Tarot Tell All

CHAPTER 13

Ariel led Kay down the darkly lit stair case that lead to the Vampire's Den, there were some people dressed in the same dark Victorian/Goth style of the vampires. She was in aw and wonder how the bar looked like as they entered.

It was a vast room decorated with couches and grand chairs in the center with small beds with scarlet sheets rested against the wall with each being elegantly hidden behind sheer curtains of black material. The room was painted with black and red wall, the Bar was situated against another wall. The back of the bar was lined with many different types of alcoholic beverages and Gothic decorations, the Bar was well suited for vampire want a bees.

The music that blared form the large speakers around the bar was a type of dark Goth soft punk, if there was such a thing. She didn't care for it much, but it did bring a more sensuous appeal to the place.

Ariel had her by the hand as she led the witch to the bar, there was a tall bald man with white contacts on looking back at her with teeth of his own. He was dressed with a black vest and dark red silk shirt, he didn't smile when they approached.

"What will you drink?" Ariel asked Kay.

"Nothing with booze in it, I still have to drive the car back to the hotel." Kay grinned.

Ariel turned to the bartender, "Two Romans…"

The man made two greenish red liquid filled glasses, Ariel handed Kay hers, she sniffed for a moment.

"What is this?" Kay asked.

"Lime juice with Coke. Alcohol tends to curdle the blood in a vampire's stomach. Very nasty in the morning." Ariel took her hand again and brought her to sit down on a couch where two men and three woman sat around talking.

Kayla noticed that they knew Ariel from before, the real vampire jumped right into their conversation as if she had been there the whole time. Kay just sat quietly and drank her drink as she listened to their conversation

It surprised her that they were discussing Vampire politics, but Ariel had informed her that these people come down here to live another life, a vampire's life. Each person down here was a Character in their mock vampire world, there were leaders, bad guys, and even lovers that played their rolls very well.

Kay was able to figure out that the man with long blond hair that was dressed in a black business suit was the current leader in this fictional world, the woman dressed in a long blood red dress with black curls of hair dance around her face was his neonate, or wife in the real world.

The other couple were more dressed like bikers, complete with black leather jackets and blue jeans. But they were completing the vampire look with the fake long teeth. The third woman was dressed in a simple gown, very long and flowing. Her demeanour was more chastised as she looked at Kay with a discerning look.

Ariel leaned over to Kay, "These two are Dorrion and Amarah, they represent the Ventrue Clans… in the Council" She extended her hand to the well dressed couple, then moved to the bikers, "…this is Vincero and Camilla of the Bruja Clans…" she stopped at the older woman, and this is my close friend Victoria of the Toreador Clan. All these people are part of the Council."

"Who is your friend, Ariel? I do not believe we have seen her here before." Asked Dorrion as he smiled at Kay, showing his teeth.

"This is my friend, Raven." Ariel answered, Kay had picked the name before the got here.

"Hi…" Kay said shyly.

"Ravinos?" Victoria asked quietly.

"No…" Ariel answered for Kay, she wouldn't know what the woman was talking about, "…she is clan less."

"New here?" Asked Camilla.

"Just visiting." Kayla finally answered.

"She travels now with our clan." Ariel added in.

"How do you like our fair city?" Asked Amarah.

"It would be better if the Camarilla would allow our clan better hunting grounds…" Growled the male biker vamp.

"As I have explained before," Vincero shot back quickly, "The hunting grounds are divided by the number of clan men. Your clan is much smaller in numbers than the Ventrues, all was agreed to this at the last meeting. If you would have come to the meeting, then you could have voiced your concerns."

Kayla sat back and watched the show, she had no idea that Vampires were civilized enough to hold a council. Ariel had explained that this place would show her how Vampires actually did exist in the real world. They all had a different lifestyle that they lived their undead life by, some were money makers, some just wanted to have a good time it was wonderful to learn this.

These people had no idea that real vampires walked among them, living their undead lives just like normal people. If Ariel said that this is how they are, then history was definitely wrong about them, except for the little fact that they did drink human blood.

But if they were a civilized people, then why were they branded as cold blooded savage killers? Was all those attacks caused by those who when without blood for a time and frenzied? Kayla would ask Ariel after they leave, but she was enjoying her time here.

Kayla's attention was on the calm argument between the head of two clans, she just caught Ariel being escorted to a back bed by a very handsome young man. She moved her head just a little so she could see Ariel and her new toy. The man definitely had a few marks on his arms and neck, he must have been one of those that liked the pain of the bite. A small giggle left her lips as she watched Arial play with him, then sank her own real teeth into his tender neck.

It didn't bother Kay, though she thought it would. She guessed it was because she knew Ariel wasn't going to kill him, just take a bit of his blood. She told Kay that on an average night, she could take a bit from eleven guys and be full for a few days. Not one of them would die or be turned into a real vampire because it it.

That's how the vampires were feeding and no one was the wiser. There were people in the world that would give a little of their blood freely, and there were some Blood Donor clinics in some areas that did service the vampire community. No bodies, no questions. Simple and effective.

That's how they have been hiding, the Slayers had said once that Vampires were getting harder and harder to find, perhaps it was because the Vampires just got better at hiding. From the looks of it, it seemed to Kayla that they were not a danger to the living community. Or was it just because she was starting to get her own ideas of the Dead?

To be continued.