Exsanguinate

by Killion Slade

  Sheridan breathed in and exhaled a slow count. “I remember being at the park. I was taking a break from scaring people in that Ghillie suit. I was going to the ladies room … and then nothing. Next thing I knew, I woke up in the room where I couldn’t move. I remember seeing Ludovic and Edric thought I was safe, but then everything went black again. What day is it?”

  I squeezed her hand. “It’s November 19th. It’s been almost three weeks.”

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  “Unholy hell, Sher,” I began. “I know you’re confused, but for me to answer why you’ve been in an induced coma for almost three weeks – well – I need explain a lot of things first. Things that aren’t going to make sense, and most likely you’re going to think I’m whacked out on bath salts or something. But I’m not, and these guys aren’t. I just need you to suspend current, rational beliefs and reality as you know it.”

  “Criminy, Cheyenne. It feels like you’re gonna tell me the zombie apocalypse has started or something.”

  “Well, you’re close. I don’t really know where to start. So I’ll start from the beginning.” I smiled at her and quirked my eyebrows up. “It all starts with our online game, ExsanguiNation. What would you say if I told you that almost every mythological, supernatural, and preternatural being existed?”

  Sheridan stroked Stormy in her lap. “You mean in the game or in our reality?”

  “Well, technically both.”

  She sat in silence and blinked at me.

  “Do you remember the morning of Halloween when you called me and I told you how much I didn’t want to go into the haunted house?”

  She nodded.

  “Well, the haunted house I went into changed me forever.”

  “I’m not following you, Chey.” She shook her head and shrugged.

  “Okay – yeah – I suck at this. On our game we have mostly vampires and werewolf type avatars, and then there’s a lot of people who’ve created other types of creatures such as dragons, ghoulies, and witches, right?”

  She nodded. “What does that have anything to do with today?”

  “What if I told you that those kinds of avatars are indeed real creatures, and they have existed alongside humans since – forever. There are vampires, witches, werewolves, and dragons … even zombies.”

  Sheridan reached for her milk and took a sip. “So, okay, funny ha ha, what day it is really? You’ve had your fun. I know, let’s play a joke on the boss.”

  Harris stood up and held his hand out to her. She took it. “Sheridan, we aren’t joking.” His hand morphed into a large, hairy paw.

  She pulled her hand back and gasped. “W-W-What did you give me to make me halucin-n-nate, Chey? That’s n-not funny.”

  “No drugs, this is our new reality. Do you remember how Roxas had so many ideas about how to structure the vampire society simulators? Well, he did such an amazing job – because he is a vampire.”

  Sheridan looked over at him and swallowed hard.

  “Look, I know this is nuts, but I have a lot to tell you. The sooner you start listening to what I’m saying and let go of earlier conventions, the sooner you’ll understand.”

  An hour later I’d unveiled the entire story to Sheridan. Each of us had to prove what type of supernatural being we were before she understood the full impact.

  “Two vampires, two dragons, and a werewolf.”

  “Yes. But seriously, Sheridan, this isn’t all of the news we need to share with you. There’s a lot more we need to cover before tonight,” I said.

  “All right, lay it on me.” Sheridan sat up in the bed and stretched out her legs. “I need facts so I can make decisions.”

  “I knew once you grasped that an alternate reality co-existed beside us, that you’d be able to handle what I’m going to throw at you. I don’t know how else to say it, but to say it. Halloween night when I was attacked and was changed into a vampire, you and Dakota were both kidnapped and put into an induced coma by other bad vampires. We rescued you last night, but Dakota escaped from the facility before the night before.”

  “Bad vampires?” Sheridan’s eyes widened. “You said Dakota was all right.”

  “Yes, just like there are bad humans, there are bad vampires.” I scooted closer to her on the couch. “Dakota is all right. She escaped from the vamps, but what you don’t know is why you were there to begin with.” I reached for her hand. “It was a breeding facility. They captured you and Dakota, and they were supposed to kidnap me as well to turn all three of us into dhampir breeders.”

