After the Fall (32 page)

“They’re going to pay. I don’t give a damn if I die trying.”

“I can’t let you throw your life away like that.”

“What the hell do you care?”

“I just can’t let it happen, not again.”

“What do you mean?”

“Never mind.” I took advantage of her distraction and reclaimed my sleeve.

Without any warning, she threw her goblet at me. I barely got out of the way in time. It brushed the side of my face as it passed me, smashing on the kitchen wall. I shot her an angry look and got my things ready to leave.

She seized me again before I reached the door. “Wait. I’m sorry about that. I don’t know what came over me.”

“You just lost someone in the worst way, plus endured a humiliating punishment. I can’t see any other normal way to cope.” I turned around and grabbed her arms. “But did you really have to throw that at me?”

“I did, but you dodged it, didn’t you?”

“Barely. It was close enough to shave me, if it had been a blade.”

“Now you’re just being dramatic. I was mad at you, okay? Because you’re one of
them
, part of the robber council that takes from the land without ever putting in one ounce of work.”

“You just have this way with words, all the finesse of a bear in a pottery shop.”

She shook me off. “Whatever. It’s the truth, ain’t it?”

“Maybe that’s what they are, but to say that I’ve done nothing?”

She rolled her eyes. “Okay, you did bring us back when we were out there all the way until dawn.”

“And don’t forget, I brought you back and tended to you.”

“I didn’t ask for that. If you’re expecting me to kiss your ass, you can forget it.”

“This is going nowhere. Goodbye, Rayna.” I opened the door and started to leave when she slammed it shut.

“I know I’m not the best with words, but you know what they’re doing is wrong. We put it all on the line out there every night. They don’t ever do a damned thing, but when we get out of line, they’ll feed us to the dogs and enjoy the show.”

I agreed with her, but I stayed silent.

“Just say you’ll help me out. I don’t have much to offer, but it’s a hell of a lot better than living under their thumb.”

I looked down and pondered for a moment. “I’ll have to think about it.”

“That’s all I ask.”

“I’ll be in touch.” I opened the door and actually set one foot out of the apartment this time. She grabbed me in an embrace. I supposed I should have felt something, but the only thought in my mind was,
will I ever leave this place?

Her light brown eyes stared at me. I could tell she was waiting for me to make a move. Her face was creeping closer to mine. All of a sudden I felt suffocated and broke the embrace. I left her there, with that look of confused anger. Maybe she expected a passionate kiss, to be swept off her feet or any of that stuff that belonged in fairy tales or trashy novels. That’s exactly where it needed to stay, because I’m no Prince Charming, and this is no fairy tale. This is the world after the Fall, and the realities are as harsh as they come. 

All that separated us from the ravenous hordes out there was the bravery of the guards and the system that supported them. That very system was fraying at the edges and rotting from the inside. The question was, would I be the one to help topple it? Would I be so callous as to doom thousands of humans to their death just to satisfy the few who are oppressed? It seemed so much better for everyone to simply maintain the status quo. Those who dared challenge it had it coming to them, did they not? I told myself over and over that it was the best course of action, but my heart betrayed me. Playing its eternal drumbeat, pumping the foreign blood into perpetual flow, it was the enemy of my peace. All I could do was repeat to myself that it was all for the best. Repeat the lie often enough and it becomes a truth.

She is Risen

As soon as I got out on the street, I noticed one of Lucretius’s lackeys. He tailed me for a while, switching with a few others to throw me off their scent. They must have thought they were so clever. I decided to take them on a walk about the town.

The streets were swarming with people late into the night. Clubs boomed out their obnoxious music into the streets. Bars advertised their spirits with loud neon signs. This was the other side of life on Anathorn, the one its founders would prefer their human inhabitants to know.

“Come, have fun, forget your cares for a while,”
they would say. The new world was filled with so many hardships many would prefer to forget. It seemed like everything was set for a good weekend. At this pace, the party would last into the wee hours of the night.

Alas, not tonight.

Armored vehicles, taken from the now defunct military, roamed the streets. Men I recognized as Vampires shouted into a bullhorn for people to go back to their homes.

“WE ARE UNDER A HEIGHTENED STATE OF ALERT. THE COUNCIL HAS ORDERED A CURFEW. ALL CITIZENS ARE ORDERED BACK TO THEIR HOMES UNTIL THE SITUATION HAS BEEN RESOLVED. THIS IS FOR YOUR SAFETY.”

The man at the bullhorn repeated the message over and over as they traveled down the street. No one seemed happy about it, but most of them obeyed. People started to stream out of the bars. Those sitting on the sidewalk staggered to their feet and hobbled home. There was a collective grumbling coming from the crowd, but no one dared challenge the armed men in the tactical armored cars. Their weapons and gear did the talking for them.

As the people walked past me, I overheard their comments. It was the general consensus that there must be a breach somewhere, and the people were quite willing to clear the streets to let someone else deal with the threat. Civilization had brought back with it those who were unable or unwilling to contribute to the cause. In this place, they were little more than walking blood bags, as useful as cows are to them.

“Sir, clear the street now. You are ordered to return to your home,” said one of the Vampires. He was wearing a thin type of kevlar body armor that protected his whole body. His face was protected by a steel-reinforced face shield. This was the new zombie combat uniform.

“I am a member of the council,” I replied.

“I don’t give a damn who you think you are. The council has ordered—”

“I am the council, you idiot!”

He stood there for a moment, no doubt contemplating cleaving my brain in two with that rescue axe in his hand. Someone spoke into his earpiece and he straightened up.

“There is a message for you, Mr. Councilman. The other members of the council have requested your presence at the Anathorn Manor.” He tried to keep his cool, but his eyes betrayed him.

