Re-United - 5. Chapter 5

After lunch, Leonard took Chris and Jake to the airport while Billy took Scott and me into the library to show us a few books he had found. He and Scott spent a few hours discussing the varied ways nobles in the past had assigned responsibilities to their consorts and stewards while I spent time immersed in a manuscript that addressed the varied extra abilities that were more common in changelings. I learned that telepathy, as I had demonstrated with Chris, was one of the more common ones. I was intrigued to see that telekinesis was another of the more common abilities, so I decided to try it. I looked around and found my target: an ink pen on George’s desk. Unfortunately, the manuscript only discussed the abilities, not how to use them. After ten minutes of trying, I was only able to get the pen to roll over. I saw that as a good sign and decided to keep reading and practice another time. As I continued to read, I saw mention of pyrokinesis, levitation, teleportation, and several forms of light bending.

Eager to explore further, I set that manuscript aside and picked up another from the stack Billy had laid out for me. This one touched on the history and origins of vampires. Scott had told me the story of Cain, or Qabil, from the religious texts, and this manuscript gave me more insight into that legend.

Originally, vampires and humans lived alongside each other harmoniously, the only difference being their diet, with vampires living off animal blood supplemented with criminals and volunteers. Then, somewhere around 4000 BC, a vampire stumbled upon the mixture of herbs and blood that removed the ravages of aging; before that discovery, vampires lived an average of 150 years. Now, due to their potential immortality, humans began to fear a shift in the balance of power. As a defense, humans developed various myths, some based partially on facts. Over time, these myths became accepted as fact; by the time of the Crusades, humans had forgotten that vampires were indeed real.

The next one I read gave me some insight into the history of Dracul, though it seemed more legend than fact. There was mention of vampire society’s slow slide into obscurity and myth, along with a section on the change from packs to clans. One passage vaguely referenced a veiled island home, while another alluded to a prophecy. Unfortunately, the author didn’t go into detail. I was searching for more on either when Frederick came in to say that George was back and wanted to speak to me.

“Does he want Baron Fowler or Greg? And should I take Scott and Billy?”

Frederick shook his head and shrugged. “He didn’t specify, but he’s in the billiards room, which would tend to indicate a relaxed conversation.”

Taking the implied guidance, we followed Frederick and found George lounging with a glass of elk. After serving ourselves, we sat and listened as George gave us instructions on how to navigate human politics. I wasn’t surprised to learn that vampires rarely took a leading role in the human world. Rather, they tended to fill the supporting roles where the real power was, allowing them to keep our existence secret. I assumed he wanted me to take such a role but learned that the nobility was prohibited from these roles. Instead, our discussion focused on teaching me how to use these embedded vampires to solve issues that would come up in my territory when I finally got one.

“It just feels unethical, George. Manipulating human politics for our own needs is exactly what they feared thousands of years ago,” I argued.

“Ethical rules are a societal construct, Greg. What is taboo in one society is expected in another, and you have changed societies.”

Incredulous, I asked, “And I should just ignore what I consider right and wrong?”

To my surprise, Billy answered. “Throughout history, societies' norms have evolved due to internal pressure, external pressure, and the adaptation of the norms of lands they integrated by expansion. I don’t think you have to give up your ethics, Greg; you must consider your new reality and your position in our world.”

I stared at Billy as I considered his reply. As I was doing this, George said, “A very mature and intellectual position, Billy. May I ask your educational background?”

“I’ve always known I was to be a Lord Steward, George. My mom used to tell me my eyes were gold when I was born. Once I could read, Grandma insisted that I study hard, and I got my high school diploma last year. Even before that, I was taking online courses through Penn State, and this fall, I am enrolled at Harvard as a junior, majoring in Public Administration.” Billy turned to me and added, “And yes, Greg, I used the same connections George used to get you the Harvard offer.”

Shocked, Scott asked, “You’re ahead of me?”

