by M. Lorrox
Eddy watches them walk away. His dad’s arm drops away from her, but the silk of her kimono sticks to her skin for a moment—hugging the small of her back before it releases it and flutters away with the movement of her hips.
Eddy again stands frozen—shaking his head and clenching his fists.
After putting Minnie to bed, Sadie returns to the dining room. She finds Charlie and Mary sitting across the table from each other with full glasses in front of them, a bottle of blood that Mary must have brought with her, and a tall bottle of grain alcohol. An empty glass awaits Sadie, diagonal to Charlie and next to Mary.
Charlie looks up as she approaches. “From what I’ve gathered, this conversation is going to require some alcohol.” She nods, and he pours the blood and booze into her glass as she sits. When he finishes, he looks at Mary. “So. What’s the whole story then?”
“What do you know?”
Charlie looks at Sadie. “Uh, that the House wants the elders and the Order of Knights to rally in DC to talk about nonsense.” He glances to Mary. “And I know that this is a bunch of nonsense.” He takes a large sip from his glass.
Mary nods while looking down and fidgeting with the cap to the alcohol bottle. “Sadie, in your notice, did it mention why they’re doing this?”
Sadie studies her friend’s face. “Only that they need our help, that things are worse than the US government is letting on.”
Mary sets down the cap, then turns to face them. “It’s a lot worse. Epidemiologists assumed that a carrier vector existed, and that six months ago the virus made the jump to humans. This would explain why it’s so devastating—the human body never saw anything like it before. So, scientists have been collecting samples from hundreds of different species living in the infected areas, and they’ve found the vector. The mallard, the most common species of duck in the Northern Hemisphere, is a carrier.”
Charlie sets his glass down. “Okay, that sounds bad.”
Mary frowns. “It’s extremely bad. Mallards live everywhere in the United States, and they’re migratory. Only the birds out west have tested positive with the virus, so far, but it’s only a matter of time before it spreads in their population.”
Charlie shrugs. “Just tell hunters to go nuts—they’ll take care of them. It wouldn’t be the first time people hunted an animal into extinction.”
Mary blinks at Charlie and turns to Sadie. “Mallards are migratory animals, and in the summer, their range extends through Canada to the Bering Sea. Some birds even migrate across the sea to Russia… Mallards also live everywhere in Europe. They can’t migrate there from the United States, but all it would take is one infected bird hitching a ride on a cargo ship. It could already be there.”
Sadie puts down her glass. “That will make containing the virus a lot more complicated. Has there been any progress on developing a cure or vaccine?”
“Our best scientists and engineers are pairing with the CDC and NIH to look for antivirals and vaccines, but they’ve come up with nothing promising so far.”
Charlie swallows a large sip. “So, no news there…and the birds can be hunted. I don’t see what the big deal is. I mean, why is the House getting involved?”
Mary looks at her glass again. She rubs her head and leans forward on her arm. Her robe slips away from her neck a little, revealing her still-youthful looking skin—the edge of the robe just hanging on to the inside of her breast.
Charlie looks away.
Sadie sets her hand on Mary’s. “What is it?”
“There’s something else that no one can quite understand. It appears the zombies are learning. They’re somehow penetrating the military’s defenses; cities on the front line are falling, and it seems the zombies can’t be stopped, only slowed.”
Sadie takes her hand away in surprise. She looks at Charlie, then back to Mary. “Today, zombies attacked the farmers’ market. A lot of them. Minnie got burned as we were trying to get back to the car.”
Charlie finishes his glass and starts pouring another. Of all the knights he’s known, and of all the friends and mentors he’s ever had—both human and vampire—he trusts Sadie the most. It’s alarming to him that his family was in danger, yes, but in place of himself, he can think of none other who would protect their family as well as her. “You and Minnie seem okay, though?”
