Revolution

by K. A. Salidas

  Now it was Stryker’s turn to look annoyed. “Why, is there something wrong with making a deal with my people?”

  “Historically...” Lucian’s hard glare softened. “At least what I was taught...”

  “Oh, are you suddenly an expert on Otherkin? A week ago you hardly knew a thing about vampires, now you know about others?” Mira asked.

  The high-born elite faded again. Lucian stuttered, tripping over his words. “No, not an expert. Just... there was mention of Otherkin in our history books. They were called tricksters.”

  Unimpressed, Mira narrowed her gaze on Lucian. “And I recall ... other information you knew to be true about my kind was nothing more than slander and prejudice.”

  “I’ll not deny that I have my prejudices against the supernatural people.”

  Ready with an angry retort, Mira opened her mouth to speak, but Lucian held up a hand. “Those prejudices against your kind are unfounded. Those I have recently lost, but others have yet to be broken by deeds.”

  Mira scrunched up her face, confused, and suddenly filled with questions, but again, Lucian held his hand up as if to say, hush.

  “As Regent of New Haven, I had the duty of sending patrols out. Some never came back. Some came back stark raving mad. I can only imagine it was Otherkin...” Lucian tried to suppress the sneer, but Mira saw it. “Like that muse who addled their brain.”

  “I’ll take credit where credit is due.” Alec’s arrogant tone surprised the whole room. They’d all been too wrapped up in their own conversation to see he had returned with the rest of the Council, none of whom looked happy to be there. Alec sauntered over to a high chair that appeared to have been specially made for his petite stature. “We do what we must to protect our own. As a former leader yourself, I’m sure you can appreciate that.” Shockingly, Alec not only addressed Lucian directly, but he was looking at him too.

  “Many of those men, my human soldiers, never recovered.” Lucian didn’t bother hiding his anger.

  “And many of our own patrols never came back,” Alec shot back at Lucian. “They had families too you know.”

  The two looked as if they might come to blows. The idea of letting them, in the arena, flitted into Mira’s mind. They didn’t deserve a fight to the death, but men were always better knocking each other around for a bit before they could cool down and talk reason. At least, the men she’d known... half-starved vampires. These two, though claiming to be civilized, seemed no different.

  At the rate they were all going, nothing was going to be accomplished. “Enough!” She hadn’t intended to shout, but her voice seemed to have its own volume control “We’ve all wronged and been wronged here. The point is we need to find an end. Peace or whatever else we come up with.”

  “Peace may never come, but an end to the outright hostility and slavery of our people will suffice.” Michael said. As the vampire representative on the council, he stood out with his pale skin and striking eyes. He glided across room almost as if he were not walking but merely floating above the ground, and took a seat in the middle edge of the table. “Please, let us sit and discuss things like civilized beings.”

  Though the word made her snicker a little, Mira was thankful at least someone on the Council was making the attempt at civility.

  Natasha, the other vampire council representative, followed Michael’s path just as regally and took her place next to her counterpart.

  Mira waited to see if Natasha would add anything to the conversation, but the tall, dark-haired vampire was mute and looked as if she had better things to do than deal with Mira and her humans.

  Roseanna joined her counterpart Alec at the table, sitting quietly, her expression neither passive nor aggressive. She’d always been fairly quiet, Mira recalled. Even in their previous dealings, the female Otherkin had been keener to watch and wait than jump in with emotional responses. Mira made a mental note to remember this about her. Appeal to her sense of factual data, perhaps, if the situation arose.

  Niko the sharp-nosed and the redhead Katerina, both shifter elders, joined Lucian at the head of the table.

  Mira wondered how deliberate their placement had been, forcing the others to filter in between them all. Another startling addition on which Mira picked up immediately were larger men, wearing green robes, guards perhaps, filtering into the room after the elders. The weapons at their side would suggest guardians or soldiers, but as before, Mira noticed that the blades they wielded were all as shiny as the day they were forged. Unused. Untested. They might be there as guards, or maybe as intimidation, but it wasn’t working on Mira. Even if they packed the room with additional support, she’d wager she could still take them on and have a fighting chance. Untested soldiers were child’s play for the well trained and battle worn.

