Dhampir

by J. H. Hutchins

  “This must be what you and that fat bitch were babbling on about,” he continued, shaking his head. “This is what I get for not joining the conversation.” Lincoln stood up. “You are to rule Avalon as its Victorian Queen. If the rumors are true about what’s inside the Chamber, then you will be a Victorian Empress. And I will be a respected Emperor. I will not stand the backlash of marrying a Colonial savage. Each and every moon spawn you bring to the Gothic Realm will be dealt with. I will kill your Dhampirs if I must. I will squeeze the air from the bastard’s throat and bask in their Dhampiric blood. This is a promise, Mallory, and I am a man of my oaths.” Lincoln paused. “And yes, you are grounded. There will be no more alone time for you as long as I can help it.”

  “And you . . .” Lincoln continued with Brenden. He unbuttoned his tailcoat as he walked over. “You will die for your sins.” Lincoln pulled open the tailcoat. Within the darkness of the inner linings, vulture heads peeked out. A terrible orchestra of scratchy hisses was being released from the creatures.

  Mallory tried to protest but the words wouldn’t come out. All she could do was watch in misery as her outstretched arm failed to reach Brenden.

  “Master,” Fang pleaded, “spare him.”

  Lincoln turned to his servant.

  “Do you want to go with him?”

  “No,” Fang admitted. His back touched the wall as he was forced to stand away from his master. “Hear me out, sir. Killing him here would not be worth the risk. It would ignite a fight with his mother. Jett, too. It would send off alarms with the humans. When the other Goths hear about it, they will surely throw everything they have against us. The Enterprise will be next, and then the Spirit Toll — all because the fight will be too flashy to conceal from the humans.” Fang paused to gulp. “And this happened because you lost your temper with some crying rascal who was unsuccessful in his Binding attempts.”

  “But I didn’t want—”

  Fang thrust his black glove toward Brenden to shut him up. His master was NOT in a state to hear another word from the “culprit.” However, surprisingly, he closed his jacket.

  “Get in touch with Tommy,” Lincoln ordered. “I have an additional proposal.”

  “As you wish,” bowed Fang. Before the servant could leave, Lincoln had another order.

  “Take him with you and clean him up. If Rebecca or the others ask, just say that he triggered Mallory with his stupidity and she bit him in exchange. When the party commences, I want you down here cleaning up this mess.” Lincoln shook his head at all the Spern blood in the room. “Ridiculous. Have I made myself clear?”

  “Yes, Lord.”

  Fang grabbed Brenden and pulled him to his feet. Lincoln stood straight and addressed the tall Spern.

  “Do you concur with this line of events?”

  Brenden nodded.

  As Fang opened the door and helped Brenden out, Lincoln turned to Mallory.

  “Get cleaned up. We have a party to attend.”

  He said nothing more before shutting the door. When they reached the kitchen, he also shut the door to the basement itself, claiming Mallory was cleaning herself up after puking out the cookies she ate. He claimed she was allergic to chocolate. Too bad Rebecca was busy chatting in the family room. Turner was going to get her attention — as he knew something was wrong — but a glare from Lincoln sent him scurrying to a corner beside the sink and the stove.

  Downstairs, Mallory picked herself up. The first thing she saw were the red roses Lincoln gifted her when he first arrived. She nearly slipped on her way to the table they sat on. She grabbed them, tears streaking down her face.

  My freedom . . . You’ve stolen my freedom . . .

  The urge to lash out was too powerful to overcome. Mallory ripped the roses apart viciously, sending the beautiful flowers scattering all over the room.

  And now . . . I have lost my only Dhampir.

  Mallory slipped on the blood beneath her boots during the outburst. She rolled around in the madness before suddenly stopping.

  I cannot have a Dhampir as long as he is alive. But he will live for an eternity. How long is an eternity? Can I survive an eternity? How many tears can drown an eternity? I CANNOT WAIT AN ETERNITY!

  While staring at the ceiling, Mallory waved her arms and legs along the cold floor — effectively making an angel in the blood and roses. She clenched her teeth and protruded her veins in her desperate temper tantrum.

