Author's Note: Here it is! The next chapter of Rise of a Shadow, 'Introducing My Childe.' Here we get to see Eliza's pick in a childe and their introduction to Kindred society. I'm sorry, but this chapter is very dialogue heavy and the only way I got through it was the constant repeat of my mantra.
"I hate politics. I hate reading about them. I hate playing them. I hate writing them. I even hate watching them on my TV. I just hate politics."
Repeat until they go away.
Chapter 54 – Introducing My Childe
October 8, 2004 = Friday
~Eliza Flores~
On my way back to my car, I kept having a constant nagging thought about Lacroix and the Kue-Jin. My worries up to meeting the prince were that he did have an agreement, but though he was rather insistent that there was no alliance, it did fill in a hole. If the Kue-Jin had attacked Doctor Grout, then framed Nines for it, they could have left me as a patsy to deliver the news back to the prince to try and start a war of attrition between him and the Anarchs that might weaken both enough to allow them to be conquered by the Kue-Jin.
It was a great ploy, but as I thought it over, what if the prince were involved? Was he stupid enough to weaken himself in front of his enemy by fighting the Anarchs first? Well, if there was an alliance, it wouldn't be an enemy, if you went by the old saying "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." As it was once pointed out to me, the enemy of my enemy is my friend only works if your not enemies yourself with the person or people in the first place. Otherwise, the enemy of my enemy is still my enemy, but one can be smart enough to work together to take down a common foe before you get back to killing each other.
Of course, you didn't need to turn your back on them or get entangled in such a way that you couldn't fight them if you need to. That's the problem I saw with the war on the Anarchs was there was no way of fighting it without getting weaker in front of the Kue-Jin. Of course, a pre-emptive strike on the Kue-Jin wouldn't work either, as it was too much of a risk to the masquerade, and the people of Los Angeles would kick Lacroix out of town over the fallout.
Still, the problem was, who setup Nines. I didn't have enough proof either was involved, but there was a sort of sense that the Kue-Jin might want it done. I could stick with that, but I needed proof, and there was no real way to get it short of trying to magic it out of Ming Xiao herself.
My thoughts then went to my upcoming meeting with Mira, and the best ways to handle that. My thoughts were to turn her into a kindred and make her my childe. She had a skill I lacked, mainly in the political arena, and could help me with the mortal politicians she still had contacts with and maybe the kindred ones as well when she was more experienced.
One thought circled my brain, but I had to dismiss it, was that she would make a better primogen than me due to that skill. Problem was, Herr Mueller might be able to influence her with his domination powers. I knew I was immune, but who knew what his generation was, or had been lowered to.
Still, there were other things I would have to take into account. She was a Giovanni, and her family might not take kindly to my poaching of one of their family. Of course, any hearing her name in kindred circles might assume her to be of her family's clan, and not of Lasombra. It'd give her an advantage, if nothing else.
Of course, her first years would be mine to bear the brunt of her failures for. That alone scared me. It also meant I was going to have to scare her into following my advice. If she didn't follow it, she and I could both wind up on Trial.
My thoughts about that went to the two Tremere I kept for feeding purposes. Adding another kindred to that would be beneficial, as well as keep tensions down between them. Mira and Meredith could also talk to each other and socialize, something the latter was wanting anyway. I guess in a way, I needed to socialize a bit more too, and I could also take Mira with me.
The problem I faced with that now was that I was so busy tying up loose ends with the sarcophagus that it left me with little time to actually work on my own personal problems. Sighing, I decided that the rest of the night was mine, and before it was over, I'd introduce Mira to at least three kindred who didn't live with me
Pulling up to the motel, I noticed Cherry by the lightpost, though she was now dressed in a sheer dress that hid nothing and tall black stilettos with a chrome spike heel. What she wore now screamed whore, which I suppose was the purpose in the change, though it left me with questions on where she acquired it. Diamond wasn't supposed to be doing more than acting as her pimp, collecting money and pulling her out of sticky situations.
I rolled up in front of her, watching Cherry smile as she sauntered over to lean on the door as I rolled down the passenger window, giving me a great view down her cleavage. Her face soured when she recognized me, but she recovered quickly.
"Didn't expect to see you rolling up on me," she said as she leaned in my window.
"Lots of business?" I asked her, and she shrugged.
"Not really," she said, then grimaced. "I'm staying busy, but I can definitely see what I need to different tomorrow and why sis always keeps douche lying around."
"What are you going to different tomorrow?" I asked her.
"Bring extra clothes for one," she said, then grimaced. "I had to borrow this because some jerk ripped my top off. I'm just glad her heels fit."
"What happened?" I asked her and she looked uncomfortable for a moment.
"We were going at it and he wanted to fondle my tits but he didn't want to slow down so he just ripped it," she said, then hung her head. "I made him pay me for it, but it was ruined. I don't know what I would have done if Vicky hadn't come back when she did. She offered me access to some clothes and pasties so I could keep working."
"Nice of her," I told her, then looked around as a car drove by. "Going to head home soon?"
"Probably," she said, then yawned. "If I don't get a customer in the next hour, I will. Go take a nap then get right back out here."
"Well, I have something to go take care of," I told her, looking in my mirror to see a car turning around. "If you run into trouble, call your sister and have her get a hold of me. Any bail you need will just be added to your weekly cover."
"Thanks," she said sourly, standing up as I quickly pulled forward and turned into the motel as the other car pulled in behind me. I didn't know if it was a cop or not but after I pulled into a first available parking spot used my shadow-vision to peek in.
"Yeah, I need a date," Cherry said as she leaned in to the guy's car like she had mine. "It's forty a dance."
"Hop in then," he said, and Cherry quickly got in the guys car. I slid down to hide from view as the guy pulled into the motel, then watched as Cherry led the guy into her room.
Hopping out, I went through the little hallway to the pool and saw a lone figure on a chaise lounge near the pool. I moved closer, finding it was Mira sitting there waiting. She had a light coat on over her formal wear, but the way she was looking down in the water made me think she was thinking of suicide. If she were already here, I had to wonder how things went when the sheriff crashed Uncle Bruno's party.
Thinking back to my thoughts on the way here, I used my auspex to peer into her brain, finding out all sorts of things about her by watching various scenes of her life and hearing her thoughts. I also knew she was devastated by Uncle Bruno throwing everyone out when the Sheriff arrived, and was contemplating suicide to avoid the slow death that was inevitable.
"There's no answer down there, Miss Giovanni," I called to her, startling the brown haired woman. She spun on the chair to face me, then hung her head but kept silent.
"Uncle Bruno upset?" I asked her though I already knew the answer and she nodded.
"He kicked us all out," she whispered, finally speaking. "Said there wasn't going to be any additions to the inner circle this year."
"So you come here seeking answers," I said, cocking a hip. "Well, there are no answers. Just a choice. On one hand, you can stay out here, hoping they find the cure and you can try to keep your secret until the next party and be chosen, though I doubt that will be for some time."
Mira hung her head and slowly nodded, so I pressed on. "The other hand is vastly darker. I'm not offering salvation. There's no miracle cure for what's killing you. I won't save your life, but claim it for myself. Every minute, of every hour of every day is going to be accountable to me and if you ever," I said, pausing to point a finger directly in her face for emphasis, "cross me or defy me, I will end you myself. Is that clear?"
"Yes, ma'am," she said quietly.
"It's your choice," I told her backing up. "Stay here and die slowly, or come with me and submit fully to my will."
I turned and left her by the pool and opened my motel door, going inside where Yukie sat sharpening her katana on the side of the bed. Yukie looked at me after she gave her katana one long swipe with her stone, then set the stone aside. I looked back out the door to find Mira not a few feet away, and I gave her room to get by me.
