Page 74 of A Steeping of Blood
“I am those one hundred and fifteen vampires who suffered because you chose it.”
Matteo was breathing hard. Arthie studied him, the fear written on his face, the pain that he seemed to have little control over. He’d spent the past twenty years in a cage of his own making, painting his emotions for the masses and speaking none of it, holding his truth behind debonair smiles and easy words.
And with his return to the outside world came fear, naturally amplified by decades of seclusion.
Shaw and Sora didn’t try to refute him.
Arthie’s voice was soft. “And now we have the choice to stop it. To find peace for yourself, the kidnapped vampires, all of us.”
Matteo said nothing.
Shaw looked as though he wanted to pull Matteo in for a hug, sending a surge of bittersweet sorrow through Arthie’s chest. She had long wished for her parents, and Jin had always wished for his, but who did Matteo have? His parents had been as absent as Flick’s. Penn had filled that void, it seemed, but he’d gone from missing to dead.
“I don’t speak to dismiss our deeds,” Shaw said. “I will not dare to ask forgiveness either. We’ve done what we could over the past decade to defy the Ram: delaying projects, purposely failing tests, extending timelines, but at the same time, we’ve committed our share of evil too.”
“We needed the Ram to believe us so we wouldn’t be replaced by someone as heartless as she is, and with our notes in hand,” Sora said. “It’s true we wanted Jin safe, but we also needed to stay alive ourselves, if only for as many vampires to have the best chance at—at escaping alive.”
Matteo said nothing. Jin didn’t either. Now Arthie understood the look on his face when he’d released her and Matteo from their cell. There was more to this matter than good or evil.
“In truth, we could have fled many times over recent years,” Sora added. “But we know the damage that would have caused—particularly after vampires were brought here.”
It was how she spoke of leaving the vampires that gave Arthie pause. She spoke of them with guilt more than duty.
As though she saw Arthie’s hesitance, Sora gave her a small smile. “For it was our silver inoculation that brought them to this point.”
They were hiding something.
Arthie didn’t know if she should care. Regardless of what they’d done, the present was still more important. The tribute would not stop, the guards here would not wait, and the Siwangs still had a part to play. They needed to move.
“We didn’t come here to have a moral debate,” Arthie said. “We have more pressing matters to attend to back in Ettenia, and you two are going to help.”
“Anything,” Shaw said. “We’ve—it’s embarrassing to say, but to remain sane, we’ve been working on a plan of our own—of escape for us and the vampires, and beyond.”
“Beyond?” Arthie asked.
“When we first made our discovery regarding liquid silver,” Shaw said, “we were invited to present our findings to the Ram and the Council.”
“The Council?” Matteo asked.
“Indeed,” Shaw said. “We’ve long believed they’re our only hope of toppling the Ram’s reign.”
Penn had wanted to appeal to them too. He had been searching for evidence, pooling together what he could. What larger piece of evidence could they provide than the Siwangs themselves, and work the Council already knew of?
Hope resurfaced within her, as eager as a rising tide at sea.
Jin gestured to a slender box on the table amid a medley of test tubes and notes. Nestled within was a vial attached to a capped needle. The liquid inside shimmered, molten and beautiful. “Is that it?”
Shaw nodded. “One dose of silver. Enough to subdue a single vampire.”
“To ask for your trust is selfish, but may we ask for a chance?” Sora asked. Her question was directed at Matteo, but Arthie knew she was asking them all in that moment, Jin included.
Matteo sighed but eventually nodded. For her own self, Arthie much preferred not having to command them at gunpoint.
She studied the silver dose on the table, unsure what possessed her to pick it up and slip it into her pocket. Precaution, she supposed. None of the others noticed.
“The sanatorium is filled to the brim with guards armed to kill on sight. We’ll have to be careful. Where is the rest of your group?” Sora asked.
“You’re looking at it,” Jin said.
