House of Pawns

by Keary Taylor

  By the time I reach the bottom of the stairs, every one of my House members is already assembled, ready and waiting. I open the door and squint through the dark.

  The man fights Anna as she walks him toward the house, but there’s something half-hearted about it that makes me think it’s all for show. His feet move willingly enough. Her hands are gripped like vices around the back of his neck and his wrist. Their silhouettes grow closer and closer.

  I don’t see their faces until they step into the foyer.

  The breath catches in my chest as I lay eyes on the King’s spy.

  Perfect. Stunning. Dark. Beautiful.

  Those are the words that immediately come to mind when I look at this man.

  Flawless skin. I mean flawless. His eyes are darkly hooded, hiding flat black eyes. A perfectly manicured short beard hugs his incredibly sculpted jaw. A muscular body is covered in some kind of tunic. A turban wraps around his head.

  He stares at me, and it feels as if he’s staring through me.

  This man is gorgeous.

  “Hello, Alivia Ryan, daughter of Lord Henry Conrath.”

  And his voice… His accent is strong—Middle Eastern, but his voice is like butter.

  I blink once, snapping myself out of my daze. My eyes flash back to his and I remind myself that this man has been spying on me.

  “If you wanted to introduce yourself, you should have just knocked on the front door.” I fold my arms over my chest, probably not looking particularly regal in my pajamas, but I’ll work with what I have. I cock an eyebrow at him.

  He studies me approvingly, his own brow rising slightly. “My intension was not an introduction, but intelligence.”

  “I would have told you anything you wanted to know.” I stare him down, but find it isn’t an easy thing to do. His gaze is intense, and there’s something…wicked, about it. So I break contact and look at Anna. “You can let him go.”

  She shakes her head. “He’s been spying. You know nothing about him. What if he tries something?”

  I offer her a small, soothing smile. “I really appreciate your concern, Anna. I know I’m always safe with you around. But considering what the King wants from me, and that this man was sent here on his behest, I think I’ll be okay. Am I right?” I look back at our visitor.

  He smiles again, studying me. “I promise you no harm will come from me.”

  He’s very specific about his words.

  “How about we all adjourn to the dining room?” I ask of my House.

  I start toward the dining room when Markov leans in close, close enough for his lips to brush my ear. “You need to carefully consider every word you say. He’s a descendent of the seventh son.”

  Markov doesn’t get the opportunity to explain more, but his warning is understood.

  I sit at the head of the table, the spy at the opposite end. To my right sits Rath, Nial, Lillian. Anna is down on the end, right next to the man. To my left is Samuel, Markov, and Cameron.

  I have the sense that someone is missing. And it takes me a moment to realize what is causing the feeling.

  Ian.

  There are no moments for mourning now though, so I clear my throat and turn my eyes on the spy.

  “I guess a good place to start is for you to tell us who the hell you are,” I say as I fold my arms on the table and lean forward.

  He folds his own hands and mirrors my position exactly. A smile curls on his lips as he does. “My name is Raheem, and I am a member of the King’s Court.”

  “The court consists of only Royal descendants of the King,” Markov says. And I am immeasurably grateful for his words. I feel at a disadvantage now, because I still know so little. But Markov is so very old. “They are those who are not House leaders, and do not reside in a House. They are often the King’s favorites.”

  I look back at Raheem. “Are you a favorite of the King?”

  His eyes quickly scan my House members, and suddenly I wonder: how large is the average House size? Am I laughable, a tiny drop with no one at my side at all? Or is this more than a good start?

  “I am a tool of the King’s. Whether he likes me or hates me, he needs me too much for opinions to matter,” he answers. “I’ve served the King for over nine centuries. No one replaces me.”

  So much for Markov being old.

  “You make me think the feelings of simple needfulness go both ways,” I say as I tilt my head. “Do you serve your king out of true loyalty, or out of habit?”

