Chapter 17
seventeen
. . .
I woke up at the baseball stadium. No, it wasn’t a dream, because Brika shoving a needle in my arm was way too intensely unpleasant to belong to a dreamscape.
“Hey,” I said, less panicked than I should be. It’s just hard to be panicked when everything is so impossible.
“The infection has spread,” she said, scowling and jabbing me with the needle again.
“Why am I in a dugout at the stadium?” I was still on the guest bedroom mattress that someone had moved, with me, into the stadium.
“The Grand Master is inside, gathering his strength.”
“Because nothing says epic vampire zombie showdown like baseball.”
“There will be no baseball, just a stadium full of the Grand Master’s supporters. It is a way to contain the queen’s army.”
“A weird way, but whatever. Ow. Do you think you could jab me with a little less force? I don’t think that bruising my arm will be very—” I interrupted that thought to scream, because pain.
Arm. Pain. So much pain. Every shred of my skin came alive to scream in agony at whatever crap she’d put in me.
When the pain faded, I was panting and then I threw up.
“Ugh!” Brika said, showing her disgust for my humanity. Next time, I’d throw up on her. Had I asked her to inject whatever nasty substance that was in her needle into my arm? No, not unless I was talking in my sleep.
“Where are Wat and Lock?” I asked once I straightened up.
She curled her lip, like she was bracing herself for impact, and then shoved the needle into my leg. “They are with the Grand Master. Wat stayed with you for a time, but then the Grand Master called him.”
The needle didn’t hurt the first time. Why was that? “Do they seem okay?”
She held her breath and then shoved the needle into my leg again. That time, the pain. I whimpered instead of screaming, at least I think I did, but it was hard to tell in the middle of that much horrific agony.
“They are strange monsters in a sea of strange monsters. They will adapt.” She looked sick, like she hadn’t enjoyed torturing me.
“They should have had Duke do this. You don’t seem to like it.”
“I don’t. I will pay for every scream with my own pain.” She actually trembled at the thought.
“The Grand Master will torture you for torturing me? Then why do it?”
“He ordered me to.”
“Then he won’t hurt you. That’s logical.”
“You aren’t in the world of logic and illogic, but of instinct and dark forces battling for power and control.”
I shook my head. “Hazen isn’t like that.”
“The man you married is not the human you knew.”
I swallowed. Wasn’t he even a little bit?
Was the man I’d loved just gone, a lie like mist that couldn’t hold up against the heat of the day?
I was suddenly depressed, and not just because the zombie queen was coming, I smelled like nutmeg because I hadn’t had my salt soak, and my children, well Lock anyway, would prefer me undead, so he didn’t want to eat me.
All of those seemed like problems I could overcome, but if the Hazen I loved didn’t even exist, what was the chance that I wouldn’t get old and lonely?
I suppose I could move in with Gloria and get a dog, or four, but I’d really liked being married, and I loved Hazen.
Would I eventually want to date someone else?
I’d never met a man I was interested in, except Hazen.
And now he didn’t exist. I suppose I would have to do the dogs and Gloria thing.
She could have racy exploits while I knitted outfits for my grandchildren.
Only, did vampires who were born have kids?
What kind of girls would want to marry monsters?
Was it possible that it wasn’t the human I was in love with, but the monster?
“Brika, what does turning into a vampire entail? How much of the original personality remains afterwards?”
“Much at first, then gradually it fades into whatever role they choose.”
“Or the role the Grand Master gives you.”
“No. He only chooses those who are worthy, which means those who have become more competent with their skills, those who have improved, those who wish to serve the Grand Master. Otherwise, he will not interfere, as long as you follow his mandates.”
“Benevolent apathy. So, you want to serve him. Why? Is it his pretty face?”
She shivered. “Don’t mention his face.”
“Why not? It’s pretty hard not to when it’s so pretty.”
“He’s sensitive about it. Some have underestimated him because of it. Some have even mocked him.”
“Poor Grand Master, being mocked because he’s so pretty. Poor, poor Grand Master, so beautiful that no one can think around him.”
“It is difficult to focus, but not because of his looks, not when what he can do to you is so much worse than anything anyone else could ever do. Put this on.” She handed me a corset and a pair of shorts. Both were made out of an extremely sturdy fabric that couldn’t be very comfortable.
I glanced around the enclosed dugout and then dressed.
After that, she handed me another layer, which was even sturdier material, and covered all of me from chin to ankle.