  “Please... sit,” Michael said again.

  Mira took Sarah and Curtis by the arms and pulled them with her to the table, taking places between the shifters and the vampires. Stryker took the closest available space near Mira, and members of his pack began to filter into the room after. Their presence shocked Mira. Back at the pack’s den, no one had been around. She’d assumed they were on patrol or out hunting. After the shock subsided, something she had not felt in a long while settled down on her: warmth, like the comfort of a warm blanket. Security. Dare she admit it, a sense of solidarity.

  Such an odd feeling; a good one, but very odd. Having people on her side. It bolstered her confidence more than she could possibly say. She met their eyes one by one and silently mouthed her thanks to them for showing up. And, one by one, they nodded in response.

  With as many bodies as the room could hold, the whole mood became claustrophobic. Mira was used to crowds watching her from above, but elbow room only with potentially hostile people was disconcerting.

  Not one for mincing words, Mira spoke up. “Is it necessary to pack the room so tightly?”

  “At the moment, yes,” Alec informed Mira archly. “We are here to discuss the details of our deal. Should anything go... poorly... we want assurances that we are safe.”

  “From a couple of humans?” Mira snorted.

  “From you,” Alec said flatly.

  She hadn’t expected that.

  “I see you sizing up our guards. You’ve already swayed the allegiance of our patrolling pack.”

  Mira stood slamming her hands down on the table. “You seem quite happy to condemn me as the enemy. What grievous injury have I dealt you? All I’ve done is come here requesting sanctuary. As a vampire, that is my right, is it not?” She didn’t wait for him to answer. “Yes, I brought humans with me. Yes, I know your rules say humans cannot come inside. But things are no longer black and white.”

  “Funny to hear that from a former slave.” Alec snickered.

  “All the better it come from a slave. I’ve witnessed firsthand the atrocities of the human race. I’ve been tortured, beaten, abused, and forced to kill my own kind... at the request of the humans. But, unlike you, I know that not everyone should be judged by their people’s mistakes. These humans” – she placed a hand on Curtis and Sarah both, emphasizing her point – “they are good. They have proven that to me and to your patrolling wolf-pack. That is what swayed them, not me. You, however, have it stuck in your head that I am the enemy, rather than opening up your eyes to the fact that times have changed.”

  “I have seen no such goodness. What I have seen is half of our patrolling pack decimated, all after you and your humans appeared. This one” – Alec jabbed a finger at Lucia – “he’s an Elite of their city. They are hunting him and you. Because of that, your presence threatens our way of life.”

  Mira grumbled. Mechanical and unfeeling, that’s how Alec sounded. He’d not even bothered to truly look at the facts. All he cared about was getting rid of the humans... and Mira.

  “And that is why I made your deal, Alec... to ensure my human friends’ safety. I will take on the challenge of ending the Iron Gate’s pursuit of us and your home, but you must en
sure the safety of my friends. My human friends.”

  Alec opened his mouth as if to speak, but Mira beat him to the punch. “If you want our deal to stand, then end this open hostility.” She waved a hand at the guards surrounding the table. “Get rid of them, and let’s have a peaceful conversation.”

  Alec took a breath. His lips pursed tightly with pent-up rage. No words escaped, yet at a nod of his head, the guards turned and left the room.

  “Now that the unpleasantness is over... Let’s start fresh.” Michael spoke up, since Alec remained silently seething. “We need troops if we’re going to protect ourselves against the humans and any possible retaliation from our actions against them. Mira, you mentioned the other vampires imprisoned?”

  She nodded, thinking of George and her promise to him to set him free. “Yes, there are many of my kind held below ground in the Iron Gate prison. I cannot guarantee all will want to fight for your cause, but plenty will want their revenge.”

