Crimson Born

by Amy Patrick

“Reece...”

  Finally, I understood why he’d made the choice he’d made. Imogen had convinced him there really wasn’t a choice.

  But I didn’t believe that. I couldn’t. There had to be something we could do.

  “We can’t give up. Maybe Imogen was lying. I think there might be someone who could help us, who’ll tell us the truth. And she might know how to break the maker bond. Another vampire—one who sees things differently from Imogen.”

  “Whoever it is, they won’t be able to help. Imogen is too powerful—she’s a queen, and she’s ancient. There’s no one strong enough to break her hold on us.”

  “There is one person, just as old, just as powerful. And I know exactly where to find her.”

  “Who? Where?” He looked entirely baffled.

  “Her sister. Sadie.”

  His hand shot out to cover my mouth, and he looked around, presumably to check if anyone had overheard me.

  “Don’t say that name here—ever again,” he hissed. “And don’t be ridiculous. You’re Imogen’s daughter. Sadie is her mortal enemy. Why would she help you? You can’t go to her. How would you even know where to find her?”

  “She’s going to be in Washington D.C. tomorrow night leading a sit-in at the Lincoln Memorial. I’m going to see her speak, and afterward, I’ll find a way to talk to her privately.”

  I grabbed his hands, begging. “Come with me, Reece. If anyone can help us, it’s her.”

  For a moment he just looked at me, wearing an apprehensive expression. But there was also a spark of hope. “Do you really think so?”

  “I do. We’ll leave at darkfall, before the ceremony.”

  At my mention of the ceremony, his expression morphed into one of fierce concentration. “The ceremony is the only thing that might hold Imogen’s attention long enough for you to slip out unnoticed and untraced. And all the Bloodbound will be there, so the surrounding land won’t be patrolled during that time. It’s definitely the best time to leave.”

  Yes. We were doing this. We were going to be free of Imogen and the Bastion for good. My heartbeat danced with joy and hope.

  “But I can’t go with you,” he said. “If I’m not there with the rest of the Bloodbound, someone will report me. And if we’re both missing... Imogen will know something major is going on. She’ll track us down and stop us before we can even get to D.C.”

  Damn it. He was right. I hated to admit it, but I knew Imogen. And I knew he was right.

  “I’m afraid to leave you here,” I said, clinging to him.

  “I’m afraid for you to go.”

  He petted the back of my head, stroking my hair again and again. “But you should. You’re right. It may be your only chance to avoid Imogen’s plans for you, and you should take it. Maybe Sadie will have some information that will help.”

  Throwing my arms around him, I hugged him fiercely. “I’ll come right back afterward and tell you what I learn. Promise me something, okay?”

  “What?”

  I pulled back so I could look into his eyes. “Promise me you won’t take the vows. You can’t—not until I get back and we know for sure there’s no other way.”

  His lips drew back from his clenched teeth, and his eyes winced. “Abbi... I’m not sure if I can—”

  “You can,” I interrupted. “I’m going to do my best to get back before midnight. But if I’m late, do whatever you have to do to avoid the ceremony. You can say you’re not ready yet, you’re not sure. You can say you’ve been thinking about it and maybe there’s another job in the Bastion you’d prefer, say you were still under the effects of the animal blood when you made the commitment.”

  After another moment’s hesitation, he said, “I’ll try. I’ll do my best.”

  “No. You’ll promise.” Stretching up to press my mouth against his once more, I repeated the words, “Promise me.”

  When the kiss ended, he stared down at me with eyes I would have sworn contained love.

  “Okay,” he whispered. “Be careful.”

  “I will. And I’ll come and find you the minute I return. This is going to work.”

  32

  Sadie

  Climbing the stairs to the cavern entrance, I stepped out into the night, looking around just in case some guards had been posted that Reece wasn’t aware of.

  The hills and meadows were peaceful and deserted, but that would change at midnight. The ceremony procession would snake through the caverns and our people would congregate here under the full moon.

  The last thing I wanted was to get caught up in that.

  I had to put as much distance as possible between myself and the Bastion before it started. And I had to make it back to Reece before he was forced to make an eternal commitment to the Bloodbound—and our queen.

  Breaking into a run, I focused on that goal. The car was waiting just where Heather and Kelly said it would be—on a dark lane off the main road about a mile from the cavern entrance. We’d left separately so as not to draw attention to ourselves.

  Kelly lowered the passenger side window as I approached. “Finally. What took you so long slowpoke?”

  Heather leaned forward to see around Kelly’s head. “You’re alone. He wouldn’t come with you?”

  I shook my head, willing myself not to cry as I climbed into the back seat. “Let’s go. I don’t want to be late.”

  The drive to Washington D.C. took about two hours. On the way, Kelly turned up the radio and sang along to every song she knew. Heather rolled down the windows, allowing the cool night air to whip through the car.

  “Is it just me, or does it feel easier to breathe with every mile we put between us and the Bastion?” she asked.

  “I know what you mean,” Kelly said. “I totally appreciate that they saved me from starving or daylighting myself, but I’ve never had much interest in vampire politics or warfare preparation classes or stuff like that, you know? I just kind of want to live and let live. I mean—we were humans once, not that long ago really. Why do I want them to be my enemies?”

