“No,” said Katie. “I don’t. I’ve… seen what you’re capable of.”
Her words felt like tiny needles, stabbing into his heart. She had seen what he was capable of, and from the tone of her voice, it still scared her.
“Well,” said Jack. “If that’s the case, then why not stay?”
“Because this is a chance we have to take,” said Katie. “A chance to follow through with what we came here to do and complete the mission.”
Jack had thought that Katie had been his partner. His pretend thrall, to watch his back and help him stay at his full potential. He suddenly realized something that he should have seen earlier. Something that really hurt to say out loud.
“You didn’t go through all the trouble of drugging Ryoko and swapping into her place just for my sake,” said Jack. “Did you?”
Katie gave him a pitying frown, and Jack felt those tiny needles stabbing into his heart again.
“The Order of Chaldea is recruiting, Jack,” she said. “I’m going to join them.”
It was amazing how much the short silence that followed felt like it belonged to him. But what was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to congratulate her for joining up with the group that had a policy of imprisoning and executing vampires, regardless of their guilt? Or should he yell at her, call her a traitor, and lean into the complicated emotional storm raging within him?
He didn’t say anything. He just looked at her. She looked so sad, and it just didn’t seem fair.
“I’m sorry, Jack,” said Katie. “I’ll still try to help you, when I can. In fact, why don’t you feed off me, one last time? So that you’ll have enough for the challenge.”
One last time. How ominous those words sounded.
Jack gave a small nod of his head. Pierce cleared his throat and stood up from the bed, moving to the other side of the room. Jack took his place next to Katie, wondering if he’d even be able to get any of her blood past the painful lump in his throat.
“I didn’t mean to dump all of this on you right now,” said Katie.
Jack brushed some of her hair out of the way of her neck.
“It’s alright,” he said. “It does… make sense, in a way.”
Katie shivered as he ran his finger along the nape of her neck. She looked over at Jack and leaned back on the bed. He slid into place next to her, and she shifted her shoulder back, opening her body to him.
Jack draped an arm across her chest and stomach as he brought his mouth in closer to her neck. He let his lips tickle against her neck, and took a deep breath through his nose, savoring her smell for possibly the last time. Katie’s eyes fluttered shut, and she let out a half-stifled moan.
He kissed her neck, and then waited, drawing the moment out. He felt Katie fidget impatiently under his arm. He wanted to make that moment last for as long as it could, even if it wasn’t fair to her. But he knew that he couldn’t.
Jack sank his fangs into her neck, feeling his body relax as the sweet nectar that was her blood flowed into him. Katie shuddered and dug her fingers into the mattress. Jack rubbed his hand along the side of her body as he drank deep. He really wished that they could have been alone, away from Pierce’s invasive presence.
He selfishly let himself take more from her than he usually did. If he did manage to make it through the death challenge, he might not have a chance to feed off Katie again, regardless. There was something deeply sad about that fact, and he tried to push it away before the full implications of it could take hold.
Almost as soon as Jack had pulled his mouth back from Katie’s neck, her lips were against his. He’d fed off her for longer than normal, and it seemed as though the lustful, feverish emotional effects of his bite had hit Katie harder than normal, as well. He kissed her back and felt a surge of desire as Katie ground her hips against his.
“Oh…” she whispered, as the make-out finally drew to a close. “Jack…”
She cupped his cheek, holding his gaze for an instant. Jack saw the same little girl he’d known in his childhood staring back at him. Except, this time, there would be no fantasy betrothal. This time, the two of them were aware of the reality of their parting.
From the other end of the room, Pierce cleared his throat loudly. Jack looked over at him, noticing the disgust and anger vying for dominance on his face. Was it his natural reaction to watching a vampire feed? Or were those emotions tied to the kiss, and the small moment of intimacy Jack and Katie had just shared?
“We should get going,” said Pierce. “The window in which I can move freely through the keep is about to close.”
Jack and Katie were still entangled with each other. Jack ran a hand through her hair.
“Are you going to be okay?” he asked.
“I should be,” she said. “They won’t stop me from leaving, as a thrall. Jack…”
She shook her head slightly, and the expression on her face made him feel the lump in his throat again.
“I’ll be okay,” he said. “I’m not going to let some punk vampire take me out.”
Katie forced a smile.
“I’m sorry,” she said. She blinked a couple of times, and a few tears snuck their way past her eyelids. “I wanted to help you. So bad. And I failed.”
“You did help me, Katie,” said Jack. “I’m not going to die here, so quit acting like I am.”
He slid his hand across her cheek, and then kissed her again. Katie hesitated for a moment, and then moved her lips against his, letting her resolve submit to her emotions. It was as sweet as it was painful, and it went on for longer than it probably should have before they finally pulled back from one another.
“Katherine…” Pierce came over and helped Katie to her feet with a familiar hand on her upper arm. “We need to go.”
“Right.” Katie stood up a little straighter. “Goodbye, Jack.”
“Goodbye, Katie,” he said. “For now, at least.”
This time, Katie didn’t manage to force a smile.
“For now,” she said.
