The Oldest Blood: A Vampire Paranormal Fantasy

by F. E. Arliss

  Why would they bother? Well, she owned a lot of shares in the company that she hadn’t sold yet. She didn’t want them, but she hadn’t had a chance to decide what to do with them either. Benefiting from the sale of weapons stocks didn’t really sit well with her. On the other hand, those very stocks would be why they pursued her. Having them in hand would sway the current of power within the company. They would try to control her in order to gain a grip on those stocks.

  The heat of the day and the calming scent of the garden, coupled with the whiskey, suddenly helped Remi see what she needed to do. Resolved, she stood and re-entered the salon.

  “Have you come to a decision?” she asked Georgie, whose only sign of discomfiture was a slightly redder than normal skin tone.

  “I have,” he stated matter-of-factly. “I could stay out of it and become a slightly better attorney than my father, or I can go all in and become a force to be reckoned with like my grandfather. He doesn’t want that for me because he feels it took him away from home too much,” Georgie related this to Remi with a firm edge to his voice. “Since I’m gay, I don’t really think that latter reason will end up applying to me. I don’t have a partner yet and I won’t be having children.”

  Remi simply sat down next to him and nodded, waiting for him to continue.

  “I don’t know if you’ve decided to go forward with the bequest or not. If you do, I will be at your side. If not, I will agree with whatever decision you have made,” Six added stiffly, avoiding meeting his grandfather’s eyes.

  Remi had a suspicion that Four hadn’t really ever had it verbalized that Georgie was gay. He’d known it, but hadn’t ever truly assimilated it. This blunt rundown by Georgie had unsettled the old man.

  Slowly, Remi reached over and took Georgie’s hand. “Thank you,” she stated simply. “I will be forever grateful for you.”

  Georgie just nodded and squeezed her hand.

  “You may yet have a family. When you meet someone, there are many children that need devoted parents and have none. Anything is possible with someone as open and loving as you,” Remi spoke in a low tone, letting those listening know that it was for Georgie’s ears only and did not mean they could chime in an opinion, though Remi was aware that Four relaxed slightly at the mention of adoption. He hadn’t given up on his hope for a double-o seven.

  Turning to the older men, Remi addressed Mr. Bemus first, giving Four time to compose himself. “What message have the Colchi sent to me?”

  Mr. Bemus unrolled a yellowed parchment and read a small statement, “We, the Colchi, accept and honor Remington Arana Hartsel as the bequeathed of Queen Kandake Impundula. In agreement, we transfer the title Queen of the Colchi, and all that entails, to Ms. Hartsel as of her signature on this contract.”

  Looking at Remi with a grim expression, the older man added, “Each member of the clan has signed this contract with their own blood.” With that statement, he turned the long piece of parchment so she could see it. Then gently handed it across the low table to her.

  The document seemed to quiver and dance as she took hold of it. She could feel the power of the signatures radiating up out of the thick-feeling paper. Remi gently re-rolled the paper and sat back against the soft leather of the loveseat.

  “Saulaces is right,” Remi said in a low voice. “Everything he stated is most likely true. My family will come for me. I have control of a great number of shares that were left to me by my grandmother. They will want them. There are enough shares that they can sway the controlling portion of the stock. So, yes, they will come for me. They will try to control me. They will not mean me well. They will try to use me. Protection against them would be a good thing.”

  She continued, “That said, I also do want to try and make some contribution to the world that they have damaged greatly by the sale of weapons that have brought nothing but death. At first, I could think of no reason why I should get embroiled in this dark and twisted world of the striga, or strigoi or whatever these other, later clans, are classified as. But, as I considered it, I realized that no matter what I choose, I will never be free. The aura of death will always follow me.”

  “Now I can choose if it’s the aura of death with no purpose but that of wealth, or I can choose the aura of death that means life of the clan. I choose that aura. The Colchi are already dead, but they wish to live in peace. I can try to make that happen by acting for them in the realm of humans. So, from this day forward, I will act on their behalf to the best of my ability,” Remi said this sadly. Neither choice was good. She’d like to just live her own life as she chose. That was never going to happen.

  Mr. Bemus unrolled the yellowed parchment and handed her a small antique quill pen. Without a word, Georgie pulled out a small Swiss Army knife from his pocket, dunked it in her glass of whiskey, swiped it over the spot in the meaty part of her left thumb base, then abruptly jabbed her with the sharp pen. Remi yelped and jerked her hand free. Blood welled to the surface and as Mr. Bemus and the elderly Four held the parchment steady, Six helped her load the quill pen with her own blood and scratch out her signature.

  Once it was complete, Georgie quickly dabbed his pocket handkerchief in the whiskey once more and cleaned the puncture wound on her palm. It stung badly, but the whole scenario was so strange that she simply let the surreal nature of it seem far away. That lessened the pain.

