by Lane Mason
Erica was in the library when Dexter walked in.
“I hope you don’t mind, I let myself in,” Dexter said as he entered the library.
“Hello, Dexter,” Erica said coolly. She had been on the computer all morning trying to find out more about vampires and was no further ahead, than when she started. There was plenty of information, but it was impossible to make out what was speculation and made up from what was truth. It was time she got some answers. She placed her hands on her hips.
“How is Jeffery?”
“Jeffery is fine. He took a hard hit to the head, but will be okay. I think he is enjoying all the attention Terra is giving him,” Erica said.
“Good and good. I thought there might be something between the two of them, but I never knew. You know how Jeffery is when it comes to talking about himself.”
“So tell me, Dexter, how is Jeffery alive? Two vampires catch him in a sneak attack and knock him out, only to end up dead. You keep insisting this house is especially safe. How about you start by giving me some honest answers. Between you and Jack, I don’t know who the bigger liar was.”
Dexter looked carefully at Erica. He could now see she was angry, and right now he was the target for that anger. “Erica, Jack chose to live a double life. He felt it was the easiest way to manage things. He wanted to keep you safe. I didn’t always agree with Jack, but he had your best interests at heart.”
Erica shook her head. “That’s bullshit. He gambled with my life and with my family’s lives as well. I loved him, but he never gave me a choice. I would have accepted the dangers, because what he did, and what you do is right. But he treated me like a child, not a partner or a capable adult. Now you are treating me like a child as well. Telling me what is good for me, instead of telling me the truth and letting me make my own decisions.”
Dexter sat down. Erica’s harsh words were hitting home. “You’re right. I am so sorry.”
Erica did not let up. “Don’t be sorry, be honest. Why am I here?”
“Okay, from now on all you get from me is honesty.” Dexter paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts, “The easiest way to explain is to tell you a story.”
“In the early 1700’s, exactly when is hard to track down, there was a vampire outbreak in Italy. A large number of vampires had formed a clan and were terrorizing the country. They were aggressive hunters, but for the most part stayed in the shadows, hunting the weak and anyone caught alone at night. The countryside was a dangerous place. At that same time, werewolves were also hunters of humans. It was a dangerous time. Legend has it that some werewolves were becoming protective of humans and turning against the vampires who hunted the humans. It is said that a leader among the werewolves had a fully-human wife and was encouraging his brethren to accept humans as equals. This enraged the vampires...
They hunted down and killed the werewolf and his human wife, but the child escaped into the country. Before the vampires could catch the child, a young noble lady found the child running through the woods. The young noble woman rescued the child and took him back to her husband’s estate. The husband, after hearing his wife’s story, backtracked through the woods, until he found the boy’s family home. The vampires had meant to make an example of the werewolf and his human bride. Both were staked up. Their ravaged bodies pierced by large poles running through them from anus to mouth. Their home was smeared in their own blood. The message written, ‘all mixed-blood must die.’ The husband realized the child his wife had saved was the mixed-blood child of the werewolf and his wife. His wife had rescued the vampires’ intended victim. The vampires would be coming after her now, for interfering in their affairs....
The husband knew that no human was a match for a vampire. He would be helpless to protect his wife and the child. Leaving the gruesome scene, the husband rushed to the only man he knew might have a solution. A local mage, one of the few and last magic workers of the times lived near them. Mages were a prickly sort, often loners. The strange magic they performed made them different than normal people. This made them something to be feared. But the husband did not fear the mage. The husband was a well-educated noble. He knew the value of mages and that they worked spells and magic that could help one against enemies like vampires....
So the husband rushed off and found the mage, he told him what he had seen, and how his wife had rescued the mixed-blood child. The mage agreed that the vampires would not stop until she and the child were dead. The only way for the husband to protect his wife was through demons. The mage explained to the husband that often demons from other plains of existence would take over the bodies of humans, possessing them. The husband had knowledge of this. The mage explained that he had the ability to make it so the husband could possess a demon. The husband would be able to take control of the demon’s body and use its powers to defeat the vampires. It was a one-time deal. Once the husband took the demon’s body, he would be connected to it for centuries. The life span of a demon is infinitely longer than that of a human. The demon body would be cast in stone, encasing them both into one entity. The husband had heard rumors of such things, gargoyles, human-demon crosses sworn to protect their master’s homes. The demons accepted the magical binding because being encased in stone under human control was still a much more desirable outcome than staying on their own hellish planes of existence. The humans accepted the bond for immortality, the price being unflinching loyalty and a stone prison. Gargoyles became part of the house, only activated by danger....
