We went the next evening to the bunker to meet with Gaius. The writers about Transylvania weren’t wrong when they wrote about the dark forests. Even though it was summer, it was a little cold as we went through the thick trees’ foliage shadow. There were times I felt we were being followed. I’m the first to say I have a vivid imagination, but I could swear someone…or something was following us. The fact was I knew there were wolves here didn't help, but I kept myself in check. A man alone might face problems, but we were together. George took a few specimen containers and cooler with him. In the bunker now there were two of Gaius. The thing was time had passed for Nicolae, but not for Gaius. They were almost like…fraternal twins? Not exactly alike, but the resemblance was strong. I didn’t need the DNA scan to see that Nicolae was Gaius’ son. Gaius had battle scars, Nicolae did not, but it was the same face on both of them.
George walked over to Nicolae and…it was more like George was looking over a specimen, not a human being. “This is…impossible!”
Colin scratched the back of his head and waved at Nicolae. “Yet, here he is.” He walked over to this new man. “I’m Colin Wentworth.”
“Nicolae Funar.” The man said taking Colin’s hand. Nicolae had a thicker accent when he spoke English. “My father told me you had a treatment for him.”
George nodded remembering his manners. “I’m sorry. I’m Dr. George Holms. I came up with the serum to treat those of us who have this venom.” He said shaking Nicolae’s hand. “I’ve never even heard of a vampire siring or having a child.” He smiled at Nicolae. “Would you mind if I took some samples?”
Nicolae looked a little uncomfortable at the idea but shrugged. “Sure, if it helps.”
George nodded and got his needle out. No matter what the age a man is, seeing the needle by anyone makes us little boys…a little wary. “I just need a little blood.” He looked at Nicolae. “Did you ever have a hunger you didn’t understand?”
Nicolae shook his head as he looked away from the needle as it was inserted in his arm. “No. The only thing was the light problem. I can go out during the day, but only with a very high sun blocker on.” He explained, as George took the blood and put it into a container and labeled it. “Even with that on, I can only be out a few hours.”
George then took some of Gaius’ blood and labeled it. His blood still had venom in it and was blacker than blood usually is. George labeled that container. He held up the cooler. “I’m going to see what’s in Gaius’ blood that makes him able to do this.” He said and hurried off to do just that. Burke followed quickly behind.
“Wait for me!” Burke said as he hurried. “There are things in those woods!” He cautioned as he tried to catch up with George.
I brought up the serum and got the needle ready and withdrew the needed serum. “We have to do it again.” I smiled.
Gaius nodded and began to take his shirt off again.
“Not there this time,” I said. “You get it in the arm this time.”
Gaius nodded. “Oh.” He rolled up his sleeve.
Colin greeted Cragen and got him ready for his next dose. “There are five slabs. I’ve only seen Iilya, Alin and Cragen. Is there another vampire?”
Gaius nodded. “Lucian. He’s been away the past few weeks.”
“Isn’t that dangerous?” I asked as I prepped Gaius’ arm.
Gaius nodded. “It can be, but Lucian is over two hundred. He has another few places scattered through this part of Europe to have a refuge from the sun. I’m sure he’s fine. He’s a big boy.”
Iilya came in as Gaius went through the pain began again and cringed. “I will suffer like he is if I take this serum?”
I nodded. “We all have to do it.”
As with everyone who goes on the serum, he did at last stop with the pain and he rested. We promised to return the next evening. When we got back; again, everyone back at the house wanted to know what we learned. We told them and asked where George was. Burke waved toward a room that George had made his lab in.
“He’s with the samples,” Burke grumbled. “There are times I wish I was a sample.”
I smiled with sympathy. “You get the scientist with George. You know he loves you.”
Burke nodded. “Yes.”
Gabriella, Alex, Mom, Willie, Chuck, Mark, and Shelly were doing patrols. They contacted a few vampires, but not that many. Stan came out of the room where the computer was housed. He did not look happy.
“What’s wrong, Stan?” Colin asked.
“George is using Buddy now with those samples,” Stan said. “There’s not a lot I can do. He’s linked with the main computer in Manhattan.”
It was afternoon before George came out of his lab.
“What did you find out?” Colin asked.
George shook his head. “I still don’t know how, but Nicolea is Gaius’ son.”
“I could have told you that,” I said. “He and Gaius look so much alike.”
“That could just be a coincidence. I have the DNA and that doesn’t lie.” He said like a true scientist. “And I found something in Gaius’ blood I’ve never seen before. It’s almost like…a human-made antivenin.”
“He made a serum himself?” I asked. “Naturally?”
“Very much like it.” George nodded. “It has many of the same properties of the serum.” He was thinking more than talking to us as he paced and spoke. “There is something in his blood I’ve never seen before that has many of the same qualities of the serum. If I could just make that stronger…”
“I thought the venom caused us to rewrite our DNA,” Colin said. “We’re vampires because we make the venom now.”
“But Gaius’ DNA is going back to what it was supposed to be,” George said smiling. “In more time, I think Gaius would get rid of the DNA that this venom is making his body write. He would become human again. The blueprint for his DNA is still there, the venom just adds something. This antivenin is making that breakdown. I even think if he did bite someone in the future…a vampire…not a human; his natural antivenin would reverse the venom there in the vampire!”
“A man, turned vampire, could bite a vampire and turn the vampire human?” I asked.
George nodded. “Nature or God or whatever added something to counteract what those men tried to do thousands of years ago.”
“By adding this to our bodies…this antivenin, would we go back?” Colin asked. “Hurry things along?”
George gave a shrug and nod. “With almost every disease, there is one that can resist the disease. It’s like…their body will have the carriers for the disease, but they don’t get it. A vampire Typhoid Mary? Gaius may be the cure.”
I grinned. “Like that little monkey in that movie Outbreak. He had the immunity, but was spreading the disease.”
Colin groaned. “You and those movies...” He shook his head.
“Movies are a reflection of life,” I said. “Almost everything that happens in life is reflected in a movie.” I justified.
George nodded. “Yes, it’s like that movie.” He grinned. “Theoretically, if we get this antivenin and the venom quits adding what it wants…we could be free of the vampirism.”
“What about Nicolae?” I asked.
“A milder form of the serum should work on him.” George smiled. “He has his father’s DNA. There is venom in his blood, but it’s not as strong. With the setup in his father’s DNA and his mother’s DNA and her being venom free blood, he’s almost normal.” George smiled. “I’ll have to dilute the serum for him.” He shook both of us. “Don’t get excited too much. This may take more than a few days to make, but I think we’re reaching the end of our vampire days.”
Colin grinned and looked at me. I guess I wasn’t as excited as he thought I should be. “What’s wrong? This is good news!”
“Wrong? Nothing.” I answered, but I could see that reply wasn’t what Colin could see. “Okay, you two have been vampires a lot longer than I have been. In fact, I haven’t really missed a thing from the other life, because I never lost anything.”
“You want to not be a vampire, don’t you?” Colin asked.
