The Divergence

The living room gradually relaxed.

Cordelia settled comfortably into one of the sofas, turning the now empty blood bag over in her hands.

"...Thank you."

Violetta smiled.

"You're very welcome."

She studied Cordelia for a moment before nodding to herself.

"The color's already coming back."

Cordelia blinked.

"It is?"

Lavinia looked over.

"It is."

She smiled warmly.

"You looked beautiful before."

"...Now you just look less hungry."

That earned a laugh around the room.

Cordelia looked down at herself, brushing one strand of pale blue hair between her fingers.

"I certainly feel better."

"I'm glad."

Violetta rested one hand on the back of a nearby chair.

"Now..."

She looked around at all eight vampires.

"I have one favor to ask."

Everyone's attention settled on her.

"If possible, I'd like you all to remain here for a little while."

Valerie tilted her head.

"We're under house arrest?"

Violetta laughed quietly.

"No."

"If I intended to keep you here, I'd have brought far more soldiers."

That drew a few smiles.

"I'm asking because the city is still... delicate."

She searched briefly for the right word before continuing.

"You've all proven you can handle yourselves."

"I've absolutely no concerns there."

She folded her arms loosely.

"My concern is everyone else."

Rosaline leaned back in her chair.

"You mean another attack."

Violetta nodded.

"If another group decides attacking vampires is a wonderful idea..."

A faint smile crossed her face.

"...I'm fairly confident they'll regret that decision."

Lavinia chuckled.

"But."

Violetta continued.

"Most people won't see how it started."

"They'll see the aftermath."

"A few broken walls."

"Several unconscious people."

"Perhaps worse."

She shrugged gently.

"Every incident makes the next one easier."

"Fear feeds fear."

"So for a few days..."

She smiled apologetically.

"...I'd appreciate your help by letting me calm things down first."

Nobody objected.

Valerie looked thoughtful.

"So what are you planning to do?"

Violetta sighed with theatrical exhaustion.

"A great many meetings."

That made Lavinia laugh.

"I wasn't expecting that answer."

"It wasn't exciting enough?"

"Not particularly."

"I apologize."

Violetta smiled.

"I've meetings with city officials."

"Police."

"Military."

"A mayor who I'm told hasn't slept properly in days."

She looked almost sympathetic.

"I imagine I'd be rather grumpy too."

Another small laugh spread through the room.

"I'll also be reviewing everything we know about the attack from last night."

"If it was simply a frightened group acting on emotion..."

She shrugged.

"That's unpleasant."

"If someone organized it..."

Her smile faded slightly.

"...I'd rather know now than next week."

Valerie nodded.

"You could probably force things through if you wanted."

"I could."

Violetta admitted.

"I'd rather not."

She walked toward the window.

"The last thing anyone needs is headlines saying a vampire General marched into Oakridge and started giving orders."

She smiled faintly.

"I've deliberately avoided showing my face publicly."

"People know I exist."

"They don't necessarily know what I look like."

"And I'd like to keep it that way for a while longer."

Rosaline and Adelaide stood.

"We're going exploring."

Violetta gestured toward the hallway.

"Help yourselves."

"There are more rooms than people."

The pair disappeared down the corridor.

The others naturally settled wherever they felt comfortable.

Evangeline had somehow managed to lie sideways across an entire sofa.

Her legs dangled over one armrest while one hand rested beneath her head.

She looked perfectly content.

Several minutes later Adelaide and Rosaline returned.

Rosaline smiled.

"I don't think anyone's going to complain."

Adelaide nodded.

"Actual bedrooms."

"Proper mattresses."

She glanced around the living room.

"This definitely beats last night."

"By quite a bit."

Lavinia agreed immediately.

Valerie looked toward the hallway.

"I could get used to sleeping indoors again."

Evangeline lifted her head.

"...Last night?"

She blinked.

"You really slept somewhere that bad?"

Rosaline laughed.

"Let's just say this is a considerable improvement."

"Hm."

Evangeline looked around again.

A pleased smile spread across her face.

"I knew Violetta picked a good place."

"I had excellent taste."

Violetta replied without missing a beat.

Evangeline nodded confidently.

"I know."

The room chuckled.

Violetta looked toward the group.

"I wasn't actually aware of where you were spending your days previously."

Lavinia looked surprised.

"You weren't?"

"We knew you entered the subway before sunrise due to reports."

Violetta nodded.

"And every evening before that you appeared somewhere else."

She smiled.

"You did a very good job disappearing."