Mira walked in, took in Yukie on the side of the bed as she sheathed her katana soundlessly. She was dressed Mira didn't say anything, just stood their looking at her.
"That's Yukie, my ghoul," I told Mira as I shut the door. "She acts as a servant."
"Maria said your mansion burned down," Mira said absently as Yukie stood, her katana held along the length of her arm. I had to admit she looked ready to shred both of us, but she bowed her head in submission to me as she merely stood there and awaited my command.
"I had a personal grudge with a different faction called the Sabbat," I told her. "Familiar with the name?"
"It's a personal holdings conglomerate out of Mexico City," she told me. "Uncle Bruno always said to avoid them because they play dirty and for keeps."
"Advice I wish I had," I groused, shaking my head. "In truth, they're a vampire faction that has no regard for the masquerade."
"So it's true?" she asked me and I nodded my head. "Blood magic and a kiss."
"More or less," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "That's just scratching the surface of the night. There are thirteen different vampire clans, ten of which are currently represented in this city alone. My clan is the Lasombra, the clan of shadows."
"Is that why you work through Maria?" she asked me, but I shrugged my shoulders again.
"Partly," I said, not wanting to tell her just yet that I had used Maria to infiltrate the Giovanni mansion. "She has no idea I used her either, and one day you'll have that ability too."
"Oh," she said, then looked at her feet. "How long does it take?"
"No idea," I told her, grabbing her by the shoulders and steering her into the bathroom. "But you need to say goodbye to something."
"What?" she asked as I marched her into the tiny space to face the mirror. Her eyes searched the mirror for a moment before going wide at realizing I wasn't show behind her even though I had hands on both her shoulders.
"Your reflection," I told her, releasing her. "When I do this, you won't ever see yourself again in any reflective surface. No camera will ever see you."
"How do you do your makeup?" she asked me and I motioned to Yukie who had come to stand behind us, her katana still held along her arm.
"Yukie does mine," I told her. "She'll do yours tomorrow when you wakeup."
"Wakeup?" she asked, taking a step back into me.
"We sleep during the day," I told her, rubbing her arms to reassure her. She was starting to panic. "In fact, we're corpses during the day. You also can't ever be in the sun, it'll burn you. Most of the other stuff about vampires is Hollywood bull, but you'll learn."
"What about blood?" she asked, her voice quivering a bit. "Do we have to kill?"
"No," I told her, chuckling at the memory of asking Walsh the same thing not long ago. "You don't even have to feed from a person. When you wake up, I'll introduce you to some friends of mine and get you some blood in a blood bag. Not the same as neck fresh, but less risk of something going wrong."
"Thank you," she said, as I wrapped my arms around her. She stiffened at the intimacy of it, and I could see the anger in her eyes as I pressed in tight with my head right beside hers.
"Have you said your goodbyes yet to your reflection?" I asked her, my hands exploring her well toned body.
"Y-yes," she stammered, as my left hand found it's way down her cleavage and fondled her breast. "W-why are you doing this?"
"Because I want to," I told her, moving my right hand under the slit of of her skirt to feel her bare thigh. That made her breath fast, and she grabbed for my wrist.
"Stop, please!" she commanded as she tried to pull away my wrist. I just willed my potence into being and moved my hand up her thigh and began to rub her panties. I watched her face scrunch up in disgust, telling me the woman wasn't into a woman touching her this way.
"But it's what I want," I whispered in her ear as she wriggled and struggled against me, even trying to pull my other hand out of her cleavage. "Just you and me in this tiny room, alone, and you're too beautiful to not touch."
"Please," she whined as my fingers found their way under her panties.
"Don't you want to live forever as my fucktoy?" I whispered in her ear, then give it a nibble as I began to finger her against her will.
Mira give a sob as she let her hand falls away, allowing me to molest her. I continued, watching her accept her fate as my hands and fingers continued to grope and molest her picturesque body. She continued to cry, though I gave it little consideration.
"Take off your top," I whispered after several long moments of molesting her. "Show me you want this."
It seemed like time slowed down as I studied Mira in the mirror. To her, it was a simple choice. She could submit her body, mind and soul and be my fucktoy in exchange for immortality, or fight me and surely die. She was probably thinking the same thing, but it was something I had come up with to test her. Find her breaking point, and make her choose.
After peering into her brain, I had found out she hated, absolutely hated, lesbians. It made it easier to make her choose, because all I had to do was this to make her choose to submit or fight, something I couldn't tell just by looking through her brain since she had never had to make this choice before.
Looking at her now, having already activated my auspex and delving into her brain, I was pelted with every thought of revulsion Mira had ever known and the war she was having with herself. She wanted to pull away, to fight me and get my hands off her, but she knew if she gave in, gave me what I wanted, she could keep on living.
The chain of thoughts that grew stronger in her brain was that I couldn't molest her like this all night, that it would be a rarity and I'd have to go do other things. Which was true, I couldn't do this forever.
Her hands finally found motivation and began to undo her top before I had to prompt her again. The top loosed with every catch released finally revealing her breasts to the mirror. My hands weren't seen, but their effects on her body were as I continued to fondle her. With the last catch released, she tugged the top open, revealing her toned abs, and I kissed her neck.
"Well done, my childe," I whispered softly into her ear after giving it another nibble, this time with my fang after sliding them out. "Welcome to the night."
She began to pant as I slid my fangs down her jaw and began to nuzzle closer to her neck. When I lined my fangs up with her jaw, I began to sink my fangs into her skin, letting her blood flow into my mouth. Mira moaned, her sex finally moistening as I continued to fondle her as I eased her blood out of her jugular, my fangs going deeper to let the blood flow faster.
I drank her deep, sucking her blood dry to make her heart start to fail. As her blood thinned, and her heart began to flutter, I had to use my fondling hands to hold her up as her strength left her. When the last of her blood seeped into my mouth, and the artery was dead, I eased her to the floor, laying her now dead body on the carpet.
"Is she?" Yukie asked in a low tone, and I looked up at her. Her katana was in hand, the tip just above the floor. I didn't even hear her draw the blade from its scabbard, and her body language spoke volumes in that she was murderous.
"She is," I told her, then began to roll my sleeve up to reveal my wrist. "Don't interfere."
"As you wish," she said quickly, but didn't move.
Once I had my wrist bared, I bit it with my fangs to let my blood out. With my blood seeping out, I held it over her open mouth, and let the dark red, almost black blood, drip onto the back of her throat. Soon, she swallowed, telling me there was some life in her body, and I stopped the flow by grabbing my wrist.
Mira soon blinked, then began to raise herself by propping herself up on her elbows. She looked at my kneeling form, and she began to look herself over.
"Fix your top," I told her, standing up and extending her a hand. "I've got people I want you to meet and looking like a harlot isn't how I want to present you."
"No sex?" she asked, confused by the sudden change of plans, even though she was obviously relieved.
"I had to make sure you'd submit yourself to what I said," I told her as I helped her up. "It's your first rule, and I wasn't lying about it. For the next few years, everything you do is accountable to me. If you screw up, they'll kill us both."
"First rule?" she said as she began to put her top back together. "What's the rest?"
"Keep the masquerade," I told her. "Means vampire secrets stay secret. It's why the core of the Giovanni family are so secretive. If word gets out that they're vampires, the Camarilla will start wiping them out."
"So what about the Sabbat?" she asked, as she looked into the mirror for a nonexistent reflection. All it showed was Yukie, who still held her katana with whitening knuckles.
"Yeah," I drawled, looking away from her questioning gaze. "I've had a few run-ins with the local packs and they don't like me, not even a little bit. It's a kill on site type of thing, now, for me and them."
"What am I supposed to do?" she asked, and I shook my head.
