“Excellent. Start cloning it at once.”
* * *
It took a little less than two weeks to finish the job.
The crew had been called in to remodel an existing home to accommodate three vampires. It was one of the perks of being on the building crew. Most of the bitten never left the border of the quarantine community. But since vampires couldn’t work in the daylight, and they didn’t trust their secrets to ordinary humans, they relied on crews of bitten workers to tackle projects such as these. A fine line between providing a service and servitude, but when you were bitten, you played the cards you were dealt.
There were twelve on this crew, men and women, all bitten, living in the quarantine community, some by choice, others awaiting approval from the Stewards to be changed. They were as close as any family — or prison mates, if you preferred that term.
The twelve worked day and night in the home, fortifying the walls, installing reinforced windows, and turning the basement into a daytime sanctuary. The tall blond vampire was gruff and bossy, but the two women were always kind. Occasionally, a young man — bitten, they assumed — would stop by and ask questions about the community towns.
All in all, it was a good job.
At the end of the two weeks, the crew packed up their things and made the ten-hour drive back to the community town nestled at the base of the Smoky Mountains. They arrived just after dark. The streets were deserted, which was odd, but not completely out of the range of normal. Perhaps there had been a lockdown. Or a visit from the Stewards.
The thought of the latter sent the crew into a frenzy of speculation. They drove straight to the house of the Keeper — the vampire selected by the Stewards to watch over the quarantine community. If the town was on lockdown, they would need to report to him anyway.
There was something strange about the town. A grave-like silence seemed to flood every street, permeate every house. Had the town been abandoned? Had everyone fled to another quarantine community? They continued on to the only place they knew to go. The Keeper would know what to do.
As they approached the driveway of the large house on the hill, the gate rolled open. The Keeper must be watching on the security camera. Perhaps he was expecting them.
They parked in front of the large stone house and entered by the front door. When the door closed behind them, heavy steel pinions dropped into the floor, locking them inside. None attempted to exit through the door. They had installed the security system on this house themselves and each man knew the futility of escape.
The room was cast in deep shadows and an overwhelming stench of rot hung in the air like a thick smoke. They had no choice but to press on into the house, calling the Keeper’s name. The only answer was their own voices echoing off of the high ceilings. The expensive furniture lay scattered about, smashed, as though a tornado had ripped through the house. It was in the kitchen that they found the first body.
A headless corpse, torn and ravaged, lay in a heap near the door. It had been decomposing for several days. At least twenty more corpses, in similar shape, were scattered about the first floor. The stench wafting down from above told them more bodies were upstairs. Everywhere they looked, more corpses emerged. The population of the community town stood somewhere near three hundred. Was it possible the entire populous lay dead within these walls? The house was certainly large enough to accommodate three hundred bodies.
The group continued on to the basement, but the heinous odor from below was too much to overcome. They moved away from the door, seeking an area free of the stench of rotting corpses, but could not find one. They stood in the library, near a set of high, arching windows covered by retractable steel shutters, taking a bit of solace in the musty aroma of ancient books while arguing about how they were going to escape. The house was on full lockdown and they were stranded inside, without even their tools to aid them. The only option was to reach the main security panel located within the Keeper’s daytime sanctuary. But unless the Keeper was inside the vault and willing to open the door to them, gaining access to the control panel would be impossible. The disturbing thought, though, was that the door pinions could only be engaged from the security panel. Someone had watched them enter the house and decided to lock them inside.
Had the Keeper gone mad and slaughtered the town? Or had the Stewards ordered some mass extermination of the bitten?
Something in the room changed. Maybe it was some subtle rise in temperature or a slight stirring of the air. Or perhaps it was their natural instincts pinging with alarm, triggered by some intangible element. Whatever the case, they all stopped talking and in unison, turned toward the library door.
A black silhouette stood in the doorway, barely noticeable against the darkened hall beyond. It was too short to be the Keeper and too still and silent to be human. The person stepped closer, giving them a better view.
