Sketched

by David Alan Jones

  “When you’re broke, a penny’s better than nothing.”

  “Exactly.”

  Matt turned his gaze to the now star-filled sky. He stood that way for several seconds before nodding once decisively. “I don’t like this plan, not one bit, but I can’t think of anything better. It makes me feel powerless—like the Order itself is nothing but a hollowed-out shell.”

  “We’re strong.” Rose squeezed her arms around his middle to emphasize her words. “But we’re young. We can’t go it alone, not yet.”

  “I’ve spent my entire life watching Society’s elites give slinkers and humans nothing but breadcrumbs from their tables. They always drop just enough wealth and prosperity to keep the masses from turning on them. That’s what this feels like. We’re picking up the crumbs when we should be taking a seat at the table.”

  “It won’t be forever.” Rose sank her check back to the familiar hollow beneath Matt’s chin. She could hear his heart beating fast.

  “Okay then, I’m with you.” Matt leaned against Rose, his warm hands pressed to her back. “We stay this course until we can come up with something better. Let’s set up a meeting with Alice and pray to God she’s feeling charitable.”

  20

  Argument for the Defense

  It’s working, isn’t it?” Grace sat in a leather office chair opposite Rose and Matt in the basement of their rented house. The house’s owner had converted it into an office complete with a table large enough to seat twelve and a video conferencing system built into one wall. It made for a convenient space to call Thandiwe Buhari.

  “What’s working?” Rose lifted her eyebrows. “The teleconference?”

  “Not that. The new Drawn storyline—the one the boys call Sketched. It’s getting you more votaries, isn’t it? Olivia told me you were growing weaker the last little while, but you looked awesome when we fought Tamika.”

  “Grace!” Olivia smacked her younger sister’s arm. “You don’t go telling people what you’ve been told in confidence. And I never said she was growing weak.”

  “I said weaker.” Grace cut her eyes at Olivia as if annoyed by the interruption. “And you never said not to tell Rose.”

  “It’s fine,” Rose said. “I’m not offended.”

  “It’s just...I know it’s taboo for a succubus to talk about her votary count.” While Olivia meant her words for Rose, she stared at Grace to hammer home the point.

  “I’m a slinker. I don’t care about that sort of thing. It doesn’t bother me. And yes, Grace, the new storyline is working. I lost quite a few votaries when Drawn diverged from my real life, it’s nice getting some back.”

  “Don’t get me wrong,” Grace said, “but I’m not thrilled about the new line. I like the regular one’s twenty-first century civil war stuff, and how a lot of humans know about vampires and succubi. Compared to all that, the new stuff is kind of...”

  “Boring?” Rose grinned at the teenage vampire.

  “I was going to say, ‘tame.’”

  “I can see that, but it’s my real life at least, and according to the twins, it’s selling well.”

  Though Rose had worried Luke and Brendan would find her idea for a new graphic novel based on her current life dull, as Grace obviously did, they had glommed onto the concept. Their fan base for Drawn, steeped in the idea of conspiracy theories in which powerful succubi ran the American government, must have agreed. They loved that Luke and Brendan had deviated from Rose’s real life when it became nothing but strategy meetings for Torres’s campaign and endless phone calls to secure rally venues or order catering for events. To keep sales flowing, the twins had been forced to invent a story that invigorated their core readers.

  Rose had understood at the time, just as she did now, the need for that deviation. Drawn might have died otherwise. Unfortunately, the change cost her in votary count. How much, she couldn’t say, but enough so she felt it whenever she taxed her powers as she had in the fight against Alice. She missed those votaries, but had she expected to keep them forever? Of course, her fame would eventually fade; that was its nature. She had accepted that reality, even come to terms with it as one might the slow decline of health with age.

  But with Piper’s defection, the Irish’s encroachment on Society rule, and Rose’s struggle to keep the Order not just relevant but safe, her life had once again become fodder for comic fans, enough to warrant an all-new graphic novel series: Sketched. She needed the votaries, and the new line provided them.

