Olivia knew she would never be content with going to college and studying to be a civil rights lawyer as she had thought she would before her abduction. Sure, she wanted to help others make the world a more just place, but there wasn't only the one world anymore. Mankind had to acknowledge intelligent life existed on at least two worlds.
The angry graffiti spray-painted across the brick sidewall of the closed corner store reinforced this concept: JOBS FOR HUMANS ONLY! DAMN VAMPIRES—STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM OUR PLANET!
"I figured they'd blame them for the unemployment rate sooner or later." Her friend Jace's droll voice interrupted her thoughts.
Olivia turned and smiled at the pale, freckled kid dressed in black sweats, his baseball cap on backward as usual. He sat on his younger brother's bicycle across the street. "To think just a few decades ago this crude comment would have been directed at a particular human racial or ethnic group," she said sighing. "My, my, humanity has improved in its expressions of bigotry."
"Next thing you know, they'll be blamed for the climate changing."
"And for depleting and polluting our ground water, not that fracking had anything to do with it." She shook her head in disgust, then crossed the street to give her old friend a hug. "It's so good to see you, Jace. It's good to know you haven't fallen for all the bad press about the Pure Bloods and other peoples of BloodDark."
Jace brokered a weak grin. "Well, I reserve the right to update my opinions of the vampires after Lauren gives me her report of what it's like."
Olivia's eyes widened. Her jaw dropped open. "Don't tell me... Your half-sister is actually going to become a vampire mail-order bride?"
"Yep. She figures after the divorce she wants something more permanent with a guy she can trust, and when she heard how well the Pure Bloods treated their human mates and how loyal they were..." He shrugged. "My mom went ballistic, but Lauren is thirty years old. What can we do about it? It's her life."
"I wish you'd have contacted me earlier. I'd have set her straight." Olivia sighed. "Times have changed, haven't they?"
He laughed. "Ha. No kidding. To think, a year ago we were both seniors in high school. Now look at us—I'm a part-time pizza delivery boy and paper deliverer and a part-time college student with a solid B average in your dad's Civil War and Reconstruction history class, and you're a...whatever you are. You finally got your high school diploma, right?"
"My G.E.D. I took the test while I was in quarantine. It helped to pass the time."
"I'd forgotten they'd locked you all up like you were criminals, thinking you could be contagious or something." He lowered his voice. "It must have been unpleasant."
"Not all of it." Olivia smiled to herself as she remembered for six weeks she had Hernando's attention almost to herself in their group confinement. "We were allowed carefully monitored phone calls and visits from family members—only those deemed not to be security risks—and they had to swear not to reveal our presence to anyone on fear of imprisonment. Other than those Orwellian conditions, it was a nice, long vacation."
Jace narrowed his eyes, crossed his arms and leaned back. "Sure, a vacation. I'd almost believe you. If it hadn't been for the one investigative reporter and his YouTube broadcasts breaking your story around the world, I'm not sure you and the others would have been released at all."
She nodded. "You're right. We all are grateful to Mr. Galindez and his team for getting our stories out there. After all, Hernando representing the government of BloodDark deserved better. Locking up diplomats is a crime."
"Not when it could mean the end of the world as we know, it isn't." Jace nodded toward the graffiti. "They should have realized when the public found out we'd been visited by aliens for over a millennia, and we could travel there ourselves, we'd want changes for the better here on this planet. The number of governments toppled and career politicians out of a job these days?" He gave a long whistle. "You've really shaken things up here in the 'hood, Ollie."
"Me?" She looked cross-eyed at him and stuck out her tongue. "I'm not powerful. I'm just one woman who wants to normalize relations between our two worlds."
"One woman with a friend who owns a very cool limo with dark window tinting, it seems."
Olivia spun around and saw the vehicle Jace had observed coming up the road behind her. The official flag of the BloodDark government—a half white/half black circle against a blue, starry background—fluttered from the car's antenna. It pulled up to the corner and stopped. The back window lowered, revealing the passenger within.
"Get in, Olivia. We need to talk," Hernando said.
Chapter Two
"Wow, what a quick reply. I just left you a voice mail."
"I didn't see it. I must have missed it." Hernando took out his Smartphone and fumbled with it for a moment. Olivia forgot how uncomfortable Hernando was with all the Earth technology thrust upon him as the BloodDark ambassador and wondered if he'd consider hiring her back as his personal assistant. She turned and waved good-bye to Jace then crawled into the backseat. The driver began driving toward her house.
"Hey, I was going the opposite way." She took the phone from Hernando and showed him how to retrieve his messages and then put it to his ear to listen. "You don't mind visiting Britt's house for a few hours, do you?"
"Uh, thanks, and no, we can't stop for a visit to Britt's. I need you to gather your things as quick as you can if you're going to come with me. It's
