Chris
The war I didn't want was officially underway. The first reports of attacks came in almost as soon as Caleb and Marcus left for Palmyra, and they had been off comms since the day before. The last I had heard of him was when they were making their way to the platform. Louis and I could not go. We would be useless in helping them in any way, and we also didn't know who would be waiting. It would have been a risk neither of us was willing to take. Louis had sent one scout. He had come back and reported that we had missed our chance to get Ian and that Fahan was alone on the platform. Our fight was not with him and we couldn't spare resources to deal with him. Louis was also very determined not to get sidetracked, and we were needed every few minutes to make another decision. Louis had thought it would be better to get Earth involved. It was a lot of coordination to delegate. We had to trust Marcus to make his way home.
Juliet and Michael had not surfaced, but we had watched his feed. They were fighting in the lane. He had taken her down into the tunnels. We saw them disappear on the screen. After that, his feed cut out. Louis had checked their hut. Jessy, Jamal, and Selena had searched every nook on Earth. We knew they wouldn't go to Zoreah, nor would Michael be stupid enough to take her to Palmyra. Once we were settled on En-gannim, Kubra reported back to us. He went out to that field to group up with The Watchers. We had another rude awakening. The glass plate was missing. It took us a day to find another one to activate and manage that massive teleporter... Michael and Juliet had stalled the watchers from deploying sooner. It was the reason we didn't see his feed any longer. That field was the holy grail. Louis was irate for a while. Not only did Michael take Juliet with him to Ahasuerus's vault, but we did not know where they would come out. Michael had the coordinates, and Caleb had the pictures on his phone. Even if we wanted to. We couldn't follow.
The attacks from Ian were small and scattered. Once we got to where the reports came from, it was a fight for us to make any progress. Ian had copied most of the coordinates for every island. The larger islands with more inhabitable places had a coordinate for every home. Those were stored and managed from a central community hall like the one on Cindy's island. Ahasuerus had made sure only those who contributed had the luxury, and I had made sure that they didn't… In the process of trying to control and contain the flow of traffic around En-gannim, we shot ourselves in the foot. By making the quantities smaller, there was no way to deploy troops in thousands.
Because no one wanted to end up in the pink sludge, everyone fought with handheld weapons. It was standard swords and close combat. There were no guns because they had armor that only caused more problems than progress. No bombs because the vamps did have respect for their buildings and environment. Ian wasn't going to destroy the place he wanted to rule; on the other hand, Marcus and Louis didn't want to cause too much collateral damage.
To cross small channels that ran through islands, they deployed makeshift bridges. Although we had choppers, as soon as they were sent through a teleporter, there wasn't enough time to get them back into the air, so we could only use them in regions we had control.
Nahrima, the most populated city on En-gannim, was filled with thin pink waterways. Every available land space had a building, which meant every building had many teleporters. Therefore we couldn't lessen the amount. We had discussed it at length. Decided we had to stay focused on protecting Nahrima and the ability to ensure every building had soldiers stationed and ready.
We would be losing all the islands we could not take back and just waiting for them to launch their attack on The Tower. It was the most vulnerable and had the most coordinates to every floor and every room. It was a maze, and Ian had worked there so long that we were sure they would appear anywhere at any moment. The administration and The Watchers were pulled in, and every floor was monitored. It was a logistical nightmare.
We hoped that Ahasuerus's vault had war plans in it, more coordinates, and more ideas. The Watchers were used to guns, flying, and equipment to control aliens. Bombs and tactical advantage. En-gannim was never meant to be a war zone. It was probably why Ahasuerus never focused on the military that much.
We soon realized why Ian had deployed and scattered their people all over the globe, with thousands on every big island and hundreds on smaller ones like Cindy's island. The problem was that En-gannim had thousands of islands all over the planet, and it was too far to cross by helicopter in some places. No long strips for planes to take off on. No roads and no space for tanks to mobilize.
The only good news was that Ian was as restricted as we were. Neither could send large troops anywhere. We were fighting a war by sending through thirty people at a time. I had to shake my head. Why had they decided to fight? Two days of no sleep were taking its toll. Louis and I finally gave in and let Liam and Samuel come back and take over for a while. The moment they arrived, I had hope for the first time. We would be working in shifts. Those two men had started all of this in the first place. Liam was going to have the chance to finish what he had started. But both men had been off-planet for two hundred years. They knew nothing of what Ahasuerus had done or implemented since the last revolt.
"Can we not try and meet with this, Ian?" I asked. "Should we not try and stop the war before it gets out of hand."
"They didn't leave us with much choice. Our people are being pushed down. Just like Ahasuerus had done with us."
