FUTURUM

SEENA

Seena Lancaster was a Mal, a vampire assassin. Technically. Her current duties were... complicated. Still, she was personally recruited by Abigor the Bellows. He had entrusted her with restoring some small bit of glory to the subculture, and she felt honored by the privilege.

Her friends, however, felt otherwise.

“I still can't believe you joined a subculture without telling me,” Delphie said as she set her drink down. She was a skinny little slip of a girl with a long braid of brown hair. “Didn't you say you were thinking about going with your brother?”

Seena shrugged. “I don't know... thinking about flesh crafting makes me nauseous. No offense, Jelena.”

Jelena—who was the assistant to Glasya herself—just grinned and brushed her black and white streaked hair out of her face. “None taken. I'm just glad you joined a vampire culture. Weren't the angels trying to recruit you for a little while?”

Seena blinked. If so, that was news to her.

Pam, her roommate, finally spoke up. “Aren't any of you freaks the least bit worried that she joined assassins?”

Pam was completely baseline, as far as anybody could tell. They had only met on Sunday, so Seena had only known her for about five days now, but she was a bit... critical of others. She wasn't very pretty, which might have been part of the problem. She wasn't exactly ugly, but average was something of the exception in a city where you could buy a prettier face for a couple week's allowance.

Jelena grinned even more broadly. “C'mon, it's the Mals. They just kill racists and angels.”

Pam glared back. “Yeah right. Because assassins are so well-known for their honor and dignity.”

Before Seena could say anything, Delphie spoke up. “She's got a point, actually...” When she noticed Seena's glare, she winced. “I mean, I'm sure they're as upright as they've always claimed to be. But without Baal leading them, maybe that will change.”

It was surprising to hear her have an opinion on the matter. Normally, she ignored politics Maybe she really was trying to turn over a new leaf.

“Okay, see, that's a good point,” Jelena said. “Give the mouse some cheese.”

Delphie glared daggers at her but didn't retort. Wise move. Jelena was just trying to get a rise out of her.

Seena rubbed her forehead in consternation. “Yes, the subculture is going through some tough times right now. But I think Abigor and the others know what they're doing.”

Pam tried to steer the subject onto slightly safer grounds. “You have a brother, right? What's he have to say about it?”

Ugh. Simon. Seena rolled her eyes. “He's overprotective. As usual.”

“He's just worried,” Delphie said. She slurped some of her fruity drink through the straw before speaking again. “You're all he has, really. Besides, he's usually right. Remember when you were dating Nikoli?”

Seena groaned. “Don't bring him up again, please...”

“But Simon was right about him, wasn't he?”

Pam frowned. “You going to let the rest of us know who this guy is?”

“Yeah,” Jelena said, frowning as well. “I don't remember this either.”

“It was when you were on vacation a couple years back.” Seena rubbed her forehead. “You've probably heard of him, actually. These days, he's better known as Amduscias.”

Jelena nearly choked.

Seena winced. “It's not that bad...”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Pam raised an eyebrow. “The name's not familiar to me.”

Jelena got her breathing under control. “He's... the Traitor Hawk. He betrayed Soaring Eagle and joined Tiamat.” She tweaked one of her horns with her fingers. “White night Seena, you dated the Reconciler of Foes?”

She threw up her hands. “No! I dated an ave named Nikoli! He seemed nice enough—he's always had a silver tongue.” She shook her head. “Besides, he was an ave. I felt sorry for him.”

“Yeah, well, he's a lace now,” Delphie said a little bitterly. She hadn't been enamored of him in the first place, and after he joined the lizards it just got worse. “And one of the worst of the lot.”

“How'd you even get out of that relationship alive?” Jelena asked, tapping the table with her claws. Well, they were more like long fingernails. “Amduscias has a reputation for being patient, but he does not let go once he's got his talons in you.”

“Oh. Yeah. He... decided I wasn't worth the trouble.”

Jelena's eyes narrowed. “Seena. What did you do?”

Seena shifted uncomfortably. “Nothing! Much...”

Delphie looked at her sideways. “Wait, I seem to remember you telling me you shot him in the leg. But—”

“Wouldn't have worked,” Jelena said. “If she was lucky, that would have just pissed him off. More likely, he'd like her spirit and start trying to recruit her for real.”

Thankfully, Lily chose that moment to walk up to the table, pad in hand. “Anything else I can get for you guys?”

“Yes!” Seena said immediately. “Uh... I want...”

Her friends wouldn't let her go that easily. Delphie leaned forward, angry. “Don't try and change the subject. What did you do? What's so bad you had to lie to me about it?”

Unfortunately, Lily quickly took the hint and scooted away. Unless Lizzy decided to show up after all— Seena had invited her, but she had said she was busy—she was out of distractions.

Seena sighed. “Fine. I made a deal with the Queen-Mother of Dayborn Light.”

Pam looked like she had just shot her. “You WHAT?”

Seena winced. “Look, it's really not that bad...”

“Not that bad?” Pam shrieked. “You made a deal with a fey, and you think it's not that bad?” She started pulling at her hair. “Men and monsters, I need a new roommate. Is there any way I can request a minimum IQ on a roommate form?”

“The fey aren't...” Jelena started, then stopped herself. “No, actually, I think the baseline's got the right idea. You're a fig-witted idiot, Seena.”

Seena scoffed. “Oh, come on. The Glasyans make deals with the fey all the time.”

“Yeah, as a group. Everyone working together, making sure the deal is as fair as possible, checking for loopholes and making sure we don't innocently give them the last piece for a nuke or whatever. But one on one?” She shook her head. “You got cheated, bad. Blood and shadow, I don't care if all you gave her was a bottle cap—it wasn't worth what you got in return.”

There was a long pause. The only sound was Pam slowly getting her breathing under control through what looked like some sort of meditation exercise. Seena expected her to say something, but it was actually Delphie who first broke the silence.

“So what did you give her?” she asked as she finished off her drink. “I'm assuming it was a bit bigger than a bottle cap.”

Seena looked away. “...it's not important.”

Jelena chuckled. “It's like you don't know us at all. Obviously, that's not going to stop us from asking.”

“Just tell us now,” Delphie said tiredly. “Save us all some time.”

Seena shrugged awkwardly. “I gave her an egg.”

Pam raised an eyebrow. “An egg? Like a chicken egg? No, it was probably some rare monster egg.”

“Yeah, that's it,” Seena lied, nodding.

She might have convinced Delphie and Pam, but Jelena saw right through her. “What kind of egg, Seena?”

She winced. “Look, you need to understand, I was in a very tight spot with Nikoli. He was already joining up with Tiamat, and it was clear he wasn't going to let me go—”

“Get on with it,” Pam ordered. “What kind of egg?”

Seena twiddled her fingers. “Ah... mine.”

Everyone stared.

“Yours,” Pam said. “As in... under the proper conditions, it could grow into your child.”

Seena nodded.

Delphie opened her mouth, but no sound came out, and soon closed it again.

Pam's stare could have melted steel. “You gave a fey your unborn child.”

Seena winced. “Not... really. I mean... most eggs don't ever grow, right?”

Jelena held out her hand to Seena's roommate, palm up. “Pam, give me your gun. I'm going to do her a favor and shoot her in the head.”

Pam placed her head in her hands. Although it was slightly muffled, Seena clearly heard her say “Don't tempt me.”