I shrugged. “My life hasn’t changed. I am what I am.”
“Lucian likes being a vampire,” Colin said. “Gaius said to me Lucian liked the control. I think it’s the power.”
“What power?” I asked. “We don’t really have any special power.”
Amasis got up and cleared his throat. “Actually, we do.”
Amasis almost never spoke up about anything to do with the science or technical side of what we are or our lives.
“What power?” I asked.
“Fear,” Amasis said quietly. “The ability to scare is very important. There is power in that.” He smiled and shrugged. “I did it, too. Only my way of scaring the people that followed me was a little different. They thought I was a god. They were willing to do whatever I needed doing to please me, or risk facing my wrath.”
George nodded. “He’s right. Vampires are the predator of predators. We hear better, see at night, our sense of smell is better.” He chuckled. “Even the teeth add an element of fear.”
Willie, Mom, Gabriella, and Alex had listened. It was Willie that spoke up.
“So, Gaius bites a vampire…but he hasn’t overcome his venom.” Willie said.
Mom nodded. “It only takes about twenty-four hours to turn a human into a vampire. How long would it take for Gaius’…whatever to work?”
George threw his hands up. “That’s the problem.” He sat down as he continued to think out loud. “This venom is…a cheat.” He said. “It was something introduced into a man that cheated evolution or nature’s plans. Gaius is the first answer to that cheat. Nature or God is trying to reverse that.”
Alex nodded. “Will Gaius give this antivenin like we do the venom through a bite?”
George looked at the many eyes looking at him. It was a few seconds before he looked back at everyone and shook his head. “What are you looking at me for? I don’t have answers, just speculation. I don’t know! The men that created the Old Ones had a human kind of hypodermic needle that inserted the venom. The venom needs blood to live. It was a way to transfer the venom to a new body. How many fails they had with their creation of the Old Ones I can’t even begin to guess.” He rose again. “I need to get back. I’m running some of Nicolae’s blood now. He has some of the venom, but it’s weak. It could be him that makes the cure. He has a lot more of this…antivenin than his father does. He’s a hybrid; a cross between a vampire that was beginning to reverse the venom and a regular human.” He looked back at everyone. “I need to test his blood with the serum.”
We went back to the bunker that evening. Only this time with some bland chicken that Eva had made to feed both Cragen and Gaius. We gave them both the serum again and they went through the pain again. When it was done again and the pain eased. They both passed out again but woke a few hours later. That was when we introduced the chicken dish to them both. We cautioned them both about what could happen, but like every vampire we put on the serum and fed the first time, they didn’t understand until it hit them.
Gaius came out of a bathroom that he had down here for the visiting human now. “I hadn’t…” he grinned. “…well, it’s been a while since I had to do that.”
I chuckled. “Your first taste of the return of your humanity,” I said. “But believe me, things will be tasting phenomenal now.”
Colin and I returned to the house as the sun was beginning to rise. We promised Gaius and Cragen the sunrise the next morning. What we found sent chills down my spine. We had been robbed. We entered the house as the others were looking around having just gotten back from a night of patrols. Furniture was in disarray and those decorative little glass knickknacks were shattered on the floor. Mom was righting a chair that had been overturned as Willie was putting a lamp back up. Eva came in for the morning preparing of meals and held her hand to her face.
“Mi történt? Már kirabolták?” She asked and the translator spoke. “What happened? We were robbed?”
Colin nodded and looked at the television and other more valuable things that were still there. Some were broken, but they were there. “I don’t see…” he looked up suddenly. “George!” He called and hurried to the room that George had been using as a lab. I followed quickly and when we entered the room, that room was far worse than the house. Stan was lying on the floor next to a shattered CPU of Buddy. The various pieces of equipment were broken, glass containers shattered, and fluids were dripping on the floor. George was also on the floor not moving. I rushed to Stan and saw he was breathing and then to George to see he was also breathing. I looked around more. I didn’t see Burke or Mark. “Did Mark go on patrol last night?” I asked everyone and no one.
Alex shook his head. “He was going to keep Stan company.”
Colin went through some of George’s things as I went to Stan and tried to revive him carefully. Then I did the same with George. “Someone get me a couple of cold compresses!”
It wasn’t long before my mother came back with a couple of towels she’d soaked with cold water.
I checked them both out physically; they both had raised portions of the heads where I deduced they had been struck with something. Stan groaned as I sat him up carefully. His eyes opened as he looked around. Those eyes widened at what he saw. “Mark!”
“He’s not here,” I said. “What happened?”
“There were four of them!” Stan said. “Two were clearly vampires, but there was one that hissed when he smelled the Disflavor in Mark and me. They attacked and began breaking things here.” He looked at the CPU, but he didn’t look that concerned about the computer. “Mark tried to fight them off, but one was a big man. I think it was the man we met at that nightclub. Iilya?”
George had come to again and looked at what he had worked with. “They took my samples.” He said sadly and looked around. “John!” He said looking around. “Where’s John?”
Colin shook his head. “We don’t know.” He said to George who was now very worried. “The vampires that came here…one was Iilya, was the other Lucian?”
George nodded. “That’s what Iilya called him.” He looked at some other things. “They smashed my supply of serum here, but I have more hidden.”
Amasis looked at the wreckage. “Clearly, Lucian doesn’t want the serum.”
“Fine. He doesn’t, but he takes from those that do?” I asked. “How is this destruction going to help?”
George nodded. “Amasis is right. They didn’t want it, and they don’t want any other vampire to have it. I was only spared by the clock. It was just a few hours till sunrise when they came in. Lucian wanted to know what I found out.” He shrugged. “I told him what I told you. Gaius was making the antivenin for what’s making us vampires.”
“Doesn’t that mean Gaius is in danger?” Alex asked. “If he’s the source of this antivenin…”
“Did you tell them about Nicolae?” I asked.
George shook his head. “No.”
“We need to protect him anyway,” Colin said. “We need two teams. One to stay with Nicolae and the other to get to Gaius.”
“It’s past sunrise. Do you think they’d attack now?” I asked.
“The other two weren’t vampires?” Colin asked George.
George shook his head. “They weren’t vampires.”
“We need to get back to Gaius,” I said. “We need to find out where Nicolae lives and send a team there.”
Gabriella came over to Alex. “We can track him.” She said tapping her nose. “I remember Iilya’s scent, but I’m picking up another. That must be Lucian.”
Alex nodded. “The trail is only a few hours old.” He said to Colin and George. “We can find out where they went. It couldn’t be far with the sun coming up.”
Colin nodded walking over to Alex. “Follow only.” He said and tapped Alex’s earpiece. “Communicate the coordinates. Don’t confront them yet.” He turned to Stan. “We can’t locate them using the PDTUs, can we?”
Stan nodded. “Sure we can. We don’t need Gabriella and Alex to track them.” He went into another part of the house and came back with a laptop. “That satellite link will work.” He pulled up the screen. He grinned. “I have Burke and Mark right here.” He pointed to a couple of blinking signals on his computer. “I can get you where on a map in a few seconds.”