Billy grinned and shrugged. “I didn’t travel as much as you, and I sure didn’t spend hours dreaming about Greg. I used all my time to study.”

“Billy said it all, Greg,” George said. "Due to your future position as a Baron of Dracul, you must prioritize the vampires you’re sworn to protect. In many ways, they depend on you for their very lives.”

“I accept that, George; I’m just not willing to harm humanity. Vampires and humans lived together for thousands of years until renewal was discovered, and I can’t understand why we can’t do that again,” I argued.

Everyone stared at me, stunned that I would even consider what I had just suggested. Finally, George asked, “You wouldn’t act on this without the approval of the Council, would you?”

“Of course not, George,” I said with a shake of my head. “And it’s not something that could be rushed, but I do think it’s a realistic goal. As I understand it, vampires have spent the last three thousand years working to stay hidden. Imagine if all that effort had been put into advancing a joint human and vampire society.”

George’s face was unreadable as I said this. After a minute, he pursed his lips and inhaled. Giving me a pointed look, he said, “Privately, I would agree with you in broad terms. That said, I cannot publicly support that position, and I would caution you to use care to whom you voice these opinions. If you sincerely believe what you’ve said, you might be able to effect some changes over the next several centuries. Humans have become more inclusive over the last hundred years, so with some pushes in the right places, you might live to see what you’ve described as reality.”

Concerned, I stuttered, “I would never try to create my own movement, George. Honestly, I don’t even know what things I might change because I don’t know how things are done now.”

“Well, by my math, you have five years to learn how things work, right?” he asked. “Our deal is you’ll remain unseated until you’re done at Harvard, right?”

Nodding, I said, “That’s my understanding, barring some extreme situation beyond our control.”

“I’d like to ask if Greg and I have the same access to your library as you offered Billy?” Scott inquired.

Holding his hands out palms up, George said, “My library is open to the three of you at any time, Scott. I only ask that you list what you take so I can keep track of the items. Should I expect to lose half my library tomorrow?”

With a grin, Scott replied, “Not half, but between the three of us, I think we’ll be borrowing two or three dozen manuscripts.”

“There are a few I’d like to make sure you read, Greg. I'll add them if they’re not in your stacks later this evening.” George stood, saying, “I’ve taken the liberty of making dinner reservations for you this evening. Thomas knows where you’re going, and I would recommend you wear your new suits, minus the capes.”

Billy looked from George to me, then asked, “Unless I’m needed, I’d rather stay in the library until we leave, if I may?”

After checking with George, I agreed and asked Billy to be sure to get any manuscript he could find that discussed vampire history. Scott asked him to find all he could find on the tax structure and finances of Dracul and how they integrated with those of the nations of the world, primarily the US, as we assumed we would remain based here. George commented that while he would do his best to keep us in his sphere of influence if we were needed elsewhere, we were expected to serve Dracul above all others.

Scott and I took the time to feed Charlie from our thumbs before showering, putting on our suits, and meeting Tommy and Leonard in the entrance hall. Roughly ten minutes into our drive, I noticed the name of the street and thought I knew our destination: one of the world’s most famous restaurants. I watched as we passed Spago on our left, and Tommy made the loop to line up with the valet parking; to my surprise, he drove on and stopped a block down in front of Mastro’s Steakhouse. After giving the keys to the valet, he led us inside and told the desk we had the penthouse reserved. A smiling host led us upstairs and seated us, saying our other guests were yet to arrive.

I saw the server tense when he saw our rings as he entered our private dining room. After a slight bow, he asked, “Good evening, My Lords; my name is Christian, and I will be your server for the evening. May I bring you drinks while you wait?”

“I don’t know who we’re expecting, so it might be best to stick with wine for now. I will trust your judgment, Christian.”

“As you wish, My Lords.”

“And I think we can do away with that formality until our guests arrive. It might confuse a human,” Scott added. Christian gave a slight nod and headed off to get our wine.

