Brothers Part 5

The Blood Ball

Before we return to Tristan’s story, it may help to remember where we left him. At seventeen, Tristan had been drawn into Dara’s glittering circle of wealth and privilege—attending the exclusive blood balls where vampires and humans mingled under the uneasy new rules of the Vampire Human Authority. But the glamour hid something far darker. When Tristan realized Dara had been bringing students to these parties as offerings to vampire elites, he helped one girl escape. That single act of defiance left him standing in the gardens of the blood ball, surrounded by Dara, her friends, and a growing crowd of vampires who were beginning to take interest in the unfolding drama.

My heart was beating a mile a minute. I took a couple of deep breaths to steady myself. As usual, a million questions were racing through my head. Like someone who cheats when reading a book and decides to read the ending before beginning it, I wanted to jump straight to the end. But I knew this had to be Tristan’s story, and it had to unfold at his pace, not mine.

Tristan took a deep breath, his eyes closed, his face turned up to the morning sun. It seemed he was choosing how to step back into the memory.

Tristan: It lasted only a moment—a feeling that settled over me in an instant—but it was enough to restore my balance. I could think again without panic.

Tristan paused and looked at me, trying to gauge my understanding of what he was describing. Tristan nodded, as if to reassure himself that I had understood what he was trying to say. He continued.

Tristan: That moment didn’t save me. I was still facing Dara and her friends at the blood ball, along with a group of young vampires, many of them barely a century or two old but still influential and very powerful in Catalan society. I simply felt functional. The fear had receded, and I could think again without the sense of crippling terror that had almost overwhelmed me moments before.

It was then that I heard it—a familiar voice coming from behind me through the formal gardens.

“Hey, little bro. You are definitely in some deep caca with your dad right now. This definitely doesn’t look like the movies.”

I turned toward the sound of the voice and saw Joseph standing there in a black turtleneck, a worn blue denim jacket, and blue jeans.

He came and stood by my side, ruffling my hair casually and flashing a wide grin as he took in Dara and her two enforcers. They simply stared at him, probably thinking he was just another kid who had wandered into the wrong place at the wrong time. Joey played into their assumption.

He said,
“You must be Dara. Tristan has told me so much about you, I feel like I already know you.”

Joey smiled, but I noticed it didn’t reach his eyes. I knew he had already read the room and knew the players.

2260: Did you expect Joseph to show up, or was it a total surprise?

Tristan: It was a total surprise. I knew that Leo had sensed I was in danger, but Joseph’s arrival was a shock. Dara had recovered enough to hide her rage. She was still trying to figure out what to make of Joey. I could see the calculation behind her eyes. Was Joey an opportunity or a threat?

2260: Humans were still adjusting to vampires being part of society. I imagine Joseph probably flew under their radar. He wouldn’t have looked like the vampires they had been dealing with—elite, wealthy, decadent.

Tristan: No, Joseph was definitely not what they thought a vampire would be. In fact, he still carried that innocent aura that humans seem to exude. So Dara underestimated him.

At that point we were drawing a crowd. The rest of Dara’s crew was standing close by, just watching, and several of the vampire guests had come out into the garden. As they looked on, I could see the recognition in their eyes as they looked at Joseph.

Vampire.

Joseph, for his part, scanned the scene, noting the vampires who had taken an interest. I didn’t know it at the time, but he was sensing their age and their power. It is something vampires do instinctively. Vampire society is built on a structure of age and power.

Joseph was isolating the potential threats on the battlefield—and don’t be fooled, this was a battlefield.

2260: It seems the balance was shifting, even if it still remained dangerous.

Tristan: Joey’s smile widened almost imperceptibly. At the time, I didn’t understand why. It wasn’t until much later that I learned many of the vampires at this particular blood ball were fledglings—less than a century old.

Joseph was the apex predator in this jungle. He had just turned one hundred and thirty-four and, by vampire standards, was an adult. But that wasn’t the only reason why Joey was dangerous.

There was also his sire.

Maria was legend. In Mexico they called her Santa Muerte—Holy Death.

2260: Did Dara realize the depths she was wading into at that moment?

Tristan gave a little laugh.

Tristan: Dara had always called the shots. She was at the top of Spain’s human elite and was used to speaking and having people listen. Her father was the CEO of one of Spain’s largest arms manufacturers—even the King listened to him in most matters. So she thought she was still in charge, and Joey didn’t disabuse her of that notion.

That was her first mistake.

2260: So what happened next?

Tristan: Dara’s eyes narrowed and her smile widened. It had only been a few minutes; she hadn’t had enough time to notice the change in the atmosphere or the unnatural stillness of the vampires looking on. She still thought she was the one in control.

