by L. J. Smith
Lamia dominate the Elder Council, an elite group governing all vampires. Hunter Redfern leads the Council, if not by title, by the sheer force of his personality. This Council sets decrees on subjects such as feeding and marriage. One law prohibits mercy killings for humans, as Dr. Rasmussen tells his son James, who discovers his best friend is terminally ill. The Elder Council also holds trials for those who break Night World and clan laws. When Hodge Burdock stands trial for telling a human about the Night World, he is burned alive at the Elder Council’s order.
The members of the Elder Council also participate in the Night World Council, or Joint Council. The Joint Council has representatives from each clan and passes laws by which all Night People must abide. The Night World Council is credited for ending the human slave trade run by vampires in medieval times—not out of sympathy for humans, but rather to protect the Night World from the increased danger of exposure from the practice.
NOTABLE LAMIA
Red Fern: Maya’s son, the first born vampire, and the namesake of this most illustrious vampire family, Red holds a special place in lamia lore. Red receives his name because of the flaming color of his hair, a trait that is passed down through the millennium in the Redfern line.
Hunter Redfern: Descendent of Red Fern, Hunter creates an enclave of vampires near Maine during colonial times. Crediting his daughter Dove’s staking as the impetus, Hunter presides over the island, which still operates like it is the sixteenth century and has very strict rules about dress, entertainment, and marriage. Hunter is a vicious vampire, willing to forge a bloodfeast alliance with made vampires to ensure that the conservative traditions of Night World are preserved.
Ash Redfern: Handsome like James Dean, this vampire is wickedly charming and—well, just plain wicked. Ash acts as the head of the Redfern family on the West Coast and is quick to defend Night World laws, but the Elders believe he is “too liberal” in his associations with people on the Outside and in befriending werewolves. And that’s before Ash discovers his soulmate is human!
Morgead Blackthorn: Not all lamia are Redferns, but Morgead demonstrates that all vampires (at least male vampires) share a proclivity toward competition and arrogance. Morgead’s protectiveness of Jez, however, does not stem from arrogance. His is the love of a soulmate.
NIGHT WORLD ETIQUETTE
You are going to visit a fellow friend from the Night World. When you arrive at her house, you
A. ring the front doorbell. It is rude to enter unannounced.
B. ring the front doorbell, but don’t wait for acknowledgment before entering.
C. let yourself in the back door. After all, you’re friends, right?
D. telepathically let your friend know you’ve arrived, so she is standing at the door to greet you.
E. use the door, front or back, that is marked with a black flower.
ANSWER: E
Everyone knows vampires can come and go as they please in the Night World and don’t need an invitation to enter a house! And while it is polite to ring the bell and wait for your friend to answer (even Blaise wouldn’t expect a friend to be waiting at the door—unless maybe it was raining), a true Night Person always knocks and enters through the door marked with a black flower.
BONUS: What is the exception?
ANSWER: It is possible to bury an enchanted amulet on some-one’s property for protection. Then all Night Creatures must be invited inside before they can cross the threshold. Thierry buries an amulet like this in Hannah Snow’s yard to try to protect her from Maya in Soulmate.
Poppy’s twin brother Phillip is a go-getter. As a junior at El Camino High, he stars on three sports teams, serves as the class president, and earns a 4.0 for the year. Just thinking about all of that could make you tired. His secret? Phil knows how to start the morning right. He always reads the newspaper while eating the most important meal of the day.
What’s Phil’s breakfast of champions?
ANSWER: Special K
BONUS: So who eats Wheaties for breakfast in Secret Vampire?
ANSWER: James
BONUS: What does Poppy eat for breakfast right before she discovers she is sick?
ANSWER: A single Frosted Flake
What is the one party that Iliana doesn’t want to attend?
