Blood Song: Division 7: The Berkano Vampire Collection

by Lindsey R. Loucks

  “Sure you do.” He tucked his fingers under my chin to make me look at him. “With your voice. Mine, too. But it was you who brought the witches and vampires together.”

  I shook my head. “It was Lucy—”

  “It was your idea, your bravery, to go outside and sing,” he said, a sad smile on his mouth. “You separated the witches from the Silence Collectors, so now we’re not all the bad guys.”

  But it had taken a tragedy to make that point clear. Hendry had said the Silence Collectors were scattered all over Tombstone, so unless we ended the rules that inspired this distrust, another tragedy could happen, to witches or vampires. The first step—really the only step I could think of at the moment—was to head to the Church of Hangmen. After that? Well, I supposed I would just make it up as I went along. But if the brothel witches and the Berkano had my back, we would be a formidable force. We would end this needless fear, just as soon as I had something to eat. After that? I would die to get this collar off me, somehow, if I didn’t die before that.

  “I’ll work out a plan with the Berkano,” he said.

  “I’ll talk to the rest of the brothel at dinner,” I said, and his encouraging nod and half smile reconfirmed his steadfast belief in me. “Whether anyone comes with us or not, we’re going. So put on your Sunday best, Hendry, because tonight we’re going to church.”

  Two Hours Left

  I was so focused on the coming resistance as I marched toward the front of the dining room that I didn’t immediately notice that everyone at their tables had fallen silent. Slices of bread hung halfway to mouths, and heads swiveled toward me. A nervous flutter took flight in my stomach as I turned to face them. I hadn’t been sure I was the right one to lead them—still wasn’t—but right then it was about so much more than who led them. Now to use for my voice for something other than singing.

  “You’re heartbroken,” I said, the words as creaky as rusted hinges. “You’re horrified that something like this could happen to someone as young as Lucy.”

  Tessa’s chin wobbled, her eyes puffy and red, and she propped her elbow on the front table and covered her mouth.

  “We all feel that way,” I continued. “The witches, the humans, and the vampires. All of us feel the exact same way. Maybe you’ve looked out your windows and seen what the Berkano did outside our door. It’s the same thing we did in here. We’re remembering Lucy and leaning on each other in our grief. We’re not focused on our fear, which isn’t ours to begin with. Everyone in Tombstone, maybe everyone in Division Seven, has been enchanted with the rules: no talking, stay out of the shadows, don’t go out at night, survive. Those rules were meant for us, humans and witches, but what about Lucy? She had every right to survive, too, as a vampire.”

  Several people nodded or voiced their agreement.

  “Now, every single one of us needs to choose what to do about her needless death. Her death won’t be for nothing, as far as I’m concerned, and nothing like this will ever happen again. I’ll make sure of that, even if Hendry and I have to do it ourselves. Honestly, though, I’d rather not. The witch who did the enchantment could probably take me down with her pinky before I can change the smell of her.”

  A few titters bounced across the room.

  “We ask that you come with us right now to see this witch. All of you, or some of you, hopefully not none of you. Hendry’s asking the Berkano as well, since it’s their fight, too. It’s all of ours. We don’t need to be ruled by fear any longer. Lucy did a good job of teaching us that. So did Bast.”

  I didn’t know what else to say or if I’d said enough. No one offered up an enthusiastic war cry, but no one outright refused either. So that was it, then? Had that been the beginning and end of my leadership career? What else could it possibly take to light the fire under everyone here and shift their entire way of thinking? Blood simmered through my veins and gathered at the back of my throat in a burst of song. It was Lucy’s song, the upbeat one about the girl strolling through the outback with her dingo.

  Smiles flitted across several faces, and a few of them joined in. At the end, people applauded, and it kept on going while I just stood there. What else could I say?

  “Come with me. For Lucy!” I shouted over them.

  Maybe it was just my hope amplifying the sound, but the clapping seemed to grow louder. I started toward the door, but Tessa took hold of my wrist.

  She gazed up at me, and her pain for both Lucy and her daughter shone bright in her eyes. “Tonight?”