Gwendolyn tilted her head.

"What about you?"

"You move around during the day."

"I have to."

Violetta answered.

"It's not pleasant."

She picked up the umbrella resting beside the entrance.

"This has become my best friend."

She opened it halfway before closing it again.

"An umbrella."

"Long sleeves."

"Gloves if necessary."

"So long as sunlight doesn't touch my skin, I'm alright."

Celestine frowned slightly.

"Doesn't that make you nervous?"

"Oh."

Violetta laughed.

"Terribly."

She smiled.

"Every gust of wind becomes suspicious."

"Every reflective building makes you wonder if the light's about to bounce somewhere unfortunate."

She leaned the umbrella back against the wall.

"If I can avoid travelling during the day, I do."

"If I can't..."

She shrugged.

"...I take an umbrella and hope the weather behaves itself."

"I don't envy that."

Lavinia admitted.

"I don't either."

Violetta replied with a smile.

The conversations naturally divided.

Rosaline, Evelyn, Gwendolyn and Celestine drifted toward Evangeline.

"So."

Rosaline smiled.

"What was the military facility actually like?"

Evangeline's crimson eyes brightened.

"They were fascinated."

"I don't blame them."

She folded her arms proudly.

"We're fascinating."

Rosaline laughed.

"I suppose that's true."

"They tested everything."

Evangeline continued.

"My hearing."

"My eyesight."

"My strength."

"My balance."

"They even wanted to know how quickly my hair grew."

Gwendolyn blinked.

"They cut your hair?"

"A little."

Evangeline waved dismissively.

"It grew back."

She smiled.

"They looked much more worried about it than I was."

Celestine couldn't help smiling.

"Were they nice?"

"Oh yes."

"They kept apologizing every time they wanted another blood sample."

Evangeline looked mildly amused.

"I told them they should stop apologizing."

"They were trying to learn."

"And if anyone's worth learning about..."

She smiled proudly.

"...it's vampires."

Meanwhile, Adelaide, Valerie, Lavinia and Cordelia remained with Violetta near the dining table.

Violetta poured herself a cup of tea before sitting down.

She wrapped both hands around the warm mug.

"The situation isn't wonderful."

She admitted.

"But it could be much worse."

Lavinia looked curious.

"How much worse?"

Violetta took a small sip.

"A few smaller countries panicked."

She looked into her tea for a moment.

"Vardesh was one."

"They decided the safest solution was rounding up every vampire and werewolf they could find."

Cordelia looked down.

"...That sounds like a terrible idea."

"It was."

Violetta replied.

"Another country, Almerra, had almost the opposite problem."

"Parts of the government refused to cooperate with the others."

She shrugged.

"Now everyone's arguing over who's actually in charge."

She looked back at the group.

"The fighting's still going."

"And it's only been a week."

Adelaide said quietly.

"It has."

Violetta nodded.

"The larger countries are in a much better position."

"They've stronger institutions."

"More resources."

"They're not in danger of falling apart tomorrow."

She smiled, though there wasn't much humor in it.

"But trends have a habit of continuing."

"If nobody stops them."

Silence settled briefly.

Adelaide finally asked,

"Do you really think vampires are that dangerous?"

"There aren't even two million of us in the world."

"There don't have to be."

Violetta answered gently.

She looked around the table.

"Think about the eight of you."

"You can all move faster than most people can react."

"If someone shoots you..."

She gave a small shrug.

"You'll recover."

"You hear conversations humans don't."

"You don't get tired."

"You don't need to stop for dinner."

A faint smile appeared.

"Imagine someone asking you to find eight people like yourselves."

Valerie smiled slightly.

"I'd decline."

"So would I."

Violetta laughed.

"And I know where to begin looking."

She continued.

"Now imagine those eight decide to attack a military patrol."

"They'd be gone before reinforcements arrived."

"They'd choose when to fight."

"When to leave."

"They'd know they were being followed long before anyone got close."

Her smile faded.

"It isn't that vampires would win every fight."

"They wouldn't."

"Humanity has numbers."

"They have aircraft."

"They have armored vehicles."

"They have more resources than we'll ever have."

She looked from one vampire to another.

"But wars aren't wars because two sides fight."

She rested her teacup on the table.

"They're wars because both sides lose things."

Her voice remained calm.

"If vampires wanted to make life miserable..."

"They wouldn't need to conquer countries."

"They could raid towns."

"Disappear."

"Damage power stations."

"Attack supply routes."

"Kill officials."

