by Kristen Reed
“It doesn’t have to stay that way.”
“If you’re still as sure about your faith when you’re a vampire as you are now, I may let you teach me a thing or two after I’m done showing you the ropes.”
“Alright. I’ll hold you to that,” I agreed with a chuckle. “Let’s go over the logistics for tomorrow night again. I want to make sure I have everything down.”
“We’re going to attend the party together. The two of us will dance, drink, and socialize until the eclipse has advanced enough for us to venture outdoors at three o’clock. Even though the eclipse’s totality won’t occur until half an hour later, vampires have always been able to enjoy the eclipse for more than the few minutes of complete occlusion,” he explained. “Just before the moon completely covers the sun, we will steal into the house to free your friend and then flee to our shelter, where I will turn you. If the slaves follow my instructions, they will set the house ablaze right after we leave it. The vampires won’t have any protection from the sun’s full strength, so the slaves will be able to begin their exodus from the island while they burn.”
I couldn’t help smiling at his word choice.
“The autopilot will be set for Port-au-Prince and your friend knows how to drive the boat, but the slaves will no doubt radio for help once the compulsion kicks in and they forget everything that’s happened,” he continued. “At sunset, we will emerge from our little hole in the ground and fly back to civilization.”
“When I wake up as a vampire, will I feel the sire bond right away?”
“Yes, most new vampires awaken with an overwhelming sense of gratitude and devotion. Your thirst will also be distractingly intense. Fortunately, your mind will clear a bit after I give you your first drink.”
Based on my little experiment with Augustus three days before, I knew that I wouldn’t be disgusted when the time came. However, the idea of drinking blood still sounded about as fun as drinking motor oil, so I tried not to dwell on it.
“Speaking of blood, you haven’t had any tonight,” I realized. “Are you going to drink later?”
“No, I’ll go without until we leave the island. I don’t want to harm the little credibility I have with the slaves by opening anymore veins.”
“Why not open mine instead? I don’t want to risk you not being at your full strength if something goes wrong tonight or tomorrow.”
“That’s a very generous offer, Clara. Are you sure it’s one you want to make considering your experience last night?”
“Yes, I’m sure. I know what I’m getting myself into and I trust that you won’t hurt me.”
“Alright.”
Thankfully, Augustus didn’t ask me a second time because I didn’t think I was brave enough not to change my mind. While I hated the idea of him being at a disadvantage while enemies surrounded us, I wasn’t ecstatic about having my neck bitten and my clothes covered in blood again either. However, I could at least prevent one of those unhappy occurrences.
“I’m going to take this off and grab a towel or something. I don’t want to get blood all over my shirt again.”
“That’s not necessary. The only reason Grayson bloodied your clothes was because he wanted to disrespect you and insult me,” he said, sitting on the upholstered bench at the foot of his bed. “I won’t spill a single drop.”
Augustus tapped the space beside him on the bench and I sat down as well. I closed my eyes much as I had the night before, praying that I hadn’t made a huge mistake by trusting the vampire to behave more respectfully than Grayson had. After a few moments, I felt him sweep my hair away from my neck and I wondered if he could hear my erratic heartbeat and my unsteady breathing. When Augustus placed his cool hand on my cheek, I looked at him again and met his tender gaze. That gesture reminded me of our pleasant albeit premeditated kiss and some of my apprehension fled, but not all of it.
“I’m going to make this as painless as possible,” he whispered. “Do you trust me to do that?”
I nodded and closed my eyes again, tilting my head to the side as he leaned in. His breath caressed the bare skin of my neck and the sharpness of fangs followed that gentle sensation seconds later. In a flash, Augustus pierced my skin and his lips covered the wound. Since he didn’t suck or lap at the wounds like Grayson had and simply let my blood flow naturally, the experience was a lot less painful yet still unpleasant and mildly unsettling.
