Blueblood 4: Dracula - 15. Touching a Cross

The response to Dragon’s video broadcast was immediate. In just a few days we started getting messages from all over the world. Dragon’s hypnotic voice carried and was just as potent as if he was standing right in front of them. We stood over Stan’s shoulder as the others were gathering to share what they found that night.

Stan began feeling the weight of all the requests and messages coming in. “I need help! Look at the number messages!” He said after he saw the volume of messages coming in. “Going through all these messages is going to be difficult. Authenticating the senders and there are so many of them!” He waved at his screen. “Even now there are more coming.” He looked back at George and me. “How many vampires are there?”

Colin shook his head. “You don’t really expect an answer, do you?” He grinned. “I feel it safe to say, there is a whole lot.”

I bounced as I watched the screen and messages came on the screen. “And those are just the ones that have family or is connected to the Internet. I’m sure there are many more not connected.” My eyebrows wiggled at the prospect.

Mark grinned. “That’s what we wanted, isn’t it?” He said as he hugged Stan from behind and then sat in a nearby chair.

The others were dressed for their patrolling in dark colors and warmer clothing as it got cold here at night. The dark colors were not to hide what they were, but not be easily seen by others who weren’t vampires.

“Why is it always with the dark clothes?” I asked. “No matter what the country vampires wear dark clothes. Is there a dress code I should be told about?”

Willie grinned and pulled the serum gun from under his trench coat. “It doesn’t attract attention and it’s easier to hide this.”

Mom kissed me on the cheek. “Besides, black is more slimming and always chic.”

Stan nodded at Mark’s question. “It’s what we want, but sorting all this will take time.” He turned in his chair. “What I said about hacking. The system can’t be hacked; not easily, but there are others that are not vampires that are contacting us.” He patted Buddy. “He can stop a lot of attempts to hack in.” He looked back at the screen. “There are messages from Canada, the United States, England as well as other countries around the world. India, China, Japan, and others…I don’t recognize some of these languages. Some of these are just teenagers and young adults that think it was cool what we sent out.” He shook his head. “There are agencies also trying to get in.” He chuckled. “So far, the FBI isn’t one of them or MI5.”

I squeezed Stan’s shoulders. “That’s because there is someone in those agencies that know who and what we are.” I grinned. “We’ll get you some help, Stan,” I said patting him on the back as the others came in. “Mom can type over a hundred words a minute!”

Mom laughed and rolled her eyes. “Years ago.”

“But I bet you’re still fast,” I said.

It was when Alex and Gabriella came in that drew our attention. Gabriella sighed wearily as she sat down as if exhausted. Alex gave a grim smile as he looked at us. “Things are getting strange out there.”

“Strange?” Colin asked. “You mean, more strange that it is with vampires roaming around?’

Alex gave a grudging nod. “That’s the problem, we haven’t come across one the past few nights.”

Colin frowned. “You maybe just didn’t see them?”

“They can’t just slink past us.” Gabriella shook her head touching her nose. “It isn’t even that.” She explained. “A vampire has…a scent.” She began. “The problem is…we’re picking up a lot of scents, but they are crisscrossing their trails and confusing us.”

“The vampire tracker can’t pick up anything if no one’s there,” Shelly said putting the tracker down.

Alex nodded. “The thing is, there are a bunch of them.”

“Dozens, maybe,” Gabriella said.

“It’s like when you’re looking for footprints, but the area is so high in traffic there’s no way to see how many people and where they go,” Alex said. “I’m telling you, it’s on purpose. They want to disguise their numbers and where they are.”

Colin nodded. “Why?” He asked no one and everyone. “What is it they want?”

George came into the room with Burke. “They want to be the vampire of legend; like in those stories.” He said hesitantly. “They want the power we are supposed to have.”

“But we’re not that kind of vampire! No one is! They don’t exist.” Colin said again stating the obvious. “That’s why it’s a story. They are all just stories. We have a physical condition, there’s nothing supernatural or evil about us.”

