by Jen Pretty
I flipped him off and headed out of the park.
“Come on. Please, Nia! Just once!” He called from behind me.
I stopped and turned back. He had been pretty helpful with the leaves.
“Fine, 7 pm. Just once.”
His teeth flashed in the moonlight before he turned and walked out of the park.
I plucked my cell phone out of my pocket and called a cab. Hopefully, Ed had checked his email. I needed to get some work done.
Back in my apartment, I showered and changed into comfy clothes. I woke up my laptop to find my buddy Ed had opened my attachment and sent a reply filled with threats of violence. I used an encrypted email address that he wouldn’t be able to trace, so I wasn’t worried about his rant. Some of his suggestions were physically impossible anyway.
I logged into the software setup to trace my malware through Ed’s system. He had some high-end firewalls, but I snuck through and his computer linked up to mine giving me remote access to his network. I downloaded the keylogger software and flicked on my TV to wait. My fingers and toes were still cold, so I curled up under my heated blanket and waited for the upload to finish.
After a particularly startling pregnancy reveal on the soap opera I was watching, my laptop pinged letting me know the keylogger was up and running.
Now I had to wait for my new friend Ed to log onto his bank account, and I would be golden.
Waiting around was boring. He wasn't using his computer. So, I checked the remote access software to see if he had a webcam. He did, so I took a peek.
I expected to find an empty room. Instead, what his laptop camera captured was Ed, his arms around a woman with long blond hair and Ed's teeth sunk deep into her neck. Ed was not a tidy drinker. Blood ran down the woman’s naked back as Ed's eyes flashed in the low light of the room. I watched, shocked for a few minutes. He kept drinking, and I wanted to tell him to stop as the woman’s arms flailed weakly and stopped moving entirely.
He dropped her lifeless form to the floor with a hollow thump and sucked in a deep breath. I could practically see his heart beating with the blood he had consumed, but draining a human was against the law. The Blood Guard would kill him for this — no trial. Ed was dead meat.
Ed’s eyes fell on the laptop. There shouldn’t have been any signal I was using the camera, but Ed yelled, and a few other vampires came into the frame.
“Get Donnie in here and find out who is using my computer!” he yelled, then he pointed at the camera. “I will kill you, you hear me? You are dead!”
I shut my laptop so fast it almost fell off the table. I sat there staring at it for a minute like it was a bomb about to go off. Then I gave myself a mental kick, and I opened it again. I needed to cover my tracks. If he had a talented hacker, he could trace my connection. He shouldn’t have known I was even in there.
I deleted my malware and then wiped my hard drive and closed my laptop again. I sat there staring at it for a few more minutes. That wasn’t good enough. I stood up and tucked my laptop under my arm as I marched to the basement, set it inside the trash compactor and hit the button. There was a loud crunch, and it was gone.
No one had caught me before. Not even close. Nobody even suspected me of Internet crimes. I had gotten lazy and reckless. That wouldn’t happen again.
I took the stairs back to my apartment, burning off the bit of adrenaline I still felt. Then I locked my door and the windows, just for good measure. I scolded myself for being paranoid. There was no way his hacker could find me now. I tucked into sleep for a couple of hours.
At sundown, I took a cab to the mall. There was a high-end electronics store owned by a local guy named Darren. He could hack, I was sure. He was the only person to suspect I was up to no good with my laptop. I replaced mine more often than average, but my continued patronage assured his silence.
My father thought he could buy me back by padding my bank account. He couldn’t, but he was rich, so I spent his money, and new laptops were my main purchase.
The mall was overrun with teenagers and old people pushing wheeled walkers with bags full of knitting supplies or whatever. No sensible person went to the mall when they could help it. The long wide hall with escalators down the center made way for the shops and department stores where well-dressed women and men rang through purchases of clothing and electronics. Beautiful women at cosmetic counters sprayed passers-by with perfumes that smelled like toilet cleaner. The teenagers hung around in a group like a cackle of hyenas, laughing raucously and shoving each other.