The man standing in the library door seemed familiar to all of them, but only because he so closely resembled the one who commissioned their latest job. The man seemed almost the twin of the beautiful dark-skinned vampire named Shufah, except that his skin had more the color of swamp clay. His eyes were wide with large black pupils swimming in an ocean of red where there should have been white. His lips were withered and drawn back, giving him a devilish grin. The skin of one of his hands was white and stood out in vast contrast to the dark skin of his forearm in an almost perfect seam.
The savage was fast and agile, moving somehow more like a spider than a man. He clacked his teeth together in a booming rattle that brought to mind hammers sealing up a wooden coffin. He opened his mouth wider than seemed possible. Then he attacked.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jerusa stood before the full-length mirror in the corner of her new bedroom. She ran her hands down the black satin A-line gown that Shufah had bought for her just yesterday, touching every part of it with the white gloves that flowed up over her elbows. The dress rose to her neck, covering her scar, and a white satin wrap fell loosely over her shoulders.
The doorbell rang and an uncontainable smile spread across Jerusa’s face. A moment later, Shufah eased her head in the door.
“He’s here.”
“Thank you.” Shufah turned to leave, but Jerusa stopped her. “I mean for everything.”
Shufah held her eyes for a moment, and Jerusa couldn’t recall ever seeing such kindness and utter pain blended together in one gaze. The past two weeks hadn’t been easy for Shufah. Foster’s death was a wound her vampiric body couldn’t heal. Somehow, she managed to still move through the world with strength and dignity. She hired a crew of bitten workers from a nearby quarantine community town to remodel and fortify the house. Jerusa, Shufah, and Taos now lived in Foster’s home. To the average observer, they were no more than roommates. No one would suspect that under the house stood a veritable bastion of refuge from the sun.
Shufah had tried several times to get Jerusa to hunt with her or with Taos. Every night she refused. She had no desire, other than a predator’s inclination, to hunt and drink blood. Alicia was always there to buffer her with crossed arms and a glower if she began to give in to her urges. Foster was there with her, though he didn’t seem to share Alicia’s opinions on blood drinking. But, to be fair, he had left this world a vampire; Alicia hadn’t.
In the back of her mind, Jerusa hoped that she would never need to drink blood. Silvanus didn’t need to drink blood and it was his blood that had turned her. Maybe she’d be just like him, though the fact that she had fangs, couldn’t walk in the sun, or any number of other differences didn’t bode well for her.
She’d deal with that bridge when she came to it.
Shufah held out her hand and Jerusa took it. They walked together to the front door. Taos sat in the living room, playing some sort of online slaughter game, laughing with glee as he disemboweled his virtual enemies. Shufah opened the door.
Thad stepped inside. He wore a simple but classic black suit and tie with a white lily boutonnière fastened to
the lapel. He held out a matching corsage to Jerusa. “You look incredible.” Though it seemed impossible, her smile broadened. “Are you ready?”
“You know I am.”
Shufah eyed them both, her forehead creased with worry. “I still think I should go.”
For a moment, Jerusa thought another lecture was on its way. Shufah had been dead-set against Jerusa going to the prom, especially since she hadn’t fed. She had expounded nonstop on the endless dangers Jerusa posed to not only Thad, but the others at the dance as well. She had offered to attend prom as a chaperone, noting that though she was thousands of years old, she could still pass for a teenage girl. Jerusa had assured her over and over again that she would be fine. But here they were again. Shufah was turning into the mother Jerusa already had.
Jerusa placed her hands on Shufah’s shoulders. “You worry too much. I’ll leave at the first sign of trouble. You have my word.”
Shufah opened her mouth to argue, thought better of it, then just nodded her head.
Thad led Jerusa by the hand to his Jeep, fresh from the body shop. At first, the police had hounded Thad about his whereabouts the night of the crash and what he knew of the death in the other vehicle. Shufah’s deep pockets and powerful connections made a quick end to this, though, and it seemed as if Thad was free and clear.
