Chapter 15
Chapter Fifteen
“You saved me ‘cause you liiiike me.”
“Hardly,” I huffed with my arms crossed.
Jude’s incessant singing, which felt like hours, only lasted a few minutes, yet it still felt unbearable.
We waited outside the cinema for Arthur to usher us inside, but Jude’s constant talking annoyed me to no end.
After I killed the Dog, its oil soaked into the ground as guards quickly took it away, and the maintenance wing swept in to clean up the scene.
I looked at Jude, a sigh escaping my lips as I rolled my eyes.
“Your kind would’ve found a way to have pinned this on me if I didn’t save you.
If anything, killing that Dog was avenging the Exiles from back home. ”
“Avenging them? Aren’t they, like, shriveled up slugs?”
My mouth turned into a grimace. What an idiot. “They’re still one of us. When they get too old and close to death, they’re often thrown over the wall and fed to the Dogs. I hate that we do it, but it keeps the streets clean.”
“Whoa,” Jude breathed. “That’s pretty savage.”
I nodded. “I remember when Elysium first came into existence, my dad needed to figure out how to punish criminals because the jail cells just weren’t doing it.”
“Right,” Jude’s voice was full of sarcasm, “just throw them to the Dogs, that’ll teach ‘em.”
I shrugged. “Crime within the building decreased by at least eighty percent the first year, so yeah, I guess it did.”
Jude’s head drooped, his fingers nervously picking at a loose thread on his pants. “Speaking of your father, we thought that as soon as we took you, there’d be a horde of vampires on our doorstep.”
Secretly, I’d been wondering this myself.
Where was he? The vampires needed my blood to survive.
Did they not care about me as much as I thought?
Could it be possible they found a way to replicate my blood, and I wasn’t needed anymore?
My thoughts then turned to my boyfriend—why hasn’t Gabe split the world in two to find me?
The only explanation is that there’s something wrong.
Something’s holding them back.
I shrugged and shook my head. Giving a nonverbal answer was easiest for me; that way, there’s no fear of word vomit showing my true intentions.
My father always told me the remaining humans were master manipulators, so limiting our conversation was for the best. No way would these barbarians gaslight me into trusting them.
Thankfully, a booming voice from the movie theatre interrupted our conversation, startling us both. “Arthur will see you now.”
Rising from the worn, plush chairs outside the cinema, we trailed the masked figure through the dimly lit lobby, its hallways twisting like gnarled roots. We stopped in front of a door with a large rusted seven on it. Without knowledge, this was a movie theatre; it easily could’ve been a jail.
Oh, and minus the cheesy star carpet.
We entered the room in a single file. The quiet hush of the large, tiered seating area was broken only by our footsteps as we approached the four podiums at the head of the room.
If I had to guess, this room was used for the leaders to provide updates to everyone in Silvertown—an amphitheater of sorts.
“Good afternoon, Vincent and Jude.” The dim light of the walkway cast long shadows as we walked toward the front of the room, guided by Arthur’s calm, reassuring voice.
“Hey, Dad,” Jude saluted the man with two fingers.
I remained quiet. An eerie feeling overcame me as soon as I entered. The air felt tense, almost expectant. Arthur’s usually warm and friendly face was now stern, his kind eyes cold and distant as he slid on the cold, metallic unicorn mask.
“The council will be joining us momentarily.”
“The council? Dad, what’s going on?” A slight gasp escaped from Jude’s voice. He turned to me and whispered, “They only convene when something big has gone down, or a decision needs to be made.”
I hid a smirk. Typical humans, easily enthralled by the smallest happenings, transforming ordinary events into overly dramatic affairs.
There are always several hands in any decision, which is why the laws before the war were so outdated; it took forever to make real change.
Their plans always seemed improvisational, changing constantly based on immediate needs and opportunities.
I’d be lying if I wasn’t interested in what they had to say, but I doubt it’s anything life-shattering.
Three masked figures, cloaked in shadows, entered the room, their footsteps barely audible on the thick carpet as they took their places behind the podiums. Once everyone found their spot, a silent nod passed between them before the masks were removed, revealing their faces.
To my left, a small man, barely half my height, stood beside a tall woman with wild, red curls.
At the end was a person with long white hair, their gender indeterminable.
