The Divergence

The last traces of daylight were beginning to fade beyond the covered windows when Lavinia felt fingers close around her foot.

She looked down to find Valerie sitting near the opposite end of the couch with Lavinia’s socked foot held comfortably in one hand, apparently having decided it belonged to her at some point during the last few minutes.

Lavinia stared at her.

Valerie smiled innocently.

Without saying anything, Lavinia pulled her foot free and planted it on the floor.

”You could’ve asked nicely.” Valerie’s orange eyelashes fluttered as though Lavinia had somehow been the unreasonable one.

”You could’ve not grabbed my foot.” Lavinia shot her a look as she stood, smoothing both hands over her black dress and patting away the slight wrinkles from lying around most of the day.

 ”Besides, the sun’s almost down. Since we’ve spent the entire day inside, and the days before that mostly cooped up too, surely Violetta won’t mind if we run out and play for a while.”

Adelaide looked away from the covered window where she’d been standing, her long green hair shifting over one shoulder as she considered the suggestion. 

”The situation does seem to be settling down. I don’t think Violetta would mind very much as long as we don’t cause any problems.”

”Why would we cause problems?” Lavinia asked with a perfectly innocent expression.

Adelaide gave her a long look, and Lavinia’s lips twitched as she resisted the urge to laugh.

Rosaline tossed her long red hair dramatically behind her shoulders and stretched her arms above her head. ”I don’t care where we go. I just want to get out and flirt with people.”

Valerie immediately rolled her empty red eyes. ”Of course you do.”

Evelyn, who had been sitting quietly nearby, looked toward Rosaline with faint uncertainty. ”Why do you want to flirt with people?”

Rosaline opened her mouth, but nothing came out. 

She glanced around the room as if expecting someone else to provide the answer for her, only to find several pairs of red eyes watching expectantly.

”Because I want to.” Rosaline eventually crossed her arms as though that settled everything.

”Oh.” Evelyn blinked.

Rosaline narrowed her eyes suspiciously. ”Don’t judge me, Evelyn.”

”I’m not judging you. I was just curious.” Evelyn quickly shook her head, her blonde hair swaying around her shoulders.

Adelaide smiled slightly at Rosaline’s expression. ”Leave Evelyn alone. You were the one who didn’t have an answer.”

”I had an answer!” Rosaline protested.

”You said you wanted to.” Adelaide raised an eyebrow.

”That’s an answer. It answers the question perfectly.” Rosaline nodded firmly, apparently satisfied with her own reasoning.

Cordelia’s quiet chuckle interrupted the argument before Adelaide could continue. 

She ran one hand through her long blue hair, pushing it away from her face as she looked around the room. 

”Before everyone gets too excited about going outside, have any of you eaten?”

Lavinia immediately perked up. ”So you’re volunteering?”

Cordelia stared at her for a moment before shaking her head. ”I was referring to the blood bags.”

Lavinia visibly wilted.

”You looked so excited.” Valerie laughed softly at Lavinia’s disappointment.

”Blood bags aren’t bad. They’re just boring.” Lavinia folded her arms.

Adelaide tilted her head. ”They taste exactly like blood.”

”That’s not the point,” Lavinia insisted.

Evelyn looked curiously toward her. ”What is the point?”

Lavinia opened her mouth before realizing she didn’t actually have a particularly good explanation.

Cordelia watched her struggle for several seconds before smiling gently. 

She tilted her head slightly and swept her blue hair away from her neck, exposing the smooth skin beneath. 

The movement sent her scent of taffy and honeysuckle drifting through the room.

”If you simply wanted to bite someone, you’re welcome to bite me.” Cordelia’s smile remained gentle as she brushed the last few strands away.

Lavinia’s empty red eyes dropped toward Cordelia’s neck.

Valerie’s hand immediately grabbed hers.

”Lavinia!” Valerie started shaking Lavinia’s arm as she stared at her in mock betrayal. ”Have you truly become so unfaithful that you’ve acquired another wife in the blink of an eye?”

”What are you talking about?” Lavinia exasperatedly flicked Valerie directly in the forehead.

Valerie recoiled dramatically, one hand flying to the spot as if she’d suffered a terrible injury. 

