Ever Dark - Acolyte -

There was still steam coming up from the coffee Nathan had ordered when it was placed gently on the table. He gave the waitress a polite thank you and watched her return through the cafe doors of Bloodletter Coffee before turning his attention back to his drink. Wrapping his hands around the warm mug, he carefully lifted it to his lips, blowing at the liquid a few moments before he tilted it and then winced as a few drops poured between his lips. Still too hot–it would have to cool a bit before he could fully enjoy it.

The mug clattered on the serving dish when he replaced it on the table and then he leaned back onto his pillowed chair. He was dressed snugly in a warm, brown hoodie, dark blue jeans, and his gray tennis shoes. His legs were folded up under his butt, a habit he believed he adopted since he was only a short five foot six. Sitting like this probably was why he always had a stiff neck and back. Just thinking about it made him rotate his neck so that it would crack comfortably.

His eyes drifted toward the blank document on his laptop monitor that was already opened on the table. Sighing, he ran a hand over his short, dark hair, feeling frustrated at himself. So far, in the ten minutes he had been at the cafe, nothing inspirational had come to his mind. He tried to rack his brain for a few good story ideas, but nothing grand came to him.

He did have one idea in mind, though he was doing his best to avoid it. Using that theme would seem too… cliche with how current world events are going. It was something he was very sure that every other author, new or established, was already working on. If anyone were to turn on the radio or television, the topic was bound to be on air.

“Look! Vampires!”

Nathan’s attention shifted to a couple sitting at a table across from him. The comment came from the woman who jumped out of her seat and was now pointing into the street. Her partner, a man in a dark coat with a red scarf around his neck, joined her and wrapped an arm over her shoulder.

“Of course there are vampires,” he laughed. “We are in the Ever Dark, after all.”

Nathan found himself looking at what she was pointing at. It was just a pair of vampires minding their own business and walking down the road in conversation. They were dressed pretty normally, considering how Nathan was brought up with the impression that they’d be in gothic attire with long black and red capes. If it weren’t for the noticeably elegant way they walked, he would’ve just assumed they were normal humans much like himself. His eyes followed them as they walked up the stairs and into the academy across the street. With his curiosity sated, he returned his attention to the empty document on his laptop.

He stared blankly a few more moments at the screen before looking at his wristwatch. It was still too early for his friend to arrive. He slumped into his seat, head leaning against the cushioned back of the chair. Above him, the twin Ever Dark moons hung lazily amidst a sea of stars–though he wasn’t able to see many because of the street lamps. Closing his eyes, Nathan took in a few deep and peaceful breaths, relishing in the relative quiet of the usually busy market street. He attributed it to the fact that students in the Everdark Academy were still in classes. Not to mention that dignitaries or diplomats or whoever other countries had sent to represent them were probably still bogged down in meetings with various bloodline vampires in their embassies. This peace wouldn’t last too long, it was near–Nathan peeked back at his watch with squinted eyes–lunchtime, so the cafe would probably get packed very soon. He was glad he chose a comfy table outside so he could people-watch.

Eventually, Nathan found himself staring off into the distance at nothing in particular while he remembered all the events that led him to come to the Ever Dark. He could still hear the shouting in his head over the argument he had with his partner. Boyfriend. Husband? He didn’t know what to call him. They had been together for nearly ten years and, despite having been engaged at one point, they had called it quits for a few months before getting back together.

“What do you mean, work with the vampires?” Erick had shouted at him. “They’re devils! They’re just going to enslave all of humanity!”

It was something that his boyfriend had said many times after vampires revealed themselves to the world. At first, Nathan had agreed with him, basing his ideas solely on the fiction he knew. But after watching King Daemon do what he did on television, he knew that these vampires very clearly didn’t sparkle. He eventually decided to do his research and try to make his own opinions concerning the vampires.

“That’s not what they’re saying at all,” Nathan had countered. “Haven’t you been watching the news? They’re working so that humans AND vampires can coexist together.”

“You mean they’re going to treat us like cattle,” he scoffed. “Just like farm animals! They’ll keep us all in some barn in small cages while they take our blood! Get us all plump and ready for the slaughterhouse.”

“That’s not what they do at all.”

“How would you know? From the fake news? You trust all that biased media bullshit?”

“They’re from direct interviews with reputable sources and even the vampire leaders!”

“You mean our future overlords,” he had rolled his eyes. “We’re not going to have anything to do with them. No way. We’ll just continue to find work here and that’s that!”

Nathan had placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to placate him. “But we’ve been without meaningful jobs for… God, nearly a year now, Eric! We need something! And if working with vampires is it, we should take it! They’re offering to pay an amazing salary with benefits!”

“So you would sell your soul to devils just to live comfortably momentarily? For money? You’d condemn yourself to an eternity for that?”