Before Christian returned, a man in his forties with a high hairline and scruffy beard entered the room. With a voice I instantly recognized, he bowed and said, “I am honored to meet you, My Lords.”

We stood and offered our hands as I said, “We are the ones who are honored, Sir, and please; I’m Greg, and this is my mate, Scott. I hope you’ll forgive me for saying how much I’ve enjoyed your work.”

“I’m vain enough to accept praise anywhere I can get it, Greg. And please, call me Nick.”

We were about to sit when another person I instantly recognized entered and, in a London accent, said, “Pleased to meet you, My Lords.”

We shook hands and went through the same thing, telling him to please use our first names. As we were sitting, Christian entered and, seeing we were all vampires, asked if we wanted to change the wine. After a short discussion, we kept the wine and decided to choose the blood based on the menu. We agreed with Christian’s suggestion of a light pigeon with a hint of lemon to go with our roasted quail, sauteed asparagus, and roast red potatoes.

Scott and I couldn’t resist asking these two to give us some of their more famous lines. I had chills when Nick dropped into character and said, “Put the bunny back in the box.”

Rob’s delivery of “What if I’m not the hero; what if I’m the bad guy?” started a conversation throughout the main course as I shared my concerns about adjusting my ethics to fit my new position. They both said that, while they loved acting, the internet would put an end to their acting careers with this lifetime.

“How so?” I asked.

“Someone found a photo of me from Boston in 1868, and it is now on the internet, next to a recent one. Human denial being what it is, they call it a coincidence, but if I tried to be an actor in my next life… Well, I just can’t,” Nick explained in a rather downtrodden tone.

Rob nodded and said, “Same story. A photo of me when I lived in Philadelphia in 1892 turned up. Someone even suggested I’m a time traveler.”

I laughed. “You just did all those movies as a vampire, and they jump to time travel?”

Rob glared at Scott when he said, “He probably wasn’t sparkling in the first photo.”

“That was George’s idea. Stephanie's publisher called the count when she submitted her first book, and George had the count suggest the sparkle thing. She thought it added a bit of magic, so she quickly agreed.”

Nick nodded, saying, “It wouldn’t do to have a story come out that told all our truths. The myths help keep the humans on their toes.”

Rob laughed. “I remember when my friend told me how he convinced Bram Stoker that we couldn’t survive in sunlight for more than a few seconds.”

Tommy nodded and laughed when Nick said, “Stoker was a drunk; I was shocked his damned book got published, let alone became something so iconic. Still, it ensconced all those myths into the minds of humans for centuries. I think Rob’s movies are the first to ever suggest that we can walk in daylight.”

“Actually, Rice revealed that fact. And I know the bastard she based Tom’s character on. He’s almost as evil as Vlad,” Nick said with a shiver.

“Vlad the Impaler? He really was a vampire?” I asked, shocked.

My shock grew exponentially when Scott said, “Not only was he real, but he’s my ancestor.”

Every head in the room joined mine as we stared at Scott. When I recovered enough to ask, he explained that his grandfather, Baron Erich Zell, had worn the Drăculeşti crest for centuries. The baron never gave details but maintained that he was a blood descendant of Vlad the Impaler, the head of the Drăculeşti family, the rightful rulers of Wallachia, and the prophesied rulers of Dracul. I asked Billy, mind-to-mind, to find some information on Vlad.

Just then, Christian brought in our dessert: a Chocolate-Chili Ganache Tart. When he asked if we had a preference of blood to go with it, I remembered how stag reminded me of chocolate. I mentioned this, and he asked if I had tried European Red Stag. I took his suggestion and found it had a much smoother texture than Eastern Whitetail.

The conversation over dessert turned to the educational experiences of Nick and Rob. I was shocked to learn that they both came from common backgrounds and, as such, could never afford higher education. Both were happy their children could attend college due to their acting careers. They both confirmed that they planned on going to college in their next lives. When I asked, I learned the lack of education was common with vampires not from noble or wealthy families. Many vampires spent centuries locked in an outdated caste system that defined their roles based on their birth.