After that, boots with metal on the side, then legit armor pieces like shin plates and chest plates.
It was all black, and would go great with my purple mom-bob. Eyeroll. Still, it beat red pleather.
“Will you stand beside the Grand Master against the Zombie Queen?” she asked.
“Of course.”
“And afterwards?”
“If we survive, we’ll try to resolve our marriage.”
“Not dissolve?” She looked at me with so much intensity.
“And you said that you weren’t interested in his pretty face.”
“I am very hopeful that you do not abandon the Grand Master.” Her face twitched.
I raised an eyebrow. “Otherwise, he’ll run around killing everyone, because monsters do that when they get dumped?”
“Or reject his position and find a cave to slowly rot away in.”
“Oh, please.”
She patted my head, like the werewolf guy had done. “You are only human. You didn’t ask for the burden of propping up our world’s greatest protector against the worst things, but here you are. Hopefully, you find the strength to do what must be done.”
I jerked my head away. “Don’t pet me. I’m an exterminator, not a mascot, even if I am only human. And that means that I decide what it is that I need to do, not you, not the Grand Master, and not the Zombie Queen.”
“You are so sensitive.”
“Yes, as a matter-of-fact, I am, because I still hurt from that needle you shoved into me. What is it supposed to do, anyway? What was in that?”
“Anti-zombie serum.”
“What is it made out of? Did you shoot me up with somebody’s blood?”
“I am not the Grand Master’s chemist.”
I crossed my arms and gave her a look. “Which wasn’t a no. Whatever. Where am I supposed to be for this battle?”
“You will join the Grand Master and the princes in the stands.”
“You do realize how ridiculous it is to have a war in a baseball stadium, don’t you?”
“I only know that it is what the Grand Master has decreed, and therefore must be for the best.”
Sure it was. I followed Brika down halls and up stairs until I came out in a large area without anyone besides Hazen and the boys. Wat sat a few seats away from Hazen and Lock, scowling at the world around him.
I walked over on the aisle above them, then climbed over the row, clanking in my fancy armor, so I could sit next to Wat. “Hey. Are you okay? Are you sure you want to do this? You don’t have to.”
“Who else will make sure you don’t accidentally get turned during the fighting?” He glared at Lock.
“While I appreciate the thought, I trust that Hazen won’t turn me unless I ask him to.”
“What about Lock? He could turn you. He’s been subtly asking people how to do it.” He shot another glare at his brother.
“Wat, would you tone down the angst for just a second? I realize that you’re almost thirteen, and a vampire, but maybe you could go buy some black lipstick instead of having to emote negativity all the time.”
He gave me a flat look, like the last time I’d suggested that he dye his hair. “Seriously, mom. People who wear black lipstick and go goth are trying to be cool vampire types. I am a real vampire, but I want to be a jock. It sucks.”
I took his hand and squeezed it. I probably shouldn’t touch him because nutmeg, but he was already a vampire. “I’m sorry. What don’t you like about it? Maybe there’s some way to make it better for you. Hazen’s been around since Genghis Khan, so I’m sure he can help you adjust.”
“Who told you that?” Hazen asked without taking his eyes off the field. He was wearing sunglasses and a large hat, but you could still see his gorgeous lips and cheekbones and chin.
“None of your business. Nice hat, though. Well?” I asked, turning back to Wat.
“School is so hard. They’re either pushing me to be more of a vampire, or pushing me to hold it all in.
There’s no just being anymore. Either you’re like Lock, all locked up, or you’re like one of those feral vamps who someone has to track down and kill.
It’s not all bad. Larian taught me this.
” He opened his hand and a ball of fire bloomed in his fingers before he closed his hand and it disappeared.
“Wow. Did you just grow fire?”
“Sure. Dad can do that too, manipulate all the elements, but so far, I’ve just got fire. I’ve always liked fire.”
“He can manipulate all the elements?” I shot a look at Hazen, in that hat. It was like a cowboy hat, only a fedora cap. “Where did you get that hat?” I asked.
“None of your business. I like your hair, though.”
I almost stuck my tongue out at him, but I somehow held back. Mostly because my kids were watching us. “Anyway,” I said, turning back to Wat. “What do you have to hold in?”
“The craving for blood, mostly, but it’s not as bad for me as for Lock. That’s probably because dad had been slipping blood into my soda for a few weeks before I turned. Lock was a surprise.”
“Wait, you gave him soda?” I asked, turning on Hazen, more shocked by that than the elemental fire bit.