The husband loved his young wife dearly and would do anything to save her. He accepted the gift, or curse depending on how you view it, and allowed the mage to turn him into a gargoyle. Turned into a stone being, half-demon half-man, the husband returned to his home, just in time to stop a vampire attack. He killed the attacking vampires, rescuing his wife. When it was over, he tried to explain to her who he was, but she was terrified of the stone beast, even though it had just rescued her. She refused to believe it was her husband. The husband returned to the mage, asking him what could be done. The mage explained that with time he would be able to retake his human form. He would be able to shift back and forth but would need to spend the majority of his time in stone. Otherwise the demon would become too strong and become dominant. If the demon did that, the husband’s soul would go to the hells from which the demon had come. The husband was now committed to becoming part of his own house, to being a stone protector. The mage promised to speak to the wife, to explain what happened. But the wife never believed and fled the mansion. The husband had saved his wife only to lose her....
The house was sold to a new family. The gargoyle stayed true to his word and became their protector. The mansion was bought and sold many times over the years, until this year when we bought it and moved it here. Hoping that the mansion would provide a level of protection beyond what we could give you.”
Erica was stunned by the story. “Garg, you are telling me Garg killed the vampires?”
Dexter looked confused, “Garg?”
“The gargoyle above my balcony, I named it Garg” explained Erica.
“Possibly, I don’t know which of the stone gargoyles is the true one and which ones are just statues. We were not one hundred percent positive that the original gargoyle was still active. We felt it was worth the shot.”
“So you used me as bait, hoping the vampires would activate Garg,”
“I brought you here, because the house of Dante De Bello was the only place we could think of that might truly offer you protection from vampires. We would have gladly waited a lifetime to find out, you were not bait. I did not plan your visits into the city. I did not plan for a vampire spy to be watching your favorite Chinese food restaurant, and I most certainly did not plan for Jeffery to get hurt,” Dexter said, trying to be patient. “I am glad that Dante seems to have been activated and saved Jeffery. Hopefully, that is what happened, because an active gargoyle is probably the only thing that can save you.”
Erica relaxed a l
ittle. Dexter seemed sincere when he said that he had not used her as bait. “Bait or not, I do not like being left in the dark.”
“As I said before, that won’t happen again,” Dexter said. “If you don’t have any more questions, I am going to go check on Jeffery.”
“Just one. Do you believe that Garg, or Dante, saved Jeffery?”
“It is the most logical answer. Something or someone killed those two vampires and it wasn’t Jeffery. The one vampire’s head was ripped right off. That takes an enormous amount of power.
“Like the power of a demon trapped in stone,” Erica said.
“Exactly like that,” confirmed Dexter.
Erica thought of all the conversations she had been having with Garg, or Dante, some of them were very personal. She wondered if he was actually listening to her. She blushed and then looked at Dexter. “Thank you for coming here today, and thank you for your honesty. I needed to hear that.” Erica paused for a second, “On a different note, if I am going to live here for free and not work at my old job, I am going to have to find something to do with myself. I was thinking maybe working for a charity or something of that nature.”
Dexter hesitated before answering. “I might have something you would be interested in. Would you consider working with shifters?”
“I have no problem with shifters. I’m not very fond of vampires though. My experiences with them have not been the best,” Erica said, her voice dripped in sarcasm.
Dexter gave a half smile, “Not all vampires are as radical as the ones we are dealing with. To be fair, there are shifters who agree with and consort with those vampires. What I am suggesting is, that if Dante De Bello has indeed become your protector, we make this a sanctuary. We make it a protected place for all shifters and vampires who are being hunted for their choice to interact with humans. The numbers would not be large, a few at a time. Most shifters have declared themselves neutral and they don’t involve themselves with the fight. It is the vocal ones who need our protection. They are the ones who have risked everything to say that humans deserve to be treated as equals. Or who just don’t fit anywhere else. Many shifters end up in gangs because criminals tend to be the only ones who easily accept that the world is full of magic.”
“Are all shifters as quiet as Jeffery?”
“No, not all shifters are like Jeffery. Like humans they come in all shapes, sizes, and each with their own personality,” Dexter said. “And it wouldn’t be just shifters. There are fae, elven-blood, and all sorts of magical refugees from Unreha. Although in this part of the country we mostly see shifters.”
“In that case, it sounds like an excellent idea. I wouldn’t mind having some more people to talk to around here, and if Dante is as powerful as you say he is, then he should do more than just protect me. He can be a force for good.” Erica still had many questions about Unreha and the other magical beings Dexter was talking about, but for now his answers would suffice.
“Being a force for good is a very subjective way of looking at things. I tend to agree but not all would share that feeling. Regardless, Dante would protect all those under your hospitality.”
“I’ll think it over,” Erica said. “It sounds like good idea, but I want some time to think.”
“Excellent, I can live with that. Thank you, Erica.”
As Dexter left to check on Jeffery, Erica headed up to her room. Now that she knew Garg was likely Dante, it was time for another one of their talks. Perhaps this time he might reply and even if he didn’t, she would let him know of Dexter’s plan. Erica hated being lied to and manipulated; she wasn’t going to start doing it to Dante, even if he was only a stone statue. If he was more, well then she owed him the truth.