Her thick orange eyelashes fluttered pitifully while she stared at Lavinia. ”You hit me.”

”I flicked you,” Lavinia corrected.

”Violently.”

”I barely touched you.”

”My heart is wounded,” Valerie complained.

”You don’t have a heartbeat.” Lavinia sighed before pointing toward Cordelia. ”And I wasn’t asking Cordelia to volunteer herself. I was asking whether she’d fed on a human yet.”

”Oh.” Valerie immediately straightened, all signs of her supposed injury disappearing. ”That’s less interesting.”

”You invented the interesting part!” Lavinia threw her hands up.

Cordelia lowered her hair back over her neck, still smiling faintly at the exchange. ”I haven’t. I’m sure there are people somewhere who would willingly let me feed from them, especially after seeing how people reacted to the interview, but we’re staying in what is essentially a small secret military facility.”

Cordelia glanced toward the door before continuing. ”Walking up to one of the soldiers assigned to protect us and asking if I can bite them doesn’t feel particularly appropriate.”

Lavinia hummed before nodding. ”That’s fair. Even if one of them said yes, it’d feel a little strange.”

”Especially because they’re working,” Adelaide added.

Rosaline grinned. ”Wait until they’re off duty.”

”Rosaline.” Adelaide gave her an unimpressed look.

”What? Problem solved.” Rosaline spread her hands.

”You’re impossible,” Adelaide muttered.

”Thank you.” Rosaline smiled brightly.

Before Adelaide could clarify that it hadn’t been a compliment, quick footsteps sounded from the hallway.

Several pointed ears twitched toward the door.

A moment later, Evangeline appeared.

She barely slowed down.

Evelyn happened to be sitting closest to the entrance.

That proved unfortunate for Evelyn.

”Evelyn!” Evangeline almost threw herself onto her.

Evelyn squeaked as a mass of bright red hair filled her vision and Evangeline’s arms wrapped around her shoulders.

The sudden weight forced her backward against the couch, and she barely caught herself before they both toppled sideways.

”E-Evangeline?” Evelyn stammered, her empty red eyes widening.

Evangeline buried her face against Evelyn’s hair and inhaled deeply.

Evelyn went rigid.

”Oh, you smell so good.” Evangeline tightened her arms around her. ”Vanilla and chocolate. Why do you smell like something I should eat?”

”I-I don’t know.” Evelyn’s pale cheeks began coloring.

Evangeline inhaled again, nearly burying her face against Evelyn’s neck this time. ”I could eat you right up.”

Evelyn made a tiny strangled noise.

Rosaline immediately started laughing, while Cordelia covered her mouth with one hand, although the amusement in her red eyes made the gesture useless. 

Adelaide merely shook her head, and Valerie leaned forward with obvious interest.

”Evangeline, stop!” Evelyn tried to retreat farther into the couch despite there being nowhere left to go. ”You’re being weird.”

”But you smell good,” Evangeline protested.

”That doesn’t mean you have to smell me!”

”It makes me want to.” Evangeline happily buried her face against Evelyn’s hair again.

”That’s worse!” Evelyn cried.

Lavinia finally giggled and disappeared from where she’d been standing. She reappeared beside the couch and hooked her arms around Evangeline’s waist.

”Leave poor Evelyn alone.” Lavinia lifted Evangeline away from her.

Evelyn immediately sank into the cushions and covered part of her face with her hands.

Evangeline dangled in Lavinia’s arms without making even the slightest effort to escape.

For perhaps half a second.

Then she twisted around and latched onto Lavinia instead, wrapping her arms around Lavinia’s shoulders while her legs hooked around her waist.

Lavinia froze.

Evangeline inhaled greedily. ”Berries and pine. Also good.”

”Get off.” Lavinia grabbed one of Evangeline’s arms.

”No.” Evangeline tightened her hold.

”Evangeline, you’re acting like an octopus.”

”I’m a vampire,” Evangeline countered.

”You’re a vampire behaving like an octopus!” Lavinia attempted to peel the arm away from her shoulders, only for Evangeline’s other arm to tighten. ”Stop clinging!”

”I don’t want to,” Evangeline replied cheerfully.