  Standing, she thanked Mr. Bemus and George Cox the Fourth with a grave bow of her head and then walked from the room dazed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Georgie hug his grandfather, who clasped him tightly, then kissed him on each cheek, before waving him on his way with a waggle of wrinkled hands. The old man sank back onto the club chair he’d occupied and poured a slug of whiskey into his own tumbler. Georgie galloped to catch up with Remi. Neither spoke on the way home.

  Chapter Ten

  The Shu Han

  The morning of the Hotel de Crillon appointment with Bai Ling, the head of the Shu Han clan, Remi and Georgie shared a small breakfast at an outdoor cafe near their apartment and pondered what one wore to a meeting with the queen of another clan. Since Georgie was the one who usually shopped for the clothing that suddenly “appeared” for her meetings, it was always important to let him know her thoughts about what she wanted to convey.

  It would have been handy to have been able to ask Saulaces, and Remi made a note to find out how to communicate more easily with him. Instead, she simply called Mr. Bemus for advice.

  The problem was that Remi wasn’t that into fashion. She liked very distinctive things and then she wore them over and over and over, like a uniform. Jeans, cashmere sweater, biker boots, fabulous coat. That was it. She hadn’t taken possession of the rest of Kandake’s parure yet, so all she wore for jewelry was a pair of her own pearl earrings and the jet black skull ring surrounded by diamonds. That was enough on its own. When she had the whole set, she’d be dripping in jewels and worried the effect would be totally tacky. As if the ancient parure had even an outside chance of ever looking tacky.

  Georgie, not wanting her to feel overwhelmed by having to choose too much of a wardrobe all at once, simply laid out a wool and silk-blend wrap skirt and a pair of tall black boots with low wedge heels for her to wear with her usual chunky-knit, cream cashmere mock-neck sweater. Everything else would simply be what she normally wore. That said, the boots and skirt were anything but ordinary.

  The Yohji Yamamoto wrap skirt was a black, silk-moire fabric that wrapped in three panels of different lengths. One glance and anyone with even a small amount of perception would see the rich details and exquisite fabric that made this skirt stand out as couture.

  Knee-high, black suede boots from Christian Louboutin were always noticeable with their bright-red soles and trim silhouette. When Remi pulled them on, they were not only comfortable, but made her feel even more statuesque and confident. There was something about knowing that the red soles were there, even if you couldn't see them, that added to her confidence. Taking in her ima
ge in the mirror, Remi could see she exuded sophisticated hauteur. She was ready.

  Six looked every inch the sophisticated businessman in his dark-blue, closely fitted wool suit and black fitted shirt. His only nod to flamboyance was the red tie he’d added to match the soles of her boots. It was subtle, yet Remi enjoyed the play of support.

  Jin drove them to the hotel and then acted as their introduction when another young man from his clan ran forward to open their doors and park the car. The inside of the hotel, though completely remodeled from the last time Remi had been there several years before, looked in some ways much the same. Huge, golden chandeliers dripped sparkling trailers of glittering crystal ropes. Heavily ornate reliefs of cherubs and angels still graced the ceilings and plush carpets still muffled any sounds that might disturb the hotel’s valued guests.

  Velvet settees and Louis XVI chairs and sideboards littered the high-ceilinged space. It was a lesson in more is more, and extremely beautiful. Remi had always loved the sumptuousness of the Crillon and was glad to see they hadn’t succumbed to the fad of cheap plastic mod furniture and austerity.

  When they were ushered into a small private sitting room, Remi was surprised to see that the Queen of the Shu Han was tall. For some reason, she’d imagined her small. Bai Ling was anything but the dainty waif Remi had expected. She was tall, with an enormously long neck, square-shaped head and large mannish hands. Her hands alone looked like they could break Remi in half. She did have long black hair. That was where any similarity of expectation ended.

  “Thank you for coming,” the tall woman came forward and shook Remi’s outstretched palm. Her hand was cold, but not the hard, ice-cold block that she usually experienced with Saulaces’s grip.

  “Thank you for having us,” Remi replied, then turned to introduce Georgie. “My attorney, George James Cox the Sixth, of Cleary Gottlieb.”

  After the niceties were seen to, they were seated at a small pair of silk upholstered, spindly-legged settees. A waiter with Asian features brought a tiered tray of assorted delicacies and two silver pots. A set of dainty tea cups were set before each of them with a small plate for the delicacies. “Tea or coffee,” the young man asked quietly.

  “Tea please,” Remi murmured. Six and Bai Ling both opted for coffee. Remi wandered how long it would take for the Queen of the Shu Han to get to the point. Not long, it turned out.

  “I understand that there was some indecision on your part at the bequest of Kandake Impundula?” Bai Ling asked, a small smile on her broad, less than handsome face.

  “Hmmm,” Remi replied. “It was an unexpected legacy. It simply took some getting used to.”

  The Shu Han queen smiled again. “I see you are as sly as your family has been reported to be,” she said with a coy head-tilt.

  Remi slowly lowered her cup and let it sit unattended on the table. She could see Jin slowly shuffling his feet back and forth at his queen’s not so subtle insult.

