0286: The Vampire's Daughter, Book Three

Although not particularly happy about the location, Elizabeth and Vein chose to make use of Elizabeth's old house as their temporary base. Alone, Vein's clan could do little to stop Thomas, if his were the only clan Thomas was fighting. Luckily, Vein's was one of many, so Thomas' troops were divided.

Indeed, there were several relatively large clans that held sizable tracts of the city. It was these clans that Elizabeth needed to unit. Unfortunately, the blocks controlled by the clans were not contiguous, so it would require a great deal of persuasion on her part to convince the other clans to give up areas that they had fought to control.

The pair were so busy discussing the different clans and brokering meetings that both had completely forgotten about Sol's messenger, who had become a favorite toy of some of the female vampires.

"Francis," one said, walking into the room in which he was being detained, "would you like to come out and play?"

"No, no thank you," he said politely to the thin blond.

"Why not?"

"Because you don't want to play, you want to mock me and I've grown tired of it. All I wish to do is speak with the Mistress of the house, Elizabeth."

"I could be Elizabeth if you want," she said with a broad smile.

"I dare say you couldn't," Francis said, turning away from the door and picking up the book he'd read three times already.

"I dare say she could not live up that standard, as well," a voice came from behind the vampire.

She turned and looked at the face behind the voice and staggered back. She didn't say anything, but it was obvious she was nervous.

"Leave," the vampire said to her, stepping aside from the door.

Awkwardly, she ran past him out the door.

Francis had turned around by now and was looking at the man standing in the doorway. "Who are you?" he asked.

"You are not a vampire."

"No, no I'm not," Francis answered.

"Yet you still live."

"So far."

"Why are you here?"

"I'm here to talk to Elizabeth. Do you know her?"

"In a manner of speaking," the vampire said. "What did you need to discuss with her?"

"I need to find someone named Sabastian."

"Why?"

"To deliver a message," Francis answered.

"I thought you needed to deliver a message to Elizabeth," the vampire stated.

"Only as a way to find Sabastian."

"Have you had difficulty finding this Sabastian?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"Sometimes I do. Are you going to answer?"

"I went to an address I had for him, but he was not there."

"Who was there?"

Francis paused and looked at the vampire questioning him for a few moments. He looked down, then said, "I found the body of an old woman shoved in the freezer."

The vampire said nothing for a long time, then asked, "Was there anyone else there?"

"No," Francis answered, looking up.

"What else can you tell me?"

"There were signs of a struggle. Whatever happened in the house was violent."

"There was no little girl there?"

"No."

"Who is this message from?" the vampire asked.

"I'm not at liberty to say."

The vampire looked at the floor as he squatted down. "I could make you tell me," he said.

"Trust me, I'm well aware of that."

"Did Sol send you?"

The boy looked into the vampire's eyes. There was something in this vampire's eyes that he didn't see in any of the others. It was compassion, but it was clouded over somehow. Like the compassion wanted to come out, but couldn't for some reason. "Yes," he said after contemplating what to do for several minutes.


[The Vampire's Daughter: An ongoing vampire story. Copyright Reuben Gregg Brewer, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009. All rights reserved.]