Evolution

by Sam Kadence

“You’re very young.”

  I frowned. “So? You’re what, a year older than me?”

  “You done?” He ran his hands over his cheeks, feeling the smooth skin.

  “Yeah.”

  “Good.” He jumped up from the chair, grabbed me up in his arms, and headed to the bedroom. I couldn’t think of any protests, not that I would have anyway.

  Chapter 26

  KERSTRANDE and I only got out of bed briefly so he could feed me the wonderful dinner he’d made me. I really liked this boyfriend KC instead of the grumpy resistive KC, though I was aware they were one and the same. Mr. Grumpy would be back eventually. The phone ringing brought me out of sleep early the next morning.

  “Not now.” Kerstrande’s phone again. “I already made myself clear on the matter.”… “No.”… “He’s fine.”… “That’s all I have to say.” The phone clicked off, and there was a thud as it hit the floor. He rolled over and wrapped his arms around me again. I peered at him over the heap of pillows. If he was going to be cuddly, I wasn’t about to pull myself out of bed. Even if it meant being late for work.

  KC glanced my way and frowned. “What?”

  Like I’d dare ask anything. “Morning.” Would he push me away if I kissed him? Instead I ran my hands across his smooth face. “I need to tell you what happened to me yesterday.”

  “Okay.” And so he listened. Emotions crossed his face too fast for me to read, but I kept going until the very end. He blinked at me for a few minutes, probably trying to process the strange thing I was. Would he kick me out now?

  “Should I leave?” I finally whispered.

  “No.”

  “Are we okay?”

  He leaned in and stole a kiss, then whispered in my ear. “You’ll tell Hane today, right?”

  I nodded, unable to find my voice with him so close. Last night had been everything I’d hoped for since our relationship began. If only we could keep it moving in the right direction. His hand smoothed over my stomach, going lower and lower. I had to swallow back my groan.

  “You need to eat. Keep up your strength for tonight.” He rolled away then, scooting to the edge of the bed and shoving his long legs into a pair of jeans. I wished he wasn’t so eager to leave me for the day, but I did have to get to work. KC didn’t look back when he left the room in search of coffee.

  A deep sigh escaped me when he left. It took me another fifteen minutes to pull myself free of the warmth and smell of him all over the blankets. When I finally got dressed, I added one of KC’s sweaters over my T-shirt since the overcast sky predicted rain. When I entered the kitchen, he handed me a mug of coffee but only glanced at me. The corners of his lips turned up a bit, but he hid his smile behind his cup.

  “Is there any hope for Joel?” I had to ask.

  “Depends on what you mean. If the cops catch him, no. Even if he found a mentor who could control him, he may have transitioned from human to vampire wrong. In that case, killing him would be a mercy.”

  “Would you be strong enough to control him?”

  “If Sarah couldn’t, then no. I’m a baby in vampire terms.” He set his cup down and refilled it. The coffee sat in my stomach like oil, heavy and painful. Was it my fault Joel had been turned? How could he have agreed to it?

  “Was it my fault?”

  KC hugged me briefly, then let go. “No. He was already in the scene. Liked to be bitten. Or so I heard.”

  The idea made me shiver. What would we do now? Joel was part of Evolution. So was Rob, but I wasn’t sure we would ever be the same. Just thinking of Rob made me remember what he’d tried to do to me. “I dread singing some days.” Even more so now that I seemed to be all alone.

  “There are ways out of the contract,” KC said.

  I had to look at him. “Huh?”

  “If you’re really unhappy, there are ways out of the contract.” He pulled a stack of cash out of his pocket. “Cab fare. Be back early. It’s not safe to be out after dark.”

  “Because of vampires?”

  “Because a lot of people do bad things under the cover of a night sky.” He set the paper on the counter, and today’s news was more attacks on vampires. There was another story about a Hindu Temple that had been vandalized overnight too. But the headline read, “Evolution Singer Found Alive?” It went on to question my humanity, even showing medical records, which I thought were private, and how I had some hyperactive white blood cells. Guess privacy didn’t exist if you’re a singer signed with a major label. PG even made a statement about how they hadn’t been part of the explosion, but that my existence was in question. Sigh.