I patted Stan on the back. “And their vital signs?”
Stan nodded. “They are fine right now.” He looked as George came and looked over his shoulder.
“Respiration and heart rates are good,” George said nodding. “They are on the other side of town.” He looked. “There must be more caves near here. I don’t see any developments in that area.”
Colin nodded. “We need to get to Gaius and Nicolae.” He looked at the others. “I don’t need to tell you all that no one needs to go off alone right now.”
Everyone nodded their agreement and we all headed out together. We told Eva we’d handle things and take the day off. We didn’t need local police involvement getting in the way yet. We then went to the bunker where Gaius and Cragen were.
Gaius was still up and looked startled when we came in. Not just Colin and me, but everyone from the VUN here.
“It’s not sunset,” Gaius said. “Something has happened?”
“They took Burke and Mark Goddard,” Colin explained. “Lucian and Iilya took them.”
Gaius’ reaction was surprised for a moment but nodded sadly. “They wanted to stop the serum.”
“You’re in danger,” George said and explained what he found out about Gaius’ body and Nicolae’s body. “We think you are nature’s answer to the venom.”
Gaius was shocked to hear that. “I am?”
George nodded. “Nicolae has it too. His body is making a lot of the antivenin…almost like a vampire antibody. The venom is trying to get Nicolae to change him into a vampire, but this antivenin and this antibody is fighting back and has for decades.”
Gaius sat up suddenly a bit panicked. “Nicolae is unprotected!”
Colin nodded. “I’m sending some people there when I know where to send them.” He waved at Shelly, Chuck, Mom, and Alex. “How many followers does Lucian have?”
Gaius thought. “Just a few dozen,” He said hesitantly, “with one very powerful one…if he told the man the truth.”
“Who?” I asked.
Gaius looked away. “He calls himself the Dragon.”
Stan walked forward. “The Dragon? As in Vlad the Dragon? The real Dracula?” He said in almost a whisper.
Gaius frowned. “Well, you know that Cragen and several others…”
Stan nodded. “I know, I know, Dracula is a fictional character, but he is Vlad Dracul, isn’t he?”
Gaius nodded. “Yes.” He looked at us very carefully. “You thought I was scary when you met me? You’ve not seen anyone more frightening that he is.” He said in a low voice but avoided looking at us. “He can convince a priest to commit suicide, a young virgin to commit vulgar acts she would never have thought of doing.” Then he looked at us. “He’s been trapped by this so long…I fear he is a bit mad.”
“Would he harm Mark or Burke?” Stan asked.
Gaius nodded. “To get what he wants.” He looked at us. “Yes, without any hesitation or remorse.”
“You said if Lucian told the truth,” Colin said. “What has Lucian said to this Dragon?”
Gaius shrugged. “I can only guess, but Lucian doesn’t see what we are as a curse. To him, it’s a blessing.”
“It is no blessing,” George said. “Not from any god, at least.”
Gaius nodded. “Not to you, but to Lucian, it is.” He sighed. “In his past, he was not…well…he was pushed around by others who were bigger, stronger and in more power. Sometimes they were all of the above. When he was bitten, that changed. He was put into a situation where he was the one pushing, occasionally…especially after feeding, stronger and it put him in a position of power.”
Stan walked closer to Gaius. “Would he or Dragon hurt Mark?” His main focus was Mark, as it should be.
“Until what is desired is given, no.” Gaius shook his head. “Lucian would see having them as a place of power. You have to negotiate for his release.”
Stan moaned. “As a person in a business where safety comes first and negotiating is part of that, I know that once they get what they want, there’s nothing stopping Lucian or Dragon from placing a statement, saying what they want is more important by killing Mark and Burke.”
Colin nodded and put a hand on Stan’s back. “But for now, Mark and Burke are alive. That’s something for now.” He looked back at Gaius. “What technology does either of them have and use?”
Gaius looked at Colin. “Hardly any, I know of.”
Colin nodded. “They would have no way of knowing that we know where Mark and Burke are being held?”
Gaius looked a little surprised that we did know. “I don’t see how. You know where they are?”
Stan nodded. “Yes, we do.”
George moved forward. “We have to get to Nicolae! He needs protection.”
Gaius looked a little alarmed. “Why?”
“I think…” George said looking at Colin and me. “I think he carries the beginnings of our cure.”
All of us with the VUN looked astonished at George. Comments like, why didn’t you say so, and how can he and what is it about him?
George waved them to silence in an effort to answer all their questions. “I’ve tested his blood. He has venom, but he isn’t a vampire. He has properties of his father and mother. The part of his blood that has the venom is a little weak but allowed him to make a clear antivenin and an antibody for the venom and changes the venom makes.” He explained quickly. “I was testing Nicolae’s blood with some of my venom, but the serum sort of prevented his antibodies and the antivenin from working. I need a batch of venom with no serum in it.” He said hurried. “I believe this….antivenin and antibody could be made stronger and could probably reverse the venom’s effects.”
Again we all started speaking at once and George held his hands up again.
“Stop!” George said loudly. “Listen, I don’t have all the answers yet, but a working theory.” He sighed. “A quick explanation: you know all those commercials about cleansers that kill 99.9% of germs?” He looked at me when he asked that.
“Oh,” I grinned. “Because I watch movies and TV you look at me.”
“Well, you do,” George said grinning. “The point is…even if it does kill almost all germs, the ones that survive is made stronger and that’s how we get super-germs. What I want to do, is get some blood without the serum for the antivenin and antibodies to develop more…eventually, I’d like to get the venom of an Old One after I build up the immunity of Nicolae’s antivenin and antibody. I have to work carefully and extract the antivenin and antibody that survives, and I think…at least, I hope it will help create a strong enough antivenin and antibody to reverse the venom. Nicolae has lived a while with venom in his body for decades, but this immunity has kept him from becoming a vampire…which should not happen.”
Colin turned to Gaius. “Where does Nicolae and his family live?”
Gaius told us quickly. “You didn’t tell Lucian this, did you?” He asked George.
“They were just after the serum,” George said. “I didn’t mention a word about Nicolae.” He looked at everyone. “Now, this will probably work.” He said holding his hands out again. “Probably, but know this, creating this super antivenin and antibody takes time. I won’t have it next week. It may take a few months to a year or two or even longer. It’s a start.”
I nodded. “Let’s get Nicolae,” I said to Colin and the others. I looked at George. “An antivenin works one way and the antibody works another. We can’t produce a more powerful antivenin, can we?”
George nodded. “Somehow, Nicolae’s antivenin and antibodies are working together. Because the antivenin is natural it works in tandem with the antibody. I believe if I can strengthen his antibodies, we’ll strengthen the antivenin.” He shrugged and added quickly. “Theoretically.”
“That sounds logical.” I nodded.
“Eventually, if I get this antivenin and antibody to a point, I’d love to try it on the venom of an Old One,” George said. “If it works reversing that, we are really looking at a cure.”
