Medford, Texas – The Hall
7:38 PM - Thursday - March 13th 2059
Elsa with her mom entered the hall to find two Emerald vampires waiting on them. Sara the master of the Emerald clan, and Amy, Nancy's granddaughter. As soon as the two saw her, both Emeralds mouths dropped open. Both seemed upset, speaking in whispers among themselves. That got Kate concerned and she asked what was wrong. Sara motioned to the door and suggested that Elsa enter and that Kate should remain. A moment later Amy led her into the office where there was a small group of family waiting on her. And one other, a grey vampire…. No, not just any grey vampire. That was Travis, their King.
Amy went up to Jay and whispered something that caused his eyes to go wide. Both were looking at her, which didn't exactly make Elsa feel warm and fuzzy. Jay stood and seemed unnerved for a moment, like what he was just told was really bad. When he spoke next everyone grew quiet. And most unnerving of all, everyone was looking right at her.
"You should sit down Elsa."
Elsa sat in the chair and looked around the room. Along with Jay and Travis was Jay's wife Hanna, her daughter Amy. Sitting at the desk was Ashley and standing behind her was Adad. A moment of silence later the door opened and another Aqua vampire walked in putting out a warm hand of friendship that touched her shoulder. It was Adad's wife Eleanor. She made her way next to him as Jay finally began.
"Travis tells me you have been asking a lot of questions…. questions about the past."
Elsa saw fear in his eyes, and in those around him. What had them all so scared? Before Jay could continue the door opened again and now it was Kate being led in by both Sara and another vampire. This time Ed, the master of yet another clan, the Cobalt's. Four clan masters in one place, and all wanting to talk to her…. Being scared of her… what in hell was going on?
Elsa in a fright leapt up only to find Kate quickly steading her and guiding her back to the chair. Kate sat down with her and looked around the room and asked the assembled if it was really necessary to do this now. Then she demanded that Art be brought here at the very least.
"No Kate it cant wait any longer. She is asking questions that don't have easy answers. Its time we told her the truth."
Kate leapt up to make her case, and begged Jay not to. The look from Ashley was the most freighting. Ashley had never much liked her and the feeling was mutual. But there was something in that look she had never seen before, it was dangerous. Almost like Ashley was prepared for something.
"That is why you are here Kate, you are her mother and she needs you right now. But its time…."
Kate landed with force back into the chair next to Elsa and immediately took her hand. Elsa was breathing rapidly now, worried at all of this. Before Jay could say something she asked why all the other clans were here, and why the Grey had been spying on her. She knew how it happened. While not allied there was a very strong connection between the leaders of the clans. Travis and Jay were both brothers. Born human and away from this crazy house, they had come to Medford and on their own, become masters of two different clans. How that happened Elsa had no clue, nor did she care right now.
"Travis was doing his brother a favor, but this concerns him and the rest of the council too. Sara is here because she is our closest friend and ally, and from what she just told me, has some explaining to do herself. And as for Ed over there, Zeke is very important to him."
Hearing that told Elsa everyone here knew about her having made love to Zeke. She felt her face grow red, and when this was over she was going to have a word or two for the two brothers. Kings or no, they had no flipping right to spy on her sex life.
Ed interrupted Elsa's thoughts at that point and put a hand on her bending down to look her in the eye.
"He is Elsa. Zeke is very important to me. I love him like a son, him and my daughter should have been happy together….if it wasn't for that damned Ite they would have been."
Ashley blurted out a warning for Ed to keep his mouth shut. But Jay corrected her.
"Ed has every right to say that, its time Elsa knows. She is going to learn one way or the other. Best it come from us, all of us, so there aren't any more misunderstandings."
Ed smiled at her and then pulled back to stand next to Travis. In all her life she had never seen so much of Medford's decision makers in one place before. In this room were easily the oldest and most powerful vampires in the world. And all of them were scared of her, but why? Jay took a breath before he asked the first question.
"What do you remember of Ite?"