  Raheem chuckles and it’s a deep, low thing. “You are a gem, aren’t you, Alivia? One who says things without fear, despite her very human status.”

  And as if on cue, each of my House members stiffens and many eyes flare red.

  Raheem doesn’t look nervous though. He seems amused. “A human who has gained loyalty I’ve yet seen. I do applaud you.”

  I’m not sure what to say. I’m not entirely sure what to do. I’ve tried capturing Raheem for some time now, but with so many other fish on my plate, I didn’t give much thought as to what I would do when I caught him.

  “How long have you been spying on me?” I ask, because it’s been forefront on my mind for some time.

  “A while.” And the cold smile on his lips tells me he will say no more.

  “The King will arrive within two weeks,” he moves on when I do not say anything and I feel that is the first mistake I have made in this meeting. “He will check to be sure you are actually of Royal blood. Mistakes have been made in the past, claims made that were untrue.”

  Yikes. What if I really weren’t a Royal Born and lost my fear of death, only to learn too late that I wasn’t an immortal after all?

  “Once confirmed, you will begin receiving money every month to maintain your House.” Raheem reaches into a breast pocket on his black tunic and pulls out a piece of paper. He slides it with enough force that it makes it all the way down the table to me. “But for now, until confirmation is made, this is for you and what is hopefully the return of the South Eastern United States House.”

  I take the piece of paper, picking it up, and realize it is a check. With my name on it. Written in the amount of one million dollars.

  I’m about to call him out for the King attempting to buy my loyalty, when I realize I’m doing the exact same thing with all of Silent Bend.

  “King Cyrus is very generous,” I say. I have no idea how much my father left me, just that there are more zero’s attached to it than I will ever be able to spend, so really, only six of them should be somewhat unimpressive.

  But only six months ago I had a grand total of a two and two zeros to my name.

  “It isn’t much, but you can call it a show of good faith,” Raheem says. “The Conrath name has deep origins, being established just four generations from the King. They were a proud and prosperous family. And if you are who you say you are, you are the only one left.”

  Suddenly I feel guilty for not claiming my family’s name. If I am to be the last one, the name will die with me.

  Yet so will the Ryan name. The only daughter of an only daughter.

  “You haven’t seen the picture of her father yet,” Samuel pipes up. “She looks just like Henry.”

  “Oh, I’ve met Henry, on two different occasions,” Raheem says as his eyes go to Samuel. “And yes, I know how much she looks like him. But looks can be deceiving, but blood never lies.”

  I resist the urge to bite the inside of my lip, buying myself some more time to say whatever it is I’m supposed to say. I’m learning the difference now in the Born—who are old and sometimes wise and a force to be reckoned with, and the Royals—who have so many connections and history that I cannot comprehend.

  “Well, we look forward to meeting the King and seeing how events turn out,” I say. I stand, and instantly, so does everyone else. “There’s no sense in you sneaking around any longer now that we’ve all met. You may stay here, with us.”

  And for a moment, I wonder if I’ve gone too far, because e
ach of my House members stiffen and all their eyes dart to me.

  I don’t look at any of them though. This is my decision. This is my House. And it’s my call.

  “Thank you very much, Alivia,” Raheem says as he smiles at me with that devil’s grin. “I think I’ll very much enjoy staying in your House.”

  “CAN YOU HAVE REGULAR DELIVERIES made?” I ask Nial. I can’t quite look him in the eye.

  “If that’s what you wish,” he says. There’s concern in his quiet tone. He’s so caring, so observant.

  “Please,” I say. “Make sure he has plenty.”

  “Of course,” Nial says. He doesn’t leave at first. He stands before me, there to support me if I just reach out and ask for it.

  But I can’t. I won’t.

  Ian may have ended it. Stuck a knife through my heart and pushed it clear through and out the other side. But I can’t help it. I can still give to him what I can.

  I’ve just asked Nial to continue sending deliveries of blood to Ian’s house.

