by Diana Graves
Katie smacked her head against the wall until her skull cracked and blood burst across the glass, brightest red. Most everyone left the room at that moment. Only the original five plus Everett and I remained. Nick put his arm around Everett for comfort, because tears were falling from his eyes.
Alistair let go of my hand and approached the wall. Katie was licking her own blood from it. He put his hand on the glass just below where she was licking and she moved down to lick and bite where his hand was. He moved it down farther and she followed. He did this again and again until his hand was hidden behind the pile of raw meat that she was practically lying on top of. In an attempt to find his hand she dug at the meat, maybe actually seeing it for the first time, but once her fingers dug in she became excited. Her posture changed from one of focused attack to one of scavenging and gorging. She was digging and consuming at a sickening pace. She was standing on a two feet by six feet pile of meat. Hopefully enough to keep her busy while we slept.
Exhausted, I gave her my back, “Thank—goodness,” I said.
The door opened again. “Leave it to you to find a way,” said Detective Fillips as she walked through with a few EI officers at her back. She had her hand in front of her face to block the view of Katie’s grotesque display of gluttonous flesh-eating.
“I thought you’d be here sooner,” I said.
She came over and joined what was soon forming into a huddle around me, everyone blocking everyone else from the view. Could we have left the room? I wish we would have. Now that I knew Katie would be relatively safe, I wanted to hug my babe’s and pass out.
I noted Nick backing slowly out of the inner ring of the crowd. He was still marked for death, and here come the fuzz unannounced. They didn’t even knock.
“I was supposed to have been. That’s what the Sergeant wanted.”
“Sergeant?” asked Alistair.
“Yes, the governor declared a state of emergency late last night. Within an hour the military was all over the place. They keep saying they’re here to help us, but more and more they seem to be running the show. EI takes orders from a man named Sergeant Kelley now. He has a strict kill all zombies rule. He doesn’t believe they can be saved. I argued with him for a good half hour on Katie’s behalf, though, and then I dragged my heels the entire way here to deliver the death warrant for Katie myself. She’s been marked.”
“What?!” shouted Everett, suddenly angry, defensive. “You’re not killing her!” He looked at us with wild red eyes. “Raina, Alistair, stop them!”
I was just as angry and shocked, but Everett stole my thunder, leaving me with nothing but angry cold eyes and a heavy sigh to give. “Fillips,” I began with a deep flat voice.
She waved her hand, as if to shoo away my words. Surprisingly, it worked. I shut up and instead she spoke. Rude hand gestures, the magic of mortals!
“I’m not going to kill her. My death warrant says,” and she pulled a piece of thick paper out from behind her bullet proof vest. “Any and all individuals have the Mandated Right to Kill one Kathrine Lin Guthrie; Non-human status, Zombie.” She cleared her throat and handed the piece of paper to Alistair. “I had hoped you’d find a way to control her by the time I got here. I brought my most loyal officers with me to give testimony that Katie is in fact a vampire and not a zombie. If that testimony came with a master vampire’s assurance that Katie will have a home if and when she becomes more civil, I believe the Sergeant will revoke the mark.”
“Brilliant, Fillips, brilliant,” Alistair said. “Do you have a pen?”
She handed him one and asked one of her officers to offer his back as a solid surface to write against. Alistair noted on the warrant that Katie was indeed a vampire in his care and under his protection and responsibility. I thanked him while he signed his name at the bottom with many big elegant arches and loops.
“Thank you,” Fillips said as she accepted the document from him.
“Thank you,” I said.
She looked at me with tired, haunted eyes. “You look like you’re ready to pass out. I’ll be back tonight. We can talk then.” And she made for the door.
“Wait, what exactly is going on?” I asked before she could leave.
She turned back around. “I’ll tell you everything—once you’ve rested, Raina. I’ll see you tonight,” Fillips said, and then she left, her men following after her.
DREAMING OF GOODBYE
“WHERE ARE WE?” Raphael asked me.