  I will never forgive him.

  Mallory Vice had been ruined.

  9

  The Birthday

  As a massive crowd of neighbors gathered around the kitchen table with the Goths and the Fletchers to sing, “Happy Birthday,” to Abby, Mallory found herself rubbing her cheek. Lincoln pulled her arm down and pinched her side for not playing it off. He was already furious that she messed up the outfit her foster mother made her. He couldn’t take any more of her nonsense. Mallory was wearing yoga pants and a turtleneck sweater that belonged to none other than Lily Fletcher herself. Even though the sight of Lincoln ticked him off, Jim couldn’t keep his eyes off the princess. Brenden was given a white Ramones t-shirt and ripped, denim jeans — two relics of Jayce’s charismatic past. He liked the style, so he didn’t care how long it took for the washing machine to clean their old clothes.

  The food was given compliments by every. Single. Guest. The turkey, the macaroni and cheese, the pumpkin-pecan ice cream cake . . . all of it was mouthwatering. Rebecca bragged by slamming the steel mug down on the table beside Mallory. It was empty.

  “You used it all?”

  “Besides a little for myself, yes — yes, I did, dear. I’m shocked it was even possible to be this generous. I’m very proud of myself.”

  Indeed, Mallory was, too. The old Rebecca would’ve been so greedy she wouldn’t have stopped with drinking the entire steel mug of Angelic blood — she’d have been latched to Mallory’s handkerchief palm like a newborn baby!

  No. More. Human. Food!

  Mallory didn’t feel like puking her guts out, so she wasn’t giving in to her temptations. On top of this, the feeling afterward only made her more hungry. She wasn’t the only one suffering though — as Jett, Brenden, and Acorn were very fidgety. Fang was downstairs cleaning, but Mallory was sure he was feeling like this, too. Despite this, Rebecca gave in to her temptations. She took a large piece of everything and told the others to dig in. Her reasoning was that if they filled themselves with human food, it would subside their hunger until they get Beans. Mallory thought it made sense, but only Brenden risked it.

  An embarrassing moment occurred when Abby inducted Lincoln and Mallory into a couples trivia game. They were to answer a set of five questions about their partner that were associated with their relationship. They would write out the answers beforehand, hide them away, and then pray their partner could match their truths. The winning couple got an untouched chocolate cake made with vegan recipes (and spiced with a little Angelic flavor, of course). It was supposed to be for Jayce, but he refused to come down for any celebrations. All he left was a handmade birthday card that admitted that he loved his grandmother despite their arguments.

  The Gothic pair won the competition. There were seven other couples, but none of them scored above the eight out of ten Lincoln and Mallory received. However, two other couples tied their score, so they were going to a bonus round.

  And although Mallory got three of her questions correct, Lincoln was highly disappointed in her. Lincoln was chosen to answer the bonus question, and he easily dispatched his opponents by answering, “What side of the bed does your partner usually wake up on?” with, “to the left, sweeping her left leg, but stopping to yawn for precisely six seconds, and then touching the floor with her right foot first. I repeat — the right foot. She pulls a switcheroo.” There was an awkward silence, followed by claps led by Abby. She checked the card Mallory wrote her answer on. It only said, “Left,” but the other couples didn’t even challenge the result. Lincoln and Mallory were
given the cake.

  “Get out of my sight,” Lincoln whispered through his fake smile. Between shaking hands and taking compliments he poked Mallory with insults. “Fool. Halfwit. Moron.” He then got up to go check on Fang’s cleaning progress. “You embarrassed me.”

  “It was only two—”

  “Shut your mouth,” he fake grinned. “Maybe I would have understood you not knowing how many siblings I had — but, my spirit animal? A bat?”

  “We’re vampires,” Mallory countered.

  “I’ll be using my spirit animal on you if you keep it up with this nonsense,” Lincoln threatened, gripping his jacket. “You’re either an idiot or you did it on purpose. Both are wrong. If it happens again, you’ll be getting a spanking.” He paused to shake another hand before returning to his broken partner. “And don’t come with us to the school. You don’t deserve any Beans.”

