Rise of Midnight

by SARA FREITES

  When I wanted to go to bed, I had to let Thade know so he could call volunteers to stand guard on the top floor. Personally, I felt he was being overly cautious, but as I learned, Thade took my safety very seriously. So much so that one night, he asked that the entire safehaven run through drills just in case an attack on the top floors of the Sanctum ever occurred. When any suspicious activity was spotted, the vampires were required to take me to a specific area of the greystone until Thade gave the signal that everything was okay. I could’ve laughed at the precautions they took. But at that point, I wasn’t fully aware of the danger that Arlos and his followers presented.

  On nights they hunted, Mondays and Thursdays, the first shift would leave shortly before midnight. This shift included the entire greystone along with Thade, his children and the greystone down the street. Most nights, I made it a point to be in bed before they returned around 2:00 or 3:00 AM. I’d seen it once. Through the back door they’d come, some licking their lips and fangs giddily. I always felt sickened by the satisfied looks on their normally blank faces. It was difficult not to think about the people they murdered on those nights. As much as I tried to think of it in a sense that the vampires were killing to survive, it was next to impossible to accept it when the facts were so blatantly obvious—that people had to die to keep the monsters I lived with alive.

  Sunday was the only day of the week where the vampires went for a third day without feeding, and it was clear in their behavior. Most were far more irritable that day than usual. They’d cut their eyes at each other as a warning not to get too close.

  The nights were the toughest for me. The worst part was trying to sleep with thoughts of my family running through my head. Many nights, I stayed up crying under my covers. And when Thade peeped in around 2:30 AM to check on me, I’d silence myself until he left. He sometimes stood just outside my room talking to a clan member, asking if they had seen or heard anything about two daggers they were looking for. The answer was always “no”. I never understood the purpose of these conversations.

  Night after night, I thought of ways to escape, ways of driving Thade so mad he’d give anything to send me home. But there was nothing that, as a human, I could do to a house full of immortals. I also started testing for weak points in the boarded-up windows when no one was watching...with no success. As easy as it looked, I couldn't just walk out of that place. I even tried just that.

  The clan never left the Sanctum from the front door. Eden had said it was too conspicuous to use. Anyone who came in or out used the back door that faced away from the street. It was the only usable entrance and exit above ground. I later learned that it had a deadbolt with a keyhole on both sides, and of course, it was always locked. There was no telling where the key was kept or who had one. According to Eden, the lock only kept out curious humans…and kept me from leaving.

  The more I thought about it, the more I resented this Latresma woman. Because of her,

  I was here. Because of her, not only was my brother dead, but I’d never see my family again. Because of her, even my humanity would be taken from me.

  Part 2

  Trespasser

  Eden sat across from me at the table. She sipped at a glass of blood, then set it down and went back to knitting. I had to tell myself her glass was full of wine to keep from gagging. I twisted my fork around in the spaghetti she’d prepared. Usually, I tried to make my own meals. Eden kept the refrigerator full of food for me at all times alongside her many glasses of blood. But somehow, she always beat me to the kitchen to cook. In a weird sense, she reminded me of my grandmother. I don’t know if it was that Eden had admitted to being close to ninety years old, that she sat across from me knitting or if it was the fact that she always went out of her way to take care of me, including making sure I was always well fed.

  It was Thursday night, March 9th, close to three weeks into my stay. Still, according to Thade, there hadn’t been any sign that Arlos was even in the country. Although three havidens suspected of working for him were found on the outskirts of the city two nights earlier. Thade had them immediately taken in. They brought them to the basement prison for questioning and a possible execution. Other than that…nothing…which made me all the more aggravated that Thade wouldn’t allow me to go home. I grew more and more desperate by the day to escape the Sanctum.

  “Why do you like cooking so much if you can’t eat the food?” I asked Eden as we sat at the table.