I flipped the switch on the electric tea kettle. “We’re in my mom’s kitchen.”
My mom’s taste in décor leaned toward old world eclectic, ancient India meets Medieval Europe; with bright colors, thick steel and old woods. Raphael was sitting at the old oak dining table, with its heavy wrought iron chandler hanging low overhead. He was looking around, taking in the lush green plants that hung from the ceiling in baskets, growing unhindered down to the floor; rich rosemary, thyme, basil and oregano to mention a few. It filled her kitchen with the richest scents, only this was a dream and none of it was real.
“I’m sorry,” the demon said.
I set down a mug of cinnamon black tea in front of him before I took a seat with my own tea in hand. “For what?”
“Annabella was an almost decent being,” he said.
I gave him a raised brow, but I really couldn’t argue with him. I loved my mom, but she was far from perfect. Anyway, from Raphael, almost decent was probably high praise.
“Thank you.”
I sat quietly for a moment, sipping my tea, though it had no flavor, before I cleared my throat and spoke up. “Whatever’s happening to Katie is Apollo’s doing, isn’t it? “
Raphael took his first sip of tea before he answered me. He looked older than last I saw him. I’d say closer to fifty now, fine lines around his face, skin a little worse for wear, and he had grey patches of hair just over his temples, but he was wearing a comfortable T-shirt and jeans.
“Yes. When he first had the disease created, he never expected vampires to become civilized, heal so well or burn in the light of day. The affliction was meant to create an unstoppable monster, who fed only on human life and had a very real expiration date. He tested the first batch of the disease on a temple maiden, who volunteered.”
“Adia?”
“Yes,” he said. “She was the first, and she became vicious. She became the monster Apollo asked for. However, over the years she slowly became more civilized, but she never regained her conscience, or maybe she never had one to begin with. In any case, those infected with her blood, did. Alistair, for instance, second generation vampire, completely docile when unprovoked.”
“Well, Apollo has his monsters now. How do we stop them?”
Raphael played with the mug in his hands, rolling it between his palms as he answered me. “You can’t stop the infection, not unless you have some way of killing every single carrier of this new strain.”
I chuckled then, but it wasn’t a happy sound. “Mind control plus fire. Simple enough,” I said with a deep sullen voice. I wasn’t looking forward to ending so many lives, but I was already thinking it through; traveling through Washington, catching all the zombie-vamps in my snare and then burning them alive. With EI and the Military’s help, it wouldn’t take long.
“Could you really kill so many people? You, who spends ten minutes picking up every worm on the sidewalk and placing them in the grass after a hard rain. You, who can’t even properly hold a grudge against people who’ve wronged you.”
“As your jailor, I think you know how cold I can be,” I said, but I said it to the table, and not him, because his words smacked of truth. Hate was something I’d always had a hard time holding onto. In the long term, general dislike was the best I could muster.
“You avoid those you don’t like much, like your cousin-brother, Tristan or your ex, Mato.”
“I’ve killed men who’ve harmed me and those I love,” I reminded him.
“True, all bad people. But those ou
t there didn’t ask for this. They’re like Katie. They’re victims. If you can’t walk into Katie’s cell right now and burn her alive, how can you do that to others? Are they not sisters? Are they not fathers and brothers and mothers and children and grandparents? Are they less deserving than your Katie because you don’t know them personally?”
His words left me without words of my own. My eyes fell to the table again. “Then what should I do?” I asked him.
“Understand more,” was all he said, and then I woke in the dark with a sleeping Alistair’s arm draped over my waist, his naked body pressed against my back.
