Antithesis: The Vampire Alliance Book Three - FIRST DRAFT COMPLETED

Antithesis Chapter 11: Eve Blakethorn-Sullivan May 2013

Eve Blakethorn-Sullivan, May 2013

Craig grabs me as I walk past his door, scooping me up into a bear hug and demanding, “Have I told you lately that you’re incredible?”

“Put my wife down,” Tul mutters and although the words are good natured he is mildly irritated, his possessive vampire nature triggered. Rob’s annoyance is stronger having not developed the same friendship with Craig that Tul has over the last few years.

While rolling his eyes Craig places me back on my feet, “Honestly, you’ve become such a grump since you found a wife.” He teases Tul, “Hopefully having a girl won’t do the same to me.”

“Ooh, so you and Felicity are official now?” My enquiry is met with a grin and a nod. “I’m mean I know your sexcapades last night have scarred Zach, but do you actually have a real girlfriend Craig?”

“Astonishing isn’t it, especially as I took your advice again and joked and laughed rather than pretending. Thank you.”  He adds the thanks with a note of solemnity which is really quite touching.

“All you’ve done is be yourself, I hardly need to take responsibility for that.”  With a mocking grin and a little sarcasm I add, “Truthfully I wouldn’t want to, I know what your sense of humour’s like.”

No doubt a retort would have been forth coming, if Felicity hadn’t called Craig’s name from inside his room. He gives me another rib crushing squeeze before charging back into his room. Raising a brow I shake my head, not quite believing what’s just happened. “Well, that was strange.”

“Strange?” Rob asks, puzzled by my assessment.

“Mundane, friendly, non-sinister; all the things that my interactions with other people usually are not. That makes it strange. Occasionally it’s nice to have a hug and a thank you, rather than death threats and being stabbed, shot, or otherwise harmed.”

My hands slip into theirs as I pull them towards Johan’s office. “So did our exalted leader tell you why he wanted to see us?” I ask Tul, as I’d been in the shower when Johan had phoned.

“Nope, he said that he wanted to see you but as Rob and I were sure to come with you whether or not we were supposed to, he extended the invitation to all three of us.” Jovially he notes, “He’s obviously learning.”

“One day you two are going to have to let me off the leash a little you know, you don’t need to be permanently attached.” It’s only a joke, but they both look at me in open concern. Too much concern. Can I blame them when I’m just as reluctant to let either of them out of my sight?

“Well, due to the death threats, being stabbed, shot and otherwise harmed, I for one don’t intend to be anything less than diligent when trying to ensure your safety,” Rob informs me, more seriously and with more resolve than I really appreciate. “And if Johan wants to see you it isn’t for tea and scones, so I have no intention of letting you go alone.”

Smiling a quick, roguish smile I tease, “The commoners amongst us would visit for a chat over a bag of blood, the English country gentleman over there wants tea and scones.”

“You’ve been around Keep for too long,” Rob tells me sternly, poking my ribs so that I try to dart away. He grabs me, laughing as he sets about tickling my sides. “You have absolutely no respect for me anymore; he’s been a bad influence on you.”

“Get off,” I chuckle, trying to push him away, “or I’ll tell Johan you’re the reason we’re late.” He continues to laugh but does as I say at least, and I add, “Anyway, getting back to the subject at hand; I don’t think I’m the one who needs constant supervision considering I’m the only person here not to officially die, despite the close calls.”

My gut twists even as I say the words, foreboding causing my throat to constrict and my head to swim. It isn’t really a vision as I feel the bite of steel and the burn of silver at my neck. The sensation only lasts a second, as it tears from one side of my neck to the other, then my legs give way. Luckily Rob catches me before I hit the floor. Both he and Tul recognise the flow of terror and pain from the last time I predicted my own demise as I struggle to catch my breath.

“Evie?” Tul prompts me, “What did you see?”

“Nothing,” I murmur, unable to voice the possibility that my fate is truly sealed. “It doesn’t matter, it isn’t set.” It can’t be set. My heart flutters wildly at the prospect, “I doesn’t matter.”

“If you tell us what you saw we can avoid it,” Rob suggests, but this isn’t like when we had been deciding which farm to attack. I’m not stood at a fork in the road deciding which way to go and avoiding the roads that go somewhere I don’t want to visit. This prophecy had been of the road ahead, an obstacle on the route I’m already walking. How do I skirt around it?