A. Jaime and Brett Ashton Hughes’s birthday party
B. The Solstice Ceremony
C. The prom
D. A holiday party
E. Homecoming
ANSWER: B
Iliana is slow to embrace her role as a Wild Power and the Witch Child and has no interest in attending the Solstice Ceremony. After all, it is the same night as Jaime and Brett’s party! And she really doesn’t want to participate in the Promise Ceremony, which would betroth her to Galen, unifying the witches and the shapeshifters.
Who is “every bloodsucking leech’s worst enemy”?
A. Ash
B. Jez
C. Rashel
D. Keller
E. Galen
ANSWER: C
Rashel is a vampire hunter on a mission for revenge! After a vampire viciously kills her mother and her Aunt Connie, Rashel knows she has to be strong, channel her anger, and learn to defend herself. Rashel stakes her first vampire when she is twelve and swiftly builds a reputation as a fierce vampire slayer.
In Huntress, signs that the Old Powers are rising include
A. disease.
B. natural disasters.
C. animal attacks.
D. the soulmate principle.
E. all of the above.
ANSWER: E
The Old Powers aren’t people but natural forces: ancient magic. Dormant since humans began to populate the earth in large numbers, the Old Powers start to show signs of reappearing. Disease, natural disasters, animal attacks—even the rise of the soulmate principle—are indicators that a revolution is coming….
KNOW YOUR LINGO
“We promise to be kin to you …” To continue the blood-tie ceremony one says the following:
A. “to protect and defend you always.”
B. “now and forever more.”
C. “for Hecate proclaimed it.”
D. “until the apocalypse arrives.”
E. “by the power vested in us by Hellewise.”
ANSWER: A
The kinship ceremony is an ancient ceremony in Night World tradition that joins two families through the exchange of blood. Unlike the exchanges needed to “make” a vampire, this ritual only necessitates a few drops, as it is mostly symbolic. Rowan, Kestrel, and Jade create an alliance with Mary-Lynnette and Mark in Daughters of Darkness. Together, they say these words: “We promise to be kin to you, to protect and defend you always.”
“Even if you kill her. She will still be alive—here.”
These impassioned words from Thierry in Soulmate are so heartfelt they bring tears to Hannah’s eyes. Trapped in the abandoned silver mine, Thierry tries to protect Hannah from the vengeful Maya. But Maya is determined that this time Hannah will die … and stay dead. So Maya devises a plan to make Hannah into a vampire and then stake her. While Old Souls are humans who reincarnate, vampires don’t have the ability to be reborn. As even Maya says, “It’s an interesting bit of trivia, isn’t it? Maybe it’ll be on Jeopardy! someday.”
Made Vampires
Once living creatures needing to breathe oxygen and eat food to stay alive, made vampires are Changed into the undead by other vampires. Humans can be turned into vampires, as can other Night People, and any vampire, lamia or made, can initiate this conversion.
Transforming into a vampire is a grueling process, and one must be young and fit to endure the physical strain. Teens are resilient enough to undergo the Change, but even they encounter serious risks. As vampires are made by the exchange of blood, a vampire must drink a human’s blood—and a human must drink a vampire’s blood. If too much blood is taken at one time from either party, the side effects can range from light-headedness to death. Humans
find vampire blood to be incredibly energizing, and their senses are dramatically heightened to be like a vampire’s after the exchange.
Nibbled humans, like Poppy and Mary-Lynnette, say a vampire bite initially feels like a bee or jellyfish sting, but then the pain subsides and warmth radiates at the incision. As one goes through the transformation, that person becomes both physically and emotionally close to the vampire initiating the Change, seeing into the vampire’s mind and feeling the impression of the vampire’s being during the exchanges. If the human makes the Change willingly, this can be a transcendental experience. If the transformation is made maliciously, it can be pure torture.
Made vampires stop aging after they are Changed. They die as humans and awaken as vampires, their bodies forever preserved at the age of their transformation. Poppy will always appear just shy of seventeen years old; Timmy will always look a mere four years old.
