by Drew Hayes
“It’s hard to imagine anyone thinking of me as scary. Curious, more likely, especially once we’ve met.”
“Some fall into that box,” Deborah admitted. “Ultimately, no one seems sure what to make of you. There are a few who think you’re working with your sire, Quinn, shoring up support to try to overthrow the Blood Council. Others believe you to be an incompetent idiot who has survived this long only thanks to the support of those around him. My job is to cut past the bullshit and get to the truth, which brings us back to the evaluation. We could go into the minutia of what I look at for hours, but I think the better move is just to tackle it with bullet points. There are three criteria I’m going to judge you on.”
We both fell silent as servers entered through the door, whisking away our plates and topping off our drinks. There was no real reason to stop; Charlotte could hear everything inside her walls whether a physical manifestation of her was present or not. Some habits persist in the face of logic, however, so we remained quiet until they’d left to fetch the next course.
“First and foremost is the criteria I’m least worried about: whether you intend to move against the Blood Council or any other vampire institution. Just from readings and interviews, this part seems quite obviously junk. You’ve broken some rules here and there, but since you were abandoned by your sire, you didn’t know you were breaking them. Every action you’re aware you take comes with respect for the law and usually documentation filled out in triplicate. Despite your strange friends, I don’t expect I’ll have to kill you for planning a rebellion.”
I gave a slow nod, trying to wrap my head around the mere idea of that kind of undertaking. “It is quite sincerely the furthest thing from my mind.”
“I believe it. Anyway, point number two gets a tad stickier. The House of Turva has alleged that you are not fit to lead a clan. Clans are important in the vampire world, and their leaders are seen as representatives of our kind. To have a clan head that is lacking, be it as a vampire or a leader, reflects badly on all of us. This will be the main thrust of my evaluation: discerning whether or not you are fit for the position you hold. I’m going to tag along with you just about everywhere. Sometimes I’ll be in the background, sometimes I’ll complicate things, as I did today. The goal is to watch you in a variety of situations and see how you cope. I’ll also be filling in the holes of your education. Being abandoned wasn’t your fault, but you can’t skate by using ignorance as an excuse forever. It’s time you were properly taught how to be a vampire.”
“There will be some additional NDAs I’ll need you to sign before you can come with me to see clients.” I wasn’t surprised by the condition; it fit well with the clues Deborah had already been dropping. If she was going to the trouble of living with me, I had to assume she planned on spending a lot of time around me. Rather than fighting uselessly, I could at least get her to do things the appropriate way.
Not so much as a suggestion of annoyance at the request. Instead, she offered a respectful nod. “Obviously, I don’t want to undermine your business. There are other details about this aspect, too, but we can handle those after dinner. There is one more point of my evaluation, though.”
She paused, and a serious expression appeared on her face. “You have done something unheard of among vampires: you formed a clan with other parahumans as members. Some wanted to stake you the moment we heard about it. Others less so. Not all of us are against the idea of changing with the times; just because it worked one way for a while doesn’t mean there aren’t better options. When you’ve seen a few civilizations rise and fall, you learn the importance of adapting. My third point of evaluation is to decide whether or not it is wise to leave this clan of yours alone. Its existence sets a precedent, and the easier path might be to kill you and disband your clan, making sure that no one else tries anything like it. Understand that I must act with the good of all vampires in mind when making that choice. How well you do on the second criteria, even how much I might like you personally, none of that will come into play. As a clan leader, you understand what it is to have the pressure of others counting on you. With the Blood Council, our entire species is impacted by the choices we make.”
“I understand.” I did, too. She was looking at the long-term. What I had done, what my friends had done, it was unseen previously. There could be implications to our choice that spread far beyond anything we intended. I wouldn’t be thrilled if she decided to kill me for it, not by any means, but I also wasn’t sure I would hate her for the deed. That pressure was real, even for me, and I only had a handful of people putting their faith in me. I couldn’t fathom the burden of an entire species.
The doors to the kitchen swung open again, and servers appeared with the fish course, causing Deborah to clap her hands in delight. “Anyway, those are the main points for tonight. We’ll go over the rest as needed. Oh! There is one more thing you should know. Since I’m here, I’ll be taking over the position of your bodyguard. I have to protect you until I render a verdict, anyway—no one steals justice from the Blood Council—so this kills two birds with one stone.”
“That means you’re my bodyguard . . . until you decide to kill me?”
“Don’t be silly. I would submit a formal verdict, quit the position, and then give you time for goodbyes. I couldn’t just kill you while I was on the job. There’s a process for these sorts of things.” Deborah dug gleefully into her food, and a few moments later, I did the same.
Whether I liked it or not, it seemed I was going to have to get used to Deborah’s company for a while.
Part 2
A Bodyguard at the Meeting
1.