"But you got sent to prison. Exiled. You didn't get stabbed in the chest if you didn't choose the right side." Louis added.
"Many of our people did die," Samuel said. "I'm afraid that Ian will not be making that mistake. The longer we do nothing, the more innocent vampires will die. The women have no idea what is going on. And as far as I know, this all started with one woman that didn't want to submit. Or be treated the way they were."
"And the children?"
"Most of them are in camps. They are out of the equation."
"I can't think straight, Chris. I'm going upstairs to sleep." Louis stood up and walked out.
"I'm coming with you."
I glanced at the conference room. The generals and our inner circle were in heated discussions. This war was sprung on all of us. Nothing that Earth seemed to throw at Samuel would work.
I fell down on the bed. I was asleep before Louis even landed next to me.
***
Soren
Ian had come home. I recognized him. He was much more with Ahasuerus than he had been with Marcus when I was there. I never knew that he was Avrio's son. We were closely monitored with nothing but news to read. We lived in The Tower, went to work in The Tower, and, on our off days, were allowed home. The staff was never talked about. I don't think any of us knew about Ian and James. Marcus was too busy keeping an eye on Essien and Avrio rather than rounding up threats for the future.
Heba and Rana were on the floor, welcoming him. So was the multitude of other wives Avrio had had. The locked rooms were for his concubines and their children. Ian was one of many kids. The harem system did give their army a lot of soldiers and brothers who could help him in his cause. It was the first island I knew of that had so many wives per husband.
The island was filled with these men. They had come out of hiding when he arrived. Men we thought were living there and working in the city. Overnight, it turned into a well-forted stronghold.
Soon after Marcus and Caleb left, Louis approached me. Told me what was going on. I rushed to get Isla out, but it was too late when we tried to escape. I didn't think Ian knew where my loyalties lay. When I came back, Ahasuerus was still in charge. James had been Marcus's secretary more than I was. And after he found out about me and Juliet, we had our differences.
I stood in the corner of the room. Isla and all the other servants were on the floor behind the women of the house, which meant something. A few men were with me, and I thought I would get lost in the crowd. Ian's eyes slowly scanned the crowd and all the faces. He was taking stock. "What are you doing here?" More men came to stand next to him. I didn't want to tell him that I was there for Isla or mention that she was my sister.
"I have been stuck here for a day. I worked in The Tower."
"Yes, I remember you. Answer my question! If I am not mistaken… You are from Earth."
"I am. Came back with the rest of the children. I knew Marcus and Qadir. He got me a job because I was a familiar face."
Ian bobbed his head in an understanding way. "What do you do?"
"Research, information, and history. I was a secretary till James took over from me."
"Why did Marcus demote you?"
"We didn't get along."
"No, he did not like me either…." Ian was quiet for a second. "It seems like he pulled you back in?"
"I have been on my parent's Island till a few weeks ago, helping with the family business. Till the Chadari attacked The Tower. Everyone was let go, and Marcus thought it best to have someone there to help that he knew."
"Come with me to my office."
The hand of a bowed-down woman on the floor raised into the air. Ian saw the gesture. It was Heba. We only knew who it was because of the hierarchy, and she was the only one not in a row. "Not now, woman! You are all dismissed. Back to work, and nothing changes. I do not want any issues from any of you. And do not bother me."
Ian walked away, and I followed him. The door closed behind me. Their house and island were only top-of-the-range décor and gadgets. Tech for days. Avrio had spent more money on himself than his children's future. His study was connected to the main house via a small corridor. Built high off the ground in a separate building with a view over the pink water. En-gannim was beautiful in its own way. The advantage that they had was the continuous flat surfaces. The ground was a solid substance that wouldn't go anywhere. The few hills and rolling planes were on the most remote and inhabitable islands, and therefore, no one wanted to build there. They liked order and symmetry. Every structure, from the huts on Cindy's island to The Tower, was constructed from the only stone-like material they sourced. A light beige-like color to match the sands of the beaches that stretched for miles.
"What is your name again?"
"Soren."
"So tell me. What are you doing here?"
"Marcus thought it best to keep an eye on Heba. He didn't really trust her to be able to keep En-gannim's water supply coming and going."
"Yes, we are fortunate to have the only source. And so far, it has been unlimited. Every island has its uses. What does your father do?"
"On Earth, we sold books… When we came back, we continued with it. Documenting and digitalizing information."
"The men must have embraced it. Wanted to know about other worlds. Not everybody on En-gannim even knows that there are other races."
"Yes. The information going out was very controlled. Everything is still very controlled. It is easy on En-gannim. We only gave the history of Earth."
"That is good. No need to bring any of the philosophies to light. Or the science. The vamps didn't even know Earth was inhabited until we had to broadcast Ahasuerus throwing the stone at that girl."