I nodded. “Which means, we need to find an Old One.”
We sent Chuck, Stan, Shelly, Wayne, Gabriella, Alex, Amir, Mom and Willie to Nicolae’s home to keep him secure. Amasis and George insisted he is included when we confronted Dragon and Lucian. I agreed with Amasis, as a former leader of a people, he might reach this Dragon more readily. Stan had wanted to come, too, but his expertise with the computer was needed and we’d be in contact with the earpieces. We looked at Gaius.
“We promised you a sunrise,” Colin said as we escorted him out of the bunker. It was still night. “And you’ll see it, but we need to get you secure as well. I trust Nicolae’s house has a room that is not that bright. You shouldn’t be harmed, but it will tingle a bit until we insert the disc.”
“Disc?” Gaius asked.
“It’s a highly concentrated form of the serum,” George explained. “I insert it under the skin, and you have a monthly dose of the serum given that dissolves over time.”
Gaius nodded. “And no more pain?”
I nodded with a chuckle. “No more pain.”
“Do Nicolae or you have passports?” George asked.
Gaius looked surprised. “I’m a vampire. You think I’d be issued a passport?”
George nodded sadly. “I’d love to have Nicolae in my lab back in Manhattan.” He said thinking again. “I have more sophisticated equipment there.”
“And Buddy.” Colin nodded.
George nodded. “And Buddy.” He shrugged. “Buddy can be replaced. We can get another CPU here with some equipment.” He looked around the area. “I’d prefer somewhere more…” he looked at Gaius. “Sorry, but…more sterile…and has electric power.”
Colin shrugged. “We’ll just have to bring those things here.” He said. “I’m sure we can rent a place to do what you need.”
George nodded. “Which we can do that…” he frowned… “after we get Burke back…and Mark.”
I was pleased to hear he had the right priorities. “You need to tell that to Burke when you see him.” I put a hand on George’s shoulder. “We will get them back.”
George nodded. “I do have a tendency to become tunneled with my attention. I’ve neglected Burke.”
I nodded with a smile. “And Burke understands that, but he would like to hear that he is at least, more important.”
George nodded. “You’re right.” He sighed.
Colin didn’t think an armed assault would be their thing to get us what we wanted, so Colin, Gaius, George and I followed the computer’s guidance to where it said Burke and Mark were to another part of town. It was still a few hours before sunrise as we walked.
The area around Transylvania had both developed and undeveloped parts. The many wars and conflicts in this part of Europe left a lot of places for people to hide. The thick forest that made up the foliage of Transylvania was naturally spooky in the daytime, and it was even more so at night. This time I sensed we were being followed. I sensed it now, but I knew it wasn’t wolves that were following us this time, but vampires. I was a vampire and that fact was creeping me out. These creatures could kill even if they didn’t want my blood.
I held the computer and pointed. “There has to be an entrance,” I said to Colin, Gaius, and George. “We’re practically on top of them.”
Colin nodded and took my hand. “Close the laptop.”
I looked at him wondering, but then I felt it. The feeling like I got from Gaius…now I felt it again, but much more powerful…and just…dark. I closed the laptop, and we followed Gaius as he took the lead. The feeling just got worse with every step we took. Gaius made a turn at some outcropped rock and entered a crack in the hillside. Above us was nothing but rock and some vegetation. What through this crack in the hillside was spreading out before us were steps. Stone steps that led down. There were torches lit and showed the way as we wound down to a floor, also stone that spread out to a corridor.
Colin squeezed my hand. “Now I’m hearing the dark creepy music.”
I smiled, but I didn’t feel the lightness to do it. “I’m rubbing off on you,” I said, but wasn’t feeling the humor right now. “The music now is one of those dark menacing songs and darker. Menacing and creepy.”
As with Amasis and we entered what could only be a throne room. Through an opening we entered a massive room with a single person sitting on what I saw had to be a throne. There were torches and these tall containers I saw must have oil in them as they burned to give the cavernous room light by the flames. There were men gathered around him by the dozen and we were being followed by the ones that had followed us. They all wore some form of black. They did not speak to us and did not stop but joined the others before the throne. One I knew to be Iilya and beside him was a man that had been turned in his mid-thirties, but he had white hair, but it was thick but well cut. I mean his hair was completely white. I didn’t believe it was because he was grey due to age, but that was his natural color.
“Why have you entered my domain?” A deep, powerful voice asked and because we were underground and any sound here would echo, it sounded much more…sinister. “It is near sunrise, Gaius.”
“My days of hiding from the sun are coming to an end,” Gaius said and bowed.
“Hear him?” The white-haired man shouted, which wasn’t necessary as his voice echoed loud. “His days are ending!” He said pointing at us. “He even senses different now.”
“Silence, Lucian.” The man on the throne said in a low voice, but much more quietly, but it still echoed. The man who was on this throne was dark haired and had the eyes of a vampire. He rose and walked forward. He was Dragon. No one had to tell us, we all just knew it. That overwhelming presence I felt with Gaius was now a hundred times more powerful. The man, Dragon, just oozed authority and darkness that seemed to radiate from his very being. “I do sense you are different, Gaius. You don’t give off the same…vibration from you.”
“I am being treated for my condition,” Gaius said waving at us. “These men have found a way for us to move in the daytime now. I’ve eaten food instead of drinking blood.”
Whatever Dragon had been told, he wasn’t expecting this. “You ate food?” He came even closer, and this darkness of presence seemed like it would swallow us as he did. “How can you do that?”
“Lies!!” Lucian shouted again. “It’s all lies! They want to destroy us!”
This time, Dragon turned to Lucian and without a word spoken, Lucian whimpered and hid his eyes from Dragon’s gaze and literally cowered down. Then Dragon turned again to us. “Do you wish to destroy us?”
George shook his head and swallowed, then came forward. “I don’t want to hurt anyone. I took an oath to do no harm. I want to help us.” George said the pleading in his voice as he spoke quietly. “I never wanted to be a vampire. I came up with a treatment that keeps the vampire inside quiet and allows us to lead somewhat normal lives.” He motioned toward Gaius. “In a few more days, Gaius will be able to walk in the sun, enjoy a good meal of food. He can travel where he wants to go…just as we do.” He motioned to Colin, me and Amasis. “This man…” he took Amasis by the shoulder, “was a pharaoh in Egypt thousands of years, trapped by the sun and now goes out in the sun and enjoys a meal.” He touched Colin. “This man was born over two hundred years ago, but now has married and enjoys food almost too much. He’s a bottomless pit.”
“Lies!!” Lucian claimed again.
“Lucian!” Dragon now said loud, The name was almost a gunshot as it hit the walls and the thunderous sound bounced back and forth. “I have no qualms ending lives. Do that again and I will end yours.”
I was really not comfortable with it, but I stepped forward. “Excuse me,” I said not wanting to have this Dragon’s wrath, but I had to say something. “I’ve never met Lucian, nor has he ever met us.” I began softly. At least I tried to be softer than the acoustics here allowed. “How does he know what we planned? We said it up front what our goals were and they were posted on the Internet.”
