The Aftermath ✔

1 SOVEREIGN

A part of Slade was tempted to stay there on that distant rooftop all night watching Eli and his girlfriend make love; she hated herself enough to witness it all.

But what was the point?

Just moments ago, she'd awoken in that bedroom with no recollection of how she'd gotten there and no feeling beyond guilt and regret. It was her choice to leave despite Eli's semi-coherent pleas for her to stay. It had also been her choice to use Eli's phone and text his girlfriend to come there to take care of him. They'd gotten drunk and made a mistake—a dumb mistake.

Werewolf men deserved werewolf women.

Leave the wolves be. Just go home, a voice in Slade's head said. This might be the only thing you've ever done right. He's a distraction. You have bigger responsibilities. Remember that.

"Shut. Up."

Letting out a sigh, she turned and made her way to the fire escape. She had to get home before morning.

A taxi zipped past, flashing a bumper sticker of a red X over an exaggerated image of a vampire.

"Ha. Jokes on you, asshole. Ain't got no money for a cab so you wouldn't have to refuse me anyway." Slade squinted as she memorized the plate number. "Giving you a nice service review, you prick."

Night and day; the city never slept. It hadn't in the Time of Man either, though they pretended it did. Now, at dusk, her time, the faint chill of autumn hung on the breeze. That was meaningless but the rough cobblestones under her feet told her just how old and worn these boots were. She was still unaccustomed to poverty—ten years in.

By the time she reached the bus station, she'd written a dissertation on her phone reviewing that crummy cab driver. "And he even touched my beard. I was very hurt." She deleted the last word and kept on, "I was very offended. Sincerely yours.... Very offended dwarf."

The bus door opened, and she stepped back.

"Vamp routes are through for the night, Miss," the driver called. "Try again after the sun's come up."

He drove off and the fading taillights shrunk into the night.

"At least you called me Miss."

Never mind the taunt. When the sun's come up. It hurt. Being reminded that even glancing in the sun's general direction hurt. But Eli'd been good enough to campaign against forcing the day buses on vamps.

How she regretted never being able to see it again—feel its rays. When the humans still roamed the earth, their blood offered many advantages, the one disadvantage being a vulnerability to the sun. Now, ten years on without a single human alive, and no human blood, vampires didn't have that worry.

The sun was no longer deadly—it just hurt. A lot.

What a pathetic liar. He just didn't want to take you.

Slade waved a hand to dismiss the voice. It came stronger each day.

You can't ignore me. Not forever.

Maybe not but Slade intended to try. "Watch me, bitch."

As the sun wouldn't be up for some hours yet, she took some comfort in knowing that after a few more years without human blood, she'd be able to withstand being outside yet again.

When she had become a vampire, this place was a mere city. And now...now it was a sight.

A world without humans....

She scoffed. Because it was beautiful without them.

The land was green, waste management was almost nil, vehicles fueled by magic had no exhaust, and the woods were safe.