“Yet, we don’t die,” George said. “That one fact seems to make them think we are supernatural. The fact we don’t die is supernatural.”

I nodded as I thought and did what George and Colin did as I thought out loud. “You need to realize, these vampires are old.” I looked at them again. “They believe we are more.”

“Why? We simply haven’t died.” Colin asked. “It’s not evil or good. There’s no devil or god in anyone.”

“Are you sure?” I asked. “When you were bitten, what did you think you were?”

“I knew I wasn’t…” Colin said thinking about how to explain it. “At first, I didn’t know! When the sun was about to rise, I could feel the danger and I knew I had to get somewhere safe, so I buried myself.”

“How did you know to do this?” I asked.

Colin shook his head. “I don’t know. Instinct?”

“An instinct that was clearly not…human,” I pointed out, “and therefore, unnatural, but supernatural.”

“What!?” Colin balked.

“We’re dealing with a form of thinking that predates a lot of science.” I pointed out. “Gaius and Dragon think they’re going to be punished by God.” I waved at Amasis. “He thought he was a god.” I waved my hands at the overwhelming scope of what I was saying. “I’m not looking for a theological debate, but we’re dealing with centuries of beliefs! Believing in gods is just one of those beliefs. Lucian believes we are products of supernatural…occurrences. So, why aren’t we capable of more?”

Colin looked a little annoyed. “Because we aren’t.”

I nodded. “And Lucian needs to understand that.” I shrugged. “You have to admit, Dragon has a talent that seems to appeal to everyone. He can influence almost anyone.”

Mom frowned. “Having met him once, I have to say he does have that talent.” She gave an appreciative nod. “And it’s a pretty impressive talent.”

“But it’s human.” I pointed out. “The ability to lead people…to hypnotize is very human.” I said. “Dragon is Vlad the Impaler. He won’t admit it, but he is. He had this ability when he was a man. Now that’s he’s lived as long as he has…it just got better…stronger at using it. It’s like our ability to see or smell.” I waved at Gabriella and Alex. “They pick up on scents I can only sense in close range. They can almost see a trail left by the scent. That ability is more than natural to me; our hearing…the same thing. Lucian and his followers see those enhancements, too. They think with time and teaching, they can become that legendary vampire all the stories are about.”

“It’s not possible,” George said. “We are not supernatural.” He shook his head.

I shook my head. “We are! You said it yourself!” I said. “We don’t die from any natural cause, that’s supernatural.”

“Our life spans are a result of the venom. There is a biological reason we don’t die.” George said. “We’re kept alive to feed the venom and pass it on.”

I looked at Mom. “Have you seen the venom under a microscope?”

Mom shook her head. “Not really.”

“How do you know you have it?” I waved at George. “He could be lying about all this.”

George looked at me like I’d lost my mind. “I’m not! You know I’m not.”

I nodded. “But she hasn’t seen that.” I looked at Amasis and Wayne. “You haven’t seen it. Do you believe what he’s done and says about what we are?”

Wayne also looked puzzled. “He’s not lying. We are sitting here as the result of what he’s found out and treatment.”

“Well, not to lecture, but…man came up with explanations for what he saw and the Earth. That is the religions of this world.” I said. “The sun and moon rotated around the Earth. We know now…having seen the evidence we are moving around the sun. Then we found out or entire solar system is rotating in a galaxy and that galaxy is floating in space. We’re always in motion. Nothing rotates around the Earth but the moon.” I smiled. “I know this because I’ve seen the evidence. I know there is a venom because I’ve seen it.” I waved out of the house, “they do not.”

Colin nodded. “He’s right. We just introduced the idea of the venom recently.”

“The Devine spark we carry as men and women is still there,” I said. “We are aware of ourselves. We have venom. That spark is still there, but we’re now…hosts…to the venom. We never lost our souls.”

“But you believe in God?” Burke asked.