Medford, Texas – Locke Home
9:04 PM - Thursday - March 13th 2059
Art was watching his wife and this girl carefully. They had been in this link now for a full day. He was worried for Nancy, she was pushing things again. It was hardly new, pushing life was nearly a profession for Nancy. She had been leading this clan on and off for centuries. Doing what no other vampire dared to do, or thought to do. This clan had two such legends living inside it. Both her and Eleanor were feared by any who crossed them. Respected by their enemies, and never taken lightly. Anyone who did was a first-class fool.
When Nancy decided to act she did, permission or no. Jay might be King now, but he was still a child in her eyes. He was married to her daughter and looked at Nancy like a son did a mother. Because of this relationship, Art didn't fear what Jay might do to Nancy for her disobeying his order. Ultimately what Jay wanted was for Gerold and Elsa to come home, and find partners to build a life with. If Nancy could pull that off then she could be easily forgiven.
But whatever this was, it had to be a drain on her. This wasn't the link and it wasn't what Ashley feared. Art scoffed audibly at the thought Ashley had. As if Nancy would just re-write her personality like Ite had done, she wasn't like that. Art knew Nancy better than any soul who ever lived. They had been man and wife for years, and unlike the others in her life, he had merged with her in the link. He had seen nearly every memory still inside that massive brain of hers. Seen life from every century, seen children, lovers, friends long gone. And they knew each other, well beyond the meaning of the term. Their good parts and their bad parts. Nearly a century of life and most of it spent wishing for each other, or living with each other. Nancy was not going to wipe her memory if she could help it. Buck had taught her well that lesson. What Nancy was doing was trying to teach that child. Art would bet his life on it.
He checked her pulse and again wondered if he should try to enter the link with them. He had once already, and had been told lovingly and quietly to leave. Whatever her plan was she didn't have the strength to talk to him about it. He had to trust that she wasn't in danger, and trust she knew what she was doing. Trust in the latter was easy, she generally always did. But trust that she wouldn't endanger herself… not so much.
"How is she?"
Art turned at a very familiar voice. Standing in the doorway was an old friend. Marcus had been the towns physician for many years before stepping down. Then he had a career as an educator, now he did research in step with another of his clan. They were looking to help vampires deal with the stress of life using various techniques. Marcus from the medical side, and Aaron from the psychological. Art replied that she was stable but he was worried.
"I asked Barb if she is ok and she claims she will be as long as she doesn't try stay in this state another day or more. She says Nancy is having Hope live each day, one by one in the link as if she was Johanne. As far as Barb knows this is the first time your people have ever done this. Leave it to Nancy to uncover a new ability. I haven't told Aaron yet about this. If I did he would start writing up a new paper on it and want to do a full research project. I told Barb to keep it quiet too, but that should only buy you 24 hours Art."
Art laughed, more so than he felt. He hadn't laughed much in the last couple of days. Kate was leaving, his daughter was a mess, and now this. But thinking about Barb always made him shake his head. Marcus's visitor was always interesting, never dull, and generally absurd on the best of days. Aaron meant it as a joke and smiled broadly at Art's reaction.
"I wouldn't worry too much about her. There aren't any tougher than her that I know. She will be ok, and I wager so will her young charge. How are you holding up?"
Art hadn't slept since the start of all this. Going to Elsa and putting on his best face had been a stretch. But he had to reach that girl. She was in over her head and she just didn't want to see it. She needed a bit of slack in her rope, if she didn't get it, Art was sure it would strangle her. All things considered he would much rather see her human and happy, than a long-lived vampire and falling apart. He put on his mask again and told his friend he was fine. Then he asked Marcus how things were with the Rubies. Marcus's ruby clan had once been the largest clan in existence. Their growth had been outstripped by the Emeralds in the last couple of decades. But what the Rubies lacked in growth they were making up for in personal development. Their entire way of life was being rebuilt. The Rubies of the next century would look nothing like those of the previous 40.
"Oh, we are fine, Abby is pregnant again, I am not sure how many that makes for her now. Chase is about a year away from starting his residency, taking after his dad. Just like yours Art, he wants to stay in the family business."
Most of Art's sons worked with him in his construction business at least some of their adult life. Gerold was the only one who didn't follow him into the trades. About that time, he realized what Marcus had just said.