"And leave before soldiers could organize a response."

She folded her hands.

"The military would constantly be reacting."

"Trying to protect everything."

"And you can't protect everything."

Lavinia frowned.

"So even if humans eventually won..."

"They'd lose a great deal getting there."

Violetta nodded.

"Exactly."

She smiled sadly.

"That's why I care so much about integration."

"It isn't because I think vampires should rule."

"It isn't because I think humans should."

She looked around at the room, where Evangeline's laughter drifted over from the sofas.

"It's because once a war like that starts..."

She paused.

"...everyone loses something they can't replace."

The room grew quiet.

Outside, somewhere beyond the walls, a car passed along the street.

Violetta slipped her gloves on before reaching for the umbrella resting beside the entrance.

"I have a few things to take care of."

Evangeline looked over the back of the sofa.

"Meetings?"

"Mostly."

She gave an exaggerated groan.

"I liked being in the lab more."

Rosaline laughed.

"I never thought I'd hear anyone say that."

"It wasn't that bad," Evangeline replied. "They gave me blood."

Violetta smiled.

"I'll be back later."

Lavinia nodded.

"We'll be here."

"I know."

She glanced around the room one last time before opening the door.

"Goodnight."

A chorus of farewells followed her into the hallway.

The two soldiers waiting outside immediately straightened.

Neither spoke until they reached the entrance.

The evening air was cool, carrying the distant sounds of traffic across Oakridge.

Two black SUVs waited beneath the overhang.

Captain Owen Hayes stood beside the rear passenger door.

He offered a respectful nod.

"Ready to leave, General?"

Violetta looked back toward the building for a brief moment.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Hayes opened the door.

"The Municipal Center is expecting us."

"I imagine they are."

She climbed into the rear seat.

Hayes entered from the opposite side while the convoy eased away from the curb.

For several minutes, silence filled the vehicle.

Violetta simply watched Oakridge pass beyond the window.

The city was alive.

Restaurants were still open.

Families crossed intersections together.

A pair of teenagers laughed as they hurried toward a movie theater.

Office buildings remained illuminated despite the late hour.

If someone had ignored every television, radio and newspaper during the past week, they might almost believe life was continuing normally.

Almost.

Violetta quietly sighed.

Hayes looked up from the tablet resting on his lap.

"Long day?"

She smiled faintly.

"They're all becoming long days."

"I suppose that's true."

Her gaze remained outside.

Some people undoubtedly believed she wanted a conflict.

It wasn't difficult to understand why.

She was a Brigadier General.

She was also a vampire.

To many people, those two facts no longer belonged together.

Some undoubtedly imagined she was waiting.

Waiting for an excuse.

Waiting for an opportunity.

Waiting to betray the uniform she'd worn for decades.

If only they knew.

A quiet smile crossed her lips.

They didn't.

No transformed officer with any sense volunteered certain truths.

Publicly, she remained exactly what she had always been.

A Brigadier General.

She fulfilled her duties.

She attended meetings.

She coordinated with civilian leadership.

She worked alongside police departments and emergency services.

Nothing about that had changed.

Nor did she intend for it to.

The truth was far less dramatic than people imagined.

She had spent nearly forty years building the life she now lived.

Assignments across the country.

Promotions earned one at a time.

Exercises.

Deployments.

Countless evenings spent behind desks rather than at home.

She had sacrificed birthdays.

Holidays.

Relationships.

She had built her career one year after another until she'd finally reached a position where people trusted her judgment.

Then, in the span of a single night, she'd become a vampire.

That transformation hadn't erased the decades before it.

She still loved her work.

She still cared about the soldiers under her command.

She still wanted to serve.

More than anything, she wanted the world to settle down enough that she could continue doing exactly that.

War would destroy all of it.

Not simply her career.

Everything.

She had seen enough conflict to know wars weren't measured by victories.

They were measured by funerals.

By cities rebuilt.

By families that never became whole again.

She had no intention of helping the world stumble into one.

The convoy slowed at a traffic light.

Across the intersection, an enormous electronic billboard displayed a news broadcast.

The headline stretched across the bottom of the screen.

NONHUMAN ATTACKS CONTINUE ACROSS THE COUNTRY

The footage cycled between a damaged storefront, police officers, a frightened interviewee and grainy phone footage of a werewolf running across rooftops.

Violetta watched until the light turned green.

"The media certainly found its story."

Hayes glanced toward the billboard before looking back down.

"They're covering what people want to watch."

"They are."