Arthur spoke in an authoritative tone, “The council has called you here to discuss the event that happened in the town square this afternoon. The Dog we procured escaped from confinement and attacked our people. We may have lost some lives, but we ultimately wanted to extend our thanks to you, Vincent.” He held his hands out toward me and paused.
Were they expecting a reaction out of me? I didn’t need their thanks. This was a ploy to give me false praise. I raised one eyebrow. “Is that all?”
“No,” the red-haired woman answered. “We attempted to keep the Dog alive to study it and find its weakness or to see if we could find a switch to turn it off, but were unsuccessful. Our research caused it to enter its fight or flight and escape, which was an unfortunate mishap.”
The short man on the far left yelled, “Bring in the Dog!” With his words lingering in the air, three large bodies carried the dead Dog and lowered it to the ground in front of us. The metal exterior showed a gaping hole, surrounded by a spreading pool of dark liquid smelling faintly of burnt metal.
I do have to say, seeing it dead gave me satisfaction.
With a sigh, the red-haired woman spoke again in her wistful, melancholic tone.
“But good came from our folly. You were able to do what we couldn’t—you killed the Dog.
Typically, when a Dog is injured, its pack protects it long enough for it to retreat for repair.
We were able to restrain it outside before it attempted to retreat. ”
What did they find? Where do the Dogs go for repairs?
The short man spoke again, “Our technologists were able to take it apart and found this in its head.” He held out a transparent sphere the size of a baseball, and a light tinkling was heard throughout the room.
Squinting against the glare, I saw a tiny, red bean-like item inside the ball, almost too small to be real. The bean, desperate to escape, slammed repeatedly against the smooth, unyielding curve of the sphere.
“We believe this is a compass that aids the Dogs in finding their way back to their nest. Right now, the mechanism is prompting me to go west, and if I walk in that direction, the item sticks to the side of this sphere until it prompts me to turn.”
The white-haired figure spoke, their voice a melodious blend, neither masculine nor feminine. “If we can find a way to disable the Dogs, we’d be able to send an army to the vampire compound.”
Arthur’s bright eyes gleamed in my direction. “Jude, as head of our strategic military force, I’m tasking you with organizing a small group to locate the Dog’s nest. It’ll be a dangerous journey, but a necessary one.”
He nodded dutifully. “I’ll begin the preparations tonight.”
“And one more thing.” Arthur’s wrinkled face twitched with amusement. “Vincent will be joining you as well.”
My face scrunched in disbelief. Did I hear him correctly? Silence descended, thick and heavy, as the adults froze, their expressions hardening. Jude and his father stared at each other, a silent conversation between the two as the weight of the moment was heavy in the air.
The white-haired council member’s voice echoed through the room, dripping like poison. “Can he be fully trusted? He is a vampire after all.”
“Yeah, you don’t even know me.” This was meant to be a thought, but my mind decided to have the words tumble from my mouth.
Luckily, I didn’t share my other thoughts—was this his way of killing me?
Away from everyone? Or was it my chance to escape back to Elysium?
Everyone’s gaze was on me, like daggers piercing my skin, their eyes burning holes into my soul.
“While I don’t fully agree with my father’s suggestion…”
“It’s not a suggestion, but a requirement.” Arthur’s voice grew stern.
“Like I was saying,” Jude’s eyebrows furrowed before he turned back to the council, “I do have some reservations about a vampire joining my group, but I’ve watched him interact with care toward the residents and have gotten to know him a little since he’s been here.
He may be…” He paused, trying to find the words.
“Difficult, but he saved me from the Dog. For that, I have to put some trust in him.”
“And what if I don’t want to go?” Decisions were made without my consent, just like my entire life in Elysium, and I wanted my voice heard. Especially by humans.
“Then I’ll give my military personnel orders to eliminate you,” Arthur spat. “As our…guest, you don’t have a say in the matter.”
I pushed down the laugh building in my throat and couldn’t help but mutter, “Guest? More like a hostage.”
Exasperatedly, Arthur turned toward the council. “If my status within Silvertown is on the line by having Vincent join this assignment, I’m willing to accept that risk. I believe in him.”
I hated these people, but his words hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving me breathless and shaking my head. No one ever believed in me before. Surely this was him manipulating me, right? If not, his naivety would be his downfall if he thought that, because I saved him, he could trust me.
