Zamani

by Angelic Rodgers

  “No. I am here to provide you with protection and sustenance only; while I can come to you when you call for me, I ultimately answer to Olivia.”

  Wren sent her on her way. She should have known that Silvia would not be able to break from Olivia’s power, but she was at least aware of a way to communicate with others, even if she was in her cell. She thought about who she could reach out to on the outside. Liz wouldn’t be open to contact, she was sure; the two of them had barely gotten along as acquaintances, and now that Wren was in jail for killing Liz’s girlfriend, she’d hardly warm up to her. Her lawyer was obviously out, too. She’d made it clear that the only option she was willing to follow was a guilty plea and Wren could sense Olivia’s influence and control on her. Wren being found with Alex’s body certainly didn’t provide her with any other options for a defense.

  Alex.

  Wren knew it was a long shot, but she figured she had nothing to lose. It wasn’t like she didn’t have the time to try, and if vampires existed, who is to say angels didn’t exist, too?

  She closed her eyes again and concentrated, trying to focus on the way Alex smelled and tasted. She started by remembering the two of them together, before Olivia, before Liz, before Sienna. She remembered Alex’s hands on her back, her breath on her neck, kisses that started soft and turned frenzied. She remembered the taste of Alex’s warm blood on her tongue, and the feeling of her life seeping out of her, into Wren’s mouth.

  And then she saw her—it was Alex, but it wasn’t Alex—she was in a crowd of people, her back to Wren, and even though the blonde hair didn’t match up to Wren’s memory of Alex, the laughter was the same. Wren tried to push against her, to let her know she was there. Alex turned her head in response, a puzzled look on her face. Just as Wren saw Alex’s eyes, she felt as if someone had yanked her back from where she stood, and she sat up in her bunk.

  Alex was still alive.

  The first moments of contact Wren managed with Alex were brief and it was as if she were watching a film. She reached out during times when Alex was with others, and she guessed they provided a buffer between her and Alex. She used those visits to gather as much information as she could. She wasn’t sure that she was actually there, anyway. Without interaction, she knew the visions might all be her own mind playing tricks on her. But the only way to know was to keep trying and hopefully make contact.

  She knew from those visits that Alex went by Sasha now. She’d heard others call her by that name. Sasha was like the version of Alex that Wren had wished she could be back when they were together. She was confident and self-assured, and she was much tougher than Alex had been. This version of Alex never would have felt insecure about Wren’s devotion and loyalty to her. She would have demanded it and been sure of it.

  She’d cut her hair again, wearing it short and close to her head. She’d also bleached it platinum blonde, and she was wearing make up. Had they passed each other on the street, Wren wondered if she would have recognized Alex at all. Even if she wouldn’t have recognized her, she knew she would have noticed her and pursued her; she was simply stunning. She always had been, though.

  After several observational visits, Wren decided she had to try when it was likely Alex would be alone. She napped during the day, making sure she was rested before reaching out in the early pre-dawn hours. She concentrated, saying Alex’s name in her mind first, then deciding she should focus on who Alex was now—Sasha. In her mind’s eye she could see Sasha curled up around another girl. Wren remembered hearing the girl’s name—Steph—from her earlier visits. She imagined that she was whispering “I can’t wait until you see me again” in Sasha’s ear. Sasha first brushed her ear with her hand as if a mosquito were bothering her. The motion made her realize what she’d heard, though, and she sat up, wide-eyed and looking around the room. She sat still for a moment, listening. She slid from the bed, not wakening Steph, and slid into a robe. She stepped outside into the courtyard—the same courtyard Wren had seen in her mind’s eye many times, and she lit a cigarette. Wren tried again, whispering to her.

  Sasha froze, holding the smoke in her lungs. She turned slowly, as if she were halfway expecting to see someone standing there, but there was nothing. She exhaled slowly, the smoke coming out in wispy streaks. Finally, she spoke: “I don’t know if you’re here or not, Wren. If you are, you surely know I’m angry with you.”

