In the tomes, she had learned several incantations that would change scents. By changing the scents of the suitcases, the dogs would not detect the explosives. It was another way that she remained one step ahead of the humans. They had their respective deities that they worshipped in their dogmatic ways, but she had her immortality. Her immortality allowed her something that they cannot achieve in their limited time on the planet: Unlimited knowledge. She smiled again and sipped her wine.
She knew that if she had harmed the local police force that the humans would immediately rally around their local heroes. With terrorist threats from militants constantly in the news, she knew that an explosion would lockdown the city. All police force members would be called to duty and movement in the city would be virtually impossible due to the gridlock. By trying to prevent any future problems, they also hampered their own abilities to stop crime. She easily placed her minions at the museum and she was able to carry out her nefarious plan, which went off without a hitch, despite the arrival of the vampire hunter.
She sipped her wine and smiled again. He had played perfectly into her plans. When she saw that the tome had been recovered and it was in Eastern Canada, it was as if the Order of Twelve were watching over her. Like the dogmatic Council of the Light, the Order of Twelve's descendants had created their own network. Knowledge flowed through various networks. Secretly encrypted messages reached her daily. Most of it she dismissed, but occasionally useful bits of information made its way to her inner circles.
Recently, her attention was drawn to their archives during her search for the tomes. While she knew the resting place of Lord Visigoth's tome, she knew the obstacles of retrieving it. She knew that she could visit the location of the tome but convincing someone from RMS Titanic Incorporated to retrieve it and give it to her was rather troublesome. Being able to explain how she knew that it was actually in the wreckage was impossible without giving away her secrets. Also, it would also draw the attention of the council. Therefore, she decided to search for the tome of the legendary Lady Sangre.
While researching their digital archives, she found references to a vampire named Damien Le Doux. He detailed the fate of Lady Sangre that she had been killed in France just prior the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. While he had no knowledge of the location of her tome, he did make several references to being chased by a vampire hunter and other council warriors. Through his description of the vampire hunter, she concluded that it was the same vampire hunter who had betrayed their kind. However, it appeared that Bloodheart had a specific hatred for Le Doux as he had tracked him for years until Le Doux had managed to slip through his fingers. For centuries, he was able to hide in Eastern Canada. Bloodheart's hatred played into her hands.
She contacted Le Doux. He was very reluctant to come out of the safety that he had created in Nova Scotia. He had a small group of minions and they lived in obscurity. When the council had a strong presence, his minions did only what was necessary to survive. However, the promise of rising to the rank of her chosen one, the vampire who stood beside her during her conquest of the world, relieved him of his reluctance. However, their conversations were purposefully leaked through easily decrypted channels. She knew that Bloodheart would follow her to Canada and she needed a distraction.
Bloodheart had found her as she knew that he would and he had battled Le Doux. He was a necessary sacrifice. Bloodheart was too busy fighting Le Doux while she retrieved the tome. She knew that Le Doux would not defeat the talented council warrior. She shivered as she remembered several of his specific talents. However, she knew that vampire blood ran through Bloodheart's veins and she played that fact against him. She knew that he would be angry when he learned of Le Doux's location since he had hunted him for centuries. Anger caused people and even vampires to lose focus. That same loss of focus would lead to mistakes. As she sipped the last drop of her wine and waited for her tome to be transferred into a digital format, she knew that her plan had worked to perfection.
With Bloodheart angered by losing her, he would hunt the remnants of Le Doux's minions. While he hunted, his location and the locations of his fellow council warriors were easy for her spies to track. She knew where and where not to be. The streets were still locked down with no one going in or out of the city. The bus service, including the local metro buses, had stopped running because the streets were impassible. The airport was closed under the threat of terrorist attacks which, again, had played perfectly into her plan. She knew that no one would pay attention to one of the oldest and often forgotten methods of transportation: The railway.
While on her flight to Halifax, she made arrangements for one of their front companies, a railway transport service, to have a cargo train waiting for her. Their spies had bought or if necessary tortured customs officials into having her private railcar ignored. While the city was tracking imaginary terrorists, her train was waiting for her. She had planted clues to her location which would keep the council warriors tracking the vampires within the city while her train rolled out of town. The military had stopped the train, but the papers showed that her train must depart as it contained a shipment of vital medical and military supplies. The stolen council papers, which they had forged for her purpose, got them past the military blockade and the train rolled unhampered for two days to the Province of Quebec where a limousine awaited her arrival under the cover of darkness.
