TONIGHT WAS THE night the panel was going to decide the fate of the man who had attacked Hunter, Halina and my sister. The three vampires were completely healed from the silver they’d ingested, you wouldn’t even know they’d been injured. The man, Jake, had been staying at the ranch for the past couple weeks while panel members had listened to the testimony of the people who’d been there, and then debated amongst themselves about what should be done with the guy. Several suggestions had been thrown around.
Rory, one of the converted hunters who followed Hunter around like a puppy dog, wanted the man dead. That seemed pretty harsh to me. I mean, Jake hadn’t actually killed anyone—at the meeting, at least. I was sure he had the blood of quite a few vampires on his hands. But he’d been ambushed while doing his job. I couldn’t sentence him to death for that.
One of the panel members had mentioned letting him go with one of the other converted ex-hunters, as a guard of sorts. He said someone could drive him hundreds of miles away, and make sure he never returned to Salt Lake. Almost everyone shot down that notion though. One, Jake could easily escape his escort and sneak back into the city. And two, Jake could warn other hunters about what we were doing here. The only reason it was working, was because we were taking hunters by surprise. If they came into the home aware of the trap awaiting them, it would mean a fight. And I for one had had enough of fights.
Some of the other converted hunters on the panel had suggested a lifetime of confinement. But that seemed cruel too. Weren’t we trying to prove that we were fair and just? But what was fair and just—and safe—in this case? It gave me a headache whenever I thought about it.
“Dude? You want some? You look like you could use it?”
Trey held the end of a short joint out to me. It used to be that it wasn’t very often when I sat with Trey while he got high, but now that school was out and Nika was asleep all day, I’d found myself watching him get baked more and more frequently. He usually didn’t ask me to partake though. The last time I’d said yes, bad things had happened. Very bad things. I had no desire to repeat that night. I needed to keep my senses about me.
“No thanks.” Shaking my head, I looked away toward the bright sun making its afternoon descent through the sky. “Besides, I think I’m getting loopy just taking in your fumes.” I’d have to remember to shower as soon as I got home, so Mom and Dad didn’t think I was the one smoking. I’d been doing that more and more often too. Showering to mask my activities. Seemed devious to me. Childish. And I was trying to be more grown up. Oh well, baby steps. And gigantic leaps, like tonight. Man, I didn’t want to condemn a man to die.
“You sure? You look like stressed. Worried about Saturday?”
I dropped my head into my hands. “Saturday. Damn it…I forgot all about that.” Saturday was the raging party that the school had decided to have at my house. The party that I still hadn’t mentioned to my parents. The party that I was pretty sure was going to happen now, regardless of what I said to people.
Groaning, I stretched out on the picnic table behind me. The sunshine slipped under the edge of my sunglasses, momentarily blinding me. Overhead, I could hear birds chirping a merry melody in the leafy tree canopy. Somewhere else in the distance, I heard a lawnmower. Even though it was a typical, lazy summer day, I felt anything but typical. What fate should I choose for Jake?
Trey leaned back on the table with me. Even though it was hot out, he still paired his cargo shorts and light t-shirt with a tightly knitted stocking cap. It made me sweat just looking at him. He took a long drag of his pot-cigarette, held it a few seconds, and finally released it. “How did you forget your own birthday party?”
I rolled my head from side to side against the table; the ridges in the wood felt good against my scalp. “I don’t know. Busy, I guess.” I rolled my head completely to the left to look at him. “Besides, my actual birthday is Wednesday.”
Trey nodded. “I know. I’m excited to hang with the Adams clan again.” Trey smiled a lazy smile. “Your mom is so freakin’ hot.”
I just about gagged, but laughed and slugged him in the arm instead. My mom was pretty, but I didn’t want to think about her in the way Trey was thinking about her. And he meant Starla anyway. Trey knew nothing about my real life. Halina had made sure of that. He only knew the fantasy. For a minute, I envied him.
The park we were resting in was teeming with dogs; Trey and I had seen more than a few meander past with their owners. They almost always stopped to sniff our way, thanks to my friend’s odiferous habit. A couple of dogs snarling at each other on the other side of a shallow duck pond got my attention. Their owners were furiously pulling on the dog’s restraints, trying to keep the creatures from killing each other. It was clearly a struggle for the owners. Whatever animosities the two canines had, it was bad enough that they wanted blood. It reminded me of humans and vampires, and the natural inclination they had to kill each other. And the league was like the owners, holding onto their leashes, trying with all their power to keep the two fighting mutts at bay. Would that tiny little strand of leather holding onto the beast be enough?
