Canary and the Cat
Chapter 25:
Sultana enters the room, placing her heal on the red rope and smashing it into the floor, stepping onto one of the twin oriental rugs. Chayse slinks in behind her, stepping over the flattened rope and handing her a chalice, holding the duplicate between her fingers. “You’ve been mostly silent since we arrived.” Chayse probes, sipping from her glass.
“The feeling is a bit Deja vu, yet so much is different. They’ve turned an icon into a museum. It definitely is the feeling being lived in… yet, some dark sense feels like home.” She sips at the red liquid, finding the sweetness hit her pallet. “It’s human.”
“Of course.” Chayse lets her rear hit the wooden bench against the window, allowing her elbow to rest against the backless bench. “Quite abundance lately. You expect us not to indulge from the ripe fruit?”
Sultana stares at the thick, burnet floating in the middle of the glass. Her eyes narrow, furry suddenly in the brows and the goblet suddenly pounds against the wall, the dark red rolling toward the floor from the white walls. “Idiots.” She mumbles from under her breathe.
“Idiots?” Chayse says almost entertained by Sultana’s imply.
“Idiots!” her voice flows from the bottom of her lungs to the top of her throat. She falls upon the sheeted resting area, letting her head relax against the maroon pillow, her eyes staring at the arched ceiling.
“You miss her.” Chayse says very matter of fact.
“Relying on human blood makes us week. We are then controlled by an urge, a hunger… our minds then become dull.” She spits.
“Lucius is concerned. He says she is not coming back.” Chayse sips at the chalice.
Sultana turns her head and sits up, propping her cheek on her palm, “Have you no regard for what I have just said?”
“The mind is a peculiar thing, my Queen. I personally, am able to indulge in the sweetness of fruit, while understanding the times it will be scarce. In those times, I will only eat my vegetables.” Chayse sets the gold cup on the floor and crawls toward the bedding. “Haven’t you missed me? Missed us?”
“Stop your desperate attempts of affection.” Sultana sits up, leaning her back against the pillow.
“I know you love her,” Chayse spouts, “But she’s gone. Her sensitive heart has finally destroyed her, and she’s gone.”
“She’s not gone.” Sultana growls, staring down at Chayse, “She’ll be back stronger than ever, she always is.”
Chayse scoffs, rising to her feet and grabbing her chalice, “Lucius wanted me to tell you that Ambrogino gives word that Leeke is doing well. Following him around everywhere, lost without you but still the same otherwise. They look forward to serving you again when the time comes.”
“If you’d like to know who I really miss, it is Leeke.” Sultana now stands, pushing aside the sheer drape to peer out the square window. “Remember when we used to speak of this castle, as if it were a dream?”
“I remember.” Chayse steps behind her.
“It’s ours now. Little by little, we will bring the whole vampire realm home.” Sultana’s view now overlooks a city far away over the trees, from the middle of the Transylvania castle.
“One from Divobite’ may ask, ‘Is Earth really our home?’” Chayse gently voices.
Sultana slightly tilts her head, “Of course, this is where we all were born…”
“A planet of mostly darkness is a planet of freedom. We have abundance of food. Earth cannot offer the satisfying comparison, unless it is human. Is Earth really what every Divobite’ wants?” Chayse voice falls silent, Sultana finding her amber eyes.
“Do you doubt me, Chayse?” Sultana’s brow slightly rises.
“I do not doubt you. I doubt the people that remain on our planet. You should prepare yourself, for a new rise on the planet, if you shall have Earth. Divobite’ will never be abandoned by our kind. You think you will rule both, but what fantasy you must see.” Chayse now pleas with her queen.
“Domnious will return, stronger than ever. She will reign our planet, as I reign here. You will see.” Sultana turns toward the window, “There never used to be so many modern day things…”
“My Queen,” A voice calls from behind.
Sultana lets the drape fall against the window, pushing pass Chayse, “What is it Lucius?”
“The time has come. The armies are closing in. We must send the air force out and soon follow. It is time for the armies; the enemy is getting too close to the borders.” He informs.
“We will do what we must.” She pushes past him, “Where’s Dominious?” she pauses.
Lucius briefly meets Chayse eyes before answering. “We have not yet found her…”
“Why?” Sultana simply asks.
Chayse speaks up, “She doesn’t want to be found.”
Sultana’s neck snaps toward her, “Dominious will return.” Sultana finds Lucius’ maroon eyeballs, “She will return. You know she will.” Sultana gives one last glare to Chayse before stepping over the fallen rope and storming down the hall.
