Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 59151 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59151 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
They’re seated in the living room when I come downstairs. Lucas is wearing a black button-down shirt and shoes. Guess you don’t entertain guests half naked. He signals me to join him on the chaise lounge.
I do as asked, but keep a good half foot of space between us. At least I’m being included in whatever this is. Henry, meanwhile, is picking out a tune on the piano, while Samuel has settled into a chair in the corner.
Outside, the night is quiet. Give or take the various insects and other animals. The neighbor to the left watches a movie, while the ones on the right eat an early dinner. Then there’s the distant hum of traffic rising up from the Sunset Strip. But I’m getting better at blocking it all out. At only focusing on the information I need here and now.
“When did you leave London?” asks Lucas.
Samuel sets his ankle on the opposite knee and makes a show of getting comfortable. “A little over thirty years ago.”
“Makes sense she’d want you with her during the cull. Someone she could trust to watch her back.”
“We’d spent enough time apart.”
Henry looks up from the keys. “Rose and Samuel have been married for centuries, Skye. It’s quite the epic romance. They were wed in Morocco in 1762. Now that was a party.”
“You’ll have to forgive us.” Samuel gives me a charming smile. “Vampires are such notorious gossips that we assume everyone already knows our business.”
“Father balances out that fact by telling her nothing,” says Henry.
Lucas frowns. “I’m not that bad.”
“Eh,” I say, because feedback is important.
“Samuel and Rose are mates. They always go back to each other in the end,” finishes Henry.
“You mean like soul mates?” I ask.
Lucas shakes his head. “There’s no proof those exist.”
“Says the supernatural creature.” Henry grins. “Call me a romantic fool, but I met this fascinating couple in Berlin a while back. It was when the wall came down. They’d been together even longer than Samuel and Rose. They met back when Genghis Khan invaded India and had rarely left each other’s sides since. Can you imagine?”
Lucas’s brows draw down. “Spending forever stuck with someone? No, thank you.”
“I thought it was lovely.” Henry pouts. “Not that I’m signing up for it or anything. What do you think, Skye? You’re on my side, aren’t you?”
“My longest relationship barely lasted a year.” I smile. “What would I know?”
Lucas clears his throat. “Here’s something you should be aware of, Skye. In Rose’s family, Samuel plays the part of spymaster.”
“I am, of course, unable to confirm if that is true or not.” Samuel looks me over in silence for a moment. “Your Skye here is the first newborn made in the city in almost thirty years. It’s been a long time since there’s been any new blood in L.A. Guard her well. Some will be jealous that you got away with flouting the rules. Some will simply target her in an attempt to make you look weak.”
“What really happened?” asks Lucas. “How did L.A. descend into rules and boards?”
Samuel’s tongue plays behind his cheek. “The largest family in Russia was dissatisfied with their hunting grounds. They decided they needed more and turned their eyes to our fair city. Lev, the heir, was in charge of the operation. He had the money to buy a large following among the greedy and stupid. Then bolstered those numbers with newborns, and lots of them. All of those creatures out on the streets every night, causing bedlam and killing indiscriminately. Within no time at all, L.A. was in turmoil. The families had no choice but to send out their guards night after night to deal with the troublemakers.”
“And that’s when Lev tried to take them out?” asks Lucas.
“Yes.” Samuel stares out at nothing. “He succeeded in destroying several of the midsize families. There were also attempted hits on Archie, Javier, and Rose. The board was hastily convened, and they didn’t trust each other. It seemed unlikely they’d agree on anything. But the cull went ahead simply because they were so desperate for a solution. Lev, unfortunately, managed to escape the city and avoid being caught.”
“I was this close to waking you, Father,” says Henry, holding two fingers half an inch apart. “It was a shitshow.”
Lucas frowns. “L.A. is a long way from Russia.”
“The old ones love a land grab. You know that. And a juicy big war always staves off the boredom for a while.”
“Why hold on to all of these rules and regulations for thirty years?” asks Lucas.
“You have to understand, what happened here in the nineties wasn’t unique,” says Samuel. “The vampire population had gotten out of hand everywhere. There were more of us than could safely share this world and its hunting grounds. To compound the problem, we’d gotten soft. The age of science made it easier to survive for a time. Humans became more rational thinkers, and no longer listened to the old stories. Many turned their backs on religion and those who would have warned them of things that go bump in the night. But there were also fewer of them for a while. A hundred-million lives were lost in the human wars of the last century. It’s just as well; they fuck like rabbits and multiply quickly.”