Trey was oblivious to the chaos nearby. While I sat up on my elbows to watch the struggle better, he asked, “You talked to Arianna yet this summer?”
One dog across the way bit into the flank of the other dog, but thanks to Trey’s comment, I was the one who felt the puncture. Arianna. I hadn’t seen or heard from her since the last day of school. And when I wasn’t contemplating a man’s future, I was thinking about her. Wondering what she was up to, how she was feeling, if she was happy…if she missed me too. She leveled my mood when I was down, and made me feel exhilarant when I was happy. She made me monstrously sad too. The loss of her was always with me.
“No,” I whispered, sinking back down to the table. I didn’t want to watch dogs maim each other anymore.
Trey exhaled a smoky breath, and then gave me an apologetic shrug. “Sorry, man. I’m sure she’ll dig you eventually. Just don’t give up.”
I looked at him, smiled, then looked up at the cloudless blue sky that matched the color of my eyes. Eyes Arianna had loved looking into. “I don’t plan on it.”
As the day cooled and shadows lengthened, my thoughts firmly centered around Arianna. She’d been apprehensive but accepting when she’d first found out what I really was. I wondered if she’d still react that way, now that she no longer loved me. Now that we were just…friends.
Trey hopped off the table, a lazy smile on his mouth and a reddish tinge to his eyes. “I need to eat. Catch ya later.”
I nodded as he waved and left. I should leave too. I’d driven to the park to meet Trey—my parents were getting more comfortable with letting me drive places lately—so I leisurely walked back to my car. It was nine thousand degrees inside when I climbed in. Next time I’d have to remember to park in the shade. The oppressive heat made me clammy in seconds, and I couldn’t stop the thought that Nika would probably love hopping into sauna-cars now—if she could. Sun-warmed cars were a bit of a problem for vampires.
Cranking up the AC, which thankfully still worked in this beat-up, old car, I backed up out of the stall. As I drove out of the park, I found that I couldn’t go home yet. There was something I wanted—no something I needed—to do first. It had been ages since I’d seen Arianna, since I’d talked to her, and even though I’d probably see her Saturday at the…party…I just couldn’t stand another second without seeing her smile. Yes, I’d just pop in really quick, say hello, then I’d go home…and prepare for tonight.
The drive to Arianna’s didn’t take long, but with the way my heart was accelerating with nervous anticipation, it felt even shorter. Pulling up to the street in front of her house, I took a deep breath and shut off the car. I wasn’t exactly sure what I could say to her that wouldn’t sound creepy and stalkerish. Would she buy that I was just in the neighborhood?
While I tried to control my rapidly pounding heart, I looked over at Arianna’s place. The white rambler was offset by the massive graveyard behind it. The eerie backdrop should have been disturbing, but I found it beautiful and calming. The myriad assortment of statues, crosses, flags, and headstones, made everything intriguing. And the grounds were bursting with bouquets of flowers in nearly every color under the sun. Even with the window rolled up, I could smell them.
Feeling more at peace, I focused on the front door. Time to go in. Even though my car was partially blocked by the mammoth tree in the yard, I had a decent view of the dining room window. When Arianna’s mom came into the room carrying a stack of plates, I frowned. They were about to eat. I shouldn’t bother them. And I didn’t have a good excuse to be here anyway; I didn’t want to scare her off, make her think twice about coming to the party.
Mind made up, I started the car. I was just about to pull back onto the road when I noticed something odd. Arianna’s mom had set four plates on the table. Arianna was an only child. There should only be three plate settings. Shaking my head, I moved my hand to the shifter. So what. Her parents could be having a friend over for dinner, or Arianna could be having someone over. No big deal. My hand paused on the rectangular, leather knob. Unless…she was sharing her table with her hot neighbor?
Even though I felt like my leering was crossing the boundary of politeness, I leaned over the passenger’s side to get a better view. I stared without blinking at the window until my eyes felt like they were on fire. Mrs. Bennett set out four glasses and four sets of silverware. Then she started bringing out food. They were having lasagna, garlic bread, and salad. It made my stomach rumble seeing all of it, and I wished I could smell it too. Whoever this guest was, they were in for a treat.
Mrs. Bennett yelled that dinner was ready—I heard her loud and clear—and Mr. Bennett shuffled into the room. He sat down while Mrs. Bennett started dishing out servings. They were sort of in my way and I made a pointless shooing motion with my hand while cursing under my breath. Then Arianna’s head of caramel gold entered my line of sight. I completely froze while I watched her. She was so beautiful. She was laughing and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. I could hear the sound through the walls and it overjoyed me. Then a second laugh chimed in and my blood went as cold as my sister’s.