"Learn for now," I told her. "Tomorrow I'll send you back to your mansion for your stuff before your Uncle Bruno finds out I made you kindred, our word for vampire, and destroys or sells your stuff. You're going to need everything you can. I'll also send Yukie with you. She's a hunter and can probably handle your family if they get violent."
"Hunter?" she asked, finally putting herself back together.
"Vampire hunter," I told her. "She hunts our kind. She's been neutered because I've fed her my blood, so she's harmless to me and you. Well, me anyway. She might protect you if I tell her to and that's all. She's my ghoul, a blood bound servant that does my bidding whether she wants to or not."
"She doesn't look..." Mira started to say but Yukie apparently had had enough.
"ENOUGH!" she yelled, finally raising the katana to point it at Mira. "I am standing right here! Quit talking about me..."
"Quiet, Yukie," I told her mid-rant, shutting her up with a stare over the top of my sunglasses to show my inhuman irises, or lack thereof. The katana was still pointed at her though. "And put the katana away. It's not needed now."
Yukie looked like she was ready to fight it out with me, but she finally slipped it back in it's sheath with a snick, then moved to put it back by the nightstand where presumably it would be within easy reach.
"Good," I told her as she came to stand back in front of us, arms crossed and one pissed look on her face. "Now, get dressed in one of the suits I bought for you. We'll be going out soon, and you're going to be our chauffeur. Have the car waiting for us when we get back."
"Hai," she said glumly, then started to undress herself so she could get her suit on. I motioned for Mira to follow me and walked out the door and towards Meredith's room.
"Where we headed?" Mira asked as I led her on.
"Some kindred friends of mine," I told her, not wanting to say more in the open.
"There's more than you here?" she asked, astonished.
"Two, at least," I said as we started up the stairs. "I still have much to do tonight, but I want to introduce you to some other kindred."
"Oh, feel free!" she said enthusiastically. "I love meeting new people."
"Not me," I groused through clenched teeth as we reached the top. "It's one of the reasons I decided to extend you the offer of joining us. I hate politics."
"And me with all my political friends..." she thought aloud, and I could only nod.
"Makes you a perfect addition to my plans," I told her. "Circles within circles, it gives me a headache trying to keep it all straight."
"Oh, I understand perfectly," she said as I led her to the appropriate door. "I'll be glad to help. So what are your plans?"
"I'll give you the rundown once we get in the car," I told her, then knocked on the door. Meredith wasn't long in answering, and she eyed Mira wearily.
"New friend?" she asked me, blocking the door as best she could.
"My childe," I told her, staring her down. Meredith seemed to shrink as she slid to the side, allowing us in, and Eloise was shutting the books they had out with rushed movements.
"We weren't expecting you," she said, after shutting the last one. "Hungry again?"
"Not really," I said, and I saw the look of relief in her eyes. "I came to introduce you two to my childe, Mira Giovanni. Mira, this is Eloise Watson, and my former ghoul Meredith Coates."
"Giovanni?" Eloise asked, as she eyed my childe. "You do know that the Giovanni are their own clan?"
"And that I poached one of their own favored on the eve of the vaunted kiss," I said, showing Eloise I had some understanding of the Giovanni.
"Does Bruno Giovanni know?" she asked me as she crossed her arms, a serious look in her eyes. "The Tremere have had dealings with Bruno Giovanni for years, and none of it has been good."
"What's their specialty?" I asked her.
"They're necromancers," she told me, and I paused at the remembrance of them ripping the souls from the living. "They use the souls and bodies of the dead to attack and scare their ."
"Can the dead corpses they use withstand sunlight?" I asked, and Eloise nodded.
"It's their favorite trick, especially in olden days," she said. "Raise the dead of a town's graveyard when they wanted to wipe someone out. A zombie apocalypse is sure to send the kine scurrying, and some kindred too. Nowadays, people aren't so superstitious so it's not got the shock factor it used to have."
"I can just imagine what that would have looked like," Mira said, nodding her head then frowned in thought. "But wouldn't that have destroyed the masquerade?"
"You already know of the masquerade?" Eloise said, astonished. "Wow, I went through my first week without hearing about it."
"It's the second thing she taught me," Mira told her. I let her talk, mostly to see how she'd react to other kindred, but mostly so she could learn.
"What was the first?" Eloise asked.
"That I had to be careful in what I said and do, because it's all accountable to her," she said and again, Eloise nodded in approval. "I take it you approve."
"Yes, but it's the difference in our clans," Eloise said. "Tremere aren't even allowed to leave our home chantry for years. Other clans don't have that restriction."
"Yay me," Meredith groused as she sat roughly on the couch.
"Do I need to bring you something tomorrow?" Mira offered, brightening Meredith's face.
"Nail polish?" she asked, almost sheepish. "Eighteen-sixty-five if you can find it."
"Bright and glittery, huh?" Mira said smiling. "And so very pink."
"You know the colors?" Meredith asked, a smile forming on her face.
"A bit," Mira said, smiling back. "I'll find you some."
"Thanks," she said.
"Where do you keep your blood?" I asked, not wanting to interrupt the conversation but needing to get Mira some sustenance.
"Fridge," Meredith said, pointing to the small appliance in the back of the room. "It's not bad cold, but we have a way of heating it that brings it back to life a bit."
"Could you fix me two bags, please?" I asked her. "It'll be Meredith's first feeding."
"One moment," she said moving to fulfill my request.
"So, what are you going to do tonight?" Eloise asked, moving closer to me.
"I have to go downtown and sign off on some paperwork for a property I'm buying," I told her, thinking of the golf course I was buying. "I was going to introduce her to the scourge, maybe Jean if she were present. Then, depending on the time, I might introduce her to some other kindred I know before I head for Long Beach and pick up my motorcycle and come back for dawn."
"I don't know how traffic is, but you'll get there faster if you step from shadow to shadow," she told me, and I nodded.
"I was going to use a car to get to the tower, but if traffic gets bad I will," I said as Meredith came back with a couple of warm bags of blood.
"Here you go sweety," Meredith said, giving her the bags. "Just think of them as a juice pouch."
"Alright," Mira said, slipping the bag in her mouth and drinking the bag dry. "Tasty."
"Drink the second one as well," I told her, as she looked at it as if unsure.
"Your body was drained of all it's blood," Eloise told her. "You need to replace it so you don't have problems."
"Okay," she said, sipping the next one dry as well. "It really is like a juice pack."
"And handy to keep around too," I told her. "Well, ladies, much to do tonight."
"Yes, it's just past one so plenty of time to do some damage tonight," she told me.
"Plenty of time," I replied, putting my hand on the door. "Well Mira, we need to go."
"I'll be back tomorrow with that nail polish," Mira called as she joined me when I opened the door.
"I'll be waiting," Meredith said sourly as we left the room. Out on the walkway, I could see Yukie in her suit as she waited by the passenger's door, the lit lights of the Civic telling me it was idling and waiting for us.
"That didn't take long," Mira said as we walked to the car.
"Nope," I told her. "But they're friends of mine and also under my control, even if they are a different clan."
"How did you manage that?" she asked me.
"Eloise owes me a boon for testifying on her behalf to her bosses boss," I told her, "And Meredith owes me for saving her from the prince, though I haven't made that one formal. She can't really do anything because for right now she's under Eloise's protection and training, as they're the same clan with the same abilities."
"She didn't seem happy, though," she noted as we reached the car. Yukie opened the door, holding it for me.
"She's not left the motel since she came back after her turning," I explained as I took my seat and Yukie shut the door for me. Mira had went around and entered the other rear door, shutting it herself as Yukie rushed around to the driver's seat and got in. "In fact, she wants to get out, but Eloise wants her trained in using her powers first, and I guess that include a lot of knowledge of the different clans as well."