“The Internet.” Dragon nodded and looked at Lucian again. “You said they wanted to kill us.”
“They admitted it themselves,” Lucian said pointing at us. “They want to end us.”
I nodded. “We do,” I said causing Dragon to turn to look at us. “End our torment,” I explained. “We want to end this life of hiding from the sun, existing only on blood.” I nodded. “Lucian is right, we do want to end that part of our lives, but we most definitely don’t want to kill anyone. We are trying to prevent innocent people from dying.”
This man, Dragon looked at me and inched closer to me. “You are different.” He said quietly. “Why?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Dragon came closer, but I didn’t back away as he looked at me with the eyes of a vampire but sniffed lightly. “I can sense no trauma. You smell…off.”
I heard Colin move closer to me as if to protect me somehow. I held my hand out to stop him.
Dragon looked at my hand and Colin. “I see.” He said simply. “He was the one that turned you.”
I nodded. “But he never harmed me.”
“I do sense fear in you.” Dragon said.
I nodded. “Sure.” I agreed. “I am scared,” I admitted. “You are who I know you are, you ruled using fear to protect your people. You did it very well. Fear is what you want, isn’t it?”
Dragon smiled. I say it was a smile, but it was a smile that really didn’t have a lot of humor in it. “I have used fear. It is an effective tool.”
I pointed at Lucian. “He’s using fear as well; on you.”
Dragon looked at Lucian and frowned. “How so?” He asked and turned back to me.
“Fear of the unknown,” I said. “He has told you we want to end the vampires’ existence. We do, but we don’t want to end any lives. Not yours, his or ours. We want to give you a life!” I waved at Gaius. “You sense Gaius is different now…he is. He’s not the vampire he was. He is changing, but he still has that part of himself that is a vampire. You should sense that.”
Dragon shook his head. “This is confusing.”
George came closer. “What we have is a condition…an illness…sort of.” He then told Dragon about the vampires and the Old Ones and the venom. “I developed a serum that adheres to the venom and causes it not to work. We are allowed freedom to pursue other things.”
“Lies!” Lucian said again.
Dragon turned so quickly, even I was startled as he grabbed Lucian by the neck and literally lifted him off his feet and held him a foot off the ground. Vampires still had to breathe, and Lucian was now gasping. “I warned you.”
“Don’t kill him!” I said quickly.
Dragon looked at me surprised. “You’re asking me not to kill him?”
“Of course I am!” I said. “There are times when you have to kill, but it shouldn’t be the first thing. He just doesn’t understand!”
“There are people that were taken from us,” George said quickly. “They are here. One is a vampire like we are, the other human, but you won’t want his blood.”
Dragon’s eyes widened. “I know of no…” he looked back at Lucian. “What have you done?” I didn’t have to see it, but I heard Dragon’s hand tighten around Lucian’s throat.
“If he dies, you’ll never find out!” I said. “I know, from what I’ve read, you do whatever it takes to protect your people. We are protecting ours.” I said touching Dragon’s arm and pulling his arm and Lucian to the ground. “We can prove what we’re saying is true. If you don’t believe us, use your senses. We are vampires! We don’t feed on blood.”
Gaius nodded. “I’ll eat in front of you! You’ve known me for hundreds of years. I don’t lie! We fought side by side. We were even turned at the same time. They tell the truth.” He pointed at Iilya. “I used him to find out about these people and to threaten them. They are what they say they are.”
Iilya nodded. “I have seen this treatment. It does work.” He said coming forward.
“How do you know these men are here?” Dragon asked.
I opened the laptop and pointed to the blinking indicators on the screen. “They are in this…” I looked and waved around the cavernous chamber. “Whatever you call this place.”
Dragon’s eyes widened again as he saw the blinking lights. “What manner of…”
“It’s technology,” Colin said. “Science. We can find out where our people are and if they are healthy.” He looked at the blinking lights and the readout being displayed. “As of now, they are fine. One is a little frightened, but he’s fine.”
“Some people are afraid of what they will lose,” I said pointing at Lucian. “Not thinking about what they will gain.”
Dragon released Lucian who collapsed on the ground as he gasped for air. “This will end our existence.”
I nodded. “End our existence as vampires, yes, but you’ll have a life.”
George nodded. “In spite of people that ransacked my lab, I found some things here that could even cure us.”
“Cure us?” Dragon asked, and now his voice didn’t sound as ominous as it had. “You can make us human again?”
“I think I can.” George nodded. “Now, can we get our people back?”
Dragon turned to Lucian. “Where are they?”
Lucian was still coughing as he tried to breathe. “I put them in with the other two odd vampires.”
Dragon frowned. “You did what!?” His eyes widened. “Did they attack these men?”
Lucian shook his head. “I thought they had just been fed. They didn’t.”
“Odd vampires?” I asked and quickly pulled up Wayne’s drawing on the screen. “Like these?”
Again, Dragon was surprised at what he saw but nodded. “Those are the ones we have.”
George shook his head. “They won’t feed on either of my friends, one is already a vampire.” He said. “The other takes something that makes his blood unusable…for a while. He needs more soon.”
“Where are they?” Colin asked again.
Dragon looked at Colin. “I am trusting you to do what you say?”
“I know trust is difficult for us, but we have to trust each other to get anywhere!” Colin said urgently. “Trust me!”
Without a word, Dragon looked at some of the vampires and they scattered to go somewhere. He looked at Lucian. “You remain here!” He instructed having no doubt what he said would be obeyed. He turned and started walking away. “Follow me.” All that was missing was the flowing black cape! Again, he wasn’t looking to confirm we were doing what he instructed, he expected we would do as he said.
We followed him through a series of tunnels and finally came on a holding area where there were cages, but old cages. The bars were heavy iron and shaped to fit the openings. Behind one set of these bars was Burke and Mark, Burke standing in front of Mark to prevent two of the Old Ones from even thinking of attacking them both as they shared a cell. The Old Ones were looking at Burke and Mark curiously as they tried to understand what these two people were that was sharing their cell. One they knew was a vampire and the other wasn’t appetizing at all. Burke looked at us approaching and smiled.
“It’s about time you got here.” He grinned. “We’ve been playing with the boys here. Keep away.”
George hurried to the door of the cell and of course, it was locked. A vampire came over from Dragon and took a key and unlocked the door.
“Be careful.” This new vampire said. “They try to get out when they can.” He pointed to the Old Ones.
I nodded and walked forward. “I’ve dealt with one before.” I looked back at Dragon. “Have you tried to speak with them?”
“They can’t speak.” Dragon said.
I nodded. “Gizmo couldn’t either.” I smiled. “That’s what I named the other Old One I knew. He was one of them.” Like Gizmo had been, they were naked, bald and had no genitalia or anus. “But they aren’t stupid.” I looked at Dragon. “Please tell me you feed them.”
Dragon nodded. “We do. They are not like us.”
