Dissension

by Adrienne Monson

  Each time she got something wrong, Annette would fill her mind with the smut that only someone as evil as she could create. And each time that happened, Samantha found it harder to memorize the information. She had no idea how long the session had lasted; it seemed at least a week, possibly longer.

  If she already had a week’s worth of slime coursing through her mind, how could Nik possibly think she could be rid of it by her merely opening her eyes?

  In answer to her thoughts, he said, “You must trust me in this. You have nothing to lose by simply opening your eyes, do you?”

  Unable to fight with the logic, Samantha opened her eyes. All she saw were Nik’s hazel irises. Then, suddenly, the muck was gone. Nik was all that existed in that moment. She felt the compulsion to touch him, to be with him, encircled by his arms. She needed him more than she needed anything else in her life, and he needed her as well. She was his; she would give herself over to him completely. Nik was—

  Samantha felt a tremor of loss surge through her whole body, her vision blurry. She blinked in confusion for thirty seconds before she was able to see where she was.

  She was lying in a canopy bed she didn’t recognize. A man stood over her, watching her intently. No, not just a man, it was Nik. He had carried her from Ptah’s chambers. The dirt, the slime, it was gone! She was clean.

  “How?” was all she could muster.

  “I used a little mind trick on you to rid your brain of what Annette did,” he explained as if it were no big deal.

  But it was a big deal. “Thank you, Nik,” she whispered, tears leaking down her cheeks.

  He just shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed. “There was no reason for you to suffer any longer.”

  Laughter bubbled up into her throat, a hysterical laughter. Her body must be releasing the tension it had been holding all night. She did not even try to stifle it. Sitting up, she and gave Nik a fierce hug, high-pitched squeals escaping her mouth.

  Nik sat perfectly still for a long time, his arms slowly encircling her. She felt safe and warm, and never wanted to leave the security of his arms again. How could she go from feeling complete despair to pure joy in so short a time?

  “I think I might’ve used a little too much of my power on you. You should not feel so comfortable with me.”

  Sitting back, Samantha grinned at him. “You know what, Nik, I think that there’s a lot more to you than what you show people.”

  He grimly shook his head. “You would be wise to show caution with all vampires. We can turn on you in an instant.”

  The memory of Annette and Ptah flooded her vision, and she immediately became more subdued, though not entirely backing off. “You helped me when you did not have to. You showed a moment of compassion.”

  “A moment is all that it was. Do not read into things where there is nothing to be read.”

  She sat quietly for a moment, openly studying him. His expression was still dour, his eyes giving nothing away. But Samantha somehow knew she was right about him.

  “Do you know what I did when I was human?” he asked. Maybe he was able to read her expression after all.

  She shook her head.

  “I was an assassin—a very good one at that—with an enormous amount of wealth to show for my great success. As a vampire, I continue to care little for human life. I have no scruples about killing, unlike your beloved Leisha.”

  The words chilled her, just as he had intended. “It doesn’t mean that you have no compassion within you. People are allowed to change. You could decide to take on the same kind of lifestyle Leisha has anytime you like. It’s your choice.”

  Nik looked at her with little enduring affection. “You are even more of an idealist than I thought.” He cocked his head to one side, studying her just as intently as she him. “What is it about you, I wonder? You are young and innocent and definitely naïve, but there is something about you. You have a subconscious ability to lure people to you. Or maybe you are always trying to find the good in people, even when they show you their darker sides.”

  Samantha blushed under his praise. “That’s not true at all.” Her face darkened a little. “I don’t think I can ever see any good in either Ptah or Annette.”

  He took her hand in his and squeezed lightly. “Not everyone can be perfect, I suppose. They actually do have good traits, but they just use them for their own selfish—what you’d probably call evil—purposes.”

  “That’s an interesting way to look at it.” She tried to say it with Nik’s objectiveness, but the horror of what she had just experienced was too fresh. A woman she had only seen briefly was probably now dead. Suddenly, everything that had transpired—all the stress over her mother’s death, and who her father really was, having to remain composed in this strange and dark world of vampires and immortals, and of course, whatever happened with Ptah and Annette—came rushing to her with an immense impact.

  She had been pushing off dealing with everything for far too long, and now the reality of her life in the last few weeks was forcing its way into her consciousness. The burden of it all was too much, and she felt herself crumbling under it.

  “What am I doing here?” she asked, her voice shook. “I’m not strong enough to deal with all this. I have a hard enough time just dealing with high school! Now, I’m in the middle of some kind of political plot between vampires and immortals, and not to mention my dad has probably assigned someone from the government to find me.” She inhaled. “It all just seems too unreal. I keep waiting for myself to wake up and find my mom alive and well, waiting to put her arms around me and tell me it was all just a dream.”

  She broke off from her rambling as sobs took over.

  Nik gathered her into his arms and caressed her back, murmuring something inaudible in Russian.

  “I’m sorry, Nik,” she said, reigning in her emotions. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I usually have better control over myself.” Sniffing, she added in an attempt at humor, “Maybe I’m about to start my period or something.”