As her flight attendant arrived with a bottle of blood wine, she smiled again. He refilled her glass and departed. Her private jet was already traveling to Europe where she had decided to make her next appearance. She knew that the council would expect her to return to her recent territory. She decided to head in the completely opposite direction. She had arranged for the private jet while the train clicked along the Canadian countryside. Through her network, she found a company which was controlled by the Quebec criminal underground which supported Quebec's independence from Canada. She made a sizeable contribution to their political leaders. When she had arrived in Quebec, a fueled plane awaited her.
During the last three days, she had some of the best computer technicians that money could buy transferring her tome into digital files. The tome was extremely fragile and had to be handled with the utmost care. While her vampire blood boiled with impatience, she understood the long wait. Having the tome remain intact was just as important as the knowledge that was written on its pages. By using hand scanners that never touched the pages, they began the painstaking process of converting the ancient text. Hour after sleepless, but well paid, hour went into the conversion process. As she sipped her wine, she tried to remain calm. However, she knew that the long-awaited knowledge, that had slipped through her fingers nearly a century ago, was close and she could not have it. Her patience was evaporating.
"FUCK!" she screamed.
All heads in the plane turned. They hoped that she decided not to go back on her word and kill them. The computer technicians' hands trembled as they continued to scan. The flight attendant, who knew the delicacy of their situation, immediately ran to her side.
"I know this question will sound amazingly stupid, but is there a problem, ma'am?" the tall dark-haired man asked.
She sighed. She wanted to rip out his throat but she knew that he had to ask to be polite and that he feared for his life. However, she thought that he had a cute butt, so she didn't plan on killing him anytime soon.
"Yes and no. Yes, your question was stupid, but there is nothing that you can do. I JUST WANT MY GODDAMN BOOK," she yelled past him to the computer technicians who continued to work on their task.
The flight attendant smiled. "I am not going to offend you by restating the delicacy of their work. They have worked around the clock and have only slept so their skills would remain sharp. I assure you that you will have…"
"…your book, ma'am," one of the technicians said as he handed her digital e-book reader to her.
Her beautiful smile returned. Her hands trembled with excitement as she
took the white digital e-book reader from him. Despite her love of actual books, the digital reader, which she believed would take reading into the next century, was used to keep all of her most important documents in one small, compact location.
"As by your request," the other technician said as he approached, "The text was converted as it appeared on the page. While we cannot read the actual text, a font program was created so the text would appear…"
"Who gives a fuck?" she asked as began to search for the document. "Just tell me what it is called."
"Visigoth, as you requested," the first technician said.
"And my book?" she asked as she waited for the computer file to appear on her screen.
"Being locked into the plane's safe as we speak," the second technician said. "Completely intact without any damage."
She smiled and looked up from her e-book reader. "Oooooo," she cooed and she looked at all three men, "I like what I hear."
She shook her lustful thoughts from her head. That has to wait, you have reading to do, she thought.
"You have done well," she said as she returned to a more professional voice. "If this document is as good as you say, you will be properly compensated. If it is as good as I hope it is, not only will your lives remain unharmed, but I may have future use for you. I have nine more books of similar age, could you convert them too?"
"If they are in the same condition, it would take us weeks if not months…"
"They have not been underwater, but rather in libraries. While old and delicate, they are not nearly as fragile…"
"If you guarantee…"
"I make no guarantees," she said coldly.
"One week," the first technician said.
"Very well," she said as she waved them away. "Go do what you do. Sleep, eat, whatever. I wish to be left alone."
"Very well," the flight attendant said as the two technicians immediately ran to the cockpit and knocked to be let in.
"Except for you," she said as she ogled the flight attendant.
"Yes, ma'am?"
She smiled. "You get to stay and rub my feet while I read."
He nodded. "Very well, ma'am."
"Um, it's Michelle."
"Very well, Michelle," he said as he sat in the seat across from her.
He removed her leather boots. He gently caressed her left foot. His touch was gentle as his thumb circled against her silk clad foot. Shivers of pleasure went up her spine. She silently moaned. There will be time for that later, she thought as she smiled at him. He smiled back and continued to massage her feet. She lifted the e-book reader and the ancient words filled her eyes. She scrolled until a particular passage caught her attention. She smiled again.
She read:
September 18, 1517
They call me the Scourge of Scandinavia from where I have just returned. In the last month, I feasted on their clerics and their precious council warriors. Their general populace, especially the women who sold their services, also provided some very nourishing meals but the skills that I had learned during those kills are what bring me to my book of thoughts.
