Blood quality meant something to vamps. You are what you eat was a real thing for them. Snacking on a guy who ate McDonald’s three times a day was like drinking saturated fat from a straw. Compared to someone who ate organically, exercised, and was in peak mental and physical shape; it was the difference between fine dining and fast food.
I didn’t know for sure, but I bet some vamps operated the same as Lilith’s people. They got a group together, but probably didn’t call it a harem; maybe a family or flock. They might drink directly from these willing people, and give them the kiss with a capital K.
Because you couldn’t have people freaking the fuck out during a feeding, the first thing that happened when a vamp bit you was the saliva provided a localized anesthetic to the bite area. When their fangs pierced the skin it hurt, but that sensation quickly faded. Step two was the release of their venom. The venom was what carried vampirism, and every time a vamp bit someone it was released into the bloodstream. Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the time, the human body’s white blood cells killed the virus with extreme prejudice. For a virus that fundamentally altered the underlying DNA of a human to create an entirely new humanoid species, it was extremely fragile. While the venom had no chance of fully turning a healthy person; apparently, it was one hell of a drug. Complete euphoria was how Makaylah described it. It made crack cocaine seem like Tylenol. Even vamp blood mixed with drugs didn’t have the same hit as vamp venom. It lasted roughly an hour, but for that hour the bitten was off in la-la land, and the vamp could feed from them at their leisure. That’s where the “kiss” part came in; apparently, people were horny as fuck when on venom, and fresh off a feed, vamps tended to be a little frisky.
All of that put together, and it didn’t surprise me a vamp charged several hundred bucks for a human to have the pleasure of being bitten. It was a win-win for everyone. The vamps got fed, probably got laid, and the human got high as fuck. Even better, it was all legal and above board. There were copies of licenses all over the walls from the UN, US, and state of Nevada; as well as signage for an on-site doctor if any humans felt faint, and basic first aid instructions. All of this told me that this was a well put together operation, and something I’d expect from the Venetian Cabal.
There was no question in my mind this place was at least associated with Lilith’s family. There was no way an elder vamp would bow to a teenage girl, succubus or not, unless they knew who Lilith was.
“This place must rake in eight figures a year,” I thought conservatively. “If the cabal gets a cut, and they’ve got businesses all over the world . . .” suddenly the financial compensation portion of my contract with Lilith seemed way too low for all the shit I’d been through.
I tried not to let my frustration show. As a poor townie who’d gone to an elite academy – the past tense was important there – I thought of myself as a bit of a hustler. Apparently, Lilith got the upper hand on that deal.
“Speaking of that,” I turned to her.
“I just want to remind you I fed you in the van on the way to Via’s,” there was no way to casually drop that into a conversation.
“Yes, I know, and it’s been logged,” Lilith replied stiffly. Her hand slipped out of mine and she walked toward a door that led to a section of the spa we hadn’t seen.
“Shit,” I could tell she was mad at me, but I was honestly a little pissed at her too. She’d undersold me. I didn’t like to get played.
Dani gave me a sharp look. “Maybe try not to be too much of a dick,” she whispered so Lilith couldn’t hear. “Shit is about to change. We aren’t in Kansas anymore. Where we’re going, Lilith is someone important; really fucking important to an organization that spans this entire planet. She doesn’t get to be a carefree schoolgirl anymore. She has to be a boss, and she’s not even twenty yet. One of your jobs as her First is to make her feel good about herself, not be an asshole. Get that through your thick skull before we get to Vegas,” the dwarf pointed a finger at me in a clear threat.
It would have been more intimidating a few weeks ago when she could still kick my ass without breaking a sweat; but after fighting the troll, and to a lesser extent, getting the best of Caroline the vamp, I didn’t scare as easily anymore. Still, it was Dani. I respected her. So, instead of getting my panties in a bunch, I took her advice to heart.
“Sorry,” I apologized. “All of this is a little much to take,” I waved at the glitz and glamor.
