The Turned

by A A Mize

  As far as her family was concerned, Rachel’s death was an open and shut affair. Rachel got angry with Dustin, went out on her own, had too many drinks, and passed out in the park. They were convinced of what the police had told Sophie and most of them were so desperate for answers to their questions, they accepted the story wholeheartedly. But they hadn’t seen what Sophie had. They hadn’t seen the nervous looks or felt the tension in the air around the police department.

  Many members of her family felt relieved to have some answers and her mother was adamant that Sophie come home. Even though Sophie knew that she really didn’t have any way of unraveling the truth, something compelled her to stay in New Orleans. It felt different than anything she had ever known, as if the city called to her in her dreams. In the moments between guests offering their tear-filled condolences, Sophie found her mind slipping back to the dark, quiet house in the French Quarter and the two strange men who inhabited it.

  For all her family’s worrying, Sophie was fine. Dominic and Lukas were a little odd, but so far, they hadn’t given her any reason to fear them. Lukas was talkative and seemed interested in her life, although he wasn’t around enough for them to speak about personal matters. Dominic, on the other hand, was far more private, choosing to keep to himself. He had spared her a few passing formalities, but she had yet to speak with him in depth. Their lack of communication had not stunted her interest in him however, but only served to further arouse her curiosity, especially since the night she had bumped into him after getting lost.

  She let her mind wander to early morning hours when she had been awoken by the sounds of a violin. For a few moments she had remained in a sleepy haze, until she realized she was not dreaming. The music was coming from downstairs. Quietly she had crept from her room and onto the landing to peek over the rail. From where she stood, she could not see the living room, but the flickering shadow of a slender figure with a violin stretched across the hardwood floor from the light of the fireplace. Slowly, she had tiptoed down the stairs until she could see Dominic, alone before the flames, playing a slow, hypnotizing tune. It was calming and quiet and she had almost fallen asleep on the stairs, watching his nimble fingers drawing the bow over the strings.

  There was no way to tell how long she had watched him play, but by the time he placed the instrument back in its case, the sun was bright behind the dark curtains and the fire was just a pile of glowing embers and ash. Sophie had hurried back upstairs, careful to remain as quiet as possible. She had just closed her door when she heard him ascend the steps, heart racing in her chest in fear that he had seen or heard her.

  “Yo, Earth to Sophie.” Matthias waved a hand in front of her face and she blinked back to reality.

  Between her early viewing of Dominic’s private concert, taking a bus to and from Rachel’s memorial, and now preparing for her first night working with Lukas, she was exhausted, and it was showing.

  “Sorry. Just lost in my own little world, I guess,” Sophie sighed, rising from the island stool to clean out her coffee mug. She had been so wrapped up in her head that she hadn’t even noticed Dominic rummaging around in the kitchen. “Evening, Dominic.”

  “Hm,” he hummed as a response, not even giving her a glance as he searched for his favorite mug. “You should leave soon, Lukas. Getting through those parade crowds will be difficult and you don’t want to make Sophie late her first day.”

  Sophie wilted a little at his obvious disinterest in her, but she tried not to take it personally.

  “Yeah, yeah. Just bring home some food when you get off, will ya?” Lukas replied, directing Sophie to the door.

  Dominic’s eyes narrowed, and he huffed through his nose. “Very well.”

  The night was cool and misty as Lukas and Sophie stepped out onto the sidewalk. Lukas didn’t seem to mind it at all, but Sophie hated being cold and wet. Pulling her coat close to herself, she allowed her escort to lead her down the street, hooking her arm in his to share the same umbrella.

  Standing so close to him made her realize how very tall he is. She chanced a sideways glance up at her companion and guessed him to be about six and a half feet tall, beating Dominic’s height by five or six inches, and towering over her by a little more than a foot. When she was with him, she felt safe, even if his choice of clothing gave off a harsh first impression of him. Perhaps that helped her security, as she figured no one would want to tussle with such a big man covered in chains and straps.

  Lukas led her around the crowds toward the bar and she even got to see a little bit of the parade coming down the way. They managed to arrive in good time, though Sophie’s shoes and the hems of her pant legs were soaked, but she tried not to focus on that. Honey-colored eyes focused straight ahead, ignoring the eerie yellow glow of streetlights through the mist, her hands gripping Lukas’s arm tighter with every block. It had been a long time since she had started a new job and she had never worked in a bar.

  “You don’t have to be nervous, Soph.” Matthias patted her hand reassuringly. “It’ll be just me, you, and Mamma tonight. She’s a tough ol’ bird, but I promise she’s a great lady to work for.”

  Although this was not encouraging at the time, when Sophie met Mamma, she instantly had a soft spot for the woman. Greeted with a hug and a smile, as if Sophie was her own child, it was hard to not feel instantly welcome. For the time being, Sophie had been set up cleaning, retrieving supplies, and taking drink orders from customers who had chosen not to sit at the bar. It was pretty simple and with the steady flow of people, she lost track of time. Hours had passed before she even thought to check her watch and it was a welcome change to how her old receptionist job was where every ten minutes felt an eternity.

