Page 27 of Taken By the Vampires
“Conway?” What could I tell them, other than the fact it was ruled by a corrupt, good old boys network? But they’d know that. “Surely you would have gone into town for supplies.”
I imagined they’d have to go in sometime for food and such, but I frowned at not having seen them before. I knew everyone and even when strangers walked into town, everyone spoke about them. Men like these would have everyone’s tongues wagging, but I hadn’t heard a word.
“It’s been…a while since we’ve been into town. I’d like to hear it from your point of view. Tell us of the people,” Xander said, sitting in the chair next to Cassius, by the fire.
At a press of Davon’s fingertips, I slowly nestled back against his chest. It was strange. This position was intimate, and yet with the three of them there it was natural. Apart from my discomfort, they didn’t give it any mind at all.
Besides, it had been such a long time since I’d allowed myself to draw comfort from anyone, let alone a man, or men, in this case. Three times the comfort. Three times the trouble. And yet, it was a temptation I couldn’t resist. To just lay there with someone’s arms about me, offering me comfort.
I did wonder why they cared for me to this extent. I didn’t quite buy that they were being truly altruistic, but then again, maybe I was just far too jaded. The truth was, I didn’t know any more and I was too exhausted to fight the worry about it.
They weren’t hurting me. They weren’t forcing themselves on me. Maybe I should just take things at face value. There didn’t seem to be much in the way of outside communication. Maybe they were just trying to make a country hick like myself feel comfortable and fill in a bit of time before we all could go home.
Besides, Davon’s body heat was welcome, as was the generosity of his time and caring. I’d never know anyone quite like him. Like none of them, really. There was a timelessness about them. While everyone ran helter-skelter through life, going from one thing to the next, trying to fit everything in, they just… observed. I stretched out beside him. He drew his arm about me. The tension slowly eased out of me as my limbs relaxed. I folded my hand on top of his chest, watching it rise and fall with his breathing.
“What do you want to know?” There really wasn’t much to tell. The days blended into a homogenous mix in a small town. I mentally winced, knowing I was going to sound so cocooned. To live all of my life in such a small town when there was a whole world out there to discover.
“What do you do there?” Davon’s chest vibrated with his deep voice.
I sighed, trying to ignore the worry about the farm we depended on for our survival and Mom, hoping she wasn’t getting worse, “I breedRambouillet sheep for their wool. It seems I have a bit of a knack for producing the best quality wool in the area.”
“They produce very high-quality wool,” Xander said.
I blinked. Most people eye’s glazed over when they asked me what I did. “Yes. How did you know that?”
“At one stage, I worked on a farm. A long time ago. Almost too long ago to remember,” Xander said.
“My herd of sheep are descended from the originals from this region,” I said.
“I remember when we first introduced them,” Xander said.
I frowned, glancing at him, “The originals? That was almost three hundred years ago.”
“Yes. That’s right. I…must have read that. Is that what you’ve always wanted to do?”
I had the feeling he was being evasive, but for the life of me I didn’t see how sheep farming came into it. It was a harmless enough subject. “Me? There aren’t many career options in Conway. Not unless you’re a follower of the Holy Trinity.” How could I tell them my plans had never been to stay in Conway? I’d studied online, earned my degree in marketing. I’d wanted a big career in a big city. It was a pity life had other plans for me.
“The Holy Trinity?” Cassius asked.
“Surely you’ve heard of them.” You’d have to be under a rock not to hear about Minister Jeremiah Sinclair, Herman White and Ellis Myers. They had quite the reputation.
I wondered at their blank looks. They must be the only three people in the vicinity not to have heard of The Holy Trinity. I felt as though I was about to destroy their nice views of Conway.
“They’re the royalty of Conway. They control everything from the laws, to the economy, to the distribution of work. Have for generations. If you want to get anything out of life, you have to bow down to them. If you don’t do as they say, then you’re on the outer fringes. And you don’t want to be on the outer fringes.” It was freeing to be able to talk about them without fear of retribution. It had gotten so bad, that speaking about any of The Trinity, even in private, was paramount to sacrilege. It was exhausting, watching every little thing you said and did.
“How did they treat you, Ella? Were you on the outer fringes, as you call it?”
I allowed a small smile to play across my mouth, probably more of a grimace than anything else. “No matter how hard I tried to abide by their stupid rules, I just couldn’t bring myself to be that way.”
Xander’s deep chuckle melted right through me. “Somehow I thought you’d say something like that.” I liked the sound of it. I also liked seeing his face relax with a smile.
It was also refreshing not to have people tell me what I should think and do and say. No one had agreed with me for a long, long time. Every day had been one battle after another. My fist clenched over Davon’s heart. “What they’re doing is wrong and I can’t understand why people just stand by and let them rule their lives. Nobody should have that power over someone else. Nobody. It’s wrong.”
They had overpowered my life and the life of my mother for far too long. They had the power to rule my farm, my financial stability and her health. They just hadn’t stood by and passively let it happen, either. One way or another, over time, little by little, they had whittled down my business and forced me into a corner. I had to wonder if it was absolute power they wanted over all that lived in Conway, or if it was more than that.
If it was, I had no idea why. Surely, I wasn’t important enough to warrant their long-time attention. I’d never thought about it that way before. Probably because being in the middle of everything shortens your perspective about your reality.
Davon’s strolling digits stilled, his fingers curling around my arm. “Is that why you were halfway up the mountain when we found you? Did they do something to you? Threaten you?”