The laugh belonged to a guy. The neighbor?
He came into view a heartbeat later. He was just a step behind Arianna, so close that he could have been touching her. Who was this guy, and why was he sitting down to dinner with my girlfriend? Oh God…had she started dating the neighbor guy after school ended? I didn’t think I could handle it if they were together.
He seemed to be around my age, with blonde hair, and light eyes. I didn’t think I’d call him “hot” but I supposed…to a girl…he was attractive. All I knew was he was way too close to Arianna. Please don’t let them be dating…
He obliterated my view of Arianna when he sat down to eat in the seat beside hers. No one spoke a whole lot, so I didn’t pick up any information on the newcomer…couldn’t determine just what he was to Arianna.
Moments later, they all began eating their dinners. They talked companionably, with a brief laugh here and there. It was relaxed and comfortable—not the first time he’d eaten here then. What did that mean? As I watched them enjoy each other’s company, I suddenly felt out of place. I shouldn’t be here. I don’t belong. And if Arianna had moved on and she was happy…maybe I should walk away and let her be happy. I mean, being with me had almost gotten her killed…twice. Didn’t she deserve a shot at a normal life? And normal was something I’d never be able to give her.
“Bye, Arianna,” I murmured, pulling my car away from the curb.
My mood was sour when I got home. Arianna was seeing somebody. I was losing her. I’d lost her. What the hell was I supposed to do now? I choked back the tightness in my throat, blinked away the burning sensation in my eyes. Opening my car door, I stormed to my feet, then slammed the door shut behind me. I closed it so hard I heard something break. When the door opened a half inch on its own, I realized I’d broken the latch keeping it shut. Fabulous. Could my day get any better?
Leaving my car the way it was, since I couldn’t do anything to fix it anyway, I trudged to the porch. Winning Arianna back was supposed to have been easy. I mean, she’d loved me once, she could love me again. Or did fate need a series of specific steps to happen for us to be in a relationship? And since those steps had already happened, did that mean I could never recreate them? God, I hoped not.
When I stepped inside the house, my bad mood hadn’t lifted. I accidentally slammed the front door shut before I could stop myself. Luckily, no part of this door broke though. My mom blurred into the room in a heartbeat. “Hey, easy there, tiger.”
While she inspected the wood around the frame, to see if I’d cracked anything, I murmured, “Sorry,” and started heading for my room.
Sniffing the air, Mom asked, “How’s Trey?” The frown on her face told me loud and clear that she could smell the pot on me, and she wasn’t pleased.
Stopping at the bottom of the staircase, I shrugged. “He’s fine.” I didn’t feel like defending Trey’s habit again, so I left it at that.
Mom crossed her arms over her chest as she eyed me with suspicion. I had to force myself not to shift my weight, look away, or appear guilty in any other way. Other than break my car door, I hadn’t done anything wrong.
After another minute of silent studying, Mom finally asked, “You okay?”
No. No, I wasn’t. “Yeah, I just want to shower off this smell before dinner.”
Mom nodded, but I knew she didn’t believe me.
I continued to my room and showered just like I said I was going to. When I was finished, I debated calling Arianna, and asking her if she was seeing someone. But if she said yes, what could I say to that? We were friends. Just friends. And that was all we’d ever be now. Sitting on my bed, I stared at the ceiling until the sun went down.
My sister emerged from her underground rooms, greeted our parents, then made her way up the stairs to me. She knocked, even though she didn’t need to. Her old bedroom shared a bathroom with mine, and both bathroom doors were wide open. She could have entered my room that way if she wanted.
My head swiveled to the closed bedroom door. “Come on in, Nick.”
She entered with a small, knowing smile on her lips. Just by listening to me talk to Mom, she knew something was wrong. Sitting up, I wrapped my arms around my knees and studied her as she approached me. Just the couple of months of zero exposure to the sun had changed her appearance. This time last year, she would have had a golden glow to her skin, and her hair would have been highlighted with sun-kissed streaks of gold. Her hair was completely dark now, an even deeper shade of brown than it was during the winter months.
She sat beside me on the bed. “You seem down. Want to talk about it?”
