Chapter 2

Interrupted

13 Years Later

“Juni, please, at least have a slice of toast,” Willow nagged, holding out a slice of buttered toast.

This exchange occurred daily between the brother and sister. The family was gathered in the kitchen and seated around a large dining table for breakfast. Willow attempted to get her older brother to eat… again. She thought him too thin and small for his age, as they were already the same height, despite the six years that separated them.

Juniper contentedly sipped on his sugar-sweetened tea. He never liked to eat more than he had to, and he hardly ever had breakfast. By now, his body was used to it. As an unaccounted-for extra in this family, they didn’t receive food rations for him. Working on the farm was hard, and Jun wanted to ensure his family was properly nourished. If he were to eat more, they would go with less.

Besides, he wasn’t all skin and bones. Though he hadn’t developed much muscle, there was a softness to him that showed he wasn’t starved.

“I don’t want to be bigger than my big brother. You should really eat more.”

The eldest brother, Cypress, chuckled. He rolled his eyes, not even looking up from the pad, as he continued to read the morning news.  

Willow was always trying to mother Juniper. She was extra attentive to him. Oftentimes, it was just her and Jun left at home together while the family worked in the fields. Willow took it upon herself to care for her brother, even if he didn’t need much caring for. Jun simply took it in stride. Rather than being annoyed by his bossy little sister, he found her behavior endearing.

Recently, the pair had been spending less and less time together. Willow was now old enough to start helping out on the farm with the rest of the family, and spring was a busy time for them. Juniper had begun to feel lonely. He couldn’t be included in their work and was left inside the house, but he had always had at least one of his siblings to keep him company. Now that the youngest could contribute to the family’s duties, he felt the weight of his uselessness more than ever.

Amid his melancholy thoughts, he sensed his younger brother attempting to sneak up on him from behind. With his heightened senses, Ash hadn’t been able to scare Juniper in years. That didn’t mean he gave up trying. It always lightened the mood, and Ash continually endeavored to get a laugh wherever he could.

The third brother had a playful and carefree attitude, at least on the surface. He only wanted to brighten the atmosphere of the home, and he typically succeeded. The family appreciated the gesture as dark thoughts constantly hovered in the backs of their minds. The ever-looming fear of discovery took a toll. Ash did what he could to ease some of the tension.

“Good morning, Ash,” Juniper said nonchalantly.

“Ugh. I swear, no one could tell you were blind if you weren’t wearing that cloth.”

“You make it easy. You’re too big and lumbering to be stealthy,” teased Juniper.

It was true. Both Cypress and Ash had taken after their father in size and bulk. Manual labor had that effect. They were both tall, broad, and well-muscled, but Ash even more so. He sharply contrasted with Jun’s slight frame.

“Sit down for breakfast, Ash. It’s going to be a busy day,” Mother scolded, with no real bite in her tone. Juniper could feel her love and pride as she listened to her children’s banter. She cherished every one of these moments.

From the head of the table, Father chose that moment to throw a bucket of ice-cold water on everyone.

“Cypress, we have been informed that a woman has been chosen to pair with you. The date for her arrival isn’t set, but it probably won’t be till after the busy spring harvest season.”

Father’s serious words and tone instantly had a sobering effect on the room. They all knew this news was approaching. Cypress was twenty-two now and expected to take a partner and have children. She would move into their home, and the biggest secret would be revealed—Juniper.

Would this woman be willing to keep their secret, or would she report them like a good, obedient slave? These thoughts hung unsaid in the air.

“Yes, Father,” Cypress said, ever the dutiful son.

“Now we have to worry about this and Ash’s blood test coming up?” Willow wasn’t as practiced at keeping her emotions in check. She was only twelve years old, after all.

Mother’s calm and steady voice spoke up. “Willow, it’s going to be alright. We all know how lovable Juniper is. This girl will not turn us in. She is going to become family, after all. She will be missing her family and home as I once did when paired with your father. We will warmly welcome her, and all will be fine.”

Willow’s worries weren’t so easily allayed. She voiced what they all thought inside. “Okay, but what about Ash? What if his blood is good, and they send him away? To the brothels in the cities or the breeding facilities? It’s just two weeks away. We may never see him again!”  

At the age of eighteen, all slaves must undergo a blood test. The vampires ascertained the blood quality—its drinkability—and genetic markers. This test determined where a slave would be placed, what duties they were tasked with, and to what degree their blood would be “donated.”

“Don’t worry, little sis. They only take the most beautiful humans for breeding and work in the brothels. They don’t want some country farm boy.”

