There Will Be Blood by Brieanna Boyce (bookstand for reading txt) 📕

mask. I grabbed the nearest book not in the least aware of what it was I didn't much care what it was. I just took it and left.

I came back to Fang's room hoping that maybe I'd find a moment's solitude there. Of course I wouldn't it'd be completley illogical to assume so but I hoped anyway.

Than I felt the pressure of a body sitting behind me, I knew who it was but I didn't respond only than did I look at the book.
It was titled The Royals.

"that's an odd book choice," Fang said softly playing with my hair.

"Is it?"

Fang gasped, "Don't tell me you haven't heard of it."

I shrugged, than Fang said airly "wow there's so much you don't know."

"There's still so much you don't know..."

That's what Tristan had said only one night ago... "Fang... what's this book about?"

Fang smiled, "This book," she picked up the book in my hand, "is a very contraversial newly written book about the history of the kings and queens of the vampires the different members of royalty, each of their beliefs, and how they were all killed..."

I blinked in amazement, than muttered, "wow am I lucky..."

"There are thousands upon thousands of books about the royals though what makes this one special is that it has diary entries of each of the kings and queens..." Fang shrugged, "I'm not big into reading but doing something like that... well... even someone who's not into reading can see the beauty in that."

I stared at the leather book, gently pet it's spine and ran a hand over the cover. God, this book seemed to be begging for me to read it, calling to me, but I had to wait wait until I was alone or nearly alone. I turned and kissed Fang cupping her face, "sorry I've been so distant... but I really want to read this in the library."

Fang smiled, "okay than I'll tell you when the manager's here."

"Thanks."

I said smiling and leaving, I than turned to Fang I hadn't seen the bad side of her yet... but it was only a matter of time.

I went into the library again and sat in a large leather seat in the corner of the room curling myself into a ball. I read through the book I couldn't put it down, some of the parts were boring like the political parts but than as soon as I even imagined taking a break the diary parts would come up. It wasn't all just about ruling some excerpts were about children, or lovers, their pasts. Than I reached one about a queen Genevieve at first I thought nothing of it just another queen, none of the vampire queens were particularly friendly... but this one... Genevieve had a large ego and made a business of murder she would have outlandish brothels and bathe in blood as well as drinking it she was an egotist and did not much care for vampires other than herself and her close circle. Geneveive's husband and the true ruler was Mikhail, Mikhail was a strict man who believed in vampires being the higher beings and humans being nothing more than cattle I looked at their pictures, blond hair and blue eyes I turned the page and than I saw her.

The current queen of the vampires, underneath her name, Desdemona... I blinked, I couldn't stop staring at it. It wasn't the same Desdemona either, this was a small child with large blue eyes and curly thin white hair, she couldn't have been older than five...

I couldn't believe it, that woman had once been a child... after that the book went into detail about the vampire lineage and how vampire royalty was of the purest blood and many vampire royals are forced to marry and conceive with their siblings...

I was horrified, these children have to rule someday over all vampire kind AND have an incestuous relationship?! That's rough...

I kept reading though and than I flipped to the next chapter. HUNTERS. I gulped I thought of mom, of how I'd witnessed her murder. I thought of how I'd remembered my mother, nurturing, gentle... if I read on I'd understand my mother I'd understand a little more about why she did what she did... but at what cost? I'd lose that image of my mother... my past that I had used to cling to, to get through all of this. If I read on my past would be a part of my present my past would be just as tainted...

I took a deep breath and hesitantly continued reading, i wasn't sure whether I'd made a good decision but I needed to learn why, I needed to know what my mother's past meant... because it may still apply now.

Hunters seemed to have first built momentum in the dark ages. For vampires this was a time for thriving, it was much easier to kill humans. However many humans had witnessed the vampire attacks and vampires in their dissallusionment underestimated the humans.
During that time the vampire ranks were still growing this allowed for a select few humans to rise up and fight. Although niether vampires or humans won the vampires reluctantly returned to the outskirts of society. Thus the hunters were formed and since vowed to demolish all threats of vampires. Weirdly enough hunters similar to vampires have their own "pure leaniege." I flipped the page and saw a man, he was comparable to a bear his arms were covered in freckles and his face was sun beaten. He had orange wild curly hair next to him was a woman, her face was covered but her hair was a rich red her skin pale... she had the same hair color as my mother and I, her build seemed to be the same small body type as well. The last chapter talked about werewolves and how they are mostly shrouded in mystery and summed up the rest of the book.

