Chapter 8 The Feast Of Ambrogio

John walked into the glittering ballroom on the top floor of the Tubman building. The room had floor to ceiling windows along the north and east walls, as well as crystal chandeliers and Art Deco designs painted on the walls and ceiling in black, tan, silver, and gold. It was elegant and expensive, like something out of The Great Gatsby. Waiters circulated carrying trays of hors d'oeuvres, champagne flutes, and wine glasses of blood.

"Your girlfriend knows how to throw a soiree," Kara murmured as they entered. She snagged a champagne flute and sipped the bubbly liquid. "She paid for the good stuff, too."

"This is a show of her wealth and competence as a Queen," John responded as he searched the crowd for Drake.

"Well she's got my vote," Kara said sipping some more. "Plus she's not trying to kill off the human population of Manhattan."

"Don't tell me you're starting to like her," John as his eyes roamed the ballroom mentally taking inventory of the rich and famous who were in attendance while he searched for Drake.

Kara's eyes never stopped moving either. "I like her champagne," she clarified as she took another sip. "Don't hold your breath waiting for us to have a sleep over and braid each other's hair."

"Duly noted," John replied. "But I think you would look good in braids."

Kara nearly dropped her glass and her eyes went wide. "Really?" she squeaked like a little girl.

John gave her a smirk and went back to looking for Drake.

"Don't forget why you're there," Mark's impatient voice cracked in their ears. "Any sign of Drake?"

Kara and John rolled their eyes. As if they would forget their mission. John tapped his earpiece. "No, nothing yet. But if he shows tonight, it will probably be with Quinn and his men."

Mark's response was a grunt and then he cut the connection.

"He's in a lovely mood tonight," Kara commented drily.

John shrugged. "He's never in a good mood, and tonight he's stuck outside in a cold surveillance van with Hersh for company."

"Valid point," Kara growled.

"Do you think Quinn would be foolish enough bring Drake with him tonight?" John asked.

Kara shrugged. "One thing I've learned from following Quinn the last couple of days is that he's arrogant. He just may be arrogant enough to bring his pet terrorist with him. And if he doesn't, well, we got several glasses of excellent champagne and a nice dinner."

Before John could reply, there was a fanfare of trumpets. Everyone turned to the double doors at one end of the room. Tony stood there in his tuxedo. Once he had everyone's attention, he proudly announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, I present our Queen. Jocelyn of New York."

He stepped aside while a couple of men in tuxedos, John recognized Cal and Dominic, pulled open the double doors to reveal Joss looking every inch the Queen she was. Her hair was twisted in an up do with a few wisps down to frame her face., topped off by a black tiara studded with blood red rubies. Her lace gown was black - as befitting the Vampire Queen -with a sweetheart neckline, and off the shoulder long lace sleeves. It hugged her curves down to her knees then flared out to a full skirt with a three foot train. It was studded with crystals that glittered as she walked.

She moved into the room with a regal smile and began greeting her subjects. John watched her, mesmerized for a few minutes, trying to curb his jealousy when she bestowed glowing smiles on other men. The spell was broken when Kara jabbed her elbow into his side. "Careful, jealousy is against the Boy Scout code."

John glared at her. "Pretty sure jealousy isn't even mentioned in the Boy Scout code."

Just then Joss passed them. She smiled, winked, then glided off to greet another subject. John felt the tips of his ears burn when Joss winked at him. He didn't dare look at Kara, but he could feel her cold stare on him.

Tony approached them. He gave Kara a flirtatious smile and wink before he spoke. "Any sign of your guy?"

John shook his head. "If he shows, it will probably be with Quinn."

"Quinn won't show for a while, he'll be late so he can make a grand entrance and issue the challenge," Tony stated firmly.

"You're sure he'll issue a challenge tonight?" Kara asked. "He caught onto your spy, he has to know you're expecting it. If I were him, I'd change up my plans."

Tony nodded. And snagged a glass of blood from a passing waiter. "He can't resist the temptation to make the challenge with all these people here. He'll show, and he'll challenge Joss."

Kara cocked her head to one side and frowned. "You don't seem too worried."

"Nope," Tony replied. "Joss has a thousand years of combat experience." He took a sip of the blood and then saluted them with the glass. "Enjoy the party," he said with a smile and a wink before walking away.

John and Kara decided to split up and circulate. It gave them a chance to cover more territory and listen in on more conversations. He was loitering by a group of Quinn supporters when Joss suddenly appeared at his elbow. "Hear anything good?' she whispered conspiratorially with a smile and a twinkle in her eye.

The corners of his mouth quirked up. "Not really," he said. Then his expression sobered. "There are a disturbing amount of your subjects who want you dead."

Joss shrugged. "Vampire politics are often bloody. I'm used to it."

