“I felt like it was a group decision,” Clyde admitted as he gets to his feet. The crowd cheers when he comes into view until he turns his back on them. “We have eternity to win this war, so let’s enjoy our lives and leave Xavier to stew in fear. That means we can worry about Nyte, the Duragians, and our former allies later. For now, I need to say something to these people and lay down our laws. Not sure how to make any of those since I lived most of my life breaking them. I could use some help.”
Sitting atop his horse, Bob raises his hand until his shoulder pops. “Just do a speech from your gut and see what happens. It isn’t like your instincts have steered you wrong yet. Unless you count trusting Xavier, having faith in Decker, believing the council was working with the Duragians, and turning our most powerful enemies into Dawn Fangs. Beyond those mistakes, you’ve been doing pretty good. Oh, there was the thing with Chastity and Mab, but we won’t count things from before the Great Cataclysm.”
Everyone stares at Bob until a phantom of Luther appears behind him and flicks his pointy ear before disappearing. Laughter rises from the crowd, which has been inching closer to the wall in the hopes of hearing the conversation. Armored soldiers try to keep the mob at bay in an attempt to claim the front line, their efforts causing tension. Most of the vampires are dressed in the clothes of servants, farmers, and tradesmen, which gives the Dawn Fangs some hope that things will be easier than they originally thought. Chastity whistles at a group of beautiful men and women in the back, all of them regulars to the Scrumptious Siren and a constant source of information from around the world. Looking out to the horizon, the gang watches more vampires coming out of the forest to join the gathering, which is becoming too massive for the castle to hold. Knowing they need more space, Titus leaps to the distant wall and knocks it down with a single kick that helps to silence the crowd.
As the warrior wades through the mob, Clyde leans on the stone and stares down at an empty fountain below. The winged statue has been reduced to rubble and the basin is cracked around the ornamental rim. He runs his finger along the smooth beginning of a groove designed to lead rainwater into a grating that has been covered by fallen stone. Nodding his head to Bob and Luther, he waits for them to drop down and flank the fountain. Titus pushes his way through to stand between his friends and draws his weapons to wordlessly urge the crowd to give them space. When everyone is in position, Clyde slits his wrists and lets his blood flow down the groove. The crimson ichor glistens in the sun, which drives many in the crowd mad with a ravenous hunger and primal desire. Before a riot breaks out, a thin coating of pink mist coats the area, the extensive charm spell making Chastity a little light-headed.
“Guess that works better than me roaring and scaring them,” Clyde admits, his heart pumping faster by the second. As soon as the basin is filled, he drops his arms and relaxes to stop the bleeding. “All vampires who wish to join me can do so by taking a single drink from this fountain. This will make you stronger than ever and give you powers at the expense of your magic. You can feed on mortals without killing or even sustain yourself on regular food. The sun will no longer drain you, which means you can live among mortals if you wish. In fact, I’m hoping most of you do this once we’ve established our own city. The rumors are true that we will be at war with our former brethren of Nyte because Lord Tempest has decided that Dawn Fangs are abominations. He has become one himself, but I will admit that was me and not an act of hypocrisy on his part. Follow me and you will have to fight and kill and possibly suffer in silence. That last part is very important because, as your progenitor, I have made an unbreakable and essential decision. Windemere is not to know we exist. We can pretend to be mortals or vampires, but we must never reveal our true nature. Our abilities will cause too much fear at this point in time and then we will have the entire world after us. My hope is that we can thrive among the cities of this world without incident. When the time is right, I will tell the world that we have been here for years and mean mortals no permanent harm. Due to this decision, the laws of the Dawn Fangs will focus on secrecy. Any who act impulsively and threaten to reveal us will be brought back to our city. If I can’t fix the situation then the unruly among us will be executed as an example. Now, I don’t want to be a sadistic warlord, but I will play the part if it means keeping us safe. That’s really the only law I have now since we just started. If you wish to leave without a drink then do so in safety. For those who still want to join me, have a taste and prepare to be welcomed to the Dawn Fang city of . . .”
“Just go with your gut on the name,” Mab whispers, noticing that her friend has frozen in place.
“Okay . . . Welcome to Nytefall!” Clyde declares to the roar of the crowd. He relaxes as Chastity and Gregorio jump down to help those who are starting the change. “Figured that name being whispered will cause Xavier’s eye to twitch. Kind of like a promise that he isn’t going to win this war. What do you think?”
Mab licks her lips while handing a glass of wine to her friend. “I like it. Here’s to the Age of the Dawn Fang, which most of the world will never know about. With this whole war, do you think I can take a few breaks to handle some personal stuff? Nothing too much, but it might require that I claim a really big house for myself.”
“You want to go on a crime spree, huh?”
“I’d like to think I earned it for being so patient.”
“We can do a few heists once things are settled.”
“Sorry, but you’re leading an entire species now, so you have no time for such frivolities.”
“You’re kidding, right? Right?”
Flashing an impish grin, Mab clinks her glass against Clyde’s and drinks it while sinking into the shadows. Left alone at the top of the wall, the first Dawn Fang of Windemere watches the crowd gradually transform before his eyes. Those who can fly take to the air while others turn into various elements, the testing gradually spreading into the surrounding city. He listens to his friends giving instructions and answering questions, everyone excited to feel the sun without losing their strength. As he lets down his guard and relaxes, Clyde watches the entire world develop a red hue and can feel a demonic hunger rise in his gut. The sensation disappears as soon as he tries to focus on it, the experience having left him nervous and a touch less confident about the future than he was a minute ago.
The War of Nytefall continues in:
LOST
Loyalty Page 34
