back again while trying to maintain the appearance of control so I let him go but give his hand a slight shove as I do and I’m rewarded by his stumble. Satisfaction spreads through me with gentle warmth; a real smile spreads across my face. He disappears quickly into the crowd so I turn my attention to the next person waiting with Athene.

  The greetings go on for what seems an eternity. I’m sure I won’t remember most of them later, but Athene will help me. I put myself on automatic and let my thoughts drift to Wolf. If he had been my maker I wouldn’t have to deal with this; he would have never sat through all this pomp and circumstance. On the flip side, I would also be living in a cave wearing someone else’s cast offs instead of designer dresses with a necklace that probably cost my life earnings around my neck. I use that thought to assuage the emptiness that always accompanies thinking of him.

  I continue to smile and nod, playing my part in the show and I find it’s surprisingly easy. I grew up poor, beyond poor, but the things I did to survive translate well to this posh setting. Pretend you’re interested, smile, nod a lot, these are skills I honed when I was working my way through the streets. It has a much prettier veneer here then what happens on the street, but a show is a show after all. On the streets it was all about rep and cred, but behind that it was really scared people doing what they felt they had to in order to survive. I’ve played along with many things that I never wanted to just to keep from getting too much attention on myself or to avoid getting killed when attention found me. It all serves me well here; feign interest, act surprised, and nod and agree always. An agreement like that cost me nothing and it makes them see me as less of a threat.

  Everyone treats me with respect and with a bit of fear. I feel it in their beasts, most of them are weaker than what I contain inside me and it exudes satisfaction at being admired. Then I see Griogar approaching.

  Griogar is an albino with long white hair that hangs straight down to his waist and pink eyes. He never retracts his fangs instead choosing to revel in what he is and the way he makes others around him uneasy. Griogar moves with an easy gait, he is totally fearless and totally confident in his own abilities. He is dressed in the same white suit I’ve seen him in before, it is tinged gray from lack of attention and he almost seems to carry a dust cloud with him. He smiles broadly as he walks up to Athene but his eyes lock on me as he talks to her.

  “So, Wolf’s protégé, how special,” he smirks.

  I watch his lips moving as he talks. There is something fascinating about the way he works his mouth around his fangs. They are small fangs compared to my own or those I’ve seen on others, I don’t know how that works out, but his are small, sharp things that only stick out a bit farther than the rest of his teeth. I still wonder at his skill in not piercing his own lips with them.

  My beast leaps up as I watch him, it challenges him. I see in him something like a shapeless darkness that is deeper than any other I’ve felt. Looking at him I sense chanting, I see bones scattered around the cage made of dark that he keeps his beast in. The control he puts over it is impressive, but he does so in a way that seems unique to him. His beast rears its head silently in response to me; I feel nothing from it as it rises to the challenge issued by mine. My muscles tense in effort to push down on the monster, but it tests my control and I can feel it slipping, getting closer to the freedom it craves.

  Griogar looks at me with renewed interest, one white eyebrow rising. “Oh,” he sounds surprised. “Strong aren’t you?”

  The room buzzes around us, casual conversation continues unaware and oblivious to the conflict that is taking place in their midst. If they knew the powers that struggled here they would run. He is strong but I feel like I can take him. I feel a twinge of pain as my fangs extend and a hiss slips from me, I try to hold it back but my internal struggle is not going in my favor. Griogar’s smile broadens but I feel the beast in him recoil from mine for an instant before it lunges forward only to be stopped violently, a display of impressive control.

  Griogar chuckles, “Mhmm.”

  There is a knowing look in his eyes and for a moment I am afraid he knows too much, he has found me out. The edges of my vision blur, he becomes the entire focus of my world. I want to kill him.

  I spit out a response with spite in my voice. “How’s your neck there Griogar?”

  The first time I met him he did some kind of entrancement on me with his eyes and Wolf broke that spell by picking Griogar up by the neck, his claws threatening to pierce the albino’s flesh. Vampires can’t heal the wounds Wolf causes, hence the scars on Athene’s face and the one below my ribcage from when he frenzied and shoved his claws through my chest.

  Thoughts of Wolf give me even more hate to channel so I take it out on the man in front of me; I smile at him letting my own fangs show. Griogar’s eyes widen so slightly for a moment I wonder if I imagined it but know I feel his beast step back from me.

  “Most interesting indeed,” he says at last.

  Athene turns her attention to the two of us, her gaze drifts between us both standing tense inches apart with fixed smiles on our faces.

  “Well, I do believe it is time for the presentation,” she interrupts us with a smile and steps in such a way as to place herself between us, taking my arm and leading me away. I turn my head as we walk giving Griogar a smirk. He stares after me as I leave with a contemplative look on his face.

  LOSING IT

  Lily

  ATHENE LEADS ME TOWARDS THE OPPOSITE side of the room, holding me close to her side as we walk. “What did he say?” The smile never leaves her face and she nods to each person we move by.

