Deborah pulled back the cover on the coffin and smiled. “Good evening.” She said, in a faux Bela Lugosi accent.
“Very funny.” Said Michael, sluggishly. He stepped forward out of the coffin.
At the end of the previous night, Deborah had led Michael back to her apartment and into the walk-in closet. There, she had placed two coffins against the wall, one for each of them. Michael had commented that it seemed rather stereotypical. Deborah’s reply had been that although coffins were not necessary for a vampire to find sleep, they did do a good job of keeping errant sunlight out during their slumber.
“So how are we today, my infant childe?”
“Confused. Bewildered.” Admitted Michael. “Hungry.”
“Normal.” Commented Deborah. “The first two will take time to resolve. The third we can do something about immediately.”
“So, we go forth to kill again?” said Michael, with a sardonic gloom.
“No, tonight you will learn to feed without killing. Come, downtown Blacksburg awaits.”
They left the apartment and wandered down the streets towards Main, where the bulk of the college town’s bars and taverns could be found. In the early evening of this Monday still had the downtown active and alive.
“College town.” Mused Michael. “Even on the first day of the school week, the bars are full.”
“Indeed they are. Makes our job easier. Especially considering…” she let her words trail off as she noticed a police officer coming down the street.
“They found her.”
“No doubt. There will be an increased police presence for a few days, perhaps weeks.”
“Won’t they wonder why there was a body drained of blood?”
“At first, but the press will not print anything about that and those officers assigned to the case will be…modified to forget that little bit.”
“Other kindred?”
“For some things. Mortals held in thrall for others. We have a whole network dedicated to keeping our existence secret from the mortal world. It is our most important law. We call it the Masquerade.”
“Why? If we are so much more powerful than they?”
“There was a time, long ago, when we moved openly and we were justly feared for our power. But as time went on, mortals grew more numerous and more sophisticated. So we withdrew to the shadows, hiding in their midst, convincing them that we are mere legend and folklore, lest they overwhelm us. As powerful as each of us is, we are no match for their numbers. Against one mortal, a kindred will be victor. Against one hundred or more, that’s something else.”
“I understand.”
“Good. This is why we do not kill indiscriminately. No question that a kindred will slip up from time to time and drink too deeply, killing their prey. But we try to avoid such a thing for dead bodies tend to draw suspicion, tend to make mortals fearful. Both make our lives more difficult and more dangerous.”
“So how do I stop myself?”
“By force of will. By the same means you would use as a mortal to not finish a plate of food. Simply setting a stopping point and holding to it.”
“And if I guess wrong?”
“Trust your instincts, but only to a point. Within you is a beast that would ravage the whole world if you let it. It's the monstrous spirit that has taken up residence in your soul. You must learn to master it, control it, or it will control you. Feeding is one of the more dangerous times. But you can tell, if you keep your wits about you, when you are taking your prey close to the point of death. This is your second lesson.”
“How long did it take you to learn it?”
“By my second night, I was feeding without killing. It does not take long to learn.” said Deborah. "One of the few benefits of your first kill is that you fed to satisfaction last night. Keep yourself 'topped off' as it were, and the Beast Within will be easier to manage."
"And how do I do that?"
"Take only a little blood each night from now on. From any one of these clueless mortals you see around you."
“But what if they make a scene? If they struggle? I have to bite. Wouldn’t that hurt?”
“It does for a moment, but then the Kiss kicks in. You remember it from when I fed from you. A feeling of bliss and ecstasy. Only the most willful will still resist you. Such that can are few and far between. As for the wound you leave, your saliva causes it to seal almost instantly. You leave a mark only upon the dead.”
“Convenient.”
“Indeed. Come. Let us see how your irresistible beauty serves you.”
“Is that how I’m to hunt?”
“I think you will find it far more stimulating and pleasurable than simply grabbing people in the dark as a robber might.”
“You want me to seduce someone? Fuck them?”
“If you want. Getting laid each night is a bit of a perk.”
“But what about us?”
Deborah laughed. “You are feeding, hunting, and enjoying it. Why would that bother me? I intend to do the same this night. Now go! It will be easier if they do not think we are together.”
Michael walked in first and looked around. He felt a bit of anxiety as he scanned the crowd. He headed over to the bar slowly, looking around for a potential victim as he did so.