I chuckled. “Whether I believe in God or not is irrelevant.” I shrugged. “I believe there is something about us that’s special. I know the life here is much too complicated for my understanding…I have a hard time believing it’s just random and not a plan. I don’t care how long it took.” I waved again at Amasis. “He was born before Christ was even born! He’s not a Christian. Is he a child of any god? He’s human! These vampires are men and they were raised to believe a certain way. We can’t expect them to accept what we tell them about ourselves without proof!”

“How can we prove that?” George asked. “We have no idea what their education was. Would they know what we say if we show it to them?”

“We don’t have to.” I smiled. “We ask them the question. Are they now evil?” I shrugged. “I don’t feel any different. I am a vampire, but I’m still me. I still have a slightly warped sense of humor I’ve always had. I love movies and often quote them and compare situations that remind me of movies,” I grinned as they were nodding, “as you well know.” I chuckled they laughed. “I’m not evil. We need to ask them if they are.” I smiled at Wayne. “Even those we classified as wild have their humanity. Wayne got his back. He got his mind back.” I held my hands out. “Dragon is going on the serum, right?” I asked George.

“Yes, I was planning to do it tonight.” George nodded.

“We may put that off for another broadcast,” I said smiling. “We need to show them that what they are has nothing to do with what you did wrong or even lack of faith. The one basic is a belief. We’ll show Dragon as a vampire.” I grinned. “What is the one thing that drives a vampire back in almost all the movies and stories?”

“A cross?” Mom said. “Holy water?”

I nodded. “We’ll have the broadcast where Dragon does not burn because of a cross…or a Star of David or any other religious icon. He is not evil. He’s infected, just like we are. Like measles or any disease that doesn’t care what you are, it can infect you and will.”

“But he may believe, in his mind, he is evil,” Gabriella suggested. “Will his mind will tell him he is and burn?”

I shook my head. “Not if he doesn’t know it’s there.” I chuckled. “And it would have to be a powerful mind to cause him to burn because he believes it will. He has a strong mind, but I intend to prove he’s not evil.” I looked at Colin. “I think we need to include Gaius in this as well.”’

“That could be dangerous,” George said quietly, uncertain how I was going to do this. “Men of this time were willing to go to war and die for what they believed. Dragon killed brutally to defend his people and beliefs.”

“Yes, he did. The Ottoman Empire soldiers were his victims, but it could make a difference for us.” I said. “I’ll be careful. I’ve seen him enraged and I don’t want that again.” I smiled at George. “You would die for your beliefs I have no doubt, but I’ll be careful.”

It was later in our bedroom when Colin came over. He slid beneath the sheets beside me.

“This plan of yours…to prove to Dragon he is not evil…what is it?” Colin asked.

I shrugged. “I’m sort of…winging it.” I said softly. “There is no real plan, but something I intend to do.”

Colin looked very uncomfortable now. “Winging it.” He chuckled, but not happily and nodded as he stretched out beside me. “Listen, Devon…when you married me…I had no idea what was going to happen.” His admission was hesitant and he didn’t look at me directly. “I knew you were special, but I had no idea how special you are.” The chuckled was not because he was trying to be funny, but…

I lifted his head so he had to look at me. “Colin.” I began. “What is it that you don’t want to say?”

Colin grinned and looked surprised a little. “How do you know I have something I don’t want to say?”

I brought him into a kiss which he readily responded to. “Because I know you,” I said simply. “You have this way of easing things before you tell me something not good,” I said looking in his emerald eyes. “I think I know it, but…”

“I worried about what we’re doing,” Colin said.

“Worried about what we’re doing? Or what I’m doing?” I asked with a smile.

“Stop that!” Colin smiled and shoved me lightly. “I’m serious. This Dragon is who we know he is. This man is a dangerous man. He can hurt you.”

“I know.” I nodded.

“When I bit you…I brought you into a life…” Colin started.

I held my finger to his lips. “Don’t say it again,” I said softly. “You didn’t know how it was going to turn out,” I said simply. “This life is not what you had in mind and so forth. How could you have?”

