Blueblood: A Dark Southern Aristocracy - 43. Offering an Olive Branch

We later met with George and Burke in the library. George listened to what we planned to do.

“You want to give her…” George began. “…and this Adrian the serum?” He looked confused. “Here?”

Colin nodded but grinned. “That’s right.”

George looked very wary. “You trust them? Because I don’t.”

I shook my head. “Absolutely not. We know there’s something going on.”

“But we have what they want.” Colin smiled. “That gives us leverage.”

“I wrestled with this myself,” I admitted. “We have power, but should we use it? Agree with us or be on your way?”

“Our added leverage is they will be relying on us to keep getting the serum,” Colin said almost in a whisper.

“We need you to create something that isn’t the serum if they…” I hesitated. “…don’t prove to be reliable. Which we both feel they won’t be.”

“Liberal, Conservative, Republican, Democrat, Atheist, Christian, Jewish…” George lamented. “It’s all politics!”

“The basic rule!” I nodded. “Kills or doesn't kill,” I said firmly. “We’re not trying to say you have to be one race or one ideology, but I think we’re all in agreement when I say we don’t want people who will kill, lie or steal. That is the basic rule.”

Burke nodded. “That does make sense.” He took George’s hand.

“We will be able to tell what their motives are when they think they have what they need,” I said.

“The dangers are Marissa because she’s been First Vampire for hundreds of years,” Colin said. “She believes herself to be above those basic rules. And Adrian…” Colin shook his head. “I believe given the right circumstance, he would kill. I have no doubt. I have no doubt he has killed and will kill again.”

“If what we feel is proven true, they won’t get the serum again,” I said further. “They will again revert to being what they’ve been since they were turned.”

Colin sat back in his chair. “We need that formula and serum in a highly secure place.”

“Could they determine what the formula is if they studied their own blood after getting the serum and analyst it?” I asked.

George shook his head. “I don’t think so. It was to be tailor-made for each vampire. The serum is not difficult, once you have the basics, but hard to reproduce if you don’t know what you’re doing.” He grinned. “I do.”

“Don’t you think you need to train others on how to make it?” I asked. “God forbid, something happens to you. Colin and I…” I waved to Burke. “…Burke and the others would become vampires again.”

Colin nodded to seeing George’s face. “Devon and I have been discussing the issues I see on your face. We need guidelines.”

George nodded. “But you’re also forgetting something very important.” He pointed out. “While on the serum, they will not be vampires…not really. No fangs, therefore unable to spread the venom to make others. We don’t feed on anyone or anything now because we can’t!” He shook his head. “The serum is more than just a way to go out in the day. It’s a way to prevent someone that’s been turned becoming a potentially deadlier killer.” He looked at Burke. “Personally, I think every vampire should be on the serum. If they break the law, they will be in jail or prison. Do you think the jails or prisons will have the means to keep them from being vampires while in custody?”

“If they do return to being vampires, we’ll all be exposed.” I said. “Especially because the vampire will know where they get the serum and bring it back to us.”

Colin held his hands up. “All of this is important, but we have an issue here now. We’ll deal with this and then move to those other issues when done.”

George sighed. “I took an oath to do no harm. I was a doctor before I was turned. I’ve been a doctor even after I became a vampire.” He thought glumly. “Withholding treatment because I don’t like their politics or something else…it goes against everything I am.” He looked at Colin. “We have allowed people in…namely the FBI. We’re now more open than I am comfortable with, but it is what it is. There’s no turning back now.” He nodded. “I will make the discs that have no serum. We’re going to regret something, I just know it.”

“Understood,” Colin said putting his hand on George’s hand. “Now, Burke…”

Burke looked at Colin surprised. “Me? What do you need from me?”

“Blood.” Colin grinned.

I chuckled. “We’re going to Marissa uninvited, we can’t just show up without a gift of some kind. That would be rude.”

Burke nodded with a smile. “I see.” He shrugged. “I’ll have some delivered here.”

It took a couple of days for the blood to be delivered, but when it was, Colin and I went alone to the hunting club. It was just about sunset. We arrived at the door and I looked at the door puzzled.

“Do we ring a bell?” I asked Colin who just shrugged. “Is there a bell to ring?”

The door opened by a dark-haired man in his mid-thirties I didn’t know. “This is private property.” He said less than friendly.

Colin smiled patiently. “We just came by to see Marissa.”

The man looked surprised that we used her name so casually.

“Unless she’s somewhere else right now,” I said. “But knowing her to be what she is…I don’t think so.”