As he approached the bar, it occurred to him that he did not know what would happen were he to consume human food and drink. He knew the legends, the old horror stories. Dracula did not drink...wine. What would happen if he did? After all, he figured that barfing up whatever drink he ordered would not do well for his efforts to appear irresistible to his mark.
He was not entirely sure how his powers worked, but he tried to relax, play it cool, smile. As he did so, he noticed that people’s heads turned. People began to take notice. A few, only those in close proximity. Michael smiled more broadly. This would be easier than he thought.
But as he reached the bar, Michael realized another problem. At age 18, he would be unable to buy a drink. Something non-intoxicating would have to do.
"A coke." he said to the barkeep.
"Not 21, eh?" said a voice nearby.
"Not yet." Michael lamented. He turned to look at the speaker. He was pleasantly surprised to see someone he knew, one of his classmates in the computer science program. She was dressed rather casually with a drink in hand, with dark hair and sharp blue eyes. Michael racked his brain to remember her name.
"Kris, isn't it?"
"Yeah, and you're Michael, one of the freshmen."
"Please don't hold that against me."
"I wasn't planning on it. I'm glad you're here. I always did think you were kinda cute."
"Oh?" remarked a surprised Michael. Was she sincere or were his new-found powers already working their magic? Either way, Michael knew he'd found his mark.
"Yeah. I'd seen you around campus and in the lab, wondering if you were seeing someone."
"Not anymore." said Michael with a grim tone.
Kris frowned. "I'm sorry."
Michael shrugged. "It was bound to happen. I'm here. She's back home. You know how it goes. So, this may be your lucky night. I seem to be on the market."
Kris laughed nervously. Michael's Coke arrived and he somewhat tentatively took a sip from it. It tasted really good, like the best soda he'd ever had. That took him aback a bit.
"Something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing." He took a few more drinks, savoring the flavor. This, he deduced, must be part of the vampire's enhanced senses. Taste was apparently not neglected in that.
At that moment, Deborah made her entrance. And nearly everyone in the bar knew it, as every eye drew towards her. Michael felt a twinge of envy and then a thought crossed his mind. "Soon that'll be me doing that."
"She certainly makes an entrance." quipped Michael.
"Hey, eyes over here." laughed Kris, grabbing Michael's chin and turning his head back to her. "Remember me?"
"Oh, how could I forget?" flirted Michael in return. "Say, interested in finding someplace a little less crowded?"
A sly smile crept across Kris' lips. "Sure."
Michael chugged down the rest of his Coke and headed for the door. Kris fell into step alongside him, hooking one of her arms about his waist. Michael placed his own arm across her shoulders and they headed toward the door together. Michael caught Deborah watching out of the corner of his eye. So far so good.
They headed outside into the cool October night, the evening chill refreshing compared to the heat of the crowded bar. Michael glanced up and down the street. "So where to?"
"I'm going to guess you walked over, so no convenient back seat of your car nearby."
"Aren't we in a hurry? The night is young!" exclaimed Michael, melodramatically. He felt high, like no matter what he said or did tonight, Kris would find it charming and irresistible.
"If you don't mind the walk, my dorm is over in Slusher."
"Lead on."
"You haven't had a drop and yet it's like you’re drunk." she laughed.
"I've had a shitty few days. You've already done a lot to cheer me up."
"I intend to do more." She leaned in and gave Michael a playful nip on the neck.
They walked past the copy shop and reached the corner of College Ave and Draper Road. Seeing no one close by, Michael saw his chance. He darted around the corner, pulling Kris with him. He pinned her against the wall and smothered her mouth with his. She resisted a bit at first, more from surprise than anything else, but relented, relishing the kiss.
He broke off after a few seconds. "That was a pleasant surprise." she half panted.
"I wasn't going to wait any longer to taste those lips of yours."
'You can sample the other pair, if you'd like.'
"Not here, and not now." said Michael politely. He couldn't believe how confident he felt, how alive he felt. Now he understood what Deborah had meant about this being the best way for a vampire to hunt. This was fun. He shoved those thoughts aside to kiss her again, this time not just her lips, but her cheeks, her chin, her neck. And then he struck.
