Chapter 12

ROSE

I woke Eleanor up at 6 p.m. The sun had just disappeared behind the mountains, and the valley was bathed in cold, dark moonlight.

She dressed in white tights, a beige skirt, and a light purple turtleneck. It was coming autumn, and cold winds had started blowing harshly.

While she pulled her boots on, I fastened her fifteenth-century velvet jacket. I brushed her short, glossy chocolate curls and pulled them up in a beige ribbon.

Excited, she rushed out of her room, scampering up the staircase on her hands and knees.

Demetrius and I followed behind, dressed in modern clothes and holding hands. We both had two bags slung over our shoulders, full of baggies of blood.

I smelled Eloise in the cathedral when we arrived. She was sitting on the table wearing skin-tight dark jeans, knee-high stiletto black boots, and a gaping black shirt.

She grinned at Eleanor and flipped off the table smoothly.

“Going somewhere?” she asked, taking in our clothes and shoes. I smiled at her curtly.

“We’re going into town,” I informed her, moving to grasp Eleanor’s hand. Eleanor pulled away from me, scowling.

Eloise arched her brows, placing her hands on her hips. She glanced around the empty cathedral.

“Mind if I come with? There’s not much to do here when everyone’s still asleep.” She flipped her hair back, grinning. I glanced at Demetrius, who nodded.

“Of course. We’re going to the blood bank,” he told her. Somehow, Eloise’s grin widened.

“Perfect!” she gushed, rubbing her hands together and winking at Eleanor. Eleanor grinned back at her.

“We’re buying her breakfast in town.” I faced Eloise and cocked my head to one side. “If you’re coming, get a jacket.” I eyed her low neckline but decided not to give any complaint.

Eloise dashed off. She was back with a thin black jacket on, tying it tightly around her waist just as Demetrius pushed the cathedral doors open.

I picked up Eleanor and hugged her to my chest, wrapping my coat around her small body. She gripped herself to me, excited about the trip into town.

We moved across the valley in a straight line. Eleanor had to squeeze her eyes closed to stop from filling them with snow, but her head was perked up.

She was grinning widely, enjoying the speed and the wind on her face.

We arrived in Fairbanks at around half past six. The city lights had just turned on, illuminating the city in a shallow yellow light.

We walked through the city streets at human speed. Eleanor gripped my hand, peering around her and smiling at Eloise, who held her other hand.

Demetrius walked next to me, scanning the footpath in front of us.

Humans were rushing past, coming home from work and running late errands. Most of the time, their eyes paused on us.

Every so often, a jaw would pop. When I met their eyes, they would immediately drop their gaze and scamper off.

We walked by a full, bustling bar, already crowded with a herd of young, testosterone-filled men with strong drinks in their hands. One of them caught sight of Eloise and whistled.

Before I knew it, she was being crowded by young men ogling at her pale bare chest and extra-tight jeans.

She gave them a brilliant grin, flipped her hair, and walked away, her hand still gripping Eleanor’s.

The boys cried out to her. They looked truly devastated.

We stopped at a small bakery and ignored the baker’s stare. I leaned down to Eleanor’s height and pointed at the food.

“Choose something, honey,” I told her. She pressed her hands against the glass, her eyes wide.

“Don’t put your hands on the glass!” I scolded, pulling her small pink hands away. Eleanor didn’t resist.

“Really…,” the baker started. I glanced up at him. “It’s okay,” he finished. I smiled sweetly.

His heart skipped a beat, then started racing furiously in his chest. His hands clenched by his side. He was clearly holding back from touching me.

He hadn’t even seemed to notice Demetrius standing behind me, eyeing him hungrily.

“What’s that, Mother?” Eleanor asked in her small voice. She pointed at a croissant.

“It’s a pastry, honey. A French one called a croissant. There’s lots of butter. It’s yummy,” I replied, smiling down at her. Eleanor tapped her finger against her chin.

“And that?” she pushed. I peered at the piece of chocolate and arched my brows at her. She giggled. “I want the chocolate cake!” she cried happily.

Eloise snorted, tossing her hair. Eleanor grinned up at us.

“Chocolate cake for breakfast? No, sorry.” I shook my head.