Made vampires recognize one another by the sign of the black rose they wear on their clothing or jewelry, and they are an interesting group. There are many remarkable and influential made vampires, but a majority of these vampires were not raised in the Night World tradition. Those with the approval of the Elders have earned their way into the Night World, despite their human origins. Others try to stay on the outskirts of Night World, as unsanctioned vampires will surely receive a death sentence if detected by the Elders.
NOTABLE MADE VAMPIRES
Maya, daughter of Hecate Witch-Queen: Maya’s first wish is to be immortal, and with elaborate spells, Maya attains her dream—at a price. She must drink blood daily. Maya is the first made vampire. Her son Red Fern is the first born vampire. Maya is ruthless and vindictive and excruciatingly beautiful with dark hair and a willowy figure. She also craves attention.
Thierry Descouedres: The second made vampire, Thierry is Changed by a jealous Maya, who is determined that Thierry love her more than her sister. But after Maya transforms Thierry, he feels no compassion toward her. Instead, he is struck with hatred. Theirs becomes a battle of the ages as Thierry, Lord of the Night World, tries to unite with his soulmate, and Maya uses all of her powers to keep the two apart, millennium after millennium.
Poppy North: The Elders would never have approved of Poppy’s transformation. Opposed to humans becoming part of the Night World, the Elders would not condone James’s actions—even if he is rescuing his soulmate. Poppy and James’s relationship is one of the first indicators that the soulmate principle is on the rise—and Poppy is perhaps the most famous modern made vampire in Circle Daybreak.
John Quinn: Quinn is not pleased about making the Change. He’s been eighteen for four centuries and he is still bitter. Quinn is turned into a vampire by Hunter Redfern, who believes that he has no living sons and is desperate for Quinn to become his heir. Although Quinn does not bear the Redfern last name, he is considered to be a full-blooded Redfern and sits on the Elder Council.
YOU MIGHT BE A VAMPIRE IF …
* you don’t wear sunglasses just to look cool.
* you are a wiz at Ping-Pong.
* you’ve contemplated a career in psychology or interior design.
* you are very stubborn—and very good at convincing people to see things your way.
* you don’t get cold, regardless of the weather.
* you are not tempted by sweets.
Why does Mrs. Burdock keep goats in Daughters of Darkness?
ANSWER: If you ask Claudine, Mary-Lynnette’s stepmother, why her neighbor keeps goats, she will probably tell you it is for the milk they produce. Maybe even the company they provide.
Although milk may have a lot of calcium and protein for humans, Opal Burdock keeps goats for an entirely different kind of nutrition. Mrs. Burdock needs the hemoglobin in the goats’ blood to stay healthy. As a vampire living outside the Night World domain, Mrs. B’s goats provide a steady source of nutrition that won’t cause a stir in the community. She can discreetly feed on them without arousing suspicion from the other residents of Briar Creek—very important when you are the only vampire living in a small town! Plus Mrs. B is aging, so she needs to access a source of blood near her house because she can’t go into the woods to hunt.
BONUS: Jade, a vampire and Mrs. Burdock’s niece, keeps a cat. Is Tiggy pet or prey?
ANSWER: Jade fawns over her little black kitten. Tiggy is definitely a pet.
When does Poppy first fall in love with James?
A. When Poppy learns he can save her from a painful death.
B. When James uses mind control to convince Poppy they are a match.
C. When James gets nervous and spills his lunch in Poppy’s lap.
D. Poppy falls for James when she is five.
E. Poppy has a crush on James, but she knows it is true love when they kiss.
ANSWER: D
When James explains the soulmate principle to Poppy, she claims, “I always knew you were perfect for me.” She says she’s known since she was five, when she first met James.
In kindergarten James was a little strange, and he always got picked on by the playground bullies. Poppy wouldn’t stand for it—“even at five she’d had a great right hook.” Poppy defended James and afterward asked him, “Wanna be friends?” From then on the two were inseparable.