18
Vladimir Ruton out the window of the executive board room. He was waiting for a report on the situation in America. He had expected the human girl to be dead by now. The humans that knew of the existence of vampires and their shifter brethren were a danger to his organization. For hundreds of years he and his kind had lived the easy life, living among the mortal humans, feeding whenever the mood struck them. But technology was changing everything. Humans were more of a threat to vampires than ever. Computers, social media, and advanced weaponry available, along with the expanded average life span of mortals, were making it so vampires practically had to hide in the shadows to avoid being detected. Even the damned governments of the world were starting to become aware of the reality of the true world. In America that came in the form of the MBI, an annoying branch of the government dedicated to the paranormal world.
But Vladimir had a plan, one that would put the out of control, and fast becoming dangerous, humans back in their places. It was a plan that would change the course of history forever. Vladimir had long ago foreseen the effects of rapid human development. He had imagined a world were vampires would one day be extinct, like so many other species that suffered at the hands of humans. The initial problem was convincing other vampires, that one day humans would be a threat to them. Most vampires had scoffed at the notion. Their arrogant pride would not let them see humans as anything other than slaves, pets, and convenient sources of blood.
As humans rapidly evolved, many of Vladimir’s kin slowly started to see the light. They saw the effects of technology, how humans now had weapons that were a danger to vampires. They saw the rapid expansion of the human population in conjunction with the nuclear buildup around the world. Humans were not just a danger to vampires. They were a danger to the entire planet. As more and more vampires turned to Vladimir, and started listening to his wisdom, his vampire council was born.
The council was a corporation, a company designed for the sole purpose of building up assets that would further the council’s long-term goals. When the humans spoke of ten families controlling the majority of the world’s worth, they almost had it correct. In actual fact about sixty percent of the world’s worth was controlled by three families. Three families of vampires who were loyal members of the vampire council!
For a hundred years, plus a few decades, Vladimir and his council had been accumulating wealth and resources, having vampires obtain key positions in the world’s governments, armies, and media organizations. The rapid evolution of society had required many shifts and changes of strategy along the way, but finally Vladimir and the council were reaching the end game.
Already the plan had been put into motion. The killing off of humans who knew of the existence of vampires and shifters was well underway. Only a few key targets and their immediate families remained. In the overall structure of his plan, the deaths meant very little. But each death was a domino, leading to the next move. Killing the families of the humans who knew of vampires seemed a waste of time and resources to some on the council. However, Vladimir knew that many shifters and vampires had come to see the humans as equals. Soon there would be no room on the sidelines for shifters and vampires that were not on board with the council’s plans. Killing the human families was sending a message to the vampires and shifters of the world. The message was dangerously clear. The council would kill all in their way, and would not tolerate shifters helping humans. Already vampires and shifters were starting to join the organization, not for their belief that Vladimir and the council were correct, but out of fear. They feared the reprisal of the council.
Vladimir turned as the door to the board room opened. Serena, one of his most valuable agents, entered the room.
“I have the report from America, sir,” said Serena.
Vladimir took a seat at the head of the empty board room table. “Go on.”
Serena paused for a moment. She hated being the bearer of bad news. Vladimir had a temper that flared at the smallest of things. He would not be happy about her report. “The attack on the wife of Jack Rooney failed. Two of our scouts were killed. We believe the shifter friends of Duvane are now assisting the woman.”
Vladimir frowned, his annoyance easily readable on his face. “What of the other Americans?” he asked
.
“Dead or will be soon” said Serena. “The Rooney woman is the last high priority target in America for stage one.”
“Rooney? Remind me why she is on the list?” asked Vladimir. He knew little about the majority of their targets. They were simply strategic bugs that needed to be squashed. Others had greater significance but he was not one to remember names, especially lowly human names.
“Jack Rooney was Dexter Duvane’s business partner. He ran one of the most successful shifter integration programs ever. He helped hundreds of shifters find comfortable lives among the humans.”
“Blah, fucking shit,” yelled Vladimir. “Vampires and Shifters trying to live in harmony among the cattle, instead of ruling over them, It’s a disgrace! Too long this has gone on, Serena. For too long we’ve allowed the humans free rein. It is time to finish what we’ve started. Find this Rooney woman. Kill her. Make sure all the shifters and vampires in America know what happens to those who oppose us. Send more of our assassins after that woman. I want this done, now!” howled Vladimir. Erica Rooney was a loose end that needed to be tied up so that the council could move on to stage two of his plan.
Serena stood straighter, and briskly nodded her head. “I’ll have a full squadron of hunters track her down. She should be dead within the week,” said Serena.
“And what of your boyfriend, is he dead yet?”
Serena stiffened. “Lucas has a full kill squad with him. When he’s finished with his human targets, Jared and his brother are the first vampires on his list.”
“I don’t know what you ever saw in that vampire. He and his brother are the worse types of vampires. Treating humans as equals, it’s a disgrace.”
“He was very attractive, and knows his way around a bed,” said Serena. Jared meant more than that to her but to admit it would put her own life in danger. “Sir, he’s also very dangerous. I would recommend using two hunter teams.”
“Nonsense,” said Vladimir. “Lucas and his hunters will dispose of the Butlers. Human lovers are soft vampires, no threat to true killers.”