  Sheridan took in several deep breaths and rubbed over the top of her belly.

  “Dakota escaped, but not before bad things happened to her. I’ve explained that I have been bitten and turned into a vampire. Edric and Ludovic were experimenting on her and turned her into something worse. Ludovic got a sudden case of conscience and attempted to save Dakota’s life, but the blood they were giving her didn’t bode well with his vampire DNA. Something went bad wrong.”

  “Wrong? What could be worse than turning into a vampire?” Sheridan exclaimed. “Present company excluded, of course.”

  “Dakota was given a couple different types of blood.” Khaldon jumped in to help me. “We’re pretty sure she’s become a blood demon.”

  “What the hell is a blood demon?”

  “A blood demon is like a vampire with no conscience, more abilities, more thirst, and one hell of a bad attitude. For millenia we have killed these demons as we find them. They lack control or morals and are very difficult to transform.”

  “Are you saying you’re going to kill Dakota?” Sheridan shouted as she tried to stand up from the couch. “You can’t do that.” The exertion brought a wince of pain to her face.

  “Sweetie,” I continued, “calm down please, we don’t know. We’re going to try and get her tonight. Briggs and Harris followed her most of last night, and we have a pretty good idea where she is. She sleeps during the day, but when the sun sets she’ll come out to hunt again, and we have to capture her somehow.”

  Khaldon reached over and gently removed a tear from my cheek.

  “We think she may have a chance. She was given the blood to be a demon, but was turned by a vampire to save her life. Once we capture her and see what she is like, then the decision will be made. It’ll be out of our hands.”

  Sheridan closed her eyes and lay back onto the cushions for several minutes before asking her next question. “And all of this happened because of our game?”

  “You aren’t going to believe this either, but as it turns out, one of the reasons we’ve been so successful is due to the fact that real supernatural beings play our game. Deals are made, merchandise is transferred, world-wide commerce happens daily in ExsanguinNation. Good and bad.”

  Sheridan blew out puffed cheeks. “I don’t want to ask this next question, but I have to. So if I was in this breeding facility, then I’m not crazy thinking I feel pregnant. I haven’t felt normal since I woke up. I keep thinking something is moving inside me, and I’ve been praying it’s gas.”

  A heavy silence filled the room until I broke it softly. “Sher, you are pregnant. When you were in the coma, those bad people inseminated you.”

  “But that was what – three weeks you said?” Sheridan screeched as she sat up. “Why do I look so big?”

  I looked at her and took a deep breath. I reached out for her hand. “Khaldon, can you help explain this to her a little better?”

  Khaldon stood up and looked around the room at everyone and then squatted down to talk to Sheridan eye-to-eye. “I’m afraid you were impregnated with the semen from a vampire.”

  A single tear escaped Sheridan’s eye.

  “You are carrying what is known as a dhampir. A dhampir fetus develops much faster than a human. You will deliver within a couple of months, but we’re not sure exactly when.”

  “This can’t be real. This can’t be. What am I going to do? Is this thing going to kill me like in Alien?” Sheridan’s voice incre
ased in decibel and pitch with each question.

  I squeezed her hand. I hated seeing her face filled with fear. “I’m here, Sher. We’ll get through this together. I promise.”

  Sheridan took her hand away from mine and rubbed at her belly.

  Briggs asked in a quiet voice, “Is there still time to … ya know … not keep it. Will it cause her more harm than good?”

  “No!” Sheridan exploded at Briggs. “I’m not going to do that. Regardless of how this happened, this is still my baby. There’s no way in hell I’m going to let anybody hurt him … her.” She looked down at her belly as she sobbed. “Why did this happen to me?”

  Briggs stood up and walked toward Sheridan. “I didn’t mean any disrespect. I’m sorry.”

  Sheridan grabbed his hand and looked up at his face. “I understand. I’m not upset at you.” The anguish in her eyes told me that with all my own adversities, mine simply did not compare to what my sister was going through right this minute.

