The Stewards from each team seemed to be conversing about the next course of action. Pointing and gesturing to their watches and pacing about, their concern for the others made the spectators go silent as we watched the screens for any sign of the last five participants.
After about 15 minutes, the seven Stewards had started to move closer to the opening. They were obviously calling out, even though we could not hear them and the closed captioning was not able to read their lips. Having decided on a game plan, the Stewards told the Fare to stay there until they came back. With that, they disappeared into the dark cavern from which they had just emerged.
Once they were gone, Wyatt Robeson began speaking to the Fare. He had acted as if he were left in charge in the absence of the Stewards. He gathered the High and Middle Caste Fare to him. After a few moments, some of the Fare moved away from him, not wanting to be a part of his plot. He continued speaking until there were only four Middle Caste and three High Caste Fare left listening. They were nodding their heads in agreement and checking their small pouches for supplies. As soon as they had taken inventory, the group of eight slipped into the night…away from the cavern entrance and toward the arena.
The spectators in the arena let out a collective breath. Some yelled at the screens that it was unheard of for High Caste to behave in such a way. Others called for the Governor to take action. I looked over at the Robeson seats and was not surprised to see every last one of them empty. The disgrace could potentially lower their cast standing.
It wasn't long before eight wet and dirty figures jogged into the arena with their hands in the air. They assumed that their arrival would be met with cheers and applause, but they were wrong. Governor Ezekiel and several other Stewards ushered them off of the track and into a covered reception area. Efia and Pleasant were on their feet at this point, standing near a smaller monitor with a video feed of the Governor's meeting; and it had audio.
It turned out that Wyatt had convinced the others that, being higher on the social latter than the Lower Caste Fare and the Stewards, it didn’t matter if they obeyed the rules or not. They were safe, Wyatt had said, and Governor Ezekiel should be grateful.
A small noise escaped my mouth before I could help it. Pleasant turned around and ushered me away before Efia could say anything. She sat me down on the couch and stared into my eyes.
“I know that this has been hard for you, the entire business of Vampires and how we live. But this is the best society we could form with the resources we have. What Wyatt and the others did…well, that is not what we stand for as a people. Please be assured that they will all be dealt with.”
And with that, she kissed me on the top of the head and walked away.
Chloe and Adrianna joined me on the couch. Both of them had tears streaming down their faces and they told me that Nicole and Cameron were amoung the missing participants. I hadn’t seen them slip away and didn’t know what I would do if something happened to them. Vampires were forbidden to aid the Ludos in any way, so we would just have to wait and see. It looked as if this Ludos would claim its victims this year.
Applause erupted when a group of Stewards returned from the caverns. They had found the missing participants and helped free Tyler. The last through the cavern were Nicole, Cameron and Rillae; three Fare who had risked their lives to save a Steward. The cheers died out, however, when we saw a Steward being carrying between them. Her head had a huge gash in it and blood streamed down her face. It was Gretchen and my heart almost broke as the three Fare struggled with exhaustion under her weight.
I looked at Chloe and Adrianna, made my decision and jumped over the railing and onto the field. The two of them followed suit and we ran full speed to the arena entrance, waiting for the teams to come through. Finally, the remnants of the first teams came walking past us. None of them were in any hurry to get to the finish line; rather they were walking backwards in order to keep an eye on the others. There were several young Vampire Royals and clan members who joined us on the field and we made a receiving line beside the finish line.
Approximately thirty feet from the finish line, Gretchen groaned and lifted her head. Her eyes were clear but unfocused as she looked at the trio carrying her and then she hung her head and cried. I had learned enough to know that she was probably crying out of some sort of failure on her part for not protecting the Fare as she was trained. But I was angered by the fact that such a burden should be placed on any one person. My anger, however, subsided when Nicole, Cameron and Rillae simply stopped and let her slowly fall to the ground. They waited for her to compose herself and get to her feet before continuing. Gretchen rose to her full height, slowly and purposefully and limped the 50ft to join the rest.