“Breakfast?” The baker asked, puzzled.

“Uh-huh.” Eloise smiled at him, batting her lashes. She really didn’t have to. He was already drooling.

I listened as his heart rate accelerated. His blood smelled too sweet. I breathed out loudly, reminding myself I was on a diet.

“But I want the cake,” Eleanor moaned.

“Eleanor,” Demetrius cautioned, catching her gaze and scowling.

She blinked back at him, then grinned. Ever since he’d started talking to her, she’d been happy and had done everything he’d asked.

“Can I have that then, Mother?” She pointed at a large muffin filled with cranberries. I smiled and nodded.

“That looks great,” I agreed, then turned to the baker. “One muffin, please.” He nodded vigorously and fumbled to put it in a bag. He leaned over the counter, holding the bag out.

Our fingers touched as I took it. A shiver went down his spine, and he grinned.

I drew back quickly and handed Eleanor her muffin. She pulled it out of her bag, looking at it, licking her lips, and grinning.

I dropped the coins in the baker’s hand, avoiding any contact. He slipped it into his cash register and grinned at us, his heart still thudding.

“Thank you. Goodbye,” I turned, slowly glancing down the street.

“Bye!” Eleanor called gaily, moving away from the bakery. We caught up with her easily. She bit into her muffin and grinned at me, her eyes twinkling.

“Yummy, Mother! Do you want to try? It’s really good!” She held it out to me eagerly. I laughed lightly and shook my head.

“No. Thank you, Eleanor, but no. You enjoy it on your own,” I insisted, pushing her hand away.

She looked confused, then shrugged and took another bite.

The blood bank was near the edge of town. There weren’t many cars left in the parking lot and not many people on the streets anymore.

We slipped in through the front doors, one brilliant smile and a wink from Demetrius was all the secretary needed to let us pass.

We followed Demetrius down the hallways. Eleanor finished her muffin and handed me the bag. I stuffed it in my pocket, waiting for the next trashcan.

I smelled the sickness and wrongness in the blood throughout the hospital. When we walked past doors, I could smell the rotting flesh and wide-open wounds.

And the sweat. The hospital was almost as drenched in sweat as it was in the blood.

Eleanor didn’t seem to notice. She peered through the slightly ajar doors and windows, always trying to see what was happening.

Demetrius led us into the staff-only staircase, and we followed him down rapidly to the cellar.

The walls, ceiling, and floor were made of concrete, and there were metal shelves mostly full of old gadgets.

In the back corner was a large refrigerator. Though it was frozen, I could smell the blood inside.

Demetrius flipped the door open. It was stuffed with little blood bags. My eyes flashed red for a second.

I turned away so Eleanor wouldn’t notice. She’d barely noticed the refrigerator anyway. She was caught up looking at an old stethoscope.

Demetrius emptied our bags on the floor, and then he and Eloise made short work filling the bags up with the human blood baggies.

“Mother, what does this do?” Eleanor asked me, holding up the stethoscope, her eyes wide. I knelt next to her.

“It allows you to listen to your heartbeat. Like this.” I slipped the two pieces into her ears and held the flat surface against her heart.

I watched as her eyes widened even more, and she grinned. “Wow, is that really my heart beating?”

I nodded, smiling.

“It’s beating pretty fast,” she pointed out.

I nodded in agreement. “That’s normal. Children’s heartbeats are always fast.”

“Can I listen to yours?” she asked, moving the flat part of the stethoscope toward me.

I stepped back. Eleanor frowned.

“No, honey. But you can’t. I, uh…” I glanced around quickly. “We have to go now.”

Eleanor nodded slowly, still gripping the stethoscope. Eloise and Demetrius had filled the bags, and Demetrius handed mine back to me. I slung it over my shoulder easily.

“What’s it called?” Eleanor continued.

“A stethoscope,” I replied.

“A stethoscope?”

“Stethoscope,” I repeated. Eleanor blinked at me, then tried again.

“Won’t anyone notice?” Eloise asked as I took Eleanor’s hand.

“No,” Demetrius knelt and started filling the fridge back up with our baggies of blood from the floor. Eloise looked on, bewildered.