“You’ll get used to it,” her face softened. “You’ll also get used to getting nothing but the best of the best,” she grinned. “You’re a high roller now, Cam. Don’t get too fixated on the money. Bank your contract salary, and let the cabal deal with all the incidentals. Deal?”
“Deal,” I felt a lot better, and gratefully accepted the smack on the ass I knew was coming.
We followed Lilith deeper into the spa. I assumed it was an employee’s only section because it transitioned from comfortable luxury to more industrial barebones. We passed through a kitchen of stainless steel built to feed an army of hungry socialites, and I noticed there were no windows. In a place full of vamps, it made sense to avoid their sun allergy. Eventually, we went down a set of stairs and into what looked like a black-market medical clinic.
The floor was bare concrete with plastic crates and wooden pallets pushed up against the walls. Metal rods had been bolted to the ceiling and heavy plastic tarps fell to the floor to create the impression of a room. More people than I expected were gathered at the edges of the tarps. In the center of the improvised room was a comfortable-looking hospital bed and a plethora of machines. I didn’t know what half of them did, but I knew the man sitting in the bed. It was the old guy who’d been getting his world rocked by Caroline. He was strapped down on the bed with wires and IVs attached to every major limb and muscle group.
Caroline sat on a stool next to him, her hand in his, as the vampire elder checked the machines. The red-head I’d seen earlier had her eyes on the ground and was walking around the bed muttering something under her breath. I followed her eyes and found a silver circle inlaid into the concrete. The bed sat in the center, and as the red-head spoke, I saw flashes of light; while geometric shapes and symbols sprang to life around the exterior edge.
“What are you looking at?” Dani asked.
“Don’t you see that?” I pointed at the dull glow as symbols worked their way around the circle. It sort of looked like the ring of power when you heated it up in Lord of the Rings, but these symbols and glyphs were much harsher than the smooth elvish script Tolkien created.
“See what?” Dani frowned.
“Magic,” Lilith smiled and watched me closely. “Marcella is completing the casting circle to contain and focus the energy for the turning. That’s what increases the chances of success from thirty percent to eighty percent.”
I didn’t know much about circle magic. It was used in Theurgy to perform ceremonies, but I didn’t know if elder vamps and human mages performed the same types of magic. If I had a guess, I expected each supernatural species had their own twist on the mystical energy of the universe. From what I saw from Marcella, she was speaking in a language and dialect I’d never heard of.
One of the few things I was good at before my life was turned upside down was languages. I had an ear for them. I could speak many fluently, and could converse conversationally in dozens. Using all the knowledge at my disposal, I had no idea what the fire-haired vamp was saying. It was guttural and had some Slavic inflection to it, but other than that, it might as well be gibberish to me.
“It’s a magical language known only to the elders,” Lilith listened carefully, like she knew what I was thinking. “I don’t even know what they’re saying. Despite my mother’s insistence that they teach me, the elders continue to refuse.”
“So, Marcella is an elder?” I nodded to the red-head.
“Evelyn is the elder in charge of the coven and the spa. Marcella has been here a few years and is learning quickly. She’s a
rarity. She’s young, and is proving to be quite the magical virtuoso,” Lilith explained. Her tone was still too stiff and formal for everything they’d been through together.
“Sorry for being an ass,” I apologized because it felt like the right thing to do.
“No need,” she replied, still a little stiff, but I saw her shoulders relax a smidge. “Shh, it’s starting.”
Marcella had completed her circuit of the bed, and Evelyn – the old vamp – looked over the work with a nod of approval. She then placed a hand on Caroline’s shoulder. The younger vamp stood up and looked out over everyone present. There were about two dozen of us.
“Thank you all for coming,” she smiled at everyone, but gave me a little frown I didn’t blame her for. “I met Jack back during the war. I was a nurse, and he was a soldier fighting his way across Europe. This was a long time before the Revelation, but he still knew what I was.”
By the war, I inferred she meant WW2 and the Allies march across Europe. Caroline looked in her mid-twenties, not nearly a hundred. “Damn, Jack looks good for pushing triple digits,” I gave a mental whistle. She had to have been doing something to keep him looking twenty years younger than he really was.