He drank, savoring the taste of her. As he did so, he could feel her weaken in his arms, moving closer and closer to the point of danger. Then, he forced himself away, breaking off. Kris slid down the brick wall to slump on the sidewalk. She was still breathing, but she looked pale, sickly.
Michael leaned down and propped up her legs. A couple of bystanders stopped at the odd scene, concerned, but Michael dismissed their worries with a simple "She just passed out." After a minute or so, Kris came around again.
"You alright?" he asked her. "Kris, can you hear me?"
"Wha...wha...what happened?"
"You fainted. If we hadn't been together, you'd have dropped right onto the pavement."
"I did?" she said, becoming more cognizant of her surroundings. "I didn't have that much to drink. Oh, God, you must think..." Had she not just been drained of a good bit of blood, Michael could imagine her turning beet red in embarrassment. But as it was, the best she could muster was a pale pink.
"Don't worry about that. You just gave me a scare, that's all. Can you stand?"
"I think."
"Maybe you'd best go home. I'll walk you to your dorm."
Kris came to her feet and leaned on Michael. He then guided her carefully over the quarter mile or so from the street corner to Slusher Hall dorm. At the front door, he paused.
"You could still come up?"
Michael had wondered if she'd still offer, but he'd already made up his mind to decline. After all, anticipation could be a powerful aphrodisiac in the right circumstances. He shook his head. "No, but thank you. I think you'd best get some rest, clear your head, sleep this off."
"I'm not this much of a lightweight."
"Maybe you're getting sick. Don't worry, Kris, I'm not going away. The window of opportunity is not going to slam shut on us. I won't let it."
She managed a weak smile in response. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. There's next time."
"When will that be?"
"Soon." he pledged. "Now go, get some rest and recover." He leaned forward and kissed her again. She returned the kiss with as much passion as she could muster. With a wave, he turned and departed.
He headed back to the bar, confident that Deborah had already lured some in some poor sap and was already at work. If it had only taken him this long, an old pro like her would likely be done and waiting for him.
He was not disappointed. Although she was absent the bar, Michael was soon drawn to the sound of two people copulating in the alley behind it. Sure enough, when he turned the corner, he found her astride some frat boy, her skirt hiked up around her waist, furiously riding him. After a few seconds of that, he watched her clamp down on his neck and drink.
She came up after a few seconds and her victim flopped back onto the pavement. She gave him a cursory examination, stood up, pulled down her skirt, and turned around.
“Enjoy the show?” she asked as she walked over.
“I appear to have missed most of it.” He reached up to rub a spot of blood off the side of her mouth. “Missed a bit.” He said, licking the spot off his thumb.
“Did you score?”
“Define score. I’ve fed, but I did not fuck.”
“Oh?”
“Figured it would give me an excuse to go back for seconds.”
Deborah laughed. “Building a harem already? My, you do learn fast. I take it then you did not leave a body behind for someone to find.”
“No.”
“Good.” She said. “Now I’m guessing you have further questions. Now that we have fed, let the lessons continue.”
“I had a coke at the bar.” Interjected Michael. Now that he was sated, he wanted to know about that.
“Did you? Was it the best ever?”
“Seemed that way.”
“I like this bar. It does not water down the drinks, even the non-alcoholic ones.” She commented, “but as you’ve noticed you can still eat and drink like a normal human being. In fact, everything will taste all the better with your enhanced senses.”
“What’s the catch?”
“You gain no sustenance from mortal food. No satisfaction. The only food that satisfies is blood. You body simply will no longer metabolize anything else. It will pass through undigested.”
“Ugh. That doesn’t sound pleasant.”
“No worse than taking a shit or a piss. Look at it this way. There are advantages. You can put down your body weight in booze and not get the least bit drunk. Nice to help you keep you wits about you in settings like these.”
Michael nodded and paused to think. Deborah looked at him patiently.
“More questions.” She discerned.
“You spoke of how mortals outnumber us, that they are a threat to us when massed in numbers. That implies that we are not invulnerable.”
“Not hardly.”
“But the legends make us out to be nearly so. What can kill us?”
“You can probably guess some of the things on the list.”
“Sunlight.”
“Indeed. The rays of the sun burn like fire. Only a very few of the eldest of us can withstand the sun’s gaze for more than a minute or two.”
“What else?”
“What do you know of the legends?”
“Stake through the heart is lethal.”
