by D. S. Murphy
It was jarring to see Penelope dressed, not in the modern fashion I’d gotten used to from the capital, but in a frilly lavender gown with a wide skirt. Her skin looked immaculate, and now that she was clean, her eyes sparkled with intensity.
“Death suits you,” Jazmine joked.
I frowned at the macabre comment, but she wasn’t wrong. Penelope had always been stunning, with dark hair and crystal blue eyes, but now she seemed otherworldly. Maybe it was just the contrast, after seeing her locked in a cage for weeks, more like a rabid animal than anything else. Now her pale skin was practically glowing, though the dark circles under her eyes hinted at her recent trauma, and her collarbones stood out a little too much against her too-thin frame.
I joined her on the balcony as Camina took her shower. Outside, the steady hum of the purification engines blended with the soft beating of the surf against the shore, like a slow heartbeat.
“How are you holding up?” I asked.
“I’m... thirsty,” she whispered back, huskily. “You know what it’s like, if you miss a dose of elixir. As chosen we were allowed two drops a day. I never really needed it, when I was with Tobias, but I suppose I drank at least that much. But those effects were negligible. A slight headache, sometimes the shakes or nausea. This... this is new. I feel like I’m holding onto my sanity with both hands. It’s like there’s a wolf inside me chewing through his leash. He will bite through his own leg to be free.”
“But you’ll be fine, right?”
I whispered, squeezing her hand.
She flinched and pulled away, her hand shaking.
“I don’t know. In the woods, you all smelled so badly it took my appetite away,” she smirked. “But now, here, surrounded by all these people. It’s like being at a buffet line. I don’t want to feed, but I also don’t want to attack anyone when I’m too crazed to stop myself. And I feel… so powerful. So fast. Like an elephant in an antique shop. When I feel myself slowing down, I don’t want it to stop. Part of me wonders, maybe the compounds aren’t to keep the slagpaw out. Maybe they’re to protect against the elite, like locking up the sweets on the higher shelf so the kids don’t get into it.”
“You can control it,” I said.
“For now. Mostly because the idea of disgracing my family, of what my mother would say if she knew. But it’s exhausting, and I don’t know. Control isn’t something you have. It’s something you work towards. Resisting what you want, every second. The temptation growing and growing until your will power is gone completely. When that happens, I don’t want to be around people I care about. Also I feel so embarrassed, whining about being hungry, asking the others to feed me, like a babe sucking at the breast.”
I nodded, though I couldn’t imagine what she was going through.
“We’ll stay strong together. Better not risk it, figure out how much you need to stay in control, and we’ll make sure you have that much. Every day. No questions asked.”
“You’re a true friend, Emily Sharrow.”
I smiled, even though I feared a few sips of blood might still not be enough. And if she was hungry, like April said, she would turn on us to feed. After all, she’d only been elite for a few weeks. Damien was nearly a century old and still had trouble controlling his urges.
We didn’t see the others until dinner, when Penelope led us down the stairs to the dining room. The boys looked like different creatures altogether, and uncomfortable in their stiff evening suits. Trevor’s broad shoulders barely fit into the dark coat he was wearing, and he hadn’t shaved. Even so, he looked surprisingly good.
“You clean up well,” I smirked.
“You look,” he started, his eyes rounding as I gave him a little twirl. I’d found a light blue dress with sparkles and sequins that reminded me of sea foam. It made me feel like the mermaids I’d read about in fairy tales when I was younger.
“Perfect,” he said finally.
A young girl with curly hair practically tackled Penelope, running into the room in a dark teal dress with black lace.
“You’re back!” she shouted.
“Always, for you,” she said, picking the girl up in a hug. “My youngest sister, Josephine.”
“Your mother will be down shortly,” her father said, gesturing us towards the table. “She’s been… out of sorts.”
The dining room wasn’t nearly as massive as Damien’s, but the cozy wood paneling and candlelight gave it a cheery glow. My stomach rumbled at the dishes already prepared – some strange looking creatures, a few I recognized from the confirmation ceremony, what Penelope had called aphrodisiacs.
Jazmine showed Luke and April how to shoot oysters, and they almost managed to do it without gagging. Camina poked at the alien looking fried squid. But there were also more familiar items; bread and butter, clam chowder, sliced ham. Penelope was talking animatedly with her sister, near the head of the table, telling her all about the citadel.
“Is this seriously how you live most of the time?” Luke whispered to me. It took me a moment to realize, he and April had never actually been inside a compound.
“It’s not like this for everyone,” I whispered back. “Most families get basic staples. I had to hunt for meat. No one goes hungry, but this kind of display is for rare occasions.”
“How about you?” April asked Camina.
“I’d forgotten, what it was like,” she said. “To not worry about a sudden attack. To feel the sanctity of one’s own home and family.”
“In Havoc,” Luke said, “we’re trained never to go near the compounds, where the elite keep their brainwashed human blood slaves.”
“I was taught to believe the ruined cities were deathtraps, full of disease and predators,” I said. “I guess we all fear what we don’t understand.”