Grandma Harman is killed by
A. a hit-and-run driver.
B. Blue Fire.
C. a silver picture frame.
D. a train.
E. two werewolves and a tiger.
ANSWER: E
Three shapeshifters ambush Grandma (Edgith) Harman, the oldest witch in the world, on the sidewalk outside her shop. Gran Harman dies, and the entire witch clan goes into mourning for their Crone. Circle Daybreakers, however, fear additional threats. If these ’shifters are willing to attack in the open, then the powers are shifting—and new alliances need to be forged.
Rashel believes zanshin is integral to being a good vampire hunter. What is it?
A. A special kind of wooden handcuff
B. A state of total awareness
C. A Japanese sword
D. A ring that protects whoever wears it
E. A breastplate of silver worn underneath one’s clothing
ANSWER: B
Although Rashel’s favorite weapon for fighting vampires is a wooden booken, a long, curved Japanese sword with a sharp edge, she also uses zanshin in combat. Rashel knows that zanshin, a state of total awareness, is imperative for outsmarting and outmaneuvering creatures in the Night World. From Japanese martial arts, zanshin requires that one be fully present in an action from start to finish—and that one be aware of others’ actions, in case they should attack.
“Do it quickly …”
In Huntress, Jez Redfern corners a gang leader in Muir Woods who whimpers this sentence. Instantly, Jez is flashed back to her childhood when her mother uttered the same words while reasoning with an attacker to spare her daughter’s life.
Jez always believed vampire hunters had slain her parents. But as this particular memory unfolds, Jez realizes it was vampires who made her an orphan—vampires who fault Jez for being part-vampire and part-human. With this revelation, Jez, who has long been a huntress, must face her mixed-race heritage and re-evaluate her future. All because of these three words.
Ghouls
Ghouls are a particularly nasty sect of the undead. These gruesome creatures didn’t quite complete the transformation into vampires and are caught between immortal life and imminent decay. Most ghouls were once innocent humans who became victims of overfeeding vampires or of careless vampires who didn’t heed the known age restrictions for transformation.
Ghouls have an insatiable thirst for blood, which consumes all of their focus, making them rather clueless. They smell of rot and, like a vampire, must be killed with a wooden stake through the heart.
YOU MIGHT BE A GHOUL IF …
* you love Night of the Living Dead and reruns of the Twilight Zone!
* you don’t bother with perfume be
cause you have a very distinctive scent.
* you constantly feel like your body is going to fall apart. (Could you be getting the flu?)
* you aren’t depressed but just don’t feel alive in the way you used to.
* you feel a strange closeness with compost.
* you are perpetually thirsty, for blood, that is.
Why does Gran Harman live in Las Vegas?
ANSWER: Las Vegas, with its large transient population, is a Night World hot spot! Many vampires move there to feed on humans—humans who won’t be missed if they disappear. Witches are also drawn to Vegas, but for the power vortexes located in the desert surrounding the city.
But Gran Harman? She lives in Vegas for the weather. Having developed breathing problems as a child, this Crone loves the dry air and warm temperatures that help to improve her health.
BONUS: Where is the most exotic place in Vegas?
ANSWER: According to Thea, the most exotic place in Las Vegas is a modest house with real trees in the yard: a human’s house. Eric’s house, to be precise.
Who creates the Dark Kingdom and builds Black Dawn?
A. Hunter Redfern
B. Lily Redfern
C. Chervil Redfern
D. Jez Redfern
E. Delos Redfern
ANSWER: C
Chervil Redfern and his father, Hunter, share a short temper and ill will. When the two become estranged, Chervil abandons his family to start his own monarchy of Night People with his friends. In the Dark Kingdom, Chervil raises Delos, his son, using intimidation and punishment, and without Hunter’s knowledge. Chervil commands Delos to use his Blue Fire to his own ends, much to the young Prince Delos’s emotional and physical detriment.