We enjoyed some wine after dessert, then stood to part ways. As we walked through the main dining area, Nick and Rob stopped to introduce us to a few humans involved in the motion picture industry. Two directors, a producer, a few lesser-known actors, and the star of Rob’s first major movie, who said he was working on a new ‘Frankenstein’ movie that would be out next year. After a brief chat, he offered to keep in touch and get us seats at the premiere.

As he pulled away from the curb, Tommy asked, “Are you two in a hurry to get back?”

When we said no, he said he had a surprise for us. Fifteen minutes later, we were parked near a small beach bordered by a cliff, where Tommy tossed us a bag and told us to change. He then led us out onto the sand. As couples, we sat on the blankets Leonard spread on the sand. Scott sat between my legs and leaned back into me as we held each other and watched the sun slowly sink into the Pacific.

It was long past dark when Scott quietly said, “Such a peaceful end to a horrible trip.”

“It wasn’t a horrible trip, hon,” I said with a shake of my head. “The reason for it was, and I did lose my dad, but I gained a son. I refuse to look at the trip as horrible. Never again will I focus on the negative. If I do, it’s your job to find the positive that I’m overlooking.”

With a sigh, Scott said, “I wish he could’ve met Charlie.”

He looked at me funny when I laughed, until I asked, “Do you mean my dad meeting our son? Or our son meeting my dad?”

Playfully shoving me, he said, “Both, you goof.” He then looked thoughtful and asked, “Do you think he would approve? Of us changing Charlie, I mean.”

Looking out over the ocean, I considered the situation and what I knew of my father. With a slow nod, I said, “Considering the situation, I think he would.” I paused, then timidly admitted, “I almost tried to change him before we called for help.”

“I know,” he replied. “I’m glad I stopped you. You would have hated yourself forever, Greg. The change can’t heal the brain, and if the damage was already done, he would have been a zombie.”

“You seem to know a lot about the change all of a sudden.”

With a casual shrug, he explained, “I was reading a manuscript about it this afternoon. The change can only heal damage done in the last few hours of life. It can repair almost any damage but can’t regrow limbs or repair a damaged brain, so it must be done soon after the heart stops.”

“I’d like to see that manuscript. It might help me understand myself or help us with Charlie.”

Scott smirked. “Good thing I set it on the stack we want to borrow then, huh?”

“Speaking of that, let’s head back and see what Billy’s found and check on Charlie,” I said, standing and pulling Scott to his feet.

An hour later, I carried Charlie, firmly attached to my thumb, into the library and sat as Billy showed us the manuscripts he thought we should take for deeper study. He had several in addition to those Scott and I had set aside. One, listing the more famous vampires from history, listed Vlad the Impaler, a major member of the Hohenzollern family, and a ruler in the Shang dynasty in China. It also implied that a Lieutenant of Romulus was a vampire, but no name was listed.

Scott showed me the manuscript on changing, and after scanning through it, I agreed that it was something I wanted to read in detail. Along with explaining how to change a human, it discussed some theories on why changes failed. The last page referenced another manuscript about renewal, which sent me on a search that lasted almost an hour. When I added this last one to our stack, I suggested we were imposing on George enough and simply make a list of the others we wanted so we could borrow them once we returned these.

“Nonsense, Greg,” George said from the door. “I told you to take what you like. I didn’t set a limit, although now I will. Take up to half of my library; just leave me my Tolkien and Clancy novels.”

“Thanks, George, but I have my own copies of those,” I said with a smirk. “Is there a reason I can’t photocopy these manuscripts?”

“You’re free to copy them, although I must insist you keep them secure. The only reason I’ve not offered to do that for you is the time involved. I assume you plan on flying home tomorrow once you’ve received your father’s ashes?”

Before I could reply, Billy asked, “How secure, Your Highness? By that, I mean, is access limited to just the three of us?”

