Were they expecting a reaction out of me? I didn’t need their thanks. This was a ploy to give me false praise. I raised one eyebrow. “Is that all?”
“No,” the red-haired woman answered. “We attempted to keep the Dog alive to study it and find its weakness or to see if we could find a switch to turn it off, but were unsuccessful. Our research caused it to enter its fight or flight and escape, which was an unfortunate mishap.”
The short man on the far left yelled, “Bring in the Dog!” With his words lingering in the air, three large bodies carried the dead Dog and lowered it to the ground in front of us. The metal exterior showed a gaping hole, surrounded by a spreading pool of dark liquid smelling faintly of burnt metal.
I do have to say, seeing it dead gave me satisfaction.
With a sigh, the red-haired woman spoke again in her wistful, melancholic tone. “But good came from our folly. You were able to do what we couldn’t—you killed the Dog. Typically, when a Dog is injured, its pack protects it long enough for it to retreat for repair. We were able to restrain it outside before it attempted to retreat.”
What did they find? Where do the Dogs go for repairs?
The short man spoke again, “Our technologists were able to take it apart and found this in its head.” He held out a transparent sphere the size of a baseball, and a light tinkling was heard throughout the room.
Squinting against the glare, I saw a tiny, red bean-like item inside the ball, almost too small to be real. The bean, desperateto escape, slammed repeatedly against the smooth, unyielding curve of the sphere.
“We believe this is a compass that aids the Dogs in finding their way back to their nest. Right now, the mechanism is prompting me to go west, and if I walk in that direction, the item sticks to the side of this sphere until it prompts me to turn.”
The white-haired figure spoke, their voice a melodious blend, neither masculine nor feminine. “If we can find a way to disable the Dogs, we’d be able to send an army to the vampire compound.”
Arthur’s bright eyes gleamed in my direction. “Jude, as head of our strategic military force, I’m tasking you with organizing a small group to locate the Dog’s nest. It’ll be a dangerous journey, but a necessary one.”
He nodded dutifully. “I’ll begin the preparations tonight.”
“And one more thing.” Arthur’s wrinkled face twitched with amusement. “Vincent will be joining you as well.”
My face scrunched in disbelief. Did I hear him correctly? Silence descended, thick and heavy, as the adults froze, their expressions hardening. Jude and his father stared at each other, a silent conversation between the two as the weight of the moment was heavy in the air.
The white-haired council member’s voice echoed through the room, dripping like poison. “Can he be fully trusted? Heisa vampire after all.”
“Yeah, you don’t even know me.” This was meant to be a thought, but my mind decided to have the words tumble from my mouth. Luckily, I didn’t share my other thoughts—was this his way of killing me? Away from everyone? Or was it my chance to escape back to Elysium? Everyone’s gaze was on me, like daggers piercing my skin, their eyes burning holes into my soul.
“While I don’t fully agree with my father’s suggestion…”
“It’s not a suggestion, but a requirement.” Arthur’s voice grew stern.
“Like I was saying,” Jude’s eyebrows furrowed before he turned back to the council, “I do have some reservations about a vampire joining my group, but I’ve watched him interact with care toward the residents and have gotten to know him a little since he’s been here. He may be…” He paused, trying to find the words. “Difficult, but he saved me from the Dog. For that, I have to putsometrust in him.”
“And what if I don’t want to go?” Decisions were made without my consent, just like my entire life in Elysium, and I wanted my voice heard. Especially by humans.
“Then I’ll give my military personnel orders to eliminate you,” Arthur spat. “As our…guest, you don’t have a say in the matter.”
I pushed down the laugh building in my throat and couldn’t help but mutter, “Guest? More like a hostage.”
Exasperatedly, Arthur turned toward the council. “If my status within Silvertown is on the line by having Vincent join this assignment, I’m willing to accept that risk. I believe in him.”
I hated these people, but his words hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving me breathless and shaking my head. No one ever believed in me before. Surely this was him manipulating me, right? If not, his naivety would be his downfall if he thought that, because I saved him, he could trust me.
I couldn’t deny his belief in me felt good, though. Like I mattered.
“You’re endangering your son’s life!” The red-haired councilwoman’s voice rang. “How does he feel about that?”
“Let’s ask him.”
All eyes turned to Jude, who was fidgeting with his fingers as he weighed his options. Raising his head to the narrow-eyed adults in the room, he confidently nodded. “I’ll take the risk.”
“I trust you, my son.” A smile tugged at Arthur’s cracked lips before it disappeared and was replaced with a business-like demeanor. “A fully charged car will be available to you in the morning. You’re free to leave, gather the group, and prepare for the journey ahead.”
The four council members, their heads shaking in disbelief, replaced their metal masks before leaving their podiums and vanishing through the cinema door. With every departure, I felt the weight of their scrutinizing eyes, a silent judgment that chilled me to the bone.