Eventually, Augustus finished drinking and pulled away enough for me to look into his eyes, which had gone back to their normal vibrant hue, as he kept me securely enveloped in his arms. My relief multiplied when I saw that there wasn’t even a trace of blood on Augustus’ lips as he scrutinized me. Seeing the gory evidence of his feeding would have been incredibly unnerving no matter how gentle he had been.
“How do you feel?”
“A little lightheaded, but I’ll survive.”
“Well, having a feeding kit should help with that,” he assured me. “I’ll ask someone to deliver one for you before we join the others.”
“I’ll just have it at dinner like the personal slaves,” I said. “Knowing that you fed from me will help our story along. It’ll also give you a good reason for not feeding from a slave tonight in case someone asks.”
“Good call. I’ll ask them to serve it with your meal,” he agreed. “In the meantime, why don’t you lie down and rest. I’ll make sure no one disturbs you until then.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Augustus helped me up and walked me into my room. I wasn’t sure that I needed his support until I stood up and the walls swayed, reminding me of a bad experience I had with drugs in my pre-Christian days. Thankfully, I had my concerned comrade to lean on and to help me reach my bed without keeling over. I didn’t bother getting under the covers since Emmanuel would be hosting dinner soon, so I curled up on the soft comforter and closed my eyes for a quick nap.
♦ ♦ ♦
The sound of Augustus softly calling my name cut through my brief, dreamless slumber and he was the first thing I saw upon opening my eyes. When I sat up, I was happy to find that my dizziness had died down while I slept.
“Do you feel well enough to join the others for dinner,” he asked.
“Yeah. Is it time to go downstairs yet?”
“Yes, dinner will be served in a few minutes.”
“Let’s head down then.”
As I stood up, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and saw that there wasn’t a single speck of blood on my clothing or my skin. Seeing that Augustus had kept his promise reminded me of what he had said about Grayson’s reasons for feeding so sloppily. Augustus only would have been offended by the way he fed on me if he cared about me enough to be angry on my behalf. The insult wouldn’t have fazed him otherwise. Why Grayson risked incurring Augustus’ wrath over someone he didn’t give a flying fig about, I wasn’t completely sure, but it was definitely shady.
Either Grayson is extremely reckless or he was testing us, I decided. Why else would he risk Augustus challenging him to a duel a second time? I don’t know much about either of them, but I wouldn’t want to put my life in danger by provoking someone who got his job by killing powerful people.
“What’s wrong,” Augustus asked.
“I don’t think Emmanuel has completely bought into our act,” I said. “I’m pretty sure Grayson was testing you last night.”
“Yes, he was.”
“When did you figure it out?”
“Before he even fed on you. There was no reason for him to behave so insolently over a lost slave when he could have asked for a reimbursement and procured a new one relatively easily.”
“Do you think they know that we’re working against them?”
“I doubt it. As far as they know, there is no strategic reason for you deciding to become a vampire. If anything, they were probably questioning why you would ask me to turn you and why I would agree to when doing so wouldn’t benefit the league or me. Thanks to my unchecked outrage, they t
hink that my heart has fallen prey to your large brown eyes, warm curves, and endearing spirit,” he answered. “The most effective cover is one based on the truth.”
“Well, hopefully no one will try to test us again tonight. I don’t know if I have the energy or patience to deal with it,” I deflected, walking toward the door. “All I want is to eat and to get away from them as soon as possible.”
“If we’re lucky, whatever diversion Emmanuel has in store for us tonight won’t be terribly interactive.”
“I guess we should go downstairs and find out.”
Augustus opened the door and we abandoned our blessed solitude to join the coven. Grayson, Danielle, Emmanuel, and an unfamiliar female vampire were sitting at the dinner table with their slaves. When I saw Connor sitting beside the unknown woman, I immediately realized that the fourth vampire was the infamous Marie. Her mahogany tresses were styled in vintage waves that accentuated her stark white cheekbones and gave us an unobstructed view of her matte red lips. The vampire’s brown eyes, which were adorned with winged black eyeliner and champagne hued eye shadow, shifted in our direction and she draped her arm across the back of Connor’s chair, causing him to stiffen and recoil as she ran her long, scarlet fingernails along his black and blue neck.