“It’s not like last time. There was no indication of place or time, nothing that I can simply avoid. It was just a sensation,” wincing at the remembered burn I rub my neck. “The problem with only having one way to die is that ‘peacefully in my sleep’ is very much out of the question.”

“You must have seen something that we can watch out for,” Tul presses anxiously, “something we can use to prevent...” He trails off, unable to voice the chance of my end.

“There was nothing,” I repeat honestly, just the sting of a silver blade. “It may not even happen for a hundred years, a thousand years, I don’t know.” It’s not a lie but I doubt I have any significant amount of time, in my heart I know it’s unlikely.

“Don’t tell Johan about this, it’ll only make him uncertain of me. I’ll tell him myself once I’m more sure of what may happen.” Emphasising the word ‘may’ doesn’t help reassure my husbands anymore than it alleviates my own fearful anxiety. “Come on, he’ll still be waiting.”

Pulling myself to my feet, I set off once more towards Johan’s office, finding my way through the dull grey concrete world, with its flickering emergency lighting and bunker like appearance. Perhaps I should just bunker in, hide in this warren until the world changes and becomes less hostile. Shuddering I feel Death breathing down my neck, and like the characters out of Final Destination I wonder if I’ve escaped my own demise too many times already.  Maybe I really can’t cheat Death.

That thought is still plaguing me as I push open Johan’s door and come face to face with the mortal woman who’d staked me the night Rob and I faced the fearful human mob. I freeze, stunned and praying to any God who’s listening that her appearance and my prophecy are entirely unrelated. A human wouldn’t be responsible surely? The very idea is ridiculous, preposterous, impossible. Right?
Rob’s reaction to her presence is somewhat more explosive than my own. Making all the same connections that I’ve just made he flies at her, fangs descended and more than willing to kill her where she stands. The woman screams as she’s pushed backwards by an incensed vampire, her wail of terror only ceasing as Rob pins her to the wall by wrapping his hand around her throat. The petrol scent of his fury fills the office as quickly as the emotion pounds into my consciousness.

“Robert Blakethorn, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Johan demands, his own temper only adding to the heated atmosphere.

“Eve’s just had a vision of her death and you have the woman who staked her in your office!” So much for not telling Johan, I think, as Rob yells his response.

“Put her down love,” my tone is soothing as I tug his hand from the woman’s throat, letting her fall to the floor, gasping for air. “She’s only human and doesn’t appear to be wielding a sword.”

Tul’s irritation is also growing now he knows who the woman is. “That human tried to kill my wife, what the hell is she here for?”

The woman glances between Tul and Rob, then back at me, and I can see the confusion in her expression. “I married them both,” shrugging, I admit, “it’s complicated. But you can appreciate why they’re upset.”

Turning to Johan I tell him, “And before you get your knickers in a twist too, I didn’t have a vision. I felt what it will be like to be decapitated. There was no location, or time or anything else to determine when or where this might happen. Everyone dies and for me there’s only one way to do so. It might have been a prophecy which isn’t due to happen for several centuries for all I know.” I think I’m trying to persuade myself more than Johan, and I wish I hadn’t been given Aemiliana’s gift. “So for now there’s no point in worrying over it. With that understanding, what’s with the murderous human?”

“I’m not murderous,” the woman replies before Johan can answer, finally managing to pull herself to her feet. “I’m here because of what you said the other night, about the enemy of our enemy being our friend. There are a number of us who have broken away from Frederick’s group; we want to form an alliance with sympathetic vampires.”

“An alliance?” I ask, my frown deepening with curiosity and a sense of irony. “I don’t want to keep going over old ground but you put a stake through my heart, that’s not very ally like.”

She sighs, playing nervously with the ends of her hair. “To be honest that’s what changed things. You could have impaled me, exacted revenge, torn me asunder. You didn’t. More than any protestations would, that showed you were unwilling to kill a human. Then last night, what happened in the city...” Looking at me she enquires, “you do know about what happened don’t you? The ones who take humans, they attacked public buildings, they took humans en masse.”

My nod is all she requires as confirmation. The fact we witnessed it and did nothing is more than she needs to know.  She continues hesitantly, “What we’ve realised is that there are many vampires who only see what’s in our veins. We aren’t strong enough on our own to stand against what they’re doing to us. If what you claim is true, if some of your kind do want us to retain our freedom, then we need your help.”

