Black Blood Chapter 19
Uncertainty and anticipation...
A dim florescent light shone over two Hunds sitting opposite of each other, a small table separating them. One sat casually as the light reflected off her whitish-grey fur as she glared amusingly at the individual across from her. A tall, thin Hund with rust-colored fur stared back at her with a mixture of exhaustion and loathing. He would love nothing more than do charge right at her, if it weren't for the bindings on his arms and legs.
“You're rather proud for a blue collar" she said as she fiddled with some papers stacked in front of her. “If you value that pride enough to not wish to experience further humiliation then you better start giving me some answers."
The rust Hund remained silent as his eyes briefly focused on the white collar somewhat camouflaged within her fur.
She flipped through the pages, stopping at one with his photograph. “You must also consider yourself to be somewhat of an intellectual… pursuing a doctorate in general surgery is quite an impressive feat, if not for the fact you failed out half-way."
An unimpressed chuckle echoed across from her. “I only dropped out because I was no longer able to afford it."
“Because you lost your grants due to your grades" she smirked back. “Then you decided to use the knowledge and experience you managed to obtain to pursue a more… repulsive line of work." Her expression became more serious. “You dropped out two years ago. How many humans had you taken prior to this one?"
The rust Hund stared at her blankly.
She crossed her arms. “Answer me."
A groan escaped his lips. “He would have been my fourth harvest."
“Three, huh… Tell me, how old were they?"
He shrugged his shoulders. “About the same age as him, maybe a little younger, but definitely not at the same stage of the disease as him."
She glared at him, knowing full well what that last comment implied. “How long?"
“Pardon?" as asked with a curious expression.
“How long did you keep the other three alive? How long did they suffer? Tell me…"
He glanced to the side. “The first one was immediate. I was nervous about getting caught keeping him alive. The second lasted five weeks before his body became too weak. The third I managed to keep alive for over three months before I harvested him."
“And just how long were you planning to keep this one alive?"
“About the same length, if it weren't for his condition…" He closed his eyes. “I could have kept the third one alive longer, you know. It was only a sense of guilt that made me put him out of his misery."
“Don't you dare lie to me to gain any sympathy points…" she said with a growl. “Tell me the truth."
“I am telling you the truth" he said as he blankly met her gaze. “I felt guilty making the kid suffer for that long and decided to end his life."
A look of disgust spread across her face. “Oh yes, so guilty about seeing his suffering that you decided to do it again to another..."
He shrugged his shoulders. “I don't do it because I enjoy it. Perhaps if I was a white collar, yes, but it was purely for monetary purposes."
She was silent. She glanced down briefly. “Tell me… your previous three harvests, were they in close proximity to where you went to medical school?"
“Yes."
“Yet… that is a six hour drive south of here. Now tell me, why did you come all the way up here for one kid?"
He smirked. “Humans are getting harder to come by in the open, which means their parts are also becoming much more valuable. Competition near large cities also brings uncertainty to whether or not we can even find any humans. So, I thought it would be worthwhile to go for one somewhere others would hesitate to go as well."
“But why here…?" she emphasized. “Within that six hour radius, what brought you specifically here? That boy is the only human in Luzuna and the surrounding areas; what made you come here? How did you even know there was a human here?"
“Internet."
She furrowed her brow. “Elaborate…"
“There are… sites that most individuals will never come across in their lives without specifically searching for them. One site in particular that is utilized by myself and those in the same vocation could be considered a watch dog site; where 'unwanted' individuals are posted. The boy we took, he was listed on the site."
Her ears perked up. “Now tell me this… what did it say about the boy?"
He chuckled. “Not much. Just listed a human child of elementary school age in the town of Luzuna, and the possibility he might be chipped."
“The human you took wasn't that young… how long ago was that information posted?"
“About five years ago."
“And no one chose to go after him until now?"
He let out a little laugh. “A human that young isn't very economically viable; less blood and smaller organs. It's only when they're in their teens are they seen as profitable to harvest. Not sure if others were planning to go after him as well, but I was the first."
“And you shall be the last…" she said as she started straightening out her papers. “We're going to find that site and take down any users we can." She stood as she collected the papers.
“I wish you the best of luck, then…"
She remained silent as she brought the papers to her side. “You may not have known, or you probably don't even care, but there is one key difference this boy had to the other three you took."
“What is that?"
“This boy wasn't an orphan; he actually had a family. Did you ever think about that?"