"And even that went out only to the higher-ups."
"So you have heard that the attacks have begun. Where are your allegiances? You have been back for a while now. What do you make of the differences, and did you embrace our way of life?"
"Well… My family did not know about the other planets. None of us did. My mother wanted to come back. Qadir had a tight reign on the women. Even more than here. My sister wanted to come back as well. She and my mother embrace the culture. My sister was sent to one of the best camps…." It was still a thorn in my side that I let it happen at all. "She was stolen and given to one of the men from Earth."
"So she is seen as corrupted… I know the feeling. My sister was supposed to marry Marcus. It would have been security and allegiance for the rest of our generation."
"I have met Rana. She started working in The Tower only a few days ago."
"She what?" Ian hissed.
"When your father was implicated in having sided with the Chadari. Juliet's council took it upon themselves to place Isla here. To help Heba with the reading and writing. But that you know."
"Isla?"
"My sister."
"Mmmhmmm, now I see. The Earth's ways have made you compassionate towards your female relations. You came for her before we started attacking."
The man was sharp, and I couldn't keep lying. I had to take a moment. Compassionate was not a word I would have used to describe how I felt about Juliet. She would have given me a giggle. F- I missed her. Regretfully, I bobbed my head. "After she was taken. I thought we were better off on Earth. Nothing like that would have happened there."
"Our world has a lot of problems. It is difficult to rule every Island out there with an Iron hand. Unfortunately, things like that do happen for monetary gain."
My game face was on. I was not fidgeting like I always was. "So, I came to ensure Isla was doing a good job for Heba… And then she approached me for a job for her daughter. I don't know how they found out that women could work. Your sister is a strong servant. She did not falter in showing your clan the respect it's due. Without her veil, she caused quite a stir."
Ian's features seem to solidify. My tactics seemed to be working. I didn't think it was about Rana at all. Or her in a room without a veil. Ian knew they allowed it, only to get information. "I do regret not being here to manage my household." He drew in a heavy breath to calm himself. "But we were lying low. Heba told me that she was put in charge. And to keep the peace for the meantime, I let them believe she was."
Ian's black nails clicked up and down on the table in quick movements. "You are not manifested. Why?"
"Not used to it. Never allowed on Earth. Ahasuerus did not force us when we came back. Neither me nor Marcus… He had a soft spot for the boy."
"That is one of the problems Qadir had. If you all could have been in your vampire state the whole time. It would have been different. So? You are avoiding my question."
"I'm not trying to," I retorted quickly. "I just don't know where I really belong. Stuck in the middle, if you will." It was the truth.
Ian regarded me. "So you came back because your future was brighter here. More possibilities for marriage. And… Juliet stopped you from fully embracing the culture. Made promises that En-gannim would change."
My stomach was in knots. I didn't want to lie. I knew the question was coming. Ian was listening to every heartbeat. I was answering everything truthfully to avoid retribution.
"So, have you met Juliet?"
I nodded. "Yes… Many times."
"And what do you make of that pejorative piece of meat."
"Lucky!" My upper lip felt strangled. I wanted to smile but instead pulled it up in a sneer. "It is the only word that comes to mind."
"That's an Earthly term for having good fate."
I sat forward to give my face a rest from pulling so tightly. "I would like to know… why it was so easy for her to challenge Ahasuerus," I said quickly to change the subject.
Ian's eyebrows raised as he scrutinized me.
"I was there that night. Your sister came and would've been presented to Marcus. I was in the background. Where I always am. Just there if I was needed. I don't really know why… Everyone could hear Juliet raising her voice at Ahasuerus and issuing the challenge… Later, we found out that Qadir had given her the information."
Ian growled low in his throat. That hiss only a vampire could make without any emotions in their black eyes. "It's not an Earth thing… Challenges and kings. Not anymore. Earth was never structured with rules for everyone." Ian said.
"No, not anymore. Earth tried. But with that came their own revolutions, democracy, and murders. Women's rights and governments pushed it even further into socialism. It had changed so much in the last twenty years alone."
"The challenge for leadership is a sacred ritual. We are half creatures for a reason. Here the strongest rule…." Ian's nails started strumming as he thought about something. "One Samuel and Basaam never wanted to accept."
I didn't say anything and waited. Ian saw my reluctance to ask.
"Why am I not issuing a challenge… I have the same question as you… Why was Ahasuerus fighting all three of them? It has been plaguing En-gannim from that moment. Of course, the court and Narihma just bowed to the person with the stone. Essien took Ahasuerus's army to Zoreah after his death. Raas did not go with them. He stayed to manage that Red planet Essien was banished to…." Ian jumped up and stood at the window with his hands clasped behind his back. "I have to agree that it did help the economy. Marcus had some good ideas. We would have followed him. Unfortunately, Ahasuerus's army did not come back. Marcus did not come back." Ian was quiet and finally spun on his heels. "Juliet was alone in ruling... It was… A low point for all the men in The Tower. That day, when she walked in with that rock around her neck. A vampire soldier with the general's emblem on. One we did not even know." Ian scoffed. "Women soldiers surrounded her, carrying guns." He shook his head. "I could remember the day she stepped in and took over. You were not there."
"No!" I said, animated, letting the first smile play on my mouth." His head tilted. "Juliet and I are not on speaking terms. Like I said, I was on my father's Island. And with Marcus not there… I don't think she wanted a secretary that worked for him." I smiled again. Glad that I was able to get it out. My smile fell, and I hardened my features. "She's controlling. That's for sure."
Ian bobbed his head. "That was the day my father swore to take over. He went to meet with Raas. Came back with so much enthusiasm and certainty that I thought it was only a matter of time. He told me that there was no need to challenge her. He had a sure way of killing her, bypassing the Ahmed line altogether and getting the technology for ourselves. So we did nothing but gather troops and plan if it didn't work out."
Ian sat down again, leaning back in his chair. "Avrio said that most of Ahasuerus's army was teleported to another planet. Only half was sent and died on Zoreah." Ian scratched at his chin. "My father was glad that Juliet was focused on Earth. She wanted to help them and keep the relationship strong. We were relieved that she didn't start traveling the globe to mark her territory and telling all the women what to do. Or killing all the men that didn't comply with the new regime of a Queen."
Ian's head lifted as he laughed. "And that is why a woman should not be in charge."
"And then she stole the Chadari baby." I had to say to redeem some honor for that stupid girl.
"Yes." Ian pointed a black nail at me. "And then Fahan killed my father and Raas. I still do not know why… After that, we found out Fahan was on Palmyra. There were no werewolves. If we had known… We would have packed up and left. I would have ruled the new En-gannim and further our advances. Left the Chadari and Juliet to fight for this hole."
All at once, the truth hit me. I knew why I shouldn't have said anything to Rana. Louis was right. They were trying to figure out what was going on. And not only did I give them a big piece of the puzzle, but they would have a thread to pull once Fahan divulged what he and Avrio had done. I was still her weakest link. If Ian spoke to Rana or Heba and found out what I had said. He would wonder why I didn't say anything. For the first time, my heart started racing.
Ian lifted his chin in a slight, quick movement. "Out with it."
"I spoke to Rana. I know I shouldn't have." I picked up two hands to make him think that was what I was nervous about. "It's not custom. But… something happened at The Tower. And I don't know if you would want to hear it from her or me."
"Of course, from you. My sister is a silly woman. And my mother is even worse. If I can, I avoid talking to any of them."
I gripped the hair on my head nervously.
"What is making you so uneasy."
My heart started racing even faster. I swallowed hard, hoping I wasn't making another mistake. "I was there since Marcus came back. Only a few days after, Juliet stepped down. They had found out she was pregnant. He has three men working there." Argh, it grieved me that I made the mistake in the first place. I ran my hands over my face. "The one attacked your sister and said some things."
Ian's fists clenched on the table. "You see, Marcus and Louis… The two men in the ring with her…." I took in a breath. "Is both Juliet's husbands."
Ian pushed his chair out from under him. Or it moved back itself, anticipating his movements. "Go on." His hands leaned on the edge as his eyes bore into mine.
"The other man is also… her husband."
"That man with the markings." Ian's voice rose. "All vampires from Earth? We saw him in the footage and with them. I never…"
I wasn't going to say anything else if I could help it.
"We thought Marcus's head was muddled… But what was the boy thinking! No wonder Ahasuerus was in such a state every time anything happened. All he worked for flushed down a drain… I had wondered why he had tossed that stone at her… Why she was even allowed to hold it in her hands…. Jump up and down like a child. Maybe all three of them challenged Ahasuerus, and she just delivered the message."
Ian stood up and looked out at Sirius, who was sitting on the horizon. Over and over, I cursed myself because there was more I needed to say.
"When they came back after Ahasuerus fought them. Juliet was nowhere to be seen. Marcus had men helping him, but they were so… tight nit in that lab all day long. Accumulating coordinates that Ahasuerus had taken with him. I never knew why." Ian whispered, more to himself than to me.
My heart was still racing.
"There is more. Out with it."
"There is another man… Juliet has four husbands…."
Ian spun around. I swallowed hard. "He is Ira's son." My nails dug into my hands. Ian came back to human and at last! I could take in the features I had never seen before.