After a moment of examining the three of us, George said, “I will trust the baron’s judgment on this. Several of those manuscripts have been seen by fewer than a dozen individuals, including the authors. Many of them are several centuries old, so handle them with care.”

“Would you object to my human friends giving me their input?” I asked, already expecting the answer.

He surprised me. “As I said, I trust your judgment. Realize that you’d be exposing them to secrets even more sacred than our existence. If the wrong human got their hands on these… well, I would hate to imagine the reaction of the Council.”

I was beginning to wonder if we should take any of them when Billy said, “We appreciate your trust in us, Your Highness. I guarantee the originals will not leave our hands, and the same goes for the copies. Anyone we share them with will have to see them with us present.”

George turned to ask, “Is this how you plan to operate once you’re seated, Greg? Your Steward speaks his mind and makes promises on your behalf without consulting you?”

Without hesitation, I replied, “It is, Your Highness. If I can’t trust him to speak for me, then I can’t trust him; it’s that simple.”

After giving me an appraising look, he nodded. “Am I to assume your mate and human friends are in this same circle of trust?”

With a firm nod, I stated, “Without reservation, Your Highness. I see them at my side for the rest of their lives.”

George was silent. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I’d played this game with him before, so I sat, waiting for his reply. Finally, he smiled. “As Donne said, ‘No man is an island’. Many leaders refuse to accept this concept, and your faith in your team is a good indicator of your future. If you trust these humans, I trust them.”

“I do trust them, George, completely.” I paused for a breath, then said, “In fact, one has already asked when I plan on changing him. While I believe it was intended as a joke, I also believe one or more of them will come to me on this.”

George tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. “And what are you going to tell them? Do they know the risks yet?”

“I haven’t even considered what to tell them, George,” I admitted. “I assumed I needed to discuss it with someone, and I wanted to do that before I entertained their requests.”

“You’re in a unique situation, one that no one has held for almost two hundred years. As an unseated baron, you answer only to your prince. That’s me, by the way,” he said with a smirk. “I will retroactively approve anything you do, with the proviso that you don’t expose our existence to the general human population.”

“That’s quite the blanket endorsement,” I said, taken aback. “Can I ask why you have such confidence in me?”

“Your lack of confidence on this issue tells me you won’t embark on a changing spree,” he explained. “Your hesitation suggests that you'll thoroughly consider this from all the correct angles and perhaps a few that aren't entirely relevant. In fact, I'm certain you'll overthink it. Consequently, your conviction will be absolute when you finally decide to go through with it.”

I smirked. “You realize how convoluted that statement is, right?”

George returned my smirk. “I do, yet you understood it, which means I’m correct.”

Scott nudged me and nodded. “Go ahead, ask him.” I had no idea what he meant until he added, “I saw it on your face, Greg; ask him.”

I took a deep breath and explained my idea to George. I went into as much detail as I could, considering the idea was only a few hours old, and when I got to costs, I was pulling numbers out of thin air. Scott was somewhat familiar with some of the issues, and his guidance confirmed that my numbers were realistic. Billy also supported my plans with his own observations and opinions. We talked about it for almost an hour, and finally, George shocked me with an offer.

“You are authorized to use Dracul funds for this,” George said. “Billy, get with Frederick; he’ll give you the banking information.”

“What’s our budget?” Scott asked before I could.

George pursed his lips and eyed me as he considered his reply. “Initially, four million; after that, twenty-five thousand each.”

Billy seemed stunned. “That’s twice the national average; are you sure?”

Staring at me, he asked, “Do you want good? Or good enough?”

I looked at Billy and said, “We’ll spend what we need to make it work, regardless of what it takes.”

Understanding my tone, he replied, "Yes, My Lord.”

We continued to discuss my plan in more detail until the bell rang for breakfast. Billy had arranged for Ted to have the plane ready at ten, so after eating, Scott, Billy, and I went to our room to pack. Frederick arrived with a locked briefcase, and as I expected, it contained the manuscripts we wanted, as well as the promised banking information and a debit card for each of us. I already knew not to wonder how George made things happen so quickly.