Joey just looked at her, his smile still in place. Then he looked over at me and said,

“Tristan, I think you have a lot of explaining to do when we get home. So say goodbye to your friends and let’s go.”

I knew in that moment that we weren’t actually leaving. He was giving Dara a chance to reveal the depth of her criminality. No one involved was going to escape what was coming.

2260: So Joseph was pretending in order to provoke Dara into incriminating herself?

Tristan: Yes. At the time I assumed that Leo had simply called Joseph and told him I might be in danger. How he knew where to look was still a mystery to me.

Different possibilities raced through my head. Had he been watching me all along? Did he know what was going on at this blood ball? Was there something happening in that moment that I didn’t yet understand?

Dara laughed, but it was brittle and lifeless. Looking at Joey, she said,

“Tristan has a debt to settle. He cost me a million dollars, and he isn’t going anywhere.

In fact… I think you both will do nicely paying it off.”

2260: Despite the possibility of sounding redundant… what happened next?

Tristan smiled at my joke.

Tristan: Joey reacted like a dumbstruck human who had never even seen a million dollars. It took all my restraint not to burst into nervous, hysterical laughter. I knew we weren’t out of the woods yet, but Joey was playing Dara like a virtuoso. Joey found his voice and said:

“A million pesos? Gal, you must be joshing. This here colt can’t even give you a million excuses—which is what he better start thinking up, ’cause his papa’s fixin’ to tan his hide good.”

At that point, I felt Joey’s hand go to my collar. With a little tug, he had me standing on my tiptoes—the classic grab the bad kid move. I kept my face neutral. He was fully committed to his deception, and I wasn’t going to screw it up.

2260: Were you still frightened, or had that passed once Joseph arrived?

Tristan paused for a moment to consider how to answer my question. Finally, he continued.

Tristan: The fear had lessened. I was no longer afraid that I would die alone, with my parents never knowing what had happened. But I was not naïve about the danger Joseph and I were still in.

2260: Dara must have been becoming impatient. Joseph had shown up, further complicating her plans. What was supposed to be a clean, simple deal—selling one student—had now become a potential disaster. She had to be furious, even as she calculated the risks necessary to rectify the situation.

Tristan: Yes. Joey’s act had pushed her back toward fury. I could see her struggling to contain it and think strategically. She had to salvage the situation before she became the one swinging on the proverbial meat hook.

I thought about what Tristan had just said, and it occurred to me what had slipped into the background while he was telling his story.

2260: The vampires! What were they doing while this was going on?

Tristan laughed, sounding amused.

Tristan: So now you remember there were vampires watching the exchange between Joey and Dara.

He picked up the carafe and refilled his cup with coffee, taking a moment to stir in a couple of spoons of sugar. He let the silence stretch, and it made me want to jump out of my seat and throttle him for keeping me in suspense.

Tristan took a sip of his coffee and sat back in his chair. He closed his eyes, savoring the rich flavor.

2260: Tristan…

I growled his name, letting him know he was testing my restraint. He laughed and sat up, looking over at me as he continued.

Tristan: Several of the vampires had drifted back inside. At the time, I didn’t know it was to alert the host of that particular ball. The others simply watched, their eyes glittering as they enjoyed the show, while Dara continued to severely underestimate the threat she was facing in Joey.

2260: So what was Dara’s next mistake?

Tristan: Before I tell you what Dara’s next mistake was, I need to explain something about the nature of vampires—especially fledglings.

Vampires are predators, but they are also notoriously curious creatures. They enjoy observing humans, and fledglings—still close to their former lives—are often fascinated by human interactions.

2260: So they simply watched from the sidelines? Waiting to see how it would play out before stepping in?

Tristan: That would be a very human assumption. But you forget—we were dealing with vampires. Vampire society is hierarchical.

2260: Ahh… they were waiting for the host.

Tristan: Yes, and since he hadn’t appeared or intervened, they simply watched. That was Dara’s mistake. She assumed that because no vampire had taken action, the situation was still under her control.

Dara’s eyes narrowed and her smile grew cruel. Stepping forward so that she stood only a few inches from Joey and me, she sneered,

“If you don’t have the pesos, then maybe you can pay it in blood. My friends at this party will definitely appreciate that exchange.”

Tristan: Joey’s smile didn’t change… but something in his eyes did. That was the moment he realized exactly what Dara had been doing.

Tristan lifted his cup and took another sip of coffee.

Tristan: And just as he came to that realization…

The host of the blood ball,
Don Luis Fernando de Córdoba y Alcocer,
Marqués de Alcántara,
arrived.

New to Tristan’s story?
This interview is part of the ongoing Blood Match: The Interviews series.
If you would like to start from the beginning, you can read the first installment here: