Broken Souls (9 page)

FOURTEEN: RUBY

I stood in the middle of The Shelter in complete shock,
thinking that humans kept as slaves was terrible in itself, but this… this was
horrifying.

Concrete floors made a long path down the center of the
narrow room reaching the far end. Floor-to-ceiling metal cages lined the walls
to either side and looked to be animal cages. I heard groans and murmurs at our
arrival. My body went cold.

Cloe stopped at the first cage. She slid a plate of mush
into a narrow slit near the floor to a man inside. His filthy clothes hung
loose on his rail-thin body, his face and cheeks hollow. Cloe took a metal cup
and dipped it into a pail of water. She reached through the slit and poured it
into a bowl on the floor of the man’s cage. Without so much as a hint of eye
contact, the man slowly crawled to the bowl and slurped up the water like a
broken animal. I thought I might throw up.

Cloe looked at me and must’ve seen the disgust and sadness
written all over my face. But she handed me a stack of plates as though my
reaction had no effect on her. “Why don’t you start on the far end and we’ll
meet in the middle? Okay?”

I begrudgingly went about my duty, sliding plates into cages
and watching the poor humans crawl to their food. Once finished, we went about
cleaning out their cages. I had to momentarily stop and ask myself what the
heck I was doing, and how the heck I could let myself be a part of this
monstrosity. But I knew my answer, I had no other choice.

“You’ll get used to it,” Cloe said after we finally finished
our job, and I couldn’t help but think she was wrong. I’d never get used to
humans being treated this way.

I shrugged in response, words escaping me, my mind spinning
with the effect of these sad humans living this way. But regardless of my
horror, days passed and time went by. Cloe and I grew closer, spending hours
upon hours together while working, talking about everything under the moon, and
I began to consider her one of my closest friends— my only friend if I was to
be quite honest. Despite our blossoming friendship, my blood slave duty grew no
easier in the coming weeks, and my pining heartache for Guy only grew stronger.
But I somehow found small ways to distract myself and make light of what I had
to do.

Jax frequently sent me to Big Nose Kate’s to get food to
bring home for him and Orie. I would request a little extra, slipping pieces of
bread and fresh fruit into my pockets to surprise the humans with. Their eyes
lit up when they saw me and, if only slightly, I’d raised their spirits.

Little by little, I started learning their names and
listening to their stories about how their lives used to be before coming to
this place. If Cloe noticed my sly deeds and my interest in the humans she said
nothing of it. The humans never escaped my mind, the need to help them, to do
something more. I was determined to find a way to make life easier on them, or
change the way vampires sustained themselves. I made a note to bring it up to
Pandora the next time I saw her. But for now, I kept up the hope I would be
able to make a difference in small ways.

“I’ll see you tomorrow Earl,” I called out to a nice older
man I’d taken quite the liking to. I rolled the cart to the door and turned
back. “And take care of that foot. Keep it bandaged like I showed you.”

The humans bid me goodbye and I passed through the door that
led to the front room. But to my horror, I ran right smack into Horus, his tall
form looming over me. I struggled to take a breath, my startled lungs
constricting.

I had been lucky enough since starting my training with Cloe
not to come across Death Breath, knowing the legion leaders were pre-occupied
with the call for heightened security in Tombstone. I figured I’d gotten off
Scott free. But as it was, my luck had just run out. It was my first night by
myself and, of course, Horus was checking in on me. My body stiffened as Horus’
face leaned into mine.

“I hope I am wrong in assuming you are making friends with
the humans,” he hissed. I gasped at his icy rank breath on my face and tried to
make my way to the front door but he stopped me with his body. “Because that is
against the rules, and I’d hate to inform the legion you have broken your
probation so early on.”

I frowned, knowing what he’d meant to say was he’d
love
to inform the legion of my wrongdoings and get me in trouble. But I couldn’t be
taken back to jail. I couldn’t stand another hour locked in that cell. I opened
my mouth to explain, but the words did not come easy.

“No… I just… Earl has a badly twisted ankle and I…”

“Earl?” Horus snarled.
“Earl?”
Apparently, Horus
hated humans as well as everyone else. Shocker.

“Yes,” I replied. “He was helping me clean out his cage
and…”

“You’re on a first name basis with these… transients?”

Fear gripped me. Crap. I should’ve been more careful when
being friendly with the humans, but now I was stuck and needed to come up with
something quick. “Not usually, it’s just under the circumstance that—”

Horus raised his hand and threw it across the top of the
cart, dishes flying and shattering to the ground. I flinched. “I am growing
impatient with you baby vamp. You will follow the rules or you will have
consequences.”

