by Kristen Reed
“Were you there when Emmanuel auctioned off Connor?”
“Yes, I was.”
“Did you know what happened to him after Marie bought him?”
“No, I haven’t seen her since the auction, but I knew enough about the coven’s practices that I could make an educated guess about what she would do to him.”
“What about my friend, Leah? Do you know who bought her?”
“Grayson purchased her.”
“Why would Connor be back downstairs and not her?”
“Probably because she was more compliant,” Augustus answered as we reached the kitchen, “but we should discuss this after you speak with the cooks.”
As much as I wanted to find out what happened to Leah, he was right. Besides, the cooks might have seen or heard something about her since they would have been putting together trays of food for her just like they’d done for Connor and me. Keeping that in mind, I stepped into the kitchen, where two women were chopping, sautéing, and mixing furiously.
An onion mincing Latina, who appeared to be in her late thirties, noticed me first. The cook had pulled her long ebony locks away from her round face in a loose bun, which made it easy for me to see the way she briefly furrowed her sweat-slicked brow in confusion at the sight of me.
“Hi,” I greeted awkwardly, also distracting the more mature blonde woman who was pouring soup into individual ramekins.
“Can we help you with something, mistress,” the first woman asked.
“Possibly.”
I extended my hand toward her and my heart ached when she squinted and recoiled at my gesture. The woman clearly thought that I meant to hurt her, which partially answered one of my questions. Rather than stretching out the uncomfortable moment, I pulled my hand back and shoved it in my pocket with a sheepish smile.
“I’m Clara Robinson. What are your names?”
“Blanca Gonzalez,” she answered.
“And I’m Amy Bearden,” the blonde piped up. “What can we help you with?”
“I’d like to ask you a few questions about your lives here on the island,” I said. “How long have you lived here?”
“Fifteen years,” Amy said.
“Five for me,” Blanca added.
“How do the vampires treat you?”
“Well, they—”
“Why are you asking these questions,” Amy interrupted. “Did your master or Emmanuel send you down here?”
“No, of course not.”
“The last time someone in my kitchen spoke out of turn against the vampires, I found myself in need of a new sous chef,” she continued as Blanca resumed chopping and bowed out of our conversation. “I’m not going to put my life in danger or let Blanca risk hers by talking about things we can’t change.”
“I’m not here to get you in trouble with the vampires.”
“Then why are you here?”
As I stared into Amy’s light brown eyes, I realized that I couldn’t tell her the truth. She was so frightened that she would probably clam up at the mere mention of the coup Augustus and I were planning. A vampire had murdered someone she’d closely worked with for voicing her disapproval, and the punishment would surely be much more severe if she collaborated with us. Realizing the bind she was in and seeing the fear driving her, I gave her only half of the story.
“I need to know more because I’ve been given the opportunity to choose between becoming a vampire and living as a human. I’ve gotten a chance to see how the vampires live, but I haven’t spoken to a single slave since I arrived.”
“Why would Emmanuel let you choose your fate?”
“Because I’m a dhampir. I didn’t even know I was one until Emmanuel told me my first night here.”
Blanca looked up from her cutting board briefly, but went right back to her task as her more vocal counterpart continued.
“I have nothing more to say to you. Please leave my kitchen so we can work in peace,” she ordered in a cold, even tone.
“Before I leave, can you please answer one question for me,” I pleaded. “Do you know if my friend Leah is alive? Grayson purchased her the night we were kidnapped, but I haven’t seen her since I arrived.”
“Yes, she is. Blanca prepared breakfast for her earlier.”
I heaved a sigh as Amy too returned to her previous task. Instead of pressing the conversation further, I walked out of the kitchen feeling both relieved and disturbed. My friend was alive, but Amy’s refusal to answer my questions and the cautionary tale about her sous chef confirmed my initial assumption that the vampires kept all of their slaves in line with deadly displays of power and cruelty. The fair-haired chef had been so scared of punishment that she refused to share how they were treated. I couldn’t even blame her.
That brief encounter strengthened my resolve about moving forward, but it raised more questions about how Augustus and I would pull off our plan. If the other slaves were as paralyzed by fear and reluctant to trust us as Amy was, how could we get them to believe that we were truly trying to free them and not simply tricking them into being disobedient to satiate our own sadistic desires?
“That was fast,” Augustus commented.
“Yeah, it was. Let’s go back upstairs. We need to talk.”
With a nod of approval, Augustus and I went back to our Jack and Jill suite. Once we were in the soundproof solitude of my room, I unloaded my concerns on him.
“I don’t know if our plan is going to work,” I began. “When I tried to talk to the cooks, they were too frightened of the vampires to tell me anything meaningful about their lives. After I told Amy that I’m a dhampir, she didn’t even want to talk to me. How are we going to get them to go along with any of this if they don’t trust us?”
“If the slaves don’t see the good in what we’re trying to do, I’ll just have to influence them.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can place a compulsion in their minds to do exactly what we need the day of the eclipse and not to remember the command until the time comes to follow through with it.”
“I’m not comfortable with that.”
