NEW DAY - Chapter 13 PG-13)

[Penina Spinka]

Again, thank you to the lovely people who read this novel and write to me. I revised Chapter 1 of New Day to bring it more into keeping with what I discovered while writing BECOMING. If it is not in this site, you can find it in ff.net and llol. If you have a chance, take a look at Chapter One of New Day too. As long as I was revising, I was able to expand a few scenes to explain things better, both in Chapters 1 and here in Chapter 13. I hope you enjoy Radu's interaction with the traitors.

New Day (2232 words)

Chapter 13


Francis waited for what he knew was coming. “I sense questions. Ask.”

Sam rolled over and looked up at Francis. His eyes were teasing under his dark lashes, but Francis could see them well enough. There was just enough light from the florescent clock for Sam to see his face. “Even though it was your idea, I like the way Serali bound them with that oath. She was one smart girl!”

Francis chuckled. “That she was. She proved her intelligence and her early training to me time and time again. What other comments or questions do you have about the story before I get to what happened next?”

“I’ve known for a while that Miceas was Mick. You told me this was going to be about when we met Mick and Josef for the first time. Miceas and Mick even sound similar. He made up for what he did to you.”

“So is he back in your good graces again?”

“If you can forgive him, who am I to hold a grudge?” Sam looked like he wanted to say something else, but he hesitated.

Yes? Francis thought, spurring Sam to state his next observation aloud.

“I think I can guess who Esok was, although their names are different. It took me a while to make the connection. He was Josef.”

Francis smiled. “Very good! I expected you to piece it together from the story. Pulling it out of my mind would have been cheating. How did you guess?”

“Esok reminded me of Josef in some ways. You said Josef was going to be in the story, so I kept watching and waiting for him to show up. Then I realized he was already there. How did he go from a poor mistreated sailor to a hedge fund trader and an investment tycoon? He wasn’t quite so proud when he was with us here, or back then either.”

“There is a memory of the soul that the consciousness is not aware of. Pride works well for Josef. He has to impress people, and he has the intelligence, experience and skill to pull it off most of the time. When he came to us, he needed your talents and was willing to be himself. You can see through anyone. Well, almost anyone who doesn’t have 4000 years of practice of not allowing himself to be seen through. You used to boss me around when we were young and I let you.”

Sam blinked. “As for Josef, he had to start somewhere. He didn’t want to go back to his old life and I was the ticket to his new one. I’m glad meeting me helped move him along the road to his destiny. Remember, Esok waited for me with Haggai, Lord High Treasurer of Nineveh. Once he was introduced to numbers and finance, there was no stopping him. Eventually, I sent him to study with Haggai. He took over Nineveh’s treasury when Haggai died.”

“That’s great. Now, he’s like the king of his personal universe. We were meant to help him. I’m glad we could.” Sam turned to look at his bedside clock. “It’s after four in the morning and you’ve been talking all night. You must be thirsty.”

Francis stifled a laugh. “Nice try.” He touched Sam’s neck delicately and sniffed. “Don’t think your offer isn’t tempting. You enjoy feeding vampires too much. It can be a hazard to your health. Once more before I leave; I promise. Besides, I’ve been thinking the story, not talking out loud. I knew your gift would let you follow.”

“Oh,” Sam said. “No wonder the crypt and satisfying your thirst seemed so vivid. I was half dreaming it, as you thought out what happened. I saw Nineveh and how you were saved as clearly as if I was there. In a way, it was my memory too. As long as I’m awake, did you punish the other blood drinkers? What about that sorcerer? I hope he got what he deserved. Did Persia attack Babylon right away? I won’t be able to sleep until I know what happens.”

“You need more sleep than I do, but we’re close to the end of our time in Nineveh now. Where was I?”

“In the crypt.” Sam stretched and turned to his side, leaning close to Francis again. “I’m glad you survived,” he said and pressed his lips against Francis’s shoulder. He rested his cheek against the cool skin to warm it. “What happened next? I’m waiting.”

“If you want to hear what happened, stop trying to distract me. I’m only … what I am. In 4000 and more years, no one has been more tempting than you are. Listen.”

# #

I removed the copper armlet from my wrist and mangled it into a shapeless ball of metal. I had recovered my strength and my senses were as acute as they had ever been. The smell of the three vampires was strong in the room, overpowering the humans’ scent as a vampire overpowers a human. I didn’t have far to go to find them. They were in the same cemetery, in a different crypt, sleeping together.

The three were young in vampire life, and not very wise in the ways of keeping safe. Sleeping together, helpless, they could easily have been overcome by someone who knew how. I pictured myself carrying them, still unconscious, into the sun to watch them squirm. It would teach them a lesson they wouldn’t soon forget. Although it crossed my mind, I knew I wouldn’t do it. Despite Sulil’s orders and the armlets that weakened their resistance to his dominance, they had not killed me. In fact, they had lied to protect me.

Reasoning thusly, I decided to give them a chance to redeem themselves. I removed and destroyed each of their armlets. As old as I was, the curse engraved on the copper had sapped some of my strength and will. These three had less than a hundred years of life after death between them since their change.

I began with the one who spoke to me in Sulil’s house. He never sensed his danger as I hovered over him. At the first shock of my side teeth on his throat, his eyes opened, but my hands were on his wrists and my knee on his belly. He tried, ineffectually of course, to fend me off, but I wouldn’t let him move. I spoke to him mind to mind while I pressed him into the earth and drank his blood. Dagon has no power over you now. I do. Do you submit to me?

He tilted his neck further. It was the proper sign of submission. Yes, he thought.

