15. Christopher
Chapter fifteen
Christopher
As much as I dread their response, it’s past the deadline to send a report to my Lux supervisor.
But before I do, I need to feed Maria. I open my bedroom door as quietly as I can, just in case Zinnia has fallen back to sleep on the couch.
Instead, she’s playing with Carrot. At least, I think that’s Carrot.
I raise a finger to my lips. “Shh.”
She nods, then laughs, as I tiptoe to the kitchen, pretending to be quiet.
Only two clone blood pouches remain in the box.
I search through the pantry and find one spare pouch that fell between the dry good canisters holding ingredients for cat food.
I grab the three self-warming pouches—leaving us with zero clone blood—and return to the bedroom to hand one over the shower door.
Water glistens and slithers off her hand as she accepts the pouch. “Thank you.”
Rather than report my treaty violation, I’d prefer to open the shower door and join her. See where it leads.
But I can’t. I have a duty to perform. A few, actually. So I place the other two bags on the bathroom counter, where she can easily reach them.
Sigh.
Last night, I scrounged up a small collection of clean clothes for Maria and Zinnia. The warehouse has quite a selection of sizes and styles.
I lay out jeans and a pink t-shirt on the bed for Maria, then head to the kitchen.
I heat some donor blood for myself and cut up a bowl of fruit for Zinnia.
Once she’s happily eating at the kitchen table, I sit at the desk, my glass beside me.
Being as quiet as I can, I wake the computer and dictate my message using subvocal technology. I start on a positive note.
Hey, Ari -
No missiles at the site off Highway 79. But mortals lived there. They have two rabbit breeds our habitat didn’t, so I now have breeding pairs of each. Good news, right?
But I have a minor problem. Mortals have lived in the silo since the Collapse. The sole adult left alive hit me with an arrow. I’m okay, but I had to shoot back. Killing shot. Sorry. I know we aren’t supposed to kill the wild mortals, but she cornered me. Had no choice.
Then her child, who’d been hiding, called out for her. I couldn’t leave the kid motherless. So I turned the woman. She and her child are in my habitat. I hope the Lux can forgive my mistake. If not, I’ll pay the price. My fledgling must survive so she can take care of her child.
-Chris
I switch off the alarm system—I don’t want Ari’s arrival scaring Zinnia. Because I’m certain an unpleasant visit is headed my way.
I then check on her. “How’s the fruit, kiddo?”
She smiles. “Good!”
“Think you’ll still be hungry afterward?”
She nods.
“Okay. After I shower, I’ll make you pancakes for breakfast, okay? You stay here, finish the fruit, and, uh, watch cartoons.”
“Yes, Daddy Christopher.”
From the file server, I retrieve another old cartoon about a zany duck and place the screen close enough she’ll hear the dialogue with the sound turned low. Any higher, and I’d hear it even in the shower.
When I return to the bedroom, I close the door behind me. Maria is dressed, and she’s drying her long, dark brown hair. Beautiful.
I slip into the shower. Why, I don’t know. If Ari calls in an executioner to stake me, I have no reason to smell spring fresh, because I’ll soon be an odorless collection of desiccated skin and bones.
I finish drying and dressing, then hear Maria gasp. Opening the bathroom door, I whoosh to where she stands and plaster my hand over her mouth to stop her from making any further noise. I don’t want her response to bring Zinnia running into the room if my worst fears are about to come true.
Then I focus on who used Lux flash technology to appear instantaneously in my bedroom, and my jaw drops open.
“Tig? Are you serving as executioner now?”
“What?” She startles, her eyes growing wide. “No. That’s not why I’m here. Ari’s on vacation, and I’m subbing for him. Tell me everything that happened.”
The last person I expected was Tig Anderson. She’s the former chief of police for Sierra Escondida, the small town where I live when I’m not working under a preservation ark contract.
According to the rumor mill, the Lux offered Tig a director position, making her responsible for enforcing the treaty between the Lux, vampires, and mortals in all the mixed domes. Basically, she’s the top cop.
I release the grip I have on Maria and, in a whisper, explain to Tig what happened.
“He’s telling the truth,” Maria says.
I shove her behind me. “I won’t let the three councils hurt her. Kill me instead.”
Tig gives a dry laugh. “As Ari would say, slow your roll. I forwarded your report to the Lux Protectors. They’ll confer with the treaty vampire council and the mortal representatives.
If the three councils decide to press charges for unlawful turning, we’ll follow due process.
You’ll get a trial. So you’re off the hook for the moment. ”
Relief pours through me. “Oh. Okay.”
Maria taps my arm. “What does that mean? Due process? Trial?”
“It means they’ll let me stay here for now until those groups render judgment. I’ll explain the rest later, okay?”
She frowns, but nods.
I aim my next request at Tig. “Regardless of what they decide about me, Zinnia doesn’t belong here. She should go to a mixed dome. To start kindergarten.”
Tig raises her brows. “You know you can’t give up your ark contract that easily, Chris.”