“Consider an exchange,” Demetrius continued.

“So, we give them our blood,” she replied doubtfully.

“After all, we need their blood, so it’s fair we exchange it for ours,” he told her.

Her brows pulled together, puzzled. “But humans are humans. Like, we’re ~better~ than them! Why do we have to exchange anything?”

“Because, despite being superior, we can’t live without them,” I said calmly.

Eloise twitched, her beautiful face a mask of pure confusion. “But if they drink our blood, they heal,” she replied.

“Exactly. And we like healthy humans. They give us their blood, we give them ours, they get better, and we get more blood!” Demetrius finished, smiling.

He closed the fridge door and slipped his bag over his shoulder.

“Huh.” Eloise slipped her bag over her shoulder and shrugged. “Why haven’t my parents ever told me this before?” she asked.

It was Demetrius’s turn to shrug. “I don’t know. They didn’t expect you to need to know,” he answered. Eloise scowled.

“Can we go now? It’s cold down here,” Eleanor whined, tugging on my hand.

I nodded and smiled down at her. “Of course. Let’s go.” I glanced around the room, meeting Demetrius’s eyes with a steady gaze. He smiled and me and nodded.

Eloise led the way up. The smell of human blood on my back caused my muscles to tense and my eyes to flash a little. I turned my face away from Eleanor.

The city streets were a little emptier. It was mostly young couples and people going to parties and bars.

As we walked through the streets, I heard the humans eating dinner and putting their children to bed.

I heard five-year-olds like Eleanor playing in their rooms, reading with their parents, and watching television.

Eleanor trotted next to me, staring at the humans walking past. She always loved coming into town and discovering new faces.

“Mother.”

I glanced down at her. “What is it?”

“How come everyone’s going to bed now? It’s early!” I paused, staring down into her deep eyes.

I felt Eloise and Demetrius stiffen next to me. I shrugged one shoulder.

“Most people sleep when it’s dark. Our family is just a little different.” I gave her a brilliant smile and squeezed her hand.

She didn’t seem entirely convinced, but she accepted my response as an answer.

We stopped by a newsagent at the edge of town. An old man was standing behind the counter. I felt his eyes on us as we walked into his shop.

Demetrius picked out the daily newspaper, and we approached the counter.

“Bit late to be reading the daily news,” he pointed out as Demetrius bought it. He gave him a curt smile.

“We were out of town. Just got home. Anything happen?” he asked, glancing at the paper. I knew he’d already read half of the front page.

The old man rubbed his stubby, spiky chin and nodded slowly. “Another one of them murders,” he replied.

My brows shot up in surprise. Eloise tensed next to me. I knew she was holding back from ripping his jugular out.

“Oh?” Demetrius prodded.

“Yep, a street kid, probably been dead for a few days. No one to claim his body. No big tragedy.”

I cocked my head to one side. “But a little scary,” I breathed, folding my hair behind my ear.

The old man glanced at me. His heart skipped a beat, and I gave him a slightly frightened look.

“No need to worry, young lady. This has happened before around these parts. I’ve lived here all my life, and every twenty years or so, there’s an outbreak. Just don’t go wandering around on your own at night.” He smiled at me.

“Are the police doing anything about this?” Eloise demanded, tossing her curls out of her air and staring at the old man intently.

“Course!” he scoffed. “They’re searching for the murderers, but they’re not gonna find them. They’re like ghosts.”

Eloise nodded slowly and cast me a small glance. I shook her off and smiled at the old man.

“Thank you.”

“Just get home. It would be a shame for you to lose your life so young.” He gave me a sad smile.

“We’re heading straight there. Thanks.”

I lifted Eleanor in my arms and held her tightly against my body. She stared at the old man for a second. Then her eyes widened at the sight of the colorful stickers for sale.

We quickly left the shop before she could ask to buy them.

“They’re gonna keep finding bodies for a few days. But then things should calm down,” Demetrius murmured.

“Yeah, after all, he’s right. We snap a little every twenty years,” Eloise agreed.

“Let’s just get this blood home before anyone else dies,” I muttered, breaking into a run. Eloise and Demetrius followed closely behind me.