  “I’ll be back later,” I say to him. I’m distracted, my mind too full of too many things. Surely I’ll just topple over at any moment because it’s too bogged down.

  But I don’t.

  The sun feels too bright, even though it’s overcast. The air is too crisp and fresh after staying inside for what feels like so long. The spaces are too large and open.

  But I drive into town by myself.

  The construction site is impressive. In a little over a month, the crews have gotten all the houses framed and dried in. They’re inside working on all the innards. Lillian has been handling the applications for whom they will eventually go to when they’re finished.

  I stand at the edge of the property, watching, when a stout man in a hardhat comes wandering over to me.

  “I’m sorry miss,” he huffs. “But this is a busy build zone. I’m gonna’ have to ask you to leave.”

  “I was just checking on my latest project,” I say. I’m tired. I’m not as polite and kind as I should be. But that’s where I’m at right now. I really want to bite his head off, truth be told.

  “Your…” the man says, trying to make sense of what I’ve just said. “You’re Alivia Conrath.”

  I reach out a hand and after a moment of debate, he accepts it and shakes it. I make sure to squeeze hard. “It’s Ryan actually. Alivia Ryan.”

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Jeffrey,” he says with a little nod when I let go of his hand. He shakes it just slightly. “It sure is a nice thing you’re doing here. The town really needs it. And I heard about the playground you put in at the school.”

  “I’m just trying to give back to the community,” I offer. I don’t really want to continue this conversation. I just want to be me for a minute. “Thanks for your hard work. The places look great. I’m sure you’re busy, so I’ll let you go.”

  I’ve taken him aback, dismissing him like that. But he offers a smile and says goodbye before walking back to the jobsite.

  I turn from the site, hop in my car, and head back into town. I park in the familiar parking lot at Fred’s and climb out. The little bell rings when I walk inside and the scent of heaven floods my senses.

  A new girl I don’t recognize is working the counter. I smile at her and order a poppy seed muffin and a hot chocolate.

  “Is that Miss Ryan?” Fred’s deep voice booms from the back. He comes tottling out, a smile on his face.

  “Hey, Fred,” I offer him a genuine smile as I take my drink from Tina. “It’s good to see you.”

  “Wasn’t sure if I’d ever see you…like this, again,” he looks around to make sure no one is paying attention.

  I know exactly what he’s meaning—me human.

  “Haven’t seen you out and about in daylight in a while,” he says quietly as he follows me to a table. “I had started to wonder.”

  Internally, I sigh. All I want right now is a few hours of non-vampire related normalcy, but this is my life now. In this town, it’s all I’m ever going to be a part of. There’s no escaping it.

  “Not yet,” I tell him. “But it will be very soon.”

  He grunts a hmm as he leans back in his chair and folds his arms over his wide girth. The bell dings and we both look up to see Luke walk in.

  He doesn’t exactly smile when he looks at me. More just a tip of the head and his eyes fill with tiredness. But he walks up and greets us. He’s wearing jeans and a blue t-shirt under a black leather jacket. It’s strange seeing him out of uniform. I realize then how handsome of a man Luke really is.

  “You was right,” Fred says to Luke. “She’s still a day walker.”

  “Told you it wouldn’t be until the very last second,” Luke says as he sinks into his seat.

  “The usual, Luke?” Tina calls to him from the counter.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he confirms, flashing her a polite smile.

  “What, you two had a bet running on how soon I’d…change?” I look around to see who might be listening. There’s a couple sitting in the far corner, looking at something on a laptop. They look like they might be tourists, even though it’s winter and the off-season.

  “I wouldn’t exactly call it a bet,” Luke says, cocking a smile. “But I have two weeks from tomorrow pegged.”

  I shake my head as Fred and Luke both laugh. “Thanks,” I say. “Nice to know my impending death is so entertaining.”

  I must say it slightly too loud, because the couple in the corner look over at me with a wary expression.

  Luke looks at me with his eyebrows raised and I stifle a laugh.

