Chapter Three: The Good Half
Sampson and Sophia collapsed onto the hay covered floor of the Eris' barn. Their bodies shuddered with agony. Steam rose from their skin. Their long nails dug into the floor as their fingers tightened reflexively.
"Daddy." Sophia rasped weakly. Tears fell from her eyes, forming a puddle beneath her face. "It hurts." Her voice cracked.
"I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry." He replied, the sound garbled in his throat. There were places on his body where the sunlight had cut straight to the muscle in the brief moments that they were fully exposed. He reached over shakily and stroked his little girl's straight brown hair, the same shade of rich mahogany wood as his own. As the long, silky strands passed through his claws, he thought sadly of his wife and bitterly wished that Sophia had inherited her curls. He clenched his jaw and lifted himself to his feet. He tried to ignore the radiating pain, but could not hold back the moan that escaped his teeth filled mouth.
His dark eyes fell on the goats that blinked blankly at them from a small pen. "This'll make us feel better." Growled Sampson, beneath his breath. He tilted his head to the side, cracking the bones. Then he rolled his shoulders to relieve the tension in his upper torso. He stalked towards the pen and yanked a black and white female from the others. With a swift twist of her head, he snapped the goat's neck and went quickly to feeding. His teeth tore into the goat's jugular. Blood rushed into his mouth and dripped from his chin, staining his bare chest and stomach with red.
A swift tug on his striped pajama pants interrupted his meal. Retracting his teeth from the goat's throat, he looked down at Sophia's eager face. "May I have some?" She asked, reaching up.
Without hesitation, he handed her the goat, and allowed her to drink away the last bit of blood that was left within it's body.
When the meal was through, and their bodies had repaired themselves, he scooped Sophia up and scurried up a ladder into a dark hayloft with her on his back. "Get some sleep. We'll be leaving tonight." He said, as he settled Sophia down on a pile of hay.
"Where are we going?" She asked.
She'd always had an inquisitive nature. Sampson smiled. She got it from her mother. "We're going to head south, to Savannah. I know of a larger coven there that may be able to take us in."
"Are you sure that they'll help us? Mama says that every coven has to take care of themselves." Said Sophia, her eyelids drooping with sleep.
Sampson frowned. His heart clenched in his chest at his daughter's use of the present tense, as if her mother would show up at any moment. Fine and dandy. Alive. "Maybe not." He answered truthfully. "But we have to try. The larger the coven, the less likely the Extinguishers will chance a direct attack like the one they pulled tonight. Even though I know I'll have to give up being leader if we join with the Sweet coven, I'm willing to set aside my pride to ensure your safety." He reached over and brushed Sophia's bangs away from her face. "I don't want you to ever go through this again." He leaned over her and kissed her forehead. "Sleep now." He rose to his feet and walked towards the drop off of the hayloft.
"Where are you going?" Sophia asked, panic gripping her. Was her father going to leave her alone? What if the Extinguishers came back for her?
"Nowhere. I'm going to stand guard while you rest. Sleep until dusk, Sophia. We'll leave as soon as the sky turns dark." He said, stepping out onto a thick wooden beam. He crouched there, where a shadow blotted out the beam, and waited. After a few moments, he looked over his shoulder at where Sophia lay sleeping and smiled sadly at the small bones that littered her makeshift bed.
The hours ticked by painfully slowly. Sampson remained on his guard. He remained crouched on the overhead beams, only moving from his vantage point in the shadows to take out his frustrations on the remaining goats. Finally, the sun set and the sky became black.
"Sophia." Sampson nudged at her bones with his bare foot.
The bones stirred, air passed through them as she took in the breath of life once again. Her body reassembled and retook the human façade that was so essential to their survival. Sophia sat up and rubbed at sleep filled eyes. "Daddy? Where's Mama? I had a scary dream. We were being chased by monsters and they got her."
"It wasn't a dream. You're mother's gone." Spat Sampson. He caught himself, surprised by the cold hollowness of his own voice. "We're on our own now." He added softly.