  I nodded. “Tonight. Right now.”

  Several others at her table leaned forward as if to strategize or maybe just to see what was left on Tessa’s plate. On my way out, the applause finally dwindled down to excited chatter. Yet no one followed me out.

  Whatever. I was going.

  I crossed to the front door, when footsteps sounded behind me.

  “Wait up.”

  I whirled. Striding toward me were Jeni, the bird’s nest girl, and Paul, who always asked me to sing with tears in his eyes. I couldn’t help the smile that burst across my face.

  “You’re coming?” I asked.

  “What’ve we got to lose?” Jeni asked.

  “I’m an old hippy at heart,” Paul said. “I’d rather everyone just got along.”

  “Me too.” I settled my hand on the first of the three locks on the front door. “Just remember, they’re our friends now. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” I unlocked the door, opened it, and almost had a heart attack.

  Philip and Hendry stood just outside, along with about thirty other vampires.

  Philip must’ve read my expression because he held up a hand. “Relax. P.S., no biting.” He stepped to the side and swept his arm to the road. “Let’s go break this witch’s rules. Except the survive one, of course. I’ve always been a fan of that one.”

  I led Jeni and Paul outside and took Hendry’s hand. “Bravo idea.”

  Chapter 14

  1 Hour Left

  We wound through the dark streets like a silent, deadly snake, our tongues tasting for any threats on the air, our eyes sharp. Could Allison see us coming, all thirty-four of us witches and vampires? I hoped so.

  The plan was that Jeni, Paul, Philip, and I would head into the church first to demand answers. If those answers didn’t come easily, or if we sparked trouble, we would shout once for help and twice for a lot of help. That was my idea anyway, and Hendry thought it might be better if we left the door open and relied on everyone else’s supernatural hearing for the slightest problem. Philip one-upped both our plans and said he’d use his psychic link to the rest of the vampires. We were the winningest team for a reason.

  Hendry would stay out of sight for a while since Allison thought he was dead, as his poisoned golden-sun necklace had died. He planned to make his grand entrance at a highly dramatic, unexpected time.

  “Hey,” I said, nudging him. “I’d like to know more about your guitar playing.”

  He chuckled and kicked a stray rock in the road. “It’s more like guitar stomping.” The way he said it made it sound incredibly dirty, and a pleasant shiver rolled down my spine.

  “Will you play for me sometime?” I asked.

  He answered with a grin and tugged me closer so he could put his arm around my waist. The world spun faster with his touch, and I looped my fingers through his belt loop to keep myself anchored. This seemed almost normal, taking a walk with him, but it was night, we were talking aloud, and we led a group of vampires and witches to a church. It felt right, though. I was exactly where I needed to be.

  When we arrived at the church, Hendry found the key and unlocked the door while the rest of our gang milled about the parking lot. He held the door open, but I stopped and turned to Philip before I went inside. I’d never noticed before, but his black I Am Here shirt read You Are There on the back. Well, he’d told Hendry he was good at finding things.

  “I read in a historical fiction book that vampires can’t go into churches,” I whisp
ered. “But this is where I first met Lucy.” My voice hitched on her name.

  Philip slid past me inside and turned, a smile cupping his mouth. “It’s a church for witches. There’s not a lot of difference, or haven’t you been paying attention?”

  “I was just testing you,” I said.

  “I have the adrenaline shot in my pocket if things go south,” Hendry whispered in my ear. “But be careful.”

  One way or another, I would die tonight. Better to make the best of what little time I had left. I pressed a kiss to his cheek on my way inside. “You be careful, too.”

  The smell of cleaning chemicals assaulted my nose, a harsh reminder of Kit and how he’d died because of me. There would never be a day when I wouldn’t feel guilty about his death.

  We trailed down the short, dimly lit hallway. To the right, a strip of light shone underneath Dad’s office door. Since it was close to eleven o’clock, everyone would likely be settling down for the night on the pews in the nave. But Dad was there, in his office. Would he be glad to see me? Time to find out.