While Tommy and Leonard directed the loading of our things, George pulled me aside. I spoke before he could. “I want to thank you for everything you’ve done, George.”

“I wish our first meeting had been under happier circumstances, Greg; I’ve enjoyed your visit. Please feel free to come back anytime.”

Our goodbyes said, we loaded into the three waiting SUVs and headed for the airport. When we got there, I carried Charlie while Scott unhooked the child seat and headed for the plane. Clint met us at the door and asked if we had a preference for our seating. After we said we wanted to sit together, he led us to the four seats that faced the table near the rear, saying they were the safest in the plane. After watching Scott struggle with the child seat for a bit, Clint grabbed it and deftly strapped it in. With that done, I put a sleeping Charlie in his seat, I introduced Clint to James and Donna. With everyone in their seats, Clint stood at the entrance to the galley and began his safety briefing.

“OK folks, welcome to Bloodsucker Air's maiden voyage; if you look in the magazine pocket, you'll find a safety sheet listing the safety features of this Gulfstream G650. The door you entered through is an emergency exit; there are two through the wing windows and one through the rear. Seat belts hold you tight and hook like this; smoke if you want; it's your plane.—”

“NO smoking on my plane!” I exclaimed.

"Y'all heard Greg, no smoking. Disabling the lavatory smoke detectors and webcams is a federal crime, so don't get caught. There's a life raft under the sofa. I'll get it if we need it, but on a side note, I'd like to teach any regulars how to use it, just in case. Life vests are under your seats, and they look like this. We have the drop-down masks, and please put yours on before putting one on that cute little baby. That's about it, any questions?"

"Encore!!"

"Hell no, but thank you, I'll be here all week, and now, let's roll."

"Folks, this is Ted, your Captain speaking; on my right is goofy, er, Mickey, he'll be reading the map for us. But seriously, folks, we're honored to be flying this fine machine. We should be wheels up shortly; we expect to have you on the ground in Pittsburgh around 6:25 pm Eastern time; for now, sit back and enjoy."

During the comedy round-up, we had been taxiing, and as we turned onto the runway, Mickey announced, "Steward, prepare for takeoff," and the two Rolls-Royce engines spun up to full power then we were off. The acceleration was strong for such a large jet, but it was still quiet, considering. As the nose lifted, we angled up, then banked right and flew north over the mountains, climbing and then banking right again to climb high over the desert and east towards Las Vegas.

We leveled off and heard, "We're now at 45,000 feet and cruising at Mach 0.85 with a nice tailwind; we might be home early. Talk to you in a bit."

Clint said we could unbuckle and relax, so while he sorted out drinks, I asked James to join us so we could fill him in on our plans. That conversation, as well as some reading, took up most of the flight. We were passing Chicago when Ted asked me to come forward.

“Do you know when you’ll need the plane again, My Lord?” he asked as I knelt in the doorway.

I scowled at him, saying, “I told you to call me Greg, and no. I have no clue; why do you ask?”

“We need to figure out housing, Greg. Should we find something in Pittsburgh or down where the other plane is?”

“Why don’t the three of you stay at the farm for now, until I get everything sorted out,” I suggested.

After glancing at Mickey, he said, “Sounds fine to me. Now, if you’d return to your seat, we’re about to start our descent.”

On my way to the back, I said, “Billy, call Mary and let her know that Clint & Company will be staying at the farm for now.”

“I get first billing!” Clint exclaimed.

I was almost to my seat when Ted came on the intercom. “Ladies and gentlemen, please return your seatbacks to their upright position and all that jazz; we're dropping from the sky. I hope there ain't nothin' in the way!"

"Hey Ted!??" I shouted.

"Yeah, Greg? I'm about to be busy here; make it quick."

"Know where we can find a decent steward?"

"Never met a decent one! Buckle up; we'll be landing in five. Thanks for flying Bloodsucker Air!"