  “Yes. Precisely. Their revenge aligns well with our needs. We could be valuable assets to one another. And of course we would extend the offer of sanctuary to all.” Words carefully chosen by a seasoned politician. Michael didn’t care what their motivation was as long as it met his ends, and Mira understood that clearly, especially when his contemplative eyes fixed on her. “It would be best if you could free them all.”

  “Easier said than done. The prison area is heavily guarded, but with Lucian’s help” – she made it a point to emphasize his name – “I think we can manage. No one knows that place better than he.”

  Michael’s brow crinkled. “But, he’ll be a liability, will he not, being human and all?”

  “As a human, he is weak. Yes.” Mira glanced at Lucian speaking silently with her eyes, telling him not to disagree with her no matter what negative thing she said. She hoped he got the message. “Without his expertise, though, we will be lost. The prisons are built like a maze to keep those of us who have not learned their twists and turns inside. I’ve made many escape attempts in the past, and been thwarted by my own lack of direction.”

  “She’s right.” Lucian confidently spoke up. Clearly he had missed her message of silence. “You need me. As long as my access codes have not been canceled, I can not only guide you, but also help bypass security.”

  At least he was showing them his importance, though Mira had hoped he would let her do the talking.

  Michael waved a dismissive hand. “Then it is settled. The human Lucian will return with you. What of these two here?” He pointed to Sarah and Curtis.

  She kept her hands firmly planted on their shoulders, silently emphasizing to the room they were under her protection. “They stay behind, where they are safe.” Mira’s tone was cool with an undertone of warning. Curtis and Sarah had been through enough. They deserved some rest and recuperation, and more than that, to be safe.

  “Fine, fine, they stay,” Niko spoke up before Michael could.

  Mira let go a loud sigh of relief. That, she had assumed, would be the hardest thing to secure. “And I have your word on this?”

  “Fine.” Neither his tone nor his expression betrayed his inner thoughts. If anything, he appeared bored by the matter.

  “I need more than that.”

  “What, then?” Michael was at the edge of patience, and Mira spotted it quite clearly.

  “I want your oath,” she demanded. Though there was no guarantee of their safety once she was gone, she hoped their blood oath was truly as strong as had been implied.

  “Fine, I said! I give my oath, they will remain safe,” Michael huffed.

  “No. Not just your oath. I want everyone’s oath. These humans, the three of them, when under your protection of sanctuary, will have no harm come to them. Say it!”

  Collective shock ran through the room. Even Stryker looked horrorstruck at her demand, but Mira was not about to back down.

  Silent moments passed with uneasy tension. Mira did not let that waiver her resolve. She met the eyes of each council member individually and challenged them to back down from their deal.

  “You have my blood oath,” Alec begrudgingly agreed.

  The rest followed one by one.

  “Are we done with this business?” Michael’s annoyance was plain. “The humans have taken up enough of our concern. As of now, you have two on your team... How many more will you need to return to the city and accomplish your task?”

  Satisfied, Mira relaxed her grip on the two humans and let out a sigh of relief. “The smaller our group the better. Maybe two or three others to help take down the handlers... preferably not vampires. The handlers rely on UV weapons.”

  Both Michael and Natasha hissed at the sound of UV as a weapon.

  “Yes, quite unpleasant. So, shifters would have the advantage here,” Mira said.

  “I and my pack are at your disposal.” Stryker had already made the offer to her, but here it was made public, and that gave his statement added weight. Niko’s lip curled slightly at his offer, but he did not say anything against it.

  “Thank you, Stryker.” Mira smiled at the amber-eyed wolf. His support meant more than she could really say. It was an honor and a privilege for her to go into this unknown with him. “That’s all I need.”

  “As for the other two humans...” Alec finally broke his silence. “What use will they be to us while they are our wards?”

  His tone bothered Mira, but she had his blood oath and would make damn sure he paid it if any harm came to them. “Curtis is a skilled electrician. He can help around here in the city while we’re gone.”