He closed his eyes. “It wasn't personal…"
“Yeah, yeah… keep telling yourself that for as long as you need to ease your conscience. It doesn't make what you did any less horrifying. You may not be a white collar, but you're not any better; seeing humans as something just to be harvested. I hope you realize you won't be experiencing freedom for a very long time."
He let out a dejected chuckle. “And what about the Varzi?"
“What Varzi?" she asked.
“That little brat we took with the human."
“Oh…" her ears perked up. “The girl who ended up being the reason we found and caught you, and perhaps even for the human surviving?"
He glared at her. “Yes… what's going to happen to that Varzi bitch?"
She smirked. “I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about." She turned to walk to the door. “According to all reports from that night… there wasn't a Varzi there…" His glare turned into dumbfounded shock as watched her leave the room.
As she walked down the hallway she suddenly heard muffled expletives echoing from behind her. A satisfied smile crept across her face.
An uneasy silence hung around Sera. In a hospital room across from Tom's, everything was like a perfect mirror image, except for the emotions of its occupants. She could only gaze over at Mr. and Mrs. Chienna sitting silently on the couch, both with a mixture of tired and solemn gazes. Sera could see Mr. Chienna's appearance had worsened greatly in the past two days, his tired eyes staring off in the distance. Mrs. Chienna's attention was him, as she seemingly tried to gently comfort him.
Sera pondered why both of them were in such haggard states. Neither one of them had gone through the prolonged stress of not knowing the fate of Irena; they only found out what happened when Irena was already being treated. A shock, of course, but why would it be weighing so heavily on them after-the-fact, especially with Irena safe at home with them? There was one possibility that would fit with a suspicion that's been sitting in the back of Sera's mind…
“Irena's not your daughter, is she?"
Her words were like a slap in the face to the Chiennas, breaking them both out of their stupor and now staring and her with confused eyes, adrenaline now coursing through them. They both remained silent, unsure how to even respond.
“It makes sense…" Sera closed her eyes. “The inconsistent time she's lived in Luzuna compared to the two of you… and what she is…"
“Don't…" Mr. Chienna said, his voice shaking. Despite the sudden rush of energy he was feeling, his mind was too exhausted to make a fuss. “How do you know what she is?"
“When I arrived at the scene they had apprehended the kidnappers. One of them kept using the term…" Sera paused. “'Varzi bitch' multiple times before the door was slammed in his face."
“Oh shit…" Mr. Chienna said under his breath as he leaned back. “Even the police know about it!? My brother is going to kill me…"
“Irena's father?" Sera asked.
Mr. Chienna let out a groan as he slowly straightened himself up. “Yeah…"
Sera's suspicion was correct. The stress they were feeling now was not unlike what she was feeling herself the other day; the dread of having to inform someone's loved ones of tragedy. There was still something she didn't understand about all of this, though. “Why even the façade of her being your daughter?"
“To give her the best chance of fitting in…" Mr. Chienna said as he looked Sera straight in the eyes. “You have to understand how much Irena needed this. Even when Irena was really young she was… different." He shook his head as if he didn't fully comprehend it himself. “Being a blue collar, I couldn't really understand what my brother meant; that Irena wasn't behaving like a white collar her age should. We just… figured she just had a unique personality for a white collar and didn't think anything further of it…" He remained silent in thought before he let out a soft chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head. “That was until they caught her trying on a blue collar… and they were so disappointed…"
“And because of that they sent her to live with you?" Sera asked.
Mr. Chienna shook his head. “No… No… their disappointment was just a white collar thing… they both love Irena, but they weren't thrilled about the potential implications. She was just ten years old at the time, but they bluntly told her what would happen if anyone realized she wasn't supposed to be wearing that blue collar…" He let out a weak sigh. “My brother told me how much Irena cried after learning what it would mean to be a pariah to all who knew the truth… he was hopeful it might end up deterring Irena from ever trying to wear a blue collar again."
“So when did she start again?"
“Shortly after they moved over the summer. It was a new place full of new people who didn't know anything about them." He smiled weakly. “Irena must have thought it was a perfect opportunity."
“And your brother relented?"
Mr. Chienna let out a stronger chuckle. “He didn't have much a choice… Apparently Irena had already let herself be seen by others in the neighborhood wearing a blue collar. At that point, they had to go along with it. A white collar couple with a blue collar child is unusual, but not unheard of… My brother told me he reiterated to Irena what would happen if anyone found out. She said she understood.
