Chapter Six.
I can’t say that we were ecstatic about our position in life, but we coped and were moderately happy. Our circumstances had changed, and we were definitely treated differently by our families. Naturally, they tried, but it was the little things that mattered.
One time, I licked my lips, and Taran jumped; when I caught his eye; he blushed guiltily. I waved away the guilt and apologies with a smile, but his thoughts had been as clear as a bell. Taran had questioned whether I was satisfied or if I craved more.
Another time, Father raved about a wonderful dish that Pari had cooked. Then asked us for our opinion, not remembering that our bodies no longer needed food. Little Stefan, Diana’s son, questioned his mother endlessly, in all innocence, about where she went during the day. Stefan demanded answers about his father’s departure and his inability to return home. Questions Diana did her best to answer, but she got so tearful at times that one of us would talk to him instead.
It was Maryn who understood what had happened. She was a quiet, solemn little thing, and people often forgot she was there—or they did not care. Maryn had heard the rumours and worked the truth out for herself.
My father ended up explaining in detail when she was found beaten and bleeding. She had been assaulted by some older children who had attacked her for simply being a Vam’pir’s daughter. The fact that she wasn’t one didn’t mean anything to them. We couldn’t understand the mentality of these individuals.
Vam’pirs had never gone after anyone or threatened anybody physically. Yet the perpetrators attacked a child. Although it had been children that had carried out the beating, the adults were at fault for their scandalous whispers and rumour spreading. We may’ve warned people, but that was only after they turned against us. Why shouldn’t we protect ourselves from them?
Fear always makes people wary. Just having someone different living next door was frightening. But having blood drinkers in the community was some people’s worse nightmare. We had not given them any reason in which to be scared. None of our actions had caused them to have nightmares.
It turned out that our simple presence was enough.
We all went to the Council when my father took Maryn.
Out of consideration for us, they gave the courtesy of holding the Grievance Procedure at night. Maryn had been able to identify the youths, and the Council had taken them into custody.
The community was shocked by the unprecedented event that had not occurred in millennia. Of course, the rumours claimed the four teenagers weren’t to blame. The Vam’pirs’ children should have been placed available for adoption. Especially Cleo and Mihal, as they were just babies.
So a few idiots said.
In fact, more than a quarter of the population, to be entirely honest. The dissidents were growing. The spread of malicious gossip was increasing among listeners. Of course, there was no smoke without fire. Rumours became fact and truth, despite no evidence. The majority of individuals, although not on our side, ignored us as a whole. They tried to treat us normally, but the gossip was expanding and, as I said, so were the dissidents.
Maryn’s case opened a box full of mischief.
The boy’s parents blamed us; we pointed the finger at them. Even Julius was aghast at such blatant sheer thuggery. Enraged enough to leave his study and come with us to the hearing.
The majority of our families were present to support Maryn and Diana too.
The families questions were simple. If Maryn lost the case, would they also face bullying and violence without repercussions? Our council needed to act swiftly on this matter. The only remaining question concerned their willingness to act.
The boys, their parents, and their supporters packed a quarter of the Main Hall. Vam’pir’s, our families, and those interested in justice being done, filled the remaining spaces.
Most people were shocked and distressed at the mindless violence inflicted on a fifteen-year-old girl. This incident happened four years after the change.
Especially since those who had committed the crime were four eighteen or nineteen-year-old boys. Between them, they had broken several of Maryn’s ribs. Her left tibia and her right wrist had several fractures. Every finger on her left hand was broken by the teenagers, along with three on her right. Maryn had also suffered a fractured skull and countless cuts and bruises. They had left her unconscious and bleeding on the ground.
When Maryn regained consciousness, she had crawled well over a mile to get home, with the boys following, jeering and taunting her.
Recounting this incident makes my blood boil because it forever scarred Maryn, and I reckon it damaged all of us a little. Maryn left a bloody trail behind her. She easily might have died, and they wouldn’t have cared. If they had, they would’ve got her help, but instead, they followed her, still aiming kicks at her broken body.