“I’ll get going now. Just remember who I am and don’t let it happen again.” He nodded and resumed his street-clearing duties. Looking down the street, I could see a few belligerent drunks and other outraged citizens angry over losing a good night of reveling. The troopers subdued and rounded up anyone brave enough to resist. I saw one of them look around and step into the back. He waved his teammates in. After they locked the door behind them, I heard the screams. Only Vampire ears could perceive them in all this commotion, but I knew what was happening. Not all the good Vampire citizens drank from blood bags provided by willing citizens. Those who resisted became a fresh meal for their so-called protectors.

The truck rocked back and forth for a few minutes. The Vampires came out of the back wiping their mouths. A few people knew what had just happened and hurried home. I’m not sure how many people knew the truth about the people in charge, but they got the idea and cleared the streets. I had seen enough. It was time to head to the manor.

Anathorn Manor looked more like a fortress now. Armored trucks lined the streets. Vampires in full kevlar clothing patrolled the perimeter. They were armed with both axes and firearms, which told me they were not just worried about zombies.

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to step back,” said the team leader as I walked up to the barricade line.

“My name is Mordecai. Let me in.” His eyes flashed with recognition and he all but fell over backwards.

“Right this way, Mr. Councilman. They’ve been expecting you.”

“So I’ve heard. What is this about?”

He held up his police sergeant stripes on his collar. “That’s not for me to know,” he said before returning to his post.

I walked up the cobblestone path to the house. There were more guards patrolling the grounds and posted on the roof with sniper rifles. The men at the door knocked two times, paused, and knocked three more times. Someone opened the door. The butler looked around nervously and ushered me in.

“Come with me, sir. Everyone is already assembled at the hall.” Fear burned its way up from my stomach. I hoped this wasn’t what I thought.

The hall was full from wall to wall, but they made a path for me to walk through and make my way to where the rest of the council members stood. Lucretius was standing in the middle of the only open space in the room. He stood beside an altar. On top of it was what I knew to be a sarcophagus. My heart started to pound.

“Mordecai, good to see you. Now that you’re here, we may begin.” He turned to the servants. “Close the door. No one else enters!”

The servants hurried out of the room and locked the heavy doors. Lucretius turned back to the crowd and got ready to address them.

“I am glad to see everyone could make it tonight,” he said, looking around the room, holding his gaze a little longer on me. The council members stared at me with disdain. Some of them seemed to relish the moment. I ignored them an turned my attention to the centerpiece of the room.

Lucretius clamped his hands in front of him and continued. “The events outside have no doubt left you curious. We have discovered a breach in the eastern sector. Special teams have already secured the area, but we have reason to believe some of them may have breached the inner perimeter.” A few of the people started to whisper. “Now, there is no reason to fear. The curfew and other restrictions are merely a precaution to protect us and our citizenry from the infection. You need not fear; we are safe. The situation is under our control.”

He paused for a moment and let the message settle before proceeding.

“There is one more thing that I wish to bring to you all. It is about Anna Thorn. From the beginning, she was our founder, Mother, Queen. She led us, nurtured us, gave us the will to go forward and forge our destiny. Her death sent shockwaves through our once small community. 

“In keeping with her wishes, we persevered and built a legacy that would have made her proud. It
has
made her proud. She rejoices at our accomplishments as a mother dotes on her children’s successes. 

“That is why I am glad to speak to you tonight, to bring you good tidings. Ladies and gentlemen, the Queen is alive and well.”

There was a collective gasp from the audience.

“You should not joke wiss such tings, Lucretius,” said Gustaf.

“I know. None of what I said is in jest; every word is true.”

“Why do you speak so? Has her death not caused us enough pain?”

“Why am I still speaking, when perhaps I should let her speak for herself?”

The heavy sarcophagus lid moved aside like a child’s plaything. The Queen set it aside and stood. Every person in the room was paralyzed with shock. She still wore her veil, but her eyes were uncovered. She had brown eyes, the color of desert sand. It reminded me of Rayna. She looked so much like her, and yet I could see that the Queen was much paler in complexion, more like us. Rayna’s complexion was an anomaly that I could not yet explain.

“My children,” she said as she stepped out of the sarcophagus. Some of the people in front stepped back and shrank away from her. “There is no need to fear. I am not a ghost. My flesh is as real as yours.” She offered her hand out to Gustaf. “Here, touch.”

He reached his hand with hesitation and touched her arm. “It really is you. My Queen!” Forgetting himself in the moment, he embraced her. “Oh, where are my manners?” He knelt before her.

“Arise, Gustaf. Are you not one of the council members?”

“Yes, my Queen. I am.”

“We need not be so formal.” She stepped back and took center stage. “My dear children, I was dead for a time. When I arose, I was unsure whether to return. You were all doing so well, and I did not know if my presence would complicate matters. For years, I remained underground, watching from a distance. I am proud of all you have built.

“As a mother, it pained me to be away from my children. Now that you have all grown, it is time for me to return. There is no greater joy than seeing my children again.”

“And it is a joy to have you again,” added Lucretius. “Now, to everyone else, we will be concluding this meeting. You will have an opportunity to greet the Queen on your way out.” Lucretius held out his arm and escorted the Queen to the door. The crowd parted and cleared a wide path for them, with a few hands reaching out to touch the Queen.

“She is real, I assure you,” said Lucretius. The crowd laughed.

It took quite a while to empty out the room. Lucretius had been right to start right away. Everyone stalled on their way out. No one knew that I had already met the Queen. Since I had already seen her a few times, and seen a bit more of her once, I decided to wait for everyone to leave. It turned out to be the right choice.