It’s my brother’s favourite song, from the band I took him to see.
I close my eyes tightly.
By the time the chorus hits, I’m back at the bar.
The vampire raises her eyebrow when she sees me.
“How…howgenerously do you pay?” I ask shakily.
CHAPTER 2: FINALLY
Crimson
“Are youabsolutelycertain?” I hiss into the speaker phone. “Don’t play games with me, Celine Côté.”
“I’m certain,” she replies, curtly. Even over the phone, her voice commands respect and deference.
But if what she’s saying is true, this could completely alter the political dynamics of our entire region. I lean back in the leather chair at the desk in my crypt as I take in this news.
“Who did it?” I demand.
She pauses for a moment. “Renata.”
Not surprising. Renata is a powerful vampire, although she was two hundred years younger than my Creator.
And ultimately, it doesn’t matter who staked him.
All that matters is that he’s gone.
“You’ll send the body immediately,” I tell Celine. It’s a threat, not a request. The manner in which we handle this situation will determine whether or not the northern vampire alliance remains intact, or if our regions will erupt into a bloody civil war.
“Of course.” Her voice is steely, but respectful.
“Any other casualties?”
Celine lists the names of the other vampires in my clan who were staked during the conflict. It’s a blow to our numbers, but not a significantly consequential one.
As she speaks, I run a finger along the wooden edge of my stakethoughtfully. I’m glad that I received this call alone, in the privacy of my crypt. I don’t want any other members of my clan to know before I decide how I’d like to handle this situation. I want to make my next move alone.
I lean across the ebony desk. With a measured tone, I address the leader of the northern vampire alliance. “I value our relationship, Celine. And I appreciate that you conveyed this information to me directly. I trust that you feel the same.”
“I do. I believe that we can continue the partnership our Creators worked so hard to build.”
“Excellent.”
“Then we’re in agreement?”
“We are. For now.”
There’s another pause on the other end of the line, a hint of tension. But I want her to know that I won’t simply bow to her leadership. I’ve spent my entire existence building my own reputation here, in the Night vampire clan. If she wants to keep my allegiance, she’s going to have to earn it. And so much will shift in the wake of this news. I don’t want to cement my alliances just yet.
Celine continues, her voice a little harder. “Renata will make arrangements to have Xavian’s body sent to you before dawn. I trust that this gesture will convey our…goodwilltoward you and your clan.”
“The message is received. Good night, Celine. And my condolences to you on the loss of your Creator.”
“My condolences in kind. Good night, Crimson.”
There’s a crispclickon the line as the call ends.
