Our dirty little secret," Richard confesses.
"Vampires can feed on other vampires," Victor explains. "That's been under lock and key and was kept out of the VampHu for fear that humans would stop giving blood if they knew."
No kidding. Everyone thinks vampires depend on human blood to survive, and now I'm learning they can feed on one another as well? That they could be self-sustaining? Richard looks at me keenly. "You're wondering why we need you."
"Drinking from another vampire isn't a permanent solution," Victor says firmly.
They trade sentences back and forth as they explain the Thirst: Under dire circumstances, vampires can take the blood of other vampires. It'll get them through the night and give them enough strength until they can find human blood. Once, maybe twice a year and it's fine. The problem comes when they keep feeding on their brethren. Every month. Every week. Every night. The Thirst kicks in and they change. They become addicts, losing all sense of reason and understanding—like rabid dogs. Their fangs grow, their eyes turn black, and all they want is blood. Vampire blood. They've lost the taste for human blood, but it doesn't stop them from devouring any who get in the way.
I remember Victor whispering thirst on my balcony. "That vampire that was attacked near the school. You think that's why another vampire was responsible?"
I can see the worry in his eyes. "Yes. I think the beginnings of the Thirst may be taking root here."
"Is there a cure?" I ask.
"A stake through the heart or a field trip into sunlight." Richard attempts to bring a bit of levity to a very serious subject.
"If a cure exists, no one's found it," Victor says. "It's a recent phenomenon. Before the war, there were few vampires and plenty of humans. Blood was plentiful. Now, not so much." "Which was the problem in Los Angeles," Richard says. "Our blood supply has dwindled as the humans stop donating, but the damn city is so strong, so well defended, that even if I wanted to sneak some vampires in, I couldn't. I've offered to pay blood slaves huge amounts of money, but the stigma of selling blood to vampires lasts a lifetime, and I haven't had many takers."
Richard goes into more detail, telling me that the situation is completely opposite from the one here. The Carrolltons aren't as strong as the Valentines; their grip over the population is weak. As a result, the city is late on blood payments all the time, sometimes going months without delivering at all. And unlike Denver, their walls stretch higher, farther, and are fiercely defended.
"But the inside of the city is rotting like an apple's core," he says. "The Agency there is inept. The people are starving, and so are the vampires on the outside. We have too many damn Lessers."
"So what does that have to do with starting a war with your father?" I ask, trying to draw the connection between the Thirst and family infighting. "My father, just like Richard's, refuses to give any attention to the seriousness of the problem. The Thirst is like a plague making its way across the country. If it ever reaches Denver in full force, it'll turn the area outside the wall into a giant killing field. Imagine an entire race of vampires driven mad. They'll rip one another apart. And even Old Families won't be safe."
"Are they that powerful? To take on Old Families?"
"In their numbers? Yes. Even a vampire as powerful as my father. The Thirst doesn't play by our rules. Infected vampires don't care about duty or honor. All they care about is where to get their next fix."
"Not only that," Richard chimes in, "they're insane. They've lost all control. No one is safe. Not vampires. Not humans. They can't be reasoned with. They're set on destroying everything. When it comes to monsters, the citizens of this city haven't seen anything yet."
Richard's genuine fear sends a shiver through me.
"So what are you going to do?" I ask.
"I'll try to reason with my father," Victor says. "I've tried in the past, and been harshly punished for questioning him. He still doesn't believe the Thirst exists. He actually thinks it's just a myth, an urban legend spun out of control. If he won't listen this time, I'm prepared to take more drastic measures."
"Such as?"
"I'll ask him to step down."
I scoff. "You might as well ask him to fly to the moon. He'll never give up his throne."
"I don't expect him to," Victor says with regret. "But it's the proper thing to do, before the next step is taken."
I look at him, then back at Richard, seeing the pieces fall together.
"You can't be serious," I say. "Are you really prepared to battle your own father?" "It's not my first choice, but in a lot of ways, I've been preparing my whole life."
"That's right," Richard says. "And I'll serve as Victor's witness, if that time comes."
When an Old Family vampire ascends the throne through challenging the clan leader, a witness from another family must verify that it was a fair fight. I don't envy Richard the job. Even if his friend were dying, all he could do would be watch. It's the way of the vampires.
"That's quite a burden," I say.
"It's an honor," Richard counters.
"He'll be doing me a great service," Victor says. "Most Old Family vampires refuse to become entangled in other families' affairs. After all, if you're a witness, that means you support the changing of the status quo. Without Richard backing me, I couldn't do this."
"What if you just staked your father when no one was looking?" I ask. "I mean, who's to argue with you?"
"Every Valentine in the world. They'd all claim they were the rightful heirs. My father has two brothers; they each have several children, and each of them has even more. My uncles and cousins would be vying for control."
"But aren't you the obvious choice?"
"The head of the family is not based on a direct bloodline. It's all about power. With Richard backing me, there will be no question that I was the one who destroyed my father, and I am the one who will take his throne."
"As much as vampires work in the shadows," Richard says, "we never like to admit that. A witness makes things more proper, in our minds."
"What if someone can't find a witness?" I ask.
"Then all they can do is hope for the best. Kill the lord, and then everyone who gets in their way. It rarely works. Old Families don't like when vampires break code."
"If my father won't take the Thirst seriously," Victor says, "then I'll have no choice. I can't stand by and let the entire world face this monstrosity just because a few ancient vampires refuse to recognize its existence." "Unfortunately, we have an additional problem," Richard says gravely. "I heard through the grapevine that your father contacted your brother a few months ago. Speculation is that he's here in the city. If that's the case, it could explain the attack on you tonight. He might have tipped off the Agency in an effort to get rid of you."
