Farren

The salt of the sea watered my eyes as the yacht rocked ever so slightly underneath a dark sky. In the air lingered the smell of sweet alcohol. There was another scent, one only we could smell: the perfume of power. Next to me stood a handsome demon with long and dark hair, dressed in a black tuxedo, scanning the crowd below with a faint smirk. The sides of Milos' hair were braided back. I gripped the cool rails tighter and looked down at the crowd beneath the deck. The women wore matching short, black dresses and the men identical black tuxedos. Alongside the edges trailed wires with the orange lanterns Torill and I had draped, forming a wavy line of cozy lights. A little further, right outside the captain's domain, stood a makeshift wooden stage with six men of the jazz band who were not yet playing. They, too, wore their tuxedos. We all looked the same, were the same. There was no diversion tonight. Tonight every species, be it witches or vampires or werewolves, were equals. There was no black or white tonight. Tonight we were all warriors of one grey army.

I picked up a spoon and clanged it against my champagne glass. Their chatter stifled and the faces of dozens of vampires and werewolves turned up. To my relief, they showed no doubts. The last thing I could use was a bunch of cowards. In their eyes I saw a ferocious lust for blood.

"I would like to say some words before they come, if that's okay," I said. The crowd cheered and whistled. I raised one hand and they fell silent. "This is our era. For centuries our people have been slaves to a council of tyranny and corruption. Slaves to a council who have been allowed to punish our kin in vile ways, allowed to torture us and to execute us without a trial. The Ordinance has been treating us like beasts and calling it justice. And guess what? It's been us who allowed them to do this. It was us who gave them this authority." I shook my head, and raised my voice. "No more." I threw my fist in the air. "This is our town, not theirs. Those were our ancestors who bled for this town, not theirs. No more can we allow them to play God. Time has come we take back what's rightfully ours. Time has come for a new era. It's time we finally put an end to this tyranny." A loud applause broke loose. I raised my glass and shouted, "This is our era, and we will triumph."

Everyone in the crowd raised their glass, and cheered, "Our era."

Battle drums throbbed through my entire body, even reaching my fingertips. Ever since I was a teenager I had dreamt of this moment. It was hard to believe it was so near. Numb is how I felt, no fear and no doubts. Strength is what I felt, fueled by an infinite rush of adrenaline. Vengeance is what lay ahead, a petite piece of justice waiting to be served on a silver platter hidden inside the core of caviar.

Taking a small sip of my champagne, I tapped on my cellphone. Forty minutes until the Ordinance arrives. Though, I knew they were usually early. Torill sat down next to me and offered her hand. I took her hand and squeezed it, forming one fist. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun, as was mine and every other girl's. We had prepared this party to the smallest details, from the band to the snacks and the drinks, to our appearances coming off sweet and sophisticated. Torill skimmed the crowd with an anxious look on her face. Every now and then, I felt her tremble. Before we had stepped on the yacht, she had drank the vampire blood I had given her months ago.

With her eyes locked on Milos, Torill brought her lips close to my ear. "I don't trust him, or his fucking family. Milos, the fucking demon, is not helping us from the kindness of his heart. We got what we wanted from him and now it's time to end our allegiance. Farren, we need to get rid of him before it backfires."

"I know. Trust me, I know. Only a fool would trust a demon," I said. "Don't worry, I'll figure out a way to ditch him once we're done here."

Torill frowned and rubbed her chin. "This is a small town, Farren. Even if you manage to ditch him, there's no avoiding him. And, let's be realistic here, that hellbound bastard is way more powerful than we are."

"What are you suggesting?"

She moved her head slightly upwards to get another look of Milos, then hunched closer again. "I say we kill him."

"What?" I hissed as I threw Milos a quick glance. The wind blew his flowing hair up and forward. Gazing into the distance, he seemed unaware of our hushed conversation. "Believe me, Torill, I'd love to kill the damned demon, but how the hell are we supposed to kill a demon?"

Her eyes wandered to my ankle. "Whatever poison is inside these rings kills everything supernatural, and demons are supernatural, so we just need to figure out what that poison is. It's our best shot."

"It's an impossibly long shot, too. Only Nestor fucking Krol knows what's in it."

Torill raised her eyebrows and nodded. "That means tonight will be our final chance of finding out."

The first crowd appeared on the dock outside the yacht. We grabbed our platters and positioned ourselves in a neat line near the entrance and smiled sweetly at the group of five. Among them was Hector Swain, the mayor of the southern area. The mayor's chubby cheeks shined and his eyes twinkled. Keith made a small bow and offered him a glass. Hyde didn't get a chance to offer the mayor the snacks as the man immediately helped himself, stuffing a handful of crackers with caviar inside his mouth. Then the witches arrived, among the crowd of fourteen walked Kaiser Porth and Henry and Demetra Fortier. We greeted them with a curtsy and a smile, and offered them cocktails and caviar. Last to arrive were the vampires, twelve of them. Among them walked Nestor Krol. Butterflies went wild inside my stomach as I dropped a curtsy for the bastard with a smile spread over my cheeks.

Now that everyone had arrived it was time to set sail. The band's trumpet began to play, followed by violin and cello. I watched with delight how the shore shrunk smaller and eventually disappeared out of sight. The guests formed groups around the high, white dressed tables, laughing and talking without a care in the world. I passed each of the tables and offered them caviar. I spoke to each and every one of the guests. I told them how beautiful they looked tonight, throwing approving looks at the women's stupid dresses. I thanked them once more for attending our fundraising ball. I asked them about their families and pretended I was interested in their stupid offspring. I even talked about the weather.

