The murmurs turned to accusations to shouting. Clayton slapped his hand against the solid oak table. “Enough! I called this meeting to talk and not bicker.”
“Personally, I think it’s a great idea because you A and B types can finally come down from your high horse, and everyone can become just one group of vampires,” Maryl said as she leaned back in her chair.
“Maryl, I respect your opinion, but when the Stranger came to our ancestor's houses nearly two thousand years ago, she purposely created the variations of the blood types. She had a reason for it. Was it to stir discord and to fight endless battles? Maybe. Or, did she deliver the different blood types to see if we would one day reach this point and try to dilute the blood types? Again, I don’t know.”
“Dilute? Dilute?” Ray yelled. “How dare you insinuate our blood types are somehow inferior to yours!”
Clayton put out his hands. “I apologize, Ray, the Conqueror. I was out of line and meant no disrespect.”
Ray looked at Clayton, and a smile emerged. It was a small victory for his blood types.
Clayton looked around the room before he spoke again. “There was another scientist with Doctor Leadstone. His name is Doctor Stephen Ward. His credentials were falsified to allow him access to a highly restricted building. I believe his goal was to get close to Doctor Leadstone, get the serum, and leave without a trace.”
“You have his name, let's go find him!” Platov shouted.
“He has fled. At this point, we cannot locate him. The woman at the information booth, Lacey Donovan, described Stephen Ward to the police who called in an artist that drew the sketch, but his face is not in any of the databases I’ve searched.”
“Send us the picture, and we will search within our boundaries as a sign of good faith,” Maryl suggested.
“Thank you,” Clayton said as he stood up, put his head down in thought, and placed his hands on the top of the chair.
“Something else on your mind, Clayton?” Maryl asked. She remained seated while the others rose from their chairs.
“Yes,” he said as he looked up at the other leaders. “I want the boundaries that separate the different blood types eliminated for good.”
“What? That’s preposterous!” Ray bellowed.
“You were the one that fought for the boundary lines in the first place!” Maryl said in bafflement. “Even your blood cousins were against it!”
Clayton put up a hand. “Hear me out! Even the A positives and negatives, along with B positives and negatives, have different lands, and we cannot cross without permission, except with the infrequent exception of helping in battles.”
“You wanted the separation, Clayton! As I recall, you claimed it was best for all groups,” Maryl said somberly.
He looked at her. “That was in the past. Look at us right now, right here! All eight blood groups together in neutral territory.”
“This isn’t about food supply, is it?” suggested Ray.
“No. We have plenty of humans to consume for nourishment. I think the time is right for us. It’s the twenty-first century!”
“So, what? Would we be able to cross into your lands to nourish ourselves?” Ray Greenwell asked in contempt.
“What is the real reason you want the border lines gone, Clayton?” Trevor, the Giant, asked.
“If you must know, I want unrestricted access to all the borders so I can conduct my own investigation with regards to the serum. This is a matter I take very seriously!”
“Granted, I think it’s a huge problem but only for the A’s and B’s and not to the O’s,” Ray said without sarcasm.
Clayton drummed his fingers on the top of the chair. He closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them, they were as black as night. “I need to be able to pass the lands and oceans if need be without being hindered. I would prefer everyone’s permission; that’s why I am asking nicely.”
“Oh, I see. You’ll do it regardless if we say no,” Ray said matter-of-factly. He turned to Maryl. “When did this become a dictatorship and not a council?”
“Ray is correct, Clayton. We cannot allow one vampire to rule above all else. My answer is no.” She turned to Ray. “What does the ruler of the O positive blood say?”
“Absolutely not! You may not cross our boundaries. Cross them at your own peril, Clayton!” Ray said with conviction.
“Fools! You’re not looking at the bigger picture!” Clayton yelled.
“Did you really expect us to say yes? And then what? Become chummy? Become friends? Have all of us over for human dinner that we can’t consume? Oh, wait! Maybe we can have human hunting parties together?” Ray shouted in disgust.
“I agree with my counterpart, Clayton. The A’s and B’s have always maintained they are superior to the O types. The boundaries are what keep you from overrunning our territories,” Maryl said with bitterness.
Clayton stood up and shook his head in disgust. “I can see this meeting was pointless. I call for this meeting to be adjourned. Anyone second the motion?”
“I second the motion,” Platov the Compromiser said quickly.
Clayton watched as six of the seven rulers walked out of the conference room.
Maryl Rosser, the seeker, stayed seated.
Intrigued, Clayton sat beside Maryl. “Why did you stay? And I noticed something. How are you able to retain your youth, yet Sol did not?”
Maryl looked at Clayton. “You’re sitting in my other half’s seat.”
Clayton could not tell if she was kidding or not. He got up and went back to his original seat.
“Better?”
“Yes. Your sweet scent does not bode well with my acute sense of smell.”
“Answer my questions, Maryl Rosser.”
“As my name implies, I am a seeker. In this case, the seeker of truth and other things.”
“I too am a seeker of the truth, Maryl,” Clayton said in a deliberately measured tone.
“Really? Come off your high and mighty horse, Clayton! You’ve been spinning half-truths and innuendos for centuries. I know you’re up to something.”
“I want to make sure we’re not going