He had the top off of the Jeep and it was a perfect night for just such a drive. The air was warm and a little balmy. The sky was clear, showcasing a bright dusting of stars. The wind combed through her hair, threatening to undo all the work she had put into styling it, but she didn’t care. She had never felt so alive and free.
They made a quick stop to visit Jerusa’s mother. She was still taking the move-out hard, and was less than pleased to find out Jerusa was going to be missing the rest of the school year. She couldn’t explain to her mother that she and the sun had forever parted ways and that unless they could switch her classes to nights, it just wasn’t feasible. Her mother lightened up a bit when Jerusa explained that she would still get her diploma. This was another of Shufah’s miracles. It was only for her mother’s sanity, though. What did a high school diploma matter to someone that could live forever?
Jerusa’s mother made nice with Thad. Shook his hand and gave him the mother’s speech about safety. She kissed Jerusa’s cheek, told her that she looked beautiful, then slunk back into the house to park herself in front of the TV.
On the way to prom, Jerusa couldn’t help but think of how old her mother seemed now. How many more years did she have? And how many of those had been stolen by Jerusa’s actions?
“So,” Thad said, sensing her melancholy mood, “does it feel good to finally be out without the nanny-vamps?”
Jerusa smiled at that. “Yeah, it feels pretty good.” She turned in her seat to get a better look at him. “Aren’t you afraid to be around me?”
Thad shrugged. “Not really. I mean those fangs look pretty sharp.” Jerusa gave him a gentle shove. “I’m not afraid. I trust you.”
Jerusa sat back in her seat, a little bit humbled. Truth was, she didn’t trust herself.
“Any word from vampire HQ?” Thad meant the Stewards.
“Not a word. I keep hoping that they have forgotten about us, but Shufah says not to get my hopes up. She says the Stewards move at their own pace and eventually, they will call for us.”
They sat in silence the rest of the way to the prom. Thad parked the Jeep in the lot next to the school gym then came around to help Jerusa down. She didn’t really need help. It was just an act of chivalry. Had she wanted to, she could easily leap through the open roof and land twenty feet away, without wrinkling her dress. She appreciated the gesture, though, and let Thad play the gentleman.
Inside, colorful streamers and balloons hung from the balcony circling the basketball court. A rainbow of lights bounced about the room as the music echoed off of the high ceilings. Jerusa paused in the doorway and closed her eyes. The sensory stimuli were a bit much at first and she had to dial her eyes and ears back to compensate.
“You okay?” Thad asked, trying to mask his sudden panic.
Jerusa opened her eyes and smiled at him. “I’m fine. I just need to take it slow.”
Thad nodded. “Wanna get some punch?” Jerusa raised an eyebrow and he shook his head. “No, I guess punch is out, huh?”
Jerusa took his arm and they made a tour of the tables where the weary and the wallflowers alike took refuge. It was a little strange being introduced to kids she had known all her life. She had seen them, but they had never seen her. But they were seeing her now. The vampire spirit had a drawing effect, like a powerful pheromone. Guys all around her gawked with their mouths half open, while the girls seemed to switch between envy and sheer spite.
It was petty to take pleasure in the reactions of the group, but Jerusa couldn’t help herself. She had never been the center of attention before, at least not for anything good. She could afford this one indulgence, this one night, to let her vampiric beauty shine forth.
Twice, Jerusa felt dizzy and overwhelmed. The scents of so many humans around her, the clamorous thundering of their hearts, was intoxicating. Each time, she quickly regained her composure without letting anyone, even Thad, know something was amiss.
When she indicated she was ready, Thad led her to the dance floor.
A slow song began to play. “Do you feel up to dancing?” Thad asked. Jerusa took his hand and walked with him into the midst of the couples.
She had just never danced in front of anyone before. As a human, her dancing had been scary. She shuttered to think what strange gyrations and shimmies her vampiric powers would afford her. At least this was just a slow dance. Thad wrapped his arms around her waist and she clasped her hands behind his neck. They rocked in beat with the music, circling around one another like two rafts adrift on a gentle ocean.