He rolled his eyes here, knowing he had now hit the ‘religious wall’ of their arguments. “Listen, Eric. I’m tired. I know I’ve been out of the classroom for a long time now. I can’t go back. I refuse to go back into my hell and deal with that stress again. And subbing isn’t cutting it, either!”

“But don’t you want to write books? You still have that.”

“Sadly, writing takes a lot of time to establish oneself. I don’t have the start-up funds to just write, as much as I’d want to. And even if I finished a book, there’s no guarantee that people would even like it.”

“I’ll get a job soon and you can keep subbing and writing. It’ll be good that way so you can live more flexibly. I’ll work from home some days and, when I do have to go into an office, you can stay home and watch the dogs. I’ve been getting interview after interview this month. We’ll definitely hear something soon.”

“But you’ve been saying that for months! And it always ends up the same! You either get corporate ghosted or the companies just magically decide to hire someone in-house anyway.”

Eric sighed. “You just have to have a little faith. We’ll be alright.”

But Nathan had had enough. A year of waiting. A year of applying for jobs and getting rejected since he only had experience as an educator. A year of subbing in a classroom with his anxiety through the roof while being surrounded by unruly teens who didn’t give a shit about him or the rules. And a year of refusing jobs in another state because Eric didn’t agree to them. “I don’t have it in me to hold faith anymore, Eric.”

“Don’t say that.”

“No. I need something that will help now. I need… something that’ll pay and make me feel like I’m doing something meaningful. Eric…I’m done.”

He eyed him carefully. “You’re what? What do you mean?”

Nathan gulped and stared hard at his boyfriend’s - partner’s - husband’s eyes. “I mean I’m done. I … I have to think for myself now. I can’t just… keep doing this. I need to move on.”

“Move on? Yourself? You mean…” Seeing Eric’s eyes tear up made the lump in his throat even harder to swallow. “You’re leaving me?”

“If I stay… We’ll go nowhere. I’ll go nowhere! I’ll still be subbing at schools with little pay. I’ll still be applying for jobs I don’t even know if I’m qualified for. I’m too old to go back to school, and I don’t even have the money for it. I’m drowning in student loans. And with what little pay I do get, I have to choose food over other bills. I need to take this chance. I… I need to go.”

“With the vampires?” he hissed back, his tears freely falling down his face. “You’d give up on us for those… those… demons!? Those leeches?”

“I have to take my chances. I… I can’t go back into the classroom anymore. I just can’t.”

“It’ll be alright,” he pleaded, grabbing Nathan by the hands. “You can go back on your medication! You can get through it with therapy. It’ll be easier this time! You can handle the stress!”

“No,” Nathan shouted, taking a moment to recompose himself before trying to talk again in a calmer voice. “I can’t. And the fact you refuse to see that going back would further damage me… I’m sorry, Eric. But I’ve turned down enough opportunities to stay with you. I have to do this. For me.”

Eric was a snotty mess at this point. His eyes were bloodshot, lips quivering. But at that moment, Nathan realized something. While staring at Erick’s pleading eyes, he realized that, even after ten years together, he still didn’t understand his feelings toward him. He never really knew if he loved or just tolerated him. And while he knew he did love him to some extent, he felt more lonely in his whole life. He needed to leave.

“But what about me!?” demanded Erick.

What about me? Nathan repeated in his mind, returning to the present with a quick shake of his head. He lifted his coffee once more, finally able to take a few satisfying gulps of the warm, bitter liquid now that it had cooled off.

“You seem lost in your thoughts. Whatcha thinkin’?”

His eyes glanced up with the mug still at his lips. In front of him was a pale woman about his same height. She was absurdly skinny, looking dwarfed in her oversized black hoodie and baggy jeans. It reminded him of how he and his friends used to dress in school in the early 2000s. Her brown hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail and when she smiled he almost imagined that she still had braces on her teeth. Nathan placed down his smug and smiled. “Brenda! You’re here early.”

“I am?” she grinned, taking a seat across from him. “You’re the one who’s early! Is that a character trait of yours?”

Nathan gave her an airy chuckle. “I guess. When you spend most of your life as an educator you get used to having to be early. Can’t be late and make admin mad, you know?”

“Oh, you were a teacher before? What grades?”

“High school. English. Usually got stuck with 9th graders.”

“Ouch!”

“Tell me about it,” he looked away again in the distance. “I had to get away after ten years of it.”

“I can imagine. I couldn’t spend every day with kids. I’ve personally never wanted them. Imagine having to spend time with someone else’s,” she shuddered.

“Aww, they weren’t all that bad. The kids were usually the best part,” Nathan admitted. “I mean, granted, there’s always that little shithead that you want to punch in the face or drop kick, but you can’t because … well just because. Anyway, you wanted to meet with me. What’s up?”

She shrugged. “I just wanted to try to make friends. We’re both acolyte candidates so I figured I’d find the nerdiest guy in the bunch and see if we’d hit it off.”