As the list of her wounds was read out, a good few people paled and muttered angrily amongst themselves. The full extent of Maryn’s injuries had not been revealed for fear of repercussions.
The council sat at the front of the Hall on a raised dais. There was a curved wooden table which they remained behind and on top of which was littered with several small handheld computers. These held the information of the attack and would also record the trial of the boys.
The Hall itself had three tiers, the ground level, then one above that held over five hundred. Above that was another one, able to accommodate four hundred people. The ground level would hold six hundred. The hall was packed, indicating the intensity of public sentiment. Shockingly, the proceedings were being filmed live and projected onto big screens. There were also crowds of individuals outside.
When council member Tieran told of Maryn’s attack, several shouted abuse and called the boys’ names.
I admit to feeling murderous, if I could’ve strangled them myself, I would’ve. But the Vam’pirs had to show that we could conduct ourselves with dignity.
Li’zel, though, who was sitting next to me, growled in fury.
“If they refuse to act, I will. I’ll bloody drown the little bastards myself—and then let the parents come looking for me,” she muttered.
Li’zel may have a cruel streak running through her, but she was fiercely loyal to the Vam’pir’s and their children.
I looked at her and frowned.
“Don’t let anyone else hear you say that,” I snapped sharply.
Li’zel raised one perfectly arched eyebrow and smiled.
It left me cold.
“You might not be willing to act, Jacques, but an innocent has suffered, and I’m fed up with all this shit. I refuse to stand idly by and let it happen again.”
“Li’zel!” Seti hissed from in front of us.
“Seti, this is pointless. You wait and see,” she replied, studying one long, bright red fingernail. “This is bullshit, and you know it.”
I sighed. I understood full well where Li’zel was coming from. The legal system hadn’t punished anyone for the Great Experiment. It hadn’t protected us from Claudias and Maurick’s horror. They hadn’t dealt with Claudias for his complete disregard of human life, their feelings or the law.
People spread nasty rumours and lies about us, and the council sat there and took no action. It was as if they assumed that if they ignored the problem, then it would disappear. It hadn’t, it had only got worse, and now it was at the stage where a child had been mercilessly beaten.
Four years later, and here we are. A cure had not been discovered, and I’m uncertain if they were still seeking one. The number of people becoming terrified of us grew, and we were genuinely no better off. Yes, we traded with the community, but that was only because we had some of the country’s best craft smiths among us.
My father and Taran had bullied most into it. A few had willingly exchanged with us because of past ties. Others wanted to verify the rumours.
As sure as the fact we drank blood to live, we all knew that those boys who had beaten Maryn would not get a suitable punishment.
Li’zel was right. This whole trial was crap.
Tieran had been droning on and on, saying that the deed had been established through DNA testing and through the eyewitness recording of a memory probe done on Maryn. He offered to present this. The parents demanded that the memory be shown, still refusing to understand their precious children would have committed this terrible crime.
They didn’t realise showing the evidence would damn them out of hand and bring severe punishment.
After all, it couldn’t have been the boy’s fault. Maryn must have said or done something to cause the beating—she must’ve provoked them. Maybe a Vam’pir had appeared and threatened them, and they had attacked out of self-defence. The last was ludicrous, as the attack had happened in broad daylight.
We all sat there, tense, as the recording of the memory began.
A neural transmitter had extracted the memories painlessly. This took place while the patient was asleep, with no awareness on their part. It saved Maryn the process of reliving the attack in detail.
Father had authorised the procedure as Maryn was able to withstand it. Which was to say it was done the minute they stabilised her condition in the hospital. Father had watched this once already in horror, along with Marel. He now sat there grim-faced as the memory began to unfold, disgust clear on his face.
As the memories were seen through Maryn’s eyes, we didn’t see her, just parts of her body.
We saw her attackers approach her, calling out friendly greetings. We listened to her answer, laughing at a joke that was made.
Then, the tallest Paulas, who was also the eldest, took her by the arm while Gideo took her other.
Maryn’s voice was clearly heard asking if anything was wrong. Her gaze kept flicking from one face to another.
