Dissension

by Adrienne Monson

  He chuckled lightly. “You’re fun to be around. I’m sorry that our world is making you grow up faster than you should, but I think you’ve the potential to handle this situation.”

  Feeling uncomfortable with the compliment, Samantha changed the subject. “So, do you guys always watch action movies?”

  “No, but that’s what usually gets Rinwa to go with us. I’m sure you can tell she likes to think she’s a ‘bad girl.’”

  Samantha raised her brows. “She only thinks that? I don’t know, she seems really tough to me.”

  “You don’t know her like I do.” There was so much emotion in that one statement that Samantha sensed wistfulness combined with sorrow.

  “You’re in love with her?” she asked softly.

  He glanced over at Samantha in surprise, then looked in the direction of their destination. “I suppose you could say that.” He blew out a breath. “We were lovers for a time. I thought she was happy with me, but it didn’t work out. That was when I first joined the immortals, two hundred years ago.”

  “Does she know how you feel about her now?”

  Willem kicked at a loose stone. “It’s best that I maintain my distance for now. She’s . . . not available at the moment.”

  “Right.” For a while, she forgot that Rinwa and Tafari were together. Her heart went out to Willem. It had to be hard for him; Tafari was practically impossible to compete with.

  They arrived at her building and she thanked him for walking with her before returning to her room. As she walked, her mind wandered back to her own predicaments. She thought of all the different options that were available to her, and still decided she really didn’t have much choice. She had to do Ptah’s biddings.

  Enforcing her resolve, she did her best to keep an impassive face upon arriving at her room. When she opened the door and saw Leisha dancing to music, she could not help but smile, temporarily forgetting her troubles.

  Leisha might just be releasing her stored up energy from being cooped up for so long, but she looked like any normal college girl dancing around her dorm room. The problem of being around all the “otherworldly” people was that they all just seemed so normal and ordinary. That is, unless they were talking about battles and memories of things they did hundreds of years ago.

  Leisha turned off her iPod when Samantha came in. “How was your day today?” she asked casually.

  That was always the first question she asked when Samantha entered. Samantha usually told her everything about her day. She figured Leisha was trying to live vicariously through Samantha’s interactions with the other immortals. Leisha knew each person whom Samantha named, including their quirks. Samantha even suspected that the vampire was starting to soften her attitude towards the immortals since she was beginning to know them as individuals. But even so, Leisha would never admit to it, so Samantha never voiced those thoughts.

  This time, Samantha did not tell Leisha anything about her day except what was most pressing. “I spoke to Ptah on the phone today.” When Leisha nodded, she continued. “He . . . he is planning to fly out here in a few days. He wants to talk with you in person.”

  Leisha crossed her arms. “Why? I thought you were reporting to him everything I told you to.”

  “I am!” And more, she thought. “But he wants to speak with you directly, in person. We somehow have to make arrangements to get off the campus for one night and just see what he wants.”

  Leisha’s eyes unfocused slightly and she looked at the wall. “I already did, but it’s only because Tafari is beginning to trust me again.” She sat on her bed and held a pillow in her lap, her usual unreadable expression in place. “If Tafari finds out that I’m using him to meet with Ptah, he will never be able to forgive me.”

  That made Samantha gasp. “You really think he’s open to that idea? Of forgiving you?”

  Leisha summarized what their conversation consisted of, and Samantha was grinning by the time she finished.

  “Leisha, that’s wonderful! You guys are starting to make progress with each other. There’s hope!” Her smile faltered a little when Rinwa popped into her thoughts. She was really beginning to like the immortal and would not want to see her get hurt if Leisha and Tafari rekindled their romance, but on the other hand, she knew in her heart that Leisha and Tafari belonged together.

  Leisha made a calming gesture with her hand. “We don’t know what will happen here, Samantha, so don’t get carried away. There may be some hope for us to at least have some neutral ground with each other, but I doubt it could go beyond that.”

