The Turned

by A A Mize

  Sophie stared at Rowan like he’d grown another head.

  “Nothing too bad, I assure you,” Rowan continued.

  “Do you think your friend knows anything?”

  “Possibly. The police interviewed some men who saw your cousin before she disappeared. Don’t worry, they didn’t assault her. They got her a cab.”

  “I’m guessing she was alive at that point?”

  “We believe so, yes.”

  “Then why aren’t we going to the park first?” Sophie inquired. “Some strangers put her in a cab, but she didn’t die in the cab, right? So, she must have been killed after she got out.”

  “No, she didn’t die in the cab. She had been able to walk away, as far as we know, and into the park where she was found. Why the driver took her to the park, I’m not sure but it could be because there was a woman with her. When they approached the cab with her a lady called her by name. Ivanka. Does that sound familiar to you?”

  “Ivanka? No last name?”

  “Not that I’m aware of.”

  “I knew an Ivanka is high school. Pretty redhead. Cheerleader. Last I heard she moved to England with her mom and step dad.”

  “I don’t think this is the same woman but what I do know is that when they found Rachel...” Rowan paused. “She had been drained of blood. That was how they knew she was killed by a Turned.”

  “I see.” Sophie inhaled sharply.

  “We’re not all monsters,” he insisted, gently rubbing her elbow.

  “I know. It’s just a lot right now. A little more than week ago, you were just a fairy tales people wrote about in horror stories and Rachel was still alive.”

  “If you have questions, all you need to do is ask. I’ll answer to the best of my ability, if I can. There are things about us I am not allowed to divulge, but I trust you to keep this information to yourself. Revealing us to the human population could be devastating on both sides. When the treaties were made the humans relented out of fear. But they have no reason to fear any more. If they were to rise up against us, they could wipe my kind from the face of the earth, even with all of our powers.”

  “I won’t tell anyone,” she assured him.

  “Good. Let us walk. We have only a couple of blocks to go. You may ask what you wish, just be quiet if people are near.”

  “All right, why is the Quarter your territory? Did you come in and kill the last Leader or something?”

  Rowan chuckled a little, shaking his head. “No. Nothing like that. You see, the most elite of us are called the Elders. There are three tiers within their ranks, with the lowest being Elders who preside over small areas such as cities. They possess the most members.

  “The middle tier are members over countries. Say there’s a major issue in a city and the Elders in that area are having a difficult time containing it. This is where the middle tier comes in. They send some of their members to the city to help resolve the issue.

  “The highest tier has the fewest members, but they are global. You don’t want to draw their attention if you can help it. My Mentor is in the highest tier, but he is relatively low ranked even for them. I’m afraid it’s a little complicated. Below the Elders are Leaders, like myself, who are trusted and given charge of sections of cities or even counties depending on population. The Lessers, like Matthias, are free-roaming Turned who aren’t trusted enough to handle their own territories. There are many more Lessers than there are Elders or Leaders. Think of it like your general human population versus the number of politicians you have,” Rowan explained.

  “Below the Lessers are the Rogues. They are criminals, individuals who live outside the normal order. As far as why I am over the Quarter, I have been Turned a very long time and I have resided in New Orleans off and on since it’s conception.” He motioned to the city around them. “I was given the Quarter because the last Leader, my Mentor, left it to me. In a way, I inherited it from him once he became an Elder. I suppose it’s sort of like a father leaving his children with an inheritance.”

  As he was explaining it, Sophie realized just how in-depth their society was. Lessers, Leaders, Elders and their tiers; she wasn’t sure she understood completely but she moved on. “How long have you been Turned? How does that even happen?”

  “It’s been nearly five hundred years since my Mentor made me what I am. The process is rather simple. A Turned feeds from you, then you feed from them. It’s a little like a transfusion of sorts, since the human technically drinks their own blood again. We’re here,” Rowan then announced.

  “This is where Rachel was last seen?”