“I wouldn’t. Maria and I would stay here, since she’s my fledging. But Zinnia’s mortal and should go to school with other mortal children.”
The huff she gives is classic Tig. “We don’t separate parents from their children. What do you think we are? Barbarians?”
“Uh, no—”
“And your report even said you turned Maria because you didn’t want Zinnia orphaned. You understand the ethics of the situation. They must stay together.”
“But their separation right now would only be temporary. While Maria gets her hunger under control.”
Maria stamps her foot. “No way. I won’t let you take my daughter from me. Not even temporarily.”
I turn to her. “Look, once the three tribunals decide my fate, you can move to a mixed dome with Zinnia.”
“Wait. Listen.” Tig sweeps her hand back and forth, gesturing for us to stop bickering. “We don’t know what the tribunals will do. So long as Zinnia isn’t in danger from her mother or being mistreated, she’ll stay right here. We’ll figure out schooling, but they stay together.”
I slump. The responsibility is weighing me down, and I rub my eyes with my palms. “But there’s no one here to watch her when I go out scavenging. I can’t leave Maria alone with the kiddo. What am I supposed to do?”
Tig cocks her head to the side. “Has she tried to feed off her child?”
“Uh, not yet. But I’m not putting them in a position where it might happen.
I can’t leave Zinnia here without adult supervision, even if I take Maria with me.
And I can’t take Zinnia with us. She’s mortal and doesn’t belong in the bacteria- and mold-infested buildings I rummage through.
She could inhale something and get very sick. You have to take her to a mixed dome.”
From behind me, Maria growls.
Tig laughs. “Nice try. But I know what this is really about. Everyone in Sierra Escondida knows you swore you’d never make a child, let alone live with a mortal one. Better be glad Ari’s on vacation, because he’d sit back, eat popcorn, and snicker.”
Heat creeps up my neck. Tig knows me too well. But it’s not just my desire to be free of responsibility for a five-year-old. The lack of twenty-four-hour supervision bothers me.
A knock on the bedroom door interrupts us.
“Mommy?” Zinnia opens the door and peeks inside. “I heard voices.”
So much for using cartoons as a babysitter.
“I’m right here, baby girl.” Maria steps around me and hugs her.
Tig kneels. “Hello, Miss Zinnia.”
Zinnia looks over Tig’s features intently. “You look like one of my papas. Are you related to Papa Lehm?”
“They say if you go back far enough in history, you can find the common mother we all descended from. But I bet some of your father’s ancestors came from Africa, just like I did.”
Zinnia giggles. “Because of our skin color. But your hair is shorter. Mommy won’t let me cut my hair. Why do you cut it so short?”
“Um…” Tig runs a hand over her head. The truth is her hair was that short when she died. But I can see the hesitation in her expression—explaining that to a child will be difficult. “I like it short.”
“Are you a good nightcrawler, too?”
Tig blinks. “A what?”
I clear my throat to cover up my laugh. “It’s the name they used for vampires.”
“Oh. A good one.” She pauses. “How old are you, Miss Zinnia?”
The girl holds up five fingers. “How old are you?”
Tig grins. “Old.”
Zinnia nods. “Were you enslaved, then?”
Maria averts her gaze. “Lehm insisted on teaching her the history of the United States, the way things were before the Collapse. She has picture books about slavery and the Civil War. He wanted her to know the truth about the pre-Collapse world.”
Tig turns back to Zinnia. “No, I wasn’t enslaved. But I know someone who was.”
“Can I meet her?”
“Maybe when you’re older. Right now, we’re talking about where you and your mother will live.”
“With Daddy Christopher.”
That judgmental eyebrow of Tig’s rises to her close-cropped hairline. “Daddy Christopher?”
I groan. “I didn’t ask her to call me that. She came up with it on her own from the picture books she’s read.”
Meee-oow.
My cat resents being left out of the party. He slinks through the doorway and looks at me accusingly.
Zinnia scoops him up. “This is Mr. Wolfie.”
The way she holds him has me worried. Both arms under his front legs, his back legs hanging free. I’m ready to step in if Wolfie objects. But he just goes with the flow.
Go figure. I could never get away with holding him like that.
“Have you had any food today?” Tig asks.
Zinnia smiles brightly. “Daddy Christopher gave me fruit and promised to make me, uh, pan…cakes. He says they’re good.”
Tig stands and pivots to face me. She’s biting her lips together, but the laughter is in her eyes. “I’ll put together a care package for you.”
“A what?”
“You’re not the first to rescue a mortal child.
The box will have vitamin pills and foods your ark doesn’t produce.
Make sure she takes one of the vitamin pills a day.
Based on her age and size, she’s probably deficient in a few vitamins.
I’ll schedule Dr. Clarke to give her a full exam, and I’ll check out what remote-learning options are available. ”
“What about more clone blood for Maria?”
“I’ll see whether there’s enough production to spare a few cases.” Tig reaches for the flash crystal on the wristband she wears. “Take Maria and teach her to scavenge. Zinnia will be fine here. Between the two of you, you’ll keep both your children fed.”