“Your words are not very reassuring.”
“They never are because I never expect things to go right,” Lucious replied and started for the ballroom.
Alexander sucked in a shaky breath and proceeded to follow him. Whatever the evening held, all would be revealed soon enough.
Thirty minutes later, the main doors were closed and the flood of attendees halted. Vampires of different ethnicities and age had gathered in the gargantuan room irradiated with crystal chandeliers that hung from the ceiling on golden chains. Each of them had the Council’s brand on the metal, marking them as Eliza’s property. The ebony marble floor beneath their feet was shined to the extent that people’s reflections could be seen with ease. Alcoholic beverages were served by humans and creatures Alexander could not place the energies of, at the long tables, which were pushed up against the walls.
Alexander’s eyes found long waves of mahogany hair disappearing from the ballroom through the servant’s door and a sense of recognition sparked in him. Once he unconsciously took a step forward, Lucious grasped his arm, stilling him in place. Alexander had not realised that the music came to a sudden stop, and everyone was facing elsewhere.
“Looks like the party is about to begin.” Lucious inclined his head towards the large curving staircase atop of which stood the four members of the Council.
Two men in charcoal tuxedos and two women at their sides in scarlet dresses stood tall with golden lion masks covering their faces. The only reason Alexander was certain that it was Eliza and Vincent up there was because of the unusual hair colours they had.
Eliza lifted her glass of wine into the air and tapped it with her long painted nails, making a clinking sound that ultimately drew everyone’s attention.
The second woman, Mistress Xi Yi, barely reached Eliza’s shoulder in height and had her raven hair expertly braided with red ribbons. She grinned at the crowd, and Eliza began her speech.
“My dear guests, I am certain you wish to know why it is I have gathered you here. It is a memorable day, indeed, and it will bring joy to most of you. At the same time, I fear I will receive a lot of complaints in the next week or two.” She paused and took a sip of her wine. Her hand traced the smooth curves of the banister and her lips morphed into a smile. “Today you will be pleased to know that this room is full of hunters who have been hunting in our territory for years.”
Murmurs filled the air. Everyone’s eyes searched the room for the hunters, narrowing on the humans that were reaching for something inside their jackets.
“Enjoy the ball!” Eliza announced.
The lights went off and the ballroom was shrouded in darkness.
Alexander searched for his childe’s hand. Screams echoed throughout the room. His eyes quickly readjusted. Lucious was no longer at his side. He was wading through the crowd towards the hunters who held up pistols and blindly fired at the room.
Alexander cursed. His bad feeling was justified.
Gunfire assaulted his eardrums. Alexander managed to capture Tanya’s hand and led her away from the flashes of light. He pushed through the crowd of vampires, muttering his apologies until he pressed her against the wall and covered her with his body.
“You could get hurt,” she chided.
“It is not a matter of whether I get hurt or not. I will heal faster than you,” Alexander lied, knowing that wounds made by silver bullets healed much slower, but he couldn’t allow for his childe to suffer.
He glanced over his shoulder at the members of the Council. They remained in place and overlooked the madness and slaughter of vampires and humans alike.
Eliza’s eyes found his and her lips tugged into a full-blown grin.
“You should enjoy the party more,” she mouthed to him.
Alexander glared at her and diverted his attention to the mass of bodies that surrounded the remaining, retreating hunters. Limbs flew across the room, spraying blood on the pristine cream walls. Agony and fear filled human faces as vampires bit into their necks.
Alexander’s stomach churned with disgust. This was a sight he did not wish to see or be a part of. This was savagery.
The last human fell and the lights came on, forcing the vampires in the room to groan in disapproval and annoyance. The light made the ballroom seem like a mass grave after a massacre. Lifeless bodies lay everywhere with blood tainting the floor.
Eliza clapped her hands, drawing everyone’s attention to her. “My dear guests, I am sorry if to some of you this has come as a surprise. We could not inform you of our trap for obvious reasons. We slipped some sensitive information to the hunters about a large vampire gathering and hiring human staff was part of the ploy. I hope you have enjoyed your meal. Let the real party begin,” Eliza chimed happily and snapped her fingers.
A slow waltz resumed in the room. The vampires gathered at the centre with blood trickling down their chins and hands for a dance. The creatures that remained at the tables continued to serve drinks as if nothing happened.
“What are they?” Alexander asked no one in particular.
“Ghouls,” Lucious replied on his return. His tuxedo was slightly dishevelled, but he did not seem to care. He offered his hand to Tanya and received a squeal from her in response.
Alexander remained by the wall, resting his back against something solid. He rubbed his eyes, relieved that the events did not make a turn for the worse and that most of the vampires were uninjured.
“A ball worthy of mention in years to come,” a heavily accented voice came from his right.
Alexander’s head turned in that direction.
Zafira sauntered to him in a knee-length navy dress with golden trims around its hem. “We meet again.”
“So it would seem,” Alexander replied. “Yet, I do not see you bedding my friend over there. I guess not all your prophecies come true.”
Zafira rested her bare back against the wall and shook her head. “My visions are never false. He will be in my bed by the end of the decade.”
