by Emily Reese
“Listen kid,” Tommy said while he shrugged out of his jacket and handed it to Mike. “We’re more than grateful you identified the guy in the picture. But the name Regulus is about the worst possible thing you could’ve said in there.”
“Why? And what’s this for?” Mike held the jacket up.
“Your shirt’s seen better days kid; we’ve got to go through the lobby to get to your rooms.”
“There, I think I got them all.” Ben stood back and looked Mike over. “Tommy?”
“Yeah, that’s good enough,” he added after a cursory once over. “It just looks like he got in a scuffle and came out on top.”
Mike finally took a moment to look at his reflection in the mirrored walls of the elevator. Black smears crossed his face, had dropped onto his shirt, but other than that he seemed no worse for wear. Tommy’s jacket covered most of it.
“What is all this stuff?” he asked, trying to wipe some of the black residue off around his forehead. A sudden thought horrified him. He turned to Ben. “Hey, did you wipe me up with your spit??”
“Hardly. I closed up your wounds. They would’ve healed on their own, but we don’t have that kind of time. Here, bite your finger.”
Mike looked at him in complete confusion.
“Quit staring and do what I said, Michael. Bite your blasted finger. Make it bleed.”
“O-kay.” At this point, his world was so upside down, one more thing couldn’t make that much of a difference. Mike bit his finger, and it took less pressure than he expected to break the skin. “Huh,” he said as he took index finger out of his mouth. “That doesn’t taste right.”
“Of course not. You’re not human anymore, so it doesn’t taste human anymore. Now watch. Tommy, come here.”
“Oh, did he get me?” Tommy asked and went to stand directly in front of Mike.
“Just a small spot above your eye,” Ben replied, “but I know how you value your appearance, and it’s as good a time as any for him to learn.”
“When you’re right, you’re right,” he joked. Shaking his arms out he squared his shoulders and looked directly at Mike. “Okay kid, seal me up.”
Looking from one vampire to the other while they waited expectedly, he finally spoke.
“Sooo… what do I do.”
“Smear your blood over the cut on Tommy’s eye.”
“Is that even sanitary?”
“For Christ’s sakes,” Ben muttered, wiping a hand down his face while staring up at the ceiling in exasperation. Tommy seemed less disgusted, giving Mike’s shoulder a gentle punch.
“Its fine kid, just wipe it once and it’ll heal right up. Make it fast, though; we’re almost to our floor.”
Mike shook his head and did as he was told. Almost instantly, the inch long cut that oozed blood coal colored blood closed and disappeared. When Mike looked down at his finger, the bite no longer existed. Just a tiny smear of gray was left, similar to the smudges on his face and shirt.
“Wow. That’s… that’s pretty amazing.”
“Eh, I’m an amazing kind of guy. Oh, but yeah, the healing thing is good too.” Tommy flashed him another smirk as the elevator dinged to indicate they’d reached their destination. “Stay right behind me, we’ll get through this quick.”
Tommy was true to his word. As they made their way quickly through the gaming floor, he waived off guests and staff alike, stopping for no one and earning more than a few surprised looks.
In no time at all, they were in another elevator, this one inaccessible to the public and much less ornate. Tommy entered his keycard and code on the wall panel and they began their descent.
“Do you still want me to prepare for tomorrow night?”
“Yeah, go ahead. He’ll be finished way before then.”
“I’ll still need his blood.”
“Yeah,” Tommy laughed ruefully, “don’t worry about it. I’ll get it to you before sunrise. These should get you anywhere you need to be,” Tommy handed them their own keycards. “Let me know if security gives you a hard time.” The doors to the elevator opened to a monochromatic hallway. “I gotta get back up there, straighten things out. Calm the boss down. I’ll see ya.”
Ben and Mike stepped out of the elevator. The doors closed quickly behind them and Tommy was gone.
“Let’s go find our rooms.”
“Are you going to explain any of this?” Mike hated how far out of his control this whole thing had become; it reminded him too much of the night before.