  “Other than by the cab driver and Ivanka; yes. I must warn you, many Turned frequent the Iron Lotus, and not all of them are loyal to me. That ring you’re wearing will protect you for the most part, but there are many others who might cause you harm for merely being associated with me. If they catch you outside of the Quarter, you could be in serious trouble. I suggest you spin the crest in toward your palm while you’re here and if you go beyond the bounds of the Quarter.”

  “Got cha,” Sophie said, spinning the ring around.

  “Now, I want you to take a seat at the bar, order a drink, and act natural. In a couple of minutes, I’ll enter and sit down nearby. No matter what Artashir says, you can’t react adversely. You can’t let anyone know that we are together. Go now. I’ll be right behind you.”

  Inside the building was dark and relatively quiet for a bar. People sat around dingy little tables, speaking among themselves. A few college-age guys, obviously tourists by their letterman jackets emblazoned with a tiger of the wrong colors for Louisiana, sat in a corner laughing loudly, their beer bottles spilling on the floor when one of them bumped the table in his drunken excitement. Some of the locals rolled their eyes at the tourists, but generally ignored them. Sophie wondered how many of them might be Turned, her fists tightening in her pockets to stop them from trembling.

  On the far side of the room at the bar was a massive man, bigger than most Sophie had seen in her life. He dried glasses and eyed the college students with obvious disgust. Sophie approached him and took a seat on a barstool that was a bit too tall for her. She felt foolish with her feet dangling, but ordered a drink from the brooding barkeep anyway, as Rowan has instructed her to do.

  It was hard not to stare at the man behind the bar. He had to have been nearly seven feet tall, with thick black dreadlocks that hung loose around his shoulders. His eyes were so light brown, they were almost yellow, and he did nothing to hide his fangs. His dark skin held a strange blue tint, as if blood was showing through too thin flesh. Matthias and Rowan had a slight blue tint as well, but until she realized what they were, it hadn’t been obvious enough for her to notice. The barkeeper on the other hand, had a sharp blue tint that rippled on his muscles when the light hit it.

  Sophie sipped her drink and did her best to ignore Rowan.

  The Iron Lotus was the same as it always had been, and Rowan took a deep breath as he entered, taking in the scent of stale beer, cigar smoke, and weathered wood. The bar had stood many decades of abuse and was a little worse for wear from it, but still it survived and likely would for many years to come.

  Artashir paused when he caught sight of his Leader, but he didn’t stop long. He put a glass down for Sophie and met Rowan farther down the bar from her. Rowan took a seat and Artashir leaned in toward him.

  “Rowan,” the barkeeper grumbled, his deep voice rolling like thunder. “I was hoping you’d come back.”

  “Of course. I got the feeling that there was something you knew but weren’t willing to say in front of Homicide,” Rowan said.

  “You know some of Walker’s people were in here; looking for the same girl Homicide asked me about,” Artashir replied, lowering his voice.

  “Her name was Rachel, and yes, I know. They were outside when we arrived. Talking to your bouncer.”

  “I didn’t tell them anything.”

  “You didn’t tell me much either, but I think I kno
w why.” Rowan pulled out the copy of Ivanka’s ID he’d gotten from Samiell and passed it to his friend. “Her name is Ivanka. Was she here that night as well?”

  “She was. Never saw her before, but somehow, she knew me by name. Thought it was a little strange, but I just assumed she’d heard of me.”

  “Well, your reputation tends to precede you, Artashir. What was she doing here? Did she interact with Rachel?”

  “Yeah. This Ivanka woman sat down with her for a couple of minutes, but she was making the human kinda nervous. Eventually, Ivanka was asked to leave and did so quietly. I don’t usually interfere with a hunt, but that Ivanka...I don’t know, something about her seemed off. Not that I was too worried. She would have had to have been suicidal to cause trouble in my bar. Besides, I had a bouncer at the door. Between the two of us, we can handle most anything. Including that Pupil of yours,” he growled.

