Vampire State by Alexander Charalambides

Author:Alexander Charalambides [Charalambides, Alexander]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Good Boy Books
Published: 2019-10-31T00:00:00+00:00

Everyone’s gone by the time Vincenzo drops me off.

It’s not dark yet, or darker, I guess. I really thought I’d be used to the way the sky looked by now, but I still can’t read it.

I can hear the servants downstairs, echoing up from the long, cave-like tunnels that led to the kitchens.

I wonder if they’re relived that we don’t bite them.

I can imagine that conversation, and I can guess what they’d say if I went down to speak to them.

“Not yet.”

I’m my own worst enemy when I have nothing to do. I’m too tired to get anything done, or even try to comfort Mom, but I’m too mad to sleep.

Both of those feelings are rooted under that enormous dome. And the Emperor.

He didn’t stand up or try to shout us down. He didn’t even think the idea of treating people equally was worth standing up. That’s what’s sticking with me, not the angry screaming from the senators. They’re politicians, I don’t think anyone expects anything good to come from them.

It was targeted indifference; it must’ve been.

Squeak. Squeak.

It’s probably Pelagius cleaning his armor again. I kind of like the sound, now that it’s all I can hear. That and a distant rumble. Maybe somewhere above the clouds there’s a thunderstorm.

It’s the calm of an island in the middle of a rushing river. Maybe as soon as a few days, everything will be different, we might even all be gone.

Someone’s talking upstairs, too.

And then soft impacts, coming closer.

I really can’t stomach talking to anyone now, so I-

“Howdy.” I hear his voice before he makes it all the way down the stairs, tossing his hair back and smiling at me. “Didn’t realize you got set up with such a nice place.” Luka holds his arms out as his boots touch down in the lobby behind me. “Where’s the restroom in this mansion, anyway?”

His face is clear, tiny fractures around his eyes where his faint smile has carved them. His coat is still streaked with the stains of old blood, and his gun’s still slung over his shoulder.

“Do you really need to go? Or-”

“Icebreaker.” He says, stepping closer. “Something wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Your stomach.” My eyes are fixed on the spots where I saw the river of blood. “I…I think I just assumed I’d never see you again.”

“It was pretty rough.” Luka rubs the back of his neck. “That’s what I get for trusting the local cuisine…oh, you mean the fence post?” He laughs, maybe at the look on my face. “Relax! I was kidding, you take everything so seriously!”

“I think most people would take being impaled seriously.” I tell him, scanning his shoes and coat for any clue as to what he’s been doing since. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

“Talking to your mom.” He says. “Tough lady. Runs in the family, I guess.”

“So you really are leaving with her.” I sigh, watching him shift from foot to foot.

“Getting second thoughts?” He asks, “I don’t think she’ll go

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