Chapter 36

The modernistic designed library was dark and silent. Only the clicking sound of Milan and my heels spoke of the presence of people in it, Nick a silent shadow trailing after us. The library of Alexandria was made up of a library, museums, and a planetarium. But that was only what the human world saw, underneath the library lay something much more vaste and spectacular, the true Library of Alexandria. It had been kept secret from the public for many many years. Most believed library had burned during the invasion of the Roman's during the days of Cleopatra, but in fact it had been buried. Hundreds of vampires were tasked at night of dig a large pit, and when the Romans invaded, the large cavern was allowed to collapse, sending the library of Alexandria to fall into it and then the Library was covered over in a tomb of fashions.

So as we walked through the seen library, it was a seemingly insignificant janitor door that lead down to the real library. The modern world knew of it only through the leaders of humankind and they could not tell the public should the full weight of ths vampiric society come crashing down on them. Few places of ancient times were saved, but a few had been, the ancient library being one of them. The vampiric society considered knowledge paramount and thus preserves it as best they could. Other ancient landmarks saved and locked deep ib the Earth was Camelot, Atlantis, and many others.

Many had been obscurred into legend. It wouldnt be long before a fable of Alexandria's library would be considered myth as well. Milan pulls a paur of keys and looks back at me. Her irises flashing in the darkness as she whispers, 'It will take me time to find what you are looking for, so please be patient.'

Nodding, she unlocks the door, which leads to two double silver double doors of an elevator. She pushes a button and the doors open. It wasn't long before we were walking on ancient slabs of granite, up stairs, and into one of the wonders of the ancient world. The smells of tgose ancient books filling the air. It was breathtaking, as it was my first time seeing it. Only those of clans could come here, and it was amazing to know that though I was clanless, I was seeing such amazing things. Ancient statues of gods, canons three feet thick with phantoms tirelessly translating texts. It was stunning.

Milab leaves us at a large table and says she woll be back shortly. Tge room large, quiet whispers coming from dowb the long table, pheremones of companable calm floating among the smells of sand, salt, and old books. Now and again I saw them glabcibg at us, more luke Bick, who sat there, looking aroubd as if yet again finding thus boring. I ask, 'Have you been here before?'

'Yes.'

'Really? What did you do, read, tour it, or...'

But his eyes cutting towards me stopped my question as he says in his smoke way, 'I was tutored here in my youth, before it was lost to the cave.'

This makes me blink again. I had forgotten just how ancient he was and it made me want to know more about my unknowing maker, what wonders he had seen . How many thousands of lives he had lived, but I don't ask as I continue to look around. Finally he says, 'It's your first time.'

'Yes, as a young girl, I always found it facinating how such a vaste collection would be allowed to vurn, but after learning as a phabtom it had not. i yearned to come.'

'Why didn't you?' he says, finally turning his head to look at me.

I shake my own and says softly, 'Clanlesd aren't allowed. Seen as lessers, if you don't have a clan you don't have a claim to see it.'

Nick nods his understanding and says softly, 'The law of joined owners, if you wish not to cobtribute to the whole, you are excluded.'

'Yes.'

'So you have never been to Kotowa.'

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up on end at the name and slowly my eyes meet his. Kotowa was always whispered among the begger clanless, and those of the C rank. Kotowa was the city undying, deel below the ice of Antartica, the city of the phantoms. It was almost a whispered legend and all I do is stare at him. His eyes search mine before he turns and says, 'No I don't believe you have.'

This breaks the spell of wonder as I turn away from his face and say, 'Only those of high ranking power and birth are allowed. But I have heard stories about it.'

'I can imagine.'

Just then I see Milan returning with a large stack of books, hiffing as she does. Setting them down she says, 'These are all the death records of the A rank vampire between the dates you asked. I had to speak with a higher ranking librarian about the Pureblood records and without a sealed approval from a Pureblood, I can't take them from the vault.'

Her eyes were on Nick. He sighs, stands and says, 'Very well, lead the way.'

They walk away as I stare at thr stack. I knew so little about the history of the vampire, having always turned away from it as I felt like a shadowy figure between the human and vampire world. Now as I sit here, staring at a stack of books almost a four feet high, I'm reminded of my lack of knowledge. Words of my father flashing back to me, 'If one does not learn from the past, they are bound to repeat it.'

Suddenly I felt the hunger for knowlesge, hungering for a ancient history of the vampure when human kind was still foraging for berries and hunting mamoths. It made me question who came first, the human or the predatory vampire. Only Nick could answer that, with thousands of years to come to take understanding.

Pulling one of the volumes from the stack, I open to the first page which stated, 'The offical death records of the war of the Romane, Alpha.'

So that meant there were likely Beta class death records but likely no Centura ranking death information. How times had changed, no longer Alphas, but A rank, or Beta, but B rank, and finally the masses of Centura, or my rank C class. Flipping through it, I think of Furlow. The information was placed by the clan name, then by rank, finally by last name in alphabetical order.

Furlow was clanless like myself. It made wonder who he really was. Slowly I flip to the M', his last name of Marta. It took a moment, as I finally found the last name, but no one of A rank was named Furlow Marta. It made me question if these few Marta might be part of his family or even his makers. Settibg aside the book, I go to the Beta class and look for him there. Yet again it was in vain, Furlow would always be my friend true, but a mystery still.

That's when I see Nick and Milan returning with what looked like an even opder book, well worn with a lock on it. She sets it down and Nick says as he sits down, 'I will keep the key until we are finished with the books. So what now Nina?'

'Now we look at the records and find what we are looking for starting with the A rank.'

Milan looks at us, a little surprised and unnerved, bt finally says, 'I wish I could stay to help, but I must return to my home before the sun rises.'

We both nod to her and I glance over at the people down the long table now staring openly at Nick and I. Nick notices and says, 'They are A rank and won't bother us. They know the Dracul don't lile to be disturbed.'

I nod and then Nick turns to me, gliding his hand over the stac of books and asks with a bit of irritation, 'Now explain what we will be doing.'