  A gasp sounded in front of me. Philip stopped and turned, the low light cutting sharp angles into his face. A black blur whisked away from where he stood, and then he was gone.

  “What the what? Where’d he go?” Jeni hissed. The blonde braid in her hair flopped into her face as she jerked her head around the hallway.

  I blinked at where he’d been. No way had he changed his mind. No way had I been wrong to trust the Berkano. Right?

  “I think he went that way.” Paul pointed toward the nave. Where most everyone was sleeping. Defenseless.

  Jeni pulled a handful of wooden stakes from her pocket and handed some to Paul. “We’ll find him.”

  My mouth hung open as I stared.

  “Don’t worry,” she whispered and coughed into her elbow. “I believed you when you said we could trust them, but we all have our days, right? Don’t take it personally.” She took Paul’s arm and hauled him in the direction he’d indicated.

  “Scream loud if it comes to that,” I reminded them.

  I refused to believe I was wrong about Philip and the Berkano. We could trust them. Despite what my head said, my feet angled back to the entrance and Hendry. I shuffled back to the open doorway, but the night held still. There didn’t appear to be anyone out there. A chill dragged up the back of my neck. This was right, though. My gut told me I was still in the right place, so I needed to trust it until I was without a doubt proved wrong. Besides, I was wasting time.

  My ears strained for any sound of Allison or anyone else. She could be inside Dad’s office, but I didn’t hear voices. When I’d lived here, I’d never knocked before entering, but as an outsider with several walls between my father and me, it felt wrong somehow. Like we were strangers to each other. So I rapped lightly and pushed the door open at the same time, merging the old me with the new, so to speak.

  He looked up and squinted, then his eyes widened and he stood. “What are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here.” He brought his hand to his chest, right where his poisoned golden-sun amulet hung underneath his white thin-striped shirt.

  Allison could probably sense his panic through the amulet. My blood boiled. Somehow, we needed to get that thing off him without him dying. I wasn’t so sure I could handle it for that moment before he was brought back to life. There had to be another way.

  “What do you know about Allison using the han—? Tell me everything you know, Dad,” I blurted, because I would bet ten thousand vocal cords I wouldn’t have a lot of time before Allison came running, and I couldn’t even say what I wanted to.

  He ticked his gaze to the closed door behind me, shifting nervously on his bum leg. “I went along with everything because it would help your mother.”

  “Help how?” I asked.

  “We give the Silence Collectors bodies of the recently hanged, and they take the vocal cords to add to their collection for this spell they want to try to undo the Rift Curse.” He gripped his shirt over his amulet as if shielding it from what he was saying. Could he speak because he hadn’t left the church? “They provide the special effects on the roof, making it look like the Berkano demanded a sacrifice, while they wait for the body. In exchange, they bring us vampire blood from one they’ve already killed.”

  I gaped at the astonishing number of things wrong with what he’d just said. “Vampire blood?”

  “For your mom, Fin.” He swallowed. “It’s the only thing that helps her, and believe me when I say I’ve tried everything. Feist has tried everything. She has the worst case of the Rift Curse anyone has ever seen. But vampire blood helps her feel better, which means I will do anything to get it.”

  “But…she’s not a vampire.” Just like Lucy wasn’t a witch. The Rift Curse sickness blurred those lines between us, so Allison erected new lines with her ridiculous enchantment. This whole thing was ridiculous. Mom drank vampire blood, vampires drank human blood, and no one drank witch blood. Welcome to the brand new, post-Rift circle of life.

  “No, she isn’t, but it did change her.” He sank back into his chair. “That day that she went outside searching for you when you were young, she stumbled upon a dying vampire and was…overwhelmed with the need to drink from it. When she runs low on blood, she…bites. That’s why I forbade you to go see her and erected charms around the nursery. For your protection.”

  I swallowed thickly, my stomach threatening to pitch. “So you just went along with everything? I read it in a book, Dad, about Allison’s ancestors. How could you possibly think all of this was okay?”