“Hey, Nia,” Darren greeted me as I walked up to the counter. He was geeky, in a cute way. His glasses made him look smart and his shirt and tie- professional. I had seen him in the club a couple of times though. Not a complete nerd.
“Hey, Darren. How’s it going?”
“Not too bad. What can I get for you today?”
“Something fast and pretty,” I smiled. He knew I didn’t tinker. I wanted a laptop ready to go, like usual.
He smiled and went into the back room.
I waited at the counter and watched a kid read the backs of all the video game packages by the front of the store. The kid was no more than thirteen years old and kind of motley. He wore an over-sized coat and his hair was shaggy and unkempt. He looked around and then tucked one game into his coat. I almost laughed but bit my lip. There was a security tag on everything in the store. Cue the fireworks.
Just as Darren came out from the back carrying my new toy, the kid walked out between the alarm sensors and lights and sirens went nuts.
“Hang on a sec, Nia,” Darren said as he went storming off after the kid. I walked to the doorway and watched as the kid raced down the hall towards the mall exit, Darren in hot pursuit. Mall security nabbed the kid before he made it out the door and he started screaming like a stuck pig. I laughed and watched as the kid squirmed trying to break free of the overweight security guard.
Once the guard had the kid well in hand, he told Darren he would call the police, but Darren just took his game back and told the kid not to enter his store ever again--probably scared him straight. Or set him up to be a career criminal. Either way, everyone settled down, and Darren came back to ring me through.
“Sorry about that, Nia. This has been happening more and more. I’m thinking about putting the games behind a glass case.”
“You’re pretty fast. I thought for sure that kid would make it.”
Darren looked at me and raised an eyebrow. When I didn’t respond, he chuckled and rang through my purchase. “You’re a strange one, Nia. I hope this laptop lasts longer than the last one.” He put it in a bag, I thanked him and walked back out of the mall.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The rest of the night I spent on the couch, loading up my new laptop with the software needed for my work. One failure couldn’t get me down. I needed to push forward and try again next week. With the laptop set up, I tucked into bed to catch up on sleep.
A solid 24 hours later, the sound of my phone ringing woke me.
I slid my hand across my coffee table, knocking off empty cans with a clatter until my fingers slid across my cell phone. “Yeah?” I mumbled into the phone.
“I’m a bit early. Can I come up?”
“Who is this?” I asked, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.
After a pause. “Ryan.”
“Why would I let you come up?” I asked, before remembering earlier in the week. “I’ll be down in a minute.” I did not want that sleaze in my apartment, but I had said I would go out with him. He better be taking me somewhere fun.
I showered and got dressed in a short, off-the-shoulder dress, realizing I would need to do some laundry soon. Or maybe stop at the mall again and buy new clothes. Laundry day sucked.
My hair pulled up into a messy bun, I took the elevator to the lobby. I found Ryan leaning against the mailboxes, chatting with one of the young women who lived in the building. She laughed a bit too loud at whatever funny thing he said, putting her
hand on his chest and flipping her hair. Little tramp.
Ryan straightened when he saw me. Leaving the human standing there alone, he took my hand, placing it under his arm and resting my palm on his forearm. Very old-fashioned.
“I have the perfect place for dinner,” he said, leading me past the gawking woman and out to his car. He drove a black Bugatti. It was a new car, but at least it was fast and had guts. I'd have thought less of him if he drove something that had no go. I still much preferred American Muscle.
He drove out of town and got onto the freeway.
“Where are we going?” I asked
“It’s a surprise,” he said. His pearly white teeth reflected in the oncoming traffic headlights.
We drove in silence until he pulled off the freeway into the city.
“Please tell me you aren’t taking me to Club Black.”
“No, everyone knows you hate the little goth kids. It’s public knowledge, Nia.”
He pulled up in front of a high-end nightclub with valet parking. I admit I rarely got into the city and had never been to this club. I wasn’t even sure it was vampire-friendly. Not that it wouldn’t be fun to crash a non-vamp club.