  Wren waited, wondering if Sasha would say more. Finally, as she was taking the last drag off her cigarette, Wren whispered to her, “I’m sorry. Believe that I did what I did out of love.”

  Sasha stubbed the cigarette out. “Now that’s a story I need to hear. You cannot enter my home again unless I invite you, which I won’t. I’ll come to you when I’m ready to hear what you have to say.” She went back to bed.

  Wren was ecstatic. She’d made actual contact. She felt more confident than ever her visits weren’t just her imagination, and she now would just have to wait.

  Chapter Twenty Five

  At the beginning of her training, Zofia explained to Sasha that she was there to help her uncover what she already knew. “I’m not so much a teacher as a guide. You already know what to do; you just need some supervision.”

  Over the months they had worked and trained together, Sasha learned to read what Zofia’s different expressions meant. She rarely asked questions of Sasha vocally, and the morning after Wren’s first successful contact was no different. Zofia raised an eyebrow in Sasha’s direction as she came in. Sasha knew she’d have to fill in the blanks.

  She had told her of the visit the night before. “You remember me saying I felt as if someone was watching me? I even felt Wren’s presence. I know now it’s her, Zofia. She said she’s sorry. I want to hear her out.”

  Zofia thought on it for a bit. “Why? What do you think she can offer you? She’s in jail. Perhaps you should just let things with her unfold on their own without getting involved. I assume that Olivia is still in control of her. What if this is some kind of trap Olivia is setting?”

  Sasha shook her head. “I’ve thought about that already. I don’t think that Olivia would send Wren for me; if Olivia were aware of me, I think she’d come herself.”

  Zofia nodded. “You’re likely right on that count. So, what are you going to do?”

  Sasha decided she was going to do what she’d told Wren she was going to do—go to her. She and Zofia had been working on her ability to travel through materialization, and she also knew she would have no resistance from Wren in going to her.

  “I’m going to her. The least I can do is hear her out and then we can go from there. Maybe she has some information about Olivia we can use.”

  Her first step was to familiarize herself with the correctional facility where Wren was housed. She found plenty of photos of the and she concentrated on those and on the image of Wren’s face in her mind until she felt herself becoming lighter and lighter, almost as if she were dissolving. The feeling was similar to the feelings of butterflies in one’s stomach, a tickling sort of apprehension, and then she was off like a shot—feeling nothing but seeing a burst of light as she shot through space. The butterflies returned as she slowly took shape in Wren’s cell. This time it was Sasha who leaned over and whispered in Wren’s ear. “I can’t wait until you see me again.”

  Wren rolled over, sleep still in her eyes. She sat up and smiled. “You came. Thank you.”

  Sasha was still angry and didn’t quite trust her, but she had the upper hand. Wren could sense those emotions from her, but she also knew her curiosity held her distrust at bay. Sasha stood with her arms crossed over her chest and simply said, “You have a story to tell me. So, out with it.”

  Wren told her everything she could remember—how Olivia seduced her, how she’d quickly been caught up in Olivia’s machinations, how she had feared Olivia would get to Alex first. “I thought at the time that you were her target, but I realize now that you were a pawn, too. It’s Liz she’s after. You were merely a way to ge
t to Liz. I didn’t know that at first, but when she showed up as I was trying to turn you, she revealed Liz is Daniela reborn.”

  Sasha was sitting at this point, having softened toward Wren as she told her story. “Does Olivia know I was turned?”

  Wren shook her head. “I don’t think so; she’s not indicated she suspects anything. Every time she talks about you, she refers to you in past tense. I do know she’s still pursuing Liz, though. Sasha, I want to make things up to you; let me help you protect Liz from her.”

  Sasha was still unsure whether she could trust Wren, but she knew how to be sure. She kissed her softly at first, and then she turned the ring Zofia gave her so Wren could see the small, razor sharp tip. She brought the tip against Wren’s tender skin on the inside of her wrist and she looked her in the eye as she drank from the wound. There was no hint of deception there; she only felt contrition and love from her friend.