“Sorry for the interruption,” a voice called from the end of the hall. My eyes snapped up to take in a woman with a brittle smile in swirling navy skirts that seemed austere. They weren’t as threadbare as the ones I’d been used to growing up, but they’d certainly seen better days – as had the woman. Despite her elegance and the white pearls gleaming from her collar, there was a frantic look about her and she seemed too thin. I recognized the symptoms of the thirst, almost as quickly as I noticed the tall figure behind her.
His dark tailored suit was more suited for practicality than display, and I could see from the scuffs on his leather boots that he’d spent a good amount of time on the road; I would have taken him for a traveler except for the brilliancy of his violet eyes, brought out by the purple hue of the cravat around his neck.
I tensed, squeezing Trevor’s hand under the table.
Elite.
18
It was like all the air had been sucked out of the room. What was an elite doing here? Apart from the rare engineer or annual choosing ceremony, elite were a rare sight in the compounds.
Like idiots, we’d gotten dressed up and left our remaining weapons upstairs. I saw Jazmine’s hand snake under the table and hoped she’d kept a few of her knives, not that it would matter. Penelope flinched and I saw a flicker of fear before she schooled her expression.
“Mother,” she smiled, standing up quickly, giving her mother a kiss on both cheeks. “Father didn’t say you had a guest.”
“Please, allow me to introduce myself,” the stranger said, with a formal bow. The lilt of his accent threw me.
“You may call me Augustine. Please,” he gestured for us to take our seats again.
Penelope’s father glanced at him nervously, picking at his food.
“Josephine, why don’t you play something?” He asked after a few moments of tense silence. Penelope’s sister sprang up to the piano in the corner of the room.
The melody soothed my nerves only slightly. I wasn’t wearing gloves, which meant my marks were easy to see against my skin. They felt like hot brands of guilt. I’d allowed myself to get comfortable, being back in a compound again, but I didn’t belong
here. I wasn’t a loyal citizen of the kingdom; I was a rebel, a terrorist and now, an elite-killer. After the wedding fiasco, I was on the king’s most wanted list. He was probably sending out elite to every compound to look for me. Of course he was. We should have never come.
“How long have you been in Crollust, Augustine?” Penelope asked.
“Several weeks. I must say I find the town charming, and the view unbeatable. Something about the sea has a way of calming the beleaguered soul, don’t you agree?”
I sighed in relief. If he’d been here for weeks, there was a chance he hadn’t heard about the recent commotion in the capital.
“You travel often then?” Trevor asked. Augustine steepled his fingers, studying Trevor like a bug in a microscope, before finally responding.
“I have a restless spirit,” he said simply.
“What are you doing here?” Camina asked bluntly, finally finding her tongue. Jazmine kicked her under the table.
“Hunting,” he grinned. “And may I ask, without causing offense, the same of you? You seem to have assembled somewhat of a motley crew, for an elite.”
Penelope’s father stiffened, and her mother’s head swiveled up to stare at her aghast. Augustine sniffed the air, wafting the scents towards him like a perfume.
“If I’m not mistaken, I detect the iron forges of Iklebot, as well as the subtle spice of the sands of Denvato, and yet, there is something else on my palate that intrigues me even more. Something so common, it’s on the tip of my tongue, and yet so rare I must confess myself stumped.”
Trevor stiffened beside me. He was smelling us.
“That’s some nose,” Jazmine said, taking a deep sip of wine.
“I’m somewhat of a gastronomist,” he said. “Sip deeply, or do not sip at all.”
“Funny, my mom always told me not to play with my food.”
I took a sip of wine to calm my parched throat, trying to keep my hand from shaking.
Something about this situation was all wrong.
“We’re traders,” I said. “Under special license and protection by King Richard,” I added quickly. “We help procure certain exclusive items for elite clients who aren’t as daring as yourself. However, we came across Penelope when she was being chased by slagpaw, her coach and traveling escorts had all been killed. We helped each other.”
“Ah so, adventures like myself!” He said, with a light laugh. “How fortunate that you found each other, though I’m a little surprised to hear an elite needed or accepted the help of some human traders. Against the slagpaw no less? You must be fearsome warriors.”
“I was injured,” Penelope said. “And without sustenance.”
“Quite right, I understand perfectly. Lost in the wasteland, after using so much energy defending yourself, you’d have been weak and defenseless. When along comes this veritable gift basket, a bouquet of exotic flavors. They offered you blood, and in return you brought them to dinner to meet your family. It makes perfect sense.”
He grinned, and I could tell he didn’t believe our story for a moment. The question was, what was he going to do about it? I crossed my legs to put my dagger in closer reach, before realizing I’d left it in my room to put on this stupid dress. I studied the table, deciding that the long boning knife near the ham would make the most suitable weapon.
“How is Tobias?” Penelope’s mother interrupted, changing the subject. I was glad to distract from the interrogation.
“Fine,” Penelope lied. “He would have of course come with me, but he was worried after some recent events in the citadel—he promised he’d come next time.”
“You mean in another three years?” she sniffed. “If I’m still around to visit.”
“Don’t talk like that, Mother, you know the road is treacherous.”
“If he’d have been with you, you wouldn’t have been in any danger.”
“That’s why... that’s why he turned me,” she confessed.