  Samantha chose to ignore that and focus on more pressing matters. “So, do you think it would be possible to meet with Ptah while Tafari takes you out to feed?”

  Leisha did a good job of hiding the strained expression, but Samantha had learned to read her little tells. She did not like the idea of betraying what little trust Tafari had for her, and Samantha could not fault her for that.

  Swallowing, Leisha responded, “I do think it is possible, and it’s probably our best chance to meet with Ptah . . .”

  “I get the feeling that you were going to say ‘but,’ right?”

  “I find myself torn on what to do.”

  Samantha’s heart clenched at the hopelessness Leisha was feeling. “You are more torn because of me, aren’t you?” Samantha asked.

  The vampire met her eyes with a puzzled frown. “What?”

  “Are you still worried about my safety, Leisha? Because I’m betting that if you didn’t have to worry about me, you would probably not worry about Ptah and would stay loyal to Tafari.” Samantha pursed her lips. While Samantha wanted Leisha to not worry about her so much, the girl still had horrid nightmares about what Annette had done to her, and she knew it could have been much worse.

  “Samantha, even if you were not involved, there would still be complications,” Leisha said.

  “Make me your human servant.” The words came out more desperately than she had meant, and Samantha flushed with embarrassment.

  Leisha’s response was instant. “No. We have already discussed this and you know where I stand. I cannot in good conscience do that to you, and you must not ask for it again.”

  “But if I were your human servant, you wouldn’t have to worry about me so much. I would be protected by your powers, and you would have more freedom. You would be more powerful and we could hide away from the vampires, and I could help you with your feeding. It’s clearly the best solution. You are simply being too stubborn to acknowledge that!”

  Leisha was losing her patience. “You are wrong, Samantha. I will not make you my human servant, and that is final. But do not worry about my freedom. I can and will tell Ptah that I am unable to meet with him, and he will have to continue getting reports from you.” She jutted her chin. “I will not betray Tafari again if I can help it, and I will go out with him to do exactly what we agreed upon and nothing more.”

  Leisha ended the conversation by putting on her earphones and lying down on her bed with her back to Samantha. Samantha lay on her own bed, anxiety overwhelming her as she contemplated what she would tell Ptah tomorrow.

  CHAPTER 25

  Tafari opened the car door and muttered, “Does this look sleazy enough for you?” It was obvious he was quickly losing his patience. Leisha had refused the first three pubs he took her to, because they looked “too nice.”

  Leisha tried to be patient herself when she explained to him that she needed to go to a location that would invite the least reputable kind of people. She could not understand why that bothered him so much, but was finally able to convince him to take her to one of the trashier bars.

  “This should work just fine,” she said pleasantly, ignoring his irritable tone. It had been almost two weeks since he agreed to take her out to feed and she had hardly seen him before today. She was embarrassed to admit to herself that she was looking forward to going out with Tafari, restraining herself from looking at this arrangement like a date. It was a foolish
inclination, and she had silently berated herself for acting like a silly, giddy teenager.

  Once they left, it was easy for Leisha to fall back into her customary manner and forget that she had been thinking giddy thoughts. Tafari was his usual gruff self and did a superb job of making her feel like a burden. She did not allow herself to feel bad over his attitude. Instead, she decided to take comfort in the fact that Tafari would never change.

  She pulled her attention back to the reason they had come to the bar when they entered. Together, they walked through the smoke-filled room and bad lighting to a table in the back corner away from the lights.

  “Remember what we agreed upon?” Tafari reminded.

  Leisha nodded. “I remember. I’ll be sure to make out in a dark corner where you’ll be able to see me not kill anyone.”

  He still seemed unhappy with the arrangement, but sat back in his chair and humphed, “Good.” Leisha started to get up when he requested, “While you are at the bar, would you bring me a glass of red wine, please?”

