Blood Bound

by R. J. Blain

  “As long as only seven of you sign, as many of your vampires can witness as you’d like,” Judge Ferris announced in an amused tone. “This will only take a few minutes.”

  “Am I the only one who finds it amusing there are people who will spend months planning for something that only takes a few minutes if you know the right judge and you’re willing to state you’re a preternatural?” I picked up one of the pens from the coffee table and gave it a click. “The papers aren’t going to sign themselves, Your Honor.”

  “I see the bride is impatient. And the groom?”

  “It wouldn’t do to upset the bride when she’s armed with more stakes than one vampire needs at a time unless taking on a small army by herself.”

  “None of my victims died just from getting stabbed with a stake. It’s not that bad.”

  “That is because your stakes understood your intent and wished to preserve their blood for your consumption,” Emerick retorted. “I would like to remind you that one of your stakes dusted a vampire for attempting to steal it.”

  “That is because it’s a very good stake.” I patted the stake in question. “Yes, you’re a most magnificent stake, and I was so sad when I thought you wouldn’t be coming back to me.”

  Ben’s brows shot up. “Were you actually sad you’d lost your stakes?”

  The question distracted me from the paperwork the judge prepared, and I blinked. “Well, yes. Of course. It took me at least one night, sometimes several nights, to make each one, and all I did was work on it. I had to go dumpster diving to get the sandpaper. There is nothing pleasant about dumpster diving at lumber yards to get sandpaper I can use to finish my stakes, Ben. I hated having to leave them behind, but I didn’t know if they’d stay dead if I took my stakes back.”

  “You can take your stakes back after you’ve drained your victim of blood, especially should you cut off the head. Once decapitated, it is very difficult to restore a vampire back to life. I believe it’s been done once. Master Lowrance?”

  “Once I know of, and it involved a rather extensive assortment of preternaturals, the head was immediately reattached, and numerous vampires donated blood until his heart resumed beating. There was a very short window of opportunity, as well. No more than five minutes. It took him several decades to fully recover. He was staked and beheaded some thirty years ago, as he’d developed rather horrific tastes. Our brood played our part in dispatching him, as he held a rather large brood in sway.”

  “In sway?” While I had plenty of personal experience involving Emerick taking control of my body, I struggled to comprehend a vampire doing such a thing to an entire brood. “But how?”

  “He forced his brood to drink at least a pint of his blood once a month. This gave him a certain amount of control over his offspring. He would also use some in his brood to commit rather heinous crimes. That is when he was dispatched for being a threat to the preternatural communities. Any strong master can do the same thing, but it is considered distasteful. There are exceptions, of course. A vampire will use that to help train a younger vampire, as an act of self-defense, and so on. Blood bound couples also enjoy certain benefits as well.”

  “Anything else I should know about masters and what they shouldn’t be doing?”

  Emerick dared to leer at me.

  If I said what I wanted, there’d be a fight rather than paperwork, so I decided to ignore Emerick and turn to Judge Ferris. “Please spare me from his idiocy. Give me the paperwork so I can read and sign it.”

  Chuckling, the judge offered me a single sheet of paper, which consisted of information on Emerick and I, our intent to declare ourselves a married couple, and a place to sign. As there wasn’t much to read, I signed on the appropriate line and held it out to Emerick. “Sign instead of going out of your way to annoy me.”

  My comment made him grin, but he obeyed, signing in the appropriate place before tossing the paper and pen to Ben. “Quickly now, before she escapes.”

  With amusing speed, Ben and nine of the other vampires of the brood signed before returning the paper to Judge Ferris, who added his signature to the page. Then he took a picture of the sheet and tapped on his phone’s screen a few times. “There. I’ve submitted the digital form, and I will take the original to the courthouse for the final filing. I will text you when it is done and officiated, Master Lowrance. Congratulations. Mrs. Lowrance, do try to be patient with your vampire. He will surely annoy you.”

  “You mean he isn’t already annoying?”

  The judge chuckled. “That he is, but he’s tolerable as far as vampires go. I’m sure he will prove useful enough for you. At the very least, you can challenge yourself with his corporation and his various legalities. Having seen a lot of your work, he has made off like a bandit, and I would take care to ensure he remembers that.”

  “I won’t forget,” Emerick promised. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”

  “Your brood doesn’t ask for a lot, so it’s a pleasure. It’s a nice escape from the mess waiting in my office. A fair warning, Lowrance: pay close attention to the cases on the docket in the next few weeks. They matter.”

  “They all do,” the brood’s master countered.

  “These matter more than you expect, and you will find your decision to confirm your relationship to be a wise one. As you can find this in the public record, look into Pendry vs. Themault. It involves two vampires fighting over a woman, and the woman hadn’t wisely signed any documentation proving marital status. Due to vampiric tradition, the woman in question isn’t getting a say because she is a known preternatural. The winner of that case wins the woman, and the judge and jury will ultimately decide her fate. I’m certain it will end poorly. These things always do. The trial is going to set a certain precedence nobody wants—especially not the women.”

  “She’s essentially a slave, isn’t she?” I asked.