It didn’t escape my notice that none of the participants wanted to cross the finish line first. The closer each one got, the slower they walked. There were several Fare and Stewards just feet from the finish line and all of them started to laugh; hugging and slapping each other on the backs. Fueled by Gretchen's recovery, the entire group made a decision. They lined up, grabbed onto the hand of the person next to them, Steward next to Fare, and jumped over the finish line as one.
The affect of their solidarity almost buckled my knees. So I bowed. Not some small insignificant bow for informal occasions. This was the low, deep bow usually reserved for the head monarch of a clan. A bow so low that my forehead touched the ground. As if our youth and sense of rebellious nature drew us together, the Vampire Royals and clan members at the finish line imitated my bow, making this a show of commonality like no other. This act silenced the participants and the spectators alike. You could hear the proverbial pin drop.
Slow to stand, not wanting to look like I was ashamed of my act, I stayed down as long as my legs would allow me. But when I did stand, I was met with the unabashed tears of the people standing in front of me. Here stood the Stewards and Fare, people who were bred to cater to my Vampire relatives and peers; our Coetus Essentialis. They were the literal life blood of my future existence and I refused to let the moment pass without each of them knowing my feelings about their sacrifice.
Turning towards the stands I searched for Efia, completely prepared for the lecture I would get. When I realized that the entire St. Clair viewing box had emptied, I went into a panic. I scanned the crowd to see an empty Miklos box as well. Certain that I had just shamed my family like Wyatt had, I refused to regret my actions. I wasn't raised in this culture, but I was absolutely going to give credit where credit was due, even if I disappointed my loved ones. Before my heart could start to break, a hand squeezed my shoulder.
“Well done, Cheyenne, well done!” Efia whispered in my ear.
The St. Clair and Miklos clans had indeed cleared the stands, but they hadn't done so to abandon me in shame. They had joined me in my bow to our Stewards and Fare and several of them were only just then beginning to stand. Chloe embraced Tabitha and Jordan; Violeta grabbed my hand and held tight.
Chapter 18
The events of the night and the Steward camera footage was kept under wraps. Governor Ezekiel and the Royals wanted to be certain they had all of the information before letting the masses view it. The Robesons were being shunned by the High Caste Fare and there was no doubt that the upcoming hearing would result in a loss of social standing. The only thing that Matthias Robeson could hope for was a strong royal family selecting his son at the Pro Vita Eligamus.
The royal families and their clans had just entered into the ballroom but, unlike previous nights, the chatter amongst the 600 plus people didn’t stop. In fact, several of the Fare who were members of clans sought out and questioned their patrons. I watched as each patron gave only the Council approved report. The older Fare seemed appeased by the information and returned to their seats. The younger Fare, however, looked to the younger clan members like Chloe and me. They looked at us with the knowledge that things were being kept from them and they weren't happy. I had been kept in the dark for the past two months, so I de
finitely knew how it felt.
I glanced over at the Miklos table to signal Tabitha that we needed to talk when I felt a burning in my throat. At first I thought I just needed to clear it a bit, but the action just intensified the pain. Well, not pain actually, more like a sensation. I tried to ignore it, telling myself it was stress, but that didn’t work. The more I ignored it or tried to clear my throat the worse it got. So, trying to identify what is was, I concentrated on the feeling. I visualized where it was coming from and was nearly overwhelmed with the desire to drink. Silly me, I grabbed my water glass and tipped it back, forgetting that the glass had yet to be filled. Frantic for a drink, I began looking around the room trying to locate the vessel that would quench my thirst. I started to rise when Chloe nudged me.
“Do you know who you want?” Chloe was looking at me with a sparkle in her eyes. “I mean, I know that you are going to pick Rillae but you get two; a male and a female. And, you know that there are other benefits to having a Fare.”