  “Careful there,” he says. “People in town are only just starting to calm down after the panic that started in December. Don’t you go starting it back up.”

  “Is it really better now?” I ask as I take a sip of my drink. “I haven’t heard of any more people disappearing.”

  Luke’s eyes darken. “Missing persons reports are up seventy percent in Hipsbro County. Things have been quiet in Silent Bend the last few weeks, but the area is still unsafe. In town, people are still on edge. But now that they’ve seen you aren’t what your father was rumored to be, they’ve relaxed. I’m pretty impressed with how quickly you’ve changed the people’s opinions about you.”

  “Money has a way of changing people’s minds,” Fred says darkly.

  Luke shrugs, giving him that. “They appreciate being given what the town did need.”

  “Do you have a plan yet?” I ask Luke. “On how you’re going to get the people out of here when a certain lunatic comes?”

  Tina brings him his coffee and he holds it between his hands, as if to warm them up. “I think you’re underestimating how deep people’s roots run here,” Luke says. “It’s going to take nothing short of an act of God to get them out of here.”

  “Surely you have something,” I say in a low hiss. “People will die if they stay here, Luke.”

  “What do you expect me to do, Alivia?” he growls back. “I am one man and people are stubborn.”

  That dark snake I’ve felt growing inside of me slithers up through every one of my veins. “I’ll tell the whole damn town what I am and show them the members of my House. I’ll bring out the show of blood and destruction if I have to, if it will make them leave. I won’t have Silent Bend’s blood on my hands when the King comes.”

  And I can tell I’ve taken things too far when I see the look on both their faces.

  I think about what I’ve said. It’s dark. And demented. And the Alivia of three months ago would never have even thought of it. But circumstances change people.

  “Alivia, you can’t make any guarantees of how long the King will stay,” Luke says quietly, glancing at the couple again. They’re being too quiet and still and that makes me think they’re listening in on what we’re saying. “What if he stays for weeks? Months? People won’t have anywhere to go. Their roots are deep here and they’ve survived hardship before. No matter what you do, there are going to be people caught in the cr
ossfire.”

  I swallow hard.

  I can’t imagine how that will feel, if people get hurt because of me. Because of this life I couldn’t help. Because of my heritage.

  “I hate this,” I say as I fold my arms over my chest and lean back in my seat. “The fact that people might die because of me.”

  Their silence is an awful weight on my chest.

  The couple in the corner whispers something and my attention darts over to them. They’re looking at me with hesitance. “You should leave,” I say, more coldly than I thought I was capable of. “You should leave Silent Bend. And don’t come back.”

  I suddenly stand, not bothering to see their reaction. I don’t need any more of this. I don’t want it.

  I’m hiding from my guilt. But in the moment, I don’t know how else to deal with it.

  “Thanks for the lovely chat, gentlemen,” I say as I step back from the table. They’ve both got startled expressions on their faces, but they don’t say anything as they watch me leave.

  I take a deep breath of the cold air when I get outside. But my heart leaps into my throat when an ambulance goes racing past me, down toward the river. I watch it turn off of the main street and down one of the residential areas.

  My heart aches. Ian should be in that ambulance. Wearing his uniform. Saving lives.

  Instead he’s hiding.

  I take a shaky breath and head for my car.

  I take the long way home, driving out to the edges of Silent Bend, where the houses are few and far between. They’re run down, many of them simple trailer homes. Long grass fights against multitudes of trees, the undergrowth thick. I weave down different roads on my way back. Memorize the lay of the land.

  It feels like home. That’s certain. But it doesn’t feel quite like I want it to.

  I just want to belong. And that isn’t going to happen. Not in a normal way.

  I pull into the garage and just as I’m climbing out of the Jeep, the door into the house opens and out walks Raheem.

  “I trust you enjoyed your excursion out into the daylight world?” he says with that heavy accent.

  “Not exactly,” I say as I close the door. “I’m a little surprised you aren’t sleeping, like the others.”