“He still loved me,” she choked up a little as she continued, “despite all the criticism we faced.” Her eyes hardened as she stared defiantly at the room. “First, others of our kind frowned on me for marrying a mortal.”
“She’s his wife!” that was a surprise.
“Those who value our pure blood called me dirty because I chose the man I loved. Then, after the Revelation, and we came out as an inter-species couple, Jack was targeted by humans.”
I felt the level of anger rise in the room. The gathered vamps might look like ordinary people – long-lived people with preternatural strength, speed, and intelligence – but they were predators of the night who’d hunted humans for thousands of years. To have the tables turned on someone they loved was a deep blow to their psyche.
“They tried to kill him. He got fired from a job he’d worked at for thirty years, and for all those years I was his wife. It’s not easy when the one you love grows old without you. Before the Revelation, we had to tell people I was his daughter.”
I could tell that hurt her. She didn’t want to live a lie any more than anyone else did.
“This has been a long time coming, and if you know Jack, he can be as stubborn as an ass sometimes.” That got a round of laughter from the room. “He should have let me turn him a long time ago. Now, I’ll be playing catch up, but we can finally have those kids we’ve always wanted,” she smiled at the man on the bed with such adoration, I really hoped he lived through this. “I love you, honey,” she bent down and kissed him passionately on the lips.
It was a straight Romeo and Juliet story. They’d battled the Nazi’s, and won. They’d battled vampire purists, and won; and then, they’d battled human supremacists. Now, he needed to beat his own humanity to get another millennium with Caroline. A story like that could bring tears to your eyes; but not mine, I’m too macho for that.
“Stop crying like a little baby,” Dani elbowed me playfully in the ribs, but I saw a little streak of wetness working its way down her cheek.
“I’m not crying,” I huffed back.
Fuck, I wanted this to work for them. I’d just met them, but I felt like I knew them. Of course, I’d seen Caroline naked, and she’d tried to kill me. I fought her, won, and seen them in the act; or as close to it as you could get without penetration. If that didn’t acquaint me with them, I don’t know what would.
Caroline nodded to Evelyn and Marcella, and gave Jack’s hand a final squeeze before exiting the circle. All the machines were wheeled back, so only the chords passed over the barrier with magic scribbled around it.
I wasn’t sure what came next, but Marcella flipped the switch on a big machine directly behind Jack. It purred, hummed, beeped, and then I saw blood drawn from one of the IVs travel through the tube into the machine. Then another . . . and another. Soon, it looked like highways of red heading away from Jacktown.
“The body needs to be weak,” Lilith gave a play by play. “The blood will be drawn out until he is near death. Inside the machine, it is mixed with Caroline’s venom. She’s been milking herself for the last six months to have the optimum amount.”
“Milked herself,” I tried not to let my imagination wander too much.
It took a while for most of the blood to leave Jack’s body. An average human had between nine and twelve pints of blood. Since Jack was old, and not a particularly large man, I put him on the low end. I could see the process hurt. I’d been on the receiving end of blood loss myself, and it wasn’t comfortable. Mine was a smaller amount, but a quicker, violent loss. A long, drawn-out process probably felt like torture.
At some point during the process, Marcella and Evelyn did something. The glyphs and symbols around the circle started to glow a dull red, and what looked like strings extended out from the elder vamps’ fingers to connect to the circle.
“The elders are empowering the circle. It’s meant to keep Jack healthy while he’s lost so much blood. The will to live will only get a person so far,” Lilith watched the magic intently.
The elders started a soft chant, and the pressure in the room changed. My ears popped and it smelled like spring and new growth; instead of a desert in the dead of winter. The other vamps in the room swayed gently to the music, and I saw threads connect all the vamps to the elders.
“Elders can draw strength from the vampires of their coven,” Lilith watched with wide-eyed fascination.