Sophia down cast her eyes, her whole body slumping under the enormous weight of the truth. "Oh." She sighed. "I-I forgot. I remember now."
"Let's go." Sampson scooped her up and guided her onto his back. He needed to move. He was tired of sitting and waiting. His whole body felt like a tightly coiled spring ready to snap.
He leapt down from the hayloft and landed silently on his feet. He ran out of the barn and across the open lawn of the Eris' house. Tom Eris' truck sat idle in the dirt driveway. His hound dogs barked restlessly from their pen behind the house. At his approach, they began to whine in fear. They could feel his venom in the air, smell the scent of death carried on the wind. When they reached the old, worn out Ford, Sampson jerked open the drivers' side door, breaking the lock, and swung Sophia over into the passenger seat. "Buckle up." He ordered, as he ripped out a panel beneath the steering wheel to expose the needed wires.
Sophia could hear the growl in his voice. It hadn't left since her mother told him of the attack. It was forever present now, that demonic edge. Anger had taken over now and she wasn't sure if he'd ever break free of it's control. She did as she was told and clicked her seat belt into place across her lap. She watched Sampson hotwire the truck. Sparks flew through the air at each contact of the exposed wires. They flittered across the inky surface of her father's eyes eerily. Sophia had never seen his eyes so dark, so empty and cold. He hardly looked like her father at all. Finally, the truck roared to life.
At nearly the same time, the farm house's screen door opened and swung shut. An orb of light lit the back of Sampson's head. "Get your hands up!" Growled Tom Eris' familiar elderly voice. There was the click of a pistol being cocked. Sophia watched as Sampson's black eyes shifted to glance back at Mr. Eris. She felt her stomach drop and her chest tighten. The coldness remained in her father's face.
Sampson blinked and his eyes returned to normal. He painted on a friendly smile, his teeth all straight and blunted. "Stay quiet." He mouthed to Sophia and stood up straight. He raised up his hands and turned towards Mr. Eris.
"Haze?" Mr. Eris said in surprise. He lowered his revolver slightly. "Why are you trying to steal my truck?"
Sampson lowered his hands, seeing that the old man didn't have the guts to pull the trigger. "Sorry Mr. Eris. There's an emergency. I'm going to need to borrow your truck for a bit."
"What happened? I can give you a ride if you need it that badly." Said Mr. Eris kindly. The flashlight's beam lowered and Mr. Eris' eyes got as large as saucers. "W-where did that blood come from?" He asked, his voice quivering in fright. He'd noticed the wash of crimson that covered Sampson's front.
Sampson grinned devilishly, his eyes glinting in the dark.
Sophia pulled her legs up into the seat and covered her mouth with her hands as she watched her father draw closer the elderly farmer. Mr. Eris had always been kind to their family. He brought them vegetables from his garden all the time. He brought her candy. She liked to play with his grandchildren when they were in town. She liked the old man a lot, but she knew what was coming. She could see it in the way her father moved. Languid movements, muscles tensed beneath the skin. Friendly smile, disarming the victim, distracting him from seeing the lengthening fingers on his right hand. In one, easy movement, Sampson swung his arm around and stabbed his transformed hand through Mr. Eris' chest, obliterating his heart. Sophia flinched and screwed her eyes shut at the sickening sound of the man's chest exploding. Sampson flung Mr. Eris' body off his arm, uncaringly and stepped over his corpse like he were avoiding a mud puddle. He strode over to a clothes line, where forgotten laundry hung in the night breeze. He took a white t-shirt and some jeans from the line and threw them on, leaving his pajama pants on underneath. He found the farmer's work boots on the front porch, discarded by the front door, and slipped those on as well before returning to the truck.
"Did you have to kill Mr. Eris?" Sophia squeaked as Sampson barreled down the highway. "I liked him. He was nice."
"He was in our way." Sampson replied, coldly, his dark eyes facing straight ahead.