*******
The camp feels busy, soldiers from both sides entering and exiting the commander’s tent, him sitting studying things that Margret isn’t sure of. She watches Zulima, curious of her reactions, though she seems to continually drift onto a planet of her own.
“It’s official.” The doctor finally pushes through the tent. Everyone suddenly silent and listening, “She’s no longer a vampire. The healing touch of the Cepaen people healed the poison in her blood. She claimed she was dying before becoming a vampire, but that seems to be healed too. I can find nothing wrong her medically.” He announces.
The cozy tent is in silence, everyone to their own thoughts until Commander DuPont finally speaks, “So, in an ideal world, the Cepaen healers are able to cure the Romania and Hungary people that have been made into the vampire’s recruits.”
“Theoretically.” The doctor agrees, “But considering the amount of energy it took on one vampire, during war, unless we are to capture the vampires, and strap them down one by one, it would be difficult and unfair for the Cepaen healers to take on that task.”
Commander DuPont scribbles on a tablet and then stands, “I want to speak to the woman.”
“Please, try. She is of little words.” The doctor informs.
Commander DuPont gives the people in the tent one last nod before heading out.
Margret turns to Zulima, “What are your thoughts?”
“My thoughts are we do what we can to rid the innocent people of the virus.” Her lips try to tighten into a smirk.
“That would be suicide.” Margret grabs her hand, wrapping it in to hers. “One alone had brought exhaustion on you. You wouldn’t try?”
“My, Margret, I would do as instructed. However you only asked of my thoughts.” She pulls Margret’s head under her arm, stroking her locks with her fingers. “Cepaen people have a flaw; we always listen to our hearts,” she gives a faint smirk.
“I can’t imagine any place more beautiful than your planet.” Margret thinks.
“Margret, my dear, you haven’t begun to explore the possibilities. As complicated as Earth may be, there are other planets, I would find more complicated. You…” she stops as DuPont storms through the tent.
“She is irrational.” He sighs, sitting back at his table. “If we don’t find someone able to breakthrough to her, she’s useless.”
“I’d like to try.” Margret stands, searching Zulima for approval.
Zulima pushes her head forward, nodding her neck. “I think Margret should try.”
“By all means.” DuPont shakes his head, “Away at it. Good luck.” He gets up and storms back out of the tent.
Margret follows, “Where are you going?”
“Fresh air! Break her.” He twists his arm in the air shooing off Margret as he heads in the other direction.
Margret takes a deep breath, noticing Colm across the camp, engaging with some of the warriors, Natika in the mix. He gives her a slight wink, as if he has been in her conversation from the beginning. Margret tilts her head for a moment, about to pry but decides to walk away, and finds the prisoner’s tent. “DuPont told me to speak to the prisoner.” Margret informs the guard.
The guard gives a slight nod, “Well wishes, Margret,” he encourages.
Margret pushes through the tent, seeing the woman huddled in the corner, no chains or ropes, choice of her own.
Margret sits down on the ground, not far from the entrance way, observing the woman, who continues to look down as if she hasn’t noticed anyone entering. Silence thick between the woman, Margret nervously begins to rambles.
“Two years ago I was leaving school, college, and I was approached by a strange woman. She knew my name and told me that we had to talk. That was the day I found out I wasn’t 100% Earthling… changed my life forever. Changed my career forever. I’m now considered a warrior; By the way, I never planned on signing up with the US army, let alone an army from another planet.” Margret pauses, waiting for a reaction, but the woman remains still, staring at the flooring.
“Commander DuPont says you don’t want to talk. He is beyond frustrated.” She pauses for a second and then carries on, “He wanted to kill you. Not now, but then, when they found you. Zulima, well she wanted to heal you. I stood there, Zulima’s prodigy, and she asked me in front of the entire army, ‘Margret, what do you feel we should do?’ she asks me. Me. See, I’m supposed to have this gift, from my ancestors, where I can see things in the future… but truth is, I think its shit. I t’s probably stuff I make up in my head and don’t even realize it. Any normal person would feel crazy during these situations… visions that aren’t even frequent enough to be reliable… but when they do happen… Damn...” Margret pauses, Domnious still showing no reaction, she quickly continues her ramble, “Okay, so we are all around… of course we do not know you’d become mortal if the healers put hands on you. No, we thought it was possible we heal the vampire in you, and then you could very well decide to kill us. Well, during the debate about your life, I got this super strong feeling that needed to save you. It felt like you were screaming in my ear to help you. So, that’s what I told the healers to do and they did.”
Dominious slowly whispers, “I wanted to die.”
“Okay… well, see that’s where we go back to this gift of mine being a little unreliable…” Margret sighs while actually doubting herself.
