Despite the rage boiling in my being, this man seemed to put me at ease. Well, as much at ease as my body would allow. I couldn’t imagine yelling at this man, he looked so kind, and I found I had to keep reminding myself he was the enemy. He kidnapped me.
A heavy silence hung around us as if everyone was afraid to break the quiet. But not me. “Why am I here? What do you want from me?” The stiff metal of the muzzle pressed against my skin, muffling my words, but my voice remained steady, filling me with quiet pride.
“Knowledge,” the man answered in a calm and cool voice. “We need to know how to deactivate the Dogs.”
My eyebrows shot up in astonishment at the unexpected answer. Was he toying with me? Was this a trap? My eyes darted around the dimly lit room, the shadows playing tricks on my already muddled thoughts. “Everyone knows the humans control the Dogs, so what do youreallywant?”
The man’s eyes flickered, a mixture of confusion and suspicion clouding their depths, as his forehead creased in adeep furrow. In a low and solemn voice, he answered, “We, the humans, do not control the Dogs.”
My stomach lurched and felt hollow. How could this be true? Is he lying to me? I do have to admit, this information made perfect sense, given both sides were sworn enemies and locked in a bitter feud with no communication. If the vampires don’t control the Dogs and neither do the humans…was there another threat unknown to us?
The air in the circular room grew heavy, and the only sound was the low hum of aging light bulbs. The man and I silently stared at one another, a tense silence in the air, both afraid to break it and reveal the cards in our hands.
As if I had cards to show.
The man took a sip from a metal bottle, and rust-colored liquid dribbled down his chin, staining his white uniform. His piercing blue eyes dropped with a look of disgust as he hastily wiped away the droplets. “Ugh, I wish we could find a way to get adequate drinking water from these old pipes.” With a frustrated grunt, he furrowed his eyebrows as he twisted the cap back onto the water receptacle.
“Who are you?” I asked. This man wanted information from me, yet I had no clue who he was or where I’d been brought.
I watched him exhale a long, slow breath, and in that moment, I wondered if the change of subject brought him relief. “My name is Arthur. I’m the leader of the remaining humans on this planet.”
“That you know of,” I blurted. “But anyways, my name is?—”
“Vincent, the son of Salvatore Asposito. I know who you are.”
A sour taste filled my mouth, and my lip curled into a snarl. “What do you want from me?”
Arthur clasped his fingers together. “Initially, we hoped your father would willingly share the knowledge we were looking for,but his resistance left us with no choice but to extract it from him by any means necessary.”
“Me,” I whispered as the realization struck. “You know my father will do anything to get me back.”
“Will he?” Arthur’s eyebrows raised before an amused smile danced at his lips.
If I were being honest, I wasn’t sure. Even though it appeared to be a difficult decision, he made the choice to let them take me. In my heart, I know he truly cares for me, but my brain questions if his love is influenced by the wealth and power I’ve helped him attain. If I were replaceable without impact on him, would getting me back be any of his concern?
“Tell me whatyouknow about the Dogs.”
What wasn’t he understanding? I told him I knew nothing that could help him. He must be toying with me. I searched his light blue eyes, cold and unyielding like polished steel, for any hint of a trap, but found only an unsettling calm. “I have always been told humans controlled the Dogs. That’s why we fear leaving the Elysiums.”
“Andwewere under the impression the vampires gave the Dogs their orders.” A squint creased his forehead, a silent challenge as he searched my expression for any trace of falsehood, but I met his gaze with unwavering truth. “It seems our separation may have created miscommunication, and the Dogs have their own owner. Someone…different than who we initially thought.”
“Dante?” The only person I thought of was my father’s old business partner, a man whose betrayal left a lasting scar. I searched his face intently, hoping to find a flicker of familiarity, but his expression remained blank.
“Who’s that?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure. I thought he had more involvement with the humans.”
“His name does sound familiar.” Arthur squinted as he thought. “But I’d have to look into our records for more information. Do you think he controls the Dogs?”
I shook my head. “He’d likely be long since dead by now.” This news was what I feared. For years, we’ve been at war with the humans, each side trying to eliminate the other for dominance over them and their pets, but the reality was so much worse.
Arthur lifted his heels, his gaze lingering on the door behind me. “Bring in the Dog!” He snapped the metal mask back onto his face before turning to me. “You’ll get to meet your friend from last night again.”
More people entered the room behind me, their footsteps short and intentional, as if they were pulling something behind them. Turning, I saw two burly men in white robes, their faces grim, carrying a Dog on a rough-hewn wagon. The Dog had its legs tied together, a metal muzzle around its mouth, much like mine, and a blindfold over its metallic screened eyes. The beast’s terrifying presence caused my body to tense; this was the Dog who tried killing me last night. Its sharp claws and teeth sent a jolt of primal fear through me. “W-what’s that doing here?”
“For years, the threat of the Dogs has halted our advances to eradicate the vampires. Our hope is without those…” Arthur paused and hesitantly gazed in my direction. “Abominations, we’ll be able to live freely and create a new era of humanity.”
“But now we know neither side controls the Dogs, we can try to find out who does and work together, right?” I truly believed this was a possibility. “Which could start a new generation of humans and vampires living in harmony.”
