We stood in silence watching the final moments of the funeral as the coffin was lowered into the earth.
“So,” Nicholas said. “What now?”
“Now?” I repeated. “Now we take it slow. A while back, Brandon told me that what he really wanted was for his people to be left alone.”
“In lieu of any peaceful solution,” Nicholas said, “perhaps. However, I think we may find that being left ‘alone’ doesn’t necessarily mean the end of communication between our kinds. Hopefully I can convince our leader that being left alone could simply mean that we are no longer hunted.”
“And what will you do?” Jane asked him.
Nicholas shrugged. “My hands will be full for a while,” he said. “There is much to be done in restoring the Gibson-Case Center to its former glory. After that, I think I would like to visit Spain and England… There is much in my past that I have let go of for too long. My feelings for Bea triz were just a small part of that. There are several churches and structures I should like to see again.”
Nicholas looked momentarily content, if not happy, which, all things considered, was a vast improvement. He looked back off toward the funeral. The vampires were leaving the graveyard now, most of them heading for the castle. I looked at Nicholas. “Listen, if this is a bad time, we could always come back…”
“Hold on,” Nicholas said. His lips kept moving, but I couldn’t hear any sound from them. Off in the graveyard, I saw Brandon turn his head to us and start talking as well. I couldn’t hear him, either. When Brandon was done, Nicholas turned back to us.
“No,” he said. “It’s fine. Come with me.”
The subterranean lab was just as dank and unappealing as I remembered it. The only thing brightening up the dark space was the crowd of assembled vampires, and if that was what it took to lighten up a room, I thought I could easily pass on the visit, but by the time Nicholas had brought me and Jane all the way down here, it was too late to back out.
Nicholas led us along the now-familiar row of cells until we reached the last of them. The vampires parted soundlessly as we walked through them, almost floating back as we went. Brandon, Connor, and Aidan were gathered at the last cell. Brandon nodded to me as I approached.
“You sure you want me to do this?” I asked.
Their leader nodded again. “It is what I would prefer,” he said, “yes.”
I looked past Brandon and into the cell. The vampire that used to call himself Perry no longer looked like Perry or a vampire. The caged creature was more gaunt and feral-looking than before. I didn’t think it would have been possible, but there it was before my eyes. It paced back and forth behind the bars like a panther, as if it sensed all the living and undead just beyond the cell doors.
“Why me?” I asked.
“Because he’s family,” Brandon said. “Because the book said you will show mercy. Because, like it or not, you are a part of that family now. Consider this a sort of… initiation.”
“I’ll do it,” I said, pulling out my custom bat, “but not because your book told me to. I’ll do it because it’s the right thing to do.”
Brandon started to speak, but I silenced him as I hit a key combination on the bat. It sprung to life.
“Very well,” Brandon said. “Whatever reason you choose to believe in.”
Aidan moved to the control panel set off to the side of the cell and started punching in a code. “How do we want to do this?” he said. “You want us to hold him or…?”
“Just open the cell,” I said, and stepped square in front of it. The sound of the bars sliding out of the way made the creature step back and tense. No doubt it saw its chance at freedom and was getting ready to take it.
Quick as a shot, I stepped into the cell as soon as there was room enough to clear the door, blocking the feral creature’s way. It bared its teeth and a low growl started to rise in its chest, but I stepped quickly toward it, my bat cocked back and ready. I reached in my pocket, pulled out a preloaded syringe, and jabbed it into Perry’s chest.
“Sorry, Perry,” I whispered. “Let’s hope there’s something better than this lined up for you.”
The creature reared back in agony and let out a pitiful cry. The sound echoed out into the large chamber behind us, but Perry was already doubling over and falling to the floor.
I turned and stepped out of the cell. Aidan slid the door shut behind me. Jane and Connor were waiting for me. Jane didn’t say a thing, but wrapped her arms around me and hugged me tight.
“You okay, kid?” Connor asked.
I nodded, my face solemn.
Brandon stepped over to the bars of the cell and looked down at the creature on the floor. “I thought you were going to dust him,” he said. “What did you do to him? I thought you were going to show him mercy.”
“I did,” I said.
Brandon looked wary. “What did you do?” he asked.
I reached into my pocket and produced several ampoules of a greenish liquid.
“Hopefully, saved him.”
Brandon’s eyes widened. “What?”
I held up one of the ampoules, watching the light play through the emerald green of the liquid. “Antivirus,” I said. “Allorah’s not one hundred percent sure it will work, but since you were ready to have me put down Perry, I figured the odds are better than a one hundred percent chance of me staking him.”
Brandon took the ampoule and twisted it around in his hand, marveling at it. “Allorah did this?” he asked.
“Why?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “When I read the two of you together, I saw the world as the two of you see it, but even with that, I can’t say for sure. If I had to hazard a guess, though, I think she prefers vampire science to vampire hunting. Dealing death is hard.”
“Death should be hard,” Connor said. He turned to Brandon. “I think that’s something both sides should remember.”
“Agreed,” Brandon said.
I looked at him. “Are we through here?”
Brandon nodded. “For now. Thank you.”
I looked back toward the cell. Perry was asleep on the floor of it, but already his skin looked a little better. It was hard to tell. Maybe it was just a little optimism making him look that way.
“Good luck with your friend,” I said. I took Jane’s hand and we headed back toward the stairs that led up to the castle above, the surrounding forest, the Gibson-Case Center… and the Manhattan that I knew and loved. Full of a life where I hoped the worst thing I had to contend with for a little while was maybe a paper cut at my desk or picking out a cheese for Taco Night. First thing was first, though. I wanted to sleep for a thousand years… but not in the vampiric sense.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ANTON STROUT was born in the Berkshire Hills mere miles from writing heavyweights Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville. He currently lives outside New York City in the haunted corn maze that is New Jersey (where nothing paranormal ever really happens, he assures you).
His writing has appeared in several DAW anthologies-some of which feature Simon Canderous tie-in stories-including: The Dimension Next Door, Spells of the City, and Zombie Raccoons & Killer Bunnies.
In his scant spare time, he is an always writer, sometimes actor, sometimes musician, occasional RPGer, and the world’s most casual and controller-smashing video gamer. He now works in the exciting world of publishing, and yes, it is as glamorous as it sounds.
He is currently hard at work on the next book featuring Simon Canderous and can be found lurking the darkened hallways of www.antonstrout.com.