Deborah shook her head. “If the stake is metal, it’ll hurt a bit. Wood however causes a rigor mortus like paralysis. But neither is lethal.”
“Beheading.”
“That will finish us. As will massive body trauma.”
“Massive body trauma?”
“Hand grenade goes off at point blank range, for example. More often than not, it’ll blow your body to pieces and make you a dead kindred. Likewise, heavy weapons like a big machine gun or cannon. They tend to chew a body up pretty badly.”
“But not lighter guns?”
“Nuisance mostly. An enemy could empty a whole clip of 9 mil at you and do little more than make you mad.”
“So that’s why you wanted me for your little vendetta. Plenty of people here who can shoot. Only a rare few know how to handle a blade.”
Deborah nodded. “Yes. A sword is a far more lethal weapon against a kindred and in the hands of one.”
“So what about crosses?”
“You should be able to answer that. Your necklace?”
"You've touched it, so I'm guessing they have no effect."
"Correct."
“Can’t cross running water.”
“Same.”
“No reflection.”
“Again, a myth.”
“Must be invited inside.”
“More misinformation. Most of the old folklore was made up by our own kind to keep the mortals guessing. Outside of blades, the sun, and the most powerful of modern weapons, there are only two more things you need fear. Fire is our bane also. Avoid it.”
“And the last?”
“The claws and affectations of other mystical creatures.”
“Other? You mean vampires are…”
“…not alone in the night. No. We share the shadows with skinchangers, wizards, ghosts, fae, and maybe a few other things that I’ve never heard of. They are rare like us and keep their secrets as well as we do. But they are at best neutral to us and at worst outright hostile. Be wary when you encounter them.”
“How will I know?”
“Most of the time, you won’t unless they want you to know. Like us, they have their reasons to stay hidden. Although there may be one in our very midst.”
Michael looked around. “Where? Who?”
“Not here. But one of our common acquaintances.” She looked up at Michael. “When a mortal eats chicken, it tastes different than beef.”
“Of course.”
“All humans should taste the same to us as well. Mike Boorman doesn’t.”
“Boar?” said Michael incredulously. “What is he then?”
“I don’t know. There are things about which I know very little and the others in the night is one of those things. But he’s not human, that much I’m certain of.”
“Mitch has got his weird luck. Could that mean anything?”
“Maybe. But he tastes normal.”
“You’ve fucked and fed from both of them, haven’t you?”
“More than that. They are both enthralled to me.”
“What’s that mean?”
“What my sire did to me, I’ve now done to them. They are both compelled to be loyal to me, will obey my commands.”
“So they know what you are?”
“Not at first. They do now.”
“And they were in on this? Making me into a vampire that is.”
“Not exactly." she said. "They were your competition."
"Meaning?"
"I was going to make one of you Kindred. You drew the short straw."
"Did they know that was your plan? Did they know any of this?"
"A little. It is safe for them to know the truth. A bound thrall will never betray you. The power of the blood makes them loyal and affectionate in all things."
“How is that done? Enthralling, that is?”
“Not only can a vampire feed from mortals, but we can be fed from as well. Three tastes of our blood over three separate nights and they are yours. This is useful to us, as many of the things our society requires to function and remain secret are carried out by these thralls.”
“Because for all our powers, we still cannot go about during the daylight.”
“Indeed. We need our thralls to survive.”
“Okay, you said your master enthralled you. So it works on vampires as well?”
“Works on everything, as far as I know. Some kindred are known to enthrall animals for bodyguards and spies. A lucky few have managed to enthrall other supernaturals, although it is said to be difficult. Most thralls are humans. But the most paranoid or controlling kindred will enthrall other vampires, to ensure their loyalty.”
“I fed from you when I was made.”
“That does count. But until you feed twice more from me, you need not worry.”
“How is such a bond broken?”
“Death of the master is the easiest way. But bonds do fade over time if the master and thrall are separated from one another for a long time. And by a long time, I mean decades.”
“So I can move faster than a human, am stronger than a human. I can attract people to me by pure animal charisma. I can make slaves with my blood. I’m vulnerable only to fire, sunlight, and decapitation. What else?”
“What do you mean?”
“The old legends talk about all sorts of powers. Can turn into a bat or wolf. Transform into a mist. Can read thoughts.”
