by M. Lorrox
Skip limps into his bedroom. “I’ll get ready to go.”
At four fifty-eight in the evening, Charlie stands in the lobby. While he waits for Eddy, he watches Jules take notes and make calls. When Charlie sees his son stepping out of the elevator, he beckons him with a wave.
“Dad, you owe Skip a hundred and eighty dollars.” Eddy keeps walking past Charlie toward the front doors of the hotel. In a moment, he realizes that his dad isn’t following him, so he stops and turns around. “Didn’t you say we were headed to a training facility of some kind?”
“What do you mean I owe Skip a hundred and eighty dollars?”
“Groceries. I gave him a list, so we’re all stocked up now.”
Charlie starts toward the door. “Fine. Did you tell him to get extra-hot, hot sauce?”
Eddy snaps his fingers and points at his dad. “I knew I forgot something.”
Charlie groans.
When Charlie and Eddy walk into the dance studio the guards rented out for training, Eddy’s eyes almost jump out of his head. Down the hall, he can see into the studio. “Is that a Wing-Chun dummy? Look at the weapon’s rack! Dad, is that a Wing-Chun dummy?”
“Eddy, focus. You’re here to meet the senior officers of the Council Guard, remember?”
He nods. “And their squires.”
“Yes, and their squires. So, act accordingly.”
Eddy stands a half-inch taller. “Yes, sir.”
They round a corner and can now see into the depth of the studio. A half dozen young vampires are training with different weapons and various martial arts forms while another half dozen older vampires stand and talk nearby. The two newcomers stand at the opening of the large, wood-floored and mirror-lined room and just watch for a moment.
Charlie notices his direct reports, the senior officers of the Guard. Schermer chats with Tatsu while he’s suspended between two chairs by his ankles, doing a deep spilt. Tiger and Korina watch some of the younger vampires and comment to each other about their performance.
When Eddy recovers the ability to speak, he pokes Charlie and whispers, “Dad?”
“What?”
Eddy points and tracks the movements of a girl with a large bladed weapon. “I think that’s a bat’leth.”
Charlie looks. A redheaded girl is practicing a form with an odd, large, crescent-shaped, two-handed weapon. “The girl with the long deer-antler sword thing?”
Eddy nods.
“It’s called a battle-eff? I’ve never seen a double handed deer-antler sword.”
OMG. “Dad—” WOW. “—it’s a Klingon weapon.” Eddy takes a step to the side so he can see better.
Charlie shrugs and walks over to the senior officers.
After a moment, Eddy notices and he follows, jogging to catch up.
Schermer clears her throat as they approach. Tatsu looks up and sees Charlie and pushes himself off the chairs with amazing strength and balance. He pops up and lands standing. Korina sees the movement out of the corner of her eye. She claps her hands three times, and the vampires drilling also stop.
Charlie stops and yells, “Attention!”
-SNAP!- Everyone in the room stands in the attention stance. The knights Charlie recognize along with a few others stand in a row, side by side, and the younger vampires stand in two rows set ninety degrees from the knights. Eddy stands next to Charlie.
“At ease.”
Everyone in the dance studio steps out in unison and rests their hands at their waists.
“For those that do not know me, I am Colonel Costanza, Commander of the Council Guard.” He motions to his side to Eddy. “This is my son, who is looking forward to taking the pledge as a squire soon.” He turns back to the group. “Any that serve the Council Guard, please stay. The rest are dismissed.”
Half of the younger vampires step out of their rows, and the two knights Charlie didn’t recognize regroup with them off to the side of the room to continue their drills.
Remaining are the four senior officers of the Council Guard and, presumably, their three squires.
“Please line up again in standard formation.”
The knights space themselves out. The redheaded girl stands to the left side of Tiger, and a tall boy with short dark hair and an angular face stands to the left of Korina. The last squire, a short but stocky boy, stands a few steps to the back and left of the entire line.
Charlie walks over to him. “What is your name, son?”
“Enrique, squire to Flying Eagle.”`
“Where is Flying Eagle right now, Enrique?”
“He is on active duty. I was asked to stay behind.”
“I’m sure there was a good reason.” Charlie walks and stands in front of the group. “Korina, Tiger, these are your squires?”
“Yes.” / “Aye.”
Charlie looks at the young vampires standing proud beside their knights. He glances to Enrique, too. “Who among you is most skilled in unarmed combat?”
The girl steps forward, still holding the bat’leth.
“What’s your name?”
“Sky.”
Charlie looks at Tiger who smiles with pride. “Okay, Sky, lose the sword and teach my son, Leo, a lesson.”
Eddy looks at her, she grins back.
“Now, Sky! Go!” Charlie points toward Eddy and steps out of the way.
She tosses her bat’leth to her knight and charges at Eddy, who jogs back a few steps to have some more room.
As they spar, Charlie motions for Enrique to step forward.
-Hi-ya! Ugh!-
Everyone but Charlie glances to see what’s happening in the fight.
“Don’t pay any attention to them. Enrique, what martial skill do you have?”
“Brazilian Jiu jitsu, sir. Grappling.”