"He said he would help us." Sophia protested, tears welling up in her eyes.
"He was human!" Sampson spat at her, sharp teeth bared. "Just like the monster that burned your mother alive!" His eyes narrowed cruelly as his clawed hands tightened on the steering wheel. "The old fuck deserved it. Now shut up. I can't take your whining any more."
Feeling her lower lip quivering, Sophia turned away and pretended to watch the walls of thick forest on either side of the highway whiz by. Tears streamed down her face, but she didn't let her father see how much his nasty words hurt her.
Sampson could hear her sniffling, could see the shivering of her shoulders and the reflection of her sobbing face in the window. He felt his chest tighten with remorse. He shouldn't have snapped at her like that. She was young. She didn't know the truth of the world yet. She didn't know how evil humans could be or understand how little they could be trusted. She'd learn. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you." He sighed, trying his best to erase the growl in his voice. "It's just…." Tears threatened to come. His throat was sore from fighting them for so long, but he swallowed them back yet again. "I miss your mother. Half of my soul has died." He paused briefly, swallowing hard again. "The good half." He looked over in the cup holders between them and saw a bag of butterscotch hard candies. He took one and tossed the rest of the bag onto Sophia's lap. "That's all yours. I know how much you like them."
They both unwrapped their pieces of candy and popped them in their mouths. Sampson smiled at Sophia, the candy making one cheek chubbier than the other. Sophia smiled weakly back with chipmunk cheeks filled with candy on both sides.
The drive from the rural outskirts of Ellijay, Georgia to Savannah was long and Sophia passed it by stuffing herself with candy and bobbing her head to the classic rock music that blasted from the beat up Ford's radio. She tried her best to keep her mind on other things and not on the missing majority of her family. She missed her aunts and her cousin. They all looked similar to her mom, with crazy curls and quick smiles. They'd play make believe with her all night long if she asked them to and they never complained. They seemed to enjoy it, in fact. As if pretending to be princesses or warrior dragon slayers allowed them to fulfill childhood dreams. Most of all she missed her mother. And by the look on her father's face, she wasn't the only one. His black eyes were narrowed sharply, glaring at the road ahead, his grip on the steering wheel tight. He would smile reassuringly at Sophia from time to time, sing along with the lyrics of a long forgotten song or make a silly joke. She knew it was a lie. He only did those things to keep her in good spirits. Eventually, the fake happiness faded and the anger returned with a vengeance. He would get quiet again and the hate would pour from his skin in a nearly tangible mist.
After what felt like a lifetime, they were trolling the streets of downtown Savannah, passing tall brick buildings, beautiful Victorians painted an assortment of colors, and peaceful looking parks with tall trees and enormous fountains decorated with mermaids and fish men. The drove slowly passed an old Victorian townhouse. It's exterior was painted a grayish tone of purple. From the porch ceiling hung a custom light fixture made of green glass. From within, burned a bright light, beckoning onlookers in. "Here we are, Sophia." Said Sampson as he parallel parked in front of the house. "You see the green light?" He asked, pointing towards it. "It's a beacon. Wherever the green flames burn, you'll find friends. People like us. Remember that."
They got out of the truck and approached the front door, casually but carefully. Sophia clasped her father's hand, her body feeling stiff with the worry that filled her. What would happen to them if the Sweet coven didn't like them?
Sampson knocked on the door. Three loud and distinct knocks. A few seconds later, the door opened and they were greeted, not by a Nosferatu as they had expected, but by a human. A middle aged woman with short blond hair and a few age lines around her eyes smiled broadly at them. "Can I help you?" She asked kindly. Sophia's brows furrowed in confusion. There was something…off about this woman. Her expression and her voice appeared far too sweet. Too forced. She looked up at her father for confirmation. Was this right? Were they in the right place? Had he noticed the woman's strangeness? He looked unaffected and unconcerned.
"My name is Sampson Haze. This is my daughter, Sophia. I need to speak with Nickolas Sweet. It is urgent." He spoke clear and precise, his voice strong and level.