Humans couldn’t keep us out, but we were just more likely to get a meal in a place they expected us to be. Dinner was dinner, but we still liked to hunt when we felt like it.
Ryan left the engine running and got out. He opened my door and offered me his hand. I rolled my eyes but accepted his help out of the low sports car, and he linked my arm with his again, leading me to the front door of the club. The music was loud for an upscale club, but I soon found out why; it was full of rich kids. They were the eccentric spoiled offspring of the bigwigs of Hollywood, and judges and whatnot. It was a sea of skin. The hot club encouraged a 'less is more' approach to clothing. What clothes they wore probably cost as much as my rent. They were the beautiful peacocks of the human world. Delicious.
We stopped at the bar. Ryan waved, and the bartender smiled at him before abandoning the other people she was serving, to serve us.
“Hey, Ry,” the woman shouted over the music.
“Monica. This is Nia,” Ryan said.
“Hi, nice to meet you. Can I get you each a drink?”
“Thanks,” Ryan replied, and Monica scurried off.
“You come here often?” I asked.
“Once a week. These kids here are in full rebellion, and it suits them to have a vampire in the club.”
I laughed. Rich kids always had to push the envelope. I didn’t mind, more fun for me. The music only got louder as the night slipped by. Ryan and I danced and drank and hunted. Ryan kept looking at a redhead. Wild curls bounced around her face as she danced to the music. Even in the low light, I could see the spatter of freckles across her high cheek bones. I tried to decide between a punk kid with a mohawk and a jock with arms as thick as my waist.
Ryan moved in and whispered in my ear. “Go for the punk. He looks fun.” I guess I hadn’t been subtle.
“All right, go get your ginger,” I said, pushing him away. He laughed and lurched off through the crowd in pursuit of his exotic Irish lass.
I made my way towards the DJ booth where I had last seen my little rocker boy but he was gone. I moved around the dance floor and back to the bar, but I couldn't see his mohawk anywhere. Disappointed I went to the washroom to check my make-up. Inside, girls snorted coke on the bathroom counter. They were laughing and falling to the floor. This place was wilder than Ray’s or any of the other clubs at home.
Back out on the dance floor, I found Ryan, and he smelled coppery. I was still hungry and bummed about losing track of my punk. I looked around for a new target, but Ryan spun me around by the shoulders and gave me a little shove. I realized he had found my guy. I slid up next to my prey and snaked my arm around his waist. He looked down at me and smiled. He wrapped an arm over my shoulders and danced with me. His body moved like liquid, and in the flashing strobe lights of the club, I caught his chocolate brown eyes.
I flashed him my teeth, and he leaned down and kissed me. Humans sometimes still surprised me. My punk boy had a tongue piercing. He licked my lips, the warm steel ball tracing the line of my mouth and I opened for him. He tasted like bourbon, and when he broke away, I slid my mouth down his coarse stubbled jaw to his neck. His hand slid up to tangle in my hair as I bit down, and my senses exploded on the rich taste of him. He continued to move against me to the beat of the music, rolling his head back in ecstasy. When my heart beat once hard in my chest, I sealed up his wound and kept dancing with him for a while longer. He had drunk little alcohol, and I didn’t drink much of his blood, so he was still quite functional. He was a good dancer, and his body was warm.
Eventually, Ryan cut in, and I said goodbye to my hot punk boy with the tongue piercing.
Ryans hands roamed my body and I let him. I was a little blood-drunk and it was nice to dance with someone I could take home if I wanted.
Ryan pulled me from the dance floor and bought me another drink. I downed it fast to keep the relaxed feeling from fading. Then he swept me up again and I forgot all of the reasons I shouldn’t let him get too close.
His hand ran up my arm and across my bare shoulder to wrap around the back of my neck. He pulled me close and I felt his breath brush my collar bone. I wanted to tip my head back and let him bite me. I wanted to feel that exquisite pain and pleasure, but I wasn’t that drunk. I spun out of his arms and danced with a group of girls until the last of my alcohol burned off and it was pushing towards closing time.