George nodded but only looking at Burke. “They are our creators.” He said going in when the door opened and brought Burke into a hug.
“They are?” Dragon asked.
Again we explained about the writings we found and had pretty much translated now. The origins and who these Old Ones were.
“We should kill them.” Dragon decided and looked as if he was going to do it right at that moment. He reached for the vampire near him and pulled a sword from the vampire’s sheath.
I turned and raised my hands. “No!! Don’t!!” I said standing between the Old Ones and Dragon. “They also hold our cure!”
Dragon looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. “You say they made us what we are! How is keeping them going to cure us?”
George let Burke go a little. “The venom in these two is pure. If what I have works, that venom could be the answer.”
“They aren’t evil!” I said waving at the two Old Ones. “They are what they were created to be.” The two Old Ones were looking at me uncertain what to do. “Remember what we said about them. They were being used to make the populous weak by attacking people around the world to prepare them to be conquered. They are not scouts, but they were being used. They were created from humans.” I turned to Mark. “First, you need to speak with someone and tell them you’re alright,” I said and took my earpiece off and handed it to Mark.
Mark nodded and took the earpiece.
Dragon looked at what we were doing and didn’t understand what was happening.
Amasis came up to Dragon. “They did that with me, as well.” He said to Dragon. “My people didn’t keep up that much with the way the world changed. It was only when a man, who is now my son, told me about them.” He said. “We need to change to keep up with the world. We didn’t. It was frightening to me at first, and I didn’t feel like I belonged, but it took time and I am fitting in better.”
Dragon looked at Amasis carefully. “You were a pharaoh?”
Amasis nodded. “I was a god!” He said smiling. “But not anymore.”
Dragon nodded. “I read about what you had then, but how do you deal with this…new world?” He asked as he waved at my computer and us.
Amasis grinned and shrugged. “They will help you. I promise that, but the treatments do work. You’ll see.”
Dragon shook his head. “I don’t understand. Why does he protect these…things?” He asked Amasis as he waved at the Old Ones.
Amasis smiled and nodded. “Devon is a unique person. He has compassion for everyone.” He waved at the Old Ones, “including these creatures.”
“But they aren’t human.” Dragon said.
As a vampire, I had acute hearing and I walked over. “Yes, they are. George told you, there were creatures made for men using something to change them into something they can use. Their mothers and fathers were human.” I corrected. “But why did you not kill them when you found them?”
Dragon was not prepared for this question. “I wanted to understand them.” He said slowly.
“Were you keeping them alive to use?” I asked. “They are formidable killers.”
Dragon frowned. “Perhaps to humans, but they threatened the people and I had to do something and stop their killing. They are no threat to me or the rest of us. Why would I kill them?”
I nodded. “Were they ever used to kill any people for you?”
Dragon gave a shrug and nod. “Not any locals, but…there were a few…they claimed to be soldiers of another power. They were a threat. I questioned them and they didn’t tell me the truth. I did what I said I would.”
I nodded. “You had to follow through.”
“Yes.” Dragon nodded. “I’m nothing if I’m not a man of my word.”
I smiled. “The enemy is very much like a child. You must be firm, but unyielding.”
Dragon looked puzzled. “You understand what I did and why?”
I nodded. “And from what I’ve read, I know why.” I waved toward Gaius. “At first, I thought he was…” I looked at Dragon, “…well…you!”
Dragon nodded. “Our paths were the same in the past.” He looked at Gaius. “He was one of my military leaders. His brother was taken by the Sultan as well, just like my brother was.”
I nodded. “Radu.”
Dragon nodded. “You know of him?”
“What’s recorded in history; yes,” I said.
He looked away. “When we were faced with the Ottoman forces, Gaius stood by my side and fought. We were united for Wallachia against these brutes.”
I nodded again as I got closer to Dragon. He was now less intimidating. In fact, I could see he had a charm; a powerful draw to himself. “You have this…presence I felt.” The picture I saw of Vlad Dracul was crude and done before artists got many of the features right. He and Gaius did look similar, dark hair, which on Dragon was a little longer than I liked on men, but he was clearly a warrior in his build. Was he handsome? He was appealing, but I had Colin and there was no comparison.
Dragon nodded with a chuckle. “It is a talent I possess. I was told my father had it and I always had it and I taught a little of it to Gaius.”
“Which is why I thought he was you.” I smiled.
“This…Inter…net fascinates me.” Dragon pointed to my laptop I had folded under my arm. “Can anyone learn to use this…magic?”
I held the computer up. “It’s for everyone,” I said simply and nodded. “Anyone can access and use it,” I said. “It’s not magic. It’s science. I’d be happy to show you how to use it, there are cautions I should explain, but it’s pretty easy. Almost anything you want to know is in here. Only, there are people that lie on it, just like everyone can.” This version of Dracula didn’t have the techno-savvy other characters who portrayed him possessed.
Dragon smiled. “They always do.” He nodded but looked at me. “Do you lie?”
I shook my head. “I never do on purpose. Unless they ask me something I don’t think they need to know. I normally just don’t answer their questions or tell them I won’t answer. Lies are hard, you have to keep up with what you said to whom and keep it straight. Truth doesn’t require that much effort. It just is.” I shrugged. “To lie you have to keep up with it...”
Dragon chuckled and looked over at George who was talking with Burke privately. “Can he…” he looked at me, “…cure us?”
I looked at Dragon. “If anyone can, I believe he can. He’s a very smart man.”
Amasis nodded and came closer to us. “Devon is correct. George is very smart. The world changed the millennia that passed for me. I know it did for you. Our problem is we haven’t changed. To go forward, we have to be willing to change.”
Dragon shook his head. “You have the means, why not just do what you need to? Why do you come to me?”
“You don’t know who you are?” I smiled at him.
“I most certainly know who I am.” He said asking me as if to ask how dense did I think he was.
“You know who you are.” I chuckled. “I meant; do you know who you are to the world? What you are?”
Dragon nodded. “I know there are stories out there about me. That Irishman…Bram Whatever…and that wrote that book that was supposed to be me but wasn’t.”
I tapped some keys and brought up a bunch of websites on Dracula. “But you have been linked with this story. You became something of a legend because of it; a myth.”
Site after site began to come up, showing various sites to see and read information about both Vlad Dracul and Dracula.
“What technology are you familiar with?” I asked Dragon.
“I know of electricity, and I was told about telephones and those moving pictures.” Dragon said.
“You have a lot of catch-up learning to do.” I chuckled. “What language do you feel the most comfortable with?”
Dragon frowned. “I speak several, I can speak English.”
“Of course you can, but just speak to me in the language you prefer.” I pointed at my computer as I hit the key for the Delkenzie program and activated the program. “He will translate this to a language you prefer.”
“He?” Dragon looked uncertain at the computer but did as I asked and spoke several paragraphs of conversation. I looked at the screen as it went through its languages. Dragon watched as the screen changed and became a language I did not know as the text on the screen changed. I divided the screen so I could read it in English.