  Leisha hid her smile, but was certain her eyes sparkled with amusement. “I think a beer would be the wiser choice in this kind of establishment.”

  Tafari gave a long suffering sigh as he nodded. Leisha chuckled a little as she sat on a stool and ordered a beer.

  It did not take long at all to attract attention from the men around her. She had an easily amused and open expression on her face, and had no trouble flirting with each man who approached her—all of them wanted to take her back to their apartment. No one seemed enthusiastic about lingering in the pub. Feeling exasperated, she decided to try the other end of the bar. She got up and sent a fleeting look towards Tafari as she walked to the opposite side near the backdoor.

  Just as she was about to sit on another stool, Tafari grabbed her arm roughly. “Where do you think you are going?” he hissed.

  Leisha allowed her face to show how aggravated she was feeling. “I was just finding a different seat. I wasn’t having much success where I was. What’s the problem?”

  He glanced over to the backdoor meaningfully.

  She rolled her eyes. “And you were supposed to start trusting me, remember?”

  “It could hardly be referred to as trust, and I am not going to take the chance of you running off and reporting everything you have seen of the immortals to your beloved master.”

  Leisha jerked her arm from his grip and glared. Just as she was about to retort where he and his own beloved immortals could go, she noticed they were attracting an audience. She smiled at the guy closest to her and giggled. “My ploy worked,” she said animatedly in a Cockney accent. “I made my boyfriend jealous. Now we get to go home and make up!” She gave Tafari a quick kiss, ignoring the fiery sensations it created within her body. “Come on, sweetheart. We’ll need to stop at the store so I can get something extra special I’m sure you’re going to enjoy.”

  There were scattered chuckles throughout the bar as they walked out.

  “Well, I hope you know of another place to go to now,” Leisha said grimly.

  Tafari sighed. “This is going to take all night.”

  “I could have found someone if you hadn’t made a scene in there.”

  Tafari grunted. They were almost at the Audi—Tafari digging the keys out from his pocket— when Leisha heard the heartbeat before anything else. She glanced behind them from the corner of her eye.

  The man approaching had his gun out and ready. He was targeting Tafari.

  She waited until he was almost on top of them and aiming his gun before she acted. She hit his forearm with a swift karate chop. The man cried out and dropped the weapon. Before he could move, she pulled his reeking body closer to the shadows of the building and held his arms behind his back at a painful angle.

  “Who is he?” Tafari asked.

  Leisha looked into the man’s flat brown eyes and read his thoughts. It took a few seconds to sort through them since he was high on crack, but Leisha was finally able to decipher his motives.

  “No one you need to worry about,” Leisha said. “He’s a bum off the streets and was planning on killing us and taking our valuables.” She looked down at the man. “Thank you for seeking us out, Baxter. You just saved us a lot of time.”

  Baxter flinched. “How did you know my name?” he slurred.

  She smiled. “It’s not important.”

  Pulling his neck toward her mouth, Leisha bit into his jugular. His blood had a bit of a sour taste to it, but it would sustain her as well as anyone else’s, so she continued to drink. She tried to ignore the memories of his pathetic existence as they washed over her. After he had been drained, Leisha dragged his corpse into the small alley behind the bar and left him to rot.

  It was difficult to read Tafari’s face when she returned.

  “You really do have the ability to read minds,” he said slowly.

  She could not help but smile a bit smugly. “I did tell you, Tafari. I only lie when it’s necessary.”

  He studied her for a minute, and then folded his arms against his chest. “I thought we had agreed there would be no killing.”

  Biting back a profanity, Leisha kept her tone reasonable. “Can you honestly call that murder? He would have killed you over your car if you had been human. Come on, Tafari, just chalk it up to self-defense and let’s get out of here.”

  Tafari stayed quiet as they climbed into the Audi, not betraying any emotion one way or the other.