  “He said ‘Mhmm’. It’s not what he said it’s what he suspects, he knows something is up.” I can’t keep the slight panic at having messed up the one thing she asked me for out of my voice.

  “He is a snake. Powerful, but a snake.”

  Athene doesn’t seem upset at me and I feel my muscles relax in relief. “How powerful?” I ask.

  She has not told me how this works, but my ability has clued me in to the fact that not all vampires are created equal. She turns to look at me and I see the calculations behind her eyes.

  She purses her lips before responding. “Powerful,” she says at last. “I would prefer not to trifle with him and he and Wolf have a history. Unfortunately, that spills out to Wolf’s family, in other words you and I.”

  I understand that because I’ve sensed it as well from the way the two of them have interacted before.

  The wall she leads us to is covered by a mural which depicts the Genosoa family history back to the Renaissance. Apparently they trace their roots back to the bankers or merchants of Italy. I notice as I study the mural that in all of them there is someone that looks exactly like the banner of John Genosoa that decorates the lobby. He’s most often in the background but he is always there.

  The vanity of some folks, having yourself inserted into history! I shake my head and turn to look around the room and immediately lock eyes with John Genosoa. Seriously, here? There he stands, real as anything and heading my way.

&nb
sp; “Athene,” he speaks in a deeply cultured voice that screams sophistication. He looks just like the banner and the paintings in the mural. I can feel the beast inside him caged in bones and lonely cries. It feels disturbing, darker and more dangerous than any I’ve encountered, colder even. It makes me not want to have the power I do, I don’t want to look at it and that is really saying something when comparing him to Griogar.

  “John!” Athene’s voice sounds delighted and maybe a little forced. She turns to greet him, leaning in as he kisses each of her cheeks, holding her hands as he does so.

  “You look lovely as ever,” he responds. His face looks serious despite his light tone.

  “Thank you John,” she smiles. “Might I say what a lovely job you’ve done, I appreciate your assisting me in hosting a proper ball.”

  He manages to at least appear interested in what she says.

  They both turn towards me. “Allow me to introduce her, she is known as Lynx.”

  John Genosoa locks eyes with me as he takes my hand, bows over it and raises it to his lips, holding it there longer than completely necessary. I feel him judging me and making calculations as he watches my reaction. I school myself to give no sign of weakness and give him my best smile, letting my eyelids drop to half. The beast in me is uncertain where it stands against him, it feels like a cat sizing up a bird, debating whether to pounce or let it go its way. I steel myself to control it, I don’t want any more slips tonight.

  “Lynx, this is John Genosoa, our benefactor for this evening.” Athene explains.

  “Yes,” he doesn’t take his eyes away from me. “The newest member of society, very lovely girl.” He lets my hand go gently as he stands back up straight. I look up at him as he continues to take my measure. “How are you enjoying it now that you’ve joined proper Society?” he asks.

  “I think I am adjusting,” I say.

  He nods as if he expected nothing more before returning his attention to Athene. I can see there is a history between the two of them, more than I can judge easily. They seem to be comfortable with each other, almost I would say friends but there is unease; they maintain exactly the right distance between them, their muscles are slightly tense and there is a barely perceptible terseness to their words. I judge them allies of convenience more than friends.

  “Is he coming tonight?” John asks Athene, he never looks directly at her instead he watches the room.

  “No,” she says. “He will not attend.” Athene answers and I know immediately they are talking about Wolf, my stomach feels like an empty pit and the beast growls inside me at the thought of him.

  “It is for the best, someone would push too far,” John says. “It has been trouble enough to clean up his last mess. Is he really worth the effort? You’re sure he is the one who will find what we need?”

  My attention is perked as they talk, I might get more information from listening closely.

  “If not him, then who?” Athene asks. “No one else can go so far or do so much, no other has survived as he has. He is the one.” She speaks with confidence.

  I pretend to crowd watch as I eaves drop on their conversation. Only pieces of what they are saying make sense to me but they are definitely talking about Wolf, my Wolf. No matter he’s avoided me since my death, my feelings for him have not gone away, just gotten confused.

  “Well enough then,” John says. “The game continues, god help us all.”

  He walks away from Athene without another word, moving through the crowd like a shark through a school of fish. There is something hard about the man, something that makes him seem different than all the others in the room. I can’t put my finger on what makes him so strange but it is almost like wherever he walks he is never actually alone.

  “What is going on with Dallas?” I use his society name because of the setting.

  Athene smiles at people as they walk by, her attention remains focused on the room but she speaks to me. “He is our one hope,” she says. “There are things happening, there are prophecies that will come to pass unless those of us who accept the world as it is can stop it.”

  I arch an eyebrow but try to mimic her, putting my attention out on the mingling crowd, catching eyes to smile and nod at but my interest is completely on her and what she just dropped on me.