Mrs. Chienna looked up to Sera. “Before Irena made that decision, she was such an inquisitive and curious girl. She may have been reserved but she was nothing like the persona she would have to adopt while in public."
“She always had to be careful what she said around others…" Mr. Chienna continued. “One innocent, accidental command could blow her cover in an instant… she'd often just say nothing out of fear. It worked for a while, but then… something happened she wasn't prepared for. She did not realize just how sensitive a black collar's sense of hearing can be…" He started shaking his head. “It didn't matter how careful Irena was, the moment a black collar heard her voice they could immediately recognize something wasn't right…" He weakly shrugged his shoulders. “Irena won't tell us what exactly happened afterwards. My brother only told me she was emotionally shattered when her mother brought her home. That night… the two of them made a decision."
“They'd send her to live with the two of you…" Sera said softly. “And you were alright with the suddenness of it?"
“Well it's not as though they just showed up at our doorstep and dropped her off. They did call and ask if we'd be willing to take her in. To them, having Irena move across the country to live with her aunt and uncle was a better alternative than seeing her in that state every day. We agreed to take her in."
“And you decided you'd pretend to be her parents? Why?"
“Well…" a smile formed on his face. “Irena is a spitting image of my brother, who looks quite similar to me. “It wouldn't have been difficult to pass her off as being our child, and it would avoid unnecessary questions…"
“Who are your parents? Where do they live? Why are you living with your aunt and uncle?" Mrs. Chienna chimed in. “As long as she was able to point to us and claim we were her parents, nobody would suspect anything."
“Well…" Sera chuckled. “You certainly did have all of us fooled.
“Doesn't matter now" Mr. Chienna said, closing his eyes. “If the authorities know about her, it won't be long until it spreads. Then there's my brother… I don't know what he's going to do."
“He very well might demand we send Irena back." Mrs. Chienna added.
Sera crossed her arms. “Sounds a bit excessive to have her return to an environment where people already know her secret…"
Mr. Chienna reached forward and clutched his knees as he stood up with a grunt. “She'd be homeschooled by a private tutor. It's what would have happened had we not agreed to take her in. He shook his head slowly. “She'd be isolated, but safe in her parents' eyes."
Sera sighed. “And… if you just don't tell them…?"
A low growl echoed from Mr. Chienna's throat. “Look…" he gazed away from Sera. “I know you're trying to help, probably for Irena's sake, but I can't just keep this hidden from my brother. He'd never be able to trust me again."
“Yeah…" Sera said with a slow exhale. “You should tell him tonight then."
Mr. Chienna laughed weakly. “You say that so easily…" he gazed back into Sera's eyes with a glare. “Was it that easy when you were in my position?"
Sera remained silent as she stared back into his glaring eyes. “I'm saying it so you don't end up in my position…" Mr. Chienna blinked, his glare softening slightly.
Sera's ear twitched as something behind her caught her attention. She turned her head to see through the glass window. She could see the door across the hall opening. Sera looked back at the pair of Hunds in front of her. “It's time for all of us to head home. I really do hope everything works out for Irena and for you two…" Without another word uttered by either side, Sera turned around and promptly left the room, leaving the Chiennas standing in silence.
Tom's head rested against the cold car window, watching the scenery pass him by illuminated only by the dim light of the half-moon on the horizon. He let out a soft sigh, fogging the window slightly as he could see the waves of the bay in the distance shining silver.
To Tom's left was Luna. She was barely able to keep her eyes open as she leaned against Tom, her arms wrapped around his left arm. She would occasionally tighten her hold on his arm, but made sure to be gentle as to not break her promise to keep Tom from harm.
To her left was Ren. His head was also leaning against the window, but his gaze wasn't outward. He couldn't help but keep an eye on Tom, as part of him feared that if stopped Tom would be gone again. Ren closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to rid that thought from his mind, his ears softly banging against the glass.
In front of Ren, Todd kept his attention on the road ahead of him. The soft hum of the engine and the rolling of rubber on asphalt were the only things he could hear. It would have been hypnotic enough to fall asleep to if he wasn't driving. He briefly glanced to his right where Sera was sitting silently, staring forward. He figured something must have happened when he left her and Tom alone with the Chiennas. He'd be sure to inquire later tonight, if Sera doesn't tell him first.