Dominious raises her head, “Are you ignorant?”
Margret tries not to take offense, “You wouldn’t believe how many people I’ve met over this last month. The stuff I’ve been through…”
Dominious’ brows narrow.
“Seriously, I’m not making fun, I’m just being real.” Margret now feeling subconscious, tries to explain, “Warriors. People from another planet. People from this planet. You, a vampire, was a vampire… learning to fight and how to use a new weapon… sometimes, my brain feels fried. And caffeine was cut. Oh, yea, no more coffee for me. Turns out there is no coffee on Cepaen planet…” with an afterthought she stumbles on her words, “Of course, I guess vampires don’t need coffee…” Margret’s ramble suddenly stops realizing. “Point is… if you hate the vampire Sultana, and Sultana is queen of vampires, then why aren’t you talking and helping us… We are ‘The good guys.’”
Dominious scoffs, “The good guys.”
Margret shrugs, “Way, I see it; vampires came and attacked Earth… taking over two countries and going for all or none. Kinda, makes the vampire the bad guys.”
Suddenly without missing a beat, Dominious mocks with a slow clap, “Congratulations on your shit.” Her body straightens and she becomes serious, “Your life doesn’t compare to what I’ve been through the last twenty-four hours.”
Margret takes a deep breath ‘don’t panic’ she reminds herself ‘what would Zulima say? What would Zulima say to me….” She searches for the correct words as Dominious has already hid her face between her legs, shutting Margret out.
“Okay, tell me what you’ve been through in the last twenty-four hours. I want to understand.” Margret softly encourages.
Dominious’ eyes peek over her knees.
“I’m trying to understand. What happened to you? What made you want to starve yourself to death? Why would any vampire try to starve themselves to death?” Margret raises an eyebrow toward her. “It makes no sense to me. From what I know about vampires…”
“In your stories?” Dominious can’t help to interrupt.
“Unfortunately, but that’s all I have to go on. Obvious sunlight doesn’t kill you, considering we found you in the morning.” Margret thinks.
“No, it does not.” She mumbles through her legs.
“Soldiers think the wooden steak thing, works, destroys vampires. According to some of the Planeteers…” Margret thinks, “Is that true?”
“If they figure incorrectly, aren’t all the soldiers doomed? However, will they kill us?” Dominious pauses. “Them. Kill them… it is now...”
“Does it bother you that you are mortal, again?” Margret sincerely wonders.
Dominious lowers her legs, stretching them out. Wrapping the palm of her hands over the knees. “How do I look? My body appears to be the same.”
“You look beautiful.” Margret honestly answers.
“Do I look old?” Dominious seriously fishes.
Margret shakes her head, “No, not at all. You look young and beautiful.”
“Odd, isn’t it?” Dominious tilts her head, “173 years after being turned, I am mortal again, appearing to never age.” She pauses lost in her own thoughts, taking a slight sigh, “It was made such a deal. The first international cricket game. I was dying… then Sultana…” Dominious scoffs shaking her head.
“You didn’t want to be a vampire?” Margret guesses.
“It often made me angry. But I accepted it. Figaro made me…” she stops, her eyes glaze over, as if she is staring through Margret.
“Figaro?” Margret asks.
A tear rolls from Dominous’ eye, sliding down her cheek. She quickly wipes it away, staring at the clear liquid on her palm. “A real tear.”
“Vampires don’t cry?” Margret pries.
“We do.” She raises her palm, “Not like this.”
“Did something happen to Figaro?” Margret tries to bring her back.
Dominious’ eyes shift toward the left as she gathers her memories, “We finally had it all. Sultana put me in charge of the children and their mothers. They were of a few villages the vampires had taken. It was my job to watch over them. Figaro and I. A handful of babies. One just born a couple weeks ago. Mothers terrified, rightfully so, but I promised them I keep them and their babies safe. I promised I would earn their trust. But the worse promise made was to Sabina and Marius.” Her eyes meet Margret’s, “There was an orphanage, most of the children went with the other mothers… but Sabina didn’t want to leave me.” Dominious’ lip slightly tilts as she remembers, “Sabina didn’t want to go with the other women. She chose me. She wanted to stay with me and of course her younger brother, Marius followed. Figaro and I, childishly, playing house, believing we could finally have the family we always wanted.” She drifts but as another thought enters she continues, “We actually, watched Sabina and Marius sleeping, and wondered what it would be like to watch them grow.” Her head shakes in a sullen disbelief, “Our children having children. Us being the vampire grandparents. Oh, what a jocular mood we were in...” Dominous quickly swipes at her cheek as another tears rolls down her face.