Alexander eyed Lucious and Tanya. They danced to the waltz and, no matter how hard he tried, he could not see Lucious accepting Zafira as his partner. “How certain are you of this?”
“How about we make a bet? If I win, you will grant me one wish and, if I lose, I will grant one of yours.” She offered her hand in a form of a handshake.
“And what kind of wish are we talking about here? Should I write up a contract?”
She smiled and glanced at Lucious and Tanya. “I can assure you that it will not be something that can make you lose your business.”
“Then, why not?” Alexander said, and they shook hands.
CHAPTER 29
Dark Night Bar, London. New Year’s Eve, 1964.
Alexander stared at his reflection in the mirror. In his white suit and with his platinum hair he looked closer to a spectre than a being of solid form. A deep frown formed on his forehead.
How long ago did I become like this? For how many years has my face remained unchanged while humans died of hunger, old age, or because of another devastating war? Most importantly, when did I start to see myself as not human?
Over the centuries, humanity progressed far beyond what he could have imagined. They used nuclear weapons to fight their battles and the damage caused by such things baffled him. Would the future bring more destruction? Would the humans continue to squabble over land or fight their petty wars just to prove something or other? He held no answers to his questions. Unlike Zafira, he could not see into the future.
She had won their bet. Lucious chose to spend more time with her as more of her prophecies came true in an attempt to get her to talk about his sire, or that was what he told Alexander. Lucious seemed almost like a person when he was with Zafira. She was a distraction that kept him from remaining in the dark for too long. Alexander feared that when she returns to America, Lucious would regress back to the monster that he was.
Zafira hadn’t once spoken of the wish she wanted Alexander to grant. Perhap
s, she knew of a better time for her to claim it. In truth, Alexander did not know what she could possibly ask of him that she did not already possess. She had beauty, money, and even power over the American Council.
Alexander sighed and moved away from the mirror. Too many questions swirled in his mind without an outlet. He did not wish to pry and push her into requesting something. At the same time, his curiosity drove him into a state of unrest, which he was not used to.
He left his room, heading to his office where Tanya waited in her newly acquired black dress.
She beamed at him and pointed at the door. “We should go downstairs. Everyone is here.”
“You let them start without me?” he said in mock sadness.
“Oh, you know the heart of the party is you alone. Without you, it is just a solemn group of vampires and humans pretending to enjoy themselves while listening to some music.”
Alexander smiled and offered her his arm. “You make a fair point. Let us join them.”
Tanya looped her arm through his, and they went downstairs where some new band called The Beatles was playing through the speakers.
Descending the staircase, Alexander asked, “Why do you like this music? It is always boring ballads about love.”
Tanya shrugged one shoulder. “It is better than music without lyrics. I have grown accustomed to it.”
“I will tolerate it since it is something you like.” He opened the door for her to the main dance floor.
Vast majority of people were dancing to the music. Alexander recognised them as human. Those seated at the bar or in the dark corners of the room on the sofas were vampires.
Ewa wore a dress too short and tight for her body, revealing her long milky legs. She sat on a barstool and talked to her date. Her manicured fingers climbed up his arm to his shoulder as she looked into his eyes. Alexander knew by the faint glow in that vampire’s eyes that he wanted her right there and then. They wouldn’t be staying long before making an excuse to leave.
Jana, on the other hand, clung to the arm of a grumpy-looking vampire. His skin was as dark as the shadows he sat in. When Philippe saw Alexander, his arm draped around Jana protectively. She rolled her eyes and shoved his chest as they relaxed on the red velvet sofa.
Next, Alexander found Lucious propped up against the far wall, watching the proceedings and listening to something Zafira was whispering into his ear with a stony expression.
Tanya stopped moving.
Alexander noticed that she had also come to lock her attention on them. “Are you alright?”
“Perfectly fine. Slightly annoyed that he did not choose me, but I cannot fault his choice, either. She is a tough opponent to beat.”
“They do not have a loving relationship. It is only physical for them.”
“Isn’t that how they all begin?”
“You could be right…”
Alexander glanced at the clock. It was five minutes before midnight. Here they were again, surviving yet another year without a problem. It was almost pleasant to see humans concentrating on improving their technology and lifestyles instead of devising more weaponry and turning his favourite car manufacturers into war machine producers.
He clapped his hands to capture everyone’s attention. The DJ turned the music down, and Alexander plastered a smile onto his face. “Thank you all for joining us. You are all my good friends and family, and I wish to see you prosper and live well in the coming year.”
Matvey broke away from the human female he was dancing with and began to clap, which caused everyone else to follow his lead.
Alexander inclined his head and motioned to the bar. “I believe it is only fair to have an open bar for the night, no?”
A loud cheer erupted from the humans and the vampires’ eyes lit up with excitement.
Tanya separated from him and joined the flow of people aimed at the bar.
Matvey came forth with a short brunette. Her almond-shaped brown eyes were attentively studying the floorboards.
“This is Tamara. She is the woman I have mentioned in my letters,” Matvey said proudly.