”That isn’t a defense!”

Valerie stared at them.

Her eyes narrowed.

Lavinia noticed a moment too late.

”Valerie, don’t—”

Orange flashed through her vision.

Valerie slammed into them, sending all three vampires toppling onto the carpet in a tangled heap of limbs, dresses, and brightly colored hair.

Lavinia hit the floor first. Evangeline landed partly on top of her, and then Valerie cheerfully plopped herself across both of them.

”Problem solved.” Valerie looked extraordinarily pleased with herself.

Lavinia stared at the ceiling. She now had Evangeline’s arms wrapped around her upper body and Valerie lying across both of them. ”How exactly did you solve anything?”

Valerie rested her chin against Lavinia. ”Evangeline can’t steal you from me if I sit on both of you.”

”I wasn’t stealing her.” Evangeline turned her head toward Valerie. ”I was smelling her.”

”That’s suspicious,” Valerie accused.

”You’re suspicious,” Evangeline shot back.

Valerie tightened one arm around Lavinia. ”I’m protecting what’s mine.”

Lavinia’s empty red eyes slowly shifted toward her. ”Excuse me?”

”I’m protecting my very dear friend who absolutely doesn’t belong to me because she gets violent when I imply otherwise,” Valerie corrected immediately.

”Better.” Lavinia nodded.

Rosaline leaned sideways in her chair, laughing at the pile they’d formed. ”I’m starting to think the harem might already exist and Lavinia is simply in denial.”

”Don’t start!” Lavinia snapped.

”I didn’t do anything.” Rosaline grinned.

”You said the word!”

Rosaline’s grin widened further. ”Harem?”

Lavinia groaned.

Evelyn had finally recovered enough to lower her hands from her face, although she remained faintly flushed. ”Should I help Lavinia?”

”No. She’ll survive.” Adelaide smiled slightly from where she stood.

”Traitor,” Lavinia complained.

Cordelia’s shoulders shook with another quiet laugh.

Lavinia stopped struggling and simply accepted her fate for several seconds. 

Evangeline felt warm against her in the strange way vampires always felt warm to one another despite their bodies being cold to humans. 

Valerie was much the same, her long orange hair spilling across Lavinia’s golden strands and mixing the scent of tangerine and honey with berries and pine.

It was comfortable.

Annoyingly comfortable.

Lavinia refused to acknowledge that aloud.

Instead, she looked toward the covered windows and listened. 

The building remained quiet, but beyond it she could hear the distant activity of the military facility and, farther still, the muted sounds of Oakridge.

Night was nearly upon them.

”The sun’s setting, so unless the two of you intend to spend the entire night lying on top of me, we should get ready.” Lavinia shifted beneath them for emphasis.

Evangeline immediately released her and bounced to her feet with enough enthusiasm that her red hair flew around her shoulders. ”Finally!”

Lavinia sat up slowly.

Valerie remained on her lap.

Lavinia looked at her. ”Move.”

”Ask nicely.” Valerie smiled.

”Valerie.”

”That’s my name.”

Lavinia put both hands against Valerie’s waist and lifted her off.

Valerie laughed as Lavinia deposited her beside the couch.

Evangeline was already fixing her hair, running her fingers through the long red locks and brushing away the slight mess she’d created while assaulting Evelyn with affection. 

”I’ve barely gotten to go anywhere populated since I joined everyone. So tonight I have to make up for it. I want food, stores, people, somewhere interesting, and preferably something I’ve never seen before.”

”You want the entire city,” Adelaide observed.

”Yes.” Evangeline puffed out her chest proudly. ”I’m going to have a lot of fun tonight.”

Rosaline rose from her chair and adjusted the skirt of her dress. ”That’s the spirit.”

Evelyn stood more cautiously, smoothing her blonde hair while keeping one eye on Evangeline.

Evangeline noticed and grinned.

Evelyn immediately moved behind Cordelia.

”She’s scared of you now.” Cordelia laughed quietly as Evelyn used her for cover.

”She’ll forgive me,” Evangeline confidently replied.

”I already forgive you.” Evelyn peeked around Cordelia’s shoulder. ”Just don’t do it again without warning.”

