Chapter 30 #2
Lena continued to stare out in a daze, unblinking. “The cost of deathless life, it seemed, was a human sacrifice. To earn eternal youth, one would have to steal it from another.”
A horrified gasp escaped me. In all I had seen and done, it still seemed such an abhorrent, evil act to do. We killed for sustenance, and perhaps it was hypocritical of me to think, but sacrificing someone seemed far worse.
“Who…” I asked, trailing off as it clicked into place for me.
They had chosen to sacrifice Lena.
My dear, complicated friend. Her coldness to the world made so much more sense, as did her kind heart that she hid away behind so many walls. She had told me once that she would help me because no one had helped her—how that made my heart break to remember now.
Lena sighed sadly, turning to look at me. “I had a friend back then. We had grown up together and during our teenage years…”
A few moments passed between us in silence, and I could understand that Lena was trying to sort through the painful memories she had suppressed. Her face, normally stoic and stern, housed such a sadness that it hurt me to look at it. I doubted she had ever spoken of this to anyone else.
“I loved her. Truly, with all my heart. She was so normal. Her family did not practice magic, and she did not feel the pressure or burden of that; Valeria—or Ria, as I often called her—was the refreshing escape I needed from my life. And I was so lucky that she loved me back, Warren.”
The name was familiar, scratching at my brain to remember. It was important, but hearing Lena’s words mattered more.
I slipped my hand into Lena’s and squeezed gently. There were no words to offer her comfort, so I stood silently beside her and offered my support; I could not fix it for her, but I would listen to every piece of her story she was willing to share.
“I was not a calloused person back then,” Lena said with a saddened smile.
“I was hurting with the responsibilities being placed on my shoulders, but I loved life. Being with Valeria, being accepted by her as I was, it was everything to me. But one day, Ria’s uncle caught us in the woods in a compromising position.
He dragged us by the hair into the village square and professed to the entire town about our apparent ‘disgusting, degenerate’ deeds.
He shamed us, and we could do nothing to protect ourselves.
“The elders used it as their opportunity. My bastard parents had reported to them that I was beginning to rebel because I had questioned some of our practices. They cast me out and told my family that I was exiled. But in actuality, they had bound Ria and I, keeping us locked away in an old hollow in the forest. They killed Valeria in front of me and used me as their sacrifice. But that ancient voice had tricked them—eternal life was not granted to them through their act.”
“I don’t understand. Then how did vampires come to be?”
Lena laughed bitterly. “They chanted over me, reciting the words as the demon had told them to. But it was not them who was granted that gift…I rose from the dead as something new entirely. That bloodlust haze was overbearing, and I wanted nothing more than to slit their throats where they stood. They were still chanting, keeping me magically bound; it was as though I was a prisoner in my own body, trapped and unable to move.”
I pulled her to me in a tight hug, squeezing gently.
She stood rigid for a moment before I felt her arms wrap around my waist. Lena, despite her unapproachable exterior, had never once refused an embrace from me.
I knew, even when we were furious with each other, that we were best friends; she allowed herself moments of humanity with me that nobody else was allowed.
“I cannot imagine what it must have been like for your body to be a cage like that. For your choice to have been taken away so cruelly,” I whispered into her hair, pressing a kiss atop her head. “I am so sorry they did that to you.”
She sighed, resting her head on my shoulder as I let her go. Exhaustion was not something I ever associated with Lena, but I could see the tiredness on her face. Reliving your past was always tiring, especially when it was centered around such traumatic events.
“They used my blood to become vampyr. That blasted demon told them what words to say as they became the first creatures of the night. I may have been the first vampire, but the elders were the first monsters. They slaughtered and killed their way through history, climbing political ranks and taking over the world an industry at a time. They combined their knowledge, their greed, and became the Authority.”
“The Authority?” I asked, raising my brows. “Why do you continue to work for them, then? You are powerful; you could kill them.”
Lena leveled me with a gaze that made me feel utterly dense, as though I was missing a vital piece.
