The Blood Bank

Chapter 27 - Spit Nails

Stanley’s POV:

I’m pretty satisfied with the way the meeting went. I feel more dead every minute, the energy has returned to my limbs and the bounce to my stride. But I think of the lady waiting in my room, she didn’t want this for me, and I was starting to believe I no longer wanted this life for myself. The human part of me feels even worse for the girl paying the price of my choice to take this life back. My dwindling humanity wants to help her but I can’t bring myself to make a step in the right direction, I’m going back to my room, where my heart waits for me.

Rosie’s POV:

I hate this room. My room. I hate the off-white stains that smatter up the wall or run down from a particular dented spot. It should say, ‘your head goes here’, that would make Allen laugh. It’s a funny thing having knowledge without memory, I know what happens here but I have no memory of it and I can never express it. I call them blood memories, because they’re ingrained into every fabric of which I am made. He could be back any minute but I have lost the ability to experience anticipatory fear over it, whatever it is this time, maybe it will be the end… I’m fed up of learning to live here, either I’ll get out, die trying, or die here. I smile at how easy decisions are to make when you reach this stage, would life be the same having been in a place like this? No. But it’s important to try, or life isn’t worth anything…

Maria’s POV:

It doesn’t take them long to finish with me. They must have had a lot of fun with Mina. I find myself walking back towards my room, as usual stroking Emily’s door on my way past. I listened the entire time I lay in that conference room, any piece of information, any snippet of news. Nothing so far. It’s hard doing it by myself, I’ve even considered becoming a vampire’s slut just to better understand the system and my enemy. I’m in a good place as ex-block five girl, but not good enough… Mina’s position threatens mine and she’s not on my side. She has their attention and she’s not using it! I hit the bed-post. She won’t use it because she thinks this place can be tolerable, that kindness in vampires is just a hidden virtue. I’ve always known different. I thought Emily did before she got caught up in the idea of soul-mates. I didn’t want to get between her and her fantasy, or her escape. I dip into those memories, as I so often do now, remembering what I told her.

“Go.”

“What?”

“With Will. Go.”

“What? No, you’re coming with us.”

“And what? Set off elsewhere and start a new life by myself once we’re out?!”

“No—”

“I saw you make your choice, Em.”

“What choice? I told you, I won’t choose between you and him!”

“It’s not a choice between him and me, it’s about who you think you are – that’s the choice you made.”

“So there can only be one choice?! Who made those rules?!”

“I did! You can’t keep stringing me along – I saw you make your choice, I just thought you’d have admitted it by now…” I look at her coldly, not allowing the tears to overflow. She doesn’t look back at me and I know it’s because she can’t.

“…I love you.” I say nothing as a few seconds go by; I’m waiting for her to choose me, even though I know she won’t. “Ree, I love you.” She can’t quite bring herself to say it. “Ree…”