  She stood up and let go of Brigg’s hand. “Do we know who the father is?”

  Oh crap, I hadn’t even thought of that!

  I looked around the room at the guys. Harris, Khaldon, Torchy, and I stood up.

  “I don’t know, sweetie. Maybe there’s record of it on the logs Ludovic keeps on all the women.”

  Khaldon looked down at his feet and shuffled his weight from one foot to another. “Umm … I know this isn’t going to make any sense right now because I haven’t wrapped my own head around the logistics, but the sperm donor box on the her medical chart, well … it has my name in it.”

  I blinked and tried to understand what I thought I just heard.

  “No fuckin’ way!” Harris exclaimed.

  “This is not good.” Briggs said.

  “Fuck me, I dinnae expect that, mate,” Torchy said.

  I was frozen and couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes.

  Khaldon stepped closer to my sister. “It’s mine, Sheridan. I don’t know how, because I’m not a part of this insanity. But my name is on the paternity.”

  Something inside me died.

  Chapter Fifty

  I grabbed Beano’s leash and headed to the lanai. “C’mon, big fella.”

  Once out the door, I ran to the boat dock with blood running down my face.

  Unholy hell! Khaldon is the father of my sister’s baby? My Roxas - Sheridan’s baby daddy? I can’t feckin’ believe this! I love my sister and I love Khaldon, but this … this is just too much! How in the hell am I going to look at him again? How did this happen? Why did it have to be Khaldon? Is he secretly a part of this hideous plan? Can I really trust this guy?

  I picked up a stone from the walkway and threw it into the lake. I heard loud shouts coming from inside Torchy’s house. I guess they were as happy about all this as I was.

  There has to be an explanation. This is crazy talk. Sheridan doesn’t need this. She needs rest. I need to take care of her. So what happens now? Do they have to become a couple in order to raise this child? I can’t handle this. Do we raise this baby together? Oh my God, this is seriously whack.

  I paced back and forth and threw a few more rocks into the water. My heart ached with each plunk. I heard Sheridan crying for everyone to stop shouting.

  Get over it, Cheyenne. You need to take care of her. You can figure this out later, but right now, you need to take care of her and stop this selfish pity party.

  I ran back to the house with Beano at my feet. As I opened the door I heard Torchy shouting.

  “What the hell, mate? You’ve got to be stark raving mad to believe that crock. This is seriously banjanxed.”

  “None of it makes any sense.” Khaldon threw his hands up in the air. “I’m not any happier about this than you are. How do you think I feel about it?”

  “Just because your name’s on the medical record doesn’t mean it’s true,” Briggs said.

  “We could do a paternity test,” Harris said.

  “Stop it! All of you. Just stop it. I want to go home!” Sheridan screamed at everyone.

  We turned to look at her. I stole a glance at Khaldon. The corners of his own eyes were stained with crimson. Torchy’s entire body glowed a fiery heat. Briggs leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, lips tight. Harris stood closest to Sheridan reaching out to her. He dropped his arm back down to his side and looked at me.

  Think, Cheyenne. What do you need to do? Forward Action.

  “It’s okay, Sher. Just relax.”

  Sheridan started to shake.

  “Whoa there, c’mon sit down. Everything is gonna be all right. We’re all family here. Regardless of the hows and the whys, let’s go home and try to gather some perspective on this. We’ll get to the bottom of this, just not tonight.”

  “I still don’t think it’s a good idea if you go to your …”

  I shot Khaldon an eat shit and die look. Irritation crawled under my skin the more I thought about this new development. The possibility Sheridan could be pregnant with his twins – this was more than I expected, or wanted. Khaldon looked away from me.

  “I think this is all great and wonderful.” Briggs pushed off from the wall and walked toward Khaldon. “We’re going to have a couple of bambinos running around soon, but right now we need to figure out how we’re going to get Dakota.”

  Sheridan stood up and walked outside and out onto the boat dock. Khaldon touched my shoulder as I started to follow her. “Maybe we should give her a few minutes to digest everything.”