  “It was something I used to do with my father years ago,” she replied and twirled one of the knitting needles in her hand. “He was a chef at a café here in Chicago for several years while he was still human. When I was little, I'd go with him to work some nights. He taught me everything I know about cooking. After my mother passed away and my father had chosen to be reborn, I had no reason to cook anymore. It'd been years since I cooked a meal until you came. You gave me a reason to. It's exciting for me.”

  “I’m lucky I have you,” I admitted. “I can’t cook.” My eyes followed her hands. “What are you making?”

  “A scarf,” she said proudly. “I try to knit every day. It helps me relax. What helps you relax?”

  “Drawing,” I told her. “It’s been awhile, but I get to draw a lot more now since I’ve been here.”

  “Good,” she said with a nod. “I’m glad. I’d like to see some of your work sometime.”

  “It’s underwhelming,” I muttered.

  “Don’t say that,” she urged. We sat without speaking for a long few minutes before she snickered, “You know. If you were anyone else, my father wouldn’t be so hospitable—allowing you to stay in a nice room, granting you practically free roam, allowing me to interact with you and all. You don’t realize how much you get away with here.”

  “I thought it was because of Latresma,” I wondered aloud.

  “No, not really,” she explained. “As I said before, you’re not technically her. To most of the vampires here, you’re just a human carrying around part of her soul. No offense, of course. My father has a soft spot for humans. Especially you.”

  “Why me?” I asked, shocked.

  “Because you remind him of my mother in a way,” she replied. “Petite. Stubborn. Not afraid to speak your mind.”

  “Oh,” I drew out the word. “I’m sorry.”

  “No need to apologize,” she assured me. “It doesn’t bother me. You remind me a little of her, too.”

  We sat quietly again.

  “Didn’t you say that Harper was the youngest vampire here? How old is he?” I asked.

  Really, I didn’t care to know. I just didn’t want to lead on to how awkward I suddenly felt.

  “He’s only lived as a vampire for ten years,” she explained. “He’s thirty-five or thirty-six.”

  “How does the clan make money? You must have some source of income.” I kept changing the subject to fill the silence.

  “We have a pool of money we all share. It’s drawn in from certain members of the clan.”

  “But how do they make that money?” I kept digging.

  “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

  I was so sure she meant this as a joke that I quietly scoffed as she stared at me, straight-faced. Her eyebrows neared each other. I could feel my smile gradually fade.

  “These are weird questions. Is something wrong? Are you sick?” she asked with concern in her voice.

  “No,” I replied with a shrug after scooting my dinner plate away from me. “I just…I don’t fit in here, I guess.”

  “Girl, I’m half white, half black, half human and half vampire. You think you don’t fit in here? Give me a break. I know what’s actually bothering you, and I wish that I could—”

  “Thade! We’ve got a non-human on property!” one of the vampires in the next room shouted.

  The entire house exploded into motion.

  “Where?” Thade shouted back from upstairs.

  “In the back lot!” the vampire called back.

  �
�Bring him in!” Thade ordered.

  Several men exited the back door as others ran up from downstairs. My adrenaline level spiked.

  “Take the human to B level, Eden,” a vampire demanded as he passed us.

  Eden and I looked at one another. After twenty days of boredom, there was no way in hell I was going to hide away while something crazy went on just outside. And the way Eden looked at me, I knew she knew it, too.

  “Oh, no you don’t—” she began.

  Despite her scorning gaze, I made a run for it. I tailed the group of rushing vampires, weaving between them. Through the back door and into the rain, we went. Eden called after me the whole way but became blocked by several vampires trying to make their way through. I hoped with all the commotion that no one would notice my escape. But then, I felt a strong hand grip my wrist and tug me back.

  “You’re not going anywhere, Autumn,” Eden stopped me, her stern expression catching me off guard.

  Just a few feet ahead, five vampires wrestled a man to the ground. Two more jumped down from the roof of the greystone to help their comrades.

  “Inside, now!” Terry ordered us in his approach.