My fangs throbbed in anger and the smell of Horus’ blood
made my gut flutter. I suddenly realized my hunger for vampire blood was heightened
by intense emotion— in this case, rage. I wanted to sink my fangs into him, but
not before breaking his neck and killing him. I wanted to punch him in his smug
face. I wanted to hurt him and make him pay for what he did to Cloe, for what
these humans had to endure. But instead of those actions that would surely be
my death sentence, I kept silent, knowing I needed to tread lightly. 

Horus’ black eyes bored into me, his dark hair glistening in
the dim moon light against a backdrop of the dark empty street. He finally
backed up, giving me some reprieve from his tall form and I inwardly sighed. He
pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.

“You already know I wish you dead,” he said as though merely
commenting on the weather. “But for some unknown reason, Pandora has taken a
liking to you.” His gaze traveled my body as he inhaled through his nostrils,
sucking in my scent. He grimaced as if I were the one who smelled bad. “Though
I cannot see why.”

Belying the concern that crept up my spine like a cold chill,
I kept my head level with his, my eyes fixed hard on his gaze. I was starting
to understand Horus and I knew the minute I showed a spec of weakness would be
the minute he crushed me. I stood stock still, putting on a brave face.

“What is that?” he asked, his gaze narrowing in on my neck.
Fear suddenly jolted through me when I realized what he was looking at—my
rosary. I held back the urge to touch the necklace, feeling it peeking above
the neck of my dress. My pulse quickened.

Horus closed in on me and I held my breath. He brought up a
finger and slid it beneath the chain, pulling it from my dress, the crucifix
swinging from his slender appendage. After a long moment of tension-filled
silence, Horus exploded into laughter. I kept my expression placid as the
vampire chortled maniacally.

“You wear the beads of prayer,” he finally said through
hissing giggles, holding the cross firmly in his fist. His inky eyes, void of
any light, burned into my flesh. “You think your soul can be saved? You think
by wearing this symbol of forgiveness you will be taken into sanctity?”

Another bought of laughter rolled from his mouth causing my
veins to run hot with fury and my fangs to descend within my mouth. But I kept
my lips sealed tightly in defiance.

“You are mistaken baby vampire,” he went on. “For the God
you pray to has let you become this monster. The deity you hold in your heart
hates you and wishes you damned for all eternity.”

After all I’d been through over the past weeks, after facing
death itself, I had finally come to accept the unknown. Yes, my faith had
recently been tested, and yes, there were things of this world I would never
comprehend. But his hateful words grated at my very soul, his voice like sand
paper in my ears. Not only was the rosary a symbol of hope to me, it was a
symbol of love. A love he would never understand.

“You can leave now,” I said in a dangerously low voice as I eyed
the necklace in his hand mere inches from my face. I could feel myself losing
control, but knew I had to keep it together if only for a few more minutes.

Horus’ eyes shot to mine, and for a minute I thought he
might explode over the fact that I’d dismissed him like a mere schoolchild at
recess time. Yet, instead of him losing his temper as I suspected he would, he
did something worse.

The sting of metal nearly sliced the back of my neck
indicating he’d ripped the chain right off me. He held the now broken rosary in
his hand and offered me an amused smile.

“Give it back,” I demanded, wondering if Horus would like me
to kill him
before
I drank his blood, or
after
. But I gritted my
teeth against the urge to rip his face off and pushed against the wall of rage
building inside of me, knowing I needed to keep my cool if I wished to keep my
life.

Horus stared at me for one long moment before dropping the
necklace to the ground. His gaze never left mine as he proceeded to spit on it
and then crushed it beneath his boot. Angry tears threatened to spring to my
eyes but I would not give this beast the satisfaction of seeing me cry. I
fisted my hands at my sides as if that might help me stay in control.

“Just remember this,” he said, his tone low and acerbic.
“You are an Unfortunate Soul now. You have no higher power to call upon. I am
your higher power, and don’t think for one minute that you are in any way safe.
Even if we can keep the FUSE hunters at bay, you still have me to answer to.
And like the almighty God you pray to, I have eyes everywhere. But unlike him,
I am not forgiving nor gracious.”

Horus gave me one last vicious glare before flying out into
the night. A growl welled up inside of me and, after a long moment, my legs
gave way beneath my body. I crumpled to the ground and lowered my eyes to the
dirt below.

