“Learning that, yes. And you guys lived near here?”
“Yes, in Bridgeville. I used to teach and Phil was an assistant manager here. What did you do?”
“Worked in the theme parks. Nothing big.”
“That must’ve been fun. I remember having vacations at the beach and playing with Robin all day.”
Her eyes fogged over with the wistfulness of pleasant thoughts. Robin giggled as Daemon pulled a gold coin from her ear. Bonny was drawn to the sound. Her face fell when she remembered the current situation. She pulled my elbow and whispered to me.
“I want you to take care of her for us. Please?”
“I’ll be happy to help you, we all will. You’ll be with her.”
“No, we both know we’re too far gone. We just wanted to keep her fed enough to be rescued. Please take her somewhere safe and nice after you kill us.”
I made the most awkward -- and slightly painful -- face I’d ever had.
“What? No, we aren’t here to kill you. What makes you think that?”
“Well, you’re all vampires aren’t you? We had one who kept picking our group off before, so I know I’m right. All I ask is that you save my baby after you drain us. Please?”
Surprise carried me to my feet. I shook my head and went to find Cal. Daemon noticed and followed me with his gaze. I turned the corner and found Cal bent over the prone body of Phil. His fangs pierced the man’s gaunt neck.
“Cal, no.”
I tried to pull him off of his emaciated victim. His age and strength prevailed and Phil’s heart stopped. The Roman separated from the dead man. I glared at Caelinus and railed internally at his actions.
You misbegotten son of a bachelor, douchecanoe, asshat, wanker...
“You can cease your mental curses at me. This was his wish as it is his wife’s.”
“That doesn’t make it okay. You told them we would help them.”
“And we are. They are too far gone to survive, and we need to feed if we are to live. I made sure he went without suffering further. Daemon and you will do the same.”
“No. I won’t do this.”
I clenched my teeth, ignoring the descent of my canines at the prospect of fresh blood.
“Very well, then Daemon and I will tend to the matter.”
Cal brushed past me and wiped the corner of his mouth.
“This is the best we can do to help them; these people are beyond saving, we are not. Like it or no, this is your life. You’re a vampire now.”
He left me staring after him, dumbfounded by my own lack of argument.
We could take them with us. But we’d need more blood first and they don’t have the health to sustain that loss. We could just leave them and they might survive until we came back for them and everyone else.
I let my chin drop. My eyes focused on the relaxed looking corpse at my feet.
Or they’ll slowly starve to death while they wait. I hate when he’s right. Dammit, you ancient prick.
Returning to the rest of the malnourished family I found Daemon and Cal fighting. Robin slept beside her mother on a pallet of blankets. Bonny stroked her child’s hair and listened intently to them.
“Cal, I won’t do it. I don’t care how much it makes sense or if that’s what our kind does, I’m not going to take their lives.”
“Not both of them, just Bonny’s. Then we’ll have enough strength to get Robin out with us.”
“No. Hell no with a cherry on top. I’m not going to kill this kid’s mom.” He froze in place. “Where’s Phil?”
“He’s already met his end. Now do you want to have a meal tonight or not?”
Daemon’s fist hit Cal square in the jaw. The crack of bone on bone reverberated through the cold building. Bonny flinched. Daemon’s eyes glowed and his fangs protruded.
“You bastard. You offer to help them and then kill their husband and dad. What the hell is wrong with you, Cal? Now you want me to orphan this girl, and then she’s supposed to agree to come with us to a strange country and be abandoned at the first orphanage?”
“You don’t seem to grasp the reality of the moment. We arrived here far too late to do anything but ignore them, kill them, or kill the parents and possibly save the child.”
Robin yawned and opened her eyes. She watched the two vampires decide her fate.
“Do these two look like they’ve been eating enough to live long term? No, they just wanted to live long enough to get their daughter to safety. Honor their wishes or get out of my way while I do it.”
“Can’t I go with mom and dad?”
The room suddenly lacked all movement; I think my heart stopped to accommodate the silence.