  “That’s not fair!” Mallory shouted, shooting up out of her chair. Lincoln clenched her shoulders and thrust her down with a smile.

  “We got eight right, dear,” Lincoln said, trying to play off the situation as Mallory’s fault. “Nobody gets everything right all the time.”

  “It’s not fair.”

  “My anxiety is at an all-time high, Mallory,” Lincoln whispered. “I will kill them all if you don’t let me escape with dignity.” She looked at the humans’ faces. They didn’t deserve that.

  “I guess you’re right,” Mallory lied with her own fake grin. “I’ll just eat my cake and shut the fuck up.” Mallory crossed her arms despite Lincoln’s threats.

  “You do that,” said Lincoln. He excused himself to go downstairs to check on the condition of their clothes.

  “What was that all about?” Rebecca asked.

  “He won’t let me go hunting with you,” she pouted. Rebecca gave her a hug.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll stay here to keep you company. I’m feeling too full for a hunt anyways.”

  “But I really want to go.”

  “Trust me, it’s for the best. Boys will be boys, but let’s aspire to be queens. Let them do the work for us.” Mallory didn’t want to let somebody hunt for her, but their conversation was interrupted.

  “Would you mind seeing if Jayce wants any?” Abby asked Mallory.

  The princess thought that was a lovely idea. Beyond the sorrow, Jayce was still one of the most interesting things she had in her life.

  Mallory was surprised by Jayce’s reaction when he saw her.

  “Come in,” he smiled. “Come on, move it.”

  “I’d rather not,” said Mallory.

  “Forget everything else and just get in,” he said. She sighed and allowed Jayce to pull her inside. He locked the door and walked around his room like he had just found the cure for cancer.

  “I had a dream . . .” he grinned.

  “So what? I have them all the time.”

  Jayce looked confused.

  “A real one, man. Like — what’s your name again?”

  “Mallory . . .”

  “Okay. Listen, Mallory. I just had back-to-back dreams that were literally connected to each other. I mean, do you know how unlikely that is? I was woken up, but as soon as I went back to sleep it began where I left off. That never happens.”

  “I suppose that’s strange . . .”

  “But that’s not even the best part. I was —” He paused to smile like a child who had found a goldmine of toys. “I was a hero. Like Batman or something — but stronger. I ran around the world kicking evil ass with this.” He held up the wand box.

  “Good luck with that. It’s just a box.”

  Jayce sighed.

  “The wand! I — I destroyed everybody in my path. I had all the elements at my disposal. I could walk through walls, I could make cars float—” Jayce’s smile was the brightest he’d given since the tragedy. “I could steal fire from the sun and shoot craters from the moon!” He shook Mallory. “Can you believe it!?”

  Mallory couldn’t stop smirking. Seeing Jayce in this state was quite extraordinary.

  “Calm down,” she laughed.

  “I can’t,” he admitted. “I was so powerful. I changed the world to fit my image with this thing.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I’ll rain down fire and glory upon their souls. For Lily.”

  “Woah — hold on. Who?”

  “The Enterprise. They’ll never forget her name after I’m done with them.”

  “I don’t think they had anything to do with it, dear.”

  Jayce shook his head. He was twirling the box nervously.

  “Thank you. If you never showed up this thing would’ve been rotting away in my closet.”

  “Your welcome. I’m glad to have helped you find a solution to your . . . dilemmas. I’d be insulted if I went through all that trouble for nothing.” Mallory wanted to embrace Jayce somehow. A handshake? A hug? A kiss?

  No. No. No! Not a kiss!

  Mallory could feel the blood rushing to her nose.

  “Well,” she gulped. “I’d better get going.”

  Mallory turned around, held her nose, and accidentally walked into the door.

  “Wait,” said Jayce. “Mallory.”

  “Yes?”

  “When you touched the wand earlier, there was smoke.”

  “Correct.”

  “Was it real?” he asked, holding the case to his face. “Did this really burn you?”