It was fascinating, but I also realized vamps were a lot scarier than I thought. Nothing I’d read, or Makaylah had told me, said vamps could harvest power like this. The circle went from a dull red to a miniature sun that vibrantly pulsed to match Jack’s heartbeat. I’d lost track of individual people by this point, but at some point, Evelyn waved Caroline forward.
She stepped into the circle, caressed her husband’s sweat-soaked forehead, and gave him a soft kiss; right before she jabbed her fangs into his carotid. The poor guy was so out of it, he hardly flinched. After a moment, his whole body relaxed as her venom hit his bloodstream. She removed her fangs and licked at the wound. Vampire saliva had healing properties, and when she pulled back, the wound was already scabbed over. She moved down to both his wrists and bit him again. She also bit the insides of his elbows, his chest in several spots, and I looked away when she opened his legs and sunk her fangs into his femoral. I’d seen enough saggy-man balls for one day.
When she pulled back, her face was surprisingly free of blood.
“She’s setting the stage and getting fresh venom into his weakened body before they dump his blood back into him,” Lilith surmised.
“So far so good,” by the look on Jack’s face, I guessed he felt better then when he was getting head earlier. “Vamp venom’s a hell of a drug,” my mind stated in Rick James’ voice.
The sloshing in the machine behind Jack abruptly stopped and the humming started up again. Another dozen IV tubes led from the machine back to Jack, and blood slowly started to flow back to the man. To my eyes, it looked chunkier and took more power to force through the tubes.
“Vampire blood is different than human blood,” Lilith informed. “Their blood cells don’t die so the body can make more. The virus makes the cells as close to immortal as possible, and the blood they ingest powers them. Their blood is hardier than a human’s.”
The stream of slow-moving blood finally reached Jack but nothing happened. Judging by how slow things were moving, it would take twice as long to get the blood back in the old man’s veins.
“It’s up to him now,” Evelyn declared as she stepped back from the circle. The threads connecting the vamps vanished, but the circle still glowed a dull red to my eyes.
The vamps started to filter out to an adjoining room where a small feast was waiting. Lilith said the turning could take anywhere from an hour t
o a full day. Caroline stayed with Jack, but everyone else was ushered out. I found myself walking with Marcella.
“So, you’re Cameron Dupree?” she smiled and gave me the once over. “Do you mind if we talk?” she asked, pointing down a hallway away from where everyone else was heading.
“Um . . .” I hesitated, and looked for Lilith. She’d been beside me a second ago, but was nowhere to be seen.
“I’ve cleared it with your succubus,” she stated, like I didn’t have a choice. After seeing the power she’d wielded during the turning ceremony, I wasn’t sure I did.
“Okay,” I didn’t know what was going on, but if she said it was all good, then I’d talk with the vamp.
***
Marcella led me down the hallway to a carbon copy of the suite I’d showered in earlier. She opened the door and gestured me inside. The blueprint might be the same, but this suite was homier, and had a lived-in feel to it. That made me gulp. This wasn’t some space to have a quick word in. This was Marcella’s room.
“Relax,” she felt my tension as my shoulders stiffened. “I don’t bite . . . unless you want me to.”
“Ha ha,” I replied dryly. “I bet you say that all the time.”
She shrugged, walked to a dresser on the far wall, and started to take off her top. I spun away and put my back to her. It felt wrong on so many levels to turn my back on a vamp, but I’d already been busted once for kind-of-but-not-really peeping. I was still a guest here, and needed to act like it.
I heard her chuckle, and the rustle of fabric as she put on something new. “I’m decent,” her tone was flirty, and that didn’t help the situation.
She was decent . . . barely. Marcella was a beautiful woman, as most preternatural creatures tended to be. Her fire-red hair cascaded down her back in waves. She was tall and athletic; with the confidence I guess came standard in elder vampires. Her new shirt did nothing to hide a pair of curves that were nearly as voluptuous as Lilith’s. I could tell because she wasn’t wearing a bra. Two perfectly proportioned nipples stabbed into the shirt like knives trying to cut through the fabric. We might be in the desert, but it got cold here during the night, and even the best insulation in the world couldn’t keep out a chill when it dropped close to zero.
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