Page 30 of Always Eros
“Good.” I nod. “It was another emotionally heavy day, but I’m handling it.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Can we sit for a moment?”
“Yeah, of course.” I gesture to the bed and Eros enters my room then sits on the edge. I settle next to him, wondering what’s on his mind and hoping he isn’t about to tell me he can’t visit me anymore.
“I have questions about Nightsky. I learned some things today that may be connected to the place you came from. Are you okay to talk to me about it?”
“Yeah. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
“How did you find this place?”
“Carina and some of the others lurk around stores and wait for us to be alone, then they hand us a card with the address. We’re easily identified because we have to wear all white and the women always wear dresses.”
“I see. You mentioned a blood king. Have you ever seen him?”
“Oh no. I’ve only seen the Supreme Being from far away. He’s strange looking. Young, but somehow he comes across very old. He’s very pale and his eyes are, like, crystal blue. Eerie, in a way. I’ve never seen him smile or anything. He’s always serious.”
“Is there anything else you can think of that stands out? Have you seen anyone drink blood?”
I shake my head. “I wasn’t allowed in those ceremonies. All we’ve heard are stories to inspire us. It doesn’t seem true, but they said the Supreme Being is, like, sixty years old, but he looks twenty-five. We’re told the blood king was hundreds of years old before the poisoning. He wasn’t supposed to die, and neither is the Supreme Being.”
Eros nods, and I can tell he’s thinking. “Is it possible your cult has enemies?”
“Oh heck yeah. The whole world is against Nightsky because they have the truth and it threatened all other religions and politics.” I shrug. “I mean, that’s what they told us. I don’t believe that anymore. We were told there was a huge power struggle a long time ago and the blood king won, but out of that conflict came a division between the cult and the world. That’s why they keep us hidden away, so the world can’t taint us.”
Eros furrows his brow as he puts his hand on my thigh. “This is likely going to sound very strange to you.”
I huff a laugh. “I doubt anything sounds weird after how I’ve spent my life.”
“Possibly. Was the word ‘vampire’ ever tossed around?”
My eyes go wide. “How… What?”
“Justice, I need to know. Was there talk of vampires?”
I shift uncomfortably. “There were rumors. The adults told us it was just silly fodder and that vampires didn’t exist, but…” I pause, glancing at my closed door. “I’m not sure I’m supposed to talk about it.”
“No one from there can hurt you.”
“Oh, yeah.” I exhale slowly. “It was a few years ago. I think I was about twenty-two. My age group was in the dining hall for dinner, and this man burst through the doors. He seemed hysterical. He was bloody and beaten. We rushed to help him, and I don’t think I can ever forget the haunted look in his eyes. He kept repeating ‘vampire’ over and over. He grabbed my wrist and told me we were all doomed.”
“What happened to him?”
“No idea. Some guards came in and dragged him away. He was screaming at us, telling us not to let them have our blood. The next morning a meeting was called. We were told the man had been lured by worldly demons and indulged in drugs that gave him hallucinations. They told us to forget what we saw and to never speak of it.” I pause, reliving the terror of that night. “But I never forgot it. I don’t think any of us who witnessed it did. Something about it rang true to me, which is weird. I had no reason to believe in vampires, but I didn’t believe he was on drugs either. Why are you asking me this?”
“What if I told you that vampires are real and there’s a chance your cult is being run by one?”
A lump forms in my throat. “How would you know that? No one knows about the cult’s inner workings. Even our leaders here don’t know a lot of what goes on. It’s very secretive.”
Eros puts his hands on both my shoulders. “My work involves dealing with a lot of unsavory characters. We rescued someone recently who told us a story about vampires. The people who attacked him were looking for a blood king. I’d never heard the term until you said it. It made me wonder if somehow your cult’s teachings are real. At least the origin story portion.”
Staring into his eyes, the strange truth I’ve kept inside since I was young bubbles to the surface. “I’ve tried to convince myself that they aren’t real.”
Eros nods.
“But when I was a kid, I continually had dreams of beings I can only describe as vampires. I wasn’t scared though. They were beautiful to me. Men and women, ethereal and sexy, even. I told my mother once and she scolded me for being fanciful and told me to put the thoughts out of my mind. I tried to. I really did.” I laugh softly, searching Eros’s eyes. “On a rare outing to a bookstore, I snuck a book on paranormal creatures. I couldn’t be caught with it, so I shoved it into my pants. I wrote a sticky note apologizing for taking it and told them I would try to send money for it, but I wouldn’t be allowed to have it. I felt guilty but I had to have the book.”
“And?”