Martaous, the youngest, demanded to know what it was like to be the daughter of a Vam’pir. Instantly, we sensed her whole demeanour change and flick to the defensive.
Maryn replied that it didn’t matter what her mother was, she was still her parent. All she needed to understand was that her mother loved her, and Diana did. Maryn added in a whisper that she loved her mother dearly. Diana and Stefan were all she had blood-wise in the world.
Paulas demanded that Maryn repeat it, giving her a shake. We sensed her shoulders straighten as Maryn repeated what she had said in a firmer voice. By the way, memory evidence can also project emotions and feelings.
Samar, the last boy, sneered and asked if she ever worried Diana might drain her.
“No,” the word resounded throughout the chamber, strong denial, full of confidence, completely sure of her mother’s love.
Maryn was aware we didn’t drink from the vein. She instinctively understood she was safe from harm, at least from us.
I glanced across at Diana, and tears of blood ran silently down her face. As the memory continued, we saw the boys carry on with their jeering and cruel comments, and Maryn’s pain was clearly experienced by all.
Finally, they destroyed her resolve, and her anguish came through as her voice broke. Tears were wiped away as she asked them to let her pass.
Then she added a polite please.
Gideo took her by the arm again, only this time he shook her harshly. Maryn cried out that he hurt her, and we all saw his expression change through her eyes.
In a hissing, low tone, he told her that was the least of her worries. She pulled her arm free just as his fist slammed into her face.
Maryn stumbled back, her hand going to her nose. When she looked at her palm, it was covered in blood.
“Gideo!” Maryn cried, her voice muffled by the hand with which she was trying to stem the nosebleed.
Then Maryn suffered a blow to her stomach. Winded, she doubled over and caught a glimpse of Samar, his face twisted and glaring. Martaous then pulled her by the hair as the others began to pile punch after punch into her fragile body.
I didn’t want to watch, but my horror compelled me to see what they had done to an innocent child.
Maryn’s screams mingled with their shouts, and finally, she could not scream any more, not even when they broke her fingers one by one. Gideo let her fall to the ground, and before she could curl into a protective ball, he began kicking her in the stomach, and anywhere else he could reach.
We watched through a blood-filled haze at the hatred etched on their faces. She couldn’t whimper in pain as she had taken a kick in the throat, damaging her vocal cords. Finally, Maryn’s mind and body could no longer endure the punishment, and she slipped into oblivion.
How long we sat there, I don’t know, but finally, Maryn’s eyes opened slightly. They were badly swollen, and they fixed on the face of her attackers. They were sitting on the ground, studying their bruised and bleeding knuckles.
“The freak’s awake,” Samar announced.
Wounded beyond belief, Maryn tried to hold her arm in front of her, but she couldn’t stop Martaous’s boot connecting in her rib cage again.
“Go on, try to make your way back, bitch,” Samar said, rising to his feet.
“Please help me,” Maryn whimpered hoarsely.
“I’ll help you right into the afterlife,” Paulas replied, laughing as he grabbed Maryn’s long hair and tugged it. “I’ll tell you how we will help, we will let you go home, and we’ll follow to ensure that you get there.”
He released her hair and shoved her with his foot.
“Please,” Maryn begged, spitting out blood.
“Go,” Martaous demanded, kicking her again.
Maryn flinched.
“Listen, you thick bitch. You’re on your own. Make your way home, and we’ll make sure you continue,” Gideo explained, giving Maryn a kick just to ensure she understood.
It dawned on Maryn then that she was entirely on her own. They had no intention of helping her, only hurting her.
We all watched her torturous journey home with the boys, making sure she kept going like they said they would. Several times, she blacked out, only to be awakened by the attackers, adding further cuts and bruises to her battered body. They kept up a steady stream of abuse directed towards her mother and herself.
They left her at the bottom of Coven land, never once helping her or going to get help, even when her injuries were clearly life-threatening. Instead, they piled on more punishment. We had never witnessed such sheer cruelty and nastiness in living memory.