  “I’m . . . forbidden from saying—”

  Suddenly, Mallory felt Jayce grab her palm. He didn’t care about the handkerchief. He looked her straight in the eyes and didn’t look away like he usually did.

  “Please. Tell me the truth. Was it real — or should I just accept what your boyfriend said?”

  Mallory clenched Jayce’s palm and held her nose tight.

  “It was real,” she said through her glove. “And don’t you ever listen to a thing Lincoln says. Even Hell isn’t evil enough to accept somebody like him.”

  10

  The Bull

  Mallory spent the rest of the party hanging out with The Fletchers. Rebecca, Brenden, and Lincoln were popular with Abby’s neighbors due to their charisma. Mallory was too depressed to be charismatic. The day had been long, and the only thing that went right was more Goths showing up and making progress with Jayce.

  Lincoln excused The Goths from the party at around midnight. There were only a few neighbors left, but there was enough male competition to force Lincoln to change his mind about Mallory.

  “Your outfit’s ready,” he let her know. “Go get dressed and meet us outside.”

  “I’m going!?”

  “Yes.”

  Mallory was so happy she hugged Lincoln.

  “Take Brenden downstairs, too. He’s coming with us.”

  Outside, Mallory basked in the winter moonlight. The princess wanted to show The Goths that she could be a leader, so this was a big moment for her. She attempted to persuade Rebecca to come, but Mallory’s Gothic chaperone was dealing with her own puking fit. Acorn would be staying behind, too, to help Fang finish his cleaning.

  Amidst Brenden and Jett telling stories about the party, Mallory peeked over at Lincoln. He seemed to be in a better mood.

  I hope The Fletchers made a strong impression. Maybe he’ll forget about eating them.

  “Honestly,” Lincoln said, as if speaking directly to Mallory’s thoughts, “I’ve begun to like The Fletchers. Their matriarch is a lovely woman. She’s even friends with Tommy’s mother.”

  “Did you get any numbers?” asked Brenden.

  “Of course,” Lincoln smirked. He set his arm over Mallory’s shoulder and pulled her closer. “But I didn’t need it. It just goes to show how many other victims we can choose as prey. Sparing The Fletchers would be a relief compared to some of these other bimbos. In my opinion, Jim and that boy belong in that category.”

  “They’re just misunderstood,” Mallory defended. “They lost somebody really close to them and they’re trying to heal their trau
ma.”

  “That girl in all the pictures who was missing from the party?”

  “Her name’s Lily.”

  “Ew. What an ugly name.”

  Mallory shot Lincoln a glare. He countered with a pinch to her side.

  “Ow!”

  “Don’t you even think you’re off the hook, young lady. You’d better start paying more attention to me if you want this relationship to work.”

  “But I broke up with you . . .”

  Lincoln squeezed Mallory in a headlock.

  “I am yours forever,” he promised. “If you leave me I’ll have no reason to live. And I’m taking you with me.”

  “You’re using suicide to keep a relationship going?” Brenden spoke out. “Lame.”

  “Do you have something you want to say, you belligerent crybaby? There’s a reason you’re a single male and I’m a supreme gentleman.”

  Brenden laughed.

  Tommy was late. The Goths had snuck into the school and been forced to wait in the gymnasium for nearly half an hour. When Tommy finally arrived, Brenden showed him through the school’s front entrance. The taps of Tommy’s dress shoes added injury to insult among The Goths. They were too hungry for this nonsense. The fact that he entered the gymnasium with nothing in his hands was even worse.

  “Sorry,” was the first thing that came to his mind. He was going to question why a black cat was circling him too, but he decided it best not to. He was already in the doghouse — he didn’t need it to be filled with kitty litter.

  “We don’t want your apologies,” said Lincoln. “Where are the Beans?”

  “Give me a break, will ya?”

  Lincoln walked over to Tommy. The other Goths were dead silent.

  “We saw your mother at a party earlier.”

  “I know. She told me all about it.”

  “She did? What did she say about me?”

  “None of your business, you schmuck.”