Ryan tossed his arm over my shoulder as we walked out into the crisp, damp air.
My ears rang in the silence outside after so long in the loud club. Even our shoes on the sidewalk sounded strange. The valet brought Ryan’s car up, and he opened the passenger door, settling me in before he tipped the valet and got behind the wheel. The car engine roared through the nearly empty streets of the city as Ryan took us back towards the freeway.
“It wasn’t so bad, was it?”
“What’s that?” I asked
“Going out with me?”
“I suppose not. The club was nice.”
"And the company?" he asked, eyes on the road.
"Acceptable."
Ryan smiled and drove on in silence for a few minutes.
As he pulled the car off the freeway and through the streets of our little city, he glanced at me a few times.
“What is it?” I asked, getting annoyed by his eyes flashing in the moonlight.
“It’s just,” he glanced at me again. “We would be a good pair, Nia. I’m old enough to lead a coven, and your father would give you any city…”
“Shut your mouth, Ryan!” I scowled. “Is that the only reason you wanted to go out with me? So, you can get your coven?”
“Not entirely. You are hot as hell, Nia. I want my city. I’ve waited long enough.”
“So you thought you could speed up the process by taking me out for a good time? God, you are all alike.” Thankfully he pulled up to my apartment building, so before the car had even fully stopped, I threw the door open and got out. Then I slammed the door, making the window rattle and cutting off whatever Ryan was saying. He couldn’t just leave it alone though, so he got out too.
“Nia, come on. You won’t want to live in this shit hole forever. You should consider your future.” His voice had taken on a whining tone that reminded me why I hated him.
“Shut up, you self-important turnip!”
I scurried into the building, shutting the security door behind me so he couldn’t get in unless he wanted to break something or wait for someone else to let him in. Then I took the stairs up to my apartment as fast as I could run and locked myself in.
Stupid vampire hierarchy. Everyone always jockeying for position and trying to get to the top. This was exactly why I stayed away from them. Idiots.
I slid down to sit on the tiles by the door. I was still warm from the club and the blood, but the memory of my last
moment as a human chilled me to the core.
—
July 20th, 1837
My presentation party was a huge celebration. All of my nineteen years, father kept me away from society. I was excited to have so many of my father's colleagues present for my big day. Father said I was an adult and would take my place at his side. His heir. Not that he had a throne, but he insisted that soon he would be king and I would be a princess.
My mother twisted my hair into tight curls and mounded them atop my head. The dress she chose for me was pure white. The skirt and train, beautifully gathered and embroidered in a gold thread at the bottom hem. The material was light and fine and suited my slight figure. The short sleeves puffed, making my arms look more slender by comparison and the white of the fabric complimented my olive complexion.
Mother wrapped a shawl over my shoulders and smiled at me. I caught sight of my reflection in the basin and I couldn’t believe how mature I looked. Finally grown.
Mother walked me down the stairs of our home to the soft clapping of the men and women in the parlour. Father looked proud, his chest puffed up and accepting the congratulations of the other men.
I knew, even then, that most of the men were vampires. Mother and Father raised me with the knowledge and it was simply a fact of life. Glad to have pleased my father and impress his friends, my smile was so wide it hurt my cheeks. Father bore my inability to act as he expected with so much patience.
“Thank you all for coming today,” my father spoke. "I am overjoyed to present to you today, my heir, Lavinia."
The crowd clapped respectfully.
My father held out his hand towards me and I moved to step forward, but my mother stopped me with a quick hug before she dropped her eyes and hurried out of the room. I followed her with my eyes and wanted to chase after her, but my father's voice stopped me.
“Lavinia, come stand with me,” he said in his authoritative voice.
I knew not to disobey my father, he had taught that lesson well, so I did as he commanded and walked towards him. His hand still extended in my direction, I placed my small hand in his and he pulled me to his side.