“Once we get settled and feed. You can help me get things ready and I’ll try to answer your questions.” The normally confident Ben stretched his neck and started walking, shoulders drooping, his pace a bit slower than before. Only the change in his mentor’s demeanor kept Mike from pressing the issue.
Finding their rooms proved simple; there were only two doors in the hallway and one was a maintenance closet. They had been put up in a two-bedroom suite, oddly similar to the one Mike shared with Claire back in Baltimore. He wondered if all vampires had the same layout for their guest rooms.
As if the riot of colors upstairs were too much for the decorator, everything in the suite was an off-white color. The furniture was comfortable but minimalistic, and surprisingly, given the occupants, the kitchen was quite large. After finding his things in the first bedroom, Mike went in search of Ben.
“I see you’re not taking this lightly,” Ben said when Mike appeared in his doorway. His items almost put away, he faced the choice of either finishing now with Mike staring at him, or having some peace a little later. Opting for the latter, Ben tossed a shirt back into his suitcase. “It’s good to see you so interested in learning the ins and outs of our species.”
“No it’s… I mean, I am, but I was wondering about Meghan, if…”
“It’s only been a day. Give them some time. I promise you’ll know what they find the second I do.” He pulled the handle of a rolling metal suitcase and led Mike into the kitchen. “Now come with me, we’ve got work to do.”
Ben set the suitcase gently on the counter. While Mike watched he turned the dials on a barely noticeable combination lock, the case responding with a hiss and a pop as it opened. Thin white smoke seeped from around the seam.
“What is that?” Mike asked. He took a few steps back, just in case.
“This, Michael, is our favor to Bear and those under him.” He opened the lid wide for Mike to see. Inside where what looked to be the makings of a small chemistry set, each piece fitted into its own cutout in thick black foam the whole thing giving of waves of cold. Ben carefully removed a canister sealed with a complex lid, filled with a thick black liquid.
“Is that?” Mike asked.
“This is blood from one of our females. We are going to use it to help Bear and Tommy create females of their own, so they won’t be in danger of dying out.”
“So what do you need me to do?”
“We can’t do much until we have Bear’s blood to add to this.” When Mike looked lost, Ben explained. “It ensures that the females we create will be linked to Bear instead of Khale. In the meantime, we need to sterilize everything from the suitcase before using it. Boil some water if you please.”
Mike went through the cabinets to find a few pots large enough and some clean towels for drying.
“I sterilize, you explain,” he told Ben as he filled the first pot with water.
“In the normal course of things, we create new vampires in a ceremony during which the candidate ingests a mixture of blood. The mixture contains blood from a female of that territory, as well as the blood from the Elder that presides over said territory. In addition, each candidate has a sponsor, and his blood is added as well. This makes it possible for the new vampire to be trained without the effects of the age difference between candidate and sponsor, as well as making them a part of the Elder’s extended family, so to speak.”
“Oh, yeah?” Mike growled in frustration while
he tried to figure out how to make the stove work. He was no kitchen novice, but this thing was complex enough it might talk back. “Who was in my cocktail? You?”
“No. Your transformation was in no way planned, so things went a little differently.” He reached across Mike and with a few touches, had the burners heating up.
“So, what does that mean for me?”
“Well, Claire was in a tight spot, as you well know.” Ben’s mouth tightened ever so slightly as it always did when he spoke about Claire. “She didn’t know what she was doing. For her transformation, she had Khale’s and my blood, but I doubt she remembers. For you, Claire is both your sponsor and your female donor, which is why I can still put you in your place.” He flicked Mike’s bare arm as he finished, sending little bolts of electricity all the way down to Mike’s fingers.
“What about Khale? He wasn’t there.” Mike’s heart sank. Here he was again, with no family except those completely focused on something else.
“He gave you his blood after the fact. It helped with your transformation and healing, as well as cementing your bond within our group.”
A breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding escaped, the knowledge that he did in fact belong lifting some of the weight he’d carried since the day he awoke as a vampire.
Meghan is a vampire, his traitorous mind whispered.
At the tiniest thought of her, he felt his head start to spin; in an effort to stay focused he took the tongs Ben handed him and began slowly placing each glass container into the now boiling water.
“So what’s Bear’s deal with Regulus?” he asked, desperate for all the distraction he could find.
“That’s quite a long story, not to mention old.”
“We’ve got time while these boil.”
“We could work on your combat training,” Ben suggested with malicious grin.
“Pass, man. You already know I can kick your ass.” Ben made a noise of disgust, but smiled. “I’ll nuke us something to drink. You can continue being my vampire history audio book.”
“If I must,” Ben sighed dramatically and went to wait in the living room for Mike to bring dinner. “You sure you don’t want to go out for something… fresh?” he called back to Mike.
Mike froze mid-pour. Fresh? Like go out and bite someone? His stomach turned, once again seeing Meghan’s face, dripping with the blood of Jimmy and his family. Shaking his head to dislodge the thoughts, Mike barely caught himself before he overflowed the first glass of blood. Unable to stop, he found himself staring hungrily at the thick red liquid with both fascination and revulsion. He’d only made it this far by not thinking about what he was drinking. The thought that this came from someone, possibly with a family, who could be alive or dead right now…
“No thanks,” he yelled back to Ben, quickly finishing up both glasses. “I don’t think I’m ready for that yet.”
“You’re going to have to sometime.”
Mike jumped and spun around. Ben had crept up on him in that annoying little way he always seemed to do. The microwave beeped, causing him to jump again.
“But not tonight,” the vampire added with a smirk. Mike removed the glasses from the microwave and handed one to Ben with more force than necessary. Ben continued to grin while taking a seat in the living room, causing Mike to briefly reconsider the idea of combat training.
“So, Bear and Regulus?”
“Have you ever heard of Queen Boudicca?” Ben asked as he seated himself across from him.
“Queen Booty-ca?” Mike snorted.
“Boudicca. She’s quite the legend back in the U.K.”
“Oh yeah?” They each took a sip of their meal and sat back for the story.
“Queen Boudicca’s husband was king of a large tribe of Iceni, during the reign of Emperor Nero. It was Roman custom to let the current but conquered king keep his land, then will it to the Roman Empire upon his death. In an effort to preserve his line, the king willed his land to Nero and his own two daughters.”
“I take it Nero wasn’t down with that.”
“Women had no hereditary rights in ancient Rome. When Queen Boudicca tried to enforce her daughters’ claims, they were made an example of.” Ben swallowed with a distaste having nothing to do with his mug of blood.
“How?”
“The Romans beat Boudicca to a bloody pulp, then raped her daughters in front of her. They were twelve and fourteen.”
“Oh, God,” Mike said in disgust. “That’s terrible. What bastards.”
“Queen Boudicca agreed. She led a revolt against the Romans that occupied Britannia at the time. Her Celtic tribes decimated legions of Romans. They burnt London to the ground.”
“Serves them right,” Mike agreed, toasting the queen and taking another sip.
“Indeed. Unfortunately, her revolution was no match for the full might of the Empire. She was defeated and poisoned herself rather than be taken alive. I can’t say I blame her. Rome was not known for its mercy.”
“What happened to her girls?”
“They followed their mother to war. The eldest died at her mother’s side, but the younger, Lannosea escaped and was spirited away from the last battle. Eventually, she found refuge in Wales and gave birth to her son.”
“Her son? You don’t mean a little kid…” Mike set his cup down, horrified.
“It wasn’t as unusual then as it was today. There was a child from the rape, and she named her son Barawan, after the son of the Welsh god of the Underworld, revenge, terror, and war.”
“Yikes. So that baby was this guy Bear?”
“Yes,” Ben nodded.
“Well, shit,” Mike said as he ran a hand through his hair, “no wonder I pissed him off.”