Evangeline considered that for a moment. ”So I can do it if I warn you?”

Evelyn froze.

Lavinia grabbed Evangeline by the shoulders and turned her away. ”Stop finding loopholes.”

Valerie rose and caught Lavinia’s hand before pulling her smoothly to her feet. ”Come here.”

”What now?” Lavinia asked suspiciously.

”Your hair.” Valerie stepped behind her.

”My hair is fine.”

”It isn’t.” Valerie began running her fingers through the long golden strands, fixing where they’d become tangled during the pile on the floor.

Lavinia sighed but allowed it.

”Like every other time, we’ll have fun.” Valerie separated a few strands and smoothed them down Lavinia’s back. ”Preferably without explosions.”

”Don’t say that.” Adelaide immediately looked toward her.

Valerie paused. ”Why?”

”You’ll tempt fate,” Adelaide warned.

”Daniel already did that.”

”And look what happened.” Adelaide stared pointedly at her.

Valerie slowly looked back at Adelaide before grimacing. ”I take it back.”

”Too late.” Rosaline laughed.

”Stop it!” Valerie protested.

The door opened slightly.

A head of long purple hair appeared through the gap.

Violetta surveyed the room, her gaze moving from Rosaline and Adelaide to Evangeline, then to Valerie standing behind Lavinia with her hands buried in golden hair. ”I heard something about going out.”

”We were going to ask.” Lavinia immediately looked toward her.

Violetta’s eyebrows rose. ”Were you?”

”Eventually,” Lavinia admitted.

Violetta smiled knowingly and pushed the door open farther. ”I can’t keep everyone locked away indefinitely, nor would I want to. Things have calmed considerably, and after everything that’s happened recently, I think getting out might do everyone some good.”

”Yes!” Evangeline raised both hands triumphantly.

Violetta laughed softly before continuing. ”I only hope tonight remains peaceful. I’d rather not receive another phone call informing me that something exploded.”

”We didn’t explode anything last time,” Rosaline pointed out.

”I know.” Violetta gave her a mildly amused look.

Rosaline nodded as if that supported her argument. ”So technically we behaved perfectly.”

”That isn’t how I’d describe the night.” Violetta shook her head.

”But it’s accurate,” Rosaline insisted.

Violetta merely continued shaking her head, still smiling.

Cordelia stepped away from Evelyn and brushed her blue hair behind one pointed ear. ”I hope it’s peaceful too. A night where everyone simply has fun sounds rather nice.”

”Exactly!” Evangeline immediately agreed. ”That’s what I’ve been saying.”

”You said you wanted food, stores, people, somewhere interesting, and something you’ve never seen before,” Adelaide reminded her.

”Those things are fun,” Evangeline replied.

”She has a point.” Lavinia nodded.

Valerie finished smoothing Lavinia’s hair and patted her shoulders twice. ”Done.”

Lavinia reached behind herself and ran her fingers through the golden strands, checking Valerie’s work. ”Thank you.”

”You’re welcome.” Valerie then held out her hand expectantly.

Lavinia looked down at it. ”What?”

”My reward,” Valerie answered.

”For fixing my hair?”

”Yes.” Valerie smiled sweetly.

Lavinia narrowed her eyes. ”What do you want?”

”I’ll decide later,” Valerie said.

Lavinia immediately grabbed Valerie’s hand and lowered it. ”Absolutely not. I’m not agreeing to an unspecified reward.”

”You’re so distrustful.” Valerie pouted.

”I know you,” Lavinia replied.

”Exactly. You should trust me.”

”Knowing you is why I don’t.” Lavinia smiled sweetly back at her.

Valerie gasped while Rosaline laughed again.

Violetta stepped fully into the room and glanced toward the others. ”Get whatever you need. The sun should be completely below the horizon shortly.”

”I’m already ready!” Evangeline immediately hurried toward the door.

”You don’t even know where we’re going,” Adelaide called after her.

Evangeline stopped in the doorway and slowly turned around. ”Where are we going?”

”We haven’t decided yet.” Lavinia laughed.

Evangeline stared at everyone for a moment before walking back into the room. ”Fine. Then decide quickly.”