“Where are they now?” Margret tries not to assume the worse.
“Perhaps I will tell you that story another day. Perhaps, you will never know.” Dominious clams up pulling her legs into her chest once again, resting her cheek on her knees. “Please leave me be. I’m exhausted.”
Margret nods, standing to her feet. She begins to exit but stops with the afterthought, “Domnious, do you think you will help us to win against Queen Sultana?”
Dominous raises her head, arched brows narrow, “I will kill Lucius and help bring Sultana to her knees.”
Margret’s eye widen, stunned by her sudden hatred. “Who is Lucius?”
Dominious’ teeth grit, barely allowing her to speak, “The Queen’s number one warrior and tactic. Once I kill him, she will be forced to surrender to all of you. If there was any reason I wanted to live, it is to crush the visions of grandeur she so proudly transfixes. ”
******
Margret exits the tent being intercepted by Lucas, “You were in there a long time.”
She continues, “Have you seen Zulima?”
Lucas keeps pace, “With her warriors, I believe.”
“I need to find her and Colm.” Margret informs.
“What happened? Should I get the Commander?” Lucas confusingly inquires.
Margret pauses, “You can, yes. I just feel more comfortable speaking with Colm and Zulima privately. First anyway. Let Zulima speak with the commander.”
“D’accord?” his face slightly scrunches. “You are suddenly… frigid…”
Margret takes a deep breath, “I’m sorry, Lucas.” Her head involuntarily shakes trying to rattle the words to her tongue. “She has given me so much to process. In short, she sounds very willing to help us win this war.”
“Then I will say a blessed prayer of thankfulness.” Lucas’ lips slowly press against his cheeks, “And his son, whatever the true decent may be.”
Margret thinks for a brief moment, “Are you claiming to believe Jesus is from alien decent?”
Lucas' chin slightly lowers, “I’m claiming with all I have witnessed, there are possibilities.”
Margret shakes her head with a smile halfway smudged across her face. “Lucas, get the commander. I’ll get Zulima.”
He turns to walk away, “And Colm. Don’t forget about him.” He chuckles.
Margret’s cheeks blush and she gives a sighing giggle as she hurries off.
******
Lucas pushes through the tent, Dominious’ eyes raise to look at him.
“Commander DuPont has spoken with Zulima, the Cepaen… they would like to speak with you.” He softly informs her.
“I’m not ready.” Dominious lays down against the ground, allowing her head to rest against her hands.
“You will cooperate, we will get you a bed.” He tries to entice.
“I’m so exhausted, I don’t need a bed. I’m fine. Leave me.” She mumbles.
Lucas slides toward her and kneels closer to her face. “I spoke with Margret.”
Her eyes shift up, “Wonderful for you.”
“Margret’s loyal; she didn’t speak much of your conversation, except your willingness to help the United Nations defeat the vampires. We are to meet up with more armies tomorrow. Then we are to head into Hungary. We are said to prepare for battle. It is rumored the vampires have taken parts of Hungary. This is happening tomorrow. If you can provide other information our tactic may sway. But if your provide none, we continue to move forward boldly and blindly to what is ahead. All of us.” Lucas rest back on calves before rising. “I’m not going to pretend to have an inkling of what must be in your heart and mind. But at this point, you are the only one at this camp who can make the deciding factor if we are to win or more sure to lose.”
Lucas gives a slight nod to head out of the tent but Dominious’ faint voice stops him, “Wait.”
He turns and she is now forcing herself to stand. “I am ready to see them now.”
Lucas nods with a tight grin, “Let us go then.”
*****
Dominious steps into the large tent, the size of a small house, dividing rooms allowing for privacy. She follows Lucas toward the middle, and there Commander DuPont stands to great her, Margret and Zulima sitting in chairs, accompanied by a few other soldiers from both sides.
Dominious begins to fidget, her chin lowered, her eyes looking away.
“Dominious. Lucas. Thank you for joining us.” Commander DuPont’s voice is surprisingly gentle and sincerely welcoming. He takes a seat and offers for Lucas and Dominious to do the same.
Lucas pulls the chair out for her and she hesitantly sits down among them. Lucas pushes her chair forward and takes the seat next to her. The room remains silent, Dominious’ eyes, now a light green, find Margret. Margret gives a friendly nod, her hand wrapped in Zulima’s.
“Please, Dominious, advise us. We are here to listen to you.” Zulima’s tender voice comes from across the room.
Dominious takes a deep breath, placing her hands on the table. “I’ve never been suitable for engaging a group.”
The room remains silent. Eyes on her, she shifts her focus on the table top.