  He pointed Eden and me back into the greystone. Once inside, I ran to the back window with Eden right behind me. I moved away the small rotting portion of the board from the pane and peeked outside. I watched the vampires drag the intruder to the back of the house. Someone pulled me from the window by my sleeve. My back hit the wall. Terry’s arm stretched across me, serving as a barrier between me and the vampire freight train that barreled through the back door.

  The man they held was soaked from the rain, his jaw-length jet black hair stuck wet against his face. His shirt was slightly tattered at the top, probably from the scuffle, and his jeans were covered in mud and grass. Between thick strands of his hair, his fierce deep yellow eyes peered through at me. Cold tingles flew up and down my spine. I shrank back even farther to get away from his intense stare. The group brought him to the foyer where the intruder stopped resisting.

  “Take him to the sublevel. I’ll be down for questioning soon,” Thade ordered.

  The vampires forced the man down the basement staircase where they disappeared. Thade drew a cigarette from his jacket.

  “I’m stressed enough without having to deal with trespassers,” Thade grumbled.

  Eden winced at her father’s harsh tone. I couldn’t be sure if he was talking to us or to himself. Either way, neither of us dared say a word. He slammed the staircase door closed and lit his cigarette. He then made his way to the sitting room.

  “Well, that was fun,” Eden mumbled sarcastically the second her dad was out of sight.

  “I want to go home,” I sighed heavily.

  “What?”

  “You asked what was wrong with me,” I explained. “I just want to go home.”

  I knew she knew where I was going with this. I hoped she’d sympathize. After all, she’d already admitted to sneaking around to be with the humans.

  She sat down at the table. “I wish there was a way for you to. Maybe we could let you go home, assign a few of our men to watch over you until we find Arlos. Then, we could bring you back here when—”

  “Seriously?” I exclaimed before she could finish.

  “Whoa. Hold on now,” she discouraged me. “Don’t get your hopes up. I have to get this past my father. But after what just happened, I doubt he’d go for it.”

  I sluggishly sat down at the table with her. I could feel her eyes searching for mine, but I kept them low on my plate.

  “Well, I—” she wavered and folded her arms over her chest. “I mean, it won't hurt to ask him. Right?”

  “Right now?” I sat up.

  “No. He’ll be interrogating the intruder soon. Let’s wait until our hunt later tonight,” she

  advised. “Hopefully, he’ll be in a better mood by then. I imagine he’ll be busy for a good bit until then.”

  As the night wore on, I waited anxiously for midnight. I sat in bed fighting sleep and passed the time by watching TV until I heard the hunting party getting ready. I got up, determined to make this happen. The entire place was in an uproar for the hunt. It was the only time I’d sometimes see a vampire smile or even laugh—a morbid celebration of death as they threw on their trench coats. I could feel the energy in the air as I searched for Eden.

  I’d intended on letting her do all the talking, but when I couldn’t find her fast enough through the parade of black cloaks, I thought about taking things into my own hands. I hardly had time to decide before I waited in the bedroom next to mine. This is where Thade always got ready for hunts. He sat on the couch, unfolding what first appeared to be a thick black blanket—his coat. My palms turned clammy.

  “Thade?” I timidly asked.

  “Yes?” he acknowledged me.

  He got up and slipped into the trench coat. It unfolded and nearly touched the ground. The coat matched the ones the others wore, and it covered every bit of him. A deep, floppy hood crowned the coat, and it lay flat from his shoulders against his back. Thade went to close the closet but stopped to peer over his wide shoulder at me.

  “I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” I said, then rubbed my hands together.

  “I’m listening,” he assured me before reaching up to adjust the collar of his jacket.

  “Well, I was thinking that—” I paused anxiously. “Maybe you could let me go home until you find Arlos.”

  I could tell by his body language that he wasn’t interested in hearing the rest of what I had to say.

  “There’s nothing for me to do here,” I pressed on. “If anything, I get in the way, and it’s not doing you any good with me just sitting around here all day.”