Finally, the memories ran out, and we all sat there looking at the screen in varying shades of disgust and shock.
The whole of the chamber was silent, no one daring to break it. We couldn’t accept what we’d witnessed. My father and Diana had already watched this and still they remained there, not believing their eyes.
I wanted to erase what I had seen. It was no wonder that Maryn woke up screaming or that she refused to be alone, thinking that they might come back for her. Reassurances that they were locked up meant nothing to her.
I found it so hard to believe that such wanton evilness existed in my lifetime.
Obviously, watching humanity over the millennia that have passed, I have seen horror upon horror. But this is Kaltos we’re discussing. This is the first nightmare that I ever witnessed, and on Kaltos of all places, the shock hit home.
We would no longer live a life without fear. Claudias and Maurick had done their work properly. They had brought back the banished emotions in full force, surfacing in four boys who were once innocent. And they’d had that precious state destroyed by two madmen, again just like the rest of us.
Honestly, who should be blamed for it? The boys, their parents, Vam’pirs or Claudias and Maurick? The latter two had definitely laid the foundation for this hysteria to exist, for this incident to happen.
Nevertheless, the parents were to blame to some extent. They had listened to and spread rumours they had forced themselves to believe in. They’d not sought the truth.
Where were the facts? No one ever needed to have them to repeat a delicious piece of gossip. All kinds of individuals enjoy gossip, with no desire for proof of truth.
I turned my gaze towards the defendants, shrunken figures that still showed no remorse for what they had done. They had seen their parent’s expressions, and that was the only thing that seemed to move them. Their shame at having been caught and forcing their parents to go through this.
The parents themselves had not seen the evidence before, and now they stared at their children, their thoughts clearly written on their faces. Had they spawned monsters? They knew they were to blame. Their culpability shone through for everyone to read; there was embarrassment and pain there, too, but guilt was the strongest emotion.
My heart fluttered for them, although I harboured a great deal of anger. I had to imagine how I would feel if it had been my child sitting there, my little Mihal. Devastated was the word that sprang to mind.
However, my son would never do this to someone. I would bloody make sure of that.
Between Inka and I, plus my parents, Mihal never stood a chance of doing something like this. We would ensure that Mihal was brought up properly. Not allowed to be racist. This entire farce originated from that one taboo subject.
Racism.
The parents slumped even further in their seats as someone from the back of the hall called out vicious abuse. The boys sat stone-faced, seemingly unmoved.
Then, a voice added vitriol and another. Within seconds, the chamber was full of voices shouting in hatred.
My eyes widened in shock; I had never seen such a loss of control by the public. Tieran banged vainly on the table to try and restore control but to no avail.
Emotions were torn open as everyone thought, ‘that could have been my child, sister or brother.’ Nobody wanted to listen. For once, their emotions ran riot over common sense, overruling any respect for the council. Four years of pent-up emotion had finally found a catalyst.
“Stop it!” a supernatural voice shouted, deafening the nearby people.
A shocked silence fell as faces turned towards Julius standing on his feet.
“Is this our idea of justice?” he asked in a lower tone.
“What about justice for the girl?” someone retorted.
Brave man, I thought to myself, bold indeed to challenge one of ‘them’.
“Isn’t that our purpose here? The council have seen the evidence; they are our peacekeepers and lawmakers, are they not? Let them make the decision of punishment, not us. Or are we going back in time to revisit our violent history?” Julius asked, waving his hand at the angry crowd.
That gave them pause to think.
Everyone’s attention turned towards the ten council members. Oh, how I thanked the Creator at that precise moment of time that I wasn’t one of them.
“The decision we made is both final and irreversible. No appeals will be accepted,” Tieran said clearly and strongly, in a tone that brooked no argument. “The four defendants’ fear and violence stems from mainly vicious rumours and lies. Older individuals and those expected to know better, are spreading falsehoods, that those easily influenced, listen to.
“But the council will not tolerate brutality, and neither will our people. We have all fought to keep our way of living what our ancestors wanted us to have. That meant nothing to these four men.