  “The witches I hanged were sick with the Rift Curse or old.” He winced and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they sparkled with tears. “What would you rather I have done, Fin? Let your mom rot away?”

  “But I’m your daughter, Dad. I have a right to know what’s happening in my own life, what the real consequences of my actions are. I wanted to be just like you, but I almost killed a little girl.” I shook my head, disgusted with myself all over again. The loss of one perfectly good life to save another wouldn’t solidify as something that was right inside my heart and mind, even if it was Mom. Of course I loved her and wanted her to be well, but I couldn’t kill for her, especially when it was buried under the guise of Allison’s power.

  “I know.” His body stiffened, the air around him like layers of concrete. He leaned forward, his nose inches from his desk, and groaned. “I know, Fin.”

  “Dad?” I reached toward him, but stalled my hand when his shirt glowed red. His amulet.

  The collar at my neck squeezed, sealing off everything but the need for more air. I gasped, clawing at the metal, my eyes bugging in panic. It wasn’t time yet. I still had about one hour left.

  The red glow flashed up behind Dad’s shirt. It pressed against his throat as the silver chain whipped tight around his neck. It sizzled against his skin and coiled black smoke around his head. Choking sounds wheezed between his lips. His fingers tore at it.

  I shoved to my feet to help him, though I had no idea how.

  The cracked office walls peeled away and then reformed into the nave. Rough fibers of a rope scraped at my neck, underneath my collar, a preview of what was to come since my feet were still planted on the blue carpet, three steps above where the congregation sat, wide-eyed and shocked at my sudden appearance.

  And next to me was Hendry.

  An amulet—another one—hung around his neck. A noose hung there, too, squeezing him so hard his face had turned red, but he still reached for me. Two men stood behind the pulpits on either side of us and lifted the ropes closer to our deaths. Beyond the congregation, standing in the back, was Allison.

  With her face twisted in a sneer, she waved her hand, and the doors behind her slammed closed.

  “The Berkano require two more sacrifices ahead of schedule due to the last botched one.” She started down the center aisle while she fiddled with her ugly scarf. “You can thank Fin Vee for that.”

&nbs
p; A low rumble drifted through the nave. The witches in the pews turned questioning gazes at one another.

  “Liar,” I choked out when she drew closer. I wriggled my hands, but they’d been magically bound behind my back.

  She marched up the steps toward me. “We have running water, electricity, enough food to eat, all because of me. I provide these witches and humans a safe haven. Tell me, other than making things smell, what is it that you do?”

  I tried for a smile as the rope hefted me to my tiptoes. “Your stepson.”

  She jerked her head back, blinked, then slowly turned her head toward Hendry. “My stepson died to trick me so he could take his amulet off. That isn’t my stepson.” She spat at his feet. “Hang them up high.”

  The ropes slowly lifted higher, digging the tips of my boots into the carpet. I was drawing out the inevitable, I knew that, but I refused to accept my or Hendry’s endings until I was forced to. Afterward, I had to believe we would see each other again, either in this life, the afterlife, or another life; a place where it could be just us, with no rules or lies.

  Besides, the Berkano were here, somewhere. So were Jeni and Paul. I had to believe they would come.

  I turned to look at Hendry. I love you, I mouthed.

  The way he gazed at me reflected all my thoughts back. I love you, too.

  The rope creaked overhead as it supported more of my weight. The noose burned into my skin, squeezing my wind pipe tighter and tighter. The tips of my toes left the carpet altogether. I kicked, desperate to find purchase, to draw another breath, to survive. My instinct to claw more air down my throat jerked my bound hands behind my back. My lungs screamed. Black splotches dotted my vision, blurring out the faces of the congregation in a pulsing rhythm. Too slow. My heart was beating too slow, and in between, alarms rattled inside my skull.

  My world faded to a sliver of light cracking from underneath a dropped curtain. From behind that curtain came a voice, far away yet familiar, comforting but at the same time not. My brain waded through sludge to try to put a name to the voice and to pinpoint why it was accompanied by a loud click and a horse’s neigh. And then an enormous boom.