After my round of mingling, I took a moment to sip champagne. From the corner of my eye I caught Krol walking around with his hands on his back and his head raised high. He walked like a king. The music turned into a slow tune and the dance floor filled itself with slow dancing couples. I laid down my platter and strolled Krol's way.

Once I stood across from him, I stretched my hand and smiled. "May I have this dance, sir?"

Krol's lips parted and his eyes grew big. I knew he thought back of our conversation in his office, just as I had wanted him to. "It would be my honor, young lady."

He laid his hands on the middle of my back. I pushed the prude bastard's cold hands lower, to my waist, then put my hands on his shoulders. After throwing me a look, he went on to survey the area. The cool wind felt good against my flushed face. Our movements were trifling and tense, one would hardly call it a waltz, but he and I both knew this wasn't a dance in the traditional sense. It was our special dance. Little did Krol know that I was the one leading.

"Interesting choice of location," Krol said. "Why did you choose a boat?"

"Because I happen to like boats." I stretched my arm and raised his, forcing him to twirl me around. "Don't you like boats?"

After the twirl, Krol pulled me closer and laid his hands on my upper arms. We came to a halt in the midst of a dancing crowd. In his eyes I saw a combination of panic and confusion, he even swallowed, and I knew there were many things he wanted to say. Chills prickled my skin as I realized that Krol was aware that something was not right tonight.

But I kept my calm. "I guess you're not a fan of boats."

"No," he said, and placed his hands back on my waist.

We continued the dance, only this time our bodies were even more tense than before. As the music played, Krol seemed to grow more restless. His eyes kept darting back and forth through the surroundings, as if he were looking for a quick exit.

"I've always wondered one thing," I said, my voice as soft and sweet as I could manage. "What exactly is inside these metal rings we're wearing?"

Krol laughed. "Believe it or not, it is a just flower."

"A flower?"

"Yes, a flower. Let's keep it at that."

"Oh, just tell me," I said with a dreadful giggle. "Which flower?"

"That..." Krol removed his hands from my waist and took a single step back. "...is none of your concern." He dismissed me with a polite nod. "Thank you for the dance, Farren."

Torill appeared next to me and threw me a questioning look, which I answered with a weak shake of my head. She gave me a reassuring smile, telling me without words that it did not matter, that there were other ways of figuring it out.

What Torill did tell me with words were the first battle cries. "Let's get this party started."

She walked over to the makeshift stage and whispered in the ear of the fiddler, who nodded and signed to his band members. The music stopped. Clumsily, the band grabbed their instruments and moved aside to make space. Torill moved behind the microphone and adjusted it with a deafening beep which silenced the entire crowd. After clearing her throat, a big smile appeared on her rosy cheeks. For an instant, her smile faded as she looked over the faces staring up at her.

Then, following a deep breath, the smile returned and she began her speech. "Sorry for this interruption, I promise I'll make it quick. Don't want to sober you guys up with my bla-bla." The visitors laughed, unaware of the staff remaining tense and unamused. "Despite all the tragedy that has happened, I feel like today is a day to celebrate," Torill continued, "because today is yet another day where we, people from such different species, have gathered once more to work together and to help one another. Something we have been doing for nearly six centuries. And, believe me, that is something worth celebrating."

The crowd cheered. I exchanged a quick glance with Clint. His hand was dug inside his pocket. I swallowed and tensed my leg, focusing on my hatchet strapped against it.

Once the crowd quieted down, Torill spoke up again. "Life as we knew has changed. Some of you fear this change, others embrace it. It doesn't matter. In the end we, as a community, are strong enough to overcome everything. Take the Reverie for example." Torill shrugged. "Sure, it burned down. But that doesn't stop us from rebuilding it, does it?" The crowd applauded while shouting no.

Us, however, for us it was time to prepare. Leaning back, I let my hand dangle outside the boat and shot streams of electricity into the water. Then, I walked over to my first. Each of us had been assigned a first, and my first was the mayor. I moved next to him, slowly, and forced myself to keep my eyes fixed on the stage. The rest of the waiters, too, each one of the men and women, laid down their platters and moved next to one of the visitors, as if claiming a pet for their own.

"Indeed, it does not," Torill said. "When they burn down our buildings, we will build new ones. Together we are strong enough to overcome anything and nothing will ever be able to break what we have here; the strongest and closest community this world has ever known. So they burned the Reverie? Well... we'll just build a new one." Torill raised her glass. "Let's all say cheers to new beginnings."

They said cheers and brought their drinks to their lips, but were interrupted by the loud growls of werewolves breaking out of their clothes as their flesh turned into fur. I pulled out the hatchet from underneath my dress and swung, slashing it inside the mayor's skull. It was all screams now. From all around, blood splashed and bodies collapsed. Those who had not yet been butchered ran. Well... they tried to. Wooden stakes pierced through hearts. Fangs ripped apart throats. Knifes sliced through flesh. My hatchet dug inside one skull after another, their blood spraying on my face and trickling down my chin. I grabbed one of Krol's witches by her brown hair as she tried to sprint out and let the blade of my hatchet slice through her neck, then watched her detached head roll away, showing her wide open eyes. Pools of glistening blood lay on the ground. Some jumped into the sea, only to be electrocuted by the voltages I had shot into the water. Others pretended to be dead, only to be discovered by the listening vampires.

Stepping over piles of slaughtered bodies drowning in puddles of blood, I took a moment to enjoy the picture. A big smile played on my lips as I listened to their screams, watched the light disappear from their eyes, and saw their bodies collapse like marionettes being cut of their strings.

It was beautiful.