"Marcus, Abby is your wife, how is it you can't count how many kids you have?"
Marcus laughed that guttural thing he did when he really got into it. He didn't respond to that and just smiled. Marcus was proud of his family and the love he had found there. For nearly a century Marcus had difficulty finding love. He had failed to produce another vampire since the 19th century and had been alone in more ways than one. All of that changed with Abby entering his life right before the war. Marcus was a very different man now.
"Abby made some dinner for you, and I put it on your table. You should go eat it, and then call your thrall over and feed the other way too. You need to keep your strength if you aren't going to sleep Art. You want to have control when she wakes up."
Food and a feeding didn't sound half bad. He loved Abby, she was a sweetheart and a good wife to Marcus. Far better a wife for him than Barb had been when she pretended to be human. Art was old enough to remember that. And many others who Art had loved and respected who were now gone. It was such a bittersweet part of being a vampire. You stayed young and the world aged around you. Not just your mentors and idols died, but your contemporaries. The next phase Art knew would come; he would eventually outlive some of the human children. In his case he was fortunate, none of his children were. But plenty of the others had human children. Marcus included, which reminded Art.
"I was sorry to hear about Lorenzo, did he reach out to you before he passed?"
Marcus put up his own mask and shook his head no. Father and son had never managed to come together. He had come to America two decades before with his mother when Marcus had found them. Still living in his father's villa in the northeast of Italy.
"Some things are just not meant to be my friend. Treasure your young ones why you can. Eventually you have to say goodbye to some of them."
Art knew that already. Before he had been with Kate and then Nancy he had another wife. An unhappy woman with a child that wasn't his. He had raised that girl as his own, yet neither mother or daughter had cared for him. Still Art had provided for and tried to love them. Both were gone now, long since. He sometimes wondered how Nancy did it. A thousand years, countless lives lived, children and husbands buried to just do it again the next century. At least now with the two of them, perhaps they could last the test of time together. But there were countless examples of vampires who had tried that and failed. Nancy and Gerold were one. At thinking of him Art's smile abruptly ended. He walked up to his friend and thanked him for his kindness and then escorted him out. He would eat before returning to his love's side. And perhaps he would call his thrall over too. It could be a long night from the looks of it. If Barb said she had another 24 hours of rope, he knew Nancy would use it.
Medford, Texas – The Hall
8:15 PM - Thursday - March 13th 2059
Kate watched her daughter closely, worried like all the others that Ite would strike back from the grave. The children were her revenge, her last curse at those that had taken her life. In the last days of Ite she had taken all the children and using her ability had changed them. At the time it was thought she had only given them their powers early. But in the months after it became clear it went much further than that. It started with Jay's children first, his daughter Maya began to manifest vampire ability not just the vampiric vision. She began to trigger the other children, even children of the Emerald were affected as they were all very close. Ite it seemed had planned a failsafe in the children, that if she would die they would seek out her revenge.
It had been discovered almost with little time to spare. With the help of the Alpha vampires among them, and the visitors, the children had been saved. But only just, to prevent Ite's wrath from resurfacing Jay and Nancy had wiped the children's memory of parts of their youth. In their place was pleasant memories of Ite, not the horrors she wrought. Kate's own Elsa was one of them, just a little girl then. Kate's worst nightmare was coming true, and it took all her strength to hold it back. She knew if Jay was telling Elsa this, then he thought it likely she was triggered again. If so then it also was likely he was planning on dealing with her. Kate had no illusions on a battle between her and Jay, much less all the others. But she wasn't going to watch her child be killed in front of her. If her family turned to kill her, then Kate would defend her child. The clan be damned, even if Elsa turned on her she wasn't going to give up on her daughter. But she trusted her clan and her friends. But they were scared, that like Maya, that Elsa could spread this to the others. All of them had children and grandchildren now to protect.
It was clear from what Elsa was saying that she didn't know anything about Ite and didn't understand why everyone was so sensitive about her. Before Jay could speak again, Kate pleaded indirectly for her daughter's life. Even if poor Elsa didn't realize it was in jeopardy right now.