At first glance, I could tell that my friend was sober, which was a relief. Connor had obviously bathed and been given sharp new clothes, but no amount of silk and aftershave could distract me from the bruises caused by her merciless abuse. The classically beautiful fiend had been trying to break him for days and I prayed that she hadn’t succeeded in the little time since my visit. If Connor’s presence at dinner and fine new clothing were a reward for his submission instead of a bribe given to obtain it, I feared that Augustus and I wouldn’t be alive long enough to finish the first course.
“I see that the rumors are true,” Emmanuel greeted from his place at the head of the table. “Congratulations on surviving an encounter with Grayson.”
“Thanks,” I replied flatly. “My shirt wasn’t so lucky.”
The coven leader smirked as he gestured to Manuel, the Latino slave who stood nearby. Manuel poked his head outside and two female slaves, Becky and Tina, filed in with soup and feeding kits for the slaves and me. I couldn’t help smiling when I recognized the smell of miso soup. Since I adored Asian food, I hoped that the rest of the meal followed the same Japanese theme. Unfortunately, the sound of Grayson’s grating voice stole my attention along with the little joy the soup brought.
“Did I take so much blood that you need to take two kits?”
“No, you didn’t. I let Augustus drink from me.”
“How was it,” Emmanuel asked.
“Well, I didn’t feel like I needed therapy and a shower afterwards,” I muttered thoughtlessly.
“I think she enjoyed it,” Marie added before turning to Connor, who had been glaring at Grayson and Augustus. “You’d like it too if you stopped trying to resist me.”
I breathed a sigh of relief at Marie’s scolding. Connor clearly hadn’t given in to her yet, and I quickly prayed that he wouldn’t lose heart before our plan came into fruition. One slip of the tongue could cost all of us our lives.
“His problem isn’t with being bitten. He just doesn’t want your fangs in his throat,” Danielle said. “He wouldn’t have asked you to sell him to Clara if he did.”
I tried to make eye contact with Connor, but he’d turned his attention from the vampires to his soup. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one he’d voiced that desire to.
“What do you think about that, Augustus,” Grayson inquired. “It sounds like you have another rival.”
“The word ‘another’ implies that I had a rival to begin with,” Augustus pointed out. “You are not my competition in any arena. I would annihilate you whether in a battle over Clara’s affections or in a fight to the death — your death, that is.”
Grayson opened his mouth to shoot a no doubt snarky response in Augustus’ direction, but Emmanuel cut him off before a single syllable could escape his loathsome lips.
“Speaking of your impending vampirism, are you excited about tomorrow?”
“I’m more nervous than anything,” I answered honestly. “I know I can’t live here as a human, but I haven’t wrapped my head around becoming a vampire either.”
“You’ll love it. Not having to worry about death gives you great freedom.”
“It does,” I said.
Though I genuinely agreed with Emmanuel, my lessened of fear of death came long before I decided to become a vampire. I’d never been eager to experience the pain that came with dying or the seemingly inevitable wearing out process that came with aging, but believing in the afterlife made death itself a lot less frightening. If anything, I was more afraid of living as a vampire than dying as a human.
“So are you going to steal my pet away after you’re one of us,” Marie asked.
“Well, I know firsthand that feeding is a very intimate process, so I’d rather drink from someone I know than a stranger,” I lied.
“Connor has been a bit of a pain in the neck, but he’s a real dish and I’m quite keen on the little bugger. Forcing me to part with him won’t be cheap. I don’t think you have enough money to do it.”
“But I do,” Augustus pointed out. “If Clara wants to buy her friend, I will pay for the young man as a gift to commemorate her rebirth.”