I nodded. “You speak a form of Old Romanian…” I grinned reading what the Delkenzie program worked out. “…no, it’s saying that it is Balkan Latin…” I shrugged. “…That’s Vulgar Latin. Daco-Romanian?”
Dragon watched as his eyes widened as he watched the computer work and came up with a language that he could easily read. He backed away a little frightened. “This is magic!”
I held my hand up and took his arm to stop him from backing away. “In a way…yes…it’s the magic of science. There are reasons for everything you see and read. You know about telephones…is it magic for you to be able to speak here and be heard by someone else somewhere else, be it another house or even another country as you speak and they hear you like you’re standing next to them?” I frowned. “You are a smart man and I’m treating you like a smart man. You’ve been out of this cave haven’t you?”
Dragon nodded. “At night.”
“The houses and streets are lit; there are cars and things that fly now. You’ve seen them, haven’t you?”
Dragon nodded. “I didn’t understand any of it, but yes.”
I thought quickly how to explain this. “Well…the best explanation is…you’ve seen lightning during a storm.”
Dragon nodded. “Of course.”
I tapped the computer. “We have a way now of using the power of that lightning to have this…” There was no other word I could think of that he’d understand,” “…magic. It is science, not magic and there is a lengthy explanation I can give but trust me…it’s not black magic. It just works. I’d be happy to help you through all of it to understand, but right now…” I said looking at him. “Using this power, we have this.” I held the computer up. “It is what George uses to research and help find the cure for us. This is a device we use to keep things straight and in order. It won’t harm you. It is a tool.” I said. “Understand?”
Dragon nodded and came a little closer again, but not really certain.
Colin walked up to us. “That was another reason I thought we should get together. We have to!” He said putting his hand on my shoulder. “We were forced to go into the darkness…to hide.” He waved at his earpiece and then the computer. “So much has changed in the world. If we don’t find a way to stay together and be a part of this world, we will be left behind…we will die. I want more for us.”
I pulled the computer up again. “There are many places to find information and there are so many that followed…other stories by other writers about vampires and other stories that are just fanciful and full of things we are supposed to be able to do…” I looked at Dragon. “You can’t disappear in a cloud of smoke can you? Or defy gravity as you climb walls or be upside down on a ceiling or change into a wolf, can you?”
“No. Of course, I can’t.” Then his eyes narrowed. “Now, I understand.” He was beginning to get a little angry, but not at us. “Lucian was always asking about the things we can do. He wanted me to teach him our ways…I never knew just what he was talking about.” He waved at a site page. “Can I read this one?” He pointed to a headline.
I pulled it up and handed Dragon the computer. “To read more, push this button,” I said.
Dragon read and did what I said. It was a few minutes to an hour more and he was getting angrier the more he read. He handed me the computer again. “These are all just stories!” He claimed as he thought. “It is so much nonsense!” He waved again at the computer. “Even the parts I read about what I did that supposed to be part of history…a lot of things are not remotely what I did!”
“History has a tendency to be biased on the side of the victor. It’s like the tale of the fish you almost caught. It gets bigger with the telling of the story.” Colin said.
Dragon nodded as he was now starting to understand more. “I thought Lucian was not telling the whole truth about you.”
Colin frowned. “What do you mean?”
Dragon waved back at the chamber he’d left Lucian and Iilya. “He wanted me to kill you.” Dragon said looking at us. “He said you were a threat to us.” Dragon waved his arms out as he thought. “I have no problem killing anyone, but…” he turned quickly to us, “I kill for a reason! Every man I have killed was for a reason!”
Colin nodded. “And killing us would be for no reason?”
“Maybe there was a reason, but not one I understood.” Dragon said. “I’m not going to kill because someone said to!”
“But you left Lucian and Iilya out there,” I said pointing in the direction of the chamber we left. “You said to remain there…do you think they are?”
Dragon was suddenly in motion and headed back to where we’d come from. The other vampires there with us stood back and let him pass just staring at him.
Colin motioned for Mark and Burke to follow. “We’d better check on this.”
George nodded and looked to the other vampires. “Please don’t let these two Old Ones go. They hold the secret to us becoming human again.” He said quickly and followed us as we went back.
We got to the chamber and neither Lucian or Iilya were still there. Dragon was standing as his breathing had gotten faster and he seemed like he was fuming. He was barking something in a language the Delkenzie Program translated as questions about where Lucian and Iilya were and how long they had been gone. The two vampires there relayed what they knew, saying they had both left a while ago, almost as soon as Dragon led us to the Old Ones and our men.
Dragon turned and even with his vampire eyes, he was indeed very angry. I have to say, now he was very scary. “They defied me!?”
Colin walked over toward Dragon. “It’s after sunrise. Where would they go?” He asked. “They haven’t gotten the serum yet so they can’t be out.”
Dragon thought and shook his head. “There are numerous caves and military bunkers to use. They could be anywhere.” He looked at Gaius. “You can’t be in the sun yet, can you?”
Gaius shook his head. “I have a few more doses to get.”
Colin looked at Dragon’s angry face. “We have two like Devon and me…my daughter is one that can track. If we have a scent, we can follow them.”
George shrugged. “Fortunately, I hid some and have your next dose here, Gaius.” He said holding up a vial. “It’s late, but we can still give it.”
I looked at Dragon. “We can go in the sun,” I said. “He’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see the sunrise, but we can get him on schedule. You can see what we intend to do. We’ll find them.”
Dragon was still angry but nodded. “Fine.”
We gave Gaius his dose and now that was observed by Dragon. Even he had a reaction to Gaius’ pain.
“It hurts each time?” Dragon asked.
George nodded. “But only for a while.” He explained. “A few more doses and I insert a form of concentrated serum under the skin. There is no pain then.” He looked at Colin. “What about Nicolae?”
Colin looked at George. “Does Lucian know about Nicolae? I mean, does he know that Gaius has a son?”
George shrugged. “He probably knows Gaius has a son, but I never told Lucian about the possible antivenin or antibody. I need to study more about that antibody.” He sighed. “I just know Nicolae’s the key!”
Colin nodded at what George told him. “I’ll let Stan know.” He looked at Mark. “When we go back, we will go to Nicolae’s house first, but he should be okay. We’ve got a small army to protect him and his family.”
Mark nodded. “I’ll bet Stan has bitten all his nails down worrying about me.” He smiled. “I told him I was fine.”
I grinned. “Telling him is one thing. Seeing you is another. He’ll be better when he sees for himself you are fine.”
Dragon had been watching us. “So, he is with this man? This Stan?”
I turned and nodded. “He is.” I wondered how he would receive this news.
“And you are with Colin? George is with the man you call Burke?” Dragon asked as he sorted it out in his head.
Colin nodded putting his arm around my shoulders. “Is that a problem?”
Dragon shook his head. “No, not for me…but…the world must really have changed. You two are married?” He pointed to me and Colin.
“We are.” Colin nodded.
“There is a problem,” I said to Dragon.