  “I’m not saying I hate it.” Grace held up a hand as if to stave off an attack.

  “You shouldn’t,” Olivia said, her tone dry. “You’re in it.”

  “As I should be. I’m a teenage vampire; who wouldn’t want to read about that?” Grace flashed her fangs at Olivia, who rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I’m just saying it’s all politicized and stuff where Drawn’s got lots of you kicking ass the way you always have.”

  “A lot of people like political intrigue,” Matt said. “That’s my favorite type of novel to read.”

  Grace shrugged one shoulder. “To each their own, I guess. I think you’d get more votaries if you went after Alice again, or maybe took on some of the elite succubi in Society.”

  “Or fought Mother?” Preston, who sat on Rose’s right with Satterfield next to him, leaned forward as if challenging Grace to refute him.

  “No,” Grace said, frowning. “You know I don’t want that.”

  A punctuated buzz filled the air before anyone else could speak. It was accompanied by a phone icon's appearance on the blank wall across from them, cast there by an overhead projector.

  Rose steeled herself, drawing calm mixed with wakefulness and discernment. She wanted every chance to make this call go well.

  “Ready?” Tanner Watts held up the video conference system remote, one eyebrow raised at Rose.

  She nodded, and he opened the call. Thandiwe Buhari’s mahogany face appeared on the wall. For once, she wore no hat. Her black hair, straightened into wavy streamers, cascaded to her shoulders. She looked like a supermodel come to hawk the next big thing in cosmetics she would never need. Her eyes darted back and forth for a moment as she scanned the image on her side of the call, taking in all the people seated at the table. Though her expression changed little, Rose could tell Thandiwe noticed not all of them were succubi.

  “Good evening, Thandiwe,” Rose said. “It’s good to see you.”

  “And you, Rose. I’m glad you arranged this call; I’ve been meaning to speak with you for some days now.” She narrowed her eyes. “I see some of Piper’s children have joined us.”

  Rose ignored the chilly tone in the other woman’s voice at that pronouncement. She expected nothing less, given the Consortium’s collective prejudice against vampires. The fact that Thandiwe recognized Preston and Grace as Piper’s children, however, gave Rose pause. Thandiwe had seen Olivia in Rose’s presence several times, but Rose had assumed this was a first meeting for the others. What did it mean that Thandiwe knew them on sight? Rose found that revelation troublesome, and from the look on Preston’s face, so did he.

  “I asked them here because I’d like their input into our discussion.” The calmness Rose drew from her votaries kept her voice from warbling but did little to quell her worries. She long ago accepted that calm wasn’t one of her best traits, whether her own natural variety or that she pulled from fans, but it at least took the edge off her nervousness.

  Thandiwe’s lips compressed into a flat line, but she nodded. “Very well.”

  “I’m certain you’ve heard our treaty with Piper Ross has unraveled,” Rose said.

  “From my own sources, yes,” Thandiwe said. “Curiously, I didn’t hear it from you, Rose. I would have expected you to share that sort of news with your allies in the Consortium.”

  Tanner stiffened in his chair, as did Myra seated next to him, but Rose maintained her composure. She had anticipated not only the veiled accusation but Thandiwe’s subtly indign
ant tone.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t call you immediately,” Rose said without missing a beat. “I’m sure you can appreciate how disorganized things have been around here the last few days. We had to suspend Gloria Torres’s campaign, see to our people’s safety and that of our guests, and generally try to prepare for unpredictable outcomes.”

  “Yes.” Thandiwe dipped her chin in acknowledgment. “I understand your concerns.”

  “Then you also understand our situation.” Rose stared into the camera mounted on the wall, her expression earnest, her voice as compelling as she could make it without overtly using charm against Thandiwe. “Our chance of gaining favor within Society at this point is, I think, nil. We’re at odds with the Irish who, by all accounts, have convinced a large number of American Society elites to join their side. And Piper’s rogue antics have estranged us to any others who might have considered allying with us.”