“It wasn’t you. He has his grandmother’s temper and his mother’s hatred for anything Roman. Not everything changes once you start your Second Life.”
“I guess not.” Mike was unsure where to go next in the conversation. He made a promise to himself not to ask so many questions about other vampires. None of their stories came with happy endings. “So, you think those glasses have boiled long enough?”
“Probably.”
Just then, there was a single knock followed by Tommy entering carrying another jar of black liquid.
“Hey, guys! Like the room okay? Where did you want this, Ben?”
“On the counter will be fine. What about the sponsors?”
“Given the circumstances, Bear and I decided it would be safer if I sponsored them all.”
“Ten Tom? You think you’re up to that many?” Ben asked. A dark looked passed over Tommy’s face before he answered.
“Only if we’re lucky.” Shaking his head and his somber mood with it, he reverted to Casino-Manager-Tommy, all smiles again. “Anyway, we both loaded this thing up, it should be ready to go.”
“How’s Bear doing?” Mike asked hesitantly.
“Aw, he’s fine.” Tommy set the jar down carefully and joined them in the living room.
“I’m sorry I mentioned Regulus. I didn’t know… Ben told me.”
“Ah, Bear knows he’s overly touchy when it comes to Romans. He hardly ever gets crazy over it anymore… I mean, how many ancient Romans do you see walking around these days, am I right?” Tommy laughed, but it faded when the others didn’t join in. “Seriously kid, no hard feelings. Before I left, Bear wanted you to know we’re all square. Okay?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Listen, I gotta get back up there. Anything you need? No? Catch you tomorrow.” Tommy was out the door in a blink.
With all the heavy revelations of the past two nights, he felt a hundred years old. Someday I will be. Unable to fight it any longer Mike yawned long and loud.
“Why don’t you get some sleep Mike? I’ve got some work to do, and its best done without distractions.”
“Yeah, alright. G’night.” Stretching his frame as long as it would go, he nodded to Ben before heading to his room.
That day, he dreamt not of the night with Claire, but of all of Collin’s victims, just as he had when he was a human. This time however, there was a tiny girl with wild hair and hate in her eyes holding a small, squirming bundle. Behind them stood a blood soaked Meghan.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Elliot waited for me in the living room when I awoke that evening, his telltale heartbeat as much an announcement as if he’d knocked on my door. Leaving my cabin, I was pleased to find the rest of the living quarters on the mend. The wall between the living room and kitchen was boarded up, the floors swept clean. The man responsible sat again on the love seat, this time sipping something warm from what appeared to be a hand painted mug. I couldn’t make out everything from the way he held it, but the side facing me looked to contain the beginnings of a rainbow and a tiny hand print.
“A little late for coffee isn’t it?” Not that I’d had any in a half a century, but I was still familiar with the concept.
“I’m on your schedule more often than not,” he said and lifted his cup to me. “You ready to go?”
“Not hardly. I’m not going anywhere until we get to know each other better.” Elliot raised an eyebrow, making me wish I’d used a different phrase. “You know what I mean,” I snapped and went to prepare my own beverage.
Despite our noble cause, I still wasn’t happy about this new found partnership. Would I have refused to help the surviving victims of Collin’s madness, if there were any? Of course not. That still didn’t mean I like to be forced into something. I had enough of that in my past, thankyouverymuch.
Still, it was futile to bitch about it, even if I did so only in my head. Instead, while I waited for Elliot to start talking, I took my frustrations out on the kitchen, slamming cabinets and punching buttons with more force than necessary.
“What is it exactly you’d like to know?”
The sudden proximity of his voice behind me, caused me to jump. Turning, I found him once again in my personal space. What is his problem? Only the reminder of how small the galley actually was kept me from telling him to back off. I tried instead to rein in my irritation while he smiled and took another sip of his coffee. His eyes stayed on my face the entire time, and I had to fight not to look at his lips as his cup moved away. Out of my space, out of my space! So uncomfortable!