“No,” Rob states, and there’s a finality in his tone that would declare his answer incontestable, if he was in charge. “You’ve killed vampires, staked newly turned children and burned innocents. There’s no way you can expect our help.”

“We didn’t all agree with the burnings, but we were all afraid. We’re still afraid. Fred persuaded us that we had to appear strong, that it would help us to stay alive. What you don’t understand is that our world has completely changed since your government came out.”

Tul laughs at her defence, the sound is cold, harsh, “And ours hasn’t? We didn’t ask our government to out us. I never asked to have mortals trying to kill my only family.”

The air around us is heavy with mistrust, with unspoken accusations, with discomfort at our new situations. Bickering isn’t going to help any of us though. Johan is forever complaining that we don’t have enough people and although humans are weaker than us physically, they could still be useful allies.

“Robert, Tulloch, sit down.” They both wince, uncomfortable when I don’t affectionately abbreviate their names, “You’re both setting my nerves on edge with the protective macho thing.”

Johan eyes me, scrutinising my expression a moment before asking, “You agree with her don’t you? You think we should ally ourselves with humans.”

“I think it makes sense.” My confession is met with surprise from Rob and Tul. “Maybe it’s because I’m still young, maybe despite being less human than most vampires I still remember being mortal far better than the three of you do. I remember being human, weak and scared in a world that seemed to want to destroy me. The only reason I survived was because I finally realised who I needed to ally myself with. There’s no reason why the same principle can’t be applied to the bigger picture.”

Shrugging I get to the bigger issue, “Anyway, we need humans as much as humans need us. She’s correct; humanity doesn’t stand a chance against the Senate and the Redeemers. They will be taken as slaves, as livestock, and used until dead. If things keep going as they are the next generation of humanity will be born in Redeemer calving facilities and they’ll be uneducated animals.

And vampires? Those the Senate approve of will be fed from the humans they keep, but what about the rest of us? Already the Senate has banned turning new vampires, if we bother to abide by the law. The next step for them is to starve us out. I suspect I’ll be like the Paladins, I suspect Rob, Tul and I could live off vampire blood instead of human blood. However, what about you, Johan? What about Vanessa, Craig, Alex, everyone else? You’re looking at starvation eventually.

We need a working relationship with humans. They need us to protect them, to give them strength. We need them because most of us aren’t going to survive without them.”

“Um,” the woman murmurs, “people aren’t going to be happy trading their blood for your help. They aren’t going to consider that better than the farms.”

“Did you know we’d broken into one of the farms and helped the people inside escape?” Pausing, I only continue once she nods, “Do you know what they’re like inside? Cells, crammed wall to wall with people who aren’t given any medical care, who are left to become dirty, diseased, to die. When people die the others just pile the bodies in the corner of the cells where they sit and fester until someone disposes of them. One Redeemer even suggested that they fed the deceased to the living.

I lived, temporarily, with a Redeemer. I killed him, incidentally, before you think I sympathise with their cause or methods at all. But he explained a little about the farms. They make money from humans by selling them as take outs and toys for hire. Any human ending up in one of those places will be used for two things, blood and sex. If they’re lucky it’ll just be blood, although I suspect those ones have shorter lives as they’re unlikely to have a sponsor interested in their continued existence.

If we don’t stand together that’s the life that’s waiting for your kind. You’ll be toys and fodder and the vampires who would see you as more than that will starve and go mad and eventually kill each other or themselves in desperation. I suggest we come up with an agreement which is somewhat more mutually beneficial than that.”

“Like what?” she demands, not willing to give up her opposition but curious as to what I would offer.

Johan also watches me inquisitively and his slightly raised brow reminds me any offer I make will require his support.

“Obviously this depends on Johan as we’d be utilising his resources, but what I propose is quite simple. How about if we housed humans who have been displaced and who are willing to swear themselves into the Alliance?

At present most humans who remain inside after dark and who only travel between work and home are safe. So let’s start with the people who’ve lost their homes or their families or who the Senate and Redeemers have already targeted. If they become donors and agree to work for the good of the Alliance, just as we do, then in return we’ll feed, shelter and do our best to protect them. It’s mutually beneficial and at least here we’ll abide by the rules, we’ll only take from a human what their body can stand to have taken. It won’t solve a food shortage but it might give us the man power to ensure that there never is a food shortage.”