  “Can you keep my existence secret? I know you’ve not been trained as I have, and Olivia will expect you to be open to her. I can only imagine how hard it is to hide your thoughts from her.”

  Wren laughed. “Remember, the long con has always been my specialty. I had more regular customers than any of the other girls and the clients who paid the most for the least were usually the ones I can’t stand. So far, she’s been supportive of my learning better mindfulness; as long as she thinks I’m on her side, she sees a benefit to it.”

  Sasha smiled, but still looked worried. “Let me see if I can’t get Zofia, my mentor, to come see you. There may be some techniques she can share. We’re going to have to be careful, though; we don’t want Olivia catching one of us here, either.”

  Wren was relieved that Sasha trusted her. She hoped she might forgive her someday. Before she left she allowed Wren to feed from her as well as a sign of trust and friendship. “I won’t come again, as it’s likely to be risky for both of us. Find me once you are on the outside. If Olivia manages to free you, we’ll work together. For now, though, I’ll do my part on the outside and I’ll be glad when you see me again.” Sasha’s parting words hung in the air as she disappeared.

  Chapter Twenty Six

  When Sasha returned to the carriage house, Zofia and Lucy were waiting for her. She smiled as she realized they were waiting, as she was proud of her successful materialization. She’d been practicing for weeks, but this was the first time she’d traveled so far and to somewhere she hadn’t physically visited before. “Thanks for the welcome party.” She sat down in the chair facing the sofa where the other two sat. They waited for her to begin.

  “So, it wasn’t a trap. Olivia doesn’t seem to know I still exist, and Wren is trying to find a way out. I believe that she didn’t mean to kill me.” Zofia and Lucy had poured three glasses of wine while they waited for Sasha to return, and she took a long sip from her glass.

  “If she’s right, Olivia wasn’t really after me. She was after Liz. Wren told me a story about someone named Daniela. Apparently Olivia has decided that Liz is Daniela reincarnated or something. I was simply in the way. Wren seems to think she turned me because she’s still in love with me and thought if I was turned, I would be protected.” She sipped her wine. “She claims she only told Olivia I was an offering in hopes she’d take pity on her and help her.”

  Zofia was the first to respond. “That Olivia didn’t train her doesn’t surprise me in the least. She left me with Istvan, after all. I’ve been forever grateful to have had him as my teacher rather than her, surely, but she doesn’t tend to deal with things not going according to her plan.”

  “The story of Daniela is what we were afraid was happening. We’ve both been keeping an eye on Olivia since she arrived this time.” Lucy looked at Zofia and then at Sasha. “If Liz truly is the one she’s after, we have to make contact and warn her.”

  Sasha nodded. “I was hoping you’d agree to help. Wren has done a lot of self-training, and that’s how she managed to contact me. She’s trying to get in Olivia’s good graces so she can get out of prison somehow; she didn’t indicate how, though. Maybe Olivia is going to teach her how to travel through materialization.”

  Zofia shook her head. “It can’t be that simple—the missing body would cause too much attention. Remember how Lucy was careful in rescuing you so that there was someone to take your place in the morgue drawer? Olivia has to be planning something similar for Wren if she’s truly working to free her.” She refilled wine glasses. “I will go to Wren and see what more I can glean from her, as well as what I can teach her to help protect her from Olivia as much as possible. If she senses Wren is deceiving her, she’s likely to arrange a suicide for her or simply drive her mad.”

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  Wren focused all of her energy on finding some way out after her interaction with Sasha. Olivia’s visits were infrequent, and the two women had at least come to an understanding that Wren was dependent upon Olivia’s kindness if she was to make any progress. In the days that she waited for some inkling of Olivia’s plan to free her, she was at least occupied by a local reporter, Vaughn Morris, who wanted to write about her. He told her he was working on a book about the murders, and he wanted to show readers who Wren Anderson really was.