The woman's brown eyes flickered with recognition as they passed over Sampson's tall frame. She nodded and stepped to the aside to allow them to enter. "This way, Mr. Haze. The master is with his family in his private study." She explained as she shut the door behind them. She walked ahead of them as they followed close behind. The entrance opened up to a large living room. Leather couches and formal chairs were huddled together, all occupied with Nosferatu, both male and female. The air smelled of sugar and baking dough. They were cooking something. Something sweet and delicious.
"That woman." Whispered Sampson, having noticed Sophia's confusion at the door. "She's a familiar. Noseratu sometimes keep human servants. They run errands for them during the day and provide blood in-between hunts. You'll notice several around here. We never bothered with any, but they're popular among the larger covens. Especially those who live in the big cities."
They were led up a winding staircase and into a large library. Custom bookshelves lined every wall. At the center, a handsome man sat at a mahogany desk, a woman and child lounged in a loveseat in front of the desk. The woman was lovely. Her black hair was cut fairly short for a woman, but it only seemed to make her look all more feminine. She smiled with a friendly air at them, even as the male glowered at Sampson. The little boy in her lap looked about Sophia's age, perhaps a little older. The bangs of his black hair almost touched his long eyelashes. He smiled at Sophia, but that smile didn't touch his eyes. A great sadness remained there, in those dark depths.
"What do we have here?" The male asked, rising to his feet beside his desk. He strode towards them, every movement illustrating his confidence. "A new refugee, here to beg entrance into my coven?" The man smirked, his eyes meeting Sampson's.
Sophia watched as her father's jaw clenched and the muscles in his forearm writhed beneath the skin, like worms. "I don't beg." Sampson hissed. "You should know that, Nickolas Sweet."
"Sampson Haze?" Nickolas gasped, his eyes widening with surprise, then growing blacker with anger. He reeled around and backhanded the familiar across the cheek. "Fool!" He spat. "This man's an alpha! Didn't you see that? You shouldn't have let him through the door!"
"I'm sorry, master!" The woman cried and ran quickly from the room.
Nickolas' human skin exploded off of him, his body transforming instantly. A rattling hiss erupted from his chest as he crouched in front of them, his claws extended, ready to fight. "Came for a rematch did you? Come on! I'm ready! I've grown a lot stronger since our last fight. This time I'll win for sure!" He snarled.
Nickolas held up his hand in a calming gesture. "I'm not here to challenge you, Nickolas." He assured him.
"You don't want to fight?" Asked Nickolas, standing straight in an almost human pose. His arms were crossed over his chest, while his legs were spread a good distance apart. "That's new. Back in the day, you'd take any opportunity you could to "show your dominance" as you put it." With a sigh of exasperation, he conjured the human skin once again. He fell back into the learned humanity quite easily for their kind.
"Yes…well…things are different now." Sampson began, laying a protective hand on his daughter's shoulder and drawing her closer to him. "My coven was attacked by Extinguishers. My daughter, Sophia, and I are the only survivors. I'm here to ask that we be accepted into your coven, Nickolas, as much as it pains me to admit."
"Everyone else is gone? What about Patricia?" Asked Nickolas, his brows furrowing slightly.
"Dead." Sampson muttered.
Nickolas began to laugh and Sampson's muscles began to writhe all the more. "So the woman you fought me so hard for is dead?" He smirked. "What happened? Did the great Sampson Haze not cut it as leader?"
"Nick!" The woman snapped. She grabbed his shoulder. "Stop it. The man just lost his bond mate. It's not something to joke about. How would you feel if something happened to me?"
"No." Sampson stopped her. "He's right. I failed them. All of them. It's my fault that they're dead. That's why I want merely to join your coven. I don't have what it takes to lead any coven, let alone one this size."
"I…don't know." Nickolas shook his head. "Given our past, I don't really trust anything you say."
