An Echo of Royalty

13

I remember waking up at moments, but not staying up for long. Someone handed me a burger at one point and I ate part before falling back to sleep. The whole ride I felt like I was taking sleeping pills. I don’t even remember getting uncomfortable in the same seat for so long.

I woke up to Joe nudging me. I stretched as I looked around and saw we were the last ones in the car. 

“They parked the car and left us here about a half an hour ago. The driver is still up front.” He looked out his window. I crawled to the other window and looked out. It was still daylight so everything was visible. We were at a gas station parked under the overhang next to the gas pumps. There were people moving around in the store. I couldn’t see if they were anyone from our group. “You can go in and get yourselves something to eat if you want.” I looked at the driver, and he eyed me in the mirror. I tilted my head at the door handle, and he nodded. 

I reached for it, waiting for someone to rip me from the car like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Glancing back at the mirror once more to see him no longer watching me, I took that as the sign that is still could get out. Opening the door, I put my foot out on the cement we’d parked on. We were in a small town, I didn’t where. 

Joe crawled out behind me and looked around. We hadn’t seen a running city in two years. A few cars passed us; pulling in and out of the gas station, parking in front of the few stores that were around us. 

“I take it it’s been awhile since you’ve seen a city?” I knew it was Brandon from his voice. He had walked up to us while we were looking around. 

“Two years. I haven’t seen a town in two years. Didn’t think I would ever see one again. I figured I would die on a patrol or something. Get sucked dry like my family.”

“What about the town you were next to?” 

“But that one doesn’t have people in it. At least none that we have found.” Suddenly something came to me. “How do yeah make the people stay?” I turned to him.

“How do you know they’re humans? They could be vampires.”

I looked around. “There’s a difference between humans and vamps. Humans look normal, you vamps have a different…air about you. Can’t you see it?” I focused on Joe questioningly. He just looked back at me, shaking his head.

“Then how come you never knew about Sindy?” 

I thought about it, reaching my hand out to touch the hood of the black car. I studied the shine, rubbing my finger to smudge it. “I’m not sure. I knew there was something different about her, but I never could put my finger on it. Different things about her. Like the fact that she was in a den of vampires who didn’t kill her and yet she had no marks as a donor. Or that she’s slightly on the white side. Plus she never really ate her food. She would play with it and stir it around, but I don’t remember seeing her really eat anything. She's just young I guess.”

“But those are things people do, none of the people you see around you are eating, or in a den, and there all pretty white to me, but I think I’m slightly color blind.” 

I arched my eyebrow at him. “Colorblind?”

“Story for another time. So, how can you tell?”

I closed my eyes and tried to clear my mind. I looked up at the clerk in the Gas Station. What I could see of him through the window displays seemed normal. He looked Latino with the dark hair and complexion. I watched him for anything that would seem vampire-ish. Then I caught it. He was faster than a normal human, his shoulders thin and sculpted. “He’s a vampire.” With that he flicked his eyes at me and I saw the look on his face was definitely not human. “Why are his eyes like that?”

“We can make ourselves look mean and fierce. What gave him away? He didn’t look at you until now.”

“Too fast, and he’s too sculpted…like marble. Unless a human is a model, they don’t get that close to a marble sculpture.” I glanced back at Brandon. 

He smiled, a good smile. Too bad there were sharp teeth behind it. “Try another one.” 

“Why? What’s the point? Why does it matter if I can tell or not?”

“Because it’s intriguing to me. Plus the Royals would like to know what you can do.”

Ok, what the hell. “What, am I some pet project they’re researching?” Folding my arms, I raised my eyebrows. My temper getting the best of me.

“Not exactly. It’s something that I can’t explain, until we get home. I wish I could be the one to let you know what’s going on, but strict orders forbid me to. Now, it’s obvious that you’re mad about this, but I think you should get something to eat. What would you like?”

My mouth hung open as I stared. The nerve of him to just pass off over what I’m mad about. 

“I know that look,” Joe said from beside me. “You aren’t getting out of this one without a fight.” 

I spun to see Joe looking at Brandon. His first act to Brandon without hostility, instead with a smirk on his face.

I closed my eyes, squeezing them shut. “Yeah, you would definitely know this look by heart because you have received it so often. Men. You’re all the same, no matter what you are!” I opened fuming eyes on them, then walked down the sidewalk. 

