Chapter 39: Sympathy for the Devil
Cyrus
Harlow and I didn’t say much for the rest of the drive back to town. Windows rolled down, the cool desert breeze helped to relax me, but not enough to rid the frustration I was feeling about what Harlow wanted me to do.
Turning her was all I thought about. I wanted it to be me just as much as she did, but I didn’t know if I could bear it if something went wrong. The last time had nearly destroyed me.
When we got back, Harlow pulled her car up to her trailer and ran inside to throw on a change of clothes. Or, as she put it, “I don’t want to smell like movie popcorn and sex before I see Madoc.”
Madoc. Just hearing his name made my skin crawl.
I’d finished taking the last drag off my cigarette by the time she came back out, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. We walked across the highway and around the back of the garage together.
“Did you want to do something after I’m done?” Harlow asked as we approached the entrance to the cellar.
“I need to head off,” I replied.
“Oh,” she said, seeming let down. “If you wanna crash at my place, you can.”
“Thanks, but it’ll be easier if I head home.”
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I’m fine.”
“Look, if this is about Madoc—”
“It’s nothing. Just have to get up early in the morning.” I lied. The truth was, I thought that maybe if I got her a great birthday gift together, I could show her how much I cared about her in a way that didn’t involve her possible death.
“Okay... See you tomorrow?” she asked.
“Of course.”
We kissed one more time before Harlow descended into the cellar.
Harlow
The minute I went into Madoc’s office, my nose was hit by what smelled like a boy’s locker room. In addition to the mounds of boxes and stacks of paperwork that had been there days before, there were now piles of what appeared to be laundry and trash on the floor. I couldn’t be too judgemental, though. My place wasn’t exactly tidy.
“Harlow, please come in,” Madoc said as he stepped over a pile of clothes. He was holding his plastic protein shake cup. “I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.”
“Just my date night with Cyrus,” I replied.
“Really?” He asked. I nodded. “Well, heck, Kiddo, why didn’t you say something?”
“‘Cause you don’t seem like the type who takes no for an answer.”
“I could have rescheduled.” He took a sip of whatever was in his protein shake. He saw me eyeing the cup.
“Yes, it’s what you think it is,” he said, lifting the lid. Inside the cup was blood.
“From donors?” I asked disgustedly.
“I don’t typically bite people. I’m not a monster.”
“You just force people to do your bidding with blackmail and willingly participate in drug trafficking.”
“I’m not exactly a free agent,” Madoc said defensively. “I’m over 250 years old, and I’m stuck in middle management. Not what I envisioned for my immortality, but it beats the alternative.”
“If you’re unhappy at Sunrise Corp, why don’t you just leave?”
“I can’t,” he replied. “They wouldn’t let me live if I did.”
So he was stuck working for them the same way we all were. I decided to change the subject.
“Did you need something?” I asked.
“Yes!” He scampered over to his desk and held up what looked like a brand new laptop. “I’ve got a new computer. I can’t believe how flat it is.” He opened and closed the screen like a child playing with a new toy. “Anyway, I need the help of a computer genius to get this up and running.”
“I’m seriously not a computer whiz,” I replied. “I’m probably less knowledgeable than most people.”
“Well, you’re more knowledgeable than I am.”
I sighed. “Alright, let me see it.”
“Fantastic,” he said, thrusting the laptop into my hands.
I plugged it into the charger and sat at his desk.
“Are you really over 250?” I asked as I waited for the computer to power up.
“Let’s just say, the highlight of my youth was dressing up and dumping tea into Boston Harbor.”
“Wait, are you telling me you were a part of the Boston Tea Party?”
“I REALLY hate tea.” He shrugged while taking a loud sip of whatever blood type was in his cup. “This may come as a shock, but I’m actually the youngest vampire in the world. I was the last one turned.”
“So there haven’t been any new vampires made in, like, centuries?” I asked.
“There aren’t many of us in existence. Less than ten thousand. The old ones are very selective. In addition to being young and attractive by their standards, one has to be sanctioned and approved by the high council to be turned. Hence, our human familiars.”
My thoughts immediately went to Madoc’s helpers. “Leon and Remy,” I said. “You mean, they’re basically prospects?”
“Something like that.”
“But if no one’s been turned since you—”
“Their chances are practically zero.”
The light on the computer indicated that it had enough power to turn it on. Once I got to the startup screen, I began going through the basic setup: choosing a timezone, a keyboard layout, etcetera.
“So…who turned you?” I asked.
“You know, I can’t remember the last time someone’s asked me about her.” Madoc took a seat on the corner of the desk. “Her name was Abigail. We met at a ball outside of Boston celebrating the King’s birthday. Of course, I didn’t know she was a vampire at the time, but it didn’t matter. The moment we met, I knew I wanted to spend every waking moment with her. She was the love of my life.”
“What happened to her?” I asked.
“She got out,” Madoc said with a sad look. “When Sunrise Corporation formed in the 1920s, she defied the council and refused to smuggle illegal booze during prohibition. Said it got innocent people killed. They would have put her to death, so she went into hiding. They’ve become more vigilant since then. No one’s made it out of Sunrise Corporation alive since.”
“Have you ever found her?”
“Not yet, but I know she’s still out there somewhere. Vampires are connected to the one who turned them, much like werewolves and their mating bond. I can still feel her. I’m always on the lookout for her on the internet, though. Hopefully, one day, I’ll find a clue that leads me to her.”
It was almost shocking how human Madoc seemed.
“I hope I can share that same kind of connection with Cyrus,” I found myself saying. “He has reservations about turning me because—” I cut myself off when I realized how open I was being.
“Because of the high mortality rate?” Madoc completed my sentence. I nodded. “If you don’t mind my asking, why go through it if you know the dangers of being turned? Is it just because of how you feel about Cyrus?”
“Partially,” I said, “but it’s also because being here is the first time since my father was put in prison that I’ve felt like I belonged to something.”
“Do you miss him?”
“Everyday.”
“We have something in common.” He gave me a bittersweet smile. “Hey, I’ll see what I can do about what I told you before. Our deal about getting your father out and all that.”
“You’d still help me?” I asked, shocked.
“I can’t make any promises, but I’ll ask... In the meantime, how’s this computer situation looking?” He stood and looked over my shoulder as I clicked “yes” to all of the terms and conditions.
“Almost done.” As I finished getting everything else set up, I couldn’t help but think Madoc wasn’t so black and white after all. There was more to this vampire than I’d given him credit for. But could I trust him?
Cyrus
By the time Harlow’s birthday came around a couple of days later, we’d moved past our tense discussion. We’d slept at our own places two nights in a row, but only because I wanted to work on her birthday gift.
Early that morning, I knocked on her trailer door with a bouquet of wildflowers. Harlow answered in her pajamas.
“Happy birthday,” I said, smiling.
“Thank you.” She lovingly took the bouquet and placed the flowers in the giant gas station cup she had in the cupboard. I made a mental note to get a real vase for her the next time I got her flowers.
“Are you ready to see your present?” I asked, kissing the back of her neck.
“Is it a lap dance?” Harlow joked.
“Maybe later,” I replied with a laugh, then I took her hand and led her outside.
When Harlow saw what sat in front of her trailer, her mouth dropped.
“Oh, my God!” she said excitedly. “I can’t believe it!”