Ash’s attempt at lightening the mood wasn’t working this time. He was actually a very handsome boy—or so Jun had heard. Like Cypress and Willow, he had Father’s black hair, deep ocean-blue eyes, and sun-kissed skin. At only seventeen years old, he was the tallest in the family. Jun had heard stories of the many local girls—and some boys—hovering about him.

Mother tried her best to settle down the situation. “Ash’s blood will be just like Cypress’s blood, like your father’s and mine. He will be a perfectly average fairblood and remain here on the farm to work,” she said, with such firmness as if trying to convince herself as well as everyone else.

With that, the conversation concluded. Juniper got up from the table and began gathering the dishes, humming a little tune to keep the mood light. He liked to contribute wherever he could, so he took on most of the household chores.

The rest of the family prepared for the upcoming day’s work. As he set to washing the dishes, Jun pondered what his day would entail while trying not to dwell on the morning’s conversation. Even though the old farmhouse was big, it wouldn’t take Jun long to finish the daily tasks.  

When Willow stayed home, they sang together, or she read to him when they completed the chores. He liked when she read from the old school books the best.

All slave children went to school between the ages of five and ten. They learned basic skills, behavioral etiquette, and about the supernaturals—just to highlight how futile it would be to rebel against them. Jun couldn’t attend, and he had such a natural curiosity. So he relished in the times Willow spent reading from those books, gleaning at least a little knowledge of the world.

He couldn’t read the books on his own. To him, that was one of the more regrettable disadvantages of his impaired eyes.

Just then, he felt his mother’s comforting presence from behind him. Her rich, chestnut brown hair, which they said he alone inherited, was soft against his cheek. “It’s going to be okay, Jun. We will keep you safe.”  

She hugged her son and poured as much of her abundant love into him as she could. The caring gesture eased the tension in Juniper’s shoulders.  

“Thank you, Mother.”

“We received other news today, aside from Cypress’s pairing,” she started, and Jun looked toward her expectantly. “The newly named crown prince will be taking a tour of the farmlands. There is to be a reception for him in Topeka today. All the overseers will be away to attend…”

Jun had great hope for what his mother’s words alluded to.  

“You may spend some time outside today.”

Juniper gave his mother a beaming smile. It had been seventy-three days since his last outing, and he longed to feel the fresh spring morning. Spring was his very favorite. He had feared that he would miss the season entirely, as it had happened before. 

Newly motivated, Juniper quickly finished the dishes and tidied the kitchen from the breakfast mess. He slipped on his hand-me-down boots and was out the back door.

Behind the large farmhouse stood the perfect shade tree, a sprawling maple. Jun had been told its leaves would change color to a vibrant orange in autumn. He didn’t have a concept for the color until Cypress explained that it was also the color of fire, and so Juniper had it in mind that the old tree must be brilliant and glowy when the weather began to chill.

The house hid the base of the tree from the road, so it was the only place that Jun was allowed to go outdoors. He didn’t mind the restriction as he could still be outside, and he understood the caution was warranted.

Jun settled on his back beneath the tree, feeling the soft spring grass and the warm loamy earth. He removed the cloth sash covering his eyes and gazed up to let the morning sunlight wash over his face.

Juniper could hear and feel the slight vibrations of thunder in the far distance. He loved storms. They brought many sensations: the fresh scent and cool feeling of the rain, flashes of light, and booming vibrations of thunder. He could tell the storm would miss them as it moved on to the northeast—pity.

It was still a glorious day.

As Jun relaxed under his tree, he felt the occasion and mood just right for a song. Singing was one of Jun’s favorite ways to pass the time. His bright timbre rang clear as a bell—its purity perhaps a side effect of his enhanced hearing. 

He sang for his family often. Sometimes, Ash accompanied on his fiddle. Mother said it was soothing and comforting. His lyrical voice worked like magic, whisking away a slave’s life worries. He chose to sing one of the many lullabies his mother had taught him and began a gentle but cheerful-sounding tune.

…

Lavender’s green, dilly, dilly

Lavender’s blue.

If you love me, dilly, dilly,

I will love you.

Let the birds sing, dilly, dilly

And the lambs play.

We shall be safe, dilly, dilly

Out of harm’s way.

I love to dance, dilly, dilly

I love to sing.

When I am queen, dilly, dilly

You’ll be my king.

Who told me so, dilly, dilly,

Who told me so?

I told myself, dilly, dilly

I told me so.*

He let the lullaby softly end as if carried away by the gentle breeze. His mind fully eased, and the moment felt perfectly serene.

“That was a lovely song, slave.”

*Lyrics from a traditional lullaby, “Lavender Blue”