I glanced at the floor, to where our parents were beneath us. They were putting the finishing touches on dinner, and not paying attention, but they couldn’t help but hear us. “It’s just…” I sighed, and looked back up at Nika. “I miss her. I want her back, and…I can’t have her. It’s so hard…”
With a sigh of her own, Nika stretched her arms around my neck and pulled me in for a hug. “I know. I’m so sorry, Julie.”
I accepted her sympathy in silence. It helped to let someone commiserate with me. Nika’s arms stiffened around my neck so suddenly, that for a second I thought she was attacking me. I instinctively fought against her until I realized what the problem was. She was breathing heavier as she clutched at me for dear life: Hunter was approaching. I instantly shoved her away from me. “Nick! Please don’t hug me when you’re all jazzed up about him coming over.”
Looking embarrassed and turned on, Nika squirmed as she sat on her hands. “I’m sorry! It’s not like I can stop the reaction.” She closed her eyes and laid her head back. Her chest was starting to heave.
I scooted off the bed. Watching her reaction to him was nearly as bad as experiencing it when we’d been connected. Walking backwards toward the door, I murmured, “I’ll see you in the kitchen, after Hunter gets here.”
Feeling lonelier than I had in a while, I twisted away from her. I’d never had to share my sister before, but now… More often than not, Hunter was glued to her side, or rushing to her side. They were practically one person now. And watching their relationship just reminded me how alone I was.
“Wait!” she exclaimed. Pausing at the door, I looked back at her. Her breath was still fast, but her eyes were open. “Don’t go. I want to talk to you about what happened.” She bit her lip, and clutched the sheets underneath her fingers, like she was making herself stay put.
“Later,” I promised, as I darted out the door.
Like I told her I would, I headed toward the kitchen to wait out the drama. It happened every night, so it didn’t even faze me anymore. Nika held out as long as she could, then she darted after Hunter. Irritated, Dad took off after her to break up the explosive reunion.
When Dad predictably flew out of the house, I turned to Mom. “How long is Dad going to let this continue? You know he can’t keep them apart, they’re bonded.” Sadness enveloped me. God, I even missed the bond. At least I’d felt connected to somebody then.
Mom reached over to grab my hand. “You’re not okay. I heard you…you miss her. Arianna.”
Lowering my eyes, I said, “Yeah. But there’s nothing to be done about it. Wiped is wiped. She’s gone…” I stared at my plate of roast beef, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and apple crisp. None of it sounded good. Scooting my chair back, I told her, “I’m not hungry. I’m going to take a nap. Will you wake me when it’s time to go to the meeting?”
I raised an eyebrow, silently asking permission to leave. Mom’s face showed her inner struggle. The mother in her wanted to make me stay and eat something, wanted to make me open up to her. The friend in her wanted to let me have what I needed. Finally, she conceded to my request. “Okay. You can nap in my room if you want. It’s quiet.”
I nodded in thanks, then trudged upstairs to sleep away my troubles in my parents’ sound-proof bedroom.
When I woke up, my stomach growled more fiercely than any vampire in creation ever had. I put a hand on the unruly beast, attempting to tame it with pressure. Maybe I should have tried to eat something earlier. I looked around my parents’ bedroom with just my eyes. The décor in here was soothing, peaceful. The walls were tan, the furniture black, the accent pieces around the room—framed photos of Nika and me, a vase of flowers, pillared candles—were black, white or silver. The bedspread I was lying on was beige with huge circles in varying colors that complemented the room. It was both masculine and feminine. It was so dark now, though, that I could barely make out anything.
A horrible feeling knotted my stomach and I shot off the bed. It would be just like my dad to let me miss the meeting by not waking me up in time to go.
I blurred out of the room in a panic, but the second I opened the door, I heard my parents’ voices. They were discussing the upcoming meeting, so at least I hadn’t missed it. Scrubbing my eyes, I headed downstairs. Maybe I could get a quick bite before we left.
Mom and Dad were talking with Hunter, Gabriel and Ben, sans Tracey. She’d probably had her fill of vampire meetings after the last one she’d gone to. Everyone except Gabriel was on the “trial” panel. Gabriel said he had too many important things to work on, and didn’t have time for what Halina referred to as “permanent jury duty,” but he was coming tonight in case anyone had questions about why the man was impervious to compulsion. Truly, nobody should be questioning that anymore. It had been discussed ad nauseam over the past couple of weeks.
When I walked through the living room on the way to the kitchen, every voice stopped and every set of eyes followed me. Self-conscious, I froze. Pointing to the other room, I asked, “Do I have time to eat?”
Dad nodded. “Make it quick. We’re leaving in a minute.”