  “I agree.” Thandiwe seemed to choose her next words carefully, her dark eyes roving over her audience. “Can you not convince Piper to stop her attacks on prominent vampires and succubi?”

  Preston shook his head. “My mother has an agenda. She won’t be convinced to change it for anyone. Believe me, I’ve tried. She’d rather break her treaty with the Order than adjust her plans.”

  Thandiwe’s lips drew down at the corners, but she nodded. “That is unfortunate.”

  “And it brings us to the reason for this call,” Rose said, mentally hardening her resolve in anticipation of her next words. “Thandiwe, I’m no politician. I’m a waitress who spent most of her life on the run from Society. I don’t know the right way to say things besides saying them directly.”

  Thandiwe lifted an eyebrow. “In my estimation, that is the right way.”

  “Good. Then I’ll say what’s on my mind: I believe you might be reconsidering your treaty with the Order now that our chances of joining Society have dried up.”

  “No. The Consortium honors its promises. Who would we be otherwise? Our organizations made a pact. We will keep our end.”

  Rose and Matt shared a glance as she nodded and squeezed her hand under the table. They had planned this moment together. While Rose had remained cautiously optimistic about the Consortium’s loyalty, Matt had voiced concerns. For once, she had been right, and from the expression on Matt’s face, he was more than glad of it.

  “Thank you,” Rose said. “That means more to us than you know. We’d worried all our allies might abandon us.”

  “We are concerned, of course.” Thandiwe held up one perfectly manicured finger. “There are some who question what contribution the Order can still make to our cause when you’ve been so compromised.”

  “We understand,” Rose said. “In truth, we both know the Order can offer next to nothing the Consortium needs right now. That’s why we’d like to discuss ways to increase our value. One way in particular.”

  “I’m listening.” Thandiwe sat back in her office chair, her expression inscrutable.

  Rose let her gaze drift from Matt to the others gathered around her, the people relying on her to keep them safe. Their confidence strengthened her resolve. “Because we see no way to stop the Irish takeover that’s already happening in America, we believe our best chance at surviving the coming decades is to join them.”

  Thandiwe’s eyes widened. and she drew in a breath as if slapped. “Tell me you’re joking.”

  “We see no alternative,” Matt said. “Alice has secured support in our government we could never hope to match, especially with our known ties to Piper’s coven kingdom.”

  “The Irish are our enemy.” Thandiwe leaned forward, her brows drawn together. “They are merciless. They’ve killed our people by the thousands in Europe and the near east.”

  “And they’ll do the same here unless we do something about it,” Rose said. “Tell me, Thandiwe, why did you ally the Consortium with us?”

  “Because I saw in you a like-minded leader. You wanted independence, not enslavement, and you were willing to fight and die for it.”

  “You wanted a chance to influence American Society from the inside.” Rose met the other woman’s eyes, defying her to contradict her words.

  “Of course, that was part of my motivation. I thought with the right help and encouragement, you could join Society.”

  “And bring the Consortium with us.”

  Grudgingly, Thandiwe nodded once. “Yes.”

  “I don’t blame you,” Rose said. “It’s a practical plan, one I would have used had I been in your place. But it’s not working. We, collectively, need a new plan, one with a chance of success.”

  “I take it you have come up with such a plan?”

  Rose nodded. “We have almost nothing to offer the Irish. Alice has much of Society sewn up, they’ll give her whatever she needs or even asks for, but they’re the elite. Their kind were bound to fall in line behind some leader regardless. It’s their way. But it’s not the slinker way. We in the Order could make life a living hell for the Irish. We have a vast network of succubi adept at hiding amongst the regular human population. We could use that network to worry and harass the Irish for a century if we wanted. They might kill a few of us, but if modern terrorism has taught us anything, it’s that there are always new volunteers willing to fight for the cause.”