  “Essentially. To make matters worse, she’s stuck in a brawl between two egotistical vampires, neither which I view as men of good standing. There is no way she is walking away from this as a winner, not if the courts decide her fate. I am grateful I’m not the judge overseeing that travesty of a trial.”

  “And she’s the one being put on trial.”

  “Essentially.”

  “Is there any way she can get out of that situation?”

  “The same way you are; she can opt to sign a contract setting her alliances. Because she’s a preternatural, she can sign one at any time.”

  “Is she aware of this?”

  Judge Ferris shrugged. “I haven’t spoken with her directly, and due to the squabbling of these vampires, she’s in the equivalent of a safe house.”

  “Bride brood?” I guessed.

  Judge Ferris hesitated, but he nodded. “Yes.”

  I turned to Emerick. “Contact those mistresses, have them inform her of the method of escape, and have the mistresses suggest upstanding gentleman who would treat her right. Have them introduce them. A choice is better than no choice, and then she at least goes into this aware she does have an option. Maybe you know some other preternaturals willing to aid her cause?”

  “I know many people.”

  “But are they upstanding gentlemen?”

  “Some are.”

  “Involve them. If it’s going to be a court brawl over a woman, at least make sure the woman has some decent options. It doesn’t make this right, but at least she might emerge in a somewhat better situation until whatever hell flaw in the system that allowed for her situation is dealt with.”

  “If it’s dealt with,” Emerick replied. “I disagree with the very idea that this is something being brought to trial as well. It’s very difficult to have these sorts of laws changed when the majority of human voters have a strong dislike of many preternaturals. In a way, the lax rules of what can classify someone as a preternatural will eventually work in our favor, as people will become aware that they may fall under the same legislation. If the case is allowed to proceed, it wil
l draw attention.”

  “If she signs a contract, will the case continue?”

  Judge Ferris nodded. “Yes, right up until she first takes the stand and one of the attorneys asks if she is married. The documentation for evidence has already been submitted, but there’s no rules barring her from changing her marital status at this point in time. It’s essentially the only loophole in the case, and both gentlemen would have to abide by her decision, as she has not signed any such contracts with them.”

  As being assertive hadn’t gotten me in any trouble yet, I asked, “Could you pay a visit to the bride brood she is staying at and inform her of those rights personally, Your Honor? If you and Emerick both push, won’t the mistress of that brood be more inclined to cooperate?”

  “That’s likely, and as a matter of fact, yes. I can. I even have a blank copy of the forms with me, as I wanted a spare just in case there was an issue with the first copy of the documentation.”

  Emerick sighed. “Ben, gather a list of gentlemen in the brood who would be willing to participate in this and send it with Judge Ferris. If she requires legal assistance, we can help, and we can find a way to transfer funds from the groom’s accounts to devalue him should a divorce be desired. That will limit the damages should this scheme not work out as we might hope.”

  Several hands in the room went up, although none of the men said a word.

  Ben chuckled. “I would participate, but that would create certain issues with the upcoming ball. Judge Ferris, if you could say there are multiple suitors from the Lowrance brood, we can compile the list while you are presenting the information to the lady.”

  “Consider it done. Anything else, Master Lowrance?”

  “I hope not. I think we’ve had enough excitement for one evening. Please inform the brood mistress to contact Ben about any potential suitors, as I am unavailable for the rest of the night.”

  “Do you want me to inform her as to the why you’re unavailable?”

  Emerick considered, and then he waved his hand. “Do as you feel is necessary. The brood mistress will assume I’m attending to my duties for my new wife should you tell her, and there will be no issue made beyond not consulting with her before doing as I pleased. The brood mistresses do like when us lesser men consult with them.”

  “I’d gathered as much. I’ll use my best judgment. Have a good night, and I’ll make sure this is all taken care of before dawn.”

  Judge Ferris left, and I regarded the gathering of vampires with a frown. “This is going to come back and bite us in the ass later, isn’t it?”

  Emerick snorted. “Everything worth doing does, without fail. You will find us equal to the task. For now, we have more important things to worry about. Ben? If you will finish our preparations?”

  “Try not to goad her into killing you tonight, Master Lowrance,” Ben replied. “The rest of you, back to work. Tomorrow will be a long night.”

  Seventeen

  We vampires are quite durable, I assure you.

  Emerick spent the rest of the night teaching me the secrets of the penthouse. Every room had some way out, some through the floor, some through the ceiling, and some through the walls or tucked into a closet. Some of the passages simply offered a place to hide. A few led to the roof. The most important of the secret passages opened from the master bathroom, and it led to three ways out of the building and could access any floor.

  Unlike the other panels, which could be accessed through pressing on a mechanism, the bathroom’s door could only be opened with blood—Emerick’s blood.

  I’d consumed so much of his blood mine opened the door with a single drop.

  The magic burned all evidence away with a flash of red light, and the stones parted to reveal a crawl way.

  “Ben knows this exists, but he can’t access it, nor can he access any of the other panels that open these passages. Should something happen, use this to hide or leave the house, whichever is necessary to protect yourself. I would rather you retreat and emerge unscathed than fall into the wrong hands. If you don’t know who to trust, do what you do best: hide out on the streets until I can find you. I’d say hunt as you used to, but I loathe the idea of you drinking miscreant blood unless absolutely necessary. Put a proper knife on your belt tomorrow, and if you need anything else, ask.”