“Appear as whoever you wish. Cast illusions. Control animals. Yes, I know the tales. Hell, most of them as I said were written by us kindred. Some to obfuscate. Others to frighten, to make sure the mortals understand what power we represent.”
“So I can do all these things?”
“You could, with training and age. But only a rare few of us ever exhibit them all. Besides that, you will need a teacher who has mastered the power in order to learn it. You will learn some powers by instinct. Others will need to be taught.”
"How will I know the difference?"
"Kindred are divided into five subspecies we call Clans. Each is given a dark gift unique to itself. You are Daeva, as I am. We are graceful and beautiful and our strength comes from the manipulation of passion and desire. The Mekhet are shadowy and secret, masters of stealth. The Nosferatu are horrid and terrifying and use fear as their weapon. The Gangrel are feral and animalistic, master hunters. Lastly are the Ventrue, lordly and domineering." Deborah paused. “Imagine for a moment, all the predators in nature. Each one is given a skill, an ability, to find, to hunt, and to kill their prey. The spider has its web. A snake its venom. A lion its strength. A hawk its sight. Each of the clans is a predator of humanity and they are given powers appropriate to that role.”
“The ability to hide in plain sight and leave no tracks. The ability to mesmerize prey and attract them to them. The strength and speed to overpower.”
“Indeed. There are many powers and each one makes it easier for you to hunt.”
“That’s all people are to us. Food.” Said Michael grimly.
“Yes and no. We are rational thinking creatures like they. They can be friends, lovers, tools. We can love them, hate them, or care nothing for them. But understand one thing. You are the predator and they are the prey and that will never change.”
“Humanity is not the top of heap after all.”
“They never were. We simply let them think so.”
Michael got a confused look on his face.
“You are wondering how all this can be. Why we exist?”
“All philosophical questions of some depth. I’m not expecting an answer really.” Admitted Michael. “It’s just that I thought I knew how the world worked. Thought I had it figured out.”
“The simple reality is anything but simple. We are alive and yet not. We may behave like other life forms, but we do not breathe, eat, or breed in the same way they do. We have powers that defy the known sciences. By all reckoning, our existence should be an impossibility, and yet we are real. Why do we exist? Again, that is a question best left to philosophers. In some ways, it is no different than it is for humans. Each one of them spends at least some of their time, effort, and thought finding purpose and meaning in their lives. They find it in their careers, in the religions, in patriotism, or any number of other things. We are no different.”
“Are we not?”
“On the surface, no. Some of us turn to faith; Some vampires see themselves as avenging angels placed here by God or as the manifestation of pagan gods angry at being forgotten and neglected. Others hunger for power and prestige. And still others revel in their power and become the ultimate predator, hunting and killing the most difficult and dangerous prey. And then others just try to get by.”
“And you?”
“Am I so difficult to figure out?” said Deborah, stepping away and holding out her arms as if to show off.
“To feed and to fuck.” Said Michael bluntly.
“To have fun. To enjoy myself. Is that so wrong?”
Michael sighed. He was not certain that Deborah was telling him the whole story. “No, but if that’s all you’re after, why the need for a protégé who can fight for you? Did one of your lovers belong to someone else, someone rather jealous and powerful? Or is it something else?”
Deborah assessed him with a sharp glance. “You’re going to be hard to lie to.” She admitted. “Let’s just say some of our kind, much like mortals, feel the need to impose their personal philosophies and lifestyles on others. A life of hedonistic excess is just as frowned upon by some kindred as it is by prudish mortals.”
“And let me guess. Those sorts of kindred are fairly commonplace in the mortal world known as the Bible Belt.”
“As they did as mortals, so now they do as vampires. You learn quickly. That will serve you well.” Deborah stepped forward. “I have some things I must attend to as do you.”
“I do?”
“Yes. For two nights now you have been away from your dorm room. Your roommate will no doubt be growing worried, the sort of worry that attracts attention from the wrong sorts of mortals. Might I suggest a visit to gather your things and to explain that you are moving off-campus. Give him whatever excuse you wish. Can I trust you to be on your own?”
“I can’t imagine I’d be that much trouble. I’ve fed. I’m content.”
“Good. I’ll see you back at the apartment at dawn.”
Act One Chapter Six
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