CHAPTER 26
Katie and Pierce left, and a new challenge faced Jack in the wake of their departure. The challenge of nothing. He stretched on the bed, unable to sleep, but lacking anything else to distract him. He had no choice but to wait and try to focus on his breathing to keep his growing anxiety in check.
Hours passed by. Jack came to the conclusion that the death challenge wouldn’t be happening in that same night fairly quickly. It meant that he’d have to wait out the day until the Valerian vampires could come out and administer the challenge.
It certainly wasn’t ideal. The blood essence he’d taken from Katie would slowly begin to burn off of its own accord, even if he didn’t use his blood magic. He wouldn’t be going into the fight with a full reservoir, which would only amplify the challenge.
Jack did manage to get a few hours of sleep, though he wasn’t sure how many. A knock at his door awakened him. He groaned as he stood to his feet, feeling a rush of despair as he reacquainted himself with his circumstances.
Vyara was standing outside his room with a wheeled cart loaded with food in the hallway next to her. She was a Mithridian vampire, capable of moving through the daylight, and that, on top of the bacon and eggs and toast on the cart, confirmed to Jack that the morning had arrived.
“Thanks,” he said.
“May I come in?” asked Vyara, blinking her huge eyes and looking past him into his room.
Jack shrugged.
“I don’t see why not,” he said. “It’s not as though I have much to gain by refusing guests, at this point.”
Vyara wheeled the cart in with her. She didn’t seem to mind as Jack began helping himself, loading a plate up with food. He knew that he needed to eat, even if his throat and stomach were still choked with anxiety. He was still a little worried about being poisoned, but it seemed pointless for whoever the perpetrator was to try again, given his current circumstances.
“Your death challenge will be set for tonight,
” said Vyara. “My father… will have you face Pine.”
“Pine?” Jack furrowed his brow.
“His right hand man, as you might say,” said Vyara. “He is very strong. Second only… to my father.”
“Do you think I can beat him?” asked Jack.
“I do not think you can beat him or kill him,” said Vyara. “That is why… I have come here.”
Jack sat up a little straighter. He took a bite of one of the strips of bacon on his plate and nodded to Vyara.
“You have a plan, then?” he asked. “Some way of helping me get an edge against this guy?”
“No,” said Vyara. “I came to ask… if I may study you?”
“What?”
“Your death will be a waste,” said Vyara. “A pity. Let me at least… see you, first. Let me test you.”
It was a little hard for Jack to believe and accept what she was saying to him. It seemed like such an incredibly insensitive request to make, but Vyara’s expression made him think that she was being sincere. She seemed to lack any real understanding of his emotions, as though that part of her social awareness had never developed or possibly been stunted by her unique vampiric condition.
“I’m not really in the mood to let you experiment on me,” he said.
“Once you’re dead…” said Vyara. “May I have your body?”
Jack let out a slow breath, trying to keep his response measured. She didn’t seem to realize how offensive the question was, and he tried not to blame her for it.
“Thank you for bringing me this food, Vyara,” he said. “And if I die, it’s not as though I’ll have much say in what happens to my remains, anyway. You can do whatever you want with my body afterward, assuming I don’t survive the death challenge.”
Vyara nodded slowly. Without another word, she stood and made her way out of the room, closing the door behind her. Jack slowly ate what was left of the food on his plate, trying not to let the grim conversation he’d just had weigh too heavily on his psyche.
The day passed at an agonizingly slow pace. Jack had nothing to do. His phone would have normally been his default source of entertainment, but he was torn over whether to try to save what was left of its battery. If he made it through the death challenge, he might need it to get in touch with Katie or Pierce. Using the last of his phone’s charge felt almost like admitting that he didn’t see himself surviving the day.
He spent most of the time thinking. About his life. About Ryoko, back at the mansion. About how he could imagine himself pulling off an upset, and how best to use his blood magic to give himself a fighting chance.
It was hours later, late in the afternoon, by his guess, when a knock finally came at his door. Jack stood up, taking a breath to steady himself, and expecting it to be Volandar on the other side, ready to lead him to his fate.
It was Mira. She stared at him without saying anything for a couple of seconds. Her hair was messy, and she looked like she hadn’t slept much over the course of the past day, despite the fact that she was dressed in her white nightgown.
“I cannot leave you to your fate,” she said. “I cannot stand back and watch you die.”
Jack smiled at her, surprised by how comforting those simple words were to him. He gestured for her to come into his room, and she did.
“With any luck, I won’t be the one dying tonight,” he said. “I’ve been in fights before. I’m scrappy.”
He forced a smile and pretended to flex his biceps. Mira didn’t smile. She walked past him and sat down on his bed, and Jack found a spot next to her.
“Not like this,” she said. “You will not win this fight as you are, my sweet Jack.”
“You don’t know that,” he said.
The look she gave him was a reminder of the grim truth.
“You are my responsibility,” whispered Mira. “You have been ever since that very first night, when I made that impulsive decision to give you the Embrace. You would be justified in hating me. But you don’t.”
Jack shrugged.