“Yes. The only challenge was that we had to use a different exit, and we had to run through the sun.” She looks back at Mary. “But it shouldn’t have happened. The building was secure, with fences, guards, and patrols. I haven’t really thought about it yet, but there’s no way they should have gotten in.”
Mary nods, knowingly, then looks at Charlie. “It’s even worse than that. Two days ago, authorities lost communication with a freighter out of Mexico. The Chinese found it in the Philippine Sea and boarded it. Zombies had taken out the crew, and the ship was headed straight for Hong Kong. The military blew the ship out of the water, but it seems that besides all our efforts, the zombies are still spreading. If this continues, nowhere on Earth will truly be safe.”
Sadie shakes her head. If an outbreak happened Asia, the population density would be like a wildfire… It could spread much faster than it did here in the States. Millions…no, billions…
Charlie continues to drink. They’re learning? Can’t be—I’ve seen them, probably killed more of them than anyone. They’re all stupid, filthy animals after the virus takes over. Impossible. But maybe they’re developing a mindless social ability and are working together. Something like an anthill or a beehive. Still…unbelievable.
Mary finishes her glass and sets it down without a sound. That was a good drink.
Upstairs in his room, Eddy has heard everything they’ve said. He shakes his head. They all know I would hear this, but they send me away so that I can’t SAY anything. So stupid. They don’t want to consider my opinion ’cause I’m just a kid. This is bullshit. He sighs and focuses back on his monitor. He’s reading the forums and researching about Mary.
He looks through her official profile in the Infinite Vampire Archives. How could no one know how old she is? What? Amnesia? Yeah, right. That’s some great soap opera stuff right there.
Eddy clicks on a link in her profile and opens a biography that was written twenty years ago.
Apparently Mary can’t remember anything of her youth. It says that when she was nursed back to health by a group of vampire farmers, they called her Maria, but she doesn’t even know if that’s her real name. Among her tattered and ripped clothes, the only other thing she had when the farmers stumbled on her unconscious and weak body was a golden trinket, an ouroboros—a snake biting its own tail. It’s a common motif, but the one she had was different: instead of being in a circle, hers was in the shape of an infinity symbol.
It’s also the only thing she remembers. According to her, in a late-eighteenth-century autobiography that’s cited in this more recent biography, when she regained consciousness she remembered the golden ouroboros and insisted she’d “Deliver uncanny violence and retribution if it wasn’t returned.” To her surprise, the farmers who found her didn’t steal it. It was sitting right next to her the whole time—on a table by the bed.
She commented in her autobiography how she enjoys the story because it tells of her focus and determination.
Not knowing what else her name should be, she adopted the name of Maria. For many years after, she lived with the farmers and knew nothing of her family, until one night at a festival when she was recognized.
An old woman approached her and paid homage to her. Maria demanded the old woman tell her who she was, but instead the woman beckoned Maria to follow her away from the festival. Camped nearby was a traveling caravan of vampires, and as the old woman led her through the group, everyone knelt. Inside an elder’s tent, Maria was recognized as a member of a very, very old vampire family—one that had disappeared overnight, many years ago. There was some confusion, though; no one could tell if she was the mother of that do
omed family, or if she was the daughter.
Maria didn’t know, either. She accepted her recognized family name—Wollstone—but chose to continue calling herself Maria, “…to be my own person and not one that I cannot remember.” She transitioned to using the name, Mary, in the late 1700’s.
No one can tell her age, because vampires don’t age in a predictable fashion. Even mild exposure to sunlight paired with improper nourishment can add years of physical aging to the body in a matter of weeks. On the other hand, a vampire who takes care of themselves ages at a much slower rate, at least after their body finishes developing in their mid-twenties.
No one knows what exactly happened to her family, either—just that they were wiped out. After a long time, she took her family’s place in the House of Elders, and a few years ago, she was promoted to the highest authority in the House of Elders, the High Council. She’s one of the eight most powerful and influential vampires in the entire world.