Colin frowned. “Stop saying what I’m going to say!” He pushed me down and crawled over me to look down at me. “Knowing me as well as you do…is kind of irritating.” He grinned.

I nodded as I smiled at him. “Sorry.” I gave him a look of patience, but it was put there on purpose. “Go ahead.”

“Be serious.” Colin urged. “Winging it may be what you want to do, but I want you safe.” He shook his head. “Since we met, there have been some dangerous characters like Brett Marshall who attacked you because of me. I don’t want you to be putting yourself at unnecessary risk.”

I rolled us so I was on him. “Look, Colin. When I met you, I was just hoping to get a job. Instead, I meet the man of my dreams who turns out to be a vampire.” I chuckled. “As I got to know you, I find out you’re an amazing human being. Now you’re my husband.”

“But I’ve put you in danger!” He said sadly. “And not just you, your mother, too.”

“Mom is fine,” I said smiling. “She’s happy. She met a great guy and happily married to him.” I gave a grudging shrug. “No, I didn’t marry a regular guy. I’ve been in combat, I’ve seen a lot of things I wish I didn’t, but I have no regrets about being in this life.” I looked at his eyes. “You’re not having regrets, are you?”

Colin looked surprised. “About marrying you? No, but this is not an easy life. There are those out there that want to kill us.”

“You’re worried I could be hurt by Dragon.” I nodded. “Do you trust me?”

Colin rolled his eyes. “Of course.” He looked at me harder. “I trust you! It’s Dragon I’m not sure of.”

“Was I wrong about Wayne?” I asked. “Was I wrong about the Old Ones? Or Alex?”

“I don’t know about the Old Ones,” Colin admitted. “They are dangerous, too.”

“To regular people, yes. To us? No.” I said. “They’re like…children.” I shook my head. “I can’t explain it, but…I just know Dragon won’t kill me.”

“How?” Colin asked. “I thought I was the one that could sense people.”

“You can….about business and stuff…it’s like when I explained about the heightened senses. It’s a part of who we are.” I struggled to find a way to explain. “When I confronted Dragon about him judging himself…I knew he was going to blow up.” I chuckled. “I was right. He did blow up. I have never been so scared in my life, but I knew…I knew…he wouldn’t hurt me.” I shook my head again. “I don’t believe he will this time either.”

“How do you know?” Colin stressed again.

I had to think. “I just do.” I grinned. “But you know…I’ve been feeling a little of that disconnect with you recently.”

“Oh?” Colin asked with a smile. “We’ll have to do something about that.” Then he got serious again. “Just one more thing, though. I trust you. I love you. Because of that, I’m super protective of you. You’re a grown man and I adore everything about you, but…understand…I will always question your safety.”

I nodded as I leaned down and kissed him again. “That’s the man you are.” I reasoned. “You really killed those men that were going to attack Gabriella…I have no doubt you’d do it for me. Just…trust me. Okay?”

“Okay.” He grinned and rolled us over again. “Enough vampire talk. We need to reconnect.”

I nodded pulling him down to kiss me fuller, which I returned with as much feeling. “I love you.”

Colin grinned back. “I know. I love you.”

I increased the pressure of our kiss. “I know.”

We all went below ground to Dragon that night.

“Here we are again into the Dragon’s Lair.” Mark grinned to me as he waggled his eyebrows as he helped Stan bring his equipment down.

I rolled my eyes. “How long did it take you to come up with that one?” I asked, but it was pretty good.

Colin pulled me aside. “Devon, I know you can reach people that I wouldn’t even dream of trying to reach. We discussed it last night…or this morning…whatever it was, but I’m still trying to protect you.”

I nodded. “I know.”

Colin said as he looked at Dragon. “He could snap your neck…I don’t want to lose you.”