John opened his mouth to speak, closed it, then opened it again "Just be careful, OK?" he said softly as he looked at her with puppy dog eyes.

Joss looked up at him, her eyes shining. "I will." Then she moved away to join another group.

Dinner was announced just then. John and Kara found their places at one of the large round tables off to one side that gave them a excellent view of the doors. Joss said a few words before the first course welcoming everyone and announcing a new initiative to pair vampires who had witnessed historic events with historians studying those events. Everyone applauded, then Joss took her seat at the head table with several prominent vampires. John noticed that one of the seats at the head table was vacant and idly wondered if that should be Quinn's seat.

The vampire on John's left turned out to be a former German World War I soldier named Kurt Scholz who had been in the trenches during the Christmas Truce of 1914. He happily regaled the table with the tale.

"Christmas morning we left our trenches and our weapons behind and approached the British line. We called out 'Merry Christmas' in English to them, our English was so bad I wasn't sure they would understand! We hoped they wouldn't shoot us. They didn't. They shook our hands and wished us a Merry Christmas. We sang carols and played football, that's soccer to you. It was very strange and very beautiful."

Kara was appalled at the thought of fraternizing with the enemy. "I'm surprised your officers didn't shoot you for abandoning your post."

Scholz only laughed at her. "It was a different time. We were young men, boys really, who knew we could die tomorrow. They did not want to deprive us of some small comfort."

"They were the enemy," Kara replied. "You don't party with your enemies."

Scholz shook his head. "No, we were soldiers following orders, but we had no personal quarrel with the British. They were boys like us. Far from home. Scared. Cold. What officer would deny us that tiny bit of humanity?."

"In war, humanity just gets in the way," Kara asserted.

The vampire stared at Kara. "Have you surrendered your humanity, Fraulein?"

Kara gave him a smile. "I'm comfortable with what I am."

"Do not be so quick to let your humanity go. Getting it back is nearly impossible."

"Some of us don't want it back. Some of us are comfortable in the Dark. Some of us are the Dark."

The vampire looked at Kara sadly. "The Dark will destroy you."

"I'll take my chances."

There was a lull in the conversation and John could not help but sneak a glance at Joss at the head table. Their eyes met across the room and Joss smiled. John gave her a small nod.

Dinner was just finishing up when the double doors were dramatically thrown open with a bang that reverberated throughout the hall and Quinn entered, flanked by Simmons and several other men, their faces grim. Joss rose gracefully from her seat and strode to meet them, flanked by Tony, Dominic, and few other men that John did not recognize. They met on the dance floor, standing a few feet apart.

"Mr. Quinn, I'm glad you could make it, but you've missed dinner," Joss said, playing the part of gracious hostess to perfection.

"I'm not here to socialize," Quinn replied. "Queen Jocelyn, you have failed your subjects by forcing them to live in peace with humans." A few cheers broke out among the crowd, but so did a few boos, but Joss and Quinn were so intent on each other that they didn't notice.

"You have been weak, and you force the rest of us to be weak because you lack the courage to stand up to the humans!" Applause broke out, along with a chorus of boos. Emboldened he finally broke eye contact with Joss and began playing to the crowd, using the vocal cadences of a preacher in a pulpit. "We are the superior race! I say we are done hiding in the shadows! It is time for us to take our place in the world, we are predators! We are not whipped puppies who cower before our masters! Let us embrace the killer in us and take our place at the top."

"YES, Tell them!" someone in the crowd shouted. "Agreed!" shouted another

"You are a fool, Quinn," Joss hissed. "There are very few of us compared to them!" Applause followed.

"There are ways to change that!" Quinn replied.

"Genocide? Is that what you're proposing?"

"They kill us. They have ALWAYS killed us."

"And we have killed them. My god, Quinn, where does it end? I've lived a thousand years, I've seen so much killing, it has to stop."

"It will stop when we win!"

"No, it won't! They'll come back at us harder!"

Quinn turned to the audience again. "See? This is your Queen, and she is scared! I'm not scared, are you?"

"NO!" roared the audience.

"Then it is time for new leadership!" Quinn whirled dramatically to face Joss again. "Your reign has come to an end! I demand you step aside and let the new age begin! Will you abdicate?"

Joss lifted her chin in defiance. "I will not. We have seen unparalleled prosperity and peace these past years. I will not allow you to destroy all we have built," she replied to cheers.

"Then I have no choice, I challenge you to fight to the death, Winner takes the crown."

"I accept," Joss replied, and the room went crazy.

"I choose Patrick Simmons as my champion," Quinn said, Simmons took his place next to Quinn. He smiled, but there was no happiness in it, it was the smile of a predator. John couldn't help but notice that he was tall, nearly as tall as John himself, and he loomed over Joss. "Who do you choose as your champion?" Quinn asked

Joss ignored Simmons and addressed Quinn. "I'm not scared to be my own champion," she said with a mocking smile. "We will meet in two hours in the basement arena. I choose swords as the weapon."

