Page 14 of Tainted Souls
“I’ve kept silent about others doing it, which makes me complicit. This incident just proves that keeping quiet about it is just as bad as the act itself. People are dying.” I sit down to meet them at eye level. “This needs to stop.”
Evan leans back with his arms crossed, skeptical rationality coloring his gentle rebuttal. “People die more in car accidents than they do from bites, Serrie.”
“Because bloodsucking is illegal, driving isn’t.”
“Exactly. Why do reckless drivers who break the rules get a fine or jail time at most, but vampires get a death sentence? It’s like we’re being punished for simply existing.”
I look at Haden, usually the reasonable one of the two, who gives me a shrug in response. “What? He’s got a point.”
“Seriously?”
“See? Screw the system.” Evan caps the catchphrase with an insouciant fist pump, igniting a spark of rebellious fervor within the others.
“Would you rather live in the comfort and safety of this city, or risk being hunted outside?” I ask through gritted teeth.
Evan crosses his arms and throws me a cheeky, almost combative wink. “You can hunt me anytime, darling.”
“The system is there to keep peace between both parties,” I press, irritation boiling below the surface, trying to convey the necessity of these rules without sounding like a broken record. “Vampires get protection from Redmoore, while humans get protection from being drained.”
“And I’m saying the penalties aren’t proportionate,” Evan shoots back, his eyes now clearer from the vitaequil’s effects. “Vampires face execution for bloodsucking, while humans get a slap on the wrist for equally dangerous offenses.”
“I suggest we continue this political discussion when we’re sober,” Haden chimes in.
“I am sober,” Evan protests, cracking his knuckles before turning to me, “and about to teach that self-righteous human boyfriend of yours where he belongs in the food chain.”
He jumps out of his seat and I do the same, holding him back.
“Evan, sit down,” I say, trying to defuse the rising tension. “It’s not like that. Max is just upset. This death changes things.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Evan insists, stubborn as always. “Humans die all the time. Sometimes at the hands of other humans, sometimes because of vampires. One death doesn’t change the rules of our world.”
“It does when it’s in Penn City!” I cry out, exasperation in my voice.
A silence falls between us. I want to drop the subject, but the weight of Max’s ultimatum presses too heavily on my shoulders.I cannot lose him over this. Not after everything we’ve built together.
“Look, I’m not here to debate vampire rights. I’m telling you that we need to be more careful. Max won’t hesitate to report us the next time something like this happens,” I say, my tone softer now.
Evan’s expression darkens. “So Max gets to dictate how we live?”
“That is not what I’m saying.”
“Isn’t it?”
“We’ll be more careful,” says Haden.
Evan exhales, frustration evident. “Just remember that consensual bloodsucking only became a criminal offense when they realized some humans actually volunteered. The irony!”
“Those humans are clearly addicted,” I argue, trying to remain calm. “It’s for their own good.”
I eye the human clinging to Evan’s side, gesturing for him to do a check-up. Her head lolls against his shoulder, her pupils dilated to black pools that swallow the blue of her irises. The puncture wounds on her neck have stopped bleeding, but the euphoria of the bite lingers in her system like a potent drug.
Evan lances down at her reluctantly, seeming to notice her vacant expression for the first time. He snaps his fingers in front of her face, eliciting only a delayed, languid blink in response.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he murmurs, gently shaking her. “You with us?”
“Mmm,” she hums, a lazy smile spreading across her face. “More… please…”
“See what I mean?” I hiss. “Addicted.”