-Keyaaah! SLAM-
Charlie steps over to Korina’s squire. “What is your name?”
“I am Jambavan, sir.”
“And your training?”
-Slap, whap, slap, THUD!-
“Ninjutsu and tactical firearms.”
Charlie nods and gestures to Enrique. “Have you ever sparred with Enrique, Jambavan?”
“Yes sir.”
-Bat, biff, whap-
“Which of you has more skill in unarmed combat?”
“Enrique, sir, especially in close-quarters.” Jambavan stands unwavering, stern and strong.
-Hooahh!-
Charlie turns and whistles. Eddy is in angled stance with both his fists in blocks near his head. Sky was executing a reverse snap kick. She freezes, balanced on her other leg. “Bow and stand ready.”
The two stand up, bow to each other, then turn to face Charlie, the knights, and the other squires.
Charlie walks around the slightly winded young vampires. “Sky, what mistakes did Leo make?”
She looks at Tiger, who takes a small breath and nods. She collects herself and huffs breath between words. “Leo is fast, and he has studied a lot, but he’s sloppy. I could read his attacks, and counter them before they landed.
“Leo, where can Sky improve?”
“She executed the techniques well, but they were all straightforward. She could learn more advanced techniques.”
Charlie stands and bows to them both. They bow back. He turns to Sky. “Please return to your knight.”
She walks over and Charlie smiles at Eddy.
Why are you smiling like that?
Charlie spins to Enrique. “Leo is tired! Use it to your advantage. Attack!”
As they spar, Charlie talks with Jambavan. After a couple minutes, Charlie calls Enrique out and sends Jambavan in.
When they finish, Charlie allows Eddy to sit.
He chooses to stand instead.
Charlie explains the reason for the demonstration. H
e highlights Eddy’s endurance, speed, and breadth of knowledge, but reiterates the areas where he needs improvements. Charlie then asks the help of the knights to assess the other squires’ skills and areas of improvement.
When Charlie is ready to dismiss them all and return with Eddy to the hotel, he notices Korina’s squire gritting his teeth. “Jambavan? Speak freely. You seem frustrated.”
He glares out, not looking at Charlie, but tilts his head down slightly. “My fighting skills are poor. I am afraid I have let my knight down.”
Charlie glances at Korina, who remains motionless. He walks up and places his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Then you have something to work on. I expect you will make significant progress under your knight’s guidance.” He steps back from Jambavan. “Besides, you said your training is in ninjutsu and tactical firearms, correct?”
He nods.
“I have a feeling that you may be the deadliest squire in this room if left to your own devices.”
Jambavan lifts his head with a small nod and slight smile.
Sky grins. Yeah right, not even close.
Charlie clears his throat. “Everyone, I’d like to thank you for coming and meeting me and my son. Squires, I hope to learn more about you and assist in your training—as your knights see fit.” He slides his feet together silently and bows to them.
The squires and the knights bow back, a little lower.
“Dismissed.”
Skip and June continue playing with Minnie. June yawns and looks out the window. Overcast and dreary. It might rain later.
Minnie pulls on her sleeve. “What do you think?”
June looks at Valentine in Minnie’s arms, then she looks at her dad. “What?”
“Do you think Valentine needs a haircut?”
“Oh, that’s up to you. I think she looks quite—” She inspects the stuffed unicorn in detail. Wow, that thing looks a little rough. The fur is flat and matted, worn short in a few places, and the stuffing seems uneven. “She looks quite majestic. Regal even.”
Minnie squeals. “She is!”
“Are you okay?” Skip leans over and touches June’s arm.
“Ouch!”
He jolts his hand back. “What?”
“You shocked me. It just startled me.” She rubs her arm.
“Oh, I didn’t feel anything… Well, are you okay?”
She shrugs. “I dunno. I feel a little frazzled, I guess.”
Skip scoops Minnie up. “Why don’t you play with Valentine on the couch? Set her up in a throne, and when she’s set, you and I can be her subjects.”
“Ooooh yes!”
Skip winks at June. “I think I bought you some time. Why don’t you take a little nap?”
She gets up and walks to the bedroom. She pauses in the door and looks inside. It’s dark and quiet inside. Empty. Lonely. Chilly. She closes her eyes. She imagines her old bedroom with her computer and pictures of her friends. The comforter she kept on her bed and the window that looked out over the driveway where her dad would work on his truck. She opens her eyes again to the lonely hotel room, and without knowing why, she begins to cry.
“June?” Skip stands and walks over to her, then places his hand on her shoulder.
She turns and buries her head into his chest. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“It’s okay, dear, you’ve had a lot happen to you.”
Why did it happen to me? Why me? Why this? Everything seems so...wrong.
“Why don’t you lie down and rest?”
She pushes him away with tears streaming down her face. “I can’t! It’s like I’m tired, but...I have these strange feelings, and it doesn’t work. I just can’t!”
He approaches her and tries to calm her down. “It’s okay, it’s—”
“It’s not, Dad!”
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to minimize anything. I can’t even imagine what this has been like for you. I wish I could help.”
“Just...” Just leave me alone. She sighs.