"What are you going to teach me?"
"Little," I told her, making her frown. "For one, our powers don't require so much training as there is little you can do until you grow in power. Each clan, as you may have started to figure out, has different abilities."
"Like Uncle Bruno being able to manipulate the dead?"
"For one, but each clan has differing abilities," I told her. "Some of these abilities overlap, some don't. Our clan is a clan of shadows and manipulation. One thing we do that no other clan can is manipulate shadows," I said, pulling a katana from the shadows. "You might try it, see what you can do."
Mira grew thoughtful as I dispelled the katana, then formed a rapier.
"Good," I told her. "Each power is also linked to an ability or skill. I imagine that to grow your shadow powers you will also need to learn to move unseen like a skilled politician."
"And I thought you hated politics," she said, slightly mocking me as she let her rapier fall back into shadow.
"I do," I told her, as we continued on. "Didn't say I wasn't good at it.
"Another power we have is the ability to lend strength to our muscles through potence," I said. "It will allow you to overpower grown men in a hand-to-hand fight or lift things that are too heavy for you to lift otherwise."
"So being raped is a thing of the past?" she said, and I shrugged.
"To a mere mortal, yeah," I said, and Mira smiled. "Also, not saying it won't hurt, but knives and guns are practically useless against us. They won't do enough damage on their own to kill you outright."
"So if I walked in on a robbery..."
"You sit it out and let what happens happen," I told her, giving her a serious stare. "You can't save the day and be a hero. Heroes make the news and we have to stay in the background. The world doesn't have to think you're dead, but you need to fade into the shadows and from the memory of most people."
"But the senators…" she started to say when I held up my hand.
"Most people," I reiterated. "Your special contacts can know of your continued existence. Also, sending Christmas cards is allowed, as long as it doesn't contain anything more than fondest wishes."
"So, no nude photographs?" she said, frowning.
"You can try," I said, then shook my head. "But remember what I said about mirrors not showing us Lasombra. All photographic equipment uses mirrors, so how are you supposed to take a photograph?"
"But our driver's license?!"
"I had to hold a casting call for mine," I said, giving her a wan smile. "It's not even my face on it now."
"That's terrible!" she exlaimed.
"Fact of being Lasombra," I told her. "We lose our reflections upon being turned."
"So, one day I'm going to get pulled over and have to explain to some cop that it's me on my license?" she asked.
"Well, for that you can also use presence to influence people's feelings," I told her. "It's our third ability. You can use it in a fight to make people scared of you, or in a speech to make people like you."
"Or to make people love me?" she asked, and I nodded.
"And when you get older there's others powers that you may manifest, such as celerity, dominate, and auspex," I told her. "I've acquired them all thanks to some meddling from our clan founder, Lucian."
"What did he do?" she asked me.
"He tried to possess me, turning my body into something that would handle his powers," I told her to make her mouth fall open. "I'm only twenty."
"Well, still," she said, and then looked out the window. "Twenty years of existence as an undead..."
I couldn't help but laugh at the thought that she had taken what I had to mean I had lived twenty years as a kindred. She give me a funny look as I brought it under control.
"I mean, since I was born, I am only twenty," I told her, again shocking her. "I've only been kindred for two weeks."
"And how long does it take to normally gain that power?" she asked me.
"Centuries," I said, and her mouth fell open. "That's why I'll need your help. I want to make a compound out of a golf course and I know I'm going to have to fight tooth, claw and nail to get it."
"So, why the compound?" she asked me, but I could only relax into the seat as I readied myself to explain.
"In my brief time as a kindred, I've seen enough to know that we need security," I began to explain. "Now, while most people might think small and heavily fortified, I want to expand and fortify then hide it behind a convent," I said, and her eyes went up at that idea. "While I don't expect most to understand the idea, there is a certain symmetry to the idea of having an army of nuns."
"Most nuns are pacifists," she iterated, and I nodded in agreement.
"Most people are when you get right down to it," I countered. "But anyone can be trained to fight to protect hearth and home. We also don't even have to get rid of the ones who won't fight, just use them for maintenance of the grounds."
"And the ones who will fight to protect it," she said, nodding in agreement. "That I can see being helpful overall to protecting and having a large place, but how does a mere mortal stack against us vampires?"
"Kindred, please," I informed her. "Say kindred instead of vampires. It helps keep the masquerade. As to your question, they don't, but most of the time just getting spotted will send them scurrying, especially if you train and equip them to take us down."
"So, how do you keep them loyal?"
"Well, if you start a cult..."
"They keep themselves loyal hoping to become one of us?" she said, coming to the idea with a little prompting.
"Whether it be through peace or war, all have a purpose," I told her. "Sometimes an open secret is easier kept than one behind veil and shadows."
"I like it," she said, then laughed softly. "Must be because I'm Catholic."
"Me too," I told her, looking out the window as we entered the downtown area. Funny how time flies.
"This exit, yes?" Yukie said as we neared the appropriate exit. For the next few minutes I gave her point by point turning directions to the parking garage of the tower, where Yukie parked the Civic.
"We need a better car," Mira commented as we got out amid the various Lexus and Mercedes, Yukie herself getting my door for me.
"Yeah, I meant for the Civic to be Yukie's daily driver and not the one we'd get chaperoned in," I told her as I took in the other cars. "Oh well, it's only a lease. Yukie, wait for us. We'll be back in a bit."
"Hai," she said, shutting my door as I moved to the elevator. We had a slight pause as the elevator descended to us, but soon we were standing in Camarilla headquarters.
"Welcome to the Camarilla," I told her, leading the way to Walsh's office.
"They sure know how to make a rich girl feel welcome," she said as she took it all in. "I bet this cost over a billion dollars total."
"Considering it was built by a Ventrue who measures his years in the centuries, probably," I told her, again shocking her. "And never go dollar-per-dollar with one. They are money, literally. I think they built the worldwide banking system because if they want money, they can just withdraw it from the Ventrue bank and not have to pay it back. Though I hear it's taboo for them to do it."
"I'm going to have to remember that," she said as we stood outside Walsh's office.
"The kindred you are about to meet is Scourge Walsh," I told her. "He's a Ventrue, and holds the rank of scourge within the Camarilla, which is like the under-sheriff. He's the one who send the deputies if he hears of a masquerade breach, so keeping him happy might get you a friendly phone call instead of an angry Gangrel kicking in your door."
"Definitely noted," she said as I was about to knock on the closed door when something struck me.
"Have you ever noticed a slight pang of hatred when you hear the word Ventrue?"
"Yes," she said, and I nodded.
"Our clan has a deep-seated hatred for the Ventrue," I told her, swallowing my own hatred at bringing them up. "You'll need to set it aside, as they currently run the local Camarilla and everything we do is by their laws. Just know, that like anyone you hate, you'll feel elation if you best them. Show neither to Scourge Walsh."
"Alright," she said and I finally announced my presence with a knock.
"Enter," I heard, so I opened the door to find Walsh stashing a leather bound ledger in his filing cabinet. His smile at seeing me soured a bit when he took in Mira, but he sat in his chair and motioned for us to sit as well.
"So, who is this charming young lady?" he asked as once we were settled.
"This is my new childe," I said, introducing Mira. "Mira Giovanni."
"Giovanni?" he said, his smile fading as the name sank in. "Married into the family or born?"
"Born," she said, smiling at Walsh's discomfort. "Bruno Giovanni is my uncle."
"I...see," he said hesitantly before studying Mira. "Has your uncle been informed of your Embrace?"
"I'm sure he will find out tomorrow evening when I return to my mansion for my personal things," she told Walsh, and I sat back to watch her work.
"Are you planning to go alone?" he asked and Mira shrugged.
