Chapter 11 #2
I watched him exhale a long, slow breath, and in that moment, I wondered if the change of subject brought him relief. “My name is Arthur. I’m the leader of the remaining humans on this planet.”
“That you know of,” I blurted. “But anyways, my name is—”
“Vincent, the son of Salvatore Asposito. I know who you are.”
A sour taste filled my mouth, and my lip curled into a snarl. “What do you want from me?”
Arthur clasped his fingers together. “Initially, we hoped your father would willingly share the knowledge we were looking for, but his resistance left us with no choice but to extract it from him by any means necessary.”
“Me,” I whispered as the realization struck. “You know my father will do anything to get me back.”
“Will he?” Arthur’s eyebrows raised before an amused smile danced at his lips.
If I were being honest, I wasn’t sure. Even though it appeared to be a difficult decision, he made the choice to let them take me.
In my heart, I know he truly cares for me, but my brain questions if his love is influenced by the wealth and power I’ve helped him attain.
If I were replaceable without impact on him, would getting me back be any of his concern?
“Tell me what you know about the Dogs.”
What wasn’t he understanding? I told him I knew nothing that could help him.
He must be toying with me. I searched his light blue eyes, cold and unyielding like polished steel, for any hint of a trap, but found only an unsettling calm.
“I have always been told humans controlled the Dogs. That’s why we fear leaving the Elysiums.”
“And we were under the impression the vampires gave the Dogs their orders.” A squint creased his forehead, a silent challenge as he searched my expression for any trace of falsehood, but I met his gaze with unwavering truth.
“It seems our separation may have created miscommunication, and the Dogs have their own owner. Someone…different than who we initially thought.”
“Dante?” The only person I thought of was my father’s old business partner, a man whose betrayal left a lasting scar. I searched his face intently, hoping to find a flicker of familiarity, but his expression remained blank.
“Who’s that?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure. I thought he had more involvement with the humans.”
“His name does sound familiar.” Arthur squinted as he thought. “But I’d have to look into our records for more information. Do you think he controls the Dogs?”
I shook my head. “He’d likely be long since dead by now.” This news was what I feared. For years, we’ve been at war with the humans, each side trying to eliminate the other for dominance over them and their pets, but the reality was so much worse.
Arthur lifted his heels, his gaze lingering on the door behind me. “Bring in the Dog!” He snapped the metal mask back onto his face before turning to me. “You’ll get to meet your friend from last night again.”
More people entered the room behind me, their footsteps short and intentional, as if they were pulling something behind them.
Turning, I saw two burly men in white robes, their faces grim, carrying a Dog on a rough-hewn wagon.
The Dog had its legs tied together, a metal muzzle around its mouth, much like mine, and a blindfold over its metallic screened eyes.
The beast’s terrifying presence caused my body to tense; this was the Dog who tried killing me last night.
Its sharp claws and teeth sent a jolt of primal fear through me. “W-what’s that doing here?”
“For years, the threat of the Dogs has halted our advances to eradicate the vampires. Our hope is without those…” Arthur paused and hesitantly gazed in my direction. “Abominations, we’ll be able to live freely and create a new era of humanity.”
“But now we know neither side controls the Dogs, we can try to find out who does and work together, right?” I truly believed this was a possibility. “Which could start a new generation of humans and vampires living in harmony.”
Arthur shook his head. “The vampires won’t allow that. They believe themselves to be superior to us, and that is why we have been hunted for years and forced to live in fear. There is no world where humans and vampires are harmonious.”
“That may be true right now, but things can change.”
“I’d like to believe that.” He let out a breath in disbelief. “But based on history, it’s unlikely.”
I watched as Arthur walked toward the restrained Dog and placed one hand on the blindfold. His fingers untied the fabric, releasing a burst of red light that filled the room. A menacing crimson glow emanated from its eyes as it locked onto each person, and a cold dread seeped into my soul.
“We’ve tried to apprehend a Dog for years, but once they’re injured, more to come assist, and the maimed retreat very quickly to an unknown location for repairs.” Arthur’s voice lifted higher as he spoke. “Their nest, as we call it.”
I was transfixed on the Dog, and my gut told me it was biding its time to strike.
Fortunately, the snarling beast remained tied up and continued scanning everyone in the room.
Its black pupils dilated when its head landed on me, and a soft, almost mournful whine escaped its mouth.
The sound from the beast was somber, as if it were singing a sad song.
It knew it had been caught and its life would soon come to an end.
