Roman (The Clutch 1)

A smile spread across his lips, turning wider. “Fiona, I’m impressed.”

“You should be, it’s an amazing project,” I speak from the heart, wishing I could give Roman all the credit. “I can’t offer you the perks the others can, but I’m your daughter, and I’m hoping that’s enough. Will you sign the gaming license?”

“Of course I will. It’ll be my honor.” My dad stands and pulls me into a hug. Step one is complete, now just to break it, Roman.

21

Roman

I can sense something isn’t right. I’m trying to read the global newspapers I have delivered to me, and a sense of suffocating begins to take hold in my chest. Not needing air, I know this is foreboding, and I’m reasonably sure I know what’s about to happen. In the old days, a few hundred years ago or so, there would have been a signal of some kind. A prophetic cloud forming overhead, darkness during the day, or some other ominous message that was more telling, but today, it’s a premonition almost; I know something is about to happen.

Of course, I don’t want Fiona to talk to her father about my project, or about us. No good can come of that meeting if there’s any honesty whatsoever. Some humans cannot be rationalized with, and in my experience, it’s best to leave things alone with them. I’m confident in my belief that he cannot be swayed, just as I cannot be something that I am not. I can feel Fiona’s apprehension, her nervousness, and it troubles me. But that’s not what’s happening now. Something’s amiss in the underground. Just as I pull my phone from my pocket, it vibrates with an incoming message from Selene.

They’re coming. Get to Clutch. Now. No Humans.

They’re coming. "They" being the Sisters. The Fates. The ones who both created, and rule us. It’s never good when the Sisters come. I’ve yet to experience it myself until now, and the apprehension is working its way to my core. I type a quick reply indicating that I’m on my way, and leave immediately.

Upon my arrival at Clutch, the neon lights are off, and there’s a short line of vampires waiting to get in. Everyone needs to check in when the Sisters arrive, which is protocol. It’s somewhat old-fashioned, and you’d think they’d adapt to technology in some way, but there’s a master list of the vampires on paper, parchment paper, in fact, getting checked in one at a time. It’s as if we’re disembarking from the lifeboats that made it off the Titanic. The anxious faces, the furrowed brows, all indicating that a visit from the Sisters was not a treat.

To the chagrin of my kinfolk standing in line, I approach Corban at his usual spot in front of the door, but with much less glee in his eyes. “Brother, any word on why we are being visited?”

“No, mate. No word yet.”

“Have you ever been called to a Meeting before?”

Corban shakes his head.

“No, me neither,” I add. “It could be nothing.” Too bad I don’t I believe my own words. Personally, I’ve never had to check in with the Fates before, and honestly never hoped I would have to. I feel like I have nothing to worry about, yet for some reason, I’m worried.

“Maybe, brother. Go on inside, I’ll mark you off the list.” He waved me past the line and made a check mark next to my name on his clipboard. Fucking paper. Utterly absurd, is all I can think. Clutch is full of faces I’ve never seen before. The Las Vegas population of vampires has tripled in a short amount of time, and I’m not sure I like it. Not all of us live by the rules, and honestly having these unknowns in town doesn’t sit well with me.

Being here is unsettling. I don’t like bumping shoulders with the unknowns. I seek out Selene, hoping she can enlighten me as to what’s going on. Clutch was chosen for a reason, and like the others around me, I want to know why.

“You didn’t try to bring that human of yours, did you?” she hisses from behind me. I turn around and immediately wish I hadn’t. Her long dark hair is pulled back into a sleek ponytail, revealing her perfect features, and her angry expression. I’ve seen Selene angry before, but nothing like this. Her usually soft eyes are stone cold black, and her fangs are visible. A sure sign she’s about to attack.

“No, I didn’t. And what are you so pissed off about?”

“Do you know how the Sisters notify you that they are coming?” she asks me.

“I don’t.” It’s not something I’ve been privy to in my life. When the Sisters want to talk to you, they do it their way.

“None of us do. It’s fucking terrible, Roman.” She pulls a chair out from another vampire and sits down, looking exasperated. If she were human, she’d have a drink in her hand.

“What happened?”

“They take over your mind. They can get right into your fucking head.” She looks around as if they might be listening before she continues. “I was sitting at my desk in the back office when suddenly I couldn’t move or think on my own. Their voices were soft at first and then firm and rather frightening.”

I can’t believe this is how the Sisters contact us, going straight to your mind. That’s just as unnerving as I suspected her answer would be. “So, what did they say?”

“First it was Clotho. She was as charming as the day we met. She said that she wants to visit her children and that I needed to send word to my local brethren that she’s coming. I must have given off the sense of fear, because she sort of consoled me, or rather tried to be soothing.” Selene appears paler to me than usual, which is undoubtedly a figment of my own imagination, that isn’t even possible. But her hushed tone, coupled with her darting eyes as if she’s being watched is troubling at best.

“Selene, we haven’t ever been visited by them. What else did they say?” I try to be patient with my friend, but I’m anxious.

“Atropos and Lachesis began to speak. Their tone was far less paternal, and more... stern. Atropos has a shrill voice, and she reminded me that she made me and that I was to do as instructed. I wasn’t able to speak at all; I was frozen in place. I could feel myself nodding my head in agreement. I mean I’d never challenge them, nor did I want to, but I was completely unable to give any verbal indication at all. Then Lachesis, who had a kind and soft voice similar to Clotho, said that she and her sisters would be arriving soon, and asked me if I understood my instructions. It was only then that I was able to utter a word. Once I said yes, I understand, my mind and body were released, and it was as if they were never there. Everything around me had gone back to normal.”

“So they never said why they were visiting or what they wanted?”

“I told you everything, Roman. That was it.”