I kissed him. “I know he could, but…I told you, I don’t think he will, just like I knew he wouldn’t that time I confronted him telling him he wasn’t evil. In spite, what he believes he is, he’s a logical man.” I patted him on the chest. “You are my strength. I thought about you when I confronted Dragon about him being evil that last time.” I grinned. “Now, I’ll show him.” I kissed him again deeper. “And, I told him if he hurt me…you’d kill him.”

Colin chuckled. “And I would, but he could probably kill both of us.”

I nodded again. “I also said my mother, Willie, and all the others would kill him.” I gave him a sly grin. “I even told him George would probably do it and he knew more about us as vampires and it wouldn’t be easy if he did.”

Colin nodded as he leaned closer pressing his face against my neck. “No, it wouldn’t.”

When Gaius got there, I told them both what we were doing; as in, explaining that what we are had nothing to do with what kind of person we are, we were infected, plain and simple. Then George would be giving Dragon his serum. Then I further explained what we were going to do and why we were broadcasting again.

Stan looked at me and waved toward us. “In this broadcast…we don’t need to be so secretive. The best angle will be if he sits up more.” He waved at his tablet that was acting as a monitor. “See?” He waved at Dragon. “If you could sit up for a better image?”

Dragon was again caught up in the technology; he didn’t pay that much attention to what I was doing. I got what was needed and put it behind him. The gold cross, I had leaning against him.

“Just sit up,” I said. “The best angle will be a direct focus on you.”

Dragon shook his head. “So many marvels in this world. I feel I’ve missed so much.”

“That’s why we’re here. To catch you up.” I grinned and patted him on the shoulder.

We assembled around the chamber as Dragon spoke again to everyone out there. Stan’s coaching of him to sit up paid off. He never leaned back on the cross. “…there is a vampire among us that is leading others of our kind to a conflict. Do not be deceived. Lucian is not telling the truth. Our enemy is not mankind, do not become an enemy to us.” He said “…and in conclusion, we are simply carrying an infection. There is evidence and we will show you this evidence.” The screen showed the images of normal blood and vampire’s blood. Then it showed the venom that Wayne had given to George before when he was a wild vampire with George explaining what they were looking at. “See for yourself. We have an illness. We are not the pawns of Hell.”

I walked up and all that could be seen was my torso. “Neither are you,” I said to Dragon. “You are not evil; neither is any one of you evil just because you have this condition,” I added as I reached behind Dragon and picked up the gold cross he had behind him. I rested it against his forehead. “Nothing. He is not evil. I am like you, but it didn’t harm me. Nor is it harming Dragon.”

Dragon had not seen what I’d pulled from behind him. He sat back as he focused and his eyes widened as he sat back suddenly in shock.

“Don’t jump back now; you’ve leaned on it for quite a few minutes,” I said. “I told you, you aren’t evil,” I said softly so only he could hear. “Do you believe me now?”

“You tricked me.” Dragon whispered angrily becoming angrier.

I nodded. “I did it to prove a point to them and to you. You are not evil. Otherwise, you’d be a cinder by now.” I pulled out some other icons of religious faiths and placed each against him. The cross was his concern, but I said without showing my face. “He is not evil. He has a soul like all of you do. What you have is an infection. You can be a criminal or a saint, you were bitten and carry an infection. We have treatment. We need others that can help us with this treatment.”

Gaius was staring wide-eyed at the objects I pulled out. “It’s true?” He reached tentatively for the large cross I was holding, but not sure he could touch it. “I’m not evil?”

I smiled at Gaius and shook my head. “No.” I held the cross out to him. “Take it. I’m not evil. It won’t hurt you. It’s not hurting me and we are the same. We’re vampires.”

The broadcast did show Gaius taking the cross, which didn’t burn him. Now that he had moisture in his eyes it showed that there were tears coming down his face.

“For centuries…I thought...” Gaius said softly. He looked at Dragon. “It doesn’t burn!” He smiled through his tears. “I’m not evil. I have a chance.”

“Just like everyone else,” I said. “Believe me.”