I figured I was going to get into trouble for just walking off. Maybe one of our guards would scream and holler and drag me back to the car, but they let me walk off. I turned to see if they were following me and there was only Brandon. He was keeping his distance. 

I didn’t have any place in mind that I wanted to eat. Brandon was right though, I should eat something. My stomach gurgled, and with everything that had happened I was in desperate need of food. The aroma of something long forgotten caught my attention. It brought up memories of years ago with my parents and friends. Pizza!

I gawked up at the tall old buildings for a familiar name of a pizza parlor. Mr. Pizzas was on the brick building. I stared at the logo on the front. It’s pizza. I can’t believe its Pizza. 

“Would you like some Pizza?” Brandon asked as he walked up beside me.

All I could do was nod. We both walked inside.

When we got to the counter a young woman asked us our order. I am so getting pepperoni. Brandon ordered meat lovers. He paid for it with cash and walked me to a booth. 

“Would you like something to drink? The meal comes with a drink.”

I turned and looked at the fountain machine. There was a variety of soft drinks, among them my favorite. “Coke,” is all I said and Brandon grabbed it for me.

The taste was so amazing. It was like tasting a food for the first time that you had never had before and you never want to taste anything else again. I drank the whole cup and Brandon got me another one. 

“Are you going to leave any room for pizza?” Brandon asked and I put the second cup back on the counter. 

I leaned back and savored the flavor. “Why did you order pizza for yourself?” I looked at him.

“Being a born, I can sustain on both blood and human food. I actually like pizza.”

“Born?” I asked confused. I took another sip of pop. 

“Yes, I was born, just like you and every other person on the planet.”

“I don’t understand…you’re a vampire,” I said.

He leaned forward, glancing at the table, contemplating on how to explain. “I guess it’s hard to explain to someone from the outside, especially when you haven’t been here for the last two years. The Queen was the first born vampire. Her mother was r***d by a vampire, probably the first one. Anyways, she died giving child birth. The creature who fathered her, I guess he kind of took care of her until she was a young child, teaching her how to survive as one of us. Then he disappeared. 

“That’s when she met the bard. He was only a few years older than her and she wanted to have someone with her. 

“So, how was she created? I mean, I just don’t understand how she was able to be born, if vampires are technically dead.”

He shrugged. “No one knows for sure. It doesn’t happen very often, pretty rare actually. The only reason those of us that were born are able to reproduce is because she had part human in her. She made it an ability for the rest of us. Not that we do very often.”

I tilted my head. “Why?”

“Even though we can reproduce it’s not as easy as humans do, we still have the vampire gene, obviously, so it takes longer for us to get pregnant. Take the queens children for example. She has three and they are so far separated, by hundreds of years I believe. 

“Ptah was born hundreds of years after her as well. He’s from the line of her, but a ways down, so it didn’t really matter. But they’ve had a hard enough time having children.” He took a sip from his cup.

I nodded, it made sense, I guess. After all, the original mother of the born vampires was human. The babies were half and half. That’s probably why Brandon can eat food. They are part human and can sustain our food. 

I’ll tell Joe when I see him. “Is Joe coming?”

“No, I sent them all back to our destination.”

“Why? Joe would have loved to have pizza.” I scrunched my face, looking at the table. I didn’t want to be without Joe. I shouldn’t have walked off without him.

“Why do you do that?” He asked me curiously while leaning forward as if to get a better look at me under the dim lights above.

“What?” I leaned back, as far as my booth seat would allow.

“Talk to me like I’m human. Ever since you saw me, you’ve treated me like you would one of the members of your camp. Not that I’m complaining, I like being treated equal.” He smirked at me.

I gasped. “Equal? You think I’m treating you like you and I are equal. We're not equal, you are a creature made from one of mine. We don’t even compare.”

“I can see better than humans. I have a heightened sense of smell, and I’m faster.”

“So does a cheetah, but that doesn't compare either. Your ego’s just as good tho, if not better.” I folded my arms.

He smiled, really starting to push my buttons. 

“You weren’t natural. At least I’m all natural.” I said, pursing my lips.

“All natural? What are you, shampoo?” He scoffed.

I looked down so I wouldn’t laugh. As irritating as the conversation had turned, it was funny.

He didn’t hide his laugh.  His eyes crinkled when he grinned. 

“So why do you talk normal to me? I’d expect you to come screaming, kicking, and spitting.” He said, getting back to serious.