  Curtis stood up. “I’m pretty handy with more than just electrical things. I’m what you might call a bit of a tinkerer. I can do a little of everything. Just tell me what of yours needs fixin’, and I can take care of it.”

  “And the girl?” Alec narrowed his eyes on Sarah. Mira had to repress a sneer. Where the others were indifferent to her human friends, Alec, it seemed, had a singularly hateful interest in them.

  Sarah cleared her throat and spoke up. “I have some first aid training. I can help with the wounded. And I can cook.”

  “Oh, yeah.” The mention of cooking had Curtis practically salivating. “She can whip up meals to make your mouth water!”

  “Fine.” Alec sighed, unimpressed. “We will put their skills to use somehow, so they do not burden us.”

  A snide comment rested on the tip of Mira’s tongue. Alec might have been a Council member and older than dirt, but his petty hatred was testing her last nerve. It wouldn’t take much for her to snap his little neck. She had to push down the homicidal thoughts. Arrogant, annoying, and pompous as he was, he was technically on her side. “Burden or not... they are to be protected.”

  “I keep to my deals. You have already been given my blood oath. Let that be enough.” Alec’s tone bordered on angry, but that did not worry Mira.

  “I’ll hold you to that. And I’ll have your blood... all of it... should any harm come to them.” She wasn’t taking any chances where the humans were concerned.

  “Threats are not necessary.” Michael’s voice too carried undertones of anger, but he kept his face neutral. “The deal has been struck.”

  “Fine.” It was anything but. However, her point had been made, and they did have more to arrange before she could be off. “Moving on. What equipment and weapons can you offer us?” They’d need more than their bare hands to fight into the human city. “We need to travel light and quick. It’s at least two days by vehicle back to the city.”

  Michael’s brow furrowed. “What vehicles we have are ones collected and rebuilt from the human patrols that have come through these parts over the last century. You’ll have to leave the city to get to where they are stored. None have ever made it to our gates.”

  “But you do have some form of transport?” Mira asked, suddenly worried about how they were going to attempt this city siege.

  Shrugging his shoulders, Michael responded, “We don’t need them here
in Caldera.”

  That wasn’t an answer. She hoped for their sake a salvageable vehicle could be located. “Curtis, I might need you to come look at the vehicles before we go.”

  His chest puffed with sudden importance. “Not a problem, Mira. I’ll make something work for you.”

  Natasha met Mira’s concerned eyes and finally spoke. “Stryker can take you to the weapons hall. Use whatever you need. I’m sure something in there will make you happy. A new blade, perhaps?”

  The idea of fresh steel in her hands brought a smile to Mira’s worried face. A good weapon in hand did wonders for confidence. “Yes, please. A new sword would be lovely.”

  “You truly have a warriors spirit.” Natasha smiled; though warm, it wasn’t a genuine smile. There was something else behind her eyes. Mira couldn’t quite place it, but she felt as if she were just a tool to meet their needs. That was probably the truth. She’d never really assumed she’d be welcomed in as kin. Her skills singled her out as a pawn in a bigger man’s game, but rather than let that thought get her down, she shrugged it off. She had her own desires to realize too. Imagining the look on George’s face when she opened his cell was enough to make her ready to go back to that hell hole.

  “Okay, transportation is iffy. What about communication?” Mira asked.

  “We still do that the old fashion way.” Alec whistled.

  Mira crinkled her brow in confusion.

  The door opened and a small brown bird flew in from another room. It landed softly in the middle of the table in front of Alec. As soon as its little feet hit the polished wood, the bird transformed into a naked female, small enough to fit in the palm of Mira’s hand, with bright red hair. The little woman smiled and hopped up into Alec’s palm. He raised her to his ear and listened as she whispered a message. After she was finished, he nodded and returned her to the table.

  “This is Jay,” Alec said. “She and a few of her flock will act as messengers between us. When you have secured your troops, just whistle for her. She’ll be following close behind you, and the humans will never suspect. Send word of your next move, and we will then join you and take on the humans from both sides!”