The man slowly nodded. “Oh, you’re from that other group.” He stepped aside letting us in. “Then you know the way.”

“We’ve only done it once,” Colin said. “But we remember how we were brought down there.” He looked at the man as we walked. Colin held up the cooler. “When she gets up, you might want to tell her not to feed yet.” He raised the cooler. “She might like this.”

They weren’t visited very often apparently. The man listened and just nodded, unaccustomed to casual conversations with strangers who knew a secret he was protecting. “I’ll let her know.” He said as we walked down the stairs to the room again. He waved to a sitting area and started to go down the corridor we’d seen Marissa come out of before. “I’ll let her know you’re here. Colin Wentworth and…” he looked to me.

“Devon Wentworth,” I said.

He nodded.

I looked at the room more closely. Like much of the upstairs, it was furnished with some valuable antiques. There were polished wood and upholstered chairs and sofa, gas lamps with those shades that had to be valuable. There was a rug on a hard stone floor that gave a more cheerful touch. The walls were stone as well, but there were gas lamps lit as the light sources down here. I heard the drip of water somewhere and wondered how they kept the water away. Even if it was an area that had more rock in the foundation, that moisture would warp wood furniture. There were pictures on the walls. Paintings mostly, but no portraits. It was a few minutes before we heard some conversation as Marissa came with the man who had greeted us.

Marissa smiled but held caution in her gaze. “Gentlemen, I am surprised to see you. I thought you didn’t really trust me.”

Colin nodded. “Trust can be earned.” He said smiling. “How can that earned if someone doesn’t extend the olive branch?”

Marissa studied Colin’s face but nodded. “And is that what this is, an olive branch?”

“Our kind is so few,” Colin said with a slight bow. “I hope by showing some good will…trust will just come naturally.”

“Being new to all this,” I said. “I’d love to ask some questions if I can? Without giving too many details, I’d love to learn more about how you became First Vampire. A little history.”

She nodded. “I’ll be happy to share that.”

Colin raised the cooler again. “I know the first thing you’ll be wanting is blood. I brought some very good blood. I’ve had it, it’s very good.”

She smiled again and waved us to sit. “That’s very thoughtful.” She sat as we did. “Adrian would insist you share it with me, in case you’ve…tainted it with something.”

“What would that accomplish?” Colin asked. “You don’t have to take it. It’s a gift, not a weapon.”

“But you don’t feed anymore,” Marissa said.

Colin shook his head. “We don’t need to. We can, but it won’t be the same for us. Blood drank when not craved is not satisfying.” He opened the cooler and brought the bag of blood out. “We will if it will make you feel more secure.”

Marissa looked again and you could tell she was considering if we were planning something. “I’ll trust you.” She didn’t even look back. “Caleb. My goblet.” She knew she’d be obeyed.

The man that greeted us came almost instantly and presented her the gold goblet. Colin opened the port on the bag and let some blood out in the cup.

“I’m afraid it’s cold, but it’s refreshing,” Colin assured.

She sipped it tentatively and I watched her eyebrows rise. “This is good.” She smiled. “But I don’t taste…it’s not human.”

Colin shook his head. “We have a friend that raised some special sheep that give this blood.”

She nodded. “It is good.” She sighed. “So, what do you wish to know?” She waved at another part of the room. “There’s wine over there if you like.”

Colin shook his head. “We’re good.”

“My first question, without telling us where…how many groups of vampires are there in the world?” I asked.

She thought a moment. “Several. There’s one in England that I came from. Two in Western Europe, three in Eastern Europe, five in Africa, three in Asia and four in South America.” Then she laughed. “Oh, yes, and we can’t forget Australia. They get upset when I forget about them.” She smiled. “And of course in the New World, there are three in what’s now the United States and one in Canada. I don’t know about Central America.”

I whistled. “That’s quite a lot! Any numbers you can give us? How many of us are there?” I asked.

She gave a shrug. “Oh, there are thousands. Remember, for all those we can count, there are many that are wild having no humanity left, but they don’t last long. Someone almost always kills them.”

“Why are they not discovered?” I asked. “If someone kills them…”

“They are vampires.” She shrugged. “A man or woman that kills one, even if they report it, there will be no body and no evidence. If there is a body of a victim it goes down as one those many unexplained deaths. Their bodies burn too, just slower, depending on the venom they got. The body's on the slab or in a mortuary and then not. Even with photographs now, it could be staged or explained away.” She said logically. “You have a picture of a body, but when looked for…there isn’t one to be found.”

"Autopsies are done in unexplained deaths." I said.