Almost there, Sera thought as she watched familiar landmarks come into view. She was ready for everyone to be back home, and for everything to go back to normal. Sera couldn't help but mentally chuckle at the thought. Neither they nor the Chiennas would be able to return to the normalcy they knew just two days ago. Nothing would be able to erase the trauma Tom and Irena went through or the stress everyone close to them felt. All because of some Hunds who wanted to make money off of her suffering son…"
Sera's paws started to squeeze the sides of the car seat, causing tiny tears to form in the fabric as she continued to stare ahead with a blank expression as the car came to a stop sign. A sudden sensation on her left knee caused Sera's body to flinch, bringing her out of her thoughts. She looked down and realized Todd's paw was resting there. Her gaze followed the arm, and met Todd's eyes as he looked at her with concern. “I'm fine" Sera said softly as she placed her left paw on top of Todd's and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
Todd slowly drew his right paw back to the wheel as he slowly made a left turn. It was only a few blocks now. He looked up at the rear-view mirror. It didn't seem as though any of the kids had even noticed the little exchange between him and Sera. Everything passed by in silence once more until Todd slowly pulled the car into the familiar driveway. When he turned off the engine, Todd turned to look over his right shoulder. “Are any of you hungry at all?"
“No" Tom and Ren said in unison. Luna in-between them let out a little yawn.
“You can relax for the night, dear" Sera said as she slowly opened her door. One-by-one the three other doors opened and soon closed with thuds. Todd started towards the front door, followed momentarily by Ren. Ren looked back to see Tom was just staring at the house while Luna leaned against him, clutching his arm for support as she let out another yawn. “You doing alright, Tom?" Sera asked as she stood a short distance from him.
“Huh?" Tom asked as he was snapped out of a daze, noticing his mom. “What?" he asked, not knowing what she had just said.
“Let's go inside" Sera said with a soft smile.
“Alright" Tom said as he looked down at Luna. “Come here…" Tom slowly knelt down and slipped his arms under Luna's and lifted her up. Luna giggled as the action made her mind slightly more aware. She wrapped her arms around Tom's neck as he carried her inside.
As the front door closed behind Tom, he remained still, his eyes scanning everything around him. Sights so familiar or ordinary that he wouldn't have paid it any mind prior.
“Come here…" Sera said as she gently relieved Tom of Luna. “Ren, Tom…" Both of their attentions were drawn to her. “Neither of you will be going to school tomorrow. So go ahead and unwind, but your bed time is still in an hour. Both boys nodded in acknowledgement as Sera started towards the stairs.
“Tom" Todd's voice echoed from the dining room. “Come here please." Tom quickly walked through the archway, followed closely by Ren. Todd was standing at the end of the table, his paws resting on the edge. Sitting in front of him appeared to be a small toy figure next to a plastic container Tom didn't recognize. Todd lifted the lid, revealing a slice of white cake topped with blue and red frosting and a segment of lettering in black gel.
“Oh…" Tom approached for a closer look. “Where did these come from?"
“They were sitting on the porch. I don't know for how long, but it doesn't seem like it's gone bad. As Todd placed the lid back on the container, Tom reached over and grabbed the plastic toy. The figurine was dressed in a full superhero outfit, covering all of its Hund feature except for its tail and the bottom of its feet. Tom wondered what the character was based off of. Todd cleared his throat and gave Tom a slip of paper. “This came with it as well."
Tom grabbed the paper. Flipping it over revealed a note. Ren looked over Tom's shoulder as he read.
Sorry you weren't able to make it. I hope these help you get better soon!
Tom stared at the note in silence. Behind him Ren tilted his head in confusion. “How did he know something was wrong?"
“It's been in the news…" Todd said as he picked up the cake container. “Tom hasn't been mentioned by name but it doesn't take a lot of thought to assume they're referring to him."
“Oh…" Ren said softly as he looked back to Tom, still just staring at the note. Ren wondered what school was going to be like for Tom now. “Tom?"
“Hmm?" Tom blinked.
“Are you alright?"
“Yeah…" Tom said softly as he placed the toy and note on the table. “Yeah…" Tom let out a sigh. He turned around and walked towards the main hall, leaving Todd and Ren momentarily confused as the sound of Tom rushing up the stairs reached their ears. Ren eventually followed after him.