  “I never met Imogen personally,” Heather said, “and I know she’s got her fans, and she’s your vampire mom or whatever, but she seems kind of... harsh to me. I think that’s why I admire Sadie so much. She’s a vampire too—obviously—but she found a different way. I think peace is better. Besides, there are still a lot more humans than vampires out there, and they have all the power. We need to get along.”

  I sat quietly and listened. My friends were happier than I’d seen them in a long time—maybe ever. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who longed for a different life than the one we’d been living.

  Was it a ridiculous hope or was it really possible that we could make it on our own—without the protection of Imogen and the Bloodbound?

  Just thinking the word tore at my heart. I believed Reece would do everything in his power to put off taking his vows until he saw me again. But there were other powers at play here—far greater than his or mine.

  I couldn’t think about it right now—worrying wouldn’t do any good. All I could do was follow the plan and try to seek help for us.

  On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and stretching all the way down both sides of the reflecting pool was the largest collection of vampires I’d ever seen.

  It was a little shocking. The population of the Bastion had seemed massive to me, but obviously there were many more vampires in the world than those aligned with Imogen and sequestered apart from the human world.

  Were they all with Sadie? Or perhaps they were somewhere in the middle, neither human-hating war mongers or peace-at-all-costs pacifists, but moderate vampires who just wanted to live their lives and be left alone.

  I wondered which kind of vampire I would have been if I’d been turned by anyone other than Imogen.

  Some stood and talked with one another, but most sat, already prepared for Sadie’s speech.

  Along the perimeter of the crowd stood human police in riot gear and solid metal neck and wr
ist guards. They didn’t seem to be hassling anyone, and none of the vampires seemed to be paying them any attention either.

  Moments after we found a spot, a large white spotlight lit up the top of the monument’s staircase. The enormous crowd quieted. I was so filled with anticipation it was hard to sit still.

  Seated on a stool in front of a stand microphone, a young female vampire sang a wispy-voiced song that went from poignant to furious and back again.

  After that a male vampire I recognized from news coverage as a senator made some introductory remarks. And then Sadie Aldritch stepped up to the microphone.

  At this distance, it was hard to tell if there was any sisterly resemblance, but their coloring was completely different. Sadie looked more like Grace Kelly than Audrey Hepburn, with smooth waves of shining blonde hair and dressed in a classic tweed skirt suit.

  Like Imogen, she was beautiful and cloaked with the kind of wisdom that could only come with a long life. But where Imogen’s consistent air of calm was almost frightening, Sadie emanated peace and goodwill.

  She spoke with the kind of motherly voice that set you at ease and made you believe everything was going to work out—somehow.

  But she also imparted a sense of deep-rooted strength—the kind that reminded you of one of those giant Sequoia trees that had stood for literally thousands of years.

  For the first time, it occurred to me there were many different ways to be a “strong” leader. I was certain Imogen believed her way was the best, just as Sadie did.

  What did I believe? I wasn’t sure yet, but when a line started forming to meet the peaceful vampire leader after the rally, I jumped at the chance. Heather and Kelly joined me.

  “Was that the best thing you ever heard in your life?” Kelly asked.

  “Pretty much,” Heather said. “Well, I did get to see Billie Eilish last year in concert—so it’s a tie. But I love Sadie. I feel like I’ve known her my whole life or something.”

  My fingers shook with adrenaline as our wait finally ended, and we approached the monument’s highest step where Sadie waited with literal open arms

  “Welcome young ones. I’m so glad you were able to come. Where do you hail from?”

  Thrown off by the odd wording, I let Kelly and Heather answer first.

  “Alabama,” Heather said.

  “West Virginia.”

  When Sadie’s gaze fell on me, I stuttered, “P-Pennsylvania. Amish country. I... really loved your speech.”

  She gave me a beatific smile. “Thank you. You’re new to the life. How have you found it so far?”

  There was a complicated question if I’d ever heard one. But Sadie was the expert at giving speeches, not me. I simply said, “It’s not so bad.”

  Reading between the lines, she said, “But not so good, either, huh? I hope you’ll believe me when I say it does get better—if you find a way to channel your newfound abilities and limitations into a good cause. I think there’s a reason you came here tonight.”

  My heart rate took off as if someone had fired a starter pistol. She had just unknowingly repeated the words Reece had said to me the night we first met.

  “What?” I whispered, almost too stunned to make noise.

  “Well, we need help, some ‘fresh blood’ so to speak.”

  She laughed at her own pun. “Most of the vampires who work with me are ancient. It’s important for us to know how modern people see things, how they think. You girls are young and newly turned, so you’ll be able to advise us and you’ll be able to relate to modern humans much better.”

  Sadie stretched out her arms and cupped her hands in a come-closer gesture.

  “It seems that perhaps you—all three of you—need to make sense of what happened to you. How would you like to come work for me in Los Angeles?”

  33

  Free Will

  Too shocked to respond, I simply opened my mouth and let it close again.

  “I think you’ll see that a lot of good can come from accepting circumstances you wouldn’t have necessarily chosen for yourselves,” Sadie said. “I can help you turn what some might consider to be a curse into a blessing. What do you say?”