  “If my family is sly, I have nothing to do with that trait. I am diplomatic on behalf of my clan and guarded with my trust until I find the way of things in this world. Sly would not be a trait I would cultivate,” Remi stated firmly, an edge of hardness underlining her tone.

  The tall woman giggled a high, child-like trill of sound. “Oh, you are clever,” she said, wagging her head from side to side in excitement. “I am so glad you have come to have tea with me. I am pleased to see you are not easily swayed by insults. The Colchi will demand a rigorous leader.”

  Dropping all pretense of politeness the square-faced woman growled out, “The Colchi are detested by most clans. They are old, powerful, and live in the shadows, hiding like rats in the sewers and underground waysides of the world.”

  Remi said nothing, letting her eyes wander slowly over the homely woman’s face, then without flinching, lifted one eyebrow in question. The point was rammed home. Remi added, “The Colchi are old. They are...undiluted. Unlike the other clans.”

  Bai Ling flinched, her eyes narrowing. Then she smiled. This time time her canines had grown to an inch in length and glinted in the overhead brilliance of the crystal chandeliers.

  “I see you can also play rough,” the Shu Han queen said slowly, practically gritting her teeth at the alluded insult.

  “Not at all,” Remi said softly. “I simply returned the favor.”

  The tall queen sighed, sat back against the silk settee and said, “Good. You will do. Kandake was kind. Almost to a fault. She didn’t anger or care about insults. That is why she became tired and let the Empusa take her head. She had no more desire for the battle. Because, my little human, make no mistake. Supremacy for the rule of the clans is what it has always been about over the centuries. The Colchi are strong, but have not been able to be represented in the light of day. That weakness has kept them from enjoying their full power among the clans. Now that you are here to represent them in the human world, you will be in great danger. Many of the other clans will want to kill you in order to ensure the same levels of power are maintained,” Bai Ling explained this in a fact by fact way.

  Remi could see that she was indebted to this queen for explaining to her what Saulaces and Mr. Bemus had been unable to articulate quite so clearly.

  “I understand. Thank you for your guidance and insight,” Remi bowed her head in thanks as she said this.

  The older woman nodded, then added. “The Shu Han are large, and well regarded. We are a service provider of safety to many leaders in the other clans. We do not, as of this moment, have the level of power I would like. Because we are ‘neutral’ - if you wish to label it as such - we survive well. This meeting is my way of welcoming you to the clans and allowing you to see that we mean you no harm. We have chosen safety and wealth over power. Our role in the clans is well regarded and we wish to stay that way.”

  “We have never had the privilege of serving the Colchi before, as they had no need of our services. Kandake could take care of herself, though I hear you have some power to protect yourself as well. Jin is the first of our kind to be in a protector role to the Colchi and we hope you will be well pleased with his services,” Bai Ling added politely.

  “We are very pleased,” Remi assured her, then stood. “Thank you for your invitation and for the candid conversation. I am honored.” The two women bowed to each other. Georgie bowed to Bai Ling and both were swept out the door and down the steps to their waiting car in just a few moments.

  On the drive home, Jin kept glancing at Remi worriedly in the rear view mirror. Finally she said to him, “Quit worrying Jin, she was as kind as she could be, and I was as kind as I could be. We are fine.”

  The young man nodded and she could see his shoulders ease with tension. “Frankly, I thought she was very helpful. I’m sorry if I insulted her looks, but I couldn't help but draw the comparison when she suggested the Colchi were too ugly to appear in public. Which they are. But, she is no beauty herself, I would like to stop the derogatory insults the other clans level at mine.”

  “I understand, Mistress,” Jin nodded while driving. “And, you are correct, Bai Ling does not venture into the public arena any more than absolutely necessary. She will appreciate that you were not taken aback by her appearance and that you did not let the slight about appearance go in reference to your people. She will like that you stood up for them. I believe she likes you.”

  Remi merely nodded and thought, “One down, how many more to go?” She’d have to ask Mr. Bemus how many clans there were. It wouldn’t do to be asking her driver things she should already know. It looked like an intensive home-schooling schedule was going to have to be set up about what she needed to know.

  Later in the day, Mr. Bemus replied to her questions and let her know that she would be taking a series of instructions from the elders of her clan. The lessons would take place at the black castle on the terrace. The instructors would be under the covered portico at the back of the castle and she and Georgie would be able to sit closer to the light in order to make
use of the ancient scrolls that held much of the information about the history of the clan.

  “Oh boy,” Georgie groaned. “Lessons at the black castle. Fuuuunnnn.” Remi looked at him and they both issued long sighs of dread. Neither liked the black castle.

  Chapter Eleven

  The Lessons

  It turned out that the next three months over the summer were far less horrible than either of them had imagined. The lessons were interesting. Far more interesting than any of their college classes had ever been. The truth of history was not that written in the literature they’d been assigned to read in school. No...history, the real history, was complex and fascinating. It turned out that some of the greatest figures in human history were still alive - they were strigoi!