The woman sighs, rubbing her eyes as she considers the proposal, “You’re asking a lot, you’re asking for people to be willing to give their lives to a cause which isn’t our cause. You asking them to agree to stand there and be bitten without complaint.”
“Our cause is your cause now,” Johan interrupts, and his intervention is enough to tell me he’s on board, at least in principle. “The Alliance was set up with one purpose, to fight the Senate. Our aim is to bring democracy back to our world. That includes protecting the basic rights of vampires and humans to preserve our symbiotic relationship.”

Perching on the edge of Johan’s mahogany desk and ignoring his disdainful glance I add, “Plus we can use cannulas and blood collection bags if you’d prefer that over fangs. Personally I’d rather be bitten than jabbed with a needle though, far more pleasant and much less likelihood of bruising.”

Amusement radiates from Tul as he chuckles and shakes his head. “Do you have something to add to this?” I ask his irritably, “Or is this funny somehow?”

The chuckle becomes a full laugh and he grins, “It’s just that I can remember a mortal, little more than a year ago, claiming that she’d never bite a human. Now you’re trying to get a mortal to sign up to be bitten on a regular basis.”

“My initial and naive aversion to biting unsuspecting humans had nothing to do with any general aversion to the act itself. You know that. I’d been letting Rob feed off me for years and years without a problem. Hell, Tul, the first time we kissed only came about because you’d been feeding from me and that cracked your reservation.”
The woman blinks and our exchange before suggesting, “Maybe it’s a trust thing. You fed your partners, you’re asking us to feed strangers.”

“Tul was a stranger, pretty much, at the time. It doesn’t matter though,” she opens her mouth to argue with that statement but I’m not phased, “for this to work any human who comes here will have to trust us, just as we’ll have to trust them. You’re asking us to open up our home to a group of people who’ve previously killed our kind. We’re all going to have to put preconceptions behind us and learn to trust.”

Her shoulders sag and I almost think she’ll concede until she emphasises, “But you’re talking about biting.”

“I’m talking about becoming a donor, as I said, cannulas and needles are enough. But please, don’t expect to walk into a vampire facility and be able to say ‘biting’ like some dirty word, like we’re rabid dogs. Have you ever been bitten by a vampire?”

“No,” she admits slowly, “but I can imagine, I imagine every night what they must be doing to my husband and my son in those farms.” I cringe, hating that I’ve just given her my brutal appraisal of the farms only to learn her family may be in one. She doesn’t notice my discomfort as she continues, “It’s teeth breaking skin to get at blood, there’s not much to imagine.”

Taking a deep breath I bite my lip, considering my options. I want to persuade her that biting isn’t savage. We aren’t starving animals, not yet at least. I would suggest that Tul or Rob bite her but after their angry outbursts I doubt she’d let either of them near her without first using vampire allure and ideally I want her to do this without knowing how much we can manipulate humans. It will be wiser to keep some things secret until we know an alliance is plausible.

Pulling myself upright I know I have only one real option. “You’ve come here specifically to see me because you know I don’t want to hurt humans. You trust me a little, is it enough that you can allow me to show you we have control and we don’t hurt people? Will you let me bite you, knowing that I don’t want to kill humans?”

Her pallor becomes significantly more sickly as she considers that proposal. The scent of her anxiety is so strong I think she’ll refuse and I am genuinely surprised when she nods. “Alright,” she breathes, her voice trembling, “but only take a little.”

“Ok,” I agree without hesitation. As I walk towards her even I feel nervous, especially with the spectators behind me. I’m used to hunting, demonstrating is another matter entirely. I can remember Rob explaining what I’m about to explain to me but it was a long time ago now and in a private place.

“First you should understand the process. Vampire venom contains a neurotoxin which means that the humans we bite will forget the period of time just before, during and just after we bite them. Most people would never know they’ve been bitten. Plus a drop of our blood in the bite wound heals our prey after feeding, so there’s neither mark nor memories. However, I want you to remember this which means I can’t just bite you.

With official donors we give them a drop of our blood before we feed from them. When taken before the neurotoxin hits your blood stream it prevents it from taking hold and ensures your brain continues to form memories. It also stops donors from becoming sedated by our venom. If I give you my blood you’ll remember what it’s like and you’ll retain your ability to fight, although I promise you won’t need it with me.”