"I know everyone is concerned, and we all have a right to be. But the child clearly doesn't remember anything about Ite. Nor should she…."
Kate made it crystal clear with her tone two things. Just where she fell in this argument and looking directly at Jay, that she was ready to die to defend her. Jay softened and looked apologetic but quickly found his strength.
"No one doubts you Kate, we all know you love her. I would react the say way if it was Maya. But it is gone too far, we can't ignore it anymore. And if anyone can withstand it its Elsa, I am sorry Kate we can't put the genie back in the bottle."
Elsa made it clear what she thought, she wanted to know. Kate wanted to tell her to shut up, but she couldn't. That would just drive Elsa to find out more. Elsa was stubborn, and now that she knew there was a grand secret…. She wouldn't let it go. She could be like that when she got focused on something. When Elsa decided to do something, there wasn't a force on Earth that could stop her. Even if Kate wished like hell there was a way. Her heart nearly stopped when Jay began.
"When you were a little girl Elsa, Ite…. Arrived in Medford. There is more to that but that isn't the secret you want to know about. Ite is what we call a founder vampire. She was one of the very first vampires created. Ite and her husband were the first Aqua vampires. All of this took place over 4000 years ago, very far from here."
Kate heard the story that had been told and retold many times. After Ite that story had gone underground. Less it trigger the Emerald or Aqua children. Knowledge of the founding of vampires, Alphas, Founders, and Visitors had been suppressed. It wasn't hard, Vampires were naturally a secretive lot anyway.
"There was a village in Mesopotamia around 1960 BC. There was a horrible pestilence the year before in this village. It took many lives, especially among the very old and the very young. Ite and her husband lost their children in this pestilence."
Kate looked up at Adad who was looking down. Eleanor put a hand on him in a loving way. Kate understood why, the children that Jay was speaking about who had died over 4000 years before, were Adad's. Ite was his wife before Eleanor was.
"One day some visitors arrived, travelers dusty from the trail. Ite and her husband took them in and fed them. Gave them shelter from the storms. In return for this great kindness, the visitors said they wished to repay in kind."
Jay looked over at Adad and Eleanor and it was Eleanor not Adad who stepped forward. She pulled up another chair and took Elsa's hand which Kate had let go. She watched almost helplessly as the others fed her child the method for her destruction.
"Jay speaks to what he sees as history. But I and Adad were there child. I grew up with Adad in that village and as children we played together. It wasn't unlike how it was for you and Gerold and the Emeralds. I fell in love with him when I was just a girl. But his mother didn't approve of me."
Kate heard the small bitterness in her voice. Even after all these years Eleanor resented Adad's mother for that choice. Something every living Aqua could understand. Especially for whom his mother had chosen in her place. At this point Adad came forward and explained.
"Mother found a local woman, one she thought worthy for me. We were married before my 16th birthday. When I was 21 we lost our children to the sickness Jay spoke of. That loss hurt Ite more than you can imagine. She wasn't really the same after that Elsa. A lot of her joy died when they did. She wasn't ready for the gift the visitors gave that day."
"None of us where honey."
Kate lightly laughed at that. Eleanor had said that in a loving yet mocking way to her husband. An understatement if there ever was one. Fourteen families all turned into fourteen different types of vampires. Each family getting a unique power and gift. Each with their own signet and stone that represented them. For Ite and Adad it was Aquamarine. For the Amae the founder of the clan Amy belonged to, it was Emerald, and on and on. The visitors thought they were enhancing the town, gifting them powers to survive a difficult world. In that they had succeeded, but far too well. Some of the powers, and the individuals that took them, did far more harm than good.
"Me and Ite were separated after ten centuries together. The powers we held were simply too much, too powerful for our children to handle. It corrupted them in ways…"
Adad's voice trailed off in memory of children he had lost. Kate knew the public version of that story, and the private one. Adad had to suffer as some of his children so corrupted by that power had become monsters. It had become so bad that Adad had to kill more than one when things went too far. Some of them became murderous psychopaths. After the last time he swore never to touch Ite again. Hanna put a hand on Adad and guided him back to the wall. Eleanor finished what Adad could not.