"I hadn't intended to take more than a driver with me," she stated. "Most of what I own is clothing and small personal items, nothing a young, vibrant ghoul couldn't handle."
"I was worried more about your uncle blowing his top and you disappearing," he muttered. "Would you like to take one of my deputies with you? He wouldn't dare make one disappear for fear of angering me."
"I'd be delighted to have one," she said happily, and I suppressed a smile. I might have to make Mira the primogen if she kept this up.
"It's a simple thing, really," he said, picking up his phone. "Rochelle, send one of the deputies in," he told his ghoul before hanging up the phone. "The charge for such a small act is even neglible."
"If it's neglible, why mention it?" she joked with Walsh. Walsh caught the joke, making him chuckle and even I smiled.
"It's just a fee to help cover the deputy's costs on your behalf," he added. "The fee itself is negotiable between you and deputy, dependent on how much intervention and time is needed."
"That's helpful," Mira said, her smile growing. I smirked myself as I figured she was likely to try and use her new vampiric powers to 'negotiate' any price way down to save her money. "And it'll help me protect my bank account until I can find a new stock broker."
"A stock broker?" Walsh asked her. "Why the change?"
"I'm going to figure that I can't continue to use my old one as he's highly tied to the family," she said, and Walsh nodded. "But finding one I trust to handle everything while I sleep the day away is going to be difficult."
"A word of advice on the stock market," Walsh said, and I waited with bated breath. Hearing one of the old one's speak their advice was surely worth it, especially one who has made millions. "Buying and selling stock for a dime to a quarter's profit per share is overrated. The real money to be made is buy established companies cheap that have constant profit margins."
"Common stock does that?" she asked, and I prayed Walsh answered it.
"It does if one follows all the proper procedures," he said, and I felt my brain swim. "The more common short sell is merely a bet between the trader and buyer that the price will raise or fall creating a profit for either when it's sold back. What real buyers do is buy and keep the stock for years, trading off the profit of a short sell for the profits the company normally makes.
"For example, Ford, a company I own stock in made forty cents a share this past year," he told us. "If one owned, say, one percent of the company stock or forty million shares, that's sixteen million dollars in profits at forty cents a share that you've managed to accumulate without the need to worry over a bad short sell or an economic dive."
"Whoa," Mira breathed, and I nodded sincerely. I was looking at the stock market so wrong. This is why I needed a financial adviser that was worth his salt.
"And that's merely one percent of one company," he said. "I have stocks in many companies. It helps keep me solvent without the need to dip into the clan's bank account."
"If only our clan had something similar," Mira said, but the question was inherent to me.
"I've yet to meet a member of our clan," I finally said after she gave me a questioning look. "What we offer to fellow members is as much a mystery to me as the full range of our shadow powers. But to start our night, I need to replace my checkbook for my account."
"Ah, lost in the house fire," Walsh summarized.
"Indeed," I said, confirming his thoughts.
"Not a problem," he said as he made a notation on the pad in front of him. "Where do you want it sent?"
"Pleasure Inn in Santa Monica," I told him. "The desk clerk will hold it for me until I can get it."
""That's not a problem, and we can finalize your paperwork for the Gardena Country Club and Golf Course," he told me, reaching into a drawer for a folder held closed only by a large rubber band. "Fifty million and it's all yours. No binding contracts or entanglements were found, so it's ready as a building block for your future."
"Great," I said, seeing the various lines all made out for me to sign. Walsh handed me a pen and I signed off on everything, thinking it was time to get things ready to move forward. I still needed to check things out for my new strip club, which wasn't getting finished either. "Do you have the contact information for the current head of the club?"
"Vanessa Seiche," he said, giving me her phone number. "She's the general manager and person in charge of everything."
"I'll get a hold of her as soon as I'm free," I said, filing it away in my brain. "I still have much to do tonight."
"Before you go," Walsh said, stopping Mira and I from standing from our chairs, "I assume part of your reason for bringing your childe to see me was introducing her to the masquerade?"
"Part of it," I confessed. "And to introduce her to the man in charge of keeping said masquerade."
"It was to help familiarize me in case I ran into problems so I'd know who to turn to for help," Mira said, simplifying matters for me in ways I had trouble doing. "Most people wouldn't know how to deal with the authorities because they have no experience with it until it's too late."
"Very true," Walsh conceded.
"You'd be surprised how many people wouldn't know what bail is," I admitted. "I had to learn to get one of my ghouls out of jail, recently."
"Do I need to interfere?" Walsh said, and I shrugged.
"Not yet," I told him. "I've gotten Venus Dare out of jail on bond and she's waiting her court date. She's hoping to plead it out with the local authorities."
"Might I ask the charges?"
"Running a red light, fleeing from the police, resisting arrest," I said as innocuously as I could, but ended up sounding squeamish.
"Must have been a Monday," he said, then laughed. "If they start a trial on those charges just let me know. It can cost a few favors but I can get you in touch with people who can get the charges dropped."
"I'll keep it in mind," I said, wincing at the thought of owing more people. The door opened behind us, and Jean stepped in, wearing a heavy leather duster that was currently closed
"If there's nothing else?"
"No, nothing comes to mind," he said, so Mira and I rose from our seats. "Just call me, Miss Giovanni, should you find any masquerade violations or questions. There is a constant bounty for violators, so calling in is to your advantage as well."
"Thank you," Mira said, smiling at the scourge from the door. "It'll be appreciated."
Opening the door, the three of us moved outside where I turned to Jean.
"Hello Jean," I said, offering the Gangrel a friendly hand in greeting.
"Hey sweetie," she said, giving me a hug. "So, renting a deputy for something?"
"I am," Mira said, also shaking Jean's hand. "I have to say though, you look familiar."
"I get that a lot," Jean told her, laughing a bit. "So, what's the deal?"
"I'll be headed back home tomorrow night to get my personal stuff and Walsh offered a deputy to make sure no one bothered me," Mira summarized for her.
"Giovanni, right?" Jean asked, the humor fading from her voice and her smile was gone now. "Married or born?"
"Born," Mira said.
"How upset is Bruno going to be?" Jean asked, looking at me as if I were holding a snake.
"Very upset," I said, getting a frown from Jean. "Mira was a contestant for entering her family's inner circle by becoming a ghoul, with a potential offing to become kindred later down the line."
"Sweet merciful," Jean exclaimed, shaking her head back and forth. "Bruno is going to be furious!"
"He can go get tanned," I said, crossing my arms. "He threw her out after the deputies stormed his party last night. She came to me asking me to save her, so I poached nothing!"
"Would you care to go with us?" Jean asked, but I shrugged my shoulders.
"I have to go pay my respects to the hunters tomorrow," I said, getting a wicked grin from Jean. "They have the professor we need to open the sarcophagus, so I have to go get him back."
"Now that's one fight I'd love to join," Jean said, opening her duster to reveal a wicked set of shotguns on her hips. The guns weren't all that long, looking more like oversized antique pistols with a modern pistol grip and two barrels which I bet Jean used to rip people apart. I also got a look her well toned and curvy body all clad in dark, form-fitting leather and had to agree she was the sexiest women ever. "But, I'll make sure Miss Giovanni gets back from her family's place without a problem."
"Take the guns, leave the cannoli," I flatpanned, making everyone laugh.
"Love that movie," Mira said, still laughing.
"I know," Jean said, trying to get her laughing under control. "It was one of Coppola's best works and a real shame I never got to work with him. Considering the 'New Hollywood' group he kind of led, it was a shame I became kindred so early."
"You worked in Hollywood?" Mira asked, but Jean just shrugged.
"Pretty much every working girl does in one form or another," she said, side-stepping the issue. "I grew up here, so working in Hollywood was always a dream of mine."
"Not me," Mira said, rolling her eyes a bit. "Governor, maybe, or a senator, but not an actress."