DONE WITH HIM
AGAINST MY WISHES the party was still on, only now it felt like a funeral for my mother instead. Alistair’s ballroom was a gold and white explosion of elegance and finery, what with its twin grand staircases leading up to a large balcony, jeweled lighting fixtures and a ceiling that was a large gilded glass dome, which showcased the heavy clouded heavens perfectly. There were long tables full of too much food and more chairs than were needed. Soft music played in the background. A beautiful ice sculpture of a butterfly stood tall in the middle of it all. It was lovely, and a tad corny. I’d rather Damon had ordered a moth statue if he was going to make the whole metamorphoses analogy. Butterflies are spring time, flowers and sunshine. Moths are nocturnal creatures, having just as much grace and beauty in their own way.
The party didn’t officially begin for another hour and a half, but I was dressed, ready and waiting for Melvern to arrive. Others had arrived early as well, which meant I wasn’t the only one lollygagging about the ballroom. Uncle Seth and Aunt Fauna had come early. Seth and I had our little moment earlier, but Fauna fussed over me and cried over my mother to an exhausting extent. My mother was her little sister. They had their disagreements, but they were close.
“Anna was a good woman,” Fauna said. All her long red hair was piled high on her head, a massive messy bun. A Celtic robe of a deep blue color brought out the pearl undertones of her fair skin. “She didn’t deserve to go the way she did, not like that.” Her black eyes were swimming. Normally the sight of other’s crying made me cry, too, but I couldn’t. My eyes were bone dry. After this morning, I was more exhausted than anything else.
“No one does,” I said.
“Your mother was so beautiful, Raina. She could have any man, any man, but she liked human men. She always had bad taste,” she said, letting her bigotry show. “She knew it. That’s why she stayed single so long after your father left her.” Her head tilted with thought. “Do you think Ruy will come?”
“I can’t image he feels much like attending a party tonight,” said Seth.
“It’s not really a party, is it?” I said. “Will you excuse me? I need a drink.”
I could tell they still had a lot to say, but they’d have to support each other. I just couldn’t, not right then. I wasn’t the sort of person that grieved with others. I was the sort of person who kept herself too busy to grieve, and then cried alone in the dark.
I made my way to the table with the blood, only to run into an old friend. Charley was probably my favorite vampire, besides Alistair. He was drama free and sexy as hell, and he knew it, because he could read minds. A very common trick among vamps. He was tall, black and did I mention sexy? He’d cut his hair short since last I’d seen him, but I recognized him the moment he walked off the elevator. Even with my life going all to shit, I had to greet his smiling face with a smile of my own.
“Raina!” he roared happily as he picked me up in a rib crushing hug and rocked me about. He set me down harshly. “I didn’t really believe it. When I got Damon’s text message, I about fell out of my chair. I came here to punch that old man square in his lying face.”
“You can still do that,” I said with a laugh. He laughed too, but I was only half joking.
His face changed from jovial to sympathetic gracefully. “I’m sorry to hear about your mom.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s crazy times. The president was on TV tonight telling everyone to stay inside, shut and lock all the doors and windows and keep quiet. The streets are practically deserted. Mostly just a bunch of cops and military types out there now.”
“That’s their advice?” I scoffed. “Be quiet? The only way they could be quiet enough would be to stop their hearts, and even then the zombies could still smell them.” Charley was frowning deeply. “I’m sorry,” I said, with a hand on his shoulder.
I looked passed him and watched another old friend walk through the door. Alicia hadn’t changed a bit since last I saw her. Bright yellow hair, earthy dark skin and bright green eyes. As an ogre, she had boney ridges in places humans didn’t, like around her jaw and hairline, but also down her calves, spine and arms. She walked into the room a few feet, wearing a little black dress that showed off her muscular legs, which looked longer still in six inch heels. She was scoping the room, presumably looking for me. I’d only just talked to Fauna, Seth and Charley, but I’d already had enough. I didn’t want to hear how great it was that I was back, or how sad it was that my mom was dead. I knew they all meant well, but I just couldn’t deal with it. If I sounded ungrateful it’s because I was. I just flat didn’t have room in my mind to appreciate the effort put into making this a beautiful affair or the people who made an effort to come. It was dangerous of them to trek outside, but they were probably a whole hell of a lot safer at Bastion Fatal than at home. At least the Bastion had its own security.