Eddy closes his browser. And she’s in my kitchen, wearing almost nothing. Eddy turns around in his chair then jumps into his bed, landing so that he sits upright against the wall. He shakes his head then smiles. I wonder who I’ll meet in DC.
He imagines an impossible variety of vampires, both men and women, large and small, monstrously ugly and ridiculously attractive, heroes and politicians, old-looking vampires and vampires his age. Like Sophia.
Age is just a number anyway, especially to vampires.
Sadie knows Charlie better than anyone, and she knows exactly how he feels about war and the House of Elders. She knows how they used him and others like him to promote political and social agendas. Most missions were indeed for the betterment of mankind, but not all of them were. Some missions were contrived for selfish and cruel reasons—for entertainment. For sport.
And now she’s asking him to reenter that world. She reaches across the table and places her hand on his. “I have to attend this meeting.”
Mary reaches for her glass, pours fresh blood in, and then starts to nurse it.
Charlie looks at Sadie. “Actually, you don’t have to. You want to.”
She uses her whole face to frown at him. “My family has been in the House since it started, and I represent the family now. This meeting isn’t being called to see what new flavors should be added to the product line at Infinite Vampire. They’re meeting to discuss the future of all the vampires, the future of mankind—the future of this planet.” She looks at Mary, then back to Charlie. “Things are dire, Charlie, and I can help.”
“Who do you think you’ll really be helping?”
Sadie jolts her hand away. “Our family. Our community. Our country. Our kind. All the normal humans in the world. Whether the public knows it or not, we and the humans are allies, and the House wants to help.”
Charlie slides his hand off the table and out of her reach. Those monsters only want to help themselves. He interlocks his fingers and starts cracking his knuckles. He looks at his palm—at thin scar after thin scar carved by his own bloodthirsty sword. I gave myself these, but I didn’t ask for the others. Sadie sees those scars EVERY NIGHT. I hate that she sits next to those monsters in the House. They can die a thousand times before I fight for them again. He sets his palms flat on the table. Then, he sighs and looks at his wife. “And you want me to come with you.”
She looks away from his eyes—to his hands. “Yes, but for many reasons.” She looks back into his eyes. “For me, and for the kids. To hell with the House; you don’t need to fight.”
Mary shifts in her seat and breathes a little louder than necessary.
Charlie turns to her. “Would you like to add something?”
Here we go. She takes a slow breath. “Well, you should be prepared to receive orders; you’re still a knight.” She knows that saying this will inspire Charlie to rip her head off and toss it out the window, so she doesn’t pause more than an instant. “It’s just how things are, and they’ll probably send you orders, so you should be ready to receive them.”
“I thought I made it perfectly clear that I would not be their dog anymore. I—”
“YES, you did, and they granted you a reprieve from duty for one hundred and fifty years—after the incident, and, well—” she takes a deep breath and speaks more softly, “—that reprieve ended last month.”
Charlie just stares blankly at her. At the same time, he feels like he’s going to both explode and implode, feelings of outward rage and inner sorrow. He turns to his wife; she looks hollow, as if the body sitting at the table is a mere shell while the real Sadie is off being lively somewhere else.
It seems that no one needs to breathe; the pause and silence and the crippling onslaught of thoughts and emotions render Charlie and Sadie as still as statues. For one hundred and twenty-five years they’ve lived together and loved each other in peace, and now that time is ending. The world they built together just passed its expiration date.
Mary breaks the silence with a breath and a slide of her glass on the table. She adds more grain alcohol to her glass, then places it in front of Charlie. “There is a way I can help. There is another option.”
Charlie opens his hands, palms facing the ceiling as he looks down. “What.”
“If you’d like, if we can work together, I can get you promoted to the Council Guard—the bodyguard service—instead of your reinstatement into…what was your rank?”
Charlie remains silent.
Sadie answers for him. “Lieutenant Colonel, Order of Knights.”