When Ren reached his and Tom's bedroom, he noticed there was some unusual clutter strewn about the floor near their closet. Old toys, clothes that Tom had outgrown, clothes he hadn't but just never seemed to wear and various other things were spontaneously being tossed out. Ren maneuvered around the mess on the floor so that he could peer inside. “What are you doing?" Ren asked as he watched Tom get on his knees and continue to remove anything he could get his hands on from the enclosed space.
“Remember my old comics?" Tom said without looking back at Ren.
Ren thought about it. The comics that Tom had brought with him from the orphanage. “Yes. That's what you're looking for?"
“Uh huh" Tom muttered as he continued his search.
Ren's ears flinched as something came to his mind. He turned back towards his bed and knelt by the side to get a good look underneath. Seeing a plastic container, he reached out and grabbed it, pulling it out from under his bed. He popped off the plastic top, revealing numerous paperback books that he'd read over the years. He shifted a few around until he found something out of place. “Tom, over here!"
Tom looked back, unable to see Ren behind him anymore. He got to his feet and started hopping his way over the mess. When clear, he could see Ren motioning inside his book container, and there Tom recognize the familiar multi-colored covers. “You had them?" Tom asked as he quickly approached the container.
“Made a little pocket for them so they wouldn't get damaged in… that." Ren motioned back at the cluttered closet.
“Thank you!" Tom said with relief as he reached over and removed the numerous comic books buried within surrounded by books. Ren's tail wagged from seeing Tom's excitement.
There was a knock behind them. They turned to see their father standing in the door frame, his gaze looking down at the mess. “A bit late to be organizing your closet, isn't it?"
“Dad" Tom stood with his comic collection in hand. “Can I go across the street for a moment?"
“It's past eight on a Sunday, Tom…"
“Please?"
“Tom… I'd rather this mess get cleaned up first. “Whatever it is you want to do can wait until tomorrow."
Tom let out a dejected sigh.
“I'll clean it up, dad" Ren spoke up. “So… could you go with Tom then?"
Todd groaned internally now having two sets of pleading eyes staring him down. “Alright…" he focused on Tom. “Let's try to make this quick so as not to be a bother to them." Todd turned and left.
Tom quickly stepped forward after his father. A few steps before the door he turned back. “Thanks again, Ren." Tom then left the room. Ren remained on his knees, his tail continuing to wag as a contented smile formed.
“Lead the way" Todd said as he and Tom left the house.
“Alright" Tom added with a nod as he held the comics against his chest. They stepped onto the black asphalt of the street, barely illuminated by the soft street lamps. Tom knew which house was the kid's; he'd seen him play outside of it numerous times over the years. The house wasn't as large as his family's, but it did have a larger front yard for activities. There was light coming from the windows downstairs, giving Tom hope that everyone was still awake.
Todd rang the doorbell. He looked down at Tom to his right, noticing a bit of nervousness. He reached over with right paw and gently patted behind Tom's left shoulder. Tom let a small chuckle.
There was an audible click as the dead bolt was unlocked. Shortly afterwards the slight creak of hinges grinding revealed a young Hund. At first he became nervous from seeing Todd, but as his gaze wandered towards Tom his ears perked and his tail started to wag with excitement. “You're alright!" he said with excitement.
Tom smiled down at the boy. “Yeah, I'm doing well. Thank you for the gifts." Tom took a good look at him. The boy's fur was grey and his physique was similar to Emrik all those years ago, but skinnier and with less muscle. His fur also appeared to be a bit shorter than other Hunds.
The kid's smile widened. “I knew Captain Luptain would help!"
“Oh, that's his name? He definitely looked cool with his outfit."
“Yeah, yeah! He's the greatest Hund Hero!"
“I bet he is." Tom said before clearing his throat. “Sorry for asking, but what is your name?"
“I'm Rij!" the boy said happily.
“And I'm Tom. Happy Birthday… sorry I wasn't able to make it yesterday."
“It's alright… I kept hearing from the tv that something was wrong."
“Well, I still wanted to give you a gift. Tom held out the comics. “I know it's not much, but I loved reading these every day when I was about your age."
Rij looked down and his ears perked up. “Are these human superheroes?"
“Yep"
“I didn't even know there were any…" Rij said as he flipped through the covers, discovering a different comic book hero. He looked up at Tom. “You're giving these to me?" Tom nodded his head. “Thank you, Tom!" Rij said as he wrapped his arms around the stack to take from Tom.