“Go on and answer her, Cal.” Daemon growled.
Cal opened and closed his mouth a few times. I joined them in the mild glow of the lantern. I knelt beside the calm humans.
“Your daddy is already gone, sweetie. How about we just find you two some more food and come back for you in a week or two? Don’t you want to stay with your mom for now?”
“No. I want all of us to be together. I don’t want to stay here anymore. It’s cold and scary and we’re always hungry. Can’t you just send us to be with dad?”
Cal placed his hand on my shoulder. I sank to my knees.
Seriously? Cal, please glamour them into not wanting this. I don’t think this is something I can handle.
The urgent need to withdraw overtook me.
“I’m sorry, Squirrel, but no. And stop sliding into your head. Use your words.”
The Roman moved me aside and picked up the child. He beamed at her and nodded for Daemon to go to her mother.
“How about I tell you a story and then you go to sleep? Daemon will talk with your mommy for a bit and then he’ll help her sleep, too. When you close your eyes, you can both rejoin your daddy somewhere nice.”
“Okay.” She grinned widely. “Can we heat up the rest of that food first?”
Bonny rose and wiped away a tear.
“Of course. I’ll heat the cans and we can each have one all to ourselves. Then these nice people will send us to see daddy.”
I remained on the floor as Cal regaled the child with a story. I fought back the memories of his storytimes back in Nova Nocte. Daemon sat beside me with his arms crossed and eyes fixed on an ugly spotted tie nearby. He picked it up and began to rip it into little shreds. I rocked gently to ward off the impending actions of our leader in this new life.
The pair finished their last meal and gave each other a big hug.
She’s so young. She can’t possibly understand what’s happening.
Cal scooped up the daughter and glamoured her. Robin now thought she was full of her favorite food, on vacation at the beach, and getting a new kitten when she woke up tomorrow. All she had to do was close her eyes and go to sleep. Bonny approached us and tapped Daemon. He tore the last of the tie and let it fall from his fingertips. He hadn’t fed in days.
Daemon repeated the glamour on the woman and turned to face Cal.
“I hate you for this.”
“I know. But one day you will better understand what a mercy this is.”
Cal supped on the girl and the fragrance of innocent blood wafted in the air. Daemon’s eyes tinged red and he gave over to the hunger. Both victims died quickly with happy expressions plastered on their faces. I dragged Phil over to be left with his family. We covered them all with blankets and wrote their names on the blankets with a marker.
The three of us spent the day either sleeping or fiercely avoiding speaking about the night’s activities. I daydreamed most of the time; living another life in my head was simpler than dealing with who I’d become since the outbreak. I fell asleep living another life in my mind. I wondered if I’d ever wake up from it.
CHAPTER 29 MARCH 3RD - YEAR 2
I seem to have lost a day. Apparently all we did was hunker down from another storm just outside Pittsburgh. Tonight we go through the city on our way to the border. I gai
ned an extra bag of gold somehow. Cal keeps talking to me, but I keep zoning out. Daemon looked worried when I woke up, but he won’t tell me why. He refuses to leave me alone with Cal, though.
Maybe it’s because I’m still angry with him about the mall? Or did we have another dispute that I forgot? Where did yesterday go?
I let myself be led through the motions for our travels and allowed my mind to wander into fantasies and memories. Occasionally, I thought of my first time with Daemon and felt the heat rising to my cheeks. He always managed to hold my hand or kiss me when I did.
Either he’s listening to my thoughts or I’m really transparent. Or maybe there’s a special connection when someone turns you into a vampire and they get a mental update when you think of them. Hmmm.
“Daemon, talk to her. Keep her focused on you. Maybe it will help.”
He entwined our fingers and guided me through the streets as another herd of Dead approached in the icy slosh. They slipped and groaned in their pursuit of us. I watched one impale itself on an icicle. The clear shard of ice protruded from the creature’s cheek, its owner shuddered twice and gave over to its true death.
