Chapter 53 Uprising

Chapter 53 Uprising


Veronica wiped her brow as the scorching sun beat down on her mercilessly. The heat was brutal, and the crowded market only made things worse. She didn't think hell could be hotter than this.

She picked up a fan and waved it in front of her face, desperate for any relief, but nothing changed. It only blew more hot air.

Her brows furrowed into a deep frown.

Her feet were killing her from standing all day, trying to sell her wares, accessories she had hand made herself, to passing supernaturals and the few higher-ranking humans who wandered by.

"When Eloise comes back, I'm going to kill her," she muttered under her breath.

Her sister had disappeared hours ago without a word, leaving Veronica to man their little stall alone. In this heat, she was dying for a break.

"How much is this?"

A young woman dressed in elegant clothing, holding a pretty umbrella, stopped in front of the stall. She was pale, and the fangs that peeked out when she spoke confirmed she was a vampire. Behind her stood two other women, far less glamorous — human slaves.

Veronica adjusted her hat, which was doing nothing to block the sun's rays, and answered with a practiced smile. "One gold coin."

The woman snapped her fingers, and one of the slaves dropped a pouch of coins into Veronica's palm. The vampire studied her for a moment, then extended the pouch toward her.

Veronica hesitated, then took the pouch.

“Are you buying everything?”

The lady tilted her head. “No. Just the knitted hat.”

She glanced back at the pouch in confusion. Then she opened it and took out a coin before stretching it to the vampire lady.

"Take it. I want you to have them," the lady said.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"That would be stealing."

"We steal far more from you every day," the lady said flatly.

Veronica's eyes widened. Such an accusation was enough for a supernatural to end your life, even if everyone knew it was true. 

She said nothing.

The lady took the pouch and dropped it on the table. "Take it if you want. Throw it away if you'd prefer. I don't care." She picked up the knitted hat and smiled. "I'm just being generous because a pretty woman like you shouldn't be toiling away in the sun." She tilted her head. "Why not become my slave?"

Veronica's back went rigid. "I have no interest in being anyone's slave."

The lady chuckled. "I admire your discipline." She stated condescendingly. “Suit yourself then. I won’t force you. I’m one of the nice ones.” She said before she sauntered off without causing any more trouble.

Veronica exhaled in relief once she was gone, then picked up the pouch of coins. It was enough to sustain them for the entire week, maybe even a month if they spent it wisely. She saw no reason to keep toiling in the sun, so she began packing up.

As she worked, she couldn't stop thinking about the woman's offer. Becoming a slave to a high-ranking supernatural did guarantee a better life in some ways, but the risks were far too great.

For a vampire, a human slave was a legal blood bank. Some vampires didn't know when to stop. Most cases ended with the slave drained dry.

There had been cases where werewolves and witches killed their slaves in fits of rage. Werewolves went a step further, taking human sex slaves to satisfy their beasts. That was a horror all its own.

Sirens and fae usually kept to themselves, but crossing paths with them almost always meant certain death for any human, unless they happened to be in a good mood. They rarely were.

Veronica sighed. She only had herself to rely on.

"Vee!" Eloise called out as she ran toward their stall, breathless with excitement.

Veronica's expression immediately soured. Her sister skidded to a stop in front of her, chest heaving.

Eloise frowned, watching Veronica pack up. "Why are we closing?"

"We?" Veronica's voice was sharp. "Where have you been all day? You left me alone."

"I was going to take the afternoon shift—"

"Did we agree on that?"

"No, but I planned on it." Eloise reached for the wares. "You don't have to pack up. Let me finish selling."

Veronica shook her head. "No need. We've made enough for the week. I can't stand this heat anymore." She slung the pack of goods over her shoulder and started walking. "We'll finish the chores at home."

Eloise hurried after her. "I’m sorry, but you can be angry later. I have good news."

"Tell me where you went first."

Eloise's smile widened. She glanced around warily, then leaned close to Veronica's ear. "Resistance meeting."

Veronica froze. Her hand shot up, clamping over Eloise's mouth. She scanned the street, making sure no one was watching or had overheard them. She grabbed her sister's arm and pulled her toward home.

"We'll talk about this inside."

Eloise followed, still wearing that infuriatingly cheerful expression.

The moment they were through the door, Veronica locked it. She closed the windows, drew the curtains, then turned to her sister, eyes blazing.

"What were you doing at a resistance meeting, Eloise? Do you have a death wish?"

Eloise didn't flinch. "Relax. The meeting was in a secret location. My friend invited me." Her voice softened. "Humans are finally realizing the truth about supernaturals. We are gathering to defend themselves. Isn’t that great?"

Veronica's hands curled into fists. She’d heard about the uprising, humans plotting about how to overthrow the supernaturals. She’d also heard of what happened to those that were caught. 

Fighting against the supernaturals was useless. Humans were just too powerless.

“Do you know how many resistance members have been killed?" She lowered her voice, though there was no one to hear. "You saw what they did to Mr. Ashworth. He was crucified upside down, and when he died, his head was cut off and his body was paraded around town. His wife—" Her voice cracked. "His children were sold off. No one in that family survived."

“We can’t just seat around and do nothing.” Eloise retorted. “We need to make the supernaturals understand that we are not as weak as they think. We have to reclaim our place in society. We have to end those monsters.” She smiled. “Sure, people will die. But that is the sacrifice we have to make for the greater good.”

“Eloise!”

“What?!” Eloise snapped, eyes red in anger. “What’s wrong with you, Vee? Why are you so comfortable in your own suffering? They killed our parents. The vampires sucked them dry because mom accidentally broke a bottle of ‘expensive’ blood. We remain in the werewolf order for protection but they exploit us every chance they get. They treat us like animals. They are all the same. Why can’t you see that?”

Veronica blinked back tears, remembering her parents death. She shut her eyes to keep her emotions at bay. Everyone who had ever offended the supernaturals met a cruelsome death. Eloise was all she had left. She couldn’t let her sister venture down this path.

“You will not attend that meeting again.” She said sternly and started going upstairs to take a bath.

“Yes, I will.” Eloise said and Veronica paused. “One of this days, we are going to wage war against the supernaturals and I’ll be part of that fight.”

“You’re all I have left. Do you want to leave me too?” Veronica broke down. “All we have to do is gather enough money and leave this settlement. We’ll be fine.”

“And go where?” Eloise asked. “No where is safe. We are not accepted anywhere. The sooner you understand that, the better. You had better join me, Vee. The resistance is going to change the world.”