  “Hopefully he didn’t cause too many problems?” Rowan asked, almost afraid to ask while Sophie was in earshot. He realized his foolishness in the decision to bring her along but deep down he wondered if it would be best for her to know about Matthias’ role in what had happened. It might hurt her, but if she continued in the investigation she’d find out sooner or later. Still, he hoped Artashir wouldn’t say too much about Matthias.

  “Not for me. Got kicked out pretty early.” Artashir shrugged, beads on his dreads clacking with the movement. “But he might have caused some problems for that girl. The human one. My bouncer told me he saw Matthias take her around into the alley. Guess his friends were yelling some pretty crazy things at him. My guy saw him take her out toward town, then return with some keys. Didn’t see them again after that.”

  There it was. The information wasn’t a shock to Rowan, but he knew it would be to Sophie. She was sure to be devastated at the news, yet she seemed to be handling it well, as Rowan heard nothing but silence from where she was sitting behind him.

  “Thank you, Artashir. If you remember anything else or you overhear anything, you know how to contact me.” Rowan stood to leave, but when he glanced to where Sophie had been, she was gone. The only indicator that anyone had been sitting there a few moments earlier was an empty glass with money shoved under it. Somehow, she had slipped out without Rowan noticing.

  Artashir cleared the glass, shoved the money in his pocket, and wiped away any trace that Sophie had been there at all.

  27

  Rowan’s search for Sophie wasn’t a difficult one. It was clear to him that she was headed to the Crow’s Nest to confront Matthias. After what she had learned, he couldn’t think of another place she would go.

  Irritation overcame Rowan and he hurried after her. She was still weak from being drained only a night before and now she was alone with no idea where Yvette might be. Rowan regretted his decision to bring her along and although he understood her anger toward Matthias, he would have to speak to her about better controlling herself in the future or there was no way he could keep her with him during the investigation.

  It amazed him how quickly she had gotten away and cleared so much distance. It would be impossible for him to use his full abilities, as there were far too many humans, but if he had the opportunity he would have been able to stop her and the scene he walked in on when he reached the Nest could have been avoided.

  Even with her head start, Rowan arrived just in time to see Sophie storm into the bar, ignoring the greetings of the regulars who had come to know her as she continued on the warpath. She walked behind the counter where Matthias was preparing absinthe and slapped him so hard his head snapped around nearly to his shoulder. Her eyes brimmed with tears, face red and hot with anger. No doubt she was feeling an ultimate betrayal. There was nothing Rowan could do but stand in the doorway and watch things unfold.

  Luckily, there were very few customers, most of them so hammered they hardly noticed the incident. Doubly lucky on Sophie’s part that Mamma wasn’t around. Although Rowan wasn’t thrilled about Sophie’s reaction, deep down he felt a pang of remorse for her. The short span of time that stretched from New Year’s to present had been full of raw emotion for her. He could remember when he had faced similar problems, back when he was still human, and he understood the feeling of betrayal.

  “It was you the whole time!” she nearly yelled, tears finally breaking free when she took another swing at him. “I thought you were my friend.”

  That time Matthias was ready. He caught Sophie’s wrist and pulled her close, restraining her arms. “Shhh, Soph, calm down,” he tried to say soothingly, but he was almost as heartbroken as she was.

  Rowan wondered if Matthias had an idea of what would happen when he left that night.

  “I know what you’re thinking but I didn’t do it. I promise I didn’t do it,” he whispered as she struggled against him. The more she fought back, the tighter he held on. “Sophie, please stop. Trust me. I know I’ve done bad things, but I didn’t do that. I couldn’t,” he pleaded quietly, patrons of the bar moving away to quieter tables, or leaving all together.