Alexander shook hands with her. The moment she finally looked at him, he could not understand it. She wasn’t beautiful. This human was average and shy. Inwardly, Alexander held back a need to shake his blood-brother into awareness.
“It is a pleasure to meet someone who could turn my brother into a caring man,” Alexander said in Russian with a hint of sarcasm.
The woman’s face turned red. She looked at Matvey, her eyes reflecting the love and adoration that Alexander felt a long time ago. The sight of it gave him a bitter aftertaste.
He forced another smile. “I must go and see to my other guests, brother. Please enjoy the party with your woman.” He waded through the crowd to the front of the bar.
Alexander motioned to Tanya, and she leaned over the bar. “Three shots of vodka.”
“I hope they’re not all for you,” she replied with a smirk.
“And if they are?”
“They would still not get you drunk. If you want, I can bring you a bottle?”
He chuckled and felt his light mood returning. “And that is why I love you.”
Tanya poured him one shot after another. When he was on his fourth, the crowd got louder. They all danced and sang to the music that played through the speakers.
Lucious joined him at the bar with Zafira by his side.
“Drinking so early in the night?” Zafira asked with a hint of amusement.
“Does it bother you?” Alexander retorted.
“Not at all.”
Lucious sat on the available bar stool next to him and grabbed a shot that was in front of Alexander. He downed it, slammed the glass down, and sighed. “Zafira will not tell me anything about my sire, and it would seem she’s leaving for America next week.”
Alexander’s attention reverted to her in silent question.
Zafira smiled pleasantly and placed her hand on Lucious’ shoulder. “I am doing as I am told by my Council. Do not take it to heart, lover.”
Lucious slapped her hand away. “I feel that you were playing a game with me, Zafira. I do not have time for your games.” He gulped down another shot.
Alexander studied his remaining four vodka shots. He would not get a chance to drink them with a bickering couple next to him. “I swear you will end up drinking all of my alcohol if you keep this up.”
Lucious rose from his seat. “I do not feel like enjoying the party any longer, my friend. We shall part ways here before you travel to Ireland.”
Alexander opened his mouth to protest when Zafira grasped Lucious’ arm, halting him in place.
“You must understand that few of my visions are open to interpretation. I do not know why it is so, but the only thing I know is that you will see your sire when you are dying,” Zafira added.
Lucious chuckled. “The only way to see my sire again is to die? What a helpful vision that was.”
“Well, it is not an uncommon theory among the humans that you will see those you love right before you die,” Alexander commented.
Lucious’ expression became guarded. “I’m leaving.” With that, Lucious fleeted out of the room, leaving Alexander and Zafira staring at the closing door.
Zafira sat next to him and commandeered Alexander’s remaining shots. “It would seem that we will need more drinks here, youngling.” She pointed at the empty glasses to Tanya who rolled her eyes and moved to the other end of the bar to chat with Ewa.
“You didn’t have to mock my childe!” Alexander snapped.
Zafira scoffed. “I did not mock her. I just think that children should listen to the elders.”
It was Alexander’s turn to laugh. “You may be a few hundred years older than me, but you are no elder.”
She shrugged and closed her eyes, enjoying the music.
“What did you mean about Lucious dying to see his sire?” Alexander asked.
Her fingers circled the rim of an empty glas
s. “Some visions are false, Alexander. I’ve said so before. A dead vampire cannot be resurrected, no matter the means. Believe me, I’ve tried.” Zafira bent over the bar and grabbed a bottle from under the counter. She uncorked it and poured herself a drink. “Lucious’ existence is very lonely. Perhaps, it was out of pity or out of comradery that I wished to spend some time with him. I—I don’t know. What I do know is that his life will not be easy. The more he seeks his sire’s murderers, the deeper the scar on his heart will be. That’s why I gave up looking for the ones guilty of my own sire’s death.”
Alexander could not imagine losing Maxim or anyone in his family. It would be a permanent wound on his heart and soul, if he had one. And whether he would abandon the search or continue on like Lucious, only God knew.
CHAPTER 30
Aylesbury, Ireland. April, 1965.
“It is a rather nice place, don’t you think?” Alexander asked his childe as he studied the two-storey bleached Victorian manor.
Tanya eyed him with evident scepticism. “And what are we to do with this…house?”
“I thought we could modify it a little and turn it into a club. What do you think?”
Tanya’s eyes ignited with joy. “Do I get to design it?”
“Of course. No one is more qualified than you.”
She squealed like a little girl and ran inside the house with her inhuman speed, making the door bang loudly behind her. All the way to the outside, he could hear her grunts and mumbles about the things that needed to be changed.
He was glad that they had moved to a new place and away from Eliza and her immediate reach. Alexander had been planning this move since the masquerade ball, but there were too many things he needed to take care of before leaving Britain for good.
Lucious remained unwilling to see him. After the party, Alexander could not get a hold of his friend no matter how hard he tried. Zafira, just as she had said, left for America. Their trio fell apart as quickly as it formed.
Alexander sauntered into the manor and searched for Tanya. He found her in one of the downstairs bedrooms. She whirled on the spot with a grin on her face. “This will be your office and next to it you’ll have your living room and—”
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