Better off Undead

Chapter 59: Deal with the Devil

Eli looked his companions over. They were all holding themselves like their limbs were fragile, each standing with their weight on only one side. Their faces were swollen and skin, wherever it showed, was cut or showing the beginnings of bruises. They all looked like they'd just been through a back alley brawl, and it hadn't gone so well.

"What have you done to them?"

"Done?" The vampire queen echoed, sounding offended. "Why, nothing, of course. Beyond what was necessary to pacify them. And it will remain that way if you cooperate."

Eli's eyes darted back and forth rapidly between his friends and the vampire. "Cooperate? How?"

"Put down the weapon and come quietly."

Eli tried to flex his fingers around the impromptu wooden spike in his hand, but they were still too crushed for much response. "If... if I put this down, you have no reason not to kill me."

The vampire queen placed her hands on her hips, her face filling with impatience. "Haven't you been listening? We're not wanting to kill you. We want you alive. Now put. The weapon. Down."

Eli hesitated, glancing around the room as if measuring out his options. "I... I can't..." he started to say.

The vampire queen sighed and raised a razor-sharp dagger of a fingernail up to Aliyah's throat and pressed down until a small dot of blood appeared. "I don't want to hurt your friends," she said, "but I will."

"No! No, wait! I mean it! I... I can't put it down. You crushed my hand. I can't open it now."

"So use your other hand to force it."

Eli took a step back, hesitantly, but one look at Aliyah and he knew he had no choice. Moving slowly and deliberately to avoid alarm, Eli brought his good arm around and pried his fingers open. The broken piece of chair arm clattered noisily to the rocky ground.

"Good. Now join the others."

Eli didn't move. "What are you planning on doing with us?"

The vampire queen ignored him, turning away and surveilling the room. She waved one hand vaguely in Eli's direction. "Put him with the others," she said.

A couple vampires grabbed him by the arms and started walking him over to the others.

"Wait," said the vampire queen suddenly. She turned back to Eli, and then waved her hand, motioning to the rest of the room. "Did you do all of this?"

For a moment, Eli stood completely still. Slowly, he turned and studied the vampire, trying to determine the motive behind her question.

"Did you kill all these..." she nudged one of the zombies with her toe, "these beasts?"

He blinked. If she was asking, then for some reason she didn't know about Amber. And for some reason, he decided he wanted it to stay that way. "Yes," he lied. "Single handed."

To his surprise, she actually looked impressed. "Well, aren't you the resourceful one? I saw how you handled yourself against my children." She paused and knelt down over the last of the vampires Eli had killed, looking sad and gently caressing the lifeless creature's face. "Even my most trusted left hand. Perhaps we could use one such as yourself."

Eli's eyes narrowed. "Use?"

She turned and smiled at him. "Silly boy. Don't you understand? I'm offering you a chance to join us."

Eli scoffed. "Join you? You can't be serious."

"Would you really rather have a future as livestock?"