  Nik just held her. “Well, first of all, I can smell it if you are ready to start your period.” She stiffened in his arms at the thought as he released a snigger. “Secondly,” he continued, “you have every right to be overwhelmed by emotion. You have been through so much in such a short time. Annette messing with your mind makes you more prone to being emotional. It is the mind’s way of dealing with trauma.”

  His straightforwardness reassured her as she relaxed against him, crying a little more. After quite some time, she pulled back and smiled triumphantly. “See? You really are capable of showing a healthy dose of compassion.”

  Smirking with one corner of his mouth, Nik inclined his head. “I’ll admit, you bring out a side in me that no one ever has.” He looked her over. “Do you think you are ready to face Leisha now? You mustn’t act strangely around her. She cannot know what happened to you tonight.”

  “Why not? Leisha promised she would protect me.” She certainly did not like the idea of keeping something so big from the only friend she had.

  The Russian held her gaze with a sudden intensity that was very unlike him. “Because,” he explained, “if she found out, then she might lose her temper and try to kill Annette.”

  “I wouldn’t mind it in the least.”

  “Think about the outcome, Samantha. Either Annette will kill Leisha, leaving you helpless in a place surrounded by vampires who will gladly take advantage of your presence.”

  Samantha shuddered.

  “Or,” he continued, “Leisha kills Annette, returning to Ptah’s side as his mate until he grows tired of her again.”

  “What? Why does she have to be Ptah’s mate if she kills Annette?”

  He half shrugged. “It is part of our tradition. If another female challenges Annette and then defeats her, they must fill her place as Ptah’s mate. It is a large responsibility with many duties, including fulfilling Ptah’s sadistic sexual desires.”

  “You vampires are impo
ssible!” She burst out in frustration. “Don’t you see, all these rules are only making you people more miserable! Is being a masochist part of the requirement to becoming a vampire or something?”

  “I know it is hard to understand,” Nik said patiently. “But Ptah made things this way for a reason. He knows how to keep things in his control, and he makes sure everyone follows his rules and stipulations so that he can maintain that control. He has been doing this a long time and it has worked well.”

  Samantha took a deep breath and held it for five seconds before blowing it out. “All right, so everything here is for Ptah’s purposes. I don’t like it, but I think I understand what you are saying.” She paused. “Yes, I think I can face Leisha now. I will make sure she doesn’t know a thing about what happened.” She smiled at him. “You were right to warn me. I would not want anything to happen to Leisha. I haven’t known her for more than a few days, but I would feel absolutely lost without her now.”

  CHAPTER 15

  Leisha turned to look at the back of her outfit in the mirror. It was quite simple: black slacks that flowed elegantly down her long legs, and a faux wrap-around white cotton long sleeve shirt. Her hair was swept back into a French braid, and she wore a simple silver necklace to dress up the outfit a little.

  She was trying her best to look sophisticated. The last time Tafari saw her, she wore heavy makeup and a tacky clubbing outfit. If he saw her today, she wanted to look her best and as innocent as possible. It probably would not make a difference—he saw her as the monster that he always saw, no matter her attire.

  Samantha strolled into the bedroom with a suitcase and paused to look at Leisha in exasperation. “Again? That’s the fourth outfit you’ve tried on. Please don’t tell me you don’t like this one, either.”

  Leisha felt sheepish and young at the admonition. “I suppose it will have to do,” she conceded. “We only have a couple of hours until we leave, and Ptah wanted to see us off in a grand ceremony.” Rolling her eyes, she added, “He likes to do everything ceremoniously. It tends to get old after a while.”

  Samantha stiffened slightly at the mention of Ptah, but didn’t change her expression at all. She had been acting like that for the last three days. Leisha had asked if everything was okay—if anything had happened—but Samantha insisted everything was just fine, that everyone had been treating her with formal respect. But the girl was having nightmares, murmuring in her sleep about drowning in blackness, and Leisha could not help but wonder if Ptah’s eyes were the source. Those eyes were absolutely terrifying, and she could never blame the girl for being frightened.

  “Do the immortals do everything in ceremony as well?” she asked.

  Leisha shrugged, trying to be nonchalant about the fact that she might be seeing them soon. After all, these immortals had all sworn to kill her, and many had tried to do so. This would prove to be an interesting, if not deadly, experience. “I would assume so,” she said. “But I know nothing of their ways. Just that when Tafari was made an immortal, the ceremonies lasted for about three days.”

  “Well, I’m sure they’ll be less intimidating than these vampires.”

  “I wouldn’t count on that. They are just as prideful as we are. Some of them more so.” She paused. “Do you find me intimidating?”

  Samantha smiled warmly. “Actually, yes, but not in the same way as the other vampires.” She started to blush. “I kinda look up to you, Leisha. I find you intimidating, because I don’t know if I can ever be like you.”

  Stunned into silence for a second, it took a moment for Leisha to find her voice. “Samantha, I don’t ever want you to be anything like me. You are impressive just as you are. I’m not sure if I have ever known a human quite like you. You should value your uniqueness.”

  Samantha waved it off with her hand. “I think it’s getting way too sentimental in here.” She glanced back at the closet. “Have you packed yet?”