  “That is your offer? To forego launching an insurgency against Society in exchange for some sort of official status?”

  “It’s a way in, Thandiwe,” Rose said quietly. “We’ll demand recognition for our people and a voice in how Society is governed.”

  “And where does the Consortium fit into this proposed deal?”

  “If we negotiate a place for the Order, that spot will include the Consortium. You’ll have your influence within Society, just not quite the way you had hoped.”

  “I don’t like it,” Thandiwe said. “How am I supposed to stomach making nice with the Irish in America when they are fighting a secret war against the Consortium in nearly every other nation?”

  “We sue for peace,” Matt said.

  “Why would Alice McAleese ever accede to these demands? As you’ve said, she has your Society in her hip pocket. Yes, I see how your threat of guerilla warfare might give her pause, but in the end, I believe she will welcome the fight in exchange for the boon of controlling the American government.”

  “Not when we tell her every vampire in North America will side with us in the fight,” Rose said.

  “But you said your agreement with Piper is broken.” Thandiwe looked perplexed.

  “Does Alice know that?”

  “She is well-informed. If I heard the news, I assume she has as well.”

  “We’ll have three of her children with us to say otherwise.”

  Thandiwe opened her mouth to speak but hesitated. She tilted her head to one side, and her lips parted in a grin. “I see, but what if Alice has heard these children defected from their mother to your side?”

  “We’ll say Piper and we planted that rumor to obscure our true intentions—we did it to make Alice think us weak back when we believed we might defeat her,” Rose said. “Now, we see our only chance at survival is to join her, and we’re bringing Piper and the Consortium with us.”

  “So, you will tell Alice a half-truth? What happens when she discovers the lie?”

  “We admit there was a breakdown in our alliance with Piper shortly after joining Alice’s side,” Rose said with a shrug.

  “Or perhaps we stage one,” Matt said.

  “At some point, we’ll have to deal with Mother.” Preston turned his gaze from Thandiwe to his sisters. “She’s out of control. I’d rather do that with the help of our combined forces than alone with just the Order. She’s growing more powerful by the day.”

  “And you’re certain Piper hasn’t tricked you, Rose, by sending her children into your house?” Thandiwe asked. “What if all three turn against you?”

  “I have my reasons to trust them.” Rose met Satterfield�
�s eyes, and the beautiful blonde nodded fervently.

  Thandiwe sat silent for nearly ten seconds, her eyes unfocused, no doubt drawing discernment to analyze the Order’s proposal. “What part would you have the Consortium play in all this?”

  “We want you there for the negotiation,” Matt said. “Not only because we’ll need your input, but as backup if things go wrong.”

  “Wrong as in your previous attempt to kill Alice McAleese?” Thandiwe stared at them with a dry expression.

  “Yes, exactly,” Rose said, unabashed by the other woman’s accusation. She leaned forward, elbows on the table. “It’s a good opportunity, Thandiwe, probably the best any of us is going to get. We demand a place at the seat of power and then bide our time, waiting for the chance to oust the Irish when the time is right.”

  “Capitulate now, fight later?”

  “Survive now; plan for later.”

  Thandiwe laughed. “Very well, you’ve convinced me. When do we meet?”

  21

  Appeasement

  They made arrangements to meet Alice in an abandoned playground on the outskirts of DC after nightfall. The location made sense to Rose. Who wanted humans, especially the police, to stumble upon a meeting between succubi and vampires? The time, however, puzzled her. Why would Alice McAleese, by all accounts a shrewd negotiator and tactician, afford Rose the opportunity to bring vampire allies along? She hadn’t even argued the idea.

  “You’re quiet.” Matt sat next to Rose in their rented van, scanning the darkened playground. Alice had agreed, without complaint, to let the Order’s security detail inspect the meeting place ahead of time. Shadowy figures moved through the trees and overgrown brambles, flashlights scanning back and forth.