I hopped lightly over the decrepit remains and hummed as we trailed behind Cal. He ducked into an apartment building. The slow tramp of shuffling feet notified us that we were not alone. Someone pounded from the inside of the first apartment. A pool of coagulated blood seeped under the door.
Not going in that one.
“No we’ll keep following Cal. We can skip that apartment.”
Daemon gave my hand a squeeze and led me through the shadows of the dirty hall. I listened to the many zombies stumbling around the building. A dozen floors and twice that number of fleshies trapped within.
Don’t they ever die off? Or does the cold keep preserving them? What’s that sound?
A rapid pulse and rapid breathing caught my attention. Cal paused and disappeared into the inky blackness with undead speed. I pulled Daemon behind me as I sprinted after him.
Someone is alive here and either exerting themselves or panicking. Cal can’t get to them first; he’ll want to kill them. I never realized how much he prefers to kill.
“Actually, I don’t. I prefer to feed during seduction if you must know.”
I fell backwards at his instantaneous appearance in my face.
“Holy fish-monkeys!”
“Sorry, but it did get you to latch on to the moment. I’m a little hurt that you feel I enjoy killing, by the way. I simply believe in being pragmatic and merciful.”
Daemon helped me up.
“So are we hunting someone or helping them? And if helping, how so?”
My love watched his mentor through squinted eyes.
“We are tracking. Once we meet this person, we will determine the rest.”
I looked up the trash-strewn stairwell behind Cal. A door slammed a few floors above. Something was tossed around and a shot rang out. I flew to the source of the noise. The door hung uneven in the frame. A ‘Bless this Mess’ mat sat askew in front of it. I pressed my ear to the door and closed my eyes. The pulse was throbbing madly not far from the entrance. My eyeteeth descended as the symphony of rushing blood and beating heart called to my hunger.
I felt rather than heard the guys land beside me. I turned the knob and slipped inside the blackened room at a crouch. The energy of my prey was visible in the abyss of the studio flat. Waves of fear flowed off him like water in a shower. He held the Glock out and pointed it in the general direction of the door. He shifted it a few inches to each side, unsure of my presence.
Cal held back Daemon at the doorway. I could hear him thinking at him; they should wait and see what I do. I snuck behind the sole human in the abandoned residence. Wordlessly, I stripped him of his pistol and forced him to the floor.
“What the, no. Give it back. Please don’t kill me!”
“I don’t intend to hurt you. I just want to know who you are and what you’re doing here?”
Cal escorted Daemon inside. The Roman picked through the musty kitchen and put some trash into a pot. Lighting a small fire within the cookware, he brought the illumination to us. I released the hobbit-like man and sat down on a bar stool. I left my fangs visible.
“What the heck are you? I’m seeing things, right?”
“No, I’m really a vampire. Don’t worry you won’t remember that fact when we leave. call me Squirrel. That’s Cal and that’s Daemon.”
Daemon waved when I pointed to him. Caelinus gave a small tilt of his head. The furry man stood and shook his poor-fitting clothes off. I noticed rolls of skin hung over his jeans.
Must have lost a lot of weight since the outbreak. A good hundred pounds at least.
“Uh, okay. I’m Zeke. I didn’t know this was your place. I was just trying to get away from the stalkers. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to piss you off.”
Zeke started for the door with a knapsack. Daemon blocked his path. The light from the pot danced on his worried face. I heard the pounding in his chest speed up.
“It’s not our place. We just followed you in. Not a lot of survivors around here; call us curious. Are you part of a group?”
“I don’t think I should answer that.”
I moved close to the traveler and focused on glamouring him. I sent my will to him with a thin tendril of energy. He visibly relaxed. Zeke’s bag slipped from his hand to the floor creating a mushroom cloud of dust.
“You can tell us the truth. Zeke, are you alone?”
“I am right now. It was my turn to gather supplies for the five of us. The others are waiting for me at the bunker.”
“Where is this bunker?”
“In Settler’s Cabin Park. We put in an underground with water and plenty of rations, but we need more medicines and entertainment. I’ve got the pills and some books, but I got detoured by the stalkers outside.”