I reviewed my options yet again, wondering if there was some avenue I had missed. Yes, for the past couple of weeks Deborah had behaved exactly as she had promised, acting for all intents and purposes like a silent bodyguard when we were around clients or in public. She drew minimal attention; the explanation of her being my Agency-appointed protection satisfied all but the most voracious of parahuman curiosities. They were well-accustomed to the idea that when the Agency made a decision, the rest of us had little say in the matter. Besides, Deborah didn’t look particularly threatening. After the first couple of days, she’d even varied her wardrobe to include sweaters, rather than the more fashionable vest variety.
But those had all been simple meetings—drop off work here, gather additional records there—nothing that generated any substantial risk or interest. This was different. Today, I was expected to meet with a new client for some serious book balancing. A mage suspected one of his underlings was embezzling funds, and my services had been recommended by Asha, who herself was working as the new client’s lawyer thanks to a good word or two from the Clover siblings. Working for someone with whom I had yet to build substantial trust meant that I was going to be on tenuous ground. This was the sort of arrangement where any mishap or issue could make the whole thing fall apart. Deborah had been on her best behavior, and if that continued, then we might be okay, yet it was hard to trust someone when I knew they’d been sent to determine whether I lived or died.
Regardless of the trouble she might cause, there was no way I could find to avoid bringing her along. Deborah refused to stay behind, and I couldn’t raise a fuss about confidentiality since she’d signed every contract and NDA presented. Talking her out of it was a lost cause; she would smile and chat politely then simply refuse to budge, as she had on all previous subjects thus far. Sneaking out might be my only chance, and even that was laughable. While I still didn’t have a gauge of just how powerful Deborah was, I’d seen enough to know that her senses were sharp and always focused. With Charlotte’s help, I might manage to get out the door, but after that it would be mere moments until Deborah was at my side once more.
Ultimately, no matter how I turned the situation around in my head, the end result was always that Deborah came along. So, faced with that inevitability, I opted to at least approach it politely. I let Deborah know about the job
in the morning, giving her ample time to prepare. She would take an occasional nap in her room when the sun was overhead (the only time vampires are able to sleep), but appeared to require less rest than myself or Lillian. Sure, we could push ourselves when needed, however, sooner or later, we’d have to crash. Deborah was getting by on maybe a half hours’ sleep every couple of days and not losing a single step.
Inconvenient and worrying as it might be, I had to admit that there was something fascinating about having an older vampire around. Would I have those sleep habits after a thousand years, or did it take longer? What else was going to change as time wore on and my body stayed the same? I had a hunch that, if I asked, Deborah would answer. In fact, I suspected she was waiting on me to start asking questions. As an abandoned vampire, there was so much I didn’t know, so many surprises that kept popping up and causing trouble. Learning from her was a real opportunity, one I was squandering even as I struggled to figure out why.
I shoved those thoughts aside. There were larger issues to deal with. Questions could wait until we didn’t have a client to impress.
Credit where it was due, Deborah was waiting for me downstairs ten minutes before we were scheduled to leave. This evening, her crisp, precise wardrobe had been replaced by a lavender sweater with kittens on it and a pair of sturdy jeans. I genuinely couldn’t tell if she was trying to match the overall tone of my own ensembles or if she was simply making fun of me. Regardless, I wanted unobjectionable, and kittens on a sweater were about as unobjectionable as one could get.
Stars overhead, we drove out from Charlotte Manor, heading into Winslow’s downtown. Most parahumans preferred some sense of isolation, placing physical or psychic distance between themselves and humans. Richard might use a downtown office, but he also lived there and owned the entire building, leasing the majority of the space to businesses owned by fellow parahumans. This was a different case, as our destination accommodated humans as well. No doubt the rent was cheaper, enough to make up for the security risks that came with a shared space. Coming at night, we’d be unlikely to encounter anyone unexpected; however, we still had to be on guard. First impressions counted for a lot.
“This woman we’re meeting, she’s the human who put through the paperwork to found your clan.”
Deborah’s voice caught me by surprise. I was so wrapped up in mentally planning for the work ahead that I’d nearly forgotten people often conversed while riding in cars together. Her statement was surprising in itself, although not quite groundbreaking. That sort of information would be a matter of record, and as a member of the Blood Council, Deborah no doubt would have access to such information when reviewing challenges such as the one the Turvas had placed against me. I had mentioned during the briefing that we’d be meeting a woman named Asha; I just hadn’t expected Deborah to pay quite so much attention to a minor detail.
“That’s correct. Asha Patel learned about parahumans when someone announced their plans to buy and demolish Charlotte Manor while we were inside those very walls. Charlotte took it poorly, as you can imagine, but we eventually reached a compromise that left everyone alive. I told Asha to drink so hard the night would fade into a blacked-out memory; instead, she dove headfirst into supernatural law until she could practice it.”
“A go-getter. And someone brave enough to face the truth of the world without flinching. Sounds like an interesting woman. I look forward to meeting her. Do we have a name on the mage yet?”
