Chapter 7
SEVEN
SLOAN
“Hi, my name is Babs, and I just want to start off this interview with saying how much I support what you’re doing.
I’ve been following your exploits ever since you rose to rank of captain in the queen’s army.
I mean, I know she’s our enemy and all, but still, I love to see a woman rise to the position you have.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that you’re my hero. ”
The woman talked so fast, it was impossible to tell if it had all come out in a single breath or if she’d continued to somehow speak while she inhaled.
Sloan sat in one of the many meeting rooms in the capitol building, with Croft to her right and whatever soldier she was interviewing at the time sitting across from her at the wide table.
Babs was the seventh soldier Sloan had interviewed in the last few hours, and she had found reasons to disqualify all of them. Croft was becoming more and more impatient every time Sloan dismissed a prospect.
“Babs, tell me in one or two sentences exactly why you want to become a vampire soldier.” Sloan leaned in toward the desk, holding the young woman’s gaze.
“Oh, gosh.” Babs licked her dry lips. She fidgeted, rubbing sweaty hands on her uniform pant legs.
Sloan could hear Babs’ heart beating as fast as any galloping unicorn.
“I … I guess it’s to protect my family and my home.” Babs swallowed hard, breaking eye contact with Sloan. “I’m not strong enough to do it as a human, but I’m willing to make a sacrifice if it means protecting the people I love. There. I think that was two sentences.”
Sloan looked over at Croft, who was hunched in her seat, playing with a pencil.
“Thank you for your time, Babs.” Sloan stood from her chair and extended her right hand over the table. “We’ll be in touch.”
“That’s it?” Babs nearly tripped as she rose. She returned Sloan’s handshake with a timid, sweaty grip. “You don’t need blood samples or saliva or anything?”
“No, you can keep all of your bodily fluids to yourself.” Sloan released the girl’s palm, wiping Babs’ perspiration from her own hand onto her shirt. “You’re dismissed.”
Babs gave a tight salute to Sloan and Croft before she left the room.
Sloan waited for the door to close.
“I can already guess.” Croft huffed as she made a note on an open file in front of her. “She’s not experienced enough, too cocky, doesn’t play nice with others … what are some of the other reasons you found to disqualify everyone else?”
“Nope. I actually like Babs.” Sloan found herself amazed by the revelation. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but she was humble, she understood the sacrifice, and she’s coach-able.”
Croft straightened in her seat and leaned over the desk much like Sloan had when questioning Babs. “Are you messing with me on purpose?”
“No, not at all.” Sloan shrugged. “You’re the one who set up all of these meetings.”
“Great.” Croft lifted her head to the ceiling, letting out a loud moan. “I have a werewolf who wants to bite everyone, and a vampire who wants the least qualified person on her team.”
“No one said it was going to be easy.” Sloan glanced out a window to the dark night beyond. “We can pick up here tomorrow and interview the rest if you want. It’s late. You should get some rest.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.” Croft yawned. Exhaustion laced her words as she continued. “But we should probably pick up here tomorrow. We still have a dozen or so interviews to go through. Who knows? Lightning might strike twice and we could find another member to join your team.”
“Stranger things have happened,” Sloan agreed. She watched as Croft stood up and stretched her back. “You’re not really going to let Aareth turn every single one of the soldiers you’d suggested, are you?”
“As much as we can use everyone we can get, no.” Croft gathered the files on her desk.
She kept her eyes down at her work. “We’ll start turning the chosen few tomorrow.
I can’t allow Aareth to turn twenty soldiers into raging animals.
We’ll do a few at a time, and once we help them transition into their new life, then we’ll turn a few more. Come on Sloan, I’m not my sisters.”
“Just checking.” Sloan was about to say more, when the sound of racing footsteps penetrated through the door.
A moment later, Edison opened it. His face was flushed, his words falling out as fast as Babs had spoken. “Riders … riders at the gate!”
Sloan exchanged a look with Croft before the vampire and the witch raced from the room. Edison followed in their wake, still trying to regain his breath.
“Ugh…” Edison panted so hard, Sloan almost slowed down for the inventor. “I’m out of shape. Too many of Elwood’s pocket pies.”
“Who is it?” Croft ignored the inventor’s words as they pounded down the stone lane connecting the capitol building to the rest of Azra. “Have Theo and Cherub been notified?”
“They’re at the gate.” Edison slowed down, waving the women off. “Go on without me. I’ll catch up.”
Sloan and Croft flew down the path at a sprint. The night breeze the ocean brought felt wonderful on Sloan’s skin. Lights from the many lanterns and street lamps added their strength to the stars and moon overhead to provide illumination.
Sloan was surprised to find the witch keeping up with her strides. It was clear she was using some kind of magic to aid her speed. If Sloan looked closely, she could see a yellow glow flash on the bottoms of Croft’s feet as the women raced to the gate.
It was late yet still early enough for citizens to still be walking the streets. More than a few curious stares took in the vampire and the witch, but no one moved to stop or ask them questions.
Sloan’s heart was steady, the run not even causing her to break a sweat by the time they reached the front gates at the bottom of the hill.
“Report.” Croft, however, sounded winded as she began to crest the stairs to the top of the wall. As promised, both Theo and Cherub were waiting for them on the battlements, the latter holding a two-foot-long spyglass.
“It looks like three New Hope riders wearing cloaks.” Cherub extended her grey wings and lifted off the wall with strong strokes. “They’re coming at a trot. I can’t see any weapons.”
“I don’t think it’s a trap.” Theo handed Croft his own spyglass. “There’s no one else for miles around. Maybe they’re bringing a message from the queen?”
“Unlikely.” Croft accepted the spyglass and took her time studying the trio of soldiers. Then she gave the spyglass to Sloan. “What do you think?”
Sloan’s eyesight was already better than most—a perk of her new abilities as a vampire. The spyglass further magnified the three figures approaching Azra. Sloan felt a swell of joy rise in her chest.
“Open your gates.” Sloan lowered the spyglass. “They’re friends.”
“Captain!” Pia dismounted her steed with no regard for anyone else who stood in the Azra courtyard. She threw her arms around Sloan with abandon. “It’s so good to see you.”
“It’s better to see you” Sloan couldn’t help hugging the woman back.
Sergeant Harrison and Lieutenant Baker followed Pia’s lead and climbed down from their horses.
The square courtyard of the Azra palace was alive with activity. All around the reunited soldiers, Azra guards stood ready. No weapons were drawn, but every guard had a hand on his ax sheathed within it belt. Croft, Theo, and Cherub stood by, allowing Sloan to greet her friends.
“Captain Sloan” Sergeant Harrison nodded. “I’d give you a hug myself, if I wasn’t afraid you’d break my kneecap again.”
“It’s just Sloan now.” Sloan smiled at the big man. For the first time, she noticed the tense atmosphere around the courtyard.
Sloan sidelined the greeting of her friends to address Croft.
“These are friends.” Sloan waved an arm to the three rogue New Hope soldiers. “I can vouch for every one of them.”
“I’m sure.” Theo took the lead in the conversation, something that shouldn’t have surprised Sloan. As far as everyone in Azra was concerned, he was the governor. “They’ll be treated as defectors and debriefed as such. You’re welcome to come with us as we perform the debriefings.”
“We’ll be all right.” Lieutenant Baker moved forward. “There is a lot the enemies of New Hope need to know.”
As the procession of Azra guards, the New Hope turncoats, and Croft started up the hill toward the capital building, Sloan slowed her pace to match Croft’s.
“I’ll have to talk to them, of course.” Sloan let a mischievous smile play across her lips. “And I’ll still want Babs, but I think I found my vampire unit.”