I had to think for a moment. I looked at my Coke then back at Brandon. His eyes were penetrating, like he needed to know every detail of my existence. It gave me the sense of déjà vu. “I don’t know. It just comes natural. It’s not just me though. You do the same thing. You act like I’m your next door neighbor and you just moved into the neighborhood.”

“Not entirely. That’s the new boy syndrome where the boy thinks the neighbor girl is cute. My reasons are slightly different from that. Believe it or not, I find you fascinating,” he looked down at the table.

I wasn’t sure if I should blush or not, so I stared at my coke. The waitress brought our pizza to us then, and I couldn’t help but dig in. It tasted good. Just like the coke, the pepperoni was almost a forgotten flavor. Its bitter but full spice made my taste buds pop. I couldn’t believe it had been two whole years since I’d tasted pizza. 

“A  year ago we did a patrol that ended up in a local pizza parlor. I found some freezers and out of curiosity I opened it to see what was there. There were pizzas that never made it to the oven.”

“Were any of them still good?”

“No, I wish they had been though. That would have been awesome.” I watched him eat. He seemed so human. He looked so normal. “Why did you do this to us?” I couldn’t help but ask the question.

He stopped in mid chew to look at me. I waited for him to say something. He swallowed his mouthful. “I can’t say anything that will make you feel better.” He dropped his pizza on a plate and leaned back against the seat. “The food chain is the only thing I can think of. Species become stronger and take over other species. The bigger fish eats the littler fish; survival of the fittest. It’s a way of life.”

“You’re right. It didn’t make me feel better.” I pushed my plate away from me, my appetite now gone. “You could have brought yourselves into the world slowly. You’d think for as old as you creatures are, you would have found a nicer way to come out. But that’s just it, you aren’t nice, you don’t care. You’ve had centuries and you didn’t even try. This is the age where vampires were loved. Books were written, movies made all about you. You could have done it, you chose not to. It’s not survival of the fittest, we’re plenty fit. You’re just creatures from Hell.” Surprisingly calm, I took a deep breath, and stood up. “I’ll wait outside.” I headed for the door.

I stood outside, leaning against the bricks of the parlor. People walked by as if they hadn't missed the past two years. They knew what happened but acted oblivious. It’s as if the now darkness didn’t faze them.

Someone had moved close to me and I turned to see a red head with blue eyes. He was huddled in his sweat shirt staring at me. 

I arched an eyebrow. “Hi. Can I help you?”

“That depends on what you want to help me with.” He moved a little closer.

For each step closer he came, I moved back. “I’m good thanks.”

He moved closer again. “Oh come now, you can’t decline your offer once given. It’s not our way.” He reached for me. I stepped towards the parlor door.

It was a vamp, just as I’d thought. “No thanks, I’ve got a blood sucker in there I’d rather have chew on me than you.” I turned to step inside but was jerked back.

His arms were around me pinning them to my waist. I could feel him breathing on my cheek. His breath stunk. “Oh, come on, I’m not that bad. Some find me charming.” He seethed with garbage smelling breath. He released one arm holding tightly with the other. 

This was my chance. I wrenched my left arm free and began to spin away from him. I hit something soft and felt an embrace. 

I turned up to see Brandon. He glanced at me, then glared at my assailant. My lips parted. I would have gasped, but nothing came out. His eyes had changed. They were no longer the chocolaty brown, but instead black. There was the darkness that I had been anticipating. His jaws opened wide as he bared his teeth. “Ramanga,” he seethed, staring at the carrot top.

I wanted to turn and run from them both. At the same time, he just defended me...for now. I wasn’t sure if I could fend for myself in this city yet. He was my only protector. I decided to stick with him until I found Joe. 

I looked back at the red-headed creeper. His fangs were out too, but he was backing away. He turned and ran. Brandon stared after him. He still held onto me like I was his claim, but soft, like an embrace between friends. I watched his face cool down. First he withdrew his teeth. It wasn’t like a werewolf changing or something you see in the movies. They just kind of shrunk back into his mouth, not quite like a snake.

He shut his eyes as his face relaxed before looking at me with fierce brown eyes. “Do you think that from now on when you get mad at me, you could just sit and pout instead of running off?”

I nodded, staring at him, my mouth still open. 

He let go slowly, but left one arm around me. “Are you ready to leave?”

I again tilted my ahead. I wasn’t sure if I could speak yet. I didn’t want to squeak.

He walked me to a car just down the block waiting for us. There was a driver in it and Brandon nodded for him to leave. “Let’s go home, shall we?”