“Will you excuse me,” I asked Charley, but I didn’t stick around for his response.
I ran and hid myself behind tall gold drapes. The plan was to wait for Alicia to move away from the elevator and then make a run for it. Unfortunately, the first time I peeked around the cloth I was instantly face to face with Damon.
“Hiding?” he asked me.
“I didn’t expect other people to come so early. I was waiting for Melvern,” I said, not really looking him in the eyes.
“I’m sorry,” he said, softly with his deep voice.
I shrunk. “I really wish people would stop saying that.”
“So did I when I was at your funeral,” he said, and I gave him tired dead eyes for it. “I love you, Raina. And I will do anything to help Isobel, anything.”
“You love Adia.”
“I loved Adia,” he corrected me. “I love you. I want you. I would, will and have done anything for you.” I closed my eyes for a moment, just collecting my thoughts before I decided to walk away from him, but he grabbed my arm. “What I said before, I don’t know why I felt the need to tell you those things. I was foolish. Raina, how can I make this up to you? I had a moment of flawed judgment, but seeing you in the arms of another man, seeing the contempt in your eyes, hearing it in your voice. I can’t live like this. I need you.”
Words escaped me at first, so we stood in silence and I could feel his eyes on me, sad and pathetic. For an empath, it was difficult to keep my heart hard around such distress, but I managed. I had to ignore his obvious pain and hold onto how wrong and hurtful he’d been. See, grudge held…
“It’s impossible to take back the past. What you should have done was keep your mouth shut and just love and support me; heart, body and soul. But you chose to hurt me instead.”
“I was being honest,” he interrupted, and his words were a slap in my face.
“I wasn’t done,” I said meanly. “You chose to hurt me and you can’t unsay the things you said. You can’t go back and do the things you didn’t do. I’m the wounded one. I was hurt and made to feel small. Now you’re sad and coming to me for forgiveness and comfort? It’s not fair that you should ask me to forgive you. It’s not fair that you should stand there, sad, making me feel even worse. If you feel like you have something to prove to me, then just do it. If you love me, show me. If you love our daughter, show her.”
“What do you think I’m trying to do? I planned and paid for this party for you.”
I pulled my arm out of hi
s grip. “A party I told you I did not want!” I zoomed to the elevator, but as the doors closed guilt set in. I thought, perhaps I was being too hard on him. Then I cursed myself for feeling bad for standing up for myself, and I cursed Damon for making my life harder than it had to be when it was already pretty damn hard.
MASTERS OF DARKNESS
I WAS HEADING out of the building with the hope of meeting Melvern in the parking lot, but he was walking through the main hall just as I was coming off the elevator. He stood tall and bare chested, wearing his usual deer hide pants and not much else. In the five years since my death, he’d grown out his hair. When I died his entire head was smoothly shaved, but now he had long black hair that flowed out behind him as he walked with Olathia, the second master vampire of Darkness. I’ve been told that Olathia’s name means beautiful, and the name suited her perfectly. Wearing sheer fabrics that hid nothing, her dark skin was covered in elegant tattoos. Her face was deceitfully angelic and her long black hair moved in an unfelt wind. They weren’t a couple, Olathia and Melvern. Knowing Melvern’s mind, as a fellow mind reader, he despised her and she likely despised him right back, but their partnership was good for their vampire collectives.
“Raina,” Olathia greeted me with open arms. I took her embrace graciously. I once thought Olathia the most exotic and beautiful woman I’d ever met. She was a succubus, and as such, her sexual appetite was insatiable.
“It’s good to see you,” she said, and she looked truly happy.
“It’s good to be seen,” I said, hiding my impatience and worries behind a forced smile.
“No need for lengthy greetings now,” Melvern said loudly. “Let’s see to your daughter.”
“I like the cut of your jib, whatever the hell that means,” I said, and I turned back toward the elevator, but I didn’t make it far before another blast from my past called out to me.