The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

Fourteen

This was their old home, a secret haven or base in a long-abandoned section of the subway. An old token booth stood out of place on the tiled platform, up a shallow flight of steps there was a wide landing, which had once been connected to street level. There were still doors leading to restrooms, and presently, dusty furniture and boxes lay here. Yet, listening, Morpheus knew that someone had been living there. Light came from behind an old turnstile, as a figure moved through it.

"It's Steven," Mother said before Morpheus also recognized him. He still appeared a Human man in his thirties, and had the head of white hair, which had appeared the night Helen died in the menagerie.

Steven and Shade embraced. They spoke rapidly. Steven embraced Julien next. He gave Joy a small kiss on her face when he held her.

"Think that thing about 'the Jewel of the east' meant Steven?" Morpheus asked.

"It seems to point to him, but what Sleep told me was sometimes Metro sees things years in advance, and already Steven's family has grown."

Even as Morpheus watched, and listened with a finger pressed to Julien's mirror, Steven explained to the Vampyres that seeing his family age had been difficult. He had been nearly a recluse in the Necropolis for some years. As he showed the Vampyres to another chamber, Morpheus saw Absidus and Splendor were there.

There were further greetings and embraces, mostly between Shade and Absidus, who Morpheus now understood had known each other since they were mortal children, and had now been as close as siblings for over two-thousand years.

Shade spoke to the other Vampyres, "We should feed now, if we must, and move to attack the Redjacks. If we stay too long, without acting, we only risk discovery."

Julien said he was willing to confront Blade, which he called his sister, now, but Joy said she would prefer to feed again, and Shade agreed she could.

The three Vampyres went up into the city. They kept to shadows, moving faster than human eyes could follow. Morpheus watched, even as Shade took the life of a young woman, as she slept in her bed. They left her there, Vampyric blood having healed the puncture wounds. For a while they searched. Then Joy flew up to a window. "Wasn't that an NYU dorm?" Mother asked.

It still was. There was a young man in one of the many, small rooms. He was awake and studying at a desk. Joy held him and took his blood. After disposing of this student, they moved into a hallway.

Julien told the others he did not really want to be watched, if he was going to feed from a Human. Shade showed he was willing to stand a distance away, in the hall, but Joy followed.

Finally, Julien walked into the next dorm room. Abother of the male students was there, asleep, apparently having dozed off while reading an old paperback, still loosely held in one hand. Julien looked at the book, something black with red and white lettering, then tossed it away. Joy caught it, and laughed.

Julien drew blood from the boy's neck then. And then, the student woke, and seemed to fight against the weakness and sleep. "Julien!" he cried.

Julien continued to drink, hands clutching at the young man's arms. "Stop, Julien," Joy called, climbing onto the bed. Julien stood up. The boy sat, right hand feeling for his head, then his neck. "He's a Jewel!" Joy whispered.

Julien shook and backed away from the bed. Wiped blood from his mouth, and staring at his fingers then in horror. Joy was on the bed speaking to the boy, asking if he was well.