Nathan narrowed his eyes. “You just randomly picked me out of the group because you think I’m a nerd?”

“Of course.”

“And what makes you think I am one? And don’t say because I’m half Asian!”

“You are?” she blinked. “I thought you were Hispanic or something.

“I get that a lot. But no. Half Filipino.”

She examined him a moment before nodding. “Ohhh, I see it now. Yeah, you’re a nerd.”

He rolled his eyes. “That still doesn’t explain anything.”

“Ok, fine. When we were coming in from the Nightvallen gate, I saw you were holding a book that you were reading. The Werewolf’s Forbidden Mate?” She smiled while Nathan grimaced. “And also,” she then pointed at his laptop bag that was resting beside his chair. “You have two little black and white dragon plushies attached to your backpack. That all screams nerd to me.”

Nathan sighed and lifted his hands in surrender. “So maybe I’m a nerd. What about you? Are you a self-proclaimed nerd, too?”

He swore her eyes sparkled when her smile got larger. Brenda leaned forward on her chair, resting her elbows on the table and her head in her hands. “I’m betting that I’m very much like you. I’m an MMO junkie and seasoned World of Peacecraft raider. I had streamed online for a while, but I wasn’t all that popular. Most of my viewers came from during the pandemic but once things returned to normal I had lost that viewership.”

“Oh damn! Can’t have viewers outside of the pandemic,” he teased.

“I know!” Her face then grew serious. “Not that I’m saying the pandemic wasn’t bad, or anything. It was! I know a lot of people suffered from it.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that more people were online and helped with viewership.”

“Yeah… see! I knew we’d get along just by looking at you. By the way,” she pointed to his mug. “How’s the coffee? Is it good?”

He nodded. “Yeah, though, I don’t think I’m the best judge of coffee. To me coffee is coffee. But I like how homey this place feels.” He gestured to the old English-style shop front, with its red brick and industrial lighting. Inside matched the same vibe, concrete and brick walls and a few tables inside, all facing a fireplace at the far wall that was bordered by shelves packed with books in various languages. “Having a drink using an actual mug instead of a paper cup with my name poorly spelled on it makes it feel more… intimate I guess.”

“Yeah, it does,” she agreed. “Though I don’t know how I feel about the name Bloodletter Coffee.”

“I taste no blood in this coffee if that’s what you’re worried about,” he smiled.

“Good! I’m gonna order something too, then. Be right back.”

He watched as she got up and entered the cafe, speaking animatedly with the baristas. It didn’t take her too long to order, and Nathan took another sip of his coffee as she made her way back to the table. “So World of Peacecraft?” he asked, continuing their conversation.

“Yeah. I play an elf priest. Well, I guess I should say played an elf priest. Won’t be able to get any game time in the Ever Dark.”

“The no internet thing sucks.”

“Dude, it does. It killed me saying goodbye to my guild mates. But to become an acolyte here meant I had to.”

“What were you doing before you decided to become an acolyte?”

Brenda placed her elbows back on the table and rested her head in her hands. “I was a waitress in Austin. My husband and I were just making ends meet. He’s in a band trying to make it big with his friends. They’ve had several gigs that have made good money, but with how things have been going, the money wasn’t enough. So we talked and decided that I’d become an acolyte.”

Nathan raised his brow. “Is your husband trying to become an acolyte too?”

“No,” she sighed, leaning back on her chair. “He and his friends got a chance to tour the U.S. opening for some up-and-coming Siryn band. It was a great opportunity and I didn’t want him to lose out because I wanted something different.”

“Are you both still…?”

“Are we still together? Yeah. I mean, I know communicating will be hard with the no internet thing in the Ever Dark, but as acolytes, we would get opportunities like weekends to go back home to see family. That’s a perk we have that the academy brats don’t get.”

“A perk? Maybe. But unlike the students, acolytes won’t get a chance to become vampires.”

She shrugged. “You never know. There’s a chance if we work well as acolytes that we could get selected. I mean, I know the treaty says only the 100 humans would get chosen, but I bet there are other avenues to becoming a vampire. And from what I’ve heard, acolytes used to be the way future vamps were made.”

“Maybe…”

At this point, the barista from earlier came to their table and placed a steaming cappuccino in front of Brenda. “Bro, this looks amazing! Thanks!”

“My pleasure,” the barista said before turning away.

“What about you? Any grilfriend or boyfriend waiting for you at home? Or are they becoming an acolyte too? And what are you using your laptop for? Playing a game?”

“So many questions!” Nathan laughed. “I’m… single. And no, not playing a game. Actually, I was trying to write.”

“About what?”

He let out a long breath. “I have no idea. I spent some time before you got here trying to come up with ideas but couldn’t think of anything. I’ve tried romance before but I tend to only get a few chapters in before I’m paralyzed with writer’s block. Or I get trapped in a never-ending loop of editing chapters I’ve already written. It sucks being a perfectionist.”