  After a moment, Sophie calmed down. Matthias rocked her back and forth, rubbing her back to soothe her. In the few years Rowan had known Matthias, he couldn’t think of a time when he’d seen his Pupil care about someone other than himself or Mamma. Something in him was changing, and although Rowan didn’t think it was enough change, the seeds had been planted. All Rowan had to do now was nurture it and hope that it thrived before the Elders found a reason to put Matthias to his end.

  “Come now, Sophie, you should rest,” Rowan said gently, motioning for her to join him. It took a little time for her to release Matthias and follow him. Her skin was nearly as pale as his, even after crying for so long, and her eyes were beginning to show signs of a purple tint. If he knew it wouldn’t draw too much attention, Rowan would just carry her across the Quarter but it was best to let her walk if she could manage it.

  Sophie didn’t look back at Matthias when they left, instead she took Rowan’s arm with both hands and let him lead her home. He could nearly hear her thoughts buzzing around them, but that was to be expected. Matthias had lied to her. He had brought her home to help her, knowing what he had done. Surely she was putting the pieces together.

  One thing that was for certain was that Sophie would ask what Rowan thought about Rachel’s murder and Rowan would have to give her an answer. He would have to assure her that he couldn’t picture Matthias taking a life. Sure, he was young, reckless, and had a drug and alcohol problem; but he was also kind, friendly, and had a strangely innocent presence. He may have brought her in with false intent, but he honestly believed that something had changed in his Pupil. Matthias wasn’t the same man he was before New Year.

  “It is imperative that you learn to better control your emotions,” Rowan said firmly, but not without sympathy. It was easy to empathize with her. It was easy to make excuses for her, but when it boiled down, letting herself become consumed by her rage was not productive. It only served to hurt her and others around her.

  “Do you think he did it?” she asked quietly, ignoring his suggestion.

  Rowan knew it was coming. He unlocked the door to the house and lead her in to the dark foyer. “I don’t think he did. I believe Ivanka is the one responsible. The memories of his that I have read imply that he didn’t kill Rachel.”

  “I don’t understand what you mean but I want to know whatever you can tell me, please.” Sophie’s eyes met Rowan’s and although she was obviously exhausted and confused by his statement, her determination and hunger for the truth swayed him.

  “Very well.” Pushing his fingers through his ebony hair, he sighed and motioned for her to make herself comfortable in the living room. He took his time hanging their coats in the hall. He needed a moment to collect his thoughts; to review what he knew and arrange it in order so that she could have a better understanding of the events that led to her cousin’s demise.

  In the living room Sophie sat on the couch, holding her arms tight again
st herself while Rowan started a fire.

  “One of my abilities is mind reading,” he explained. “I try not to use it unless I have to, since it tends to create more problems than it solves. However, I decided to use this power while Matthias was sleeping in order to get a clearer explanation of what happened on New Year’s Eve.”

  “What did you see?” she asked as he poured them wine.

  “Matthias was already rather drunk when he saw Rachel leave the bar, alone and very intoxicated herself. He did feed from her, then he called her a cab. Now, before he could put her in, Ivanka approached him and called Rachel by name. Matthias handed her over to the woman, and then apparently he stole her car. I know these actions are completely inexcusable. Matthias was being irresponsible, and his selfish behavior caused a great deal of trouble.”

  “Ivanka confuses me. I don’t think Rachel knew anyone in New Orleans. Are you sure there isn’t a mistake? Are you sure she called her by name?”

  “Very sure. I didn’t want to say before, but Ivanka is Turned. I’m not sure how she knew your cousin’s name, but she did.”

  “That’s who you were asking Artashir about?”

  “It is. Anyway, once Matthias fed from Rachel, his memories and vision became...strange. There is a good chance that Rachel was drugged in the bar. I’m not sure who would have done such a thing, especially since the only person Artashir remembers conversing with her was Ivanka and Turned don’t need drugs to hunt. We have enough talents to make it through without resorting to that kind of thing. Something isn’t right about it all, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.” Rowan chewed the fleshy tip of his thumb as he thought.