  “No, but it will take fewer than five minutes.”

  Samantha cocked her head to the side. “I didn’t know you’re a light packer.”

  Leisha grinned. “I’m not. But I do have super speed, so it doesn’t take long to get everything I need packed up.”

  “Right. I keep forgetting about that kind of stuff.”

  “Just leave your suitcase by the door. Someone will carry them to the car for us. Did you make sure that everything you packed fit you all right?”

  “Of course.” Samantha smiled. “I may not get flustered and change my outfit ten times, but I do like to look decent.”

  Leisha laughed, hoping to hide the raw nerves throbbing inside her.

  Saying goodbye to everyone was not that big of a deal. Everyone gathered in the ballroom to watch them go. Leisha and Samantha both gave their formal courtesies to Ptah. He kissed their hands and wished them a safe journey, quite pleased with all the arrangements, although Leisha thought otherwise; unlike him, she wasn’t as confident.

  Victor barely spoke to her since the night they met in his apartment, but he squeezed her hand in parting. “I look forward to your return, Leisha,” he said, his tone somber. “Have a safe journey; we can’t afford to lose you.” Leisha simply nodded.

  They followed Nikita up the steps after saying goodbye. He was going to see them off at the airport. In the car, Samantha seemed in fairly high spirits. Leisha noticed how well Samantha and Nikita were getting along. She was surprised that Nikita was indulging the girl in conversation. If Leisha did not know any better, she would assume Nikita was fond of Samantha.

  Samantha was obviously attracted to Nikita. When they parked in the lot at the airport, Samantha asked him to see them off inside.

  “Sorry, but I can’t. The sun has just come up, and I need to stay in the car. These windows protect me from getting burned.”

  Samantha looked down at her feet. “Right.” She leaned across the seat and gave him a hug. “Well, thanks for everything, Nik. I’ll miss you!” With that, she jumped out of the car and grabbed her suitcase, waiting for Leisha to follow.

  Leisha turned to Nikita. “You haven’t been working your mind tricks on the girl, have you?”

  Nikita shook his head in complete nonchalance. “I suppose it must be because she knew me longer than anyone else, with you as the exception.”

  “I suppose that makes sense.” She met his gaze. “You just make sure you don’t get too close to her. She does not realize the dangers that lie in befriending vampires.”

  “I bet she knows more than you think she knows. Besides, she has already befriended you.”

  “Yes, but I am surrounded by humans all the time, and I don’t let my appetite get in the way. I’m not sure you would be able to control yourself if you were around her for too long.”

  “It will not matter much now, with you leaving. I believe this conversation is a little moot.”

  He was right, and she knew it, but she could not stop feeling the need to protect Samantha. The last time she felt like this, she was a mother. “Thanks for the ride, Nikita. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again.”

  He smiled and nodded goodbye.

  “What was all that about?” Samantha asked, trying to catch up with Leisha on the way into the airport terminal.

  “What?”

  “When you were saying goodbye to Nik. You looked like you wanted to put him into a meat grinder. He’s been kind to us; you should be more grateful to him.”

  Leisha decided to let the issue go. There were many things the girl did not understand. Samantha did not realize she was playing with fire. At least from here on, she was no longer surrounded by vampires. Leisha hoped the immortals would be less dangerous for her.

  Mason paced restlessly back and forth in the small waiting room. He sat in each one of the four chairs available in the room for about five minutes before deciding to walk off his anxiety. He could only take six long strides before he had to turn around again.

  Mason knew, of course, they were doing this on purpose. The confined sp
ace and the wretched chairs were all part of the psychology his superiors used to manipulate their employees. If he wanted to show them he was unaffected by it, he would have to just stay put in the first chair and sit without moving until they called him in.

  Though he had nothing to prove, the pacing helped him keep his mind clear and his goal in focus. A low buzzer sounded, signaling him to enter the room.

  He walked in the dimly lit room to see his three superiors sitting at one end of the conference table. Henderson was smoking a cigarette, as usual, his tie slightly askew from the rest of his nicely pressed suit. A small lamp sat on the table in front of him.

  Doyle had his pipe in his mouth, the smell of tobacco practically overwhelming in the room. That, too, was deliberate. Doyle wore a charcoal gray Gucci suit today. He seemed to wear a new one every few weeks.

  Sampson was the only one who never smoked, though he got enough secondhand smoking to guarantee lung cancer. Sitting perfectly still, his hands rested on the laptop on the table, his light gray suit immaculate. He gestured Mason to take a seat.

  “We want to keep this as brief as possible,” Henderson started, his bushy silver eyebrows dominating the glare he was giving. “We have noticed that your productivity has increased by about twenty percent since the disappearance of your daughter. We’ve also just received your request to take some personal time. The two actions don’t seem to fit well with each other, wouldn’t you agree?”

  Mason allowed his face to show just a hint of anxiety through a twitch of his lower lip. “Actually, sir, I believe it fits perfectly. I was hoping to lose myself in work to help deal with my grieving, but it has only backfired. This was the last place I saw Samantha. I feel I need to get away for just a couple of weeks, so I can truly say goodbye to her, and then jump right back into work when I return.”