"Nick, please. He has a little girl. We need to help them. Sampson can't protect the girl alone forever."
"You don't know Sampson like I do, Nadia. He offers one hand in peace, but arms the other. He's a snake in the grass, always has been." He shifted his gaze up and down Sampson's body, sizing him up. "Look at you, Sampson. You're an alpha to the core. Don't tell me that if given the chance, you wouldn't try to overthrow me, because that would be a load of bull."
"You won't have to worry about that. I'm not the man I used to be, Nickolas. Those murderous humans burned the house down around us. I knew that there were some that were still alive, but I left them to burn so that Patricia, Sophia and I would have a better chance of survival. I was a coward. I don't have any right to seek leadership. I won't do it again. I'm not worthy. I only want to make sure that my daughter is safe. She's all I have left of my coven. I can't let her die as well. I refuse to fail her too. If it is only my presence that concerns you, then please, just take her. Let her into your coven. I'll leave and never darken your doorway again, so long as she is cared for."
"No, Daddy!" Sophia cried, clinging to his pant leg. "Don't leave me here alone! Please!"
"I have to do what is best for you, Sophia." Said Sampson, swallowing hard at the crushed look on her face. "I'm your father. I have to make sure that you have a long, happy life…even if I can't be apart of it."
"For God's sake, Nick! Let them join!" Nadia pleaded with her husband. She felt terrible for the two refugees.
"I can't just take them in, even if I do feel sorry for them. As a dominant male, Sampson is a rival. He'll always be a threat. I can't forget that." He said, still watching Sampson carefully, expecting him to pounce on him at any moment.
"Will you take Sophia at least?" Sampson asked, feeling defeated. He should have known Nickolas would never help him.
"No." Nickolas shook his head. "We already have too many fledglings. An orphan would be more trouble than she's worth."
"I see…" Sampson sighed. He felt his rage boil up in his gut, but he forced it down. If he started a fight here he'd never win. He guided Sophia towards the door. "Come on, Sophia." He whispered. "We'll…figure something out."
Just as they were about to leave, Sophia felt a warm hand take her own. She looked back, her face bathed in a look of bewilderment.
"Don't go." The boy pleaded, squeezing her hand. He looked back at Nickolas. "Please let her stay, Daddy. She can be my new friend." He said, his black eyes round and innocent.
"Rainier, it isn't as simple as that. We can't have a parentless fledgling running around. If the Extinguishers attack, there'll be no one to protect her." Nickolas tried to explain.
Young Rainier's dark brows angled sharply over his eyes with determination. "Then I'll protect her." He stated, his small voice surprisingly forceful.
Nickolas and his wife shared a looked, then nodded in agreement. "There's…only one way that I will allow both of you to join my coven." Said Nickolas, stroking his short beard as he pondered. "Your blood must become my own. You understand?"
Sampson's brows furrowed in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't."
"Your girl looks to be about the same age as my boy. He already seems to have taken a liking to her. What do you say to a marriage contract? Rainier and Sophia will become bond mates after their second decade. Then the Haze and Sweet families will become one and the same. Rainier will become leader after me and I know you wouldn't try to kill your own son-in-law. Would you?"
"An arranged marriage? Surely there must be a simpler way. What about all the people who've joined you before us? Did you promise children to them as well?" Hissed Sampson, baring his teeth at the rival male.
"It's okay, Daddy." Sophia squeaked meekly, clasping her father's hand. "I'll marry Rainier if you'll stay with me."
Sampson felt his heart stop beating for a brief moment. It broke at her words. "You don't know what you're promising, child." He said softly.
"Do we have a deal or not?" Asked Nickolas, offering him his hand.
Sampson stared at the coven leader's hand. It might as well have belonged to the devil himself. But seeing the pleading in his daughter's eyes, her fright at the possibility of being alone, and the threatening aura that seemed to envelop Nickolas Sweet, he had little choice. "You have a deal." He said in a barely there voice as he shook the man's hand and gave his daughter's future away.