“Our military and intelligence will dissect this Dog to understand where it retreats when injured. Any information you may have on deactivating them would be helpful.”
Sadness radiated from within the creature, like we were connected.
Its rage quelled, and emptiness overtook its being.
Where did this come from? I hated them for all the death they’ve wrought.
A fire of rage ignited in my gut, and a burning spread through me like wildfire.
“Why do you have to kill it? Can’t you hear it’s scared? ”
“Humanity from a vampire? That’s new.” Arthur laughed, his tone bouncing off the walls. “Did the Dogs show us mercy as they killed countless humans, tearing them limb from limb? What about the vampires? Did the Dogs show them mercy when they encountered them patrolling outside your resorts?”
His words, dripping with contempt, were making me furious.
He was degrading me and the other vampires.
I understood there was hatred between the two races, but our core values are the same.
We’re all monsters disguised as heroes in life.
Everyone may have different perceptions of your identity; however, actions will reveal your truth.
“I…I’m not like everyone else in Elysium. ”
Arthur’s eyebrows arched, and his pupils scanned me. “And why is that?”
Do I want to tell him? If I do, it could develop some trust between the two of us. “Take this thing off my mouth, and I’ll show you.”
He paused, his brow furrowed, clearly considering whether I was trying to deceive him. He could clearly see my bound hands, assessing my low threat level before casually circling behind me. The cold metal brace shifted against my teeth as he fiddled with it, before it clattered to the ground.
“Thank you,” I sincerely acknowledged. With a wince, I rubbed my aching chin, then slowly opened and closed my mouth, the movement sending a dull throb through the jaw.
“Now, pray tell, how are you different, Mister Asposito?”
It took everything in me not to roll my eyes, but he was staring at me expectantly. With a nervous tug, I hooked a finger inside my mouth, pulling my lip high enough to show a flash of teeth. I watched the confusion on his face melt into amazement as he realized the absence of fangs.
“My, my, you are different. What are you?”
“I’ve never had them,” I shrugged. “And if you were wondering, I can go out in the sun without burning, too. I don’t know what it means, but my entire life, I’ve wished I were more like my friends and family instead of…”
“More like a human?” Arthur quietly finished my sentence, and I acknowledged by nodding. “You certainly are an interesting person, Vincent.”
“Can you also unbind my wrists?”
He nodded and brought a small rectangular box onto the table.
Carefully opening its top, he revealed two brass rings.
Turning toward me, Arthur clasped each of them around my wrists before unlocking the handcuffs.
“These bands will allow you to walk our compound freely, but the doors to the exit will not open for you. A guard will accompany you at all times, so be aware that if you make one wrong move, your life will be over. I am trusting you around my people.”
Just like at home.
I nodded in understanding. “May I ask for different accommodations than the prison?”
A smug smirk crossed Arthur’s face. “Missing your penthouse?” We stared into each other’s eyes, a silent moment stretching into an eternity, before his laughter broke the spell. “We have a spare room where you can sleep.”
“I’m thankful,” I whispered. So far, I haven’t felt threatened by the humans, besides the obvious kidnapping, and they have allowed me to have more freedom than I did in the Elysium. Arthur felt safe, almost like he was looking out for me.
“Jude, please enter.”
The door behind us swung inward with a loud bang, making me jump and my heart race as I saw who entered. It was the guy from the prison, the one who saved me from the Dogs, the one who kidnapped me.
The man walked past me and took his place next to Arthur, who put one arm on the man’s shoulder.
“Vincent, meet my son Jude. He’ll be your guard for the rest of your time here.
He’s been instructed to keep the residents of our village safe.
” He paused and shot a quick sideways glance at the man next to me.
“This means he’ll protect you, but consider this a warning: he also has clearance to restrain you.
If harm comes to any human by your hand, all personnel have been advised to kill. ”
Jude ran his fingers through his perfectly coiffed blond hair, the soft strands falling over his forehead. From there, he detached the unicorn mask to reveal his face.
Despite being threatened, I’d be lying if I said he didn’t take my breath away.
His bright blue eyes pierced me, making me feel completely exposed, while a smirk curved his plump lips. With a jawline as sharp as a freshly honed blade and eyebrows pulled down in a determined frown, his face was a mask of resolute intensity.
“Hello, Vincent.” The smooth tones of his voice, reminiscent of his father’s, were punctuated by a relaxed, almost careless, delivery. “May I show you to your quarters?”
Hesitantly, I nodded, but my heart would not stop fluttering as he put his hand on my back to lead me out of the chamber.