23. Christopher
Chapter twenty-three
Christopher
We fall into a comfortable rhythm. Now that Zinnia has teachers monitoring her when we’re not home, Maria feels more comfortable joining me when I scavenge.
My behavior improves—I’m learning to speak calmly or walk away.
We scavenge together most nights, unless the preservation domes require my attention.
Day by day, the hurt my words caused heals, and the rift between us mends.
The renegades seem to have lost interest in us. That, or randomly picking which neighborhood to scavenge next is working. Of course, Tig and the vampire council may have done something behind the scenes to limit the renegades’ activity but not shared it with us.
Zinnia hasn’t started her once-a-week in-person days yet, though she’s hit her two-week vaccination mark now. Maria asked for a little more time to get to know the teachers better and observe how the munchkin interacts with the other kids.
I can tell Maria is feeling divided. Given the isolation she grew up in, it makes sense that it’s hard for her to trust outsiders. Yet her reliance on community makes her want to form those bonds again. We all agree to try again in another two weeks.
My regular supervisor, Ari, returns from his vacation. How a guy who always seems like he’s on vacation even when working can need a vacation is beyond me.
Tig warns me he’s back, so I keep the ark’s alarm on to alert us if anyone flashes in.
Ari has no sense of privacy. I warn both Maria and Zinnia about how he might appear, what he looks like, and that he’s a member of the Lux.
None of us are that surprised when all six feet four of him pops in unannounced next to the kitchen island and the bells start ringing.
Startled, Zinnia scurries to hide behind her mom.
Ari brushes a mink-brown curl off his forehead. “Dude, I go away for a few weeks and you couldn’t keep your fangs to yourself.” He turns to Maria and whistles. “I can see why.”
“Ari…” I growl.
“Don’t get your balls in a twist. I meant it as a compliment.” He offers Maria his hand. “I’m Ari Dumont, and I’m usually in charge of keeping this guy out of trouble.” He hooks his other thumb in my direction.
Maria shakes his hand. “I’m Maria Rodriguez. I’ve heard all about you. And I don’t care what you are, you’ll watch your language around little ears.”
I chuckle. Ari is the first Lux she’s met, yet she shows no fear. Affection flares in my chest, along with pride.
Ari furrows his brow. “Language?”
“No swearing.”
Ari still looks confused, so I let him off the hook and whisper, “Balls,” in his ear.
“Shit. That’s not swearing.”
“Mr. Dumont, keep that up and you’ll be asked to leave.”
I chuckle. “Ari, you’re not going to win this one.”
He grumbles, “Fine, fine, no swearing. I got it.”
Now that her mother has established dominance, Zinnia peers out from behind Maria’s back. “They said you have wings.”
He kneels down to face her. “I only wear them some of the time.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Two women, two losses. Ari isn’t doing very well at the moment.
I flop onto the couch and pull Zinnia onto my lap. “Would you like to see his wings?”
“Please, Daddy Christopher.”
“Daddy…” Ari, still kneeling, laughs until he has to lean against the floor and tears squeeze from his eyes. “Never thought I’d live to hear that one.”
“Go ahead and laugh. It’ll be your turn someday.”
Zinnia glances up at me with those beautiful brown eyes. “May I please see his wings?”
“Uh…” Ari rises to his feet and glances at Maria. “I have to take my shirt off or it’ll rip.”
She looks to me for confirmation, and I nod.
“Go ahead. Show your wings.”
Ari strips off his shirt. The guy is carved, with abs you could crack nuts on.
I may feel drawn to Maria, but I’m not blind.
Still, Ari is one guy I’ve always kept at a distance.
He’s both got a reputation and a polycule with some really long-term paramours.
I have a hard enough time managing band-member egos.
But a polycule? Nope. Too many people’s feelings to keep track of.
With one hand he grips his jeans, and with an unnecessary wave of his other hand—showoff—he transforms: long hair the color and texture of raw silk, his skin an iridescent blue, and large molten-silver eyes.
Feathered wings end at the back of his knees—softer than a bird’s and more elegant.
His body shape is straight rather than curvy like a mortal’s.
Eyes wide and mouth open, Zinnia squirms, and I let her off my lap. “Can I touch them?”
Ari holds up a translator and sings. The device translates, “Sure, kid. Just don’t tug on them.”
Maria holds out her hand to stop Zinnia. “Are you sure it’s safe?”
“The Lux are very peaceful,” I say. “Ari’s worst trait is his sense of humor—and his foul language.”
Ari sings, and the device translates, “Hey, dude. That’s not fair.”