"Ite and their children were not the good souls they could have been. Ite felt betrayed by Adad, and by me. You see I still loved Adad and I desired him. Adad was and is the best man I know, and I wanted him in my life. But the way I acted and what I did, it put great anger in Ite's heart for me and for Adad."
Kate smiled internally at Eleanor dancing around the fact that Eleanor, a Cobalt vampire founder, had used her seduction power to control Adad. Forcing him into her bed, and giving her a child of her own. Ite wasn't furious, she was murderous. Which was dangerous between such beings as they were. Unlike Elsa, the founders were and are, far more powerful. Adad and Ite could with a thought wipe a person of everything that made them who they were. Recraft them in a different image. That kind of power was simply too much for nearly anyone. Jay interrupted Eleanor to save her from having to admit to her acts.
"When Ite returned in modern times, she found her clan much changed. And she found Eleanor had become part of it. Ite had sworn revenge on Eleanor and felt she deserved leadership of her people, not me. She began by changing those of us she could get her hands on. Starting with Nancy, and your mother"
Elsa turned to look at her and Kate nodded that it was true. For a time, she served Ite as if she was more than a King. Ite's will was law, and the things she did to Art then, caused her to wilt under Elsa's eye. Art had forgiven her and Nancy for what they had done, but still. Elsa asked how she changed her. In that moment mother and daughter were suddenly alone as if the others were not present.
"Ite wanted me to bring Art over to her side, so I betrayed him. Got him fired from his job, and more. I did it willingly when I was under her control. I did a lot of horrible things to your father."
Elsa looked appalled but that wasn't the end of it. Ite had done far worse, and demanded still more.
Medford, Texas – 2nd floor of the Hall
8:20 PM - Thursday - March 13th 2059
The conference room below had not always been so. When Zeke had first arrived in Medford that space was fully open and had been a gathering place for all Vampires. Jay and Hanna had been married in it, and more than one funeral had been held there. When the space was converted, Art's contracting crew had done the work. At the time Zeke had been a member of that crew. He well remembered laboring in this damn place.
He could also remember putting up the drywall in that room. There had once been a mail shoot that fed down to the first floor from the 2nd and 3rd. Zeke had removed only the portion of it attached to the 1st floor, not the parts on the others. Thus, Zeke had a nice long hollow tube that allowed him to spy on the proceedings below. By adding a small mic down the hole, he could listen via his headset.
Zeke had been biding his time for two decades to complete a task his master had requested. He was true to his love, even after everyone else had betrayed her. She had instructed him to wait this long so that this generation could come to adulthood. It would lull the traitors to sleep and allow him easy access to them. But to do this required a deep sacrifice.
Even now Zeke struggled with balancing his emotions. On one hand he had loved Persephone, his wife passionately. But Ite did not approve, and what Ite desired Zeke must provide. So, he had sabotaged everything. His marriage, his work, and how the others saw him. He didn't want to, but Ite demanded. Even now his heart burned for his lost love. She had grown tired of his weakness and moved on. A part of Zeke fought against the part of him loyal to Ite. But no matter, Persephone had fallen out of love with him and thrown him away.
Was that not proof that he served the right master? Was it not proof of whom his real love was? Yet his unwavering love and devotion to Ite had limits. She was dead, and what possible future could they have? Was he to be alone for life, and when he succeeded what then? He would have killed and destroyed everyone he cared about. Yet he desired this above all else, and his whole life since Ite, had been dedicated to this day. And the first move he had made to approach Elsa, how had it fared? Somehow the prey had got wind of things. Then he heard about Travis and suddenly it was clear. The grey vampires were stealthy, they could stand in the room and you wouldn't even know it.
Zeke grew cold to the thought; he must have observed them make love. Clearly they knew something if Ed was there. Next time, if there was a next time, he would have to more careful.
Medford, Texas – The Hall
8:35 PM - Thursday - March 13th 2059
Elsa had heard each person in the room recount just how horrible Ite was and what she had done. From what Elsa remembered she was this sweet old grandmother to all the kids. Jay explained why that was.