“The eclipse is in three days, Clara. We cannot afford to wait for these jaded humans to come to their senses. They can’t afford to wait,” Augustus reminded me. “Either we move forward by forcing their participation or I return home and send The Vampire League to clean house. Emmanuel’s reign is coming to an end no matter what you decide, but you have the opportunity to keep the blood of your human brothers and sisters off their hands.”
I shoved my hands into my pockets and tapped my foot for a moment as I mulled over Augustus’ line of reasoning. Even though, his argument made perfect sense, I still had the nagging conviction that manipulating everyone on the island wasn’t the right decision. If God let us have free will, who were we to take it away even if we had the best intentions? If our plan would only work with the help of Augustus’ mind games, it wasn’t a plan worth doing.
“I can’t let you do that. We just need to gain their trust,” I decided. “When I tell Emmanuel that I’ve decided to become a vampire, I’m going to ask him to free some of the slaves before you turn me.”
“What will be your reason for asking?”
“I’ll say that a few humans being freed will ease my conscience and make me more comfortable with joining the coven. If at least one slave is liberated, maybe the news will spread and the slaves might be more likely to put their faith in us.”
“Alright, but if he doesn’t agree and your efforts are in vain, we will move forward with my idea.”
“If he doesn’t agree, we will find another way. I’m not going to let you force them to do something against their will. They’ve probably experienced enough of that to last a lifetime.”
“If you insist,” Augustus said, taking a step closer and placing his hands on my arms. “I know the matter of the slaves will be heavy on your mind tonight, but remember that we have a performance to give. Are you ready to put on a little show?�
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“I think so.”
When Augustus smiled, my mind went back to the last time he’d stood that close. Fortunately, I slammed on the brakes before my mind could start to wander.
“I’ve had to feign romances and affairs more times than I can count, but you’re the most intriguing partner in crime I’ve had the pleasure of working with,” he confessed. “Your unwavering resolve makes you a very unique person, Clara.”
“I think you need to raise your standards.”
“My standards are perfectly fine. I’ve spent centuries surrounded by mediocre, practical, and rancorous humans and vampires. It’s rare to find someone who genuinely strives and desires to be good with no perceived benefit.”
“I may try, but I still fail … a lot.”
This morning, for example, I silently added.
“Most people I encounter barely even try. Those who do certainly aren’t as forthcoming about their mistakes as you’ve been.”
Augustus caressed my cheek exactly as he had before our kiss.
“Your integrity is as admirable as it is uncommon.”
I didn’t know whether Augustus was being genuine, trying to get me in the right mindset before dinner, or attempting to seduce me for his own gratification, but I didn’t need his flattery. I had enough going on in my head after our kiss without him extolling my failed efforts at being virtuous. Those kinds of comments had always softened my heart more than compliments about my looks. I didn’t need my defenses any lower than they already were around him.
“Dinner will probably be ready soon,” I said, pulling away and regretting not doing so sooner. “We should head downstairs.”
“Someone will tell us when it’s ready,” Augustus dismissed. “Now, am I correct in assuming that you’re as attracted to me as I am to you?”
“Yes, I am physically attracted to you. That doesn’t mean I’m going to do anything about it.”
“You’re not going to be a mortal for much longer, Clara. In a matter of days, you will be a vampire as well.”
“What you are isn’t the problem. The fact that you don’t share my beliefs is,” I clarified. “Sure, you’d be a lot more tempting if you were a human, but I still wouldn’t give in to whatever desires I have.”
“There it is again.”
“There what is?”
“Your conviction. It’s positively fascinating.”
“You wouldn’t find me so interesting if I ignored my convictions for the sake of fleeting pleasure. You’d lose your interest eventually because of my hypocrisy and move on to the next fascinating girl.”
“I’m not the Lothario you seem to think I am. Yes, I’ve had my fair share of short-lived, passionate flings, but when I find someone who stirs more than my carnal appetite, I don’t take that for granted. Why would anyone toss a prized diamond aside after successfully mining it? That’s the definition of idiocy.”
“So is letting someone who didn’t buy the mine dig up your prized diamond.”
“Touché.”
Thankfully, someone knocked on the door before the conversation could continue.
“Come in,” I called, taking several much-needed steps away from Augustus.
The door opened and the black young woman I’d seen my first night on the island entered, giving a slight bow before speaking.
“Dinner is ready,” she announced softly, keeping her gaze lowered.
“Thank you. We will be down in a moment,” Augustus replied.
The slave turned to go, but she faced us again when I spoke.
“What’s your name?”
The young woman’s weary eyes stayed trained on the carpet.
“My name is Rachel, mistress.”
“Have you seen a new slave named Leah?”
“Yes, she is Master Grayson’s new slave.”
“Do you know if she’s alright?”
After casting an uneasy glance in Augustus’ direction, Rachel turned her eyes back to the floor.
“She is well and will be at dinner tonight.”
