My breath catches in my throat. What is happening?
But Vlad is no longer by my side. Moving faster than the eye can follow, he has left me to reappear beside Steffan.
And in his hand he holds a sword. A curved blade with a jeweled scabbard. One side of the blade is smooth, the other jagged like the teeth of a shark.
From somewhere behind me, a hand touches my arm. A voice whispers in my ear, “It’s me.”
Frey. Without turning, I pull him close. I can’t seem to draw my eyes away from the spectacle taking place in front of us.
Frey follows my gaze. “I guess Chael wasn’t bullshitting us after all. The sword—it’s a Turkish kilij. Reputed to have been Vlad Dracul’s weapon of choice.”
I don’t have to ask how he knows this. As Keeper of the Secrets, he has studied the history of the supernatural down through the ages.
“Do you know what is happening?” I ask.
“Not everything. But from what I gather, Vlad is not happy with Steffan’s power play.”
“I thought Steffan was their leader.” My voice sounds strained and incredulous.
“Evidently only serving at Vlad’s pleasure. And Vlad was not pleased at the idea of bringing about a revolution, no matter how carefully orchestrated.”
Vlad has raised his arms, calling for quiet. It takes less than a heartbeat for it to be achieved. He lowers his arms and starts to speak, pacing as he does.
Some of you know why I am here tonight. He glances back at a cowering Steffan. Certainly not because I was invited. I was made aware of a plot being spun, a plot involving Steffan and those you see behind him. It was a crafty plan. A plan to integrate vampires into every office in every country in Europe with the aim of asserting domination.
It would take time, part of the plan’s cleverness. When full assimilation occurred, this generation of mortals would be in the ground. There would be no bloodbath, just a gradual assumption of power. So gradual, mortals would not be aware of what was happening until it was too late.
Vlad pauses, as if appreciating how that must sound to a gathering of vampires. I listen transfixed, impressed by his intuitiveness. He knows what they’re all thinking, just as I do: the many who are thankful that they have not been included with the hapless ones bound together inside the circle; those who are asking why the plan would not work and seeing no negative side to it; the wiser, older ones who know what would happen if the seemingly flawless plan was put into action.
Vlad finds my eyes. He nods and I know it is to the latter that he will address his remarks. He begins to speak again.
We are arrogant, we vampires. We think that because we are immortal, we should reign over all life on earth. But mortals are smarter than we give them credit for. It is to them that we owe much of the earthly delights we enjoy. A smart vampire once said that man has created the world we vampires merely inhabit. We lack the wisdom of mortals because we lack the urgency to create and innovate.
His last words give me a jolt. He is quoting my speech before the Council. How could he know about it?
Vlad looks at me and smiles and sends the answer right into my head. Chael, of course.
I smile back. Chael. Of course. I look around. Wonder where the sneaky little bugger is right now. For this at least, I owe him an apology.
Vlad continues to speak. But the very worst thing that can happen will inevitably happen. At some point, we will expose ourselves to mortals. Then predator becomes prey. It’s happened before. During the Crusades, the Inquisition. Those among you who lived it know.
Throughout the room, heads bob, soft voices murmur an affirmation. Vlad recognizes them and continues.
There are billions of humans. Our numbers are small in comparison. How long do you think we will last when we have bounties on our heads? We have survived this long because we have been content to hide our true nature. We have assimilated in a way that allows us to walk among our symbiotic human partners unmolested. To pursue any type of lifestyle we wish. Why threaten a system that has brought us peace and prosperity? It is my contention that we should not.
A pause as those mesmerizing eyes sweep the crowd. I know it’s not possible that he is connecting individually with everyone in the ballroom and yet, when he raises the sword again and shouts, “Who is with me?” another murmur starts at the fringes of the crowd and crescendos. Shouts of “Vlad” and “Dracul” echo off the walls. He holds both arms high in acknowledgment.
Good. It is settled. We continue to live in peace.
He faces Steffan and a hush once again descends—complete and immediate, like the throwing of a switch. It’s as if Vlad is controlling the crowd with nothing but the power of suggestion.
Steffan, however, is feeling something quite different from the rest. Fear rolls off him in waves as visceral as smoke. He blanches and cringes back under Vlad’s gaze.
Vlad once more begins to speak. Steffan, I have long given you free reign to serve our community as you will. You have taken advantage of my generosity, even proclaiming yourself a king. That I could overlook. But now you have put the well-being of the entire European Vampire League at risk. That is an arrogance that cannot go unpunished. You must pay for such treachery. As the eldest of our tribe, I condemn you to the second death.
Those closest to Steffan step back. Steffan sees the reaction and his eyes sweep the crowd. No one comes to Steffan’s defense, not a word is raised in protest of Vlad’s proclamation. The hush that descends on the crowd becomes even more intense but it is intermingled with a sense of relief—relief that it is only Steffan and the six who have been singled out for punishment.
Vlad reads the crowd, too, and I have the feeling he is taking stock of those who think they have escaped his notice.
Steffan’s body stiffens at the realization of all he has lost and a new emotion radiates from him. Anger.
But there isn’t time to reflect or react to what Steffan is feeling.
Faster than a heartbeat, Vlad swings his sword.
CHAPTER 23
A COLLECTIVE GASP GOES UP AS STEFFAN’S HEAD separates from his body. Blood geysers for the instant it takes the vampire’s body to die. The blood turns to red ash and falls like a gentle rain over those standing nearest to Vlad and Steffan.
I’ve never seen a vampire die like this. Steffan’s body bursts into flame, then crumbles into dust so quickly, there’s soon nothing left but a few remnants of fabric not caught in the maelstrom. I find myself clutching Frey’s arm, horrified but unable to look away.
But there’s another reason I stand transfixed. At the moment the sword touched Steffan’s flesh, there was a flash. A fleeting burst of energy. My skin crawls. Did anyone else . . . ? I grasp Frey’s hand as the implication hits me.
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
“Steffan.” My voice is barely a whisper. “I don’t think he’s gone.”
My eyes search the crowd. I don’t know what I’m looking for but I’m guessing Steffan has made the leap, just as Avery had when I staked him. Just before his body dissolved to ash. Avery picked another species, a werewolf, to inhabit. I didn’t know it then. But if Avery could do it, and if Steffan had a suspicion Vlad might show himself tonight . . .