“Yeah, I guess I don’t,” he said. “It’s funny how that works. Even right after you’d turned me into a vampire, when Katie explained that killing you would break the curse… I never really hated you. I did try to kill you, of course. But it almost made me feel selfish, as strange as that probably sounds.”
He looked down at his hands.
“The truth is,” he said. “I don’t mind being a vampire anymore. I like what it lets me do, when I’m in control enough to help people instead of just being a glorified human parasite.”
Mira smiled slightly, but her eyes still looked sad.
“Do you hate the vampire that bit you?” asked Jack. “Whoever it was that gave you the Embrace, in the beginning? I’ve never asked you about that, have I?”
“No, you have not.” Mira sighed and brushed her hands through her hair. “I don’t hate my broodfather. But that’s a long story.”
Jack chuckled and gestured to the room.
“Well, I’ve nothing but time right now,” he said. “Will you tell me? It would be a nice distraction.”
He watched as she considered his request, and a far-off expression took hold on her face.
“It’s as I said,” she began. “I never hated my broodfather. I was given the Embrace when I was young. Five or six years younger than you are now. Vampires do age, despite our reputation. Just far more slowly than regular humans.”
Mira brought one of her hands to her chin, letting a finger slide across her lips.
“I went to school with Peter,” she said. “Did I ever tell you that?”
Jack shook his head, feeling his curiosity pique at the mention of his grandfather.
“He was popular,” she said. “And athletic. And handsome. And I… well, let’s just say that my flower didn’t come into bloom until long after I’d already become what I am now. He barely noticed me. Few of the boys did, at the time.”
Mira gave a small, embarrassed shrug. Jack slid in a little closer and put an arm around her.
“I wanted so desperately for him to notice me,” she said. “But, he never really did. I’m not sure if we ever even said more than a word or two to each other in passing, but I was still so infatuated with him. I was too shy to approach him outright. At least until near the end of my junior year.
“There was a formal dance in which it was customary for the girls to ask the boys out,” said Mira. “I finally mustered the courage I needed to, well, leave him a note. It was the best I could do. I was very much a silly, awkward girl back then. I left a note in his locker, and if you can believe it, he left me one back.”
She grinned and blinked a couple of times.
“He agreed to go to the dance with me,” she said. “I was on the top of the world when I read his response. It’s hard for me to adequately describe the feeling. It was intoxicating. I didn’t sleep at all that night. The note he left me had all the details in it. The restaurant where we’d meet up ahead of time. Even the color of dress I should wear. It seemed almost too good to be true… and of course, it was.”
“He didn’t write the note, did he?” asked Jack.
Mira shook her head.
“I was a popular target for the girls that enjoyed bullying at my school,” she said. “As it turns out, Peter was sharing a locker with one of them, and she got her hands on the note before he did. As far as I know, he never saw it.”
“I’m sorry,” said Jack.
“Don’t be,” said Mira. “It’s been so long since then, it almost feels as though it happened to someone else. I showed up at the restaurant and waited for Peter to sweep me off my feet. He never showed up, and I was left waiting there long past when the dance was supposed to start. I started crying at one point. I finally left when it became clear that he wasn’t going to show up.”
Jack nodded, giving her a small squeeze with the arm he had around her.
“I’d barely made it a block or two down the street when a man approached me,�
�� said Mira. “He asked me why I was crying, and that only made me cry harder. He brought me to his apartment, and… no, no, it’s not what you’re probably thinking. He was a vampire, of course, but one that was… very diligent about his boundaries. He fed off me, and when he saw that I was still upset afterward, he asked me if I wanted to feel better. I said yes, without really knowing what I was agreeing to. And that was that.”
“He gave you the Embrace?” asked Jack. “Just like that?”
“Just like that,” she said.
“Seriously?” asked Jack. “Did you ever seek him out afterward? Or run into him again?”
“Your grandfather was the one who turned me into what I am,” said Mira.
Jack’s stunned expression must have been more pronounced than he’d thought, judging by the way Mira immediately scowled at him.
“Not like that, you silly boy,” she said. “Peter didn’t bite me. But that night was what set me on the path that I’m on. I barely gave a thought to that vampire, who’d bitten me so casually, basically on a whim. But Peter, and what happened that night… it stuck with me. And it was only the start of our complicated friendship. Fate conspired to bring us together many times beyond that night.”
Jack exhaled, feeling a little floored by her story. It was so hard to imagine her, blonde, beautiful, and confident, as an awkward schoolgirl, too shy to approach her crush.
“Wow,” he said. “My grandfather was kind of a jerk.”
“He was not,” said Mira. “Trust me on that.”
She reached her hand out and cupped his cheek. For a couple of seconds, she was looking at him, but Jack got the sense that he wasn’t the one she was seeing.
“Our time runs short,” said Mira. “If you are to survive the next few hours, we’ll need to proceed with my idea.”
“Right,” said Jack. “What’s the plan? Do you think we can fight our way out of here?”
“I am sure that we cannot,” said Mira. “Volandar and his flock would overwhelm us. Even if they didn’t, they would give pursuit in a manner that makes what the Order of Chaldea is capable of seem lazy.”
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