  I finished my coffee and then slid into my shoes, thinking about the contract. Would there be a way to be released from it and leave Rob something? Maybe he could be a studio musician. That would be closer to his goal, even if he didn’t have his own band. He just didn’t have to be around me.

  “You’re thinking again,” Kerstrande pointed out.

  I smiled and crossed the room to peck him on the lips before heading to the door. The truth was, thinking about it all was hurting me, and KC had a point. “I’ll try not to think so much.”

  “Make quick work of your business today, and I’ll have you in bed by noon. You won’t be doing any recording without Joel or Hane.”

  I blushed my way out of the apartment and down to the street to get a cab. Another night like last would be nice. The sooner I could get to the studio and fire Hane, the faster I could make my way home. Maybe Mr. Tokie knew something about the contract. Would he be willing to help if I wanted out?

  At the studio, I couldn’t find Rob or Hane, but Mr. Tokie was in his office. He waved me in. “Hello, Genesis, you have the day off. REA is doing some media cleanup. Did Kerstrande tell you about Joel?”

  “Yeah.” Not that I really believed he’d killed his parents. That blame belonged to whoever changed him. Hadn’t KC implied it was Sarah? She was a vampire? That explained a lot, didn’t it? I took a deep breath and then let it out, more nervous than I thought I’d be just for asking. “I wanted to ask you about my contract.”

  “Sure. What sort of questions do you have?”

  “Is there an out?”

  He blinked at me for a few moments. “Do you want to change the contract? Or just not work for REA?”

  “I want to sing. I just don’t want to be told that my songs suck. Sure, they need some polish. But I wrote most of ‘Midnight Rain’. Kerstrande just changed the score up a bit.” He’d walked in on one of our practice sessions last week and gushed over how great “Midnight Rain” was. I took another deep breath. A lot of things had changed since last week. Was I really going to cut Rob out of my life? “I also don’t want to work with a band anymore.” Rob and I were no longer friends, and KC wanted Hane gone. I could work with studio musicians if needed. “I understand if I’m not good enough to stand on my own, but I can no longer work with Rob. And Hane was never meant to be a permanent part of the band. He’s just not a good fit. Without Joel and Rob, there is no Evolution.”

  “Did something happen between you and Rob?”

  Yes, but I wasn’t going to broadcast it. “We just have personal and professional differences of opinion. We are not moving in the same direction.” That was about as neutral as I could play it.

  Mr. Tokie smiled. “You are very young. Things often change as you get older. Friendships and alliances are lost and found. Sometimes old ones are reforged.”

  No kidding. “I just want to sing and not be ridiculed by my label or a bandmate. I’m sure the world at large will give me enough of that. Can you make that happen?”

  “Maybe. However, you’re suggesting some pretty big changes. You can probably change the members of the band. Being the vocalist always has advantages in that regard. As it stands right now, it is binding to keep you in the band and produce at least one full album as Evolution. If that sells well enough, they may offer you just a solo contract. The board holds the reins.”

  I sighed. Whoever the
rich shareholders of our contract were, it was unlikely they’d listen to me. Squabbles aside, I could make music if I had to. It was becoming just a job. Maybe I could make it one I liked better. “Is my being gay going to be an issue?”

  “Only if you make it one.”

  How was it my fault if people had an issue with it? “What does that mean?”

  “It means as long as you keep out of trouble, no one cares.”

  “But you’re not going to make me pretend to be straight to continue to work for REA?”

  “We don’t believe in discrimination.” He pulled out a file that had several copies of articles written about Evolution. “As for your personality, everyone seems to like you. We have calls every day for interviews. Your look could use some polishing too, but it seems that a lot of teens today like what they see.”

  Well, that was a relief. “Can we at least change the music? You like ‘Midnight Rain’. I have more like that.”

  “You want to trash all the work you’ve done so far?”