"And I just wanted to be a doctor," I said, again getting some laughs. "I think we all had big dreams when we were younger."
"Some of us get closer than others," Jean said, being mysterious as she buttoned up her duster. "So what time do you want me to meet you tomorrow?"
"I don't know what time I'll get up, so thirty minutes after sunset?" Mira said, looking to me for support.
"That should work," I said and Jean nodded as well. "She'll be at the Pleasure Inn in Santa Monica, room one-fifty-one."
"I'll be there," she said, punching the elevator button for us.
"I'll be waiting," Mira said as she stepped inside the opening doors.
"Thanks Jean," I said, stepping inside myself. "If you need backup, find a hole and give me a ring. I'll back you up."
"Hunters and Giovanni?" Jean asked, giving me a sly smile. "Bring a big gun."
"I carry an M249 with a thousand rounds in a solid chain in the trunk of my car," I said, wiping the smile off Jean's face as the door closed. When Mira gave me a questioning look, I just smiled. "It's a big military gun that can sustain fire for fifteen seconds with what's in the box, and that's just a quarter of a chain."
"So, a full minute of shooting?" Mira asked, going wide eyed.
"An unfortunate side-effect of being kindred," I said, sighing to rest against the wall. "It seems that all kindred do is make war against each other."
"So, a political background is an advantage?" Mira asked, and I nodded as we dropped through the tower.
"You don't know how much of an advantage," I said, closing my eyes. "Most kindred are like little children, easily manipulated by their elders. Though, I think I should point out, with powers like dominate where you can control another's mind and actions or presence where you can influence their emotions and feelings towards or against you."
"But can it be defended against?" she asked me, and I just shrugged.
"You can't dominate a kindred of a lower generation than you, so you'll never be able to dominate me," I told her, getting a nod of understanding from Mira. "Likewise, since I'm fourth generation kindred, your fifth generation, and while there are more fifth generation kindred around than fourth, we're talking a select few versus a handful in the entire world. Most kindred seem to be eight to tenth generation or older."
"So, dominate isn't something that works against me?"
"It can, if you go up against someone who is also fifth generation or lower," I told her. "In clan Tremere there's a woman named Meerlinda who could, and four others in that clan who can dominate me."
"What about presence?" she asked, and I sighed.
"At a Trial, the prince tried to use his presence abilities to influence me into cowling to him and I rolled it back at him with little problem," I told her as we reached the bottom and stepped out of the elevator together. "Of course, I had Lucian in me then so it made me a lot stronger. I don't know if I could do it again."
"Mistress," Yukie said, opening the door for me like a proper chauffeur. It was almost comical given that the car was a Honda Civic.
"Thank you, Yukie," I said, taking my seat in the car. Mira got in the other side, and soon Yukie had us going out of the garage.
"Head for Hollywood," I told her, giving her directions for Michele's mansion.
"What's in Hollywood?" Mira asked me and I smiled as I watched businesses go by, committing it all to memory.
"Michele Riviere, Toreador clan primogen," I told her. "The Toreador are the clan of artists in the Camarilla, as much as we are the clan of shadows. I'm starting to think we're the assassins, but we seem to be as much leaders as the Ventrue."
"Well, up until the Middle Ages, most of Europe was under the control of the church," Mira told me. "Considering we're a clan used to working in the shadows, maybe we ran the church and lost out to Ventrue backed lords."
"It would explain our mutual hatred of each other," I said, giving it some thought. "It would also explain why kings and lords acted against the church throughout the dark ages."
"Maybe I can try to contact some of the Sabbat and find a Lasombra kindred to talk to?" she asked, and I nodded.
"Just don't invite them to town just yet," I told her. "The Sabbat and Camarilla just don't get along. We might have to go to a more neutral city to meet them, too."
"I'll keep that in mind," she said as we drove along.
I gave her the basic rundown of the other clans, including that Jean was a Gangrel and they were a lone predator type clan. She sat and intently learned everything that I had to offer, including the fact that soon I would also be teaching her how to use guns.
"So, this Larry sells and buys guns?" she asked, once I told her of my preferred black arms dealer.
"Even rocket launchers," I told her. "But everything comes with a price."
"When do I meet him?" she asked me, and I shrugged my shoulders.
"I'll probably take you by to meet him on our way to get my bike," I told her, making her smile.
"What kind do you ride?"
"A Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R," I told her. "One of the best on the market."
"How fast have you had it?" she asked me as she looked out the other window at the mansions we were passing.
"One eighty," I said, thinking of my first run with it and she spun her head back as if she thought I wasn't serious. "Another side-effect of housing Lucian is that I've started acquiring extra vampiric powers, including celerity, and auspex. Celerity allows me to accelerate my body and thinking so I can move faster than anyone else or move faster than the eye can see."
"Like in the movies?" Mira asked and I nodded.
"I've heard some kindred can reach over two hundred miles an hour on their own."
"Wow," she said as her eyes went wide. "So it gives you Jedi-like reflexes?"
"Pretty much," I told her, shrugging as I did so. "I have heard one guy who can dodge bullets shot point blank if he knows he's being shot at, but he has to know first."
"So much to look forward to," she said longingly.
"That there is," I told her as we pulled into Michele's driveway. "Just think, one day you'll be an elder like Michele, have your own mansion, a childe of your own..."
"And still be second to you," she said bitterly as the car stopped under the awning. "But, so goes mother to daughter."
"Or in our case, sire to childe," I corrected her as Yukie opened my door.
I stepped out just as a red headed young man opened the door to the mansion. It wasn't Copper, Michele's redneck ghoul I had met before, so I figured it was Todd. He was dressed well in a dark suit, and bowed as Mira and I moved closer.
"Come to see Miss Riviere?" he said as he stood up.
"We have," I told the ghoul. "I'm Eliza Flores and this is my childe, Mira."
"A pleasure, ladies," he said, taking Mira's hand when she offered it. "If you will but follow me?"
We followed the ghoul into the mansion, running into Remy just as she was leaving Michele's inner sanctum. She was dressed in a stunning navy blue satin gown with a beaded halter top that sparkled in the low light to cast pinpricks of light along the wall.
"Hello, Remy," I said, seeing my childe going goo-goo eyed at Remy's exquisite dress. I didn't want the girl getting confused as to who Michele really was, and Remy's attire could be confusing even at the best of times.
"Bonsoir, Mademoiselle Flores," she said in her heavy French accent. "My mistress will see you now."
"Thank you," I told her as we followed her into the inner sanctum.
Mira seemed in awe of the artwork as we passed, but it was Michele herself who really stole the show. Dressed in a royal blue sequined floor length dress with a halter top accented with what had to be real diamonds to showcase her ample bosom, she was a beauty to behold. Everything about her screamed high couture from the matching lace and diamond covered high heels to the embedded diamonds in the gold rope chain running through her hair.
"I hope you didn't get dressed for me?" I asked when I took in her breathtaking outfit.
"Pas toi," she said, giving me a smile. "I had a meeting with several Toreadors and wanted to...remind them of certain things," she told me. "Would you or your guest like refreshment?"
"No, thank you," I told her.
"Um, non merci, Mademoiselle Riviere," Mira said in a convincing French accent. "Jai nourri récemment."
"Very good," Michele said, giving Mira a broad smile. "It is so refreshing to hear proper French again."
"I'm afraid I'm a bit rusty," Mira said, ducking her head in embarrassment. "But I'm hoping to one day again walk the Passages Couverts and partake of some of Paris' greatest shopping."
"Hmm," Michele said, smiling at my childe's familiarity with her hometown. "Ever take a walk down the Rue de la Paix?"
