Chapter Eight

"I am the way the truth and the light, no one gets to the fath- -"

Dante's prayer was interrupted when the room door abruptly swung open. Dante briefly looked away from his black, leather-bound bible to see who it was. It was Alexander.

"Everyone's having a good time downstairs and here you are stuck up here reading an ancient book." Alexander said.

"I needs to pray every day, so I can find salvation and eternal life." Dante said.

"Ha! Don't be ridiculous you are already immortal, you don't need that anymore." Alexander said.

Dante immediately went back to reading the bible verses before him.

"To each his own I suppose. Well, you've been cooped up all day, come downstairs and socialize with the rest of the nest."

After a slight hesitation, Dante put his bible down on the table before him, blew out a small candle on the right of him and followed Alexander downstairs.

Downstairs, were the usual vampires from the nest and some others; many stood in groups, drinking blood and joking with one another, sharing various stories and the latest news they heard regarding the war.

Dante took for himself a cup of blood and had a seat on a vacant stool near a few vampires he was well acquainted with. Dante drank and conversed for several minutes with the other vampires, when suddenly a fight broke out in the lounge between a vampire and a few guests he has never seen before.

"Just give us more blood, it costs you nothing!"

The argument was between a young man Dante was not acquainted with, and Longshadow, a vampire with long, dark hair, who was a member of Alexander's nest. The young man was red in the face and veins were visible from his neck. A young brunette woman around the same age was with him.

"We can give you more money. We're both very wealthy, just give us more of your blood," the young woman said.

The young woman seemed much calmer than the man; however she spoke with a certain sense of entitlement that was all too common with those who are from wealthy families.

"Okay, we're finished here." Longshadow said, before turning his back on the young man and woman.

Without warning the young man leapt on Longshadow. The young woman attempted to pull the young man off of Longshadow, but the young man pushed her to the ground. The entire party turned their attention to the fight. Longshadow threw the young man off of him with ease. The young man, now on the ground, pulled out a crucifix from his pocket and pointed it at Longshadow. It became apparent that this young man was not a vampire himself.

"Burn!" The young man yelled, his face bright red and sweaty.

Alexander who was standing by a wall with Mary turned his attention toward the commotion.

"Who in God's name is that?" Alexander asked.

"Oh, that's George and Victoria. They're humans that like to buy vampire blood. From what I hear it is very addicting and gives them super physical abilities. Well, not quite like ours of course but fairly close." Mary replied.

"There are humans, here? Are you all out of your minds?"

The angry young man rose to his feet and turned toward Dante. "Get me a drink boy!" Dante ignored the demand.

"No, you are a guest in our house," Mary said to the young man.

Alexander walked to the human pair, who began to rant to him shortly, before Alexander glamoured the two. The two humans were commanded to leave and forget the party. Alexander then demanded that the vampires escort any other humans out of the party; about half a dozen human beings were glamoured and showed out.

Alexander called the attention of all of the vampires at the party.

"Listen up everyone. We cannot, I repeat, cannot bring humans to events such as these. Our identity is to be kept a secret. Many people think we are a myth, yet there are others that will not hesitate to kill us when they get the chance. So please do not do foolish acts such as selling your blood." The crowd listened to Alexander reverently.

"There are some myths that may work in favor though. Humans think you will burn at the sight of a cross, or that your image does not show up in a mirror. If you can show them your reflection in a mirror, or show them you are unaffected by crosses, you may be able to convince them you are human." Alexander paused wordlessly for a little while, as if thinking for more words to say, but then walked away.

As the crowd continued to mingle, Alexander walked over to his progeny.

"That, is the precise reason I did not want you associating with Lorena. Actions such as hers, and selling vampire blood, bring unwanted attention to vampires. That kind of attention can prove to be dangerous, we do not need that," Alexander said.

A tall, blonde, middle-aged woman, with strong cheekbones walked over to Dante and Alexander.

"Well, that could have gotten out of hand couldn't it?" The woman said.

"Please don't remind me." Alexander replied to the woman before introducing her to his progeny.

"Dante, this is Nan Flanagan, Nan, this is my progeny Dante."

"Pleasure," she replied, with a quick acknowledgement.

"Nan, and I are going to meet with The Authority. I mentioned them to you before right?"

Dante nodded.

"Events such as the one today are things we need to bring awareness to in the vampire community. People are starting to talk about vampires, and if there is anything I've learned in my many centuries on this Earth, it is that humans react to whatever they do not understand with fear and violence."

"I certainly can certainly attest to that." Nan said.

"Dante, I just want you to be careful," Alexander said.

Alexander and Dante lingered a while longer, before departing; Alexander, to a meeting with The Authority, accompanied by Nan, and Dante, to the room upstairs to continue reading his bible. This time in addition to reading his routine verses, he prayed to safe-keeping. As a fugitive slave, Dante knew as well as Alexander did, how violent and irrational human beings could be.