I shook my head, nearly on reflex. “No details until we’re officially hired for the job. Apparently, this is being kept very quiet. The only reason we’re getting a meeting is because of the good work Asha has done. It gave her recommendation weight. Meeting without names is a bit odd, I know, but it happens occasionally with parahuman clients. As a species, we tend to value our privacy.”
“Technically, parahumans are made up of dozens of species, if not hundreds, but I take the point. To summarize, we’re going to a location you have failed to scout, to meet a person whose name you don’t know, in order to undertake an extremely private job of forensic accounting in the hopes of finding an embezzler in the records.” She leaned forward and adjusted the air-conditioning, turning one of the vents away from her. “I must say, Fred, you do know how to get the most out of your Blood Council bodyguard. I suspect this will be quite the busy night for me.”
“I highly doubt it. Tonight will probably just be a meeting, and even if it does go well enough that we’re asked to start right away, I can’t imagine I’ll be in much danger from some financial records.”
The sound of the road beneath our spinning tires was all that echoed through the car for several moments as Deborah looked me up and down. It was a habit of hers I didn’t enjoy, but she’d been very upfront that this was an evaluation first and foremost, so I could hardly protest being watched so closely. “I’ve read enough to know this isn’t your first time having to comb through someone’s books, but I’m guessing you’ve never done it in quite so clandestine a way before. Am I wrong?”
“The circumstances of this job are unusual, I can admit that. Such is the territory of working with parahumans, though. I once had to meet a client in the middle of a field on a moonless night, for example.”
“It’s not the place that worries me. It’s all of it.” Lifting a hand, Deborah raised her fingers one by one as she spoke, a favorite habit when ticking off lists. “Location we have no information on. Client we have no information on. Job we have, aside from a general concept, no information on. Worst of all, this is a case of theft. Whenever there’s someone stealing, there’s someone who doesn’t want to be caught stealing. That means that out there, right now, is one person, at minimum, who wants you to fail. How badly they want it will depend on the amount missing and the danger of being caught. Regardless, that’s a minimum of one person who is presumably more familiar with our location and employer than you are. Vampires are powerful creatures, but we are still mortal in the sense that we can die, so a little prudence goes a long way in dangerous situations.”
It took some effort not to squirm in my seat as Deborah calmly broke down the situation. She was spot-on about all of it, bringing up points that I likely should have considered. The trouble was that I tended to think of my clients as good people in need of a little help, because by and large that was what they were. But I also had more than enough experience to know that even if my clients were totally sincere, it didn’t mean they were without enemies.
“I know that if I offer to let you stay outside, you’ll interpret it as me trying to ditch you, but I do feel bad about what I might be dragging you into. I’m sorry. You’re right. I didn’t fully assess the potential danger with this outing. I assumed that because Asha was doing fine, we would as well, but if someone is hiding theft in the accounts, then she’s not the person they would target. We’re the ones who could actually find the proof.”
Turning down a new road, I drove a few feet forward, and then pulled into a nearly empty parking lot. I recognized Asha’s vehicle, but the other few cars within triggered no memories at all. We were early—after all, being on time is five minutes late in my business—but not early enough to have a full debate on the merits of entering.
Without a word, Deborah popped open her door and emerged into the night. I did the same, only to find her already waiting, having come to my side in the few seconds I’d been turned away. Her grin made it clear that she knew how impressive her speed was, and she wanted me to realize it, too.
“Relax. If bad things happen, it’s my job to deal with them. I mistakenly thought you were taking these risks because you had a member of the Blood Council watching your back, but now I see that’s not the case.”
“Do I lose points for not thinking the situation fully through?” I asked.
To my surprise, Deborah laughed. Not maliciously, or with a cruel cackle, just a sincere laugh. “Oh Fred, what did I say when we met? To me, you’re all still children. Do you get angry at a child for
making mistakes? Of course not. What matters more is that they learn. You admitted you were wrong and listened to the words of someone with experience; those are both good traits that many young vampires sadly lack. Just make sure you take the lesson to heart. Even assuming you survive the Blood Council’s judgment, there are still many ways for a vampire like you to die, and I won’t be your bodyguard forever.”
With that, she checked her watch, tapping the face twice. “Also, I know how you work, and we should get going. We won’t be early for much longer, which is your equivalent of late.”
Grabbing my laptop bag from the trunk, I followed as Deborah led the way, visibly scouting ahead for any signs of danger. I dearly, desperately, wanted her to be wrong about the danger of our situation. Still, I kept my head down until we were inside, and even then, I moved my gaze with every step.
Much as I wanted a night of simple accounting work, it would be folly to dismiss the wisdom of someone with so much more experience than I. Especially when she held my very life in her hands.
2.
Despite Deborah’s dire warnings, there was nary a single person, suspicious or otherwise, as we made our way through the building. Empty halls and a silent elevator ride took us deeper inside, until we arrived at an office door marked only by a number. I knocked twice, and moments later it opened to reveal the calm, if visibly weary, face of Asha Patel.