I sighed and put the book aside and than got up, right at that moment Fang went up to me, "Raven, my dear... the manager he's here."

I half smiled still trying to absorb all of the information buzzing around in my head, "great. Lets meet him." I felt as though I would vommit why couldn't I ever just learn one thing at a time? why did I do this to myself?

The hallways seemed to grow larger as if to heighten my anxiety. Fang took my hand smiling and took me into a large room with a rustic fire place and a bear skinned rug. I looked down at the carcus under my feet... how sad.
Suddenly I heard someone clear their throat when i looked up there was a man standing there. He looked to be about forty with salt and pepper colored hair and dark eyes, his features had strong edges and he was dressed with a fadora and a trench coat.

He huffed on a cigar, the odor of it quickly filling the room. Fang smiled, "Hello Cassius it's a pleasure to see you."

Cassius smiled, "as it is to see you Fang."

Fang smiled, "this is my partner Raven she is a new arrival from America."

Cassius, "Yes, it's a pleasure ma'am, now let us all sit and get formalities out of the way."

"Yes of course," Fang took my hand and we sat on a dark red loveseat while Cassius the manager sat himself in a plush brown chair. At first the conversation seemed normal Fang named off a list of people who had passed through, a list of people who were staying, and a list of people who planned on staying in her "inn."

Than Fang got up smiling, "now that that's taken care of may I get you a drink my friend?"

Cassius smiled, "A bloody mary would be great."

They both laughed, did they just make a pun? I thought vampires were supposed to be serious...

"What would you like hun... now that I think of it I haven't seen you drink any blood..."

"Just get me a beer with a hint of blood."

Fang smiled and nodded leaving Cassius and I alone in a room together.

"Beer. How American," Cassius smiled.

I shrugged, "I guess so..."

Cassius narrowed his eyes leaning closer... "Those are contacts right?"

"Uhm no... after the change my eyes have just been this way."

"Interesting," Cassius said taking another long drag, "So what part of America do you hail from child?"

I tried not to fidget this was starting to feel like I was on trial. "I'm from a small town in New Hampshire," God it almost hurt to say New Hampshire but my last trip back there with Tristan... I dropped the thought.

"So you must've heard of the vampire in New York City the little fledging who had the gall to kill elders, even to go as far as killing Delilah the queen's favorite Lady."

"I heard a little bit about it not much... has she been caught?" I asked chewing my bottom lip.

Finally Fang came into the room and handed me the beer, I took 3 sips and put it down.

"Raven," Fang looked at me curiously, "I've never seen a vampire with so much self control, how long since you've been changed."

"3 years," I lied, somehow saying only a few months seemed alot more suspicious.

"Amazing," Fang smiled.

Cassius cleared his throat seeming only minorly displeased that he'd been interrupted,any rate as far as I'm aware the little pest has been executed but I was on holiday."

Cassius sighed, "I met with one of the queens favorite researchers in brazil who is trying to conduct studies on strange things like werewolves and hunters. The queen seems to take a liking to the strange vampire though I believe his work is nonsense. He says that he believes the rogue fledging and werewolf activity in New York City are connected. Can you believe that garbage? Furthermore he believes the DNA of hunters is altered so that they are not normal humans and says they are a threat to us."

Fang rolled her eyes, "he's nothing more than a silly story maker to the queen."

"Nevertheless she wished me to see him."

I creased my eyebrows pretending to be only slightly curious, "What's the mans name?"

"His name is Eldrich Friedman. He was older during his change he looks to be about sixty and the mans nearing 540 something now... almost as old as the queen."

I blinked, it was weird to think a sixty year old looking man was younger than the queen, the queen looked to be late 20's early 30's at the oldest.

"Queen Genevieve, did not much like the man..."

"How did Queen Genevieve die?"