Shaking my head, I turned to look out into the crowd, not surprised that Chloe had brought this up, again. One day Efia, having overheard her talking about Providence and a particular male Fare, laughed so hard that we thought she would stop breathing. Efia maintained that those types of relationships were strictly forbidden, but we weren’t fooled. Male Fare were bred to be the very best looking men I had ever seen, in person or in print. Attractiveness and friendship made it less likely that the relationship would be prematurely dissolved. Although rare, some dissolutions could possibly result in the immediate death of the Fare. Needless to say, it was extremely important that each patron selected their Fare with intelligence and practicality.
With this in mind, I wondered who would be the best choice for me. Even though the thought of parents raising their children just to be Vamp food for the rest of their days still made me sick, I had been feeling hunger pains for the last few days. Part of it was from being in close proximity to so many Fare and the other part from ingesting Efia’s blood on a daily basis. As much as this still felt like a fairytale to me, I had to remind myself that fairytales only happened in your dreams; and I was wide awake.
One by one the Fare noticed that Chloe and I were looking around the room. It was beyond me how any of them could put aside the events of last night and still be excited. But then I remembered the hushed conversation Veronica and I had on the flight. She told me that being Tabitha’s Fare was the most rewarding thing she could have ever hoped to become. She knew that she was an intelligent girl with a plethora of options open to her in the human world, but still believed her purpose in life was to be Sanguine Fare for Tabitha. Although I still thought this practice barbaric at best, I didn’t doubt that Veronica believed what she was telling me.
Several minutes later the room grew quiet. The Robesons, whom I hadn’t realized were absent, entered the room. Since the main entrance doors were at the rear of the room, the family had to walk past all of the other occupants to reach their table. Each and every one of them had their heads held high as if they still had the prestige to back up such arrogance. Passing the Lower Caste Fare, they had the nerve to glare at them. This act, though accepted by the others just days earlier, earned them looks of contempt from the Middle Cast and High Cast Fare. Undeterred, they took seats at their table, positioned directly in front of the St. Clair clan tables.
As soon as Wyatt reached his seat, he looked at me and smiled. He had that kind of politician smile that told you not to trust anything that came out of his mouth. He stared into my eyes as a challenge and, for the very first time since I left New Mexico, I was glad I was a royal. Taking his challenge head on, I simply arched an eyebrow, proud that I'd finally mastered it after watching myself in the mirror for weeks. He took my gesture as interest and winked in response. He made me sick.
I turned my attention toward the two figures who had just walked up to our table. Governor Ezekiel and a very large, very male Steward were standing there.
“Hello, Princess Cheyenne. Princess Chloe.”
The Steward bowed nearly to the ground and came up more gracefully than anyone his size should have been able to. Reminding me of those big cats from National Geographic, he was so handsome with his white teeth and golden skin that you might forget just how dangerous he could be. He stood at attention while the governor whispered something in Efia’s ear. The conversation was quick but it earned the attention of the entire room, all Royals included.
“My Sovereigns,” Governor Ezekiel was saying from his podium, “I proudly present to you this year’s Electus,” the Steward took a deep breath, pausing for dramatic effect before calling off each name.
Each Electus, Steward and Fare alike, stood and walked to the entrance doors. Once all were assembled, they began to walk to the front and parade themselves in front of the clan tables and then the Royals. Most of them simply walked while others decided to strut and sway. Some of the Vampires reacted to the differences and I wondered if the Electus would be chosen based on the way they marched around the room.
After the last name was called and the Electus attributes were listed, they stood before the Vampire clans. Some of them had all of the confidence in the world while others were so nervous they had to hold hands with the Electus next to them. Governor Ezekiel waited for the Steward Guard to give the all clear before he drew a breath and began to speak again.
“Today, you take the first steps toward your destiny. The rest of your life is before you. Our continued peace and safety depends on your willingness to provide for your Vampire patron to the best of your abilities. Do each of you understand what is expected of you?”