  “What are the odds that someone will attack the estate?”

  “Oh, I think it will be probable. The question is who will be behind the attack. I expect there is a plant among some of the brood who serve as guards, and Ben will deliberately put some of the less trustworthy on watch duty tomorrow, specifically so we can flush out any possible traitors. It shall be an interesting evening.”

  “Won’t the cameras record how you opened all those secret doors?”

  “The cameras are specifically placed to prevent viewers from being able to see precisely how the mechanisms are opened. The bathroom is unmonitored, which is the most important of the passages. Our bedroom is also unmonitored, as the door is the only way to enter either room, and I make a point of never doing public business in our private space. Of course, now that you have signed the papers confirming you are my wife, I will insist we share all living quarters, although I will have a second bedroom set up for us.”

  “Why a second bedroom?”

  “We may break the bed in our mutual enthusiasm. It’s not uncommon. I’ve replaced many beds in recent years. They just aren’t built as sturdily as they once were.”

  Well, color me disappointed I’d set some stupid conditions on when I could put the bed-breaking abilities of vampires to the test. “Do not be surprised if I force feed you my blood.”

  He chuckled. “I thought you might appreciate that. I have not put this bed to the test, as I typically do not invite women to my penthouse. Previously, I indulged in such dalliances in rather exquisite hotels, and I was quite careful to avoid damaging them or the beds. We vampires are quite durable, I assure you.”

  “So, my part in this is to serve as bait, escape when the trap is sprung, and hunt miscreants until you catch me?”

  “Precisely. Be prepared should you attempt to leave; you’re untrained in most of our tactics, so it’s possible you may be caught by surprise. Trained vampires have excellent jumping abilities, far more than what you currently possess.”

  That part of my night would be less than enjoyable. “Should I just hide out in the walls like some mouse, then?”

  “I would not complain if you were to lurk in the walls like some mouse, sneaking out to use our bathroom at your whim. I’ll even leave blood out to entice you into coming out of hiding.”

  The only enticement I needed was him, but as I still had some of my pride, I kept my mouth shut about that. “Is there a reason I can’t just sneak out now?”

  Emerick scowled. “There is no reason you can’t, as there is a deliberate blind spot in the surveillance where the tunnel exits, but I dislike the idea.”

  “Wouldn’t it be better if I’m simply not in the building when this begins?”

  “I’m not disagreeing with that part of the idea, but I dislike you sleeping away from my bed.”

  I disliked that portion of my plan as well, as I’d have to spend a long, uncomfortable day in some home in Harlem, or somewhere equally unpleasant, and get there before sunrise. It hadn’t taken long for me to get used to having a warm, comfortable bed. The man sharing said bed with me wasn’t bad, either. “I think you’ll survive, however damaged your delicate sensibilities might become.”

  “I’ll require much care to recover.”

  Men. All in all, I liked what I saw of Emerick, although his ego might drive me insane within a week. Worse, it seemed I liked his ego, which would test my patience more than I’d anticipated when I’d first established that I wouldn’t be indulging in him until he was blood bound to me. “I’m sure you will.”

  “Very well. I will run a bath for you, pretend you became quite sleepy, and put you to bed, barring anyone entrance. I’ll
then tell Ben you’re exhausted from your unconventional training, which is not far from the truth. Pick your place to sleep quite carefully. When you exit from the passage, go straight across the roof to the next building. The jump is short enough for you to handle. There is a small gap in the cameras. Continue straight until you get to the other end of the rooftop next door. Before you leave, make certain the door is closed securely behind you. I will retrieve a proper knife for you; I have one in the bedroom that will serve you well until I get you one of your own.”

  “Do you happen to have any sandpaper?”

  “Sandpaper?”

  “Yes, sandpaper. For sanding things and making them smooth.”

  “Why?”

  I smiled. “I hate wasting my time doing nothing, so I think I’ll carve a new stake just for Breckenan. I think he’s earned it. I’ll make a nice one, and I’ll tell my other stakes they need to welcome their new friend. My new outfit doesn’t have enough places for stakes, Emerick.”

  “Yes, Breckenan does deserve a good staking, and I’ll even look the other way should you drain that bastard dry and cut off his head. Take extra care should you take his head. Separate it from his body. If you throw him in the river, he won’t get back up from the day. Worry about carving your new stake, and you can sand it upon your safe return home. But I wouldn’t worry too much about polishing it before use. The wood becomes alive from the carving, not when you make it shine. You will find it equally effective, although not as pretty as you might like.”

  I would keep that in mind. “Very well. A knife, if you please.”

  Emerick headed into the bedroom, and when he returned, he held a pocketknife in one hand and a six inch blade sheathed in leather in the other. With a sly smile, he offered both.

  In my world, two knives were better than one, so I put the pocketknife in my boot and found a place on my belt to hang the other knife. “Honestly, I’m impressed you’re going along with this. You seem like the kind to hover and become a nuisance should I do anything you don’t want me to do.”