Weak and starving again, she crawled away from the memorial. After a few meters she found soft grass and rolled slowly onto her back, staring up at the stars of the clear night sky. The noises of the city, tires screeching and horns blaring and the conversations of the random people of Sydney enveloped her still form.
“…come on, the game’s starting!”
“I saw you staring at her tits!”
“Did you see what she was wearing?”
“…but what will we name it if it’s a girl?”
“…don’t you speak about my mother like that!”
“Why do you like me…?”
“Just keep following this one. It’s Delavega’s car. We’ll push through traffic that way.”
Lauren was suddenly alert. Delavega! She was unsteady getting to her feet but she managed, eyes darting around, searching for the owner of that voice. Still weak, she made her way over to the short brick wall that surrounded the park, and to the side that ran parallel to the main road. There. A line-up of three limousines stopped at a red light. Normally that wouldn’t be enough to give it away, except when Lauren picked up a scent she knew very well. A fragrance with a hint of lilac.
When the light changed and the cars moved off, Lauren followed after them. She would feed again, many times if she had to. But she would be ready for the night’s proceedings.
Chapter Twenty-Two
You’re Mine
Lauren watched the hotel ballroom from across the road when she spotted movement. A figure was scurrying up the fire escape towards the roof. She looked closely and found a familiar face.
What the hell is Matt doing here?
She followed him along the roofline, climbing the last step and emerging past narrow steel chimneys and electricity generators humming their continuous drone, until she could see the skylight. Matt was on his stomach, peering down through the window.
Lauren lowered her head as the familiar pounding in her temples pumped instinct into her dead brain. Feed.
She slowly moved closer, not really caring if Matt heard her or not. He was nothing more than food to her now. Nothing about their history meant anything except what she needed from him.
Matt leaned back, reaching for his pocket, his phone was buzzing a call.
“Yeah?” Matt whispered.
“Are you on the roof, Matthew. Do you see the gathering?”
Lauren stopped. Her hearing picked up the other end of the call. I know I’ve heard that voice somewhere before. That guy outside Matt’s house…Julian. Her hunger, though not stopping, did subside. There was no harm in finding out what he was doing on the roof before killing him.
“Yeah. I don’t know what I’m looking at, though. Except a bunch of freaks.”
“Oh, they are much more than that,” the voice said. “As is Delavega. Don’t forget the reason you are here.”
Lauren leaned in closer.
“Christ! What is the reason? Why did you bring me here?”
“The bar your father’s friend owns has closed hasn’t it? He has disappeared, correct? I have been right about the death of Ryan was I not? Right after Delavega’s bizarre reaction to him. You see what happens to people who associate with him. I wonder how long your pretty blonde will last?”
“Ok, goddammit. What do I have to do?”
“Simple. Just keep watching.”
What is this guy up to?
*
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Lasander and I will be your host this evening. Welcome to the first presentation of the new year.”
An enthusiastic but respectful applause followed this. But Alex was confused, as it was October, but decided to not worry. Maybe it’s like Chinese New Year, she thought. Vampire New Year. She smiled to herself as she imagined the people around her discussing whether they were born the year of the monkey or the year of the rat. Or maybe bat.
Her three companions’ attention was fixed on the man on the stage, so she decided to let it go.
The speaker continued. “As you all know, our way of life is still not very popular, let’s be honest. ‘Why have only one when you can have them all?’ But it is this kind of thinking that will lead to the death of us in the near future. The disappearances and murders of late are increasing. While we are fortunate enough that the authorities have so far had little luck in connecting any of them to us, with the recent surge in technology, it will only be a matter of time. CCTV cameras, video mobile telephones, the internet and social media—these things make our world such a small place, and people can film and share and see everything. Where before, individuals who caught wind of our existence were loners and their tales were not believed, now these individuals find each other, they form groups and share their stories of shadows in the dark that hunt, nightmares that stalk. We have never been at greater risk. I personally have asked King Vincent to intervene in some way, to stem the flow of bodies and blood.”
“And what did his majesty say?” called a female voice from the crowd.
“Nothing of help to us. Unfortunately, Vincent has never cared for the fate of humans and has never respected them. I tried to impress upon him that their fate is directly tied to our own. Australia and, thankfully, Sydney have been relatively neutral ground for us, a free land where we can enjoy life. We would like to think we have learned from the disastrous mistakes of America and Europe and are better for it. Vincent does not share that view. ‘We are what we are,’ he says. While he does not agree with the senseless killing, he does nothing to stop it. He also makes
