0278: The Vampire's Daughter, Book Three

Henry laughed loudly for a moment, and then went silent. He looked at the floor, took a deep breath, and turned around to look out over his army. He was in a desperate situation and he didn’t like it.

He knew full well that at the first chance to turn on him, Sara would run back to the Kings and Queens and tell them everything and anything she knew. And with her limited knowledge of the situation and hatred for Gan, she was probably going to turn a bad situation into a very bad situation.

“I’ve been loyal for so long and I just know those self centered bastards are going to believe her over me,” he said through gritted teeth. He put his hands on the wall and looked down at Gan’s training camp. “I can’t bring myself to join this motley crew, no matter how good they are at their job.”

He stood motionless and virtually thoughtless for several minutes before sighing and closing his eyes.

From behind him Sol said, “It seems you are in quite a pickle.”

Henry turned quickly and put on a big smile. “Not so bad as it looks,” he said.

“You’re lying, I can read it a mile away.”

“Yes, I am. I have to protect you until the…” he stopped. “Until the vampires that have gathered make a decision about your fate. But as I speak to you, word is being sent to the Royals that I’ve betrayed them.”

“Despite the fact that you haven’t,” Sol interjected.

“Yes,” Henry said, “despite the fact that I haven’t.

“But the Royals are a jumpy lot. They see betrayal around every corner. It won’t matter that I’ve never once betrayed their confidence in all my years, even when I have done things for them that they knew I didn’t want to do. They are so caught up in their own lives, they can’t think beyond themselves.

“Gan suggested that I send a trusted lieutenant to make my case. I will, but I’m not convinced it’s going to help. He also said he’d send word to some of his confidants.”

“But that will just look like you’ve joined forces with Gan,” Sol broke in.

“Yes. I don’t know what to do,” Henry said, turning and looking out over the army again. “I’m stuck.”

“So why protect me? If the Royals want you to kill me, why not kill me?” Sol asked.

Henry laughed. “You are a brave soul! Sol, there are vampires and then there are vampires.

“Today the world is overrun by a shabby group of know nothings who think they can do no wrong. There was a time when nobility meant something. When a king was a king and a queen was a queen because that honor was earned. The right to the title may have been handed down to them, but the right to become royalty was earned through hard work and, often, strength.

“Now the court is just a hedonistic joke. Then… Sol, then it was a power. Decisions were made that rocked the world. We’ve let that power slip through our fingers. The humans could be our servants, like it was so many years ago.

“Now we live like parasites. It saddens me, but except for a select few, no one has been strong enough to stop it.”

“So the group in the castle? How are they tied to what you’ve just said?”

Henry looked at Sol for a long time, before saying, “They are the true royalty. Generations have passed since they were on the thrown. They gave up their seats because time had aged them beyond caring about daily issues. They knew they couldn’t lead our kind any longer because to them a year is but a day, a day a second.

“But they left their power in careless hands and it is too late to go back. God help us all, however, if they decide to reclaim their crowns. Little would stand in their way,” Henry said, averting his eyes slightly.

“You haven’t told me the whole story,” Sol said, “but I understand enough. I have one last request… Tell me about the White Vampire.”



[The Vampire's Daughter: An ongoing vampire story. Copyright Reuben Gregg Brewer, 2005, 2006, 2007. All rights reserved.]