“Their actions decry them as men despite their age. Boys would not have committed this crime. Which means they no longer have the right to call themselves children. So, they shall be punished as adults. Our younger generation must be shown to make the choice between right and wrong. Youngsters have to be shown that we will hold them accountable for committing a crime,” Tieran paused and drew breath. His gaze settled on the four men and their parents.
“Therefore, it is the decision of this council that they shall be exiled to the large continent North of Kaltos. Their parents and families may follow if they wish.”
A gasp resounded around the chamber.
Exile! It had not been used in centuries.
“However,” Tieran banged again for quiet. “A lesson must be learned from this. A document shall be made, one that all children will read by law, and they’ll learn the lessons that this teaching will underline. Violence is not the way of Kaltos.
“Your four names will be known as pain and suffering, brutality and wickedness. I’ll not demand that your names be forgotten. Instead, every man, woman and child in Kaltos will know you. Your names will be known to our future children. You’ll have your place in our history, a place our descendants will scorn that and spit upon.
“Furthermore, apart from this learning document, your names will be struck from any public or private record. You’ll be forgotten as a part of our community and only known as evil. Let this be done. In ours, the victims, and in the eyes of the Creator, you are guilty. Guilty, I say, and so do we all.”
People sat riveted in their seats as the council rose and turned their backs on the four and then left the room.
Revenge! The word ripped through my mind. We had some justice.
The rumours would persist. However, the council made a difficult choice. They had given one of us, a victim, justice. Maryn wouldn’t benefit from it at this moment. Over time, she may start feeling safer and possibly sleep through the night without nightmares.
Slowly, the chamber emptied, and the Vam’pirs and our families were left alone. Maryn clung to Diana’s hand and looked at us in silence. I wondered what she was thinking. Did she blame us for what had happened?
Surely Maryn knew that we would have given anything, including our lives, to spare her this. Even Ami and Li’zel would have. Maryn stared at me through large sad eyes as if she was trying to read my thoughts when suddenly, she gifted me with a faint smile.
My heart lifted as relief flooded through me. Maryn knew how we all felt.
Conversation flowed softly as we made our way to the entrance of the hall. It was night outside, the hearing itself had only lasted two hours. Funny, it had seemed a lot longer than that. We had intended to celebrate if we had got a victory, and we still had that intention.
A sudden flurry of movement caught my eye, though, and I saw Petra, Gideo’s mother, fall at Diana’s feet. She lifted her hands pleadingly as her soft voice begged Diana for forgiveness.
“Why should we forgive?” Diana asked coldly.
I pushed my way past Inka and Tobais and Nathan joined me as we flanked Diana in unspoken support.
Petra’s eyes acknowledged us.
“You’re a mother, too,” Petra replied, her head bowed. Large tears land on the grass.
“Yes, I am. The mother of that little girl,” Diana said, grasping Petra by the arms and hauling her to her feet. “I have feelings, too. My child, my daughter, was beaten to within an inch of her life. Forgive you . Why should I? Who holds Maryn when she wakes screaming? Who cuddles Maryn at night when shadows make her jump? A deep-seated terror that your son caused.”
“Gideo was frightened too. He acted out of fear,” Petra cried wildly.
“Of what?” I inquired, catching her gaze and that of the onlookers fixed on this. “Of us? Why should Gideo fear us? We have harmed no one. Nor anybody, or is there something you’re aware of that we aren’t? Well? Answer me.”
“The rumours all say—”
“Ah, yes, the gossip,” Nathan said, cupping her face in his soft hands.
Diana released her into Nathan’s gentle hold. Petra made no move to pull away, seemingly mesmerised by Nathan’s voice.
“Of course, the gossip is true,” Nathan drawled scornfully. “Where is the proof, Petra? You were familiar with a few of us prior to the Great Experiment. What has changed apart from our immortality and need for blood. Have we been known to take it by force? No, we simply ask for donations so that we can live, too.”
Julius stepped forward and drew her eye next. He also caught the eye of the crowd that had gathered just to see what was happening. Nosey bastards.