Each Electus nodded their agreement. As the Governor continued to speak, the burning sensation in my throat returned tenfold. This time the source seemed to be closer and I was driven to seek it out. Examining every Electus in front of us, my gaze stopped on Wyatt Robeson. His long wavy hair was pulled back into a ponytail and the vein in his neck pulsed in time with my heart. The longer I looked the more my throat burned. To keep myself from standing, I placed both hands on the table to gain control while praying that no one would notice and that I wouldn’t faint or vomit.
Governor Ezekiel kept talking about the importance of this and the destiny of that and all I could think of was breaking the flesh on this boy’s neck and fueling my body. I continued to stare at him until he lifted his eyes and looked straight at me. We held each other’s gaze for a few moments. The look was nothing romantic or sensual; rather it was that of predator and prey if said prey had no fear. In the midst of my craving, I felt like such a hypocrite and looked away. Governor Ezekiel finished his monologue and proceeded to have each of the Electus walk back to their seats.
My control had vanished and the burning intensified, so I pushed my chair out and started to walk around the table. A hand squeezed my shoulder and in an instant the burning thirst subsided. Shaking from pain and thirst, I looked at Pleasant who was staring at me. I saw understanding and compassion in her eyes as she gently squeezed once more.
“I’m not sure what’s happening.” I said to her, hopelessly in pain.
“It’s the hunger. It is never easy to explain what it feels like, but it can be triggered by stimulus. Some of the Electus Fare oxygenate their blood before these events making it more appealing to a first time patron. The Robeson clan is notorious for blood doping.”
I discovered only too late that the pain had subsided when Pleasant’s hand was on my arm and that now in its absence, the pain came flooding back. I reached under the table and placed my hand on her chair so that my fingers touched her thigh. She jumped a little at first until she saw the relief on my face and realized what had happened.
“Wyatt Robeson, please leave the building!” Governor Ezekiel announced over the sounds of the room.
“Sovereign, I beg your pardon. Wyatt has done nothing wrong.”
Matthias was groveling like a fool and a laugh slipped out of my lips before I could stop it. In an at
tempt to cover for me, Chloe began coughing, but the man gave me a look that could kill anyway.
“Matthias,” Efia spit out, “if you think that I believe for one second that someone did not dope that boy’s blood then you are more of a fool than I think you are. For goodness sake, I am almost foaming at the mouth because of him. It is a rude and dangerous game you are playing. Remove the boy!”
Matthias looked as if he was going to argue but several large Steward Guards stepped forward to escort his entire table out of the building. Muffled conversations rippled throughout the room as the doors closed behind the Robeson clan. Releasing Pleasant’s hand, I fully expecting the pain to return. It didn't.
The stress of the situation was visible in the Electus. Ethan Piedmont exhaled sharply in relief. I stared at his neck to test its appeal and when nothing happened, I closed my eyes and covered my face with a hand.
Chloe leaned over to whisper in my ear. Apparently, any unattached Fare bitten by a Vampire, Embraced or not, was theirs for life. It kept the Vampires from sampling too much product. This meant that Wyatt and his family were trying to induce my thirst in the hopes that I would bite him, making him my Fare by default. First, the mess at the Ludos, then blatant manipulation. What a jerk.
The day would not be over soon enough for me, so I looked forward to the next portion of the ceremony with mixed emotions. Chloe was looking into the crowd between Landon Bishop and Nicole Martenson. I figured that she wanted to make sure Landon and Nicole were evenly matched since they would be spending a very long time together. There were two important factors to consider when selecting your Fare; were they compatible with the Vampire and were they compatible with each other. A Fare could live for at least a century and not choosing wisely was considered a waste.
Even before learning that he liked to run and listen to music, I had been leaning toward Ethan Piedmont simply because the Robesons had something against him. I just hoped that he and Rillae would get along because she was already selected in my mind. Rillae was not a girl to be messed with and I was going to need someone like that around.
Blood Descendants (St. Clair Vampires Book 1) Page 18