I couldn’t deny his belief in me felt good, though. Like I mattered.
“You’re endangering your son’s life!” The red-haired councilwoman’s voice rang. “How does he feel about that?”
“Let’s ask him.”
All eyes turned to Jude, who was fidgeting with his fingers as he weighed his options. Raising his head to the narrow-eyed adults in the room, he confidently nodded. “I’ll take the risk.”
“I trust you, my son.” A smile tugged at Arthur’s cracked lips before it disappeared and was replaced with a business-like demeanor. “A fully charged car will be available to you in the morning. You’re free to leave, gather the group, and prepare for the journey ahead.”
The four council members, their heads shaking in disbelief, replaced their metal masks before leaving their podiums and vanishing through the cinema door. With every departure, I felt the weight of their scrutinizing eyes, a silent judgment that chilled me to the bone.
Jude opened the door and led me to the movie theatre’s entrance in silence, both of us contemplating the meeting we had, but for different reasons.
“Th-thanks,” I muttered, breaking the silence.
I turned to him, and it was like I was looking at a different person.
Jude’s pupils flitted like trapped butterflies, reflecting the whirlwind of thoughts in his mind.
No longer was his posture loose, but instead, it was stiff and rigid, and each word he spoke was clipped and precise.
“I’ll escort you back to your quarters for rest. I have a lot to do before we leave tomorrow afternoon. ”
I nodded; the man who was slowly opening up to me disappeared into his duties.
In Elysium, I was used to Gabe taking time to distance himself from work, so it was a shock to see Jude like this.
Maybe they weren’t so different—one moment, he was the stern, disciplined military leader, and the next, a carefree goofball.
The transition was so smooth it was almost unbelievable.
I much prefer the goofball.
He ushered me toward the south end of the mall, where he advised I’d have a room to sleep in.
A left turn led us to a seemingly endless staircase spiraling downwards.
With every step, I wondered if he was leading me into the pits of hell.
Am I really going to sleep down here? Hey, at least it’s not a jail cell.
“Vincent!” Leaning against the cold, steel door at the bottom of the creaking stairs was a girl about my height, her figure round and soft.
A wide smile stretched across Nessa’s face as we approached, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
“Hey there, Jude.” A tinge of pink reached the balls of her cheeks.
“Call me Vinny.” I smiled. “What’re you doing here?” I was thankful to see Nessa again. I needed someone to feel comfortable around because the Mr. Hyde that Jude turned into was not fun.
Heavy, metal doors lined the long, dimly lit hallway, each sealed tight, making me feel as if I were walking the passageway of a submarine. Thick bolts lined the outside of the doors, and the shining handle looked almost nautical.
Opening one of the doors, Jude held his arm out. “This is your room, Vinny.”
My jaw was clenched, my muscles bunching and throbbing with barely contained fury. “You cannot call me that.”
“Whatever.” He rolled his eyes. “I have so much to do tonight, I can’t be bothered with your games.”
“Is it okay if Nessa hangs out with me for a while?”
“I’ll need to lock you inside for the safety of Silvertown, so as long as she’s okay with that, I don’t see why not.”
“Am I okay with it? Of course I am!” Nessa’s excited sounds reverberated through the air. “We have so much to share, I need to know everything about where you’re from!”
By that, I assume she meant boys.
A large bed sat in the center of the small room, flanked by nightstands holding lamps that cast a warm glow, and a bathroom was tucked away to the left. The small apartment was a far cry from my luxurious penthouse, but it could be worse.
Jude’s head poked around the door. “Alright, have fun, you two. Make sure to get some rest, we’ll be leaving in the morning.”
Nessa gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief as the door clicked shut, the sound echoing in the sudden silence. “You two are going on a trip together? We have a lot to discuss.”
I collapsed onto the surprisingly plush bed, sinking into its softness, as Nessa pulled out two bottles of wine and a CD player from the jacket slung over her shoulders.
The promise of a night filled with the joyous sounds of laughter, the murmur of gossip, and lively music brought a smile to my face.
I needed this. I couldn’t tell you the last time I felt free.
Felt fun. As much as I wanted to get home, how could I leave this freedom behind?