  He lifted the hood over his head. The light touched everything between his nose and collarbone. But above that, his eyes, like two opaque marbles, were all I could see inside the hood’s shadow. I felt even more intimidated by him than before.

  “No,” he said plainly before looking away.

  “No? You didn’t even...you didn’t even think it over,” I stuttered, my voice pitched.

  “No,” he repeated in the same, flat tone after a few beats.

  “Was that supposed to be you thinking it over?” I asked, holding back, my fists clenching all on their own.

  “No, Autumn. No,” he repeated. “I’m not changing my mind about this.”

  “Look. You’ve already decided my future for me. Can’t you just let me have this?”

  “No. I can’t allow it.”

  “You can’t or you won’t?”

  “They are one and the same at this point,” he jeered.

  “That’s not fair!” I snapped as he walked by me. Tears welled up in my eyes.

  “Such is life,” he said and walked out of the room.

  He leaned over the railing and shouted to everyone who’d gathered, “Let's go!”

  I heard hoots of joy as the back door blew open downstairs. Everyone filed out, going their separate ways in groups as I’d seen them do every week. Eden appeared beside Thade. She must have been waiting just around the corner.

  “I thought we could talk about letting her go home,” she spoke in a hushed voice to him. “Just until we find Arlos and the daggers.”

  “No, Eden,” Thade replied. “There is nothing more to talk about. Get your coat on. They’re waiting for us.” He started downstairs.

  I waited in frustration as she kept trying him.

  “At least think it over.”

  “Eden,” he said as if she’d inquired about my release several times before. “You know I love you, but you aren’t thinking rationally. She is too valuable to let run about the city. The humans can’t protect her like we can.”

  “I’m not saying you’re wrong. I just feel sorry for her.”

  “You’d feel even worse if something happened to her because she left the safety of the Sanctum. Don’t I always know what’s best for you, for the clan? Have I ever le
d any of you astray?”

  My body trembled, enraged by Thade’s stubbornness and Eden’s lack of ability to get through to him. The sound of Thade’s heavy footsteps faded. Eden peeped back into the doorway, slowly shaking her head at me. My eyes overflowed with tears.

  “I’m so sorry, Autumn,” she said. “My father, he’s an overly cautious man. He’s been all over the world, seen the times change right before his eyes more than once. He’s also made a lot of mistakes in his time, so he’s learned to trust his gut. I’d love more than anything for you to see your family one last time, but he’s right. It’s too dangerous. Please, just try to see this from his point of view.”

  “This is so stupid,” I grumbled through my teeth.

  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

  She left me alone with my mind whirling. I could hear her boots as they clacked against the floor, trailing the hunting party outside. The back door clanged shut. I stood there for several seconds, staring at the ground before going back to my room. There, I lay face up in bed, my blood as hot as lava under my skin. My conversation with Thade replayed over and over in my head, and I couldn’t help but think of all the things I should have said to him. But it was useless. I knew I could never say anything to that man that would change his mind. If his reasoning behind keeping me there was to protect me, then it would be stupid of him to let me leave the safety of the clan if even for a night. I couldn’t argue with that.

  I was trapped there. I wished I had some way to defend myself, some way of showing the vampires that I didn’t need their protection. I wished I didn’t need them. I wished I could be strong like them without becoming one of them.

  And then, my mind went to Latresma’s spell book and lured me from my raging thoughts. I hadn’t opened it since it was given to me. It sat untouched in my dresser drawer until now as I flipped through its pages. As I read, I hoped Latresma was more powerful than the incantations she’d written. There were many that seemed pretty useless. Under each were instructions stating a specific item that was required in order for the spell to work. But it wasn’t like I could just go to the store and buy these things. But if I could use these spells and prove to the vampires that I didn’t need their protection, help them even, then maybe they would find a respect for me, let me to stay with my family until they found Arlos.