“We’ll deal with the Dead. You lead us to this bunker. You’ll forget that we are vampires.”
Zeke blinked away the hypnotic suggestions and lifted his bag. Thanks for pulling me in here from the stalkers. I’ll take you back with me. My buds from the preppers club will be happy to meet you; we haven’t seen any other people in months. Just help me get past the zombies and we’ll be in the clear.”
Cal’s lips curled as we tailed our guide. Daemon and I circled in front of Zeke cutting down the fleshies with our blades. Cal struck out infrequently but with the accuracy of a sniper. Limbs and thick fluids coated the ground around us as we worked in unison to protect our ward. The sole human strode unaware of our differing species as he trekked back to his secure hideaway.
We can feed a little from each. No need to do any lasting harm to anyone. Let’s get a snack for the road and move on. Agreed?
Cal gave an elegant salute of his sword and Daemon stabbed a rotting legless corpse through the face. He exclaimed, “I serve only my lady, the lady of the rising moon.”
Zeke ignored the silliness and I guffawed at the random statement.
God I love him. Weird and goofy as he may be, I love him.
We passed the next three hours at a steady pace. Arriving at the hidden bunker, Zeke gave a pipe several taps. A heavy door opened a few feet away, disguised in the undergrowth. A tall figure cooed and we all entered the buried capsule.
Recycled air and dim lighting greeted us. That and four confused men in need of a shave. At least one needed a bath as well. Daemon pulled shut the door. It clicked in place like a prison cell.
“So, we’re obviously new. Just needed a place to crash until tomorrow evening and Zeke here offered.” I pointed to us in turn. “We’re Daemon, Cal, and Squirrel. It’s nice to meet you.”
One of the befuddled men stared at me like I was the last steak in Texas.
“Hi. You’re a woman.”
“Yes. I’m aware.”
“We haven’t seen a woman in six months. I mean, Todd and Herb don’t mind cause they’re kinda bi, but Zeke, Nolan, and I...”
&n
bsp; I glared at him, fairly certain of his thoughts. His eyes wandered enough to make his interest apparent. Daemon put his arm around me and tried to look scary. Mostly, his face was scrunched up like he was holding in a big fart.
“Well, that’s a lovely thought, but nothing’s going to happen. So let’s just make some small talk, rest for the day, and part ways on good terms.”
The unnamed man licked his lips. Todd watched Daemon with the same expression. Zeke made a point of remaining between us and his friends.
“Iggy, just settle down. I owe these three my life. The least you can do is not be a big pervert and let the lady alone for twelve hours.”
Thank you Zeke for not backing the creeper.
As the other doomsday preppers backed up, Zeke handed Iggy the bag of meds and gave us a tour of the confines. Although they followed, none of the others laid a hand on us.
It would be the last thing they ever did.
Zeke pointed out their stockpile of nonperishables, the latrine, the generator they’d rigged up to an exterior wind turbine, and several bunks. Cal whispered in my ear as we viewed the tiny cooking space.
“Play along, feed, and glamour. Follow my lead.”
Daemon and I shrugged.
What are we doing now?
“Zeke, if we were perhaps interested in some private time with each of you...” The group of men stopped grew stationary at the idea. “...would that be alright? Individually, of course.”
“I’m sure that would be fine. We could pair off in the bedroom area in back here and everyone else could visit up front.”
Daemon tightened his grip on my shoulder and frowned.
“Cal, it’s not for you to make that call for all of us.”
Daemon, we won’t do anything, just glamour them into believing we did while we feed. It’s a good idea. A little awkward, but we can easily fend off these guys. Please don’t get upset when I agree.
He looked at me and loosened his half-hug.
“I’ll start with Iggy. I doubt he’ll mind a little tryst. Then maybe Daemon and Todd can have a go.”
Todd grinned and blew a kiss at my sire. I fought the impulse to rip off his face. Daemon blushed.
Nova Nocte (Book 2): Quarantined in Chaos Page 16