"Why didn't you tell me you had a brother?" I ask Victor.
"He's not really acknowledged. Father hated his other son, called him a bastard child, a freak of nature. I don't know why. He kept him locked up in another manor, far away from us. Eventually, he banished his own child before he was even a teenager. Why my father would reach out to him now, I have no idea. And whether it's tied to all of this, I don't know. But I can't imagine he's just making amends."
"What was his name?"
"I don't even know that. My father refused to speak about him. The only things I gathered were from information I pieced together over time: He was born after me, but he had some sort of mutation. Father wouldn't discuss it, but he blamed the boy's mother. Shortly after the imperfection was discovered, she was killed, I suspect by Valentine himself. My brother, after he was banished, spent his life wandering, never staying in one place for too long."
"So if you saw him, would you recognize him?"
"No. There aren't any paintings or photos of him. I never even met him. I think my father wanted Faith and me to be kept separate from the 'freak,' as he called him." As though unsettled by the direction of the conversation, Victor stands. "I'm going to take Dawn home."
Richard walks us to the door. "How's Faith?" he asks casually, as though it's not important, and yet I sense it is.
"Fine. She'll be on my side soon enough," Victor says.
"Does she ever talk about me?"
I hear the hope in Richard's voice. "That must've been a hundred years ago," Victor says. "Ninety-eight. She broke my heart, you know." "Sorry, Richard, she never mentions you." "Pity. I look forward to seeing you again, Dawn," Richard says. "You're as … intriguing as Victor implied."
I feel myself blush at his words. I follow Victor out, surprised to realize that I never felt at risk in that room, even though I was surrounded by four vampires.
Sometime later, we stop just shy of my building, and Victor cuts the engine on the motorcycle. We disembark and he rolls it behind some brush.
"I'm going up with you," he says. "I want to make sure you get into your apartment safely."
"I'll be fine once I get into the building."
"I'm not going to argue about this. I need to see that you're safe. As a matter of fact … it might be time to talk with Rachel, to make sure she has someone watching you at all times."
"What exactly are you thinking of telling her?" I ask. "Everything. Maybe she'll know something about the attack at the theater tonight. But whatever is going on, I'm sure my father is behind it."
I know Victor's right, but I also know that I'm the one who will be left to deal with Rachel's anger and disappointment. And she will be mad when she learns that I've been hanging around not only with a vampire but with Valentine's son.
"Are you sure that's a smart move?" I ask as we walk up the steps to the front door.
"Guess we'll find out."
As we pass the guard, I ask after his family in an effort to distract him from studying Victor too closely. In the elevator, Victor and I are both staring at the numbers changing as we go up. It's the first time we've had a moment to just be since we kissed.
"What happened at the movie theater," he says quietly. "It won't happen again."
He's not talking about the attack. He's talking about the kiss.
"You're right," I say. "It—us—is a bad idea. I know that."
"In the next few nights, everything will change, Dawn."
"I know."
The elevator dings and I nearly jump out of my skin.
"Wait," Victor says, and he steps out and glances around the hallway. "Okay."
"What were you going to do if someone was here? Send me back down?" I ask. "Like I'd leave you to fight alone."
"You know, retreat is an honorable defensive maneuver," he says. "Live to fight another day."
"And how often have you retreated?"
He grins. "Never. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't."
Fumbling for my keys, I realize how nervous I am about introducing Victor to Rachel. My keys hit the floor. I bend down to pick them up and my head bumps against the door. It would be incredibly embarrassing, if the door didn't creak open.
"What the hell? We always lock it...."
Before I can stand up, Victor kicks the door wide open with a thunderous noise. I can see straight through the open doors leading to the balcony, the moonlight streaming in, and someone perched on the rails, his hoodie pulled tight around his face. He gives us one look, then jumps.
Victor dashes through the apartment onto the balcony, stops at the railing, and peers down. I come in and flip the first light switch I can get my hand on. The apartment is destroyed. Nothing appears left undisturbed.
And then my gaze lands on a form crumpled beside the couch, blood pooling beneath her head.
"Oh my God! Rachel!"
Gingerly, Victor lifts her onto the couch while I call for an ambulance. In spite of the vehicle and gasoline shortage, the Agency does make sure that emergency vehicles are available.
Rachel is so still, the gash on the back of her head an obscene crimson in direct contrast to her pale face.
As soon as I hang up with the paramedics, I call Jeff. He must have been nearby, because he beats the ambulance. He's almost as pale as Rachel as he kneels beside her and takes her limp hand. "What happened?"
"Someone broke into the apartment," I say.
"A vampire," Victor clarifies.
I tried to get him to leave before Jeff got here, but he wouldn't. He wouldn't even go into my bedroom to wait in secret.
Jeff looks up at him. "And who are you?"
"Victor."
"A Night Watchman," I say hastily. "We were out together...." I don't want to explain, not now, not until we figure out what's going on. I don't want to put Jeff or Victor in danger.
"Thought you were at a study group." Jeff shakes his head. "Doesn't matter. All that matters is Rachel."
The paramedics arrive then. While they're tending to Rachel, Victor and Jeff flank me as I pore through the entire apartment. It's a disaster, but nothing obvious is missing.
"He was looking for something very specific," Victor says.
"I can't think of what. Any important Agency files are kept at the office, not here," I say.
"Maybe something personal, then," Victor muses. "Some vampires like to know more about who they're stalking before they strike."
A shiver travels up me. No telling what that creep was doing before we got here.
"Stalking?" Jeff asks. "A vamp's been stalking you and you didn't say anything?"