“I told you they cursed me. You think it would be that easy? There is old, dark magic that binds my life with theirs. They will always have a hold over me, and there is nothing I can do to escape it. For centuries, I have searched for a way to sever what they did to me. It is impossible, and I long ago resigned myself to being their favorite plaything.”
“Then what is your plan?”
“To always be useful,” Lena said with a dark smile. “While I cannot end them, I refuse to allow anyone within their ranks to take me down. The Authority may own my life, but just like you said, I am powerful enough. I ensure they are unable to be rid of me entirely.”
Despite the confidence in her words, I sensed the unease beneath Lena’s skin.
She did not quite believe her own words.
There was no solid foundation in her plan, and that was risky.
I could not imagine someone having that level of hold over me, or having the knowledge that vampires were created from me.
Lena had been forced to endure more than anyone else would ever know.
There were parts she was not telling me, I knew, but I would not push her.
To have told me so much already was proof enough of the trust between us, and therefore I would trust her to tell me the rest of her story whenever she was ready, if she ever wanted to.
Lena owed me nothing. I owed her everything. She had saved me over and over again, never once abandoning me—even when she should have.
“So, what is your grand plan?” I asked, steering the conversation away from such heaviness as I flopped down on her sofa. Lena was tense, and she was uncomfortable being so emotional; she needed to know that I was not expecting her to bare her soul to me entirely.
“Do you remember the speakeasies in Chicago last year?” she asked, curling her lip as she stepped over another body.
I nodded. “Obviously.”
She rolled her eyes as she took a seat, crossing one leg over the other.
“The prohibition has been making things difficult in one aspect, but it has been significantly beneficial to anyone who is smuggling and operating behind closed doors. The Authority is curious as to whether it could work for us; perhaps the drunken revelers would be willing to donate their blood. The American vampires are thirsty now that we do not have easy access to mortals under the influence…This could be a good opportunity for us.”
We had visited Chicago last year under the recommendation of one of Lena’s vampires. He explained that with times changing, the world was becoming way more interesting. Speakeasies were just beginning to open, a rebellious act that sparked adrenaline. And adrenaline? Oh, how delicious that tasted.
“They want to open a speakeasy? In Chicago?” It was not a bad idea, yet there were already so many operating there that I wondered what we could possibly do differently to attract clientele.
Lena shook her head. “No, not there. They have somewhere else in mind.”
“Where?”
“New Orleans,” Lena replied. “You have heard of the Mardi Gras parties each year, yes? The Authority believes it would be the perfect combination: people want to party and would be even more willing if it involved illegal alcohol consumption. They want me to visit and make some arrangements. To test the waters.”
I sighed, twisting the button on my cuff. “You want me to go with you.”
“Not if you have that attitude,” Lena snapped. “You have been off on your own adventures for so long. I thought perhaps it would be nice for you to return home with me—your best friend.”
I looked at the mischievous glint in her eye. It was a manipulation tactic on her part—she only ever used platitudes and endearments when she wanted something—and she knew it would work. It always did. Lena being soft towards me in any way always made me fold; it was her damn superpower.
“You are twisted and mean, princess,” I scolded.
Lena blew me a kiss. “My little vampy, I do so adore you. Will you come with me? I could always order you to…”
“That is just rude,” I said, huffing slightly. “You cannot be deviously sweet while also threatening me as my employer. Pick one.”
She shrugged, getting to her feet. “Where is the fun in that? You are coming with me either way. Do you want it to be as friends traveling together, or as my employee accompanying me for work? You decide.”
Placing a kiss to my forehead, she stormed off like the terrifying little whirlwind she is, leaving me alone. I cursed her to the empty room, knowing she was right.
I would always go wherever she asked.
It was just unfortunate that it was New Orleans we were called to.
I prayed that Levette Fortier had long since left the city I called home. If he hadn’t, I dreaded to think of meeting him again.
Even if my heart wanted nothing more.