“The queen was my friend. The only way she knew a friend to be. I don’t want her dead.” She lifts her eyes on the room, intensity swarms the air. Silence remains, and she gazes across the room at Margret who gives an encouraging nod.
“Sultana has wanted some horrible things finished. To your world and to my personal world. I am angry, I feel nothing but hatred, yet there is a piece of me that loves her. I would not be sitting here, speaking, if it were not for her loving me. Sultana loves me so much she did not want to watch me die.” Dominious eyes become moist, and she finds the table for a blank slate of comfort.
Lucas slides his hand across the table, subtlety squeezing hers, “D’Accord.” He manages a dim grin, nodding his head.
Dominious finds the strength to continue, “It becomes difficult to announce that you want your friend dead. After the horrid she disposed, more of you would find it an easy task to eliminate her, more than I ever am bound.” Dominious gathers her next thoughts, remembering Lucius’, his smug face after murdering the ones she loved. The subtle warning he indulged in, secretly gloated of the pain that would seize her. Her breathing quickens as she feels the anger begin to pulse against her new found beating heart.
“Sultana is like a canary that sings in her cage. Her cage is the castle that she senses is a halo. But the cat that watches her, and listens to her every song… the cat cannot have the bird, so he slinks around, causing mischief and anguish as if he’s hypnotized by the music. However, if you let the cat play you as the canary, it will devour anything to fulfill a hunger that it’s’ starved. The canary continues to simply taunt the cat. It is the cat that now guards the canary, because to the cat, the canary is his.”
Her eyes lift, “You can blame the canary, but the canary sits in the cage. It is the cat that continues to go for the kill.”
The crickets chirp outside the enclosure, she notices as some of the people of the table are trying to process her words, but Margret nods in agreement, understanding enough to know the difference between her analogies.
Commander DuPont clears his throat finding his voice, “Who is the ‘cat’?” he tries to keep up.
Dominious feels her teeth clench as she once again tries to spit his name, “Lucius.”
“Lucius is the…” DuPont fishes for her to say the answer.
“The warrior I told you about.” Margret quickly intercepts, allowing Dominious a sigh of relief.
“Of course.” DuPont answers. “Now that the name is floating in the air, how do we obtain Lucius?”
“Obtain?” Dominious scoffs, “There is no obtaining Lucius. He has to die.”
“Why?” Lucas whispers toward her. “If we can save him, give him fair trial and conviction, IF why must you say he needs to die?”
Dominious surveys the room, everyone intently waiting for her answer. “As long as Lucius is alive, Sultana will not stop until he is free. Once he is free, the cat has returned to prowl. The canary feels safe in her cage. You are seeking an end of Divobite’ trying to reign over Earth. It is Lucius. He is the one that continues to remind Sultana we…” Dominious corrects herself, “They belong here as much as humans do. That we are entitled to have whatever is on Earth. We were sired here, and we are pushed out by prejudice. Fear. Because some our evil, we are all thought to be evil. While I personally feel there is truth in the introspection, I also know that Lucius is the evil he falsifies in others of our kind.” Dominious takes a deep breath with a bit agitation, “their kind.” She accurately states.
Commander DuPont examines his peers for a moment before questioning, “Does anyone at this table have concerns they’d like to address before moving forward?”
Everyone remains quiet, waiting for more information. “Then I ask, Dominious, how do we find this Lucius, you speak of?”
“Watching the canary’s cage.” She dryly announces, losing her vision in a blur.
“And the canary’s cage is…” DuPont waits for her to complete the sentence.
Dominious voice drops flat, as if she is in a trance, struggling to care of the information she is disclosing. The numbness trickling over her heart, is raping oxygen, “Romania Castle. They should be at the old Transylvania Castle.”
Her ears become muffled, as the translation of DuPont’s orders travel over the table.
“You did well.” Lucas’ voice echoes through the ear canal, the pressure of his hand trying to give comfort against her spine.
“I’ve got her.” Margret’s tone brings a mild relief of comfort as she pulls Dominious by the arms, tugging her into the fresh air.
Dominious suddenly vomits. The little food and water she was able to intake, now stinging against her throat at is splatters to the ground. Margret holds her arm, pulling her long locks away from her face. “You did good.” She reminds her. “You just saved so many lives. You did real well.”
Dominious finds Margret in the dark, people now beginning to walk past, trying to pry, but Margret waves her hand for them to move on. “Lucius burned them all. Figaro. The mother, the children, the babies… he burned them all…”
Margret disturbed by the revelation, tries to remain calm and collect. “They will get him. We will get him.”