“Rij, who's still at the door?" a male voiced asked from behind.
“It's Tom and his father, papa!"
“Who?"
Rij slowly stepped aside as the door opened wider, revealing his father. His eyes focused on Todd at first, showing that he recognized him from somewhere. When his eyes drifted downwards to Tom, his expression showed some confusion. He cleared his throat as he gazed back at Todd. “What are you two doing here at this hour?"
“My son wanted to give your son a late birthday gift, and to thank Rij for what he gave him."
He raised a brow. “What did my son give to yours?"
Behind the Hund, Tom could see Rij's ears flatten against his head, his tail going limp.
“He left Tom a slice of birthday cake and a little gift to help him feel better."
“Did he now…" He looked down towards Rij, whose tail was now tucked between his legs. “Go to your room, now…" he said sternly.
“Yes papa…" Rij said softly as he slowly carried the stack of comics with him.
“Look…" Todd said as he noticed how tense things seemed to have gotten. “I just want to let you know it was very thoughtful what your son did. After all that's been going on these past few days…"
“I do not want to hear it" Rij's father interjected. “I do not know what either of your goals are, but I would prefer it if you stay away from my son and I."
Todd furrowed his brow. “There's no need to act like that. What have I or my family done to you or your son?"
“I do not need my son to catch the stigma of being friends with a human, and I do not wish for others to get the idea that I welcome one either."
Todd stared in disbelief. He gazed downwards just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. There, wrapped around the Hund's neck, was a blue collar. “How can you say such things in front of my son, especially with all that he's gone through!?"
“Do not lie to try to steal sympathy from others. According to the news, the kidnapped human has died from their injuries." Todd's eyes widened in shock. Tom could only watch in disbelief as Rij's dad slowly backed up and closed the door in front of them.
Tom reached for his father's right arm. “Dad? What does this mean?"
“I… I don't know, Tom…" the shock soon left Todd. “Let's just… go home…"
Sera sat on the bed as she looked down at the phone buzzing in her paw. The words 'unknown number' lit up the screen. She accepted the call. “Hello?"
“Good to hear your voice again, Mrs. Renoir. How's your family doing?" Sera's ears perked up, recognizing the voice from the police station, though without the hint of condescension.
“They're doing well" Sera said with a smile. “We're all glad to be home."
“I can imagine. I wanted to give you a courtesy call to share a few updates that you should be privy to." Sera's ears perked up. “Today I finished interrogating the one who orchestrated the kidnapping of your son. It appears that someone intentionally posted information about your son on a site that is frequented by those who wish to profit."
Sera suddenly found herself holding her breath.
“We've been unable to track who made the post about your son nearly five years ago. It seems they knew how to sufficiently cover their tracks. We will continue to monitor the site to potentially track down any others and prevent more kidnappings. In the meantime, to add some protection for your son, I've had the news outlets believe that your son has died from injuries. We've also changed his status on the illicit site as… harvested. This should prevent any more attempts on his life. Do you have questions for me?"
Sera remained silent.
“I see… I'm sure this has been a lot to take in, Mrs. Renoir. Just know that I will contact you if I discover any information regarding your son."
“Thank you…" Sera said softly. A moment later the call went silent. Sera's arm slowly fell to her side and rested on the bed. Only one question was repeating non-stop in her head, growing louder and louder with each repeat. Who tried to have Tom killed?
“Alright, boys, it's getting late. Time to get into…" Todd said as he walked into his sons' bedroom. He gazed down at the ground. Both of their mattresses were now laid side to side on the ground between their bedframes; a long horizontal line dividing the two. “bed…" He watched as Tom and Ren were moving their individual pillows and blankets onto the combined mattress. “What's this?"
“Figured this would be more comfortable than sleeping on the floor" Ren said as he positioned his pillows.
“Why would you consider sleeping on the floor?" Todd asked with more confusion.
“You were asleep during the conversation, dad" Tom said with a smile as he started to make himself comfortable.
“Alright…" Todd said with a yawn. I'm about to turn off the lights…" Ren quickly finished arranging his pillows and lied down. Tom stretched himself as he got under his blanket. With a click, the light above went dark, leaving only a faint glow that slowly faded. Aside from the faint moonlight shining through the window above them, the only light now was from the hallway at their father's back. “Good night" Todd said as he slowly closed the door, leaving only a crack open.
