Blood Luna

Complaisance

"In a siege two nights ago the city of Crestfield fell. It's approximated that 50 people died and around 120,000 are now hostage under vampire control. A group of 150 refugees was able to flee and will now be screened and allocated to Riven, St. Marina, and Rutherford. With this siege the vampires have conquered..."

"Calla"

The young woman in question turned away from the television screen and made her way through the crowded room to the bar to retrieve her order. The bright afternoon light filled the pub as the patrons drank and ate unconcerned by the news on the television and immersed in their own conversations. The smell of alcohol, wings, and burgers filling the room. The bartender extended a white paper bag with grease accumulating in the corners, "Say hi to your old man for me, kiddo."

"Will do, Pat."

Calla exited the pub and climbed on her teal bicycle, tossing the food in the basket at the front. She peddled through the buildings and skyscrapers the sun burning down on her in the hot summer afternoon. A kilometer away, at her final destination, her father sat at his desk staring over refugee profiles. The man swung his pen up and down as he bit his lip. Getting up, the man ran a hand through his hair and exhaled.

"3 in 30" he crossed his arms as he muttered to himself, "Not so easy to do. You better pull through, Malloy."

He slowly turns away from the window as his phone bings. Picking it up, he glances at the phone and heads out of the building.

On a cement bench attached to a bigger structure with flowerbeds sat Calla with her feet propped on her bike and the white paper bag next to her.

"Papa"

Her father smiled as he sat down next to her while she started to pull out their burgers and dump their fries into the bag to share.

"I heard there's a new group of refugees coming in."

He nodded, "A group of 30 this time."

"Smaller group this time, should be easier for you, right? Less people, less paperwork, less chance of someone trying to sneak in."

"Yeah..." his jaw tensed and his shoulders shifted around uncomfortably.

Calla's brows furrowed as she took in her father's discomfort. Realization filled her eyes before it was replaced with a mixture of disbelief and disdain, "Papa! You're not seriously worried by the invasion?"

He opened his mouth but couldn't bring himself to deny the truth. He exhaled and averted his gaze swallowing thickly.

The young woman scoffed, "Papa, please! I can't believe you right now," she shook her head and stared at him, "Papa, those small towns are defenseless. They're practically cattle on an open field waiting to be killed. The vampires have not taken down any of the big fortified cities. We're surrounded by twenty-foot walls, we actively commerce with other large cities, what are you afraid of?"

His eyes stared unwaveringly into hers, "Stronger men and bigger empires have fallen because they've gotten comfortable with ideas like those."

Calla frowned as she bit into a fry. She did not understand why her father was so paranoid. She would hardly compare their city to an ancient empire. Those historical figures were actively conquering other cities. In any case, the vampires were the conquerors in this situation and their city was like the territories that were trying to be conquered. Sure, many of those territories were captured, but at some point, they were the ones who overthrew the empires. Not to mention, there were always cities that were too powerful to be captured, like the city she and her father lived in. They would be fine, they lived in a large city with great defenses.