"I put that memory into your mind Elsa. I didn't want you to feel the trauma of that day. I wanted you to remember her in a good way. Because at one time she had been a decent person. Many of the founders I spoke to said that Ite and Adad were some of the best of them."
Jay turned and looked at Adad and smiled saying he could understand why. Adad however didn't make eye contact with Jay and had largely stayed quiet. That made Elsa curious so she asked Adad why then lie to her about all this, and why change her memories. She wanted to hear it from him, not Jay or mom. If Adad was her husband she wanted to hear it from him. He looked up at the question and then saw everyone was looking directly at him. What he said next chilled her.
"Jay is wrong about her, the Ite that arrived in this town…she was evil Elsa. I can't say we were the best of anything. We failed our friends by not choosing a side, and we failed our children most of all."
Elsa could see just how powerful the guilt was for Adad. The look in his eyes stunned her. She had never seen a man hurt so much before.
"I should have stood up to her a long time ago but I didn't. You see my wife didn't like to lose. Ite would much rather see this clan die without her than thrive. She saw the people of your family not as people Elsa, but THINGS she could use. And you and the other children were her weapons. She intended for you and your kind to murder the rest of us."
Elsa finally understood the specific thing they feared. Yet she found it funny and she laughed. That got everyone's attention, more than one pulled back a bit at her laughter.
"Please, how on earth could I possibly hurt any of you? Why be scared of me, I am not a soldier or a killer. I am just a bank manager, how on earth could I be a threat?"
Kate was the one who responded which made her see things very differently.
"Because dear, we love you. If you came to hurt me or Art, neither of us could bare to hurt you in return. You are our child, both of us would rather die than harm you. Don't you see, the others are just like me and Art. And their children are effected too, if you trigger them then we don't stand a chance. It's one thing to take your life to save the others, but if you trigger the others…. No one will be able to stop it."
Elsa began to understand what this really was. That look from Ashley, some in that room were prepared to kill her rather than see her turn into a monster. From the way a few of the others looked after mom spoke it was clear they didn't like her saying that. The look mom gave her told her that she wouldn't harm her. Which right now meant the world to her. Never before, not for a second did she ever fear her family. But right now….
"I don't understand how you know all this? Why are you so sure I am going to lose it?"
Elsa had said it to her mother more than the others. But the moment she did, Kate sighed and looked over at Hanna and Jay. Jay didn't respond but Hanna did.
"Because my Linda when she was 16….we told her about this, we thought we had nothing to worry about. But we were wrong…. She tried to hurt all of us."
Elsa had remembered when Linda died. She had been out with her father and mother learning to drive and had an accident. So that story was a lie too. A part of Elsa wondered just how many lies had been told to her, and how much of this she could trust. But her anger ebbed as she saw poor Hanna sob at remembering. Jay put a hand on her but he didn't look much better. Kate took it from there.
"It's why we were so hard on poor Hope. And why we are hard on any possible suitor for any of you. Our clan wants good people sweety, that is easy to understand. But our children whom Ite touched, well we have to be extra careful. They have to be dedicated to their spouses. They can't just be infatuated; they have to be 100% dedicated to them. Otherwise, if the worst comes, they won't save their spouse. Each of the partners we have approved know, they are sworn never to tell their spouse and to watch for signs something is amiss. Hope if the worst came, would choose herself not Gerold. That is why we said no."
Elsa asked if there was a way to save them, to prevent all this from happening, and how she would know if it was happening to her. Now she was scared, if Linda did this… then she could. Was she really going to die today, at the hands of her own family?
"No, we don't know a way, the spouses are just trying to steer their partner away from asking questions. When you started to ask questions about the past it was exactly what we saw in Linda before she turned."
Elsa looked from face to face. Several of them looked away rather than look her in the eye.
"So, am I going to die?"
Kate started to respond but stopped. Looking to Jay and then to Eleanor. It was Ashley however who responded, and coldly. Her affirmative response chilled her and she gripped her mother's hand tightly.