“Our only request has been to live our lives without interference. We continue to work and help support our communities. We are moderately happy and wish to be left alone. That is all,” Julius stated, staring at those who stood close by.
I caught sight of someone still filming this. People would be watching.
“But Julius, were we not meant to dance naked under the stars committing blood sacrifices?” Inka continued. “Where are the blood sacrifices? Where are the bodily remains? The missing public. Kaltos’ population is not big enough for people to disappear without a trace. Someone would notice they are gone.”
“Don’t forget, we snatch innocent babies during daylight. I’d like to meet the people whose infants we have kidnapped. Could anyone here tell me whose children we took?” Eduardo interrupted. “Can you name the children?
“No, I thought not. We would die if we came out during sunlight. That is a proven medical fact. So, no actual missing babies, but hey, you believe what you want to believe. You always have, despite lacking clear thinking and lack of evidence. Eating children, blood sacrifices. These are the things your son is afraid of, Petra? Where are the missing babies or adults? Grow up and stop believing in bullshit lies.”
“But us? We have been wronged countless times. Feared without cause, falsely accused. You claim you suffer, not you personally, but as a nation. You suffer your horror of us, and yet do you not realise that we are suffering too? No, why should you? How many times do you think that we have not contemplated suicide, ending this farce we are living? It has crossed all our minds at least once. But, we continue to struggle to cope, simply because we are Kaltons,” Curtan said softly, his words touching a sore spot in all the Vam’pirs.
Suicide had crossed all our minds at one point. Face the sun as she rose and forget what we have become.
“Family and friends have deserted us. Every one of us has had one personal loss of one kind or another. Instead of persecuting the monsters that made us like this, you tried and condemned us for refusing to curl up and die.
“Well, I’ve news for you, we are dead. But I have no intention of destroying my body and soul, so you can live without your petty fears. We are entitled to our existence just like you are,” Ana continued. “Yes, our circumstances are different, and it’s something that none of us are used to. But we have adapted in the past, and I can’t see why we cannot adapt now. Our sole wish, as Julius mentioned, is to live in peace. Not in fear that someone in our family has been hurt or killed. Is that too much to ask for?” Ana took Petra’s hand and looked her in the eye.
Petra sighed. We could all sense the struggle inside her. Finally, she looked up and wiped her eyes dry.
“I understand. Everyone is guilty of harbouring fear, and perhaps you are right. We have been punishing the wrong people. Along with the majority of the public here, I willingly listened to lies. Believed them, again, because abominations like you shouldn’t exist. I know I was in the wrong.
“It was me that taught Gideo how to fear and hate because I didn’t understand or even want to. Maryn will always carry a scar because of this, but please, on behalf of my son, he isn’t really a bad person…”
“No Petra. If we ask for leniency, then we leave ourselves and our families open for this to happen again,” Diana replied softly.
“I understand, and if it was me, I would feel the same. But now you must understand something. Diana, for a moment, seeing through your eyes, I grasp a fraction of your daily reality. Public dissention is growing. Look to the lands across the seas where only savages and barbarians dwell. Leave Kaltos and start over.
“Your inaction over this matter did you more harm than good. You are now seen as weak and indecisive. The council’s punishment will probably discourage any immediate attacks, though this may happen again in the future,” Petra said.
Julius began, “Petra, if you, of all people, can see our true selves, if you would speak on behalf of us—”
“No, I’m truly sorry not to help you, but my place is with my son and my family. I’ll be leaving with them.”
“Safe journey then,” Diana said, and taking Petra by the hands, she kissed her cheek gently.
Petra returned the gesture and then left.
The crowd that had gathered slowly melted away, too.
So much for a night of celebration. Our mood sank like a ship in a storm. We all knew that Petra spoke the truth. Our willingness to prove ourselves non-violent and friendly to Kaltos had indeed gone against us.
Li’zel huffed an ‘I told you so’ before disappearing.
The decision to establish Mora as the Vam’pir’s residence was made during that night.