“Then I guess I should enjoy him while I can.”
“Let’s not talk business at the dinner table,” Emmanuel said. “We can discuss that after tomorrow’s festivities.”
Marie sneered at me over her wine glass and a small smirk crossed my lips as I remembered that she would be out of Connor’s life in less than twenty-four hours. God willing, Emmanuel’s reign of terror would be over by sunset and all of the humans would be free to resume peaceful lives without even remembering the abuse they’d endured.
The remainder of the meal was relatively uneventful. We ate various gourmet Japanese dishes and sushi while the vampires gleefully exchanged barbs and discussed their plans for the evening. Marie and Grayson were going to one of the Haitian resorts with a few other coven members I hadn’t had the misfortune of meeting to add a little variety to their liquid diets. Danielle and Emmanuel were opting to stay home and enjoy another private concert courtesy of two musically inclined slaves. Neither option sounded appealing to me, but Augustus assured our host that we would join them for at least part of the intimate performance.
Once the meal ended, Becky and Tina cleared our plates and we moved into the parlor, where a curly-haired Latina slave, Alma, serenaded us with her sweet voice alongside the piano playing blonde, Selena, who had been Lazzaro’s accompanist during his trip. I sat with Augustus and he instantly placed his arm around my shoulders as we silently watched the performance. The young woman sang unfamiliar yet beautiful French songs that Emmanuel clearly enjoyed, tapping his fingers and toes to the beat as he took in the music from several yards away. The coven leader eventually stood up and pulled Anna into his arms to dance to what I assumed was a beloved tune.
The song inspired dancing for Emmanuel, but it awakened Danielle’s thirst and lowered her inhibitions. The vampire sank her fangs into Patrick’s throat and I averted my eyes. While I found her exploitation repulsive, I had to remind myself that I would be doing the same thing after my transformation. I would be the one breaking flesh instead of bread, and I prayed that my appetite wouldn’t lead me to be as barbaric and shameless as Danielle was. Aside from the occasional drunken make out session with David, I’d never been one for public intimacy in my B.C. days. I seriously doubted that aspect of my personality would change when I became a vampire.
“What’s on your mind,” Augustus whispered.
“I was just thinking about how I’ll be in her shoes soon.”
“You might be in the same shoes, but you won’t walk in them the same way that she does.”
“No,” I said with a smile, “I won�
��t.”
“I think it’s time to switch things up a bit,” Emmanuel announced once the song ended. “Would you like to dance, Clara?”
Even though Emmanuel asked me to dance instead of ordering me to join him, I had a feeling that saying no wasn’t an option. Suppressing my revulsion, I reluctantly took the smiling vampire’s extended hand and let him hold me in his arms as he spun me around the room. Despite my lack of dancing experience, I quickly realized that Emmanuel could give Fred Astaire a run for his money. Skill aside, I couldn’t shake the discomfort that rendered every muscle in my body rigid and made me itch as if I’d been attacked by angry mosquitoes.
“You really don’t like me, do you,” he lamented.
“Well, you’ve put me in an impossible position.”
“It couldn’t have been too impossible since you’ve decided to join my coven.”
I wanted to tell him that I wanted to dismantle his sick system of servitude one vampire at a time, but I kept my mouth shut.
“Why does even the most innocent touch from me make your skin crawl yet you can share a bed and blood with Augustus? He and I are very similar.”
“Augustus has shown more discretion than I’ve seen from anyone else here.”
“Augustus may be discreet, but he is far from innocent. Your precious future sire has probably killed more people than you’ve ever met. How is owning a few slaves worse than killing rivals and feeding from unknowing humans for centuries?”
“It’s not. I don’t condone what he’s done, but I’ve seen that’s there’s more to him than destructive appetites for blood and comfort.”
“Such as?”
“Compassion, a conscience, and the capacity to love for starters.”
“Doesn’t freeing your friend and the other two slaves count as kindness?”