  It also helped that Lukas had promised to show her how to prepare absinthe properly when she had expressed interest in the green drink. As Sophie dried glasses, she watched Lukas place a glass on the counter and begin what could only be compared to mixing a magic potion.

  Over the course of the evening she had seen and learned so much that she completely forgot about her troubles. For the first time in recent memory she had found a job that she enjoyed. Lukas had warned her that there were bad nights, as any bar might have, but most of the time it was laid back and amusing.

  Closing time came quickly, and after a good hour of chatting with Mamma over a few drinks, they decided to roam around the Quarter for a while. Matthias led her through the streets, then out to the river where they wandered aimlessly, talking and watching the lights on the water.

  “Can I ask you something?” Sophie asked out of the blue.

  “Sure.”

  “Why’s the house so dark? You said Dominic has an issue with his eyes?”

  “Yeah, something like that. At least, that’s what he told me. When I first moved in I hated how moody and dark it was. Wasn’t what I was used to. My parent’s house has these huge windows; always lots of light. Mamma liked it that way. My birth mother, I mean. She died when I was young. She was a little thing, tiny and good-natured, but sassy as hell. She was killed by a drunk driver,” he explained. It was the first time in years he’d spoken of his mother, and he was surprised at how easily the words come out.

  “I’m sorry, Lukas. I’m close to my mom. I can’t imagine losing her like that.”

  “It was hard. Still is sometimes, but our brains don’t let us grieve forever. I’ve made my peace with it,” he shrugged, eyes tracing the line of the river.

  “It must have been hard on you and your dad; being on your own all of a sudden.”

  Matthias looked away. “I guess so. Dad sort of shut down after she died. Drank a lot. I go every once in awhile to check on the house; make sure it’s being taken care of because I hope to inherit it one day. But I don’t really get along with him. When I was a kid he kicked me out of the house. I lived on the streets for a while, which is probably one reason I hated how dark Dominic’s house is. Sometimes it reminds me of those abandoned houses I’d stay in back then; with the lig
ht filtering through boarded up windows and stuff.”

  “Why’d you stick around? Why not go somewhere else?”

  “Don’t know. Never thought about it much until recently. I was born and raised here. The whole city is a story for me. When I was a kid all I ever saw was the bright lights… guess you could say I overlooked the darkness until I was thrown into the middle of it. But now that I’m older, I find comfort in that same darkness. Sorry, that sounds crazy,” he laughed.

  “Not at all. I can’t deny the city has a strange draw that I just can’t shake.”

  He’d heard that before. Several times, by several different people and for different reasons. There was no telling why people thought that way but as he watched Sophie’s attention turn to the river he wondered what she’d do about it. Would she stick around and become engulfed New Orleans, or would she move on and long to return? Maybe she’d leave and never look back.

  “So... your cousin. What was she like? I mean, at the end of the day, she is why you’re here, but you don’t really talk about her,” he prodded carefully, trying not to sound desperately interested. Her hand tightened around his arm and he knew he had struck a chord.

  Sophie looked out over the water as if it reflected a distant memory. “Rachel was more like a sister to me than just a cousin. Her parents died when we were kids so mine and Anna’s mom adopted her. She had a tough time with it, but no matter what, she always tried to be happy. I know it sounds lazy to say that she was the kind of person that would light up a room, but she was. Of course, she had some enemies. People that didn’t like her because she really didn’t know when to stand her ground and when to back off, but all in all she was well-liked.”

  Matthias’s mouth had gone dry and he was feeling sick to his stomach from the prospect of possibly having killed Rachel. There had been a fair amount of guilt already but the more he got to know Sophie and the more he thought about his relationship with Anna, the worse he felt. Even if he wasn’t the one who murdered Rachel, these two women that meant something to him, had lost someone they loved.

  There was no longer as much fear of getting caught as there was concern that she would find out the police suspected he was involved. They had clicked so easily, and over the past few days he had developed this feeling for her, as if he had known her his whole life. She had fit in so perfectly with Mamma as well, but he couldn’t enjoy working with her because he found himself constantly looking to the door, expecting a cop to show up at any time and put him in cuffs.

  The police hadn’t been back around yet, but Matthias couldn’t figure out why. Maybe they wanted to make him sweat it out. Turned couldn’t disappear so easily, as their own Elders kept close tabs on them. If he did plan on running away to avoid the consequences, he would become a Rogue and he would never have a true home.

  “If you don’t mind me asking, what did they say happened to Rachel?”

  Sophie shook her head. “They say she died of exposure. I went to the police department yesterday, or I guess it was day before yesterday now. Anyway, they think she got drunk and passed out in the park. She didn’t have her purse, phone, or coat on her, so they assume some homeless person stole her stuff and in stealing her coat they inadvertently left her to die of exposure.”

  “You sound skeptical.”

  “I am,” she admitted. “The way the police acted was strange. And the coroner...I don’t know, it just feels like they’re hiding something. I just don’t understand why or what they’re keeping from me.”

  “Who knows?” Matthias shrugged. The cops were trying their best to spoon-feed lies to Sophie and she just wasn’t having it. That made him nervous. If they let her dig too deep, what would she find? “I can’t say they are hiding something, and I know you have a lot of questions about Rachel’s death that might never be answered. I understand why that can be upsetting or frustrating. If you need anything, I’m here to listen.”

  He was treading on thin ice with her. It had never been his intention to become friends with her but he had and it changed how he felt about having her around. If she dug down and found out that he was a suspect or even that he had fed from Rachel, it would break their friendship, and he already had to say good-bye to too many people. Sophie didn’t need to be added to that list.

  “When I’m ready, you’ll be the first to know.”

  The pair traveled for a time in silence, Matthias’ mind caught up in the what ifs when Sophie spoke.

  “So, you and Anna?”

  “Hm? Oh, yeah. We had a thing there for a while.”

  “I had no idea.”

  “Really? She never mentioned me?”

  “Sorry, but no. I’m not surprised though. You aren’t the kind of guy she’d typically go for. Not that there’s anything wrong with you, don’t take it that way. She just seems to go for the popular, athletic, rich type.”

  “Is that so?” Matthias smirked bitterly. He hadn’t been in love with Anna while they were together, but he did feel some sort of love toward her. She was engaging, silly, and bright. They hadn’t kept too close in contact since she moved home, but it still stung a little that her sister didn’t know about him.

  “Don’t take it personally,” she said, leaning into his arm briefly. “I’m sure it doesn’t have anything to do with how she felt about you. Anna didn’t talk much about her time in New Orleans to anyone. The year she spent here is like a blank space for people who know her. She was here, then she moved home.”

  “I see.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “Don’t worry about it, really. It was a long time ago,” Matthias said, watching the sky to the east lighten.

  They had to get home soon or he’d be in trouble, but there was something else calling his attention. A pang of hunger in his stomach reminded him that he hadn’t hunted since he’d been with Sophie the whole night. His hand clenched into fists in his pockets, his nails digging painfully into the palms of his hands as he fought the urge to feed. As far as the Turned were concerned, he was young. Still an infant and not as much in control of his basic instincts as someone older than him.

  A couple old men and their dogs sat on the very last park bench along the river walk and Matthias’s eyes trailed on them as he and Sophie passed by. They weren’t an option. There would be no way for him to get them separated and even if he could, he wasn’t alone either. He glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone else was around and finding no one he had to fight with himself to avoid making a meal out of Sophie. His teeth bit painfully into his lower lip as his instinct to feed fought with his morality.

  It wouldn’t be long before they were home and he could lock himself away where Sophie would have Rowan’s protection against him. When his stomach rumbled and broke that silence as they reached the front door, Sophie laughed and patted his belly.

  “Good thing Dominic is bringing Thai food, huh?” she said, opening the door to let them in.

  “Yeah, good thing.”

  20

  Matthias

  I can’t believe how long this week has been. This past New Year’s has changed my life in ways I could never have expected, and not in all the best ways. Sophie is a sweet girl and I really do enjoy having her around, but the reason for her being here sets me on edge. No matter what I do, I can’t recall exactly what happened that night. I got a text from Chris shortly after I got home saying that he, Michael, and Tony had been taken in for questioning. I guess he didn’t tell me because he was afraid I’d be pissed but broke down and decided it was better I found out from him than the cops. Either way, I know now that they all sang like canaries and I have to cut ties with them immediately.

  Thinking back on how much I enjoyed feeding from Rachel and the high I got from her blood makes me sick. I haven’t even given any thought before to my prey and their personal lives. I just ate and went about my business. Since we can’t kill humans anymore, I never thought I would ever be in a position to care about my victim’s fa
mily.

  I also didn’t realize until tonight just how bad my addiction is; not just to Tainted blood, but to feeding in general. Rowan can go a few days without hunting, and though he might get a little paler and weaker, he can still go back out and hunt with all the patience in the world. I can hardly go a day without it. My usual after-work hunt was canceled tonight since I had Sophie with me and now dawn is breaking, and I am hungry, with only Thai food to tide me over until I can hunt again.

  Most of the walk around town was fine, as talking with her kept me distracted. However, returning home and walking along the river, in a more secluded environment, I heard her heartbeat clear as a bell. The gushing pulse of blood through her veins was enough to set my mind on edge. I don’t think I have ever been so tempted by prey in my life as a Turned. It makes me uneasy to say that I felt so compelled to push her onto the riverbank and take my fill of her. Resisting this urge had become so difficult that by the time we had turned onto our street I had dug my nails so hard into my palms that I tore the skin.

  Realizing how hard it was to resist feeding from her; thinking about the urge I had to consume her, is frightening. It makes me wonder if I really could have gotten high enough to kill Rachel without meaning to. I keep wondering, what if I drank too much from her and her lack of blood to keep her warm caused her to pass out and freeze to death? Did I just imagine the other woman as a way to subconsciously ease my conscious? My emotions are a blur right now. Between being tired and hungry, I can’t even sort out how I feel about this. It seems the thoughts are slipping through my fingers, no matter how I try to grab at them. Am I really a monster?