  Wren agreed to the interviews; it was nice to talk to someone, and Vaughn’s visits helped to break up the monotony. After one of these interviews she found her cell occupied when she returned. Zofia stood in the small space, her finger to her lips as Wren entered her solitary cell. The guard was a donor who didn’t bother to look in the cell anyway—why would she? Zofia and Wren stood in silence as they listened to the guard’s footsteps carry her down the hallway.

  When they couldn’t hear her any longer, Zofia introduced herself. “Hello, Wren. I am Zofia, Sasha’s mentor. She asked me to come to you and see if I can help you.”

  Wren sat on the edge of her bed. “I appreciate you coming to see me. How can we be certain we won’t be disturbed?”

  “We’ve tracked Olivia’s movements and schedule. She is in classes and meetings this afternoon. Her absence would be noted, and she’s apparently doing her best to be inconspicuous.”

  Wren nodded, relieved. “She says she has a plan to free me. I need help to learn how to keep her from finding out what I’m thinking; I can’t have her realize that I’m anything other than completely loyal to her, or she won’t help me. She controls the guards I work with, and she’s ensured that as long as I obey her, I have sustenance.”

  Zofia smiled. “You must have figured out some things on your own. After all, you found Sasha and called to her. That’s not overly surprising considering you turned her. The connection between the two of you is quite strong as a result. But, the connection between you and Olivia is even stronger, given that she has such great power. Do you know who she truly is?”

  “Yes. She revealed her identity to me as Dracula’s daughter well before I was arrested. On her urging, I read the novel, and it was from remembering the ways in which mind control and telepathy worked in the novel that I got the idea to reach out to Alex.”

  “Good. While the book is not completely truthful, there are some useful lessons there. I can help you learn to cloak your true feelings from Olivia. I assume you’ve already been doing this to some extent?” When Wren nodded, Zofia sat next to her and the two of them got to work.

  For the next few hours while Zofia knew Olivia was occupied she worked with Wren, putting her through a variety of mental exercises. She started by having her read a passage from one of the books she had in her cell that she’d borrowed from the prison library. Once Wren was able to read a passage without Zofia mentally reading over her shoulder, she started working on Wren blocking personal thoughts from view.

  By the time the sun set, Wren felt far more capable of defending her thoughts from view. Zofia also went over Olivia’s schedule with her and assured her that she would return soon to work with her again.

  “Why are you helping me?”

  Zofia was quiet for a fe
w moments before she answered. “Another lifetime ago, Olivia turned me into a vampire as an offering to a man she felt indebted to. While he and I did eventually find a great kinship as he trained me, we also vowed to stop her from continuing to victimize innocent people. I’ve spent many years working to undo her damage. That is why I am working against her. You realize that the only reason I am willing to help you is because of Sasha. You will need to be loyal to her and use your position next to Olivia to aid in Sasha’s plans. Do you agree to help us?”

  Wren assured her she would do whatever she could to help Sasha. “I still love her; I owe her my loyalty. I also am no big fan of Olivia; if it were not for her, we would still be alive and free. I have no illusions that her working with me now is motivated by anything other than her desire to continue to use me and control me.”

  Zofia nodded. “Good. You realize that you must guard Sasha’s existence above all else from Olivia. She can’t know. Not yet.”

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  Christophe woke up in Olivia’s bed alone. He rolled over and willed himself to go back to sleep. As soon as he drifted under, he heard the beat of the drums and could feel the skins under his hands. He was back at the ritual, and he was the only drummer this time. In front of him, the dancers were all dressed in black and wearing elaborately decorated skeleton masks. He knew he had to keep drumming or something horrible would happen.

  As he kept up the rhythm he could feel the sweat begin to build and trickle down his back. His arms were tired, but he couldn’t stop drumming. The crowd moved gracefully, writhing and twirling as the tempo built until he couldn’t continue any longer. He brought both hands above his head and sent them crashing down on the drum heads, sending out an ear splitting boom that sounded like a shot, while accumulated sweat sprayed from the drums like tiny diamonds in the air. The crowd of dancers took off in flight, transformed into black birds that took wing and disappeared.