virgins?”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, bloody hell. First of all, it wasn’t exactly my fault. The vampire who turned me was accidentally killed, and with no one to guide me and my newly found hungers, yes I went a little wild. But that was hundreds of years ago and I’ve learned to control myself since.” And the reports that I’d killed over six hundred virgins, wrong. In those early days I was ravenous, and my body count went well into the thousands. Not that I’d admit that to the mortals. The fact we relegated them the same status as cows wasn’t something they needed to know.
“Do you still kill people?” the same reporter queried with a tremor.
“Of course not.” I lied. “In this day and age, blood is easily acquired via willing blood donors or purchased from blood banks.” The young ones with no control were forced to use the chilled blood-warmed in the microwave, ick. The older ones, like myself, fed off the vermin in the world, usually to the death. The inhalation of their last drop of blood imbued with their life force was a potent cocktail if you could handle the screams in your head as their essence fought joining a vampire’s psyche. But in the end, my will always won, and like the Borg on Star Trek, I assimilated them all. And my power grew.
“How many vampires are there?”
I inwardly smiled at the expected question. “Many, and we live among you without notice.”
I could tell several in the crowd weren’t crazy about this knowledge. They’d dislike even more knowing the number of people from the ranks of our loyal servants we had close to the President. We even had a member of congress who was a vampire. We’d given that well placed political ally the gift of daywalking; achieved through the collaboration of several witches and great sacrifice. Personally, I preferred to stalk the night.
More comfortable now that the reporters realized I wasn’t going to eat them-even if I was tempted-the questions started piling up on top of each other again. I raised my hand for silence and got it. “That is enough for now.” Then in a move meant to awe them, I drew shadows around my body, cloaking my presence. Invisible to their sight, I slipped out amidst their collective gasps of surprise and wonder.
My limo waited for me on the street under a look-away cloak that caused mortal gazes to slide over its presence-although, in an odd twist, meter maids always seemed to notice and leave tickets. I slipped into the backseat and the car pulled away from the curb.
“Is it done?” the answering dulcet voice asked without greeting.
“Yes, my queen.” My respectful tone was sincere. I loved my queen because she was the one who’d saved me so long ago from myself and the villagers who would have killed me.
“Excellent. Follow the plan for the moment, and if there are any changes I will let you know.” The queen dropped her regal tone to say almost in a whisper, “And now the lines have been drawn. Let us hope our daring act is not met with chaos.”
What she meant was hopefully the humans didn’t freak and start sharpening stakes. If we could somehow end up accepted by the humans for what we were, then perhaps the others who hid in shadows would come forth and join us. Death was coming, and to survive-much as it irritated me to admit-we’d need the help of every race on the planet.
My announcement made the eleven o’clock news, and by morning every broadcast and newspaper had a piece on me. The headlines were predictable.
One rag magazine had a simple,
At least I looked great in the pictures and videos; although, I did make a note to have my hairdresser lighten my hair a bit.
In this age of technology, it didn’t take long for my announcement and everything else vampiric to go viral. Vampire movies and books made a rapid resurgence, selling out, while across the internet, vampire blogs and websites popped up all over. Every single fact-and fiction-about my kind cropped up for commentators and the public to dissect and analyze. Heck, even the
Back to my new found popularity, as expected, along with the believers and hordes clamoring to meet us-and donate their blood-came the skeptics. “Camera tricks,” they claimed. Mass hypnosis. Telekinesis powers. The theories against my existence rolled out in staggering amounts, working against what I hoped to accomplish. Personally, I wondered if I grabbed one of those nonbelievers and ate them if I’d convert them? My queen forbade me from trying. Spoilsport.
The humans, though, and their questioning nature made me wish I’d fought harder for my idea. Worldwide human subjugation. In other words, make them all blood thralls and thus automatically on our side. My queen didn’t like that idea either. Said free will was what made them into a more powerful dinner. She was probably right, but given the conflicting reports revolving around my state of being and that of my brethren, I had to admit the idea of food that didn’t talk back was gaining appeal.
My initial coming out announcement required some repeat performances and even a few duo shows where I brought along another vamp. After the fourth media circus, I refused to do any more. Going on Larry King-who’d agreed to come out of retirement just to talk to me-and CNN wouldn’t make a difference because some people just would never believe.
The expected crazies-those not locked in loony bins-showed up both denouncing our existence and calling for our death. A conundrum that once again my queen refused to let me address. We had strict orders to not eat the annoying humans-yet. But the morally indignant and religious fanatics would be the first to go when the war arrived and we needed to bring some snacks along for a quick pick-me-upper.
When I realized the humans were still a ways off from accepting us as partners in the society we built-they just fooled themselves if they thought they’d created it-I went back to my regular job of keeping an eye on the vampires and the increasing danger to society as a whole.
As the vampire queen’s general, I oversaw our safety whether from exposure by a careless vamp or a menace from an outside source. Under my strict rules, our society flourished without the power and mind games of the past. It’s funny how a couple of decapitations could encourage the majority to follow my laws.
However, all my edicts were of no help to the coming menace. The one foretold in the Mayan calendar. The calamity predicted by Nostradamus himself. The precognitive nightmare I’d suffered-my first and only dream since my turning.
Daemons were invading our world. In single digits so far, but if all the auspices were correct, that was just a prelude to the upcoming main event.
Chapter Two
“No fucking way.” I ranted in my office as I read the email from the queen’s secretary.
My minion and blood servant Annabelle stretched lazily on the couch and queried, “What’s got your panties in a knot?”
I scowled at her, but she just grinned unrepentantly. Over forty, my age before I’d turned, she looked great- blonde, fit and tanned, the bitch. Her apparent youth and health were especially fascinating considering she’d fed me as one of my sheep for almost twenty years. Soon, I would bestow the gift of the change on her, not necessarily something she’d survive. If she did live through her death and turned into a fledgling, I would miss her. Young