  Heather and Kelly answered simultaneously. “Yes!”

  It took me longer—I wanted what she was offering—desperately.

  On the last night of our human lives, I had told Josiah I wanted something different, somewhere else. The Bastion hadn’t been it.

  But this seemed like the perfect solution—an opportunity to learn to live with humans instead of fighting against them.

  Was I really free to leave? I wasn’t sure the maker bond Imogen held over me would allow it, and I definitely didn’t want to start some kind of war between the sisters.

  “I’d like that. Very much.”

  Looking thrilled, Sadie reached out to grasp both my hands in hers.

  “But there’s a complication,” I added quickly.

  “I can feel that.” She stared down at the veins in my hands, which had risen to the surface at her touch. “Your blood has a familiar fragrance. Are you...”

  Shifting her gaze to my eyes, she said rather than asked, “You’re Imogen’s child.”

  “Yes.” I nodded gravely. “And she doesn’t want me to leave the Bastion. She wants me to be her heir.”

  “I can see why. You have the makings of a powerful queen. Have you passed the test already?”

  “The test? You mean turning a human with my bite? I’m not sure. I mean, there was a boy, but I don’t really know if I was his first bite. My test was supposed to be tonight—at the Bastion—there’s an Inception Ceremony. It’s happening very soon actually.”

  “And yet you’re here.” She smiled. “With me.”

  I nodded. “I didn’t want to take the test. I don’t want to bite anyone, and I don’t want that life. But your sister is my maker. I’m not sure if I can leave her.”

  She smiled warmly. “You can do anything you want to do, child. Your maker can’t alter your free will. She can locate you whenever she wishes to, but that doesn’t bother me. The location of the VHC headquarters is not a secret. It’s on the news frequently. We have nothing to hide—unlike the Bastion. Imogen won’t like it, I’m sure... but she can’t stop you. If you want to join us, we’d love to have you.”

  Relief crashed over me like a wave and then lifted me, making me feel nearly weightless. It took everything in me not to hug this woman I’d just met in gratitude.

  Unlike Imogen, she did seem huggable.

  “Oh thank you. Yes. Yes, I want to work for you. I want to work for peace.”

  “Wonderful. Our entourage pulls out tomorrow night at first dark, heading back to California.”

  “Oh. So soon?”

  Her head quirked to the side. “Are there things you need to take care of before you go?”

  I nodded. “Only one thing. One person, actually. A guy. I’m going to try to persuade him to come with me when we go back to the Bastion tonight. He’s Imogen’s child too.”

  She blew out a short breath. “Well, this should be interesting. If you don’t make it back here before our buses leave, then come to Los Angeles as soon as you can and find our headquarters. If I don’t happen to be there at the moment, tell them I requested your presence specifically... Abigail.”

  “You know my name?”

  She smiled. “I know a lot of things. I’ll see you soon.” In a lower tone she added, “If he won’t come with you now, don’t give up hope. Remember, everything happens for a reason.”

  My friends and I walked away together, each of us expressing just how wowed we were by meeting Sadie.

  For me, it was more than that.

  Listening to her speech and then speaking to her, I’d experienced a sensation akin to what I used to feel when doing puzzles in the evenings with my brothers and sisters.

  There was something so satisfying when the pieces fit and locked into place.

  This was like that—only so much strong
er. I had found my place in the world—and it wasn’t in Virginia. For the first time in months, I was filled with anticipation.

  That happy feeling dulled when I spotted the red taillights stretching out in every direction. All the roads leading away from the monument were at a standstill.

  While many vampires had stayed for the all-night sit-in, many were, like us, heading home after Sadie’s speech. They probably needed to get to work or simply wanted to make sure they were safely inside when dawn arrived.

  “Oh no.” I sighed.

  Heather gave me a tight smile. “It’s okay. We still have three hours. Here’s the car.”

  The numbers on the car’s digital dashboard readout seemed to move unnaturally fast as the traffic crept along the surface streets all the way to the highway.

  Unfortunately, the slow speed gave us an up close and personal view of the counter-protestors who lined the roadways holding signs and chanting and shouting at our cars.

  “Vamps Go Home,” one of the signs read.

  Another featured a ridiculous winged cartoon vampire inside a red circle with a diagonal line across its center. It bore the caption, “No Monsters in Our Cities.”

  Anxiously eying the clock, I said, “I wish vampires could fly.”

  “We’re not superheroes.” Kelly turned back to bare her teeth at me while she formed her hands into claws. “We’re ‘monsters.’”

  “Right,” I said and resumed my clock-watching.

  When we finally reached it, the highway was backed up as well. That was it then. We’d never make it to the Bastion before midnight.

  As if reading my thoughts, Heather glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “It’s going to be okay. Reece is smart. I’m sure he’s figured out a way to get out of it.”

  I nodded and stared out the window, willing the mile markers to pass faster.

  When we finally arrived at the Bastion, it was after two a.m. We approached the cavern grounds cautiously, unsure of how long a turning ceremony actually lasted.

  There was no one in sight above ground, so apparently the event was over.