While in Scandinavia, I sampled the wares of several of the ladies that walk during the night, but I, of refined breeding, wanted something more "sophisticated." Being of impeccable social standing…
Mikhaeli rolled her eyes as she paused to sip her refreshed glass of wine. Like a dutiful soldier, the fight attendant switched his focus to her other foot. Tingles of pleasure danced along her spine. She shifted in her seat and continued to read.
…I was invited to many of the special galas held by the aristocracy. I was privy to a very special event hosted by the Swedish Monarchy. While the Regent was an extremely boring man, the women, who were accompanying many of the Regent's most trusted advisors, were much more…entertaining.
One particular lady, who was of extremely fine stock, had noticed me while I discussed recent church events (ever the bore) with her husband who was a general in the Swedish military. While the general was busy boasting in one of the many male backslapping sessions, I lured this exquisite creature, who called herself Svetlana, away from the ever dull session of the wives discussing the wealth of their husbands' coffers.
Once alone, I used my naturally gifted charm to get her comfortable. We found a secluded spot and I spent the better part of an hour telling her how she was the most wonderful creature on the planet. She giggled and fanned herself. I leaned forward to kiss her. She had given hints that she was interested, but she pulled away. She said that she was promised to another.
I was angry. I could sense her fear. I had learned in the past that if I focused on the fear and the life's blood of my prey that I could control their bodies. I had used this technique to toss many council warriors into the streets like the gutter trash that they were. I had perfected my abilities. Hear the blood and use the powers that I had been given to…
Mikhaeli shifted again. She sat completely upright. She was completely unaware that she had pulled her foot from the flight attendant's hands. She was lost in the words of the book.
…focus on the prey. I could hear the blood pumping through her veins and thusly through the very fibers of her body. I reached out with my hand and grasped her by the throat. She tried to breathe but she couldn't. If I squeezed, I would have crushed her throat but I wanted something else. I told her to look at me.
A gurgle broke her concentration. She wanted to scold the flight attendant for bothering her but he was grasping at his throat and he was floating in the air. She glanced at her cupped, raised hand. She listened intently despite the gasping flight attendant. She could hear his blood in her ears. She looked directly at him and she concentrated. She lowered her arm and released her grasp. The gasping flight attendant inhaled deeply as his body slammed into the seat. He stared directly at her begging for an explanation but she shrugged it off.
"Don't fucking move," she ordered, "Or it will get worse."
Thankful to be alive the flight attendant didn't argue. He rubbed his throat and continued to gag and gasp for breath. She continued to read:
When she turned to me, I ordered her to come forth. Many other of my fellow Order of Twelve members believed that they could control their victims with their thoughts, but I thought that it was a myth. I locked my eyes with hers and stared directly into her soul. I would search for any darkness within their soul. I knew that you needed a somewhat willing participant to bend their will. I released my grip but maintained my focus on her. I ordered her to remove her clothes and pleasure me. My initial assessment was correct; she was interested and very willing.
I enjoyed her before draining her of her life. Now, I must see how I can use this new power for even more resourceful enterprises.
Lord Visigoth
Mikhaeli was about to speak to the flight attendant when her e-book reader dinged loudly. An e-mail message had appeared on her screen.
"What the hell is this?" she demanded.
The flight attendant rubbed his throbbing throat. "The technicians were given certain e-mail accounts by your associates," he said with a rasp. "They have linked them to your e-book reader as a courtesy."
"Oh," she squeaked, "I wonder what it is."
She opened the encrypted e-mail and read:
Our Queen:
While researching Damien Le Doux, I have discovered a passage in his private journals which I had infiltrated. He makes a specific reference to Lady Sangre and her death. Before being pursued by the vampire hunter, he stopped in England before heading to the colonies. The vampire hunter followed him there. He heard a rumor that the vampire hunter had a meeting with the council in Canterbury. He arrived with a large satchel which our spies noted that he never was without during his trip to England. However, when he left Canterbury Cathedral after the meeting, he was escorted by three council warriors minus the satchel.
I am not sure if this information is useful to you, but it is the only possible reference that I could find to Lady Sangre's tome.<
br />
Maundrell
"Tell the pilot to land in England instead of Germany," she ordered.
"W…W…"
"Question me and your fate will be much worse. When you are done, come back and sit in front of me again," she scolded.
The frightened flight attendant nodded. He stumbled to the cabin. He knocked and the still frightened technicians opened the door. He briefly argued with the pilots before convincing them that it would be wise to honor her request. Reluctantly, he made his way back to his seat. He slumped in the seat and sighed. He rested his head on the back of the seat. He rubbed his still throbbing neck.
"Look at me," she ordered.
He sighed again and looked at her. His eyes met hers and they locked.
Blood Reign Page 42