She nodded.

"And they're not entirely wrong."

Hayes looked up.

"No."

"They're reporting dangerous incidents."

She rested one arm against the door.

"The problem is perspective."

He waited.

"Before the Divergence, humans were already the most dangerous animals on Earth to other humans."

Hayes gave a small nod.

"They still are."

"They still are."

She smiled faintly.

"But now..."

She gestured toward the passing billboard.

"If a human shoots another human, it's a local story."

"If a vampire throws someone through a wall..."

She shrugged.

"It's national news."

Hayes considered that for a moment.

"A vampire could kill someone with a single punch."

"Yes."

She answered without hesitation.

"So could a werewolf."

Silence settled briefly.

"But."

She continued.

"A human with a rifle can kill another human from farther away than either of us could reach."

Hayes smiled.

"So humans have always been dangerous."

"They have."

"The difference is familiarity."

She watched another police cruiser pass in the opposite direction.

"Human violence has existed for thousands of years."

"Ours appeared less than a week ago."

"The unfamiliar is always frightening."

Hayes looked back to his tablet.

"The Mayor confirmed six attendees."

"Only six?"

"She wanted the meeting kept small."

He scrolled through the agenda.

"Chief Mercer insisted on attending personally."

"I expected that."

"He'll have two deputies with him."

"The City Attorney."

"The Director of Emergency Management."

"And Council President Marlow."

Violetta closed her eyes for just a second.

"Marlow."

Hayes smiled knowingly.

"You've met him."

"Twice."

"And?"

"I would've preferred once."

He laughed quietly.

"I'll remember that."

The convoy turned into the civic district.

The Oakridge Municipal Center stood ahead, its stone façade illuminated by floodlights.

Concrete barriers had been positioned around the entrance since the previous night's attack.

Police cruisers lined the curb.

Several officers stood watch outside.

The SUVs slowed beneath the covered entrance.

Violetta stepped out first.

Hayes followed.

Two soldiers exited the second vehicle and naturally fell in behind them.

Each carried only a sidearm.

Professional.

Protective.

Present without appearing overbearing.

Violetta appreciated whoever had decided against rifles.

The glass doors opened before they reached them.

Two uniformed officers stood inside.

Recognition crossed both men's faces immediately.

Their heartbeats accelerated.

One unconsciously straightened his posture.

"General."

Violetta inclined her head.

"Good evening."

Neither officer lingered.

They stepped aside, allowing the group to enter.

The lobby remained active despite the late hour.

Staff members hurried between offices carrying folders and laptops.

Televisions mounted along one wall quietly replayed the day's news beneath muted captions.

A receptionist rose from her desk.

"General Violetta?"

"Yes."

"Mayor Holloway is waiting upstairs."

"Thank you."

She entered the elevator alongside Captain Hayes.

The two soldiers remained outside.

As the doors closed, Hayes glanced toward her.

"Everyone seems nervous."

Violetta gave a quiet smile.

"I think they'd be stranger if they weren't."

The elevator climbed smoothly.

When the doors opened, Mayor Amanda Holloway was already waiting outside the conference room.

Beside her stood Oakridge Chief of Police Daniel Mercer.

Four additional officials stood nearby, conversations ending as Violetta approached.

Amanda stepped forward first.

"General."

"Mayor."

They shook hands.

Amanda's pulse quickened slightly beneath Violetta's fingertips, though her expression remained composed.

She released the handshake without acknowledging it.

"Thank you for coming."

"You were willing to meet this evening."

Violetta smiled politely.

"It would've been rude to refuse."

Amanda returned the smile, though fatigue still lingered in her eyes.

"We have a great deal to discuss."

"I suspected we might."

She gestured toward the conference room.

Violetta entered beside Captain Hayes while the two soldiers remained outside.

A large map of Oakridge covered one wall, marked with colored pins denoting police deployments, demonstrations, reported vampire and werewolf sightings, and the locations of recent incidents.

Folders and tablets had already been arranged neatly around the table.

Violetta studied the map for only a moment before taking the empty seat beside Mayor Holloway.

Chief Daniel Mercer remained standing until everyone had settled.

Amanda folded her hands.

"General."

She met Violetta's crimson eyes.

"Before we begin, I'd like to understand exactly what role you intend to play within Oakridge."

Violetta rested her hands lightly on the table.

"As little as possible."

Several officials exchanged surprised glances.

A faint smile appeared on her face.

"But enough to help ensure Oakridge doesn't tear itself apart."

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