  They did not speak much on the way back to the campus, although Leisha felt perfectly comfortable sitting with Tafari in the silence. It reminded her of the days when they were together, which made her feel a little nostalgic. She could picture all too clearly their small hut made from twigs and mud and the sense of happiness that filled it. She would give anything to have that life back again, to be able to watch Adanne grow, and to be with Tafari.

  When they pulled into the parking lot near their building, Leisha saw that Samantha was waiting for them. She looked a little nervous and Leisha became fully alert.

  “What is it?” she asked as soon as she stepped out of the car.

  Samantha shrugged. “I just want to talk to you about a personal matter.” She glanced at Tafari.

  “I hope everything is all right.” He looked at Leisha. “It was a most . . . unusual evening.” With that, he turned and headed toward his own building, calling over his shoulder, “Do not bother trying to escape. You cannot tell how many immortals are watching you right now.”

  Leisha didn’t watch him walk away. Instead, she focused her full attention on Samantha. Something was definitely up. She stood and waited for the girl to say something.

  “Let’s go someplace a little more private. I know this little spot between some buildings that is pretty concealed.”

  Leisha followed after Samantha. “I know this has something to do with Ptah. Did you talk to him tonight?” When Samantha didn’t respond, Leisha sighed. “You better tell me as soon as we get there.”

  Nodding, Samantha held her spine stiff while keeping her hands clasped tightly in front. Leisha recognized the spot at once. Samantha had given her full details about the location of the payphone she used to report to Ptah. She also quickly recognized that they were not alone. Vampires surrounded them. She could feel their penetrating eyes on her as she walked all the way through the trees to the secluded spot with the park bench and pay phone.

  Ptah was sitting on the park bench, patiently waiting for her with a small smile on his face. “My dearest Leisha,” he crooned. “I have been looking forward to this moment for some time.” He motioned to the empty spot on the bench. “Come, sit with me. There is much to discuss.”

  Leisha looked over at Samantha and saw her staring at her feet intently. Her face was filled with guilt and anguish. Leisha bit back a groan. She knew there was no one to blame but herself for this situation. Samantha was only sixteen years old, practically helpless with a master manipulator like Ptah. Leisha had been a fool to think a
girl would be able to handle reporting to Ptah on her behalf. Now, the vampires were there in the immortals’ home.

  She kept her face blank as she sat on the bench beside the master vampire. “What do you want, Ptah?”

  He looked displeased at her lack of respect, but did not comment on it. “I would like to know why you have been so slow to give me the information I wanted.”

  “I’m not certain of which information you speak,” she answered vaguely. She needed time to think on what her course of action would be. She had to consider Samantha’s safety and try to get the vampires away from the immortals without getting any of them in danger. The situation didn’t look positive.

  “Do not try to delay me any longer. I have been patient long enough and I feel that it has not rewarded me sufficiently.” He looked hard at Leisha. “You have not been loyal to me.”

  Leisha kept herself from reacting. She wanted to shout that it was true. That she held absolutely no loyalty for him in her heart, but she was too concerned about Samantha’s welfare to speak in such rebellion. She had to get Samantha away. To do that, she would have to placate Ptah.

  It took only a few seconds to mentally steel herself for the performance she was about to enact. “Ptah,” she purred in a sultry voice, “how could you possibly think that I am not loyal to you? Have I not given you centuries of my services?”

  “As I recall, this last century your services have been exiguous,” he responded dryly.

  “I just needed some time to myself. You know better than anyone how quickly a hundred years can go by.” Even as she said the words, she knew the attempt was futile. Ptah was no fool, and Leisha would not be able to convince him that she wasn’t trying to manipulate the situation. She could see her future easily enough—at least one year, if not more, of severe beatings and public humiliations. She would be slave to any of the vampires’ violent and perverse machinations. It was a bleak future, but that was not forefront in her mind. She did not know what Samantha’s future would hold. Would she simply be killed, or would she become another vampire’s human servant? Forced to live in a world of darkness and pain. Samantha would not survive such a world.