"The venom in their blood will dissolve any sample." She waved that concern off. "There is the explanation of tainting."

I nodded. “But we don’t die.”

She shrugged. “We can die, but not by any natural cause.”

“And the oldest vampire?” I asked.

“There are old ones in Europe that are close to a thousand.” She answered. “There is a tribe in Africa that is said to have a vampire there that’s close to two thousand years old.” And she smiled. “It is ever rumored there are two that are closer to three thousand, but we don’t hear much about them. I’m not sure where they are.”

“Is there a governing body?” I asked. “Is that the First Vampire?”

“Governing? No. More of a controlling body.” She clarified. “The more people that know about us endangers all of us.” She said logically again.

“So, the title of First Vampire doesn’t mean king or queen?” I asked.

“I saw potential in the New World.” She said. “A chance to expand. I took the challenge of coming here and became to First Vampire of this new world.”

Colin nodded. “You did this on your own?”

She nodded. “The group I was a part of…didn’t much care for a woman that didn’t bother with holding her tongue. This New World would be open. So, I made the journey.”

“That’s pretty risky,” Colin said.

She nodded. “It was, but worth it.” She drank more. “Is there more of this?” She held her goblet out. Colin poured more.

“I brought plenty,” Colin said. “Is Adrian going to want some?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Adrian is more skeptical. He wasn’t taking you up on the offer.”

“I understand.” Colin nodded. “The reason we’ve come is; I’m here to offer the serum.”

Her eyes widened. “You are?”

Colin held up his hand. “With conditions.”

“And those would be?” Marissa asked.

“It needs to be a controlled environment,” Colin explained. “Taking the first of the serum will be very painful.” He looked at me. “We’ve both experienced that. It will take about a week to get the levels to where it is needed to be.” The new disc had been inserted in the back of his arm again he showed Marissa. “After it gets to that level. George has a disc inserted. No more pain, but the blood levels will be maintained. You’ll be free to go out in the day time. The condition is…you do it at Wentworth Manor.”

She nodded. “You have a secure room there? Secure as in keeping me out of sunlight?”

Colin shook his head. “That won’t be necessary. After taking the serum, being awake during the day won’t kill you. The room will be dark, but you won’t burn because the sun’s up.” Then he looked firmly. “But you won’t be a vampire.”

She looked surprised. “I won’t?”

I patted Colin’s arm. “She will still be a vampire, but no fangs or cravings for blood. Your senses will still be enhanced. You will eat, but not be able to store fat.”

Colin nodded. “I don’t know what your role is in this world, but it will change.”

Marissa nodded. “For the better, I trust.”

Colin smiled. “Hopefully. Let Adrian know what the conditions are. Send a message to Wentworth if you decide to take us up on the offer. I’m sure you can do that.”

Marissa nodded. “Of course.” She smiled at Colin. “Let me ask you something?”

Colin nodded. “Okay.”

“Your marriage…” she began. “…that’s your choice?”

"Devon and mine?" Colin looked at me puzzled and then to Marissa. “It was My first marriage was arranged. There have been no others.”

“The only reason I bring it up,” Marissa said. “Have you been with a woman? I mean a woman like us?”

"I have with Debra, my first wife." Colin was not prepared for this. “A female vampire? No!” He shook his head. “And I don’t want to. Devon is my husband. Both of us chose each other. That won’t change.”

Marissa shrugged. “That’s a pity. You’re both handsome men. I wouldn’t object to either of you. A lot can change in a few hundred years. If it does; remember me?”

Colin nodded. “That won’t happen.” He said taking my hand.

She shook her head. “That’s a pity.”

I felt Colin squeeze my hand more. I chuckled as we said our farewells. It was in the car when Colin grabbed me, kissing me. I smiled as he released me. “Not that I mind getting a random kiss from you, but that was for what?”

“I’m your husband. We belong to each other.” Colin said annoyed and waved back at the house. “She propositioned both of us in front of each other!”

I nodded bringing him close to me again. “Well, she has good taste.”

“And…not that it matters too much, but she looks like a child!” Colin said a little angrier. “She’s too young. I’m telling you...you’re it. No one else. You’re my husband and I’m yours, there is no one and will be no one else.”

I chuckled as my arms went around him. “That’s so nice to hear.” I felt his nose move around my face. “You are a very handsome man, Colin. You’re going to attract others.”

He pushed me back slightly. “Maybe. So are you! But I swear…you’re all I want, all I need. You are my everything. Never doubt that.”

“I love you, Colin.”

He smiled kissing me. “I know. I love you, Devon.”

“I know.”