Dragon shrugged. “As long as I’ve lived, it’s nothing new. Don’t misunderstand. I don’t care. Men have often loved men in the past and as far as I have read from history, they always have…few, but they are.” He shrugged. “They just don’t marry, but you are.”
I nodded with a smile. “It’s been a long uphill battle and not every country lets us marry, but where we’re from, it’s allowed and there are countries that allow it,” I remembered what I’d read about his brother. “He didn’t seduce me as a child if you’re worried about that. Like the Sultan did with Radu, if that’s what you’re wondering about.”
Dragon frowned but nodded. “The problem with that was Radu had no choice, but giving in to the Sultan was…just done.”
“Pedophilia is a problem today, as well,” I said. “Some humans can have twisted desires and always will.”
George was watching as Gaius went through his pain. “What do Lucian and Iilya want? What is it that they think they can do with being a vampire?”
“Power.” Dragon said simply.
I knew what they were after. “They want what the movies and stories said we are to have. We aren’t the undead. I’m not dead and neither are you.” I said to Dragon and shrugged. “They want that ability to change into the smoke and defy gravity. They want to have that hypnotic effect that Dragon has naturally.”
“Hypnotic?” Dragon asked.
“It’s done by others that aren’t vampires,” I explained. “You do have charisma like many leaders have.” I chuckled. “They don’t have anything as powerful as you do, but you have it.”
Dragon thought. “What can I do?” He didn’t understand what I meant.
“It’s not a bad thing,” I said. “It’s a talent you have that causes people to give in to what you say. They want to be with you and follow your words.”
Dragon nodded as he understood now. “Vraja.”
The translator told me he used a word for magic spell in Romanian. I nodded. “Yes, it is kind of a magic spell. Regular people have that ability and leaders, in particular, can do it very well.” I frowned. “Hitler had it.”
“I know this name.” Dragon literally spat the name. “The soldiers for this leader are the men I gave to those odd ones. The ones you call the Old Ones. They became a vampire I didn’t want to keep from the Old Ones’ bite.”
“Anyone else?” Colin asked.
“Others like Iilya.” Dragon said shrugging. “Very sure of the fact they were superior to everyone else…Russian…KGB?”
I nodded. “This was a few decades ago?”
Dragon nodded. “Four or five. They became something wild, unable to speak and…just wild.”
“Who bit Iilya?” Colin asked.
“Lucian.” Dragon said grumbling. “He claimed that Iilya was bitten in defense, he was protecting himself and Iilya’s survival was an accident.”
“Now you don’t think it was an accident?” I asked.
“I think Lucian was creating followers of his own.” Dragon said. “I have for a while.”
Colin looked at his watch. “Gaius will be waking soon.” He turned to George. “You need to take Burke and Mark back. Get something from Eva for Gaius to eat and bring it back. We’ll do the sunrise thing tomorrow morning.”
“We gave Eva the day off,” George said.
“We gave her the day off yesterday.” Colin corrected with a grin. “She should be there now. We’ll get another CPU and get a place with more power and you, George, can start again with the serum and this antibody thing.”
George nodded with a smile. “Well, I have others with the venom in their blood and no serum. That will help.” He looked at Dragon. “I can have some of your blood, can’t I?”
Dragon looked puzzled but nodded. “If it helps.”
George nodded and slapped Dragon on the arm. “It will!” He looked at me. “And you need to start working on those Old Ones.” He grinned. “You got Gizmo to like you; maybe you can get those two to like you, too!”
I found out that Dragon had caught one of the Old Ones almost a century and a half ago. The second one about forty or fifty years ago; both were found in the woods. I asked again why he kept them.
Dragon shrugged. “To keep the people safe.” Then he smiled. “Okay, they were kind of pets for me.”
I grinned. “Pets?” I nodded. “I can see that. Gizmo was very personable.” And I hurried on to prove I understood. “He was dangerous, but not to me and so I guess those two weren’t dangerous to you. They didn’t attack me. I understand. Have you tried to talk to them? Do they understand you?”
Dragon nodded. “Sure. They know what certain signs mean and will do what I ask. Like the sign I gave for killing those…Nazis and KGB...”
“They knew that they weren’t just feeding on them, but killing them?” I clarified.
“Yes.”
“You won’t tell them to kill me, right?”
Dragon smiled. “Not without a reason.” His eyebrows waggled, but I didn’t worry. He was kidding. Wasn’t he?
“Do you have names for them?” I asked.
“Yes!” Dragon smiled. “The first one I caught nearly a century ago I named Iustina.”
The translator told me Earless. “Iustina?” I asked.
Dragon nodded and pointed to his own left ear. “He was in a fight apparently. He’s missing this ear. It was cut off before he came here to me.”
I nodded chuckling. “Okay, and the other?”
“Repetate.”
I chuckled again. “Because he was repeated after Iustina?” I shrugged. “It makes sense. Do you let them out?”
Dragon nodded. “With me, yes. Not many of the others have really bonded with them.”
I grinned. “But you did?”
Dragon grinned and nodded. “They really are affectionate to me.”
“Gizmo was to me,” I said. “You didn’t kill them, that’s great!”
Dragon shook his head. “You approve?”
“As you said, killing should be for a reason,” I said. “They are what they were created to be.”
“And you won’t kill them either?” Dragon asked.
“I don’t want to,” I said. “I’ll get to know them and once they see I’m not a threat or on the menu, we should get along fine, but they do have that strain of venom that is pure. If George wants to reverse the effects, he’ll need them.”
“I’m going with you,” Colin said. “You think they’d like me?”
I grinned at Colin. “They’ll love you!”
We went back down to the cell where they were being held and Dragon opened the lock. I held my hand up to Colin to stop. There were human differences in the two bald and naked Old Ones. The one that had his left ear cut off, Iustina was an inch or two taller than Repetate, but both were looking puzzled at me.
I smiled at him. “Hello, Iustina.” I looked at the other. “That means you’re Repetate. Hello, Repetate.” That got them to look at me more puzzled, but they were both sniffing the air. “Yes, I am a vampire, so no dining on me,” I said lightly and looked around and found a stool nearby and brought it over and sat. “My name is Devon.” I said pointing at myself. I did the names again pointing at each and myself again. “I hope we will become friends,” I said. “I knew another like you. I named him Gizmo. He was a special person. I liked him very much. I’m hoping I will you, too.” When I didn’t see understanding in them, I looked back at Dragon. “What language did you use with them?”
“Romanian.” Dragon said.
I nodded and held up my device with the speaker on it and said it again in Romanian. Say what you will about these Old Ones, they were human, as my device fascinated them. Their eyes grew wide as it translated what I said to a language they knew and inched a little closer to understand how and what it was but still wasn’t sure about me yet. They were like I described Gizmo, almost like children. Translating what I said they were getting closer. “I won’t hurt you.” I said and it translated. Fear was going away as they tried to understand what was going on and even to the point, Repetate touched the device. I grinned, this was a way I could win their confidence. Colin was even smiling at what he saw. They were no threat to me. This was going to work!