  “It’s not me. Not even me singing my best. I’m willing to work harder to get the new stuff done in the same amount of time if necessary.”

  “If you can get Kerstrande to look at the rest of your songs and approve them for production, then I’m okay with throwing out what you’ve already done. Except for ‘Midnight Rain’. That song is going to be your first single.”

  “I will ask him.” I couldn’t promise, simply because KC did what he wanted when he wanted, but I could ask. “Are you okay with me not working with Hane anymore?”

  “We’re already looking for another keyboardist. Hane was never meant to be permanent. Evolution and Triple Flight are very different groups. I would prefer you move down different paths as well.”

  Did he know they were vampires? Is that what he meant? “I’d like to tell Hane myself, if that’s okay. Is he here today?”

  “That’s fine. But no, he’s not here. He stopped in earlier and then headed home.” He took a notebook out of his pocket and jotted down an address. “If you see Joel anywhere, run the other way. Don’t talk to him, just call the police. You understand how dangerous he is, right?”

  “Yes.” When had I become such a good liar? If Joel approached me, I’d have to try to talk to him. I took the address from Mr. Tokie. “Thank you so much,” I said, bowing my head to him. His smile was amused as I raced for the door. Maybe he didn’t hate me as much as I thought.

  Going to Hane’s home knowing he was a powerful vampire and KC’s sire probably should have put me more on edge, but he was also hiding what he was, so I wasn’t all that worried. He lived in an old brick building that appeared to have appeared to have been a factory at one time. The windows across the side of the building glared outward like black eyes. There were no signs of decorations or flowers or any of the normal things people often do to make their home more appealing. Perhaps vampires didn’t feel the same need to decorate.

  I rang the bell and waited. Maybe Hane just really hated the press. If they got too close they might discover his secret. I guess I wouldn’t want anyone peering in my windows either. What if they saw me change into a bird? Not that I really knew how that happened.

  I buzzed the bell again.

  “Come in, Genesis,” Hane’s tired voice finally said as the door clicked open. I pulled it and stepped inside to an almost black darkness. In the dim light I could make out a spiral stairway leading up and a large metal grate blocking one that went down. At least I was alone. No living or dead lingered. I headed up the staircase. Three solid turns and finally the top step led to a door. The door creaked open before I was close enough to touch it. The heat of a fire hit me. Sure it was cold out, but not cold enough to have a fireplace burning that hot.

  The actual hearth took up a good part of the room. The rest of the room stretched wide with concrete floors and very little furniture. Hane relaxed on an old-fashioned couch, blanket pulled up around him. He didn’t look right, pale and almost sick. How was that possible? Vampires didn’t get sick, did they?

  “Are you okay?” I couldn’t help but ask.

  “Does it matter? You came to fire me, right?”

  What the hell? Could he read my mind?

  “Yes, I can. Kerstrande has some balls to send you here alone.”

  “He didn’t send me. I thought you’d be at the studio. Mr. Tokie gave me your address. I told him I wanted to tell you myself. You’re not right for the group anyway. We don’t want to be vampires.” Just how dangerous was Hane? Sure he’d killed Michael, but something had been wrong with Michael, and he’d tried to kill Kerstrande. “Why did you hurt Kerstrande?”

  “Because I like to.” He laughed at my expression. “Not what you wanted to hear, I know. But it’s the truth.”

  I sighed and turned toward the door. I was so done here. There were enough sadistic assholes in my life.

  “Don’t you want to see your friend?”

  “Friend?”

  Hane threw the blanket off and got up from the couch. His smile made me think of someone who could kill puppies with no remorse. “I’m sure Joel will be thrilled to see you. He’s certainly been lacking in visitors.”

  My whole world seemed to stop. “Joel? He’s here?”

  Hane led me to the stairs, down and to the locked gate. “Bottom of the stairs, through the door and to the left. He’s chained to the wall, so don’t worry.” He opened the gate and motioned me inside.