Quinn briefly scowled as he registered the jibe, but he recovered quickly. "Agreed." Then he and his entourage turned and left the ballroom.

"Everyone, please continue to enjoy the feast," Joss announced. "I will see you in the basement arena in two hours. Then she too left the room accompanied by several of her men

"Looks like the room is split 50/50," Kara observed as she calmly sipped her champagne.

John was very grateful he had years of practice schooling his emotions so he was able to hide his inner turmoil from Kara. "Quinn has been working hard to undermine her, looks like he has had some success," he was able to reply coolly.

John almost jumped when Mark's voice crackled in his ear. "Stanton, get down here, we have a lead on Drake. Reese, stay with the Queen."

"So much for that," Kara said as she stood up. "If your girlfriend survives the night, tell her she has good taste in champagne."

"I'm sure she will be thrilled to hear you approve," John replied with a straight face.

Kara laughed, "She should." Then she left, leaving John alone.


Joss and her entourage took the freight elevator down to the basement. They stepped into the private room reserved for the ruler, and Joss immediately began taking out her up do. Tony leaned against the wall watching. Joss turned to him when her hair was down. "Tony, please watch over John for me. If I lose, get him out of here."

Tony shook his head. "You won't lose but I'll take care of him for you."

"Thank you my friend."

Tony turned to leave, but as he put his hand on the door knob, he turned to Joss once more. "See you later, boss," he said, his voice heavy with emotion.

Joss smiled and gave him a small nod. Tony left the room to go in search for John.


John lurked in the shadows by himself in a ballroom that was buzzing with excitement. A heated argument broke out between some Joss and Quinn supporters that security had to break up. Looking around the room, it seemed like he was about the only human left. Quietly, using all the stealth and guile he had developed over years as a secret agent in hostile territory he moved around the venue listening and taking the pulse of the vampire community of New York. He was relieved to find that most in attendance were supportive of Joss, but there was a very loud and vocal minority that supported Quinn.

Tony appeared next to him, and John was rather proud of the fact that he was so used to Joss's right hand vampire sneaking up on him that he didn't even jump this time. "Shouldn't you be with Joss?" John asked.

"She has several of us with her, you're my assignment now. Joss wants me to keep you alive," Tony replied. "Where's your partner?"

"She left. Mark got a lead on Drake. My orders are to stay with Joss."

"Good. Joss had made arrangements with Mr. Finch to hack your system to send a message that looked like it came from Langley if the challenge happened. She was hoping the rest of your crew would go chasing the lead and leave you here."

John blinked. "Oh. So they're chasing their tails."

Tony nodded. "Safer for them this way. Things could get pretty nasty around here and we didn't feel we could protect everyone. This way I can focus on you." He turned and looked over his shoulder at John. "Come on, I'll take you to Joss."

They took the elevator down to the basement and Tony led John to a room just down from the elevator. The room was set up as a spartan but comfortable sitting room with several couches, mini fridge, and a small dining table. There was a few generic pieces of artwork on the concrete walls and the floor was bare. Hardly the place one would expect a Queen, but Joss was standing by the dining table, watching as one of her people was bleeding into a cup from a slit in her wrist. Several other of her closest associates were also in the room.

"The honor of giving you blood should have been mine," Tony growled.

Joss picked up the cup. "I need to you at full strength. You have the most important job of all," she said, with a nod in John's direction. John looked down at his feet and clenched his jaw. Tony looked at him, then at Joss, and nodded.

"Come on, everyone let's give them a minute," Tony said as he turned and strode for the door. The room emptied except for John and Joss.

Joss sipped the blood in her cup. "Drinking vampire blood doesn't just make humans stronger, it makes us stronger," she explained. "Simmons is probably drinking blood from Quinn right now."

"Then drink up," John replied. "I'm not sure I can see you die a second time."

She smiled. "Technically you didn't watch me die the first time, I watched you die." She laid a hand on his arm. "I'll be fine, I just need you to trust me on this."

John placed his hand over hers and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. He gazed into her eyes, and then nodded. "See you on the other side."

Joss smiled up at him. "See you on the other side."*

Tony opened the door. "Come on, Lover Boy. Joss needs to finish getting ready and we need to find our seats."

John wasn't really sure he wanted to watch this fight, but he knew he had to. He followed Tony out the door.


*John says this line to Joss in The Crossing just before he leaves the morgue to draw HR away from her so she can escape and get Quinn to the FBI.

The old German vampire tried, but Kara lost her humanity a long time ago and has no interest in recovering it. Yet, many would say the vampire is a monster, and not Kara.

Next week, Joss and Simmons fight to the death! Who do you think will win? Let me know how you liked this chapter!