  “Our one hope for what, exactly? What do you think is coming?”

  She stops what she is doing and turns to look at me, her face is serious, the life and joy that I normally see in her is gone.

  “The end,” she declares.

  “The end of what?” I feel like I’m pulling teeth to get information. This is like talking with Wolf!

  “Everything. The prophecy is the end of the world.”

  I snort, I can’t help it, she is so serious and it’s obvious she believes what she says.

  “Seriously? The end of the world? They predict that every three or four years!”

  Athene frowns and I feel myself caving in, the stability of the world gone with her disapproval.

  “Well, I mean . . .” I try to find the words. “It’s just that they always say that, the Mayan Calendar, Y2K, it’s like every other year someone says it’s all over again.”

  “This is not to be taken lightly but this is not the place to discuss the situation.” The finality in her voice ends it, I feel no desire to push her on this subject but I file it away to revisit later.

  Classical music starts to play over a hidden sound system, not my music choice nor one I know much about but it has a lot of violins in it and it builds to a heavy tempo that reminds me of a chase scene in a movie. It comes to a crashing crescendo as all the people in the room move around to take positions, making me wonder if they had rehearsed their moves since it goes so smoothly. It ends with everyone arranged in two lines in front of Athene and me where we stand in front of the mural. I fix the smile on my face and wait for the ceremony to commence.

  Regent Albert Angelopolous walks down the aisle of people with Keeper Katherine Codman at his side. These two, for all I have been told and understand, run the City. He is the leader, she is the enforcer, the Keeper of social status and the one who knows who owes who what and what each person’s ‘standing’ in society is. The City Council, the police, and the sheriff’s office are all are just tools manipulated by these two at the peak of a pyramid of power that operates behind the scenes; crazier than any Illuminati conspiracy theorist’s dream.

  They walk together in perfect synchronization with one another. The Regent is a short, swarthy man with olive skin and slick backed black hair with a touch of gray at the temples. He is dressed in a dark gray suit and black silk shirt, accented with a red tie and a kerchief in his pocket. Katherine is wearing a cocktail dress same as she has every time I’ve seen her, this one is a beautiful sea green that hugs her perfect form and moves with her giving the illusion that at any moment it will fail and reveal that extra bit of skin. The woman knows her assets and how to best show them off. She has her perfect blonde hair done in loose curls; she wears ruby red lipstick and three inch heels to better accent the sway of her hips and ass. No one pays attention to the Regent as they walk, it doesn’t matter your sexual orientation the woman exudes lust, she attracts attention and revels in it.

  I hate Katherine for her perfection but that doesn’t compare to the rage I feel at the sight of the Regent. I feel the beast inside spasm to attention as he approaches but I push to keep it under control. Memories of him slapping me down in front of all these people when I was still a mortal fill my mind and my jaw aches again just like it did when he hit me. It was his decision that brought me to this point, his judgment that I find unacceptable. I sense that the monster in him is far weaker than me, I don’t know how I judge these things but I know it to my bones that I can take this man with little to no challenge. I steel myself against the urge to destroy him which rips through my being and out through all my muscles to the tips of my fingers and toes. I worry that I will begin to quiver with the effort of wi
ll it takes me to push it down but no one around me notices.

  The two of them come to a halt before Athene and me with smiles on their faces and I force myself to smile back, putting a mask on my face trying to hide the rage and anger that I feel. The Regent locks eyes with me and I stare back at him. Try slapping me now bitch. Athene’s eyes go from me to him as our stare goes just past what propriety allows. Katherine, forgotten to one side, clears her throat.

  “Regent Albert Angelopolous,” Athene breaks the silence. “May I present the progeny of Dallas. To Society she will be known as Lynx, our newest member. I ask that she be welcomed into our numbers, that she be granted the rights of a Citizen in full, and that she be allowed to learn our ways. She has been schooled in the Laws and I, Athene, agree to take responsibility for her actions for one decade on her acceptance to Society.”

  I can barely maintain feigned interest as I struggle with the beast inside me. It fights against what little hold I have over it and it takes most of my attention to keep it from leaping free and destroying the Regent. Some part of me wants to let it go.

  Regent Angelopolous looks me up and down with a slight sneer to his lips. Though he is not much taller than I am he gives off an air of looking down at me which pisses me off even more. He arches an eyebrow before speaking.

  “You will take responsibility?” He turns to Athene. “Why will her progenitor not accept his role in this?”

  “Yes, I will take it. Dallas feels that Lynx needs to be schooled in the ways of Society, which he himself does not participate in often. I have agreed to fill the role of mentor and to guide her entrance into the Society.”

  “So he cannot be bothered is what you are saying?”

  Red fog narrows my vision, the room fades and all I can see is the Regent before me, the sneering, pompous little ass. The chains binding my beast begin to crumble completely. I try to put them back but I know I am losing the battle, mostly because I don’t really want to win it.