“Dear, can you think of anything that might help you feel better?”
She closes her eyes. “I don’t know.”
“...Would a walk help? Some fresh air maybe?”
“Maybe.”
Skip watches as her breathing slows down a little. “I’ll stay with Minnie; you can do whatever you need to do. Okay? Just stay safe.”
She nods.
Minnie decides that June has calmed down enough, and she walks over to her.
June looks down at Minnie. Be nice... “Hey.”
Minnie opens her arms wide. “Hug?”
June bends down and picks her up in a hug. “Thank you. That makes me feel better.” If only it were that easy.
Minnie smiles and closes her eyes. “Me too.”
After a drinking a glass of water, June grabs her green sunglasses and heads down to the lobby. She looks in the courtyard for Beatrice, but she’s not there. She walks out into the courtyard anyway and looks up at the sky. It’s definitely going to rain.
She wanders over to the pool, but at a couple is lounging by the side, and June leaves. She loops around through the exercise room, then walks down the back hallway half-awake—half-asleep.
Suddenly, a cheerful woman that looks to be in her early thirties pops out of a door to June’s side and nearly knocks into her.
“I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you there.”
June looks at her and blinks. “Don’t worry about it. It was probably my fault; I’m kinda out of it right now.”
The woman shakes her head. “No worries. Say, are you feeling alright?”
“Not really. I mean, sorta. I... I dunno.”
The woman looks her up and down. “I’m Candace, I’m working the infirmary right now. Would you like to come in and sit down?”
June takes another breath and looks around. It’s her. She smells like fruit. Why? “Are you wearing any perfume?”
Candace tilts her head a little. “No...?”
“Sorry, I’m just feeling a little funny today.”
Candace extends her arm for June to take. “Here. Fancy a little walk?”
June nods and takes her arm, and they walk down the hall.
Candace walks at June’s slower pace. “What’s your name?”
“Oh, it’s June.”
“That’s a beautiful name. Classic, but uncommon. I wonder if it’s coming back into style.”
“How old are you?”
She laughs. “Older than I look. I turned fifty last month.”
“I guess that’s a good thing.”
Candace looks at June sideways. “So, you mentioned you weren’t feeling well? Have you happened to eat or drink some of the hotel’s blood supply in the last couple days?”
June shakes her head.
“Has anything changed recently?”
June glances at the woman in disbelief. “Yeah, you could say that.”
“Oh? That could have something to do with why you’re not feeling well. Do you want to talk about it?”
June drops the woman’s arm. “You seem really nice, but you could be some-crazy. No offense, I just mean I don’t know you, and, uh, I’m not used to people being so nice, I guess.”
Candace laughs. “I might be just the right kind of crazy!” She turns around and walks back in the direction of the infirmary. “Come with me, I’ll show you.”
Inside the hotel room turned infirmary, Candace spreads her arms out and hugs the space. “This was just an empty room, but finally I’ve been given the opportunity to help people.” She turns to June and extends her hand.
She takes it, and Candace leads her over to a wall with pictures on it. “I’m pretty sure they’ll be upset that I put holes in the wall, but they’ll just have to paint over it when we’re done her
e.” She smiles at June who looks at the photos.
Candace points to one. “This is me, fifteen years ago, studying hematology and experimental pathology at Yale. The man next to me is—”
“Dr. Melgaard.”
She nods. “Yes. In a way, he recruited me, and we started working together after my Ph.D. He’s brilliant.”
June looks at another picture. It’s a black and white image of small girl on a gigantic horse. “Is that you?”
“It is, I grew up on a ranch. That was my Daddy’s horse, Silver-Shoe. He was way too big for me to ride, but my uncle brought over a camera and took that picture. I still remember growing up on the ranch, with big skies stretching for miles and miles.”
Big sky country? Out west? “Think you’ll ever get out there again?”
Candace squeezes June’s hand. “I hope so. Someday we’ll heal this country, and yes, I’ll ride along the border of the ranch at sunset.”
“I hope you’re right.”
She smiles and sniffs. “Look at me being all sappy! Oh, boy.” She lets go of June’s hand and turns around. She walks over to a table and grabs a tissue. “Can I offer you anything? I have a stockpile of basic over-the-counter medications, free of charge, of course. If you need anything; aspirin, ibuprofen, etcetera, just let me know. Okay?”
June studies the woman. She smells like fruit. A delicate fruit, like…apple. She takes a deep inhale of it. That’s nice. June drops her head and reaches one arm across her stomach, holding onto her other arm near the elbow. “Well, I just turned the other night. I was out for almost a day, but I haven’t slept since. Is that normal?”
Candace walks over and places her hand on June’s shoulder. “I was turned too. It was very hard for a while.”
June nods.
“Your system might still be adjusting, and not sleeping could be associated with stress. You could try a sleep aid, but I can’t be sure it’ll work.”
“Why not?”
She shrugs. “Well, lots of reasons. Everyone is different, and everyone reacts to medicine differently. Over-the-counter sleep aids are just antihistamines, you know, like allergy medicine. I can’t give you anything stronger, and you see, sometimes antihistamines have odd side effects with vampires.”