“But aside from those two traits, she’s safe with him.”
Maria releases Zinnia. The kiddo rushes up to Ari and strokes his wings. “They’re softer than the chickens’.”
“What chickens?”
“At the compound, silly.” Zinnia laughs. “We left them there. And you sing pretty.”
Ari stretches his wings to give Zinnia a different view.
“Ooh. Can I have wings like…Uncle Ari?”
Ari suddenly morphs. “Sorry, kid, but it doesn’t work that way. Only the Lux have wings.” He pulls on his shirt, looking to me. “But tell me about these chickens. Why didn’t you go back for them? We need more breeding stock. New genetic lines.”
I shrug. “Like I told Tig, the renegade problem was getting worse for a while. Recently, it’s been better. But I don’t make any unnecessary trips.”
“Recovering the chickens is a necessary trip. Why haven’t you prioritized them?”
My best answer for that is the truth. “We vary the neighborhoods we scavenge from and prioritize trade goods the inners are desperate for. We need more dark wine now that there are two of us. And we’ve avoided the silo both because of the round-trip distance, and because we came close to being hijacked each time we left the silo. I’m worried they watch it now.”
Ari frowns. “But now you have one of the newer, top-of-the-line trucks. Should be able to defend against anything they throw at you.”
I shrug. “The chickens might not even be alive.”
Ari raises a brow and glances at Maria. “Would they be alive?”
“If the automatic feeder and watering system were on, then yes, maybe. But it wasn’t—”
I cringe, guessing where this is going. “When we returned for the rabbits, I turned them on.”
“Well then!” Ari says, rubbing his hands together gleefully.
I sigh. “You’ll owe us, dude.”
“I might have a line on a box of special dark wine.”
That’s a temptation I can’t resist. “Deal.”
Zinnia grabs a picture book and runs up to him, waving the book until he takes it. “Uncle Ari can stay with me while you’re gone. No school tonight.”
I snicker. “Of course Uncle Ari can stay. He’d love to. Right, dude?”
Ari scowls. “But I have plans—”
I shrug. “You want those chickens, you’ll babysit Zinnia. We’ve been trying to limit leaving her alone without adult supervision. The teachers from the remote school are good at that, but like Zinnia said, no school tonight, so you’re drafted. And watch your language around her, too.”
If looks could kill… “Whatever. I’ll stay. But hurry.” He checks his watch. “Four hours.”
The new truck is a major improvement. Twice the battery life.
The Lux have tweaked the invisibility crystals so there’s less rainbow blur when we drive fast. A bigger bed, and enough power to haul a larger trailer behind us.
And the firepower they added—it feels like we’re ready for war with the renegades.
So we load empty cages into the back and take off.
When we arrive at the silo, I’m thrilled to find the gate still works.
Maria takes me inside the underground complex through the same door Zinnia used.
She collects a few mementos from their living quarters, then we check on the chickens.
The automatic watering system and grain kept them alive, although their pen stinks to high heaven.
We load the chickens into the cages and zoom back to the ark. The new truck is faster, too. Decon takes a while, but we rope Ari into carrying the clean chickens to the domestic animal dome, where they’ll stay in quarantine.
When we wrap up, Zinnia is disappointed to see Ari leave. I file away that information for future nights when we need a break.
A few evenings after Ari’s visit, I check our supplies.
We have enough dark wine in the refrigerator to last for a while, so I decide to check on the herd of cattle—longhorns—and take Maria and a blanket with me.
Most of the time the small robots controlled by artificial intelligence take care of the domestic animals and conduct the farmwork.
But there are some tasks the robots aren’t allowed to do, which is where I come in.
Maria eyes the small utility truck, which is about half the size of the scavenging truck. “Aren’t we riding the horses?”
Ever since I taught her how a few weeks ago, she relishes any opportunity to ride horseback. She enjoyed those lessons much more than when I taught her how to become a wolf. She hated the transition, although admitted later that running in the woods together was fun.
“No horses this time, Sunshine. Too much stuff to bring.”
I’ve spread a tarp over the bed of the utility truck, hiding the surprises I have for her, and drive to the pasture with Maria in the seat next to me. Zinnia isn’t with us—she has remote school tonight.
“Don’t get close to the cattle,” I warn her. “Those things can whip their horns around so fast, they can stake a vampire’s heart without meaning to.”
She squeezes my leg. “Do you have to inspect them? I don’t want you putting yourself in danger.”
I smile at her, feeling warm and wanted. “You stay in the truck and watch. I’ve got this mastered, don’t worry.”