  Briggs was right. We had time to work through this, and I certainly didn’t need this distraction today.

  What would Lady Caz do right now?

  I bit at my lower lip, and plopped back down into my chair. “What’s the status with the rescue operation? Did you find a place to accommodate most of the women?” Khaldon, Briggs, and Harris looked at one another and then either down at their feet or out the window. “What now? Didn’t Lord Stovall say that he had a place they could go? I can’t take anymore shockers, guys.”

  Khaldon took a deep breath and blew it out in a long, slow blow. Obviously they were hiding something from me. “Where’s Ludovic? Shouldn’t he be with you?”

  “Ludovic is being watched by my pack,” Harris said. “He’s not getting away with anything. In fact, I think he’s had a few good bites from them.”

  “There was an unexpected development last night. It is taking longer for about seven women to get moved.” Khaldon cricked his neck from side to side. “Chey, they’ve been there for four years and have given birth to over a dozen dhampirs. We can’t just unplug them. We’ll kill the life support sustaining them.”

  I sat still, blinking at this news. “I can’t imagine the horror these women have lived through.”

  Sheridan walked in the door. “What do you mean, they’ve been there for four years?” She pressed her hands onto the small of her back and pushed her hips forward. “Gah, my back is killing me.”

  “Here, let me rub it for you.” I walked over to Sheridan and helped her lean over the couch. I tried to give her a wry smile, but I felt like a ninny because it wasn’t fooling even me. “Okay, Sheridan, I’m just gonna tell ya. You’re not the only woman this has happened to. Last night we discovered 146 other women in various states of pregnancy. Some of them we cannot move because they’re dependent on the life support systems because they’ve been there for four years.”

  “They could give birth any time now and it’s just too delicate to unhook and remove them from the life support,” Khaldon said. “Ludovic has to be there to help us. If we don’t wait, we’ll end up killing both the mothers and babies.”

  “But why? Won’t they eventually come out of the induced coma if you remove the drugs?” Sheridan asked.

  “This might be a little tough to handle. Do you want to sit down?” Briggs asked. His burly presence seemed to reassure her, and she nodded. But instead of sitting, she walked to the window and looked out over the water.

  “We discovere
d from the records that these women were among the first to arrive when the facility was set up. They haven’t been conscious since before they arrived,” Briggs continued. “If we try to remove them from the life support, they might go into premature labor. If they do come out of the coma, can you imagine what is going to happen to the women? They’ll be insanely scared and might flat line anyway. It’s a bad situation all the way around.”

  “Oh my God, that’s terrible. I hate them. How could they be so horribly cruel?” I remembered I needed to keep it together for Sheridan. “Okay, so it’s risky to move them. What happens if the Priestess comes back and sees her other breeders gone? What’s going to happen then? Will she kill those women?”

  “Ludovic doesn’t seem to think so, but we’re planning on having surveillance around the clock.” Harris grabbed for his fifth donut. With a full mouth he said, “We know he’s anxious to find Dakota. The problem is, Ludovic says it’s time for the Priestess to visit. She comes every two weeks to pick up sucklings and fly them back to South America.”

  “What I want to know is this ...” Torchy gulped down a swig of coffee. “I saw in the computer interface that this facility is numbered. Number 42. Does that mean there are forty-one other places like this around the world doing the same thing? Are there more?”

  No one spoke. I processed the hideous image of buildings upon buildings of these helpless souls being destroyed to placate this vampire Queen.

  “Dude, I can’t even go there right now,” Briggs spoke up again. “All I know is we need to get Dakota back tonight, and I don’t care what it takes. She can’t go on like this. There has to be a way we can curb this blood lust of hers.”

  Sheridan walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind her without saying a word. Moments later, we heard her retching her breakfast into the toilet. Torchy got up to fetch some clean towels and a glass of cool water for when she came out.

  “Khaldon, didn’t you tell me there two kinds of Solunarae blood?” I asked.