Good, I returned. I withdrew my fangs for his wounds to heal, but I held onto him. “Is your sire alive?” I whispered. No. Take a few drops from me,” I commanded, and held my arm to his mouth. He did as I ordered, scratching me lightly with the tip of one fang and lapping up the drops of blood that fell before my skin healed. “Now stay here. Don’t make a sound and don’t move from this spot until I give you permission. Are their sires alive?” I asked, nodding toward the other two.

“We had the same sire. One night when we awoke, we found ourselves free of his dominance. Someone must have killed him. We didn’t.”

I treated the second and the third blood drinker the same way as I had the first. When they submitted to me, I had them sit against one wall so I could address them together. The small amount of daylight that found its way down to this, a lower crypt, would have been lost on a human, but we could see each other. I told them my name, then asked about the one who sired them, and how he had dealt with them.

One of the others spoke to answer me. “He was an engineer and a mason. He took on the task of repairing Nineveh’s walls and streets for the last governor. We never saw any of the money he received for our work. We were already his slaves. To increase our strength and the speed at which we could serve him, he turned us. After we awoke to our new lives, we worked for him from dusk to an hour before sunrise. He let us hunt for our breakfast before we slept.”

To use vampires as slaves was a sacrilege to our ancient gods. They created us to be lower gods, ruled only by them and able to interact with humans. We were defenders, not monsters. Even these three poor souls did not know what they were. Their misuse outraged me, but I had to smile at their profession. “No wonder you succeeded in closing me in so well. The ancient gods who created us never intended us for slavery.”

That went right over their heads, but one found the courage to ask. “How did you get free of the stake?”

“As you sensed, I’m very old. With age comes strength.” Let him think what he would, I did not intend to tell him that humans released me. “It seems you were passed from your old master to Sulil. He is not a blood drinker, but he bound you to his god with his accursed armbands. I removed them for you.”

The three admitted this was true, but I felt their rage at having been enslaved yet again. “You misunderstand,” I said. “I have no wish to be your master, but here are certain conditions you must follow if you want to survive. Find a profession or a trade that allows you to sleep during the day. Be a night guard for a city or an employer if you have no other talent, but at least be paid for your work. Don’t accept slavery. You are above that.

“Don’t drain humans when you feed, unless it is to kill an enemy. You can cloud the minds of those you feed from so they won’t know what you do. As you feel the pleasure of your need assuaged, you can make your giver feel what you feel as a human feels pleasure. Your provider will think they dreamed and be less likely to believe your encounter really happened.”

“Is that possible?” I felt their doubt. This would take thinking and practice on their part. I hoped they were up to it.

“It’s part of our nature. I wouldn’t tell you to do it otherwise. You’ve learned the worse we can do to each other. I would have preferred learning about wood in a less painful way, but now I know.” I felt their contrition toward me and welcomed it.

“Consider other blood drinkers part of your brotherhood. We do not harm each other. As for what will happen when you go, remember that this is Ishtar’s City. Her first worshippers lived here. She will not allow Dagon to usurp her power in Nineveh. Leave this place. Do not go back to Sulil.”

“Don’t you want us to kill him for you? He won’t suspect us until it’s too late. It would be easy.”

It was tempting, but it might be noticed if the three of them left his body where it might be found, with strange marks on it. I wondered if I should kill him myself before he could do any more harm. I knew how to dispose of a body so no one would find it, but I decided not to waste more time on the sorcerer. Ishtar could deal with him. I had to do what was necessary to bring my friends and myself back to Babylon. The king had to be warned. “Let us leave Sulil’s fate up to the goddess. She knows what he has done, both to me and to you and will punish him appropriately.”

“Shall we fight the Persians for you, Master Radu?”

“Blood drinkers have sires, but not masters. No. Keep out of the humans’ war. If you keep my conditions, I pray our ancient gods for you to survive. Do good things with the life that was given to you. Persia and Babylon will fight for supremacy. For now, the king of Babylon is my friend. A time may come when that is not the case. What I’m about to tell you is not my order, but my advice. Don’t sleep together. Help each other when you can, but it would be best if you lived apart. Too many blood drinkers in the same area will bring all of us unwanted attention. Humans don’t see us as protectors, as they did in my country when I was human a thousand years ago. The fewer who know about us and what we are, the better it will be. Now, I must leave you.”

“But the sun, Sire Radu.”

“I’m old,” I said. “I can withstand it. Return to your sleep. At dusk, you must leave Nineveh. Remember to keep my counsel. Good fortune and long life to you.” Each of them gave me a low and respectful bow before they stretched out on the earth once more. I exited the crypt with a lighter heart and with thoughts of seeing my own protectors, Serali, Miceas and Esok, again soon.

[LadyAilith]

Please tell me that this isn't the end of this story! I look forward to reading more about Radu, Sam, Mick and Josef. You've done a superb job of weaving their histories into a great story.

Thank you so much!

LadyAilith

[Penina Spinka]

Hi Lady A. It is always good to hear your thoughts. This is not the end. Sulil has to get what's coming to him. Ishtar has something good in mind and Radu will help. Esok and Haggai also have their parts to play. Radu, Miceas and the woman they both love have to get back to Babylon and defeat the Persians. Did the brothers go to see the play APPLE TREE yet? Esok has another scene in the last act to play with Radu, and Radu has a promise to keep to Sam.

Did you have a chance to look over the new and improved Chapter 1? While I write BECOMING, I learned much more about the brothers' first lives. Thank you so much for keeping up and writing. It makes my day. Penina