In an instant, that news lifted the burden that had been weighing down my shoulders since I learned of my friend’s fate. If Leah would be at dinner, she was probably in good physical health. After all, Emmanuel surely realized that parading my bruised friends in front of me wasn’t exactly going to improve my opinion of him. On the other hand, Leah’s good condition could mean that she had been more obedient than Connor, and I knew that submitting to the vampire who’d purchased her was likely just as damaging as our battered friend’s rebellion had been if not more.
Despite wanting to ask Rachel more about Leah’s wellbeing and about her own life under Emmanuel’s thumb, I let the conversation wind down. I knew from prior experience that my questions would go unanswered. Instead, I placed a hand on her arm, causing her to look up again. When I met her dark brown eyes, which looked so much like my own, I gave her a warm smile.
“Thank you, Rachel,” I said gently. “We’ll be down in a moment.”
The tension never left the meek slave’s body as she flashed me a tight-lipped, rehearsed smile. After another bow, she left the room and I closed the door behind her.
“Before we go downstairs, I need to make something clear,” I continued. “Like I said, nothing is going to happen between us. We will be allies at the least and completely platonic friends at the most, but that’s it. Is that going to be a problem?”
“Not at all,” he answered, seemingly unaffected by my unchanged resolve. “However, it will be my duty as your maker to teach you about your new life, so we will be in each other’s lives for quite some time.”
“I know. I just want to make sure we’re on the same page.”
“We are,” he confirmed, opening the door again. “You’ve made your desires extremely clear.”
We left the room and I walked through the mansion with Augustus by my side as we made our way to the dining room. When we entered, I immediately swept my gaze across the room in search of Leah. Unfortunately, the only familiar faces I saw were those of Emmanuel, Danielle, Anna, and Patrick. Augustus pulled out my chair for me and I flashed him a smile of appreciation, avoiding Emmanuel’s silent scrutiny as he sipped on his wine.
“Good evening,” Danielle greeted. “You two seem quite comfortable around one another.”
“Sharing a bathroom does wonders for breaking down barriers,” Augustus joked.
Danielle exchanged a smirk with Emmanuel as she reached for her glass.
“Speaking of comfort, I’m sorry if last night’s festivities upset you,” the coven leader apologized. “Augustus was right. Allowing my coven to feed in front of you was foolish and tasteless. I forgot that dhampirs only crave vampire blood and that spilling human blood can still be detestable. Will you please forgive me?”
“I forgive you.”
While I did forgive Emmanuel for the previous night’s transgression, that didn’t change my willingness to move forward with trying to liberate the slaves. After all, he might have apologized to me, but the human slave by his side looked as miserable as she was high and that told me that he was as unrepentant as ever. Even then, he was probably more concerned about offending Augustus than upsetting me since he’d been so vocal about his disapproval.
“That was easier than I expected.”
“Well, I’ve had to forgive a lot of people in my life. I know from personal experience that it’s better to forgive sooner rather than later.”
I reached across the table and grabbed the bottle of merlot, pouring myself a glass as the slaves entered and served the first course, French onion soup.
“So have I ruined the chance to have you as the first dhampir convert in my coven?”
“No.”
“Tonight is your third night under my roof. I know that I said I’d give you extra time to choose whether you’d like to become a vampire or remain as you are, but are you any closer to making a decision?”
“Yes, I—”
The sou
nd of footsteps and a familiar laugh captured my attention and every word evaporated from the tip of my tongue as Leah came into view with the vampire I could only assume was Grayson. My former bunkmate’s blonde curls bounced with each wobbly step she took and shone almost as brightly as her radiant smile. Her sequined black dress and its plunging neckline showed off the impressive assets that she usually chose to downplay back home and hugged her every curve.
Even though most people would have assumed that Leah was a naturally bubbly, vivacious woman, I could tell by her dilated pupils and unsteady steps that her so-called happiness was chemically induced. My relief gave way to shock before I finally settled on concern as I remembered that Leah had once been addicted to drugs. Before she knew Christ, Leah had escaped the emotional and physical pain that came with having an abusive stepfather with weed, ecstasy, pills, and anything else she could get her hands on.
Unfortunately, the jerk she’d been married to for two years before she became a Christian made her father look like Atticus Finch, so her drug use escalated as she sought higher highs to compensate for her lower lows. After a few stays in the hospital caused by her “clumsiness” and two near fatal overdoses during their divorce, she found healing in a relationship with God.
Now, the woman whose sobriety had inspired so many people was stumbling into the dining room wearing four-inch red-soled stilettos and clinging to the arm of a vampire who had purchased her body with money and won her compliance with drugs. Grayson pulled out Leah’s chair much as Augustus had done for me, and my fellow missionary’s bloodshot blue eyes lit up when she recognized me.
“Clara,” she shrieked. “I didn’t know you would be here. How are you?”
“I’m okay,” I answered, carefully weighing my words. “How are you?”
“I’m good. I’ve just been hanging out with Grayson,” Leah giggled before taking a large swig of her wine and glancing at Augustus. “Is he your new owner?”
“No, he’s … It’s complicated.”
“Yes, sharing a bathroom with someone must make things very complicated,” Danielle teased. “Is Augustus as good at plumbing as the rumors suggest?”