"Only for some of the best jewelry ever made," Mira said, smiling herself as they shared a private laugh. I wasn't sure what they were talking about, as I'd never been out of California, not even to go to Mexico.
"Michele," I said, once the two had calmed down a bit. "This is my childe, Mira. Mira, this is the Toreador clan primogen, Michele Riviere."
"Please to make your acquaintance," Mira said, nodding her head to the elder kindred.
"As am I," Michele said.
"I brought her out to introduce her to some of my acquaintances in the Camarilla," I said, hoping Michele was savvy to my word choice and not mention any Anarch business. Not that I didn't trust my childe, but I didn't need a leak in the dam me and Michele were currently holding because Mira was young and impressionable. If she were ever cornered by my someone like Mueller or the prince, she might be tricked into giving something away.
"I can appreciate that," Michele said, nodding her head slightly in agreement. "Do you like my home, Mira?"
"The artwork alone must have cost a fortune," Mira said, pay a compliment to our host.
"Several fortunes, really," Michele said, looking at the artwork around us. "Most of these are original pieces from the Louvre's basement. They are merely on loan so someone might enjoy them."
"They are enjoyed," Mira said, looking around. "So why the windowless room? Does it help keep your artwork from deteriorating?"
"It is actually to keep the spies of the Nosferatu out of my conversations," Michele said bitterly. "I had it built in the seventies on the basis of keeping the Russian spies from hearing important state conversations. That means a complete lack of modern technology in this room and the walls are a foot thick of solid concrete and another foot of solid sound dampening technology on either side. No sound escapes it, no one can see into it, and no electronic signal ever gets out. Your phones are dead, yes?"
She asked that last with a smile, and I reached for my phone. It was indeed dead to all signals, and I just tucked it back into my pocket. Mira had pulled out her own phone, but she just slipped it back into her purse.
"A signal blocker," I said, and Michele nodded.
"My architects and engineers were aware that signals could be transmitted by radio outside these walls so they incorporated the best in passive signal jamming into this room," Michele said as she continued her predatory smile. "I didn't add the active signal jammer until a few years ago. I also actively use my auspex skills to check for auras on the premises."
"That makes this one secure room," Mira said approvingly.
"It has one drawback," Michele said, bowing her head a bit. "In the time since, they have grown more adept at using machines that are moved by remote operator. Even my auspex cannot see these threats. In that, I have to rely on the signal jamming properties of this room to keep it secure, but if one were to drill through the walls or floor..."
"They breach your privacy and you don't detect it," I finished for her, even as her statement had me thinking of the similar room I was planning on my own estate. I was thinking something far grander than this one story room, something more in line with the Great Room in my former mansion, maybe two or three stories tall but I was still stumped on what to fill it with.
"Oui," Michele said, nodding in approval that I understood her fears. "But its security is available to your childe as well should the Sabbat finally corner you in some dark alley, though I think like a cornered predator they will rue the night they cornered one of the city's best predators."
"That they will," I said, my smile deepening at Michele's complement to my skills. "And thank you for agreeing to look after my childe should anything happen to me."
"It is a small thing for the good you do," Michele told me. "Besides, I want to see what the childe of an antediluvian makes of herself."
"Setting high standards already?" Mira joked with her.
"High standards are the only way one excels," Michele told her. "If one sets ones standards low, they never achieve much."
"That is true," Mira said, nodding her head in thought. "But if one always tries to exceed their abilities, they may become depressed by their failures."
"Also true, especially among the weak willed," Mira agreed. "Which is why the weak make such terrible kindred and why you should never embrace such. Even the lesser clans of Brujah, Gangrel and Malkavian require a bit of core strength in those they embrace. Those that don't rarely succeed in this life, becoming little more than the kine they once were."
"I'll have to remember that," Mira said, keeping a smile on her face.
"Well, we don't want to waste the night," I said, rising back to my feet. Mira was quick to join me and even Michele rose from her chair, doing so with an odd, gravity defying grace that left the rest of us in awe.
"Feel free to return," she said, moving forward a few steps. "I'm afraid I reached the position where only those who require my help or have political ambitions come to call, and a visit from me is often seen in a bad light."
"I'll be the same way soon" I said, thinking of my status as an antediluvian. "Kindred will think I'll have come to feed from them if I come visiting."
"Oui, to feed, but not to kill," she said knowing my position. "But I also know you have your own sources and do not need to go hunting."
"True," I said as Mira gave me a questioning look. "Enjoy yourself, Michele. I have the land I'm going to put my new mansion on, and once I do, I'd enjoy your visits."
"One of the few I might call on as an equal," Michele said. "I could also help you fill your home with lovely furniture once it is built."
"I might also ask you for the name of a good architect to help me build it," I told her. "But first, I need an idea of what I wish to build."
"Then I will ask around for a worthy architect," she said, smiling at me. "But, off with you. The night would wane cold if we stood on formality."
"Thank you, Michele," I said, as I started to file out. Mira was right behind me but I had one last look of Michele as I turned to leave out the door. She looked a little sad to see us go, standing all alone in the middle of her sanctuary. I activated my auspex ability to see her aura, but I couldn't tell much about her mood, but watched as she just turned slowly to go back to her chair now that she was alone.
I let my auspex fade as we stepped outside, finding a bright wave of purple and red emanating from Yukie as she stood beside the Civic. She didn't look particularly happy, but the moment she saw me she opened the car door in invitation. Once inside, she shut the door on me as Mira climbed in the other side, and soon we were back on the road.
"Heading to get your Ninja?" Mira asked me after I gave Yukie the directions for the Ride or Die club in Long Beach.
"Yes," I told her, thinking I needed my ride back as Yukie drove around a slow moving car.
"Too bad I'm in a split skirt," Mira said, her lip out as she pouted.
"We can fix that," I said after thinking it over, then remembered the biker apparel in the store where I had bought the Ninja. "Yukie, change of plans," I told my ghoul as I gave her directions to the store. "We'll pick you up some proper riding clothes and then we can go get my Ninja."
"Thanks," Mira said, giving me a smile. The store wasn't a far trip, only twenty minutes in the light traffic. I had Yukie do a slow drive by of the store, allowing me to find a good shadow in the store to jump to. When I had, Yukie stopped just down the street and let me and Mira out.
"You can head home if you want," I told Yukie after she shut my door. "I'll be back later."
"I wish you well," she told me as she turned and walked away. She got back in the car and gently eased back onto the street and soon disappeared around a corner.
"So, we're going to break in?" Mira asked as I grabbed her by the waist.
"Not quite 'break'," I said, then shadow-stepped us inside the store. Mira gasped at the sudden change, then looked around the dark store.
"Dark in here," she said, looking around. To me it was just right, so I slipped off my shades to see normally.
"As a master of shadows, you have the ability to shift light to dark," I told her, watching as she concentrated on a rack of helmets. "Will your eyesight to change, and you should see the light change and everything become more brightly lit."
"Nice," she said, then looked around again. "Weird though. The lights themselves are dark now, but I can see norm...Whoat!"
"What?" I asked her, as she stepped closer to me.
"What happened to your eyes?"
"Oh," I said, chuckling softly. "It happens to our clan in time. With it, or maybe because of it, comes a greater infinity for shadows. I don't even have to change my sight anymore, but I have to wear shades to see normally, otherwise the lights blind me."
"Ah," she said, then began looking around.
"So, feel free to get yourself something to ride in," I told her. "And remember, don't worry about the cameras, they don't see us."
"Alright," she said, as she began to move around the store.
Mira picked out her clothes, a set of leather pants, boots, and a vest. I picked out a backpack to store her clothes in as she swapped out her clothes, soon standing in what she had picked out. She craned her neck to check out her body, but I could tell she was wanting a mirror.
"The lack of a reflection sucks, doesn't it?" I asked her and she finally quit craning neck and just nodded.