Mary nods, then tilts her head to the side. “Your designation would change to Guard Commander, you’d be promoted up a rank, and you’d have a squadron of Guard Captains to lead. You wouldn’t have to leave your family and fight; you could stay with them and protect the Council.”
Charlie closes his eyes. This is my reward? I get mutilated for the enjoyment of those bastards only to get promoted to protect them. Wow.
Eddie bounds down the stairs. “Dad! That’s great! I could be your squire, and together we can protect the Council!”
-WHAM!- Charlie slams his head down on the table, a fresh oblong indent cradles his forehead.
Sadie is barely surprised by the sudden sound. She glances down at the back of Charlie’s head for a split second before she returns to look at her excited son. She pleads with her voice. “Eddy, go upstairs.”
A muffled, “No. Sit down,” comes from the table.
Sadie mouths Go upstairs, to Eddy again, with a lot more emphasis than before.
Eddy’s smile fades in confusion, and he sits down at the table.
Sadie shakes her head and takes a deep breath.
Charlie lifts his head. His forehead has a dull red mark in the shape of a disc from the impact. “Why do you want to be a squire, Eddy?” He watches his son’s face with a quiet anger.
Eddy can tell that sitting down wasn’t the best idea. “Uh, because you’re a knight, and you have a duty, and I want to share in that duty as your son. For tradition, and…for family honor.”
Charlie shrugs and glances to Sadie. “Pretty good answer.”
She grabs his glass and takes a sip.
Mary pushes her chair back from the table. “I need to use the bathroom.” She slinks away from the table, through the kitchen, and up the stairs.
Charlie looks back at Eddy. They’re petty and cruel… Friends, children I’ve lost… Times are different… You cannot escape them; it’s a lifelong commitment. Charlie speaks with sincerity. “You don’t know what you’re asking for, kid.”
Eddy doesn’t hear the honesty or the care in Charlie’s voice. He puffs out his chest and snarls, “Yeah, I do, DAD.” He shakes his head and looks away. He’ll never understand.
Charlie can’t help but roll his eyes and throw his hands up. He looks to Sadie.
She sinks into her chair as she leans onto the table, supporting her head with her hand. “Eddy, it’s not all glamour, excitement, and heroics. It’s pain, blood, and death. Once you accept the
rites, you serve until you die.” She leans off from her hand and uses it to push her palm at him. “There’s no going back.”
Eddy glances back and forth between his parents. “I know; I want to be in that service. I’ve been thinking about it for years.”
Sadie groans and looks at Charlie. He’s your son.
Charlie gets up and faces Eddy. “Stand up.”
Sadie furrows her brow. Hon, what are you doing?
Eddy sees the concern in his mom’s face, then looks up at Charlie. He clenches his fists and stands.
Charlie takes off his shirt. His chest is a collection of hundreds of scars, big and small, and a couple really huge ones. He points to the biggest, darkest scar—the one that reaches from his right shoulder to the left side of his stomach. It has a couple shorter, parallel companions that pale in grandeur, but altogether it looks like he was nearly cut clear in two. “Do you want one of these?”
“Of course not—”
“Well, you might get even worse.”
“That’s part of the sacrifice! Part of the service that I want to provide.”
Charlie points at Eddy. “Service? That word comes from Latin, ser-vus, and it means SLAVE.”
Eddy throws his hands up. “You’re not listening to me!”
Charlie glances at Sadie, but not long enough to see her face, then he glances toward the window, tilting his head. He brings his hand up to his chin and mockingly strokes a nonexistent long beard, pretending to think. “Oh, I hear you; you have no idea what you’re talking about, and you want to be a slave to a group of ancient monsters.”
Eddy just shakes his head and glares at his dad. You’re… “You’re acting like an idiot.”
Bones crack inside Charlie as a muscle spasm travels across his body. His pupils dilate, and his eyes widen as a rush charges through his blood. Charlie feels the massive buildup of energy itching at every muscle fiber and neuron waiting to be let loose in explosive motion. He knows the feeling well, and he can control it.