Tom shifted on the mattresses, trying to get comfortable. Eventually he found a comfortable position and relaxed, letting his arms come out from under the blanket and rest on top. To his right, Ren seemed to have an easier time getting comfortable. “This isn't bad" Ren said, lying on his side facing Tom.
“Not at all…" Tom said with a relaxing sigh, feeling his eyes getting heavier as he stared up at the ceiling. “Much more relaxing than the hospital bed."
“Yeah…" Ren said as he rolled onto his back. “Good to be home."
“Absolutely…" Tom smiled as his breathing started to slow as he began drifting off to sleep. It was only due a sudden burst of light that caused him and Ren to close their eyes from a slight burn. It was only for a moment before the light went dark again. Their eyes opened in surprise when they felt something moving on the lower mattress. Tom opened his eyes to barely see a small figure crawling across the mattresses to his left. “Hey Luna…" Tom said softly. “Thought you already went to bed…"
“Daddy woke me…" Luna said softly as she carried one of her small pillows with her and laid in next to Tom's shoulder. Once she rested her head on top, she rolled onto her side and wrapped her arms around Tom's arm, squeezing it slightly. Tom could feel her soft exhales on his arm.
“Goodnight, Luna" Tom said softly as he shifted his head on the pillow again before relaxing once more, letting out a contended sigh. “Goodnight, Ren…"
“Goodnight…" Ren answered back softly. He kept his gaze at the ceiling, watching as the small sliver of light from the hallway finally went dark, leaving only faint traces of moonlight. Ren took a slow, deep breath through his nose before slowly exhaling out his mouth. His body was ready for sleep, but his mind wasn't. “Tom?" Ren said softly. He didn't get a response. Ren shifted his head to look over at his brother. “Tom?" Ren said again, but still no response. Ren then shifted his body onto his left side. Now he could see Tom's closed eyes, his slightly ajar mouth and his chest slowly rising and falling. He could barely make out Luna on the opposite side latching onto Tom's left arm. He wondered if Tom would mind if he…
Ren slowly, gently wrapped his arms around Tom's right arm, being careful not to disturb him. As he started falling asleep, Ren gave Tom's arm a few gentle squeezes, reassuring his mind that Tom was still there, reassuring that he would keep Tom safe however he could.
In a study filled with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves packed with historical references, a lone Hund sat casually. In his paws was a book that few Hunds knew existed, and even fewer would ever have a chance to read. It detailed the atrocities committed within the Southern Continent in graphic detail.
A soft chime echoed throughout the study. “Young sir, I have found something that I believe would interest you."
The Hund snapped the book shut and placed it on the table. “Show me" the Hund ordered. The lights dimmed, and a monitor started to glow against the wall.
“I've come across the parameters I believe you've been looking for." On the screen, five profile pictures appeared. “It was actually by accident I came across this. Do you recall the human kidnapping on the west coast a few months back?"
“Yes… the one that was found but died to his injuries?"
“The same, sir. That appears to have been a fabrication to hide his actual fate."
“I see…" The Hund looked at five pictures. “The family Renoir…" he gazed for a second at Todd, and another for Sera. He stared amusingly at Luna's profile before coming across the final two. “A black collar and a human for brothers… a human who managed to survive a harrowing event, which no doubt has had an impact on him and his family…" A smile formed on the Hund's muzzle as he continued to stare at images of the two brothers. “I think he is the perfect candidate for my experiment… two years younger than me, so he'll starting high school soon… so I have two years at most then…" He pondered for a moment. “Where exactly is this family?
“The coastal city of Luzuna, sir. Would you like me to give you their address?"
“No need. Is there an opening there?"
“Yes sir. One was opened over a year ago."
“That long ago, huh?" He went back to the other profiles. “Ah… the mother is part of their council…" He chuckled. “She might actually be a shrewd one… and actually may make this experiment even easier for me…"
“Shall I reserve the spot for you?"
“Do it. Afterwards, grant me full access to Luzuna's records database."
“Will do, sir. Is there any message I should pass on to the Luzuna council?"
“Tell them to start their preparations. They'll get their funding starting tomorrow, but won't have a date of my arrival." The Hund stood up. “Now, I have to go inform the other Red Collars about my upcoming sabbatical, and from there…" the Red Collar stared intently at the monitor. “Determine when the time is right."
I always viewed Black Blood as having three parts. This is the last chapter of part two
Hope you enjoy, and I apologize this and the previous chapter took so long.