“So it’ll hurt,” she assumes, “if I’m not sedated?”

“No,” I answer, “you’ll feel something else.” Hesitating I know she wouldn’t appreciate the pleasure drug spiel Rob had originally given me. Seeing as I have no intention of having a sexual relationship with this human that’s better left out of it, really, so while my initial speech had been an almost word for word recital of his teachings from this point on I have to come up with my own explanation. “What you feel will be very much influenced by what the vampire biting you wants you to feel.
Redeemers? Yes, they’ll probably make it hurt. Me? Although my blood will neutralise the neurotoxins and prevent you from loosing awareness, my venom is still a drug. It can alter what you feel depending on what I want you to feel. It won’t numb you, but it’ll adapt the sensation so it doesn’t hurt.”

Knowing Rob and Tul are listening to this and knowing how they’d interpret it I have to force myself not to blush as I add, “It can feel... nice.”

Rob’s amusement irks me and I’m sure he can remember where this talk had led when he’d had it with me. Acting with unusual vulgarity I stick my middle finger up at him before finishing, “The degree of nice depends very much on whether the vampire’s intentions are purely to protect their donor from pain or whether they are a sexually deprived hermit with the desire to seduce and corrupt a virgin. I’m aiming for the first option.”

Rob snorts in shock while Tul claps his shoulder and chortles. “Hey!” calls Rob, when he finally gets over his speechless surprise. “That’s a little harsh.”

“I’d just turned eighteen love.” Grinning, I wink at him. “And you hadn’t been in a relationship in decades. I’d say it’s a very accurate assessment.”

Turning back to the woman I ask, “So, do you consent to being bitten?”
“It won’t turn me?”

“No,” I answer reassuringly, “it would take a lot more of my blood and venom than what I’m going to give you to have that kind of effect. I promise you’ll still be human when we’re done.”

Very nervously she nods, seemingly unable to vocalise the words but willing to trust me. Pressing my thumb to a fang I let my blood bead then hold my thumb out to her. Seeing the revulsion in her eyes I sigh, “I know, you’re human, it’s blood and it’s disgusting. Thanks to me being a vampire however, I’m completely disease free and you aren’t at risk of catching anything.”

She eyes me dubiously for a minute until, in the briefest moment of decisiveness, she licks up the blood. Not managing to stop her expression screwing up in distaste, she does at least apologise for her scowl, “Sorry.”

“My turn now,” I respond simply. Ensuring that my actions remain slow, I give her ample time to change her mind before my mouth reaches her throat. She twitches at the sting of my fangs sinking into her flesh but then my venom is in her blood and any discomfort fades into something else entirely.

There’s too much fear in her flavour at first. When I swallow the initial mouthful I imagine my expression probably matches how she’d looked upon tasting the copper of my blood. Thankfully, the taste of her changes as my venom warms her body, causing her skin to tingle in a way which is pleasant but not overly so. The sourness of fear is replaced with a sweeter note as she relaxes and that is far more palatable.

“Oh,” she whispers and I relax too, knowing I’ve proven my point. I only take one more swallow before I release her, biting my own tongue and letting a drop of my blood fall into the bite wound to heal her. I haven’t had a full meal but I don’t want to push her as that isn’t the point of the exercise.

“See,” I smile as I step back, “not as bad as a needle.”

“No,” she acquiesces, “it wasn’t. I didn’t know.”

“Not many humans do know,” Johan reminds her, “we like our secrecy so it’s only ever official donors, those we trust, who get to know the truth. Most humans are made to forget in order to protect us. When our presence becomes known we tend to suffer at human hands, as your previous associates have shown.”

Johan studies our guest as she shifts uncomfortably, his reminder of her crimes making her nervous. “Do you agree to Eve’s proposal?” He demands, no doubt wondering if this whole exposure treatment had been an unnecessary risk.

“Yes,” the mortal woman answers, much to my relief. “I agree. I can’t speak for the others but I’ll put forward your proposals to them. Personally though, I agree to your terms.”

“Good.” I’m genuinely pleased; having human allies can only benefit us in the long term. “So if we’re going to do this, what are we to call you?”

The woman smiles and holds out her hand for me to shake, a somewhat redundant gesture as I’ve already become closely acquainted with her throat but I appreciate it all the same. “I’m Grace O’Connell,” she tells me, “and it’s nice to meet you.”