“Hmm,” she hummed, taking a moment to think before her eyes bugged out and she looked at him as if she had just come up with the best idea ever. “Why not write about vampires!”

Nathan glared at her and finished his coffee. “Everyone is writing about vampires right now. Like, everyone,” he deadpanned. “There’s even crossover vampire fanfiction for Harry Potter.”

“There is? What the fuck?”

“I know! Like, instead of a sorting hat, there’s a sorting bat that takes a bit of blood and places kids into a bloodline house. All run by a headmaster, Caemorndore. In Everworts.”

Brenda snorted. “That doesn’t sound all that… creative.” She paused a few moments before letting out a long sigh. “Ok, it is. I admit, I want to read it.”

“I know,” Nathan groaned. “Me too…”

There was a bit of noise across the street that grabbed their attention. Students were now pouring out of the academy and heading towards the markets and restaurants that were conveniently nearby. People of many ages came out in a myriad of colored clothing, each representing the various bloodlines that they were interested in joining. Mixed in were a few vampires, eagerly escorting some of the students. Nathan couldn’t help but notice just how close some of them were. Hands on a shoulder. Arms wrapped around a waist.

He remembered during their day one orientation that it was called courting. It was when a vampire would find a potential candidate for their bloodlines and try to ‘woo’ them to join their house. Though Nathan found the concept interesting, he strongly felt that it was something beyond his reach. Even though he was recently single, he was old. Or, he felt old, anyway. He may only be thirty-five, but compared to some of these younger options he was in no way desirable.

Sure, there was an older candidate–he recalled his name was Eiji or something–that was recently chosen to join the Ashyr house. But he was rumored to have been some mob boss in the yakuza. He had a purpose and use. What did Nathan have compared to that? Ten years of teaching students? What good would that be for the vampires?

Hi there! I’m a teacher with experience in snatching cell phones away and arguing with students and parents about why using A.I. is cheating. Did I mention I had a mental breakdown in front of class and the idea of teaching again gives me crippling anxiety now?

Yeah. No way he’d be considered useful to become a vampire.

“Did you apply to join the academy?”

He turned his head back to Brenda, noticing that she was still observing the students. “No.”

She looked back at him. “Why not?”

He lifted his mug, only to remember he had already finished his coffee. He turned his head back to the crowd. “They would never choose someone like me. I knew that without even looking at their prerequisites. So I chose the next best thing. Being an acolyte.”

“Huh. I applied. As you can see, I didn’t get chosen. So I guess you and I did the same thing.”

“Yeah…”

“But at least we can use our previous experiences to help out. I’m sure the academy would ask you to teach classes!”

Nathan winced inwardly. “I know nothing about vampires to teach.”

“I’m sure they’ll help you out. You know, like on-the-job training! I hear the Harrows are doing lectures. You could work with them. Oh! You all could be faculty colleagues!”

“Maybe…”

She furrowed her brows. “Are you alright?”

He turned back to look at her, eyes widened. “Yeah. I’m fine. Why?”

She bit her lip and tilted her head. “You just seemed to kind of drift off there a bit.”

“Oh,” he smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m fine. I just have a lot on my mind. You know, with the whole moving in just this week and starting a whole new career as a blood bag.”

“I thought maybe I said something to make you upset.”

“Nah, I’m good. I-”

“YOU CAN’T DO THIS TO US!”

The two of them snapped their heads back toward the academy. Students who were leaving suddenly turned around to see what all the commotion was about. Nathan couldn’t see well through the crowd, but eventually, several vampires started to usher people aside to clear a path. Murmurs spread around as a woman was being dragged out through the academy doors.

“Miss Byrne! If you continue with this behavior we’ll have to get an Eyros to calm you down,” said the woman vampire who had her grasp on another woman’s arm. Nathan could see that the struggling woman had vibrant red hair and, through her shouts, he could make out her strong, Irish accent.

“Do it! I dare you! Then I’ll tell everyone how you treat your disruptive students!”

“Mairead, just calm down,” said another woman. She was of Indian ethnicity and based on her demeanor and dress, she was more put together than her redhead friend. Despite that, he could tell she was in some form of distress. “At least walk out with some dignity.”

“Aren’t you angry, doctor!? They’re kicking us out!”

Gasps erupted around them and both Nathan and Brenda got up from their chairs to step closer. Students were pointing and speculating what could have happened. Many were shaking their heads in disapproval.

“Is this what I think it is?” Brenda muttered with a mix of disbelief and anticipation. “Could it be?”

“Yes,” said Nathan. As an educator who had worked with some difficult students before, he could see the telltale signs of what was happening. Though he hadn’t seen many of them, this was playing out exactly as he had experienced. “Someone is getting expelled.”