I zipped off to the other room, shaking my head. A minute, huh? Guess I woke up just in time. I opened the fridge looking for something, but now that I was starving, nothing was appealing. I just wanted food. I grabbed a pizza box from the other night. There will still a few slices left, and I could eat them cold. I downed one slice as quickly as if I were drinking it, and was starting in on another when Dad called out that it was time to go. I finished the triangle in my hand, then grabbed one last slice for the road. Thankfully, pizza was very portable.
It was a beautiful night out, so we decided to walk. The panel deciding Jake’s fate was meeting at a community playground in the middle of our neighborhood. The gathering had originally been slated to meet at Hunter’s old place, but there was some worry that a hunter who’d been told to wait there for instructions might show up and interrupt the party. So, to avoid that highly plausible scenario, our group was meeting by the jungle gym instead.
When we arrived at the playground, several humans were already there. Two of them were sitting on the swings, and a couple of them were perched atop the monkey bars. Given another set of circumstances, I might have found vampire hunters lounging around a playground humorous. Tonight was a solemn occasion though; nobody was even cracking a smile. The only purebloods in attendance were Hunter and Nika. Halina was with the prisoner. She’d wanted to watch his fate being decided, but she hadn’t felt good about leaving the man alone in the house with her child and grandchild, even though Imogen and Alanna could take care of themselves, especially with Rory and Cleo there to help. Halina didn’t want to take any chances though.
My dad shook hands with some of the other panel members, a big fat guy named Rob, and a tall skinny guy named Tom. The pair rocking side by side on the swings were Gloria and Karl. They were married, and had begun a life of vampire hunting when their son was murdered by an out-of-control pureblood. The group on the monkey bars was Jorge, Rocky, and Kat. The three of them all came about hunting in different ways than Gloria and Karl, but their stories were similarly tragic. Most people that I’d run into joined the life because a vampire had hurt them at some point. That made Jake seem right when he questioned what we were going to do about the purebloods. One problem at a time though.
Hunter stepped up to a large metal circle that the kids used to spin themselves sick. He sat on a hand railing with Nika, easily balancing on the thin cylinder. He’d been one of the rare vampire hunters—someone who’d been born into the life. His family had hunted my kind for generations upon generations. That was also a rarity—living long enough to raise a family while seeking out some of the most dangerous creatures on earth.
After the final members of the panel showed up, Dad raised a hand into the air to get their attention. “Folks, we come here tonight to make our first decision on what to do about a vengeance attack. I personally would rather all be meeting tonight for something a little more jovial, but if we’re going to stop the chaos, then hard choices have to be made.”
Karl hopped off the swings and stepped forward. “He attacked an innocent without provocation. He should be put to death.”
Dad sighed as he looked Karl’s way. “A few months ago you were part of the crew that attacked my family’s home…without provocation. And yet here you stand. Death is too harsh a punishment in this instance.”
Gloria stood and walked to her husband’s side. “Our minds were opened, and we were allowed to see the truth of your species.” She bowed an acknowledgement to Hunter. “There is good among you, as well as there is evil. And it’s not up to one man to decide which is which.” Several hunters in the park agreed, and were nodding their heads with her. Gloria pointed toward the ranch, where Jake was being held. “But that man is protected, and his mind will never be opened.” She flicked a glance at Gabriel and he nodded, affirming her statement. Gloria set her jaw, then continued, “Hate will rule his every decision, and innocents will suffer for it.” Her dark eyes shifted to me and softened. I was roughly the age her son would have been. Now that she knew I wasn’t inherently evil, she had a soft spot for me.
Mom and Dad followed her eyes to me. Mom frowned. She wanted to err on the side of caution, and remove the threat permanently, but she also agreed with Dad. What he’d done wasn’t severe enough to warrant death.
Jorge jumped down from the monkey bars to land on the ground near Hunter and Nika. “Then we keep him holed up until the end of his days. Life in prison. There isn’t another option besides death, and a most of us don’t feel he deserves that.” Rocky and Kat nodded in agreement with him. I inwardly sighed. Death or life in prison, those were the choices we were left with, and neither sounded good. I didn’t want to force either of those fates upon Jake. I’d rather compel him to accept the truth about my kind. That was the best scenario, for everybody, but that wasn’t going to happen.
Dad ran a hand through his hair, then exchanged a long glance with Mom. I sat up a little straighter on the slide I was sitting on. They had an idea, that much I could tell. I glanced over at Hunter and Nika, but they were looking at each other, and didn’t seem to notice Mom and Dad were plotting something.
