Braced to Bite (Book 1: Half-blood vampire series)

Chapter Eleven

Waiting at the Krispy Kreme for Thomas seemed to take a lifetime. When he finally sat down with tea in hand, I wasted no time with pleasantries.

“Tell me about Jill Schneider, Thomas.”

His eyes widened a moment and he paused before taking a sip of his tea. “There is nothing to tell,” he replied.

     “Eent. Wrong answer. Try again.”

“It is none of your concern, Colby.”

“Eent. Wrong again. Boy, you really suck at this. It’s very much my business when I find out there was another vampire like me who was eliminated. You should have told me. I have a right to know.”

“It is not my job to inform you about every turned mongrel out there. And you have no rights. Not yet, anyway.”

“Not your job to inform me?” I asked incredulously. Man, this guy was something else! “It was you, wasn’t it? You eliminated Jill.”

“I am an Investigator for the Tribunal. I am not at liberty to discuss other cases.”

     “But she was like me!” I cried out.

“No! She was not like you!” He slammed his hand down on the table, causing everyone in the booths around us to stare. He lowered his voice and continued.

     “She was never like you. She was indecisive, weak and incapable of sound decisions.”

     “She was only fifteen!” I said in her defense. What an insensitive jerk.

     “Yes, she was fifteen. Another strike against her. She did not possess your maturity and strength. Even with those attributes, I’m still fearful what the Tribunal will decide for you.”

     I stared into his hypnotic green eyes, unaffected by the mesmerizing power contained there. I was immune to his vampire voodoo but I wanted to have his undivided attention for what I was about to say.

     “Listen to me, you bloodsucking bigot. Your kind created ‘mongrels’ like Jill and me. You have a responsibility toward us. You don’t get to sweep it all under the carpet because you can’t control your full-bloods.”

     Thomas sighed deeply. “Colby, you don’t understand. We are talking about an ancient species here who can’t accept change. Most of the elders are”—he struggled for the right words—“a bit touched in the head. They don’t act reasonably or think rationally. They have lived most of their lives in fear of being murdered. Our laws and government evolved to protect all vampires and keep our lines pure. They don’t want a bunch of mongrels out there causing problems.”

     “Like I just said—a bunch of bigots.” I took a deep breath and continued to look him in the eye. “I don’t have a chance, do I, Thomas? They aren’t going to listen to me at all, are they?”

     He stared back unflinchingly. “Things don’t look good, Colby.”

     “Oh.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say. I wasn’t going to get a chance to defend myself after all. I was up against thousands of years of fear, bigotry and—if I understood Thomas correctly—ancient, whacked-out vampires.

     “What if I knew where my Creator was? What if I turned him in? Would that prove my worthiness? I mean, it worked for you.” It was a shot in the dark, but worth a try.

     Thomas weighed his words carefully. “If your Creator was returned to us, it would mean his death. He wouldn’t come willingly. It might exonerate you or you might be killed alongside him. It is up to the elders. They are”—he paused again—“unpredictable.”