“Sorry,” Drake says, evidently catching my look of disgust. “Cinder, these are our honored guests,” he scolds the girl. “Get them something fresh… and human.” He turns back to Jareth and me. “I apologize. You’re probably not used to rat blood. Unfortunately, it’s one of our main sources of sustenance down here.”
I open my mouth to reply, but Jareth shoots me a warning look. So instead, I force myself to take another tiny sip, swallowing it down without puking—but let me tell you, it is no easy task.
“Tastes like chicken,” I manage to spit out.
Drake laughs appreciatively. “Oh I’m sure,” he replies, reaching over and taking my cup and setting it on the ground.
“So what’s the deal?” I ask, wishing I had something to get the oh-so-nasty taste out of my mouth. “I thought vampires couldn’t survive for the long haul with anything but human. Not enough vitamins or something.”
“It’s true,” Drake agrees solemnly. “And if you look at the vampires around the camp, you’ll see the aftereffects of using animal blood as a substitute. They’re scrawny, fragile. Unable to regenerate if wounded. That’s one of the reasons we keep Chupacabra around as guard dogs. The vampires themselves are too weak to put up a good fight.” He shrugs. “But without access to the Consortium’s bank accounts, we’re not able to hire proper blood donors. And my people, though outcasts, aren’t barbaric enough to hunt humans as the vampires of old. Once in a while we’re able to come up with enough money to bribe a blood bank for some bags. But it’s definitely a special treat.”
I look around the camp in wonder. They’re starving—literally—and yet they still retain respect for human life. How are they considered the bad guys, the ones unworthy of joining the Consortium’s ranks?
“Man, your vampire government really sucks,” I mutter to Jareth. “No pun intended.”
He gives me a sad smile. “It’s true,” he says. “And seeing places like this makes me realize how badly we need a new leader. Someone who will provide justice and protection and resources to all vampires—not only a precious few.”
At that moment Cinder returns with our drinks, this time in crystal wine goblets that gleam in the firelight. “You’re very beautiful,” she murmurs, reaching out to touch a strand of my hair, after handing me my drink, an awed look on her sallow face. “Like your sister.”
“Uh, thanks,” I reply, feeling my face heat. It’s so unfair that I’ve had all the advantages and vampires like her have had none. “You’re really pretty, too.” And she is—though her skin is so pale it’s nearly translucent. And her eyes are shadowed with dark circles.
“Here,” I say, handing her back the goblet, mind made up. “You drink this. I actually quite dig the other stuff.” With great effort I force myself to grab the rat gunk by my feet and slurp it down with big mouthfuls. Tastes like chicken. Tastes like chicken. Somehow I manage to drain my glass without throwing up.
Cinder glances over at Drake with nervous eyes, but he gives her a succinct nod. She breaks into a huge smile and I realize she’s missing one of her fangs. “Gracias!” she cries. “Thank you so much!” She gulps down the Homo sapiens cocktail as if she hasn’t eaten for a week. Sadly, I’m guessing that’s not far off the mark.
“So did you guys always live outside the jurisdiction of the Consortium?” I ask when she’s finished. I’m curious how this all came down.
Drake shakes his head. “I was once one of the top leaders of the organization,” he tells me. “That is, until my protégé and I had an argument.”
“Your protégé?”
“Pyrus,” he says flatly. “Once upon a time, I was his sire. I turned him into a vampire and helped him rise to his current position as house speaker. Little did I know of his true intentions. Not to better the world—but to take over. When I saw how power hungry he was becoming, I tried to step in—to knock him down a peg or two, remind him it was a democracy, not a dictatorship.” He sighs. “Pyrus didn’t care for my intervention. He cast me and my coven out of the Consortium, forcing us to flee like dogs. We finally settled here, deep underground, and started a mission to help other vampires who were cast away. It’s not a glamorous life, as you can see, but it’s the only one many of my people know.”
I cringe, looking at the camp, thinking of some of the other covens I’ve visited. All the luxury, the riches, the gallons of blood to drink from waiting donors.
“That doesn’t seem fair.”
“It’s not fair,” Cinder speaks up, her dark eyes flashing fire. “But at least here we are free.”
The elder smiles at her. “That is true, my dear,” he agrees. “By living outside the Consortium, we are not bound by their rules. We are not caught up in their endless wars and politics. We are allowed to bring in stray vampires and rehabilitate them into coven lifestyle. We can offer a safe haven to child vampires—who would otherwise be sentenced to death by Slayer Inc.”
I open my mouth to speak, but suddenly I’m interrupted by a high-pitched squeal of delight.
“Rayne! You’re here! You’re really here!”
11
“Rayne!” Sunny cries, throwing her arms around me. “You came! You really came! I can’t believe you’re here.”