  The darkness was thicker here. The door at the bottom of the stairs opened easily enough, but it was heavy, metal maybe? The smell of blood hit me the second the door swung outward. Was he hurt? Oh God. “Joel?”

  Nothing. It was warm down here too. The air was stale. Maybe there were no windows? A maze of halls spanned out from the door. I turned left and passed many open, barren rooms. The one at the end was closed. Was that where I’d find Joel? A single sconce flickered pale light in an almost monstrous glow. The metal of this door was more like something out of a prison: heavy steel frame, a small window to look through, and a large handle that rolled a bar lock into place.

  I had to use all my weight to get the handle to move, but the door finally creaked open. The smell nearly knocked me flat. Not blood this time, but filth. Oh God.

  “Joel?” The light fell on his face, and he cringed away. Chains rattled. I stepped inside to try to see him better. “Joel?”

  He growled an inhuman sound at me, and the sound of metal grinding almost made me put my hands over my ears. He must have moved closer because the stench increased. I stepped back, retreating to the room entrance. Maybe there was another light somewhere? Water, even. I could help him, treat him better than the animal that they made him out to be.

  “He’s hungry,” a voice said from behind me.

  I spun around to face Hane. “Crap!”

  He smiled, looking ghoulish in the harsh light. How did everyone not see though him?

  “Is there a way to get more light in here? Water, maybe? It smells awful. You can’t treat him like this.” You can’t treat anyone like this and expect them to be human after they came out.

  “He didn’t come over right. None of this matters to him.” Hane leaned over and touched something on the wall that made the room erupt into bright light. Fluorescents overhead buzzed to life. The room was little more than a ten by ten box. No windows, just the door, a mess of human excrement and blood, and a friend chained to the floor.

  Joel’s keening cry made me cringe. I didn’t want to look at what he’d become, but I had to. He needed someone to care for him, and he’d always cared about me. The once self-confident ladies’ man huddled over his knees, clothes torn ragged and stained. His skin had an awful white pallor that must have meant death. Though he still had yet to look at me, I knew he and Kerstrande were a billion times different.

  “Water?” I finally asked, knowing Hane hadn’t left.

  “He can’t drink it.”

  “But he can be washed. Did you keep Kerstrande dow
n here, tied up like an unwanted dog too?” My anger built wave upon wave as I examined the conditions of this cage. The silence that responded to my question was worse than a resounding yes. How long had he kept KC here?

  “Until he would kill.”

  Monster.

  “Yes.”

  “Stay out of my head,” I yelled at him. He stood so close I should have felt fear, but there was nothing but the rage. “Get me water or get out.”

  He stepped back. “The door on the right leads to a bathroom and a cleaning closet. Light switch on the wall. Come back up when you want out.” He vanished down the hall while I made my way to the bathroom. A full bucket of water and some mostly clean rags would be a good start. The only soap was an antiseptic hand soap. Better than nothing, I guess.

  I returned to the room, dragging the bucket of suds-filled water. Joel was testing his chains. His feet, hands, and neck were all bound. Dark black bruising bloomed from around each link. Obviously it hurt him, but he still yanked at them. The floor was stained with dried blood and other things. I sighed, got a mop, and began to clean. No point in cleaning him up until his surrounding “cage” was clean.

  After a while, Joel stopped straining against the chains and sat down to watch. His eyes looked so blank and empty. His playful light was gone. Was there anything left of my friend? His blond hair stood up in many areas, streaked with dried blood. His eyes looked huge and shattered, his face like something out of a zombie movie, minus the whole brains-dripping-off-his-face thing.

  Once the floor around him was clean, I approached him with a bit more caution. He backed away as far as the chains would allow, but I couldn’t let myself forget that he was a vampire now. Kerstrande never showed me that side of himself. He was always in such control. But they could kill. I’d watched Hane tear Michael into little pieces with his bare hands.

  Joel seemed so lost, his aura dim, but none of those shadows seemed to have him yet. I wondered if he would attack me? Hane said he was hungry. Did that mean he’d been purposely starved? Was Hane setting me up to be murdered by my friend?