"Do I look alright?" she asked and I smiled.
"Yes, you do," I told her, then handed her the backpack containing her clothes. She frowned as she took it, but slung it over her shoulders anyway. "I know it ruins the look, but unless you're going to throw your clothes out, a necessary evil."
"You're right, but I don't have to like it," she said as she stepped in close to me. "You going to do that teleport thing to your bike?"
"Yes," I said, shifting my sight to look at the bar and shop where my bike was kept. It was quiet with only a few people milling around outside, so I held the shadows in my mind even as I let them slip from my sight. "Ready?"
"Ready," she said, stepping close and taking her in my arms, stepped us just outside the gate to appear that we had been dropped off by taxi. The people outside didn't even notice us till we entered, and it was met with sneers and lascivious looks from the men, and jealousy from the ladies.
"What you here for," one of the men challenged, rising with his beer in his hand.
"Picking up my ride," I told him, again not backing down from the challenge. "It's the Kawasaki Ninja that just had tires and rims put on it."
"Oh, you need to talk to Dave then" he said, then turned and shouted in the door for the man. When Dave stepped out, I could tell it was the same bear of a man I had done business with before.
"Back for the Ninja, right?" he said and I nodded as he led us into the shop. "Didn't have a single problem getting it apart. The bolts and screws didn't even have time to rust."
"Gotta love that," I snarked as she showed me bike. It looked ready to shred the curves with its new aggressive theme on the rims. I was just curious as to how the tires were going to handle the curves.
"Nothing left to do but give you these," Dave said, pulling my keys from a key box. "Thanks for pre-paying, by the way. The club doesn't have the money to afford mods like this."
"Not a problem," I said, taking the key. "Mind getting the door for me?"
"Sure," he said, going to roll up the garage door. I swung on my bike, lifting the kickstand with a boot and then bringing the engine to life. Mira swung up behind me, a little unsure of herself so I made sure to hold the bike steady as she climbed up behind me.
When she did, and Dave had the door half-way up, I slipped my Ninja into gear and roared out into the yard, and after finding the way clear, popped it into second and left the yard at speed. I got a yelp of surprise from Mira at the speedy exit, but never slowed down as I took the next intersection.
The tires seemed to be holding pretty well, so as I took the entrance ramp to the interstate to head north, kicked it up a gear and started to wind it out, already entering the hundreds while starting third gear. I didn't hit fourth until I was doing over a buck-twenty. Mira held on tight to me as I kept it roaring down the empty highway, soon dropping it into fifth as I hit one-fifty.
The road was like glass now as we roared down the highway. A quick glance down told me that I almost had hit the limiter as I kicked into the sixth and final gear. With that, I crept the speedometer up almost to one-ninety, finally hitting the limiter to make it bounce just a bit.
Mira kept squeezing me tight as we zipped along and we ate the miles fast. A thought hit me as I looked down at the clock to see it was just past five-thirty in the morning. Sunrise wasn't for another fifty-ish minutes, and there was one thing I was wanting to do.
Blowing by the exit for the motel, I kept on going, soon taking Highway 1 towards Malibu. I geared down, diving into the corner hard and laying it down like a real pro. The tires squalled through the turn, telling me I was using my traction to the fullest. Once I was out of the corner, I climbed back into the hundreds, running along the coast in the pre-dawn pinkness as dawn began to break.
I was looking for a monastery, according to Beckett, and he said it was somewhere northwest of Malibu on the beach. I kept following the highway, eventually having to slow down closer to traffic speeds as we reached Malibu. The town itself was waking up, making for somewhat treacherous roads for my bike.
It wasn't until I hit the other side of Malibu that I was able to open it back up into the seventies. Following the road into the hills, and the sky brightening, it silhouetted an odd shape in front of me on the skyline. Watching it for a moment, I decided that was likely the monastery.
Slowing down, I kept an eye for turn offs leading towards the monastery, finally finding one that wound through the rocks. I took it for a good hundred feet, long enough for my Ninja's headlight to illuminate some dirt and the myriad of motorcycle tracks leading through the area.
"Gotcha," I said, turning slowly around after marking the spot in my mind.
"The hunters?" Mira asked by nearly yelling in my ear against the wind, and I nodded.
"This is their hideout," I told her easing back onto the road. "I'm coming back out tomorrow night and cleaning it out in my search for a missing professor."
"Is he kindred?" she asked.
"No," I told her. "He's completely human, but he might have information we need so they kidnapped him."
"What information?" she asked as I slowed down to wind through Malibu.
"Archaeological," I said, keeping it simple. "We might be old, but we didn't build the damn Ankaran Sarcophagus. It might hold an ancient kindred, or just mummified remains. We have to make sure but it's locked somehow."
"Oh," she said finally as we began to leave town, then I heard her yawn. "...tired."
"I'll have you back to the motel soon," I said, opening the throttle even to pass a car on the right. Mira kept her hold on me as I continued an over a hundred mile an hour ride down the scenic route, passing cars however I could.
When Mira's hand began to slip, I used my left to grab them to keep Mira from falling off. When I glanced back over my shoulder, she was already asleep, her head lolling now on my shoulder. I smiled at her, figuring it was later than I thought and rushed her on back to the motel.
Pulling into the motel, I noticed the lack of Cherry by the driveway and the dark window of the room she worked out of. I had to figure the girl was likely home now, asleep. There were a few people moving about in the light of early dawn, the sky now a bright pink and the first shadows of the day appearing on the ground, but most of them didn't seem to be my working girls or staff and were likely using this as a real motel. The Civic was parked in it's spot again, so I knew Yukie was here somewhere too.
With that thought in mind, I dropped the kickstand, and, after sliding off the motorcycle and checking to make sure no one was looking, used my potence to carry Mira to my room. Yukie was waiting on the bed, watching the early morning cartoons with Dominique. Yukie slowly looked at me as I carried Mira inside to place her in a chair beside the window, but didn't otherwise move.
"What happened to her?" Dominique asked, after muting the TV from when it began playing commercials.
"It's what happens when we go to bed," I told my familiar as I pulled the top cover off the end of the bed and made a little pallet by the bed where Mira would be hidden from any sun's rays.
"So, she'll get up tonight?" Dominique asked.
"Yep," I said, putting a pillow down for Mira's use. "Probably after me, though. It seems the young need more sleep."
"Huh," she said, looking at Mira with a questioning look. "I don't sleep at all, so I wouldn't know."
"It's so you can watch over me during the day and take care things for me," I told her once I had things arranged. I then went over and picked up Mira, setting the new kindred in the cover and tucked her in like it was a cocoon. At least she should be safe from the sun as she was hidden by both the bed and a cover.
Getting Celeste's Grimoire, I sat to the table and began to peruse through the book, noting the differing spells. One of the things I thought funny was what Celeste listed as a turn of the century invention with the advent of electricity, the forty watt mage. The spells listed created and controlled arcs of electricity even to the point the mage would glow with inner light. Celeste's writing detailed this phenomena as the forty watt Tremere, and it seemed to be a derogatory remark.
Another recent addition listed in the Grimoire were the powers of technomancy. It allowed a mage to learn, then control electronic devices which was useful to older Tremere and prevented theft or use of a device without permission. I could see that it would be useful on devices like computers, allowing me to keep my personal machine free from pilfering, but in the age of the internet it made me wonder if it would keep hackers out.
I was about to turn the page when I yawned, and knowing I was probably about to go down, decided it was time to go to bed. Putting the Grimoire away, I finally ghosted myself under the bed where I'd be out of the sun during the day. Knowing I was protected by Yukie, I allowed myself to go to sleep, the silent hope that I'd get to give it to the hunters when I woke up bringing a smile as I drifted off to sleep.