The heat of Thad’s body comforted her. She found herself lost in the sound of his heartbeat. She wanted to kiss him and even went so far as to lean in, but in the last few seconds, she lost her nerve and instead, nuzzled her head against his chest.
It happened fast. A blinding cramp carved its way through her midsection. For a moment, Jerusa felt as though someone was wringing her like a wet rag. Thad’s knees buckled a bit and he grunted in pain.
“Jerusa,” he whispered in her ear. “Are you all right? You’re hurting me.”
Her eyes were clenched shut. She could no longer control her senses and the sights and sounds of the dance came crashing in around her like the apocalypse. Jerusa realized that she was squeezing Thad too tightly, forcing him down to her level. She wanted to be close to his neck, near that throbbing artery singing its sirens song. The scent of flesh polluted everything. She could smell the blood flowing beneath Thad’s skin.
Jerusa forced her hands apart, releasing Thad, who almost fell backward. Another pang rolled through her and she stifled a scream. Thad rushed in close and it took all she had not to rip his throat out with her teeth.
“What’s wrong?” he whispered. He scanned her face, stopping at her eyes. His face whitened two shades. “Jerusa, your eyes.”
Jerusa pushed him away, turned, and made off through the crowd. Whispers and sideways glances followed her, but Jerusa didn’t care. She had to get out of here, far away from these people. In the hallway, another pang ripped through her and she fell against the lockers. A few stragglers mingling together watched her, then huddled together in whispers and giggles. She could hear every syllable they muttered as though they were yelling. They thought she was drunk or that maybe Thad had slipped something into her drink.
There was no sympathy in them, only pettiness, envy, and spite. Jerusa took a step toward them with every intention on opening their veins with her fangs. It took a maximum amount of effort, but she turned and forced her way into the bathroom.
She went to the first mirror and nearly gasped at what she saw. Her eyes stood out like blazing emeralds, but around each iris was a thin ring o
f blood. She licked her lips and they felt cold to the touch. Though her lipstick covered it, she was sure that underneath it her lips were red also.
Jerusa wanted to weep at her own foolishness. Shufah had warned her to feed, even if the thirst wasn’t upon her, to keep it under control before it took control of her. But she hadn’t felt any desire to feed. Sure, she had had moments of aggression, a predator’s desire to hunt, but nothing like the fiery torment devouring her insides right now.
“Alicia,” Jerusa said in a muted groan, “why did I listen to you? What do ghosts know?” But Alicia didn’t answer. Since she had died on the way to her own prom, social engagements such as these left a bad taste in her mouth. Jerusa looked around for Foster, but he was absent as well.
Jerusa bent over the sink and splashed cold water on her face. She didn’t care that it wrecked her hairdo or dripped makeup down her satin dress. She needed to get control or someone was going to die.
A pair of girls entered the bathroom, giggling about something vapid. They hesitated for a moment when they saw Jerusa bent over the sink, but against better judgment, they continued past her to check their faces in the other mirrors.
Jerusa clutched the sides of the sink. Her breathing grew into a near-pant. She clenched her eyes, searching inside for a shred of humanity left in her. She was no killer. She was no rabid beast. She could control this. But the voice inside her head was a mere whisper, and after a moment, all she could think about was blood.
A set of arms, soft yet powerful, enfolded her shoulders and Jerusa looked up. Her knees felt weak and she nearly cried out in relief.
Shufah shushed her. “I know. C’mon, it’ll be all right.” She led Jerusa out of the bathroom, down the hallway, and out into the schoolyard. Taos stood just outside the door with Thad. When he saw the shape Jerusa was in, he forced Thad to step behind him.
Shufah led Jerusa out across the parking lot to the tardy lot where she had helped Thad find his keys. It seemed like years had passed since that day, though it had only been a few weeks. Well away from the ruckus of the prom, away from the scent of flesh and blood, Shufah stopped and turned to Jerusa.
Heart of the Dead: Vampire Superheroes (Perpetual Creatures Book 1) Page 26