Though bent now, the cross still held its form, but the broken
chain allowed the beads to roll free. I scooped up the broken pieces of the
rosary into my hands and pushed them into my skirt pockets. I took in a deep,
calming breath and retracted my fangs as Wilson had taught me, knowing I was
finally becoming slightly better at controlling my anger. But if Horus ever did
something like this again, I wasn’t so sure I’d be able to hold back. Horus may
be the vampire’s leader but he would never have power over me and I’d be damned
before I’d ever let that asshole break me.

FIFTEEN: CLOE

Things were changing, I could feel it like a shift in the
air. Our underworld community which had been stagnant for so long was growing
more tension-filled and anxious by the moment. The arrival of Ruby Carter, the
vampire who smelled of life, had caused a rift. I wasn’t sure if it was good or
bad, but I knew in my soul there would be blood.

The way Ruby smiled, the way her eyes sparkled, I hadn’t
seen in many years. It made my heart grow lighter, but scared me as well.
Though the memories of my human life were hazy at best, Ruby made me remember the
purity I once encompassed. She made me remember that I used to have dreams and
wishes, aspiring to be something bigger and better. It was plain to see Ruby
had a way about her that made people remember the good, making them want to be
around her.

The blood slaves who were normally lethargic and despondent,
now smiled and chatted, reminiscing about better days. Not only did the humans
want to be around the young vampire, but I enjoyed her company as well, though
I could not let Horus know. The only reason Horus allowed me to train Ruby was
so I could keep an eye on her for him, reporting any wrong moves she might make.

“Tell me,” Horus paced in front of the large window of our
room, candlelight illuminating his sharp face. Thick curtains covered the
inside wall, blocking out the sun. “Has the baby vampire been consorting with
the humans?”

I swallowed hard and braced myself for the lie I was about
to tell.

“No. She does her job as she is told.” I’d seen the way Ruby
acted with the humans, slipping them bits of bread and fruit, and laughing at
their stories. I’d turned a blind eye, not wanting to get caught in the middle,
but that’s exactly where I found myself, stuck between the devil and the deep
blue sea.

Thinking of how I’d wiggle my way out of this dilemma, I sat
down on the edge of our large double coffin which was made to look like a bed
during the nighttime hours while we were away. Our room was the nicest in the
city, being held on the top floor of Vampire Hall. Though the furniture dated
back from more than a century ago, it was well taken care of and the wood
glistened with polish.

Without warning, Horus flew on top of me, slamming me down
onto the coffin, my back pressing painfully into the wooden lid. His breath was
cold on my throat and I gasped, knowing he was about to sink his fangs into my
skin. But he paused at my neck, causing a chill to run through my body.

“Don’t lie to me, Cloe. Remember I am your maker and can
sense when you are not being fully truthful.”

My heart beat furiously and I tensed my shoulders, knowing his
moods were as fickle as the wind. I didn’t want to be hurt again like when Ruby
first arrived. Horus made sure I was injected daily with a suppressant that
promoted slow healing, and any injuries I had stayed with me long after they
were inflicted.

“She can’t help it,” I breathed, remembering that I was
about to be made into Horus’ lunch. “I wasn’t lying when I said she does what
she is told. But the humans… they… they like her.”

“Bah!” Horus shot to his feet, leaving me lying on the
coffin, heaving. I exhaled my relief over narrowly escaping any more physical
punishment.

“Of course they like her,” he continued. “She isn’t like us.
She smells more like them. More like a human than a vampire. It is…
disgusting.”

I kept silent and didn’t move, afraid to anger him even more.
He paced rampantly, his long fingers curling into fists at his sides. His face
contorted strangely.

“There’s more to her than meets the eye, and I will not stop
until I find what it is.” He spun to me, pointing a finger. “You will find out more.
You will report to me every single word she speaks. Leave nothing out.”

I nodded, wishing he would just leave already.

“Good.” After a few moments, he sat next to me on the coffin
and gazed down at me, running a sharp fingernail down the side of my face. I
trembled inwardly with disgust.

He spoke to me, his voice quickly changing from its earlier
cadence of anger to an eerily calm and serene tone. “I have some work to attend
to, my love. I will be back by sunrise.”

I watched him rush from the room, the door slamming behind
him, and thanked my lucky stars he was finally gone.

I didn’t like the predicament I had been put in. In the
short time I’d known Ruby Carter, she’d become a friend to me, yet now I was
ordered to spy on her. It didn’t feel right, but I also couldn’t fool Horus. Between
my maker and my friend, I was balancing on a sharp sword’s edge, hoping I
wouldn’t get cut.