Dad cleared his throat, and all eyes swung his way. “There is…one…other option,” he slowly said.
I frowned, along with half the other hunters. Gabriel was the only one who still seemed impassive. He was merely observing the proceedings, and probably didn’t care too much about what happened to the hunter we were holding.
Dad glanced at Mom. “Emma and I have talked in length about this, and…” His gaze swept over the crowd, “…we ask that the panel release Jake into our custody.”
My jaw dropped nearly to the bottom of the slide. He what? Why would he offer to do that? The other panel members seemed equally confused by Dad’s statement. Karl crossed his arms over his chest. “And what is it that you plan on doing with him, Teren?”
Dad shrugged. “All we’ve been talking about since the attack was whether we kill the man or lock him up and throw away the key. But that’s not the point of this league. It’s to change the way the hunting world thinks about us. To stop the unjustified attacks, on both sides. Yes, compulsion is the easiest way to make that happen, but it’s not the only way.” Dad’s eyes shifted to Hunter. “Sometimes people can be shown a truth, and they’ll come to the realization on their own.” Hunter gave him a smile and a nod, and Dad returned his attention to the others. “What I propose is that Jake is taken under our wing, that he’s allowed to be involved in the process, that he sees with his own eyes that we’re not all bad, and that this group serves a purpose. We make it so he wants to join us, of his own free will, because he believes what we believe. He has to join us naturally, so, let’s make him a member of the league.”
The others seemed skeptical. “A league member? With his animosities? What if he never accepts that vampires are anything but soulless, bloodthirsty monsters?” Rocky asked.
Dad slowly shook his head. “If given enough time, it still seems his intentions won’t change, then…we’ll let him go…because we’re not monsters, and we won’t coerce someone into joining us by threatening them with death or life imprisonment if they refuse. But he’ll be watched, guarded. I won’t allow him to hurt anyone.”
The group thought on that a second, and I raised my hand and asked, “So…you want to make him a hostage?”
Dad cringed at my verbiage, but nodded. “For lack of a better word, yes, I suppose so, but he’d be as free of a hostage as we can make him. He’ll continue to stay at the ranch with us, but not locked up in a room. He’ll be a part of everything, and I believe, if he spends enough time with our family, he’ll see that he doesn’t need to be afraid of our species.”
I rubbed my lip as I thought about that. Was Dad’s suggestion really for us to watchdog a dangerous man for who the heck knows how long? Ben stepped forward, a scowl on his scarred face; he seemed to have the same fears as me. “Teren, your family—”
“Is strong enough to stop him from escaping, and quick enough to chase after him if he does,” Dad said, cutting him off. Shaking his head, he added, “We can’t risk him running off prematurely and warning people about what we’re doing here.” Dad locked eyes with Mom again, and she gave him a tight smile. They’d obviously talked about this, but it was still a hard decision for both of them. Above all else, they wanted to keep the family safe.
Turning back to the panel, Dad said, “We can hold him, and, by staying with us, he’ll see that we’re not as bad as he thinks we are. We’ll convert him the old-fashioned way with time, patience, and understanding.” He smirked at the end of that.
The panel members immediately started debated which course of action would be best. A pair of hunters in matching denim jackets thought that throwing him in a cell to rot was the way to go. Gloria and Karl were still leaning toward death, while Jorge, Rocky and Kat were clearly moved by my father’s words. I was tired of debating. I wanted something to be done. I wanted action. Standing from the slide, I told the group, “I vote for my father’s suggestion of making Jake an unwilling member of the league, and I agree that he should remain in my family’s custody so he can see we’re not all evil.” I raised my hand for emphasis, then looked around at the others. “Who’s with me?”
A breeze rustled the leaves in the tops of the trees, a couple of dogs bayed in the distance, but nobody moved and nobody said anything. For several long heartbeats, I felt completely alone and vulnerable. Oddly enough, I felt strong too. I’d made a decision, a decision I felt good about, and I was acting on it. It was time for the rest of them to do the same. Then, one by one, the others started raising their hands and murmuring, “I vote for Teren’s idea,” and “Make him one of us,” and “Yes, he should be a hostage.” I didn’t care for the term, but a vote was a vote, and I was happy to see them make one.
Not everyone voted for Dad’s idea. Karl still voted for death, and Rocky voted for imprisonment. The majority vote was with Dad though, so Jake was staying with us. Indefinitely. Man, I hope we’d made the right decision.