Her mother took in a sharp breath, holding her palm to her heart.
“It’s true then,” her father said with a slight smile. “You’ve been turned. You’re immortal. Like them. I thought I noticed the signs, but I didn’t want to pry.” His shoulders slumped and he seemed to age years in a moment.
“It was a condition of my visit,” Penelope added. “So I would be able to protect myself. Although to be fair, slagpaw seem attracted to elite blood far more than human. He may have miscalculated.”
“Well, you’re safe here, now, and that’s all that matters.”
“A noble reward, you must have pleased him greatly,” Augustine said. “We should celebrate! Josephine,” he called, his eyes never leaving Penelope’s face, “I’m ready for a drink.”
Josephine’s face paled, but she took wooden steps towards him and sat on his lap, before lifting her hair and exposing her neck. From the marks on her skin, this was somewhat of a nightly ritual.
Penelope snapped up immediately, knocking her glass to the floor.
“Don’t touch her!” she growled.
“Now now,” Augustine smiled. “Your father has been most generous during my stay. Like most humans, I prefer my food warm, and I’ve always been fond of seafood. I assure you, your family has been properly compensated,” he said, nodding towards her mother, whose cheeks flushed scarlet.
“What about the covenant?” I asked.
“Live together, die apart, isn’t it?” Augustine grinned, one hand clutching Josephine’s neck with long, bony fingers.
“Not like this,” I stuttered. “Never like this.”
“As I’m sure you know, visiting elite are allowed to sample local goods. It’s not uncommon for elite to trade in special vintages... you must be thirsty, if you’d like I can save you some?”
“Let her go,” Penelope said again, baring her fangs like a caged animal. “Or I will rip you apart.”
“Penelope!” her mother stood up, aghast. “You will respect our guest, this is still our house.”
“Ah, I see I’ve caused offense,” Augustine shrugged, “Forgive me my clumsy manners, I will withdraw immediately.” He released Josephine and gave a deep bow, straightening his collar.
Dinner was a short affair after that. Penelope, still seething, practically locked herself in her rooms.
Jazmine had been putting on a brave face through dinner, but the added stress was too much for her. Camina helped her limp back to her room. Her face a mask of pain, and feverish. She needed rest and more elixir, or her condition could worsen.
I was too keyed up to sit still. Who was this mysterious stranger? How had he ended up here, in Penelope’s house; was he looking for us, did he know we were coming? For all we knew, he could already be headed back to the citadel to tell the king he’d found us.
“I’m going for a walk,” I declared.
“I’ll go with you” Trevor said quickly. I nodded, and we left the house together. A series of steps and stairways cut up the moon-shaped outer walls of the city. It was much smaller than the citadel, maybe a fourth of the size, but the walls were nearly as tall.
We explored the streets silently, keeping to the shadows as the light faded. Round, glowing lamps shone over the cobblestones. More than once I caught my own twisted reflection, scowling from the dark windows. In Havoc, I’d had the luxury of being anonymous. The free-range humans didn’t watch the broadcasts from the capital. Here, it was only a matter of time before I was recognized. I was still wearing the foamy blue dress, but had grabbed a cloak on my way out. I kept my hands deep in the pockets and my hood pulled up as Trevor and I explored the dark streets.
Despite our tense dinner and the adrenaline that was flooding my system, I couldn’t help but be charmed by the novelty around me: apart from Algrave, this was the first compound I’d visited, and the differences were startling. While Algrave was larger and more spread out, Crollust was built like a fortress. Houses had been built into the walls, and tight apartment
complexes were spread evenly through the center area like a regiment of soldiers.
The markets were crowded with fish and game, but also had a broader selection of goods, which hinted at a more diverse range of visitors. After being so long without them, the hum of the purification engines almost felt comforting; a blanket of white noise that I’d grown up with, it reminded me of home.
This was the reward of belonging to Richard’s kingdom. Fresh air, relative freedom of movement. No poisonous fish or dangerous beasts; no mutid bears.
But at what cost?
I couldn’t forget the glassy stare of Penelope’s young sister as she offered herself to her family’s elite guest. It was a duty, almost an honor. And it was just blood; he wasn’t killing her, he wasn’t forcing her, and yet I could see the powerless and hopelessness in her eyes.
Taught from a young age that she existed for the pleasure of another. There was no fight in her. The elite could take what they wanted. It was every citizen’s duty, though with so few elite visits, apart from the annual choosing – and even then – often only one or two girls would be picked from each compound. One life of service, in exchange for thousands of lives living in relative peace and security. It wasn’t the worst trade off.
But every time I thought about what happened at dinner, I imagined King Richard, and Loralie or Jamie in Josephine’s place. He was keeping them captive in the citadel. Was he feeding on them? It made my stomach roll with nausea.
Everyone over the age of consent was required to contribute to the regular blood donations, but until then, they were supposed to be safe. And even though it was technically forbidden to feed on children, I knew it still happened. Augustine had been daring us to stop him, and we’d done nothing.
I noted the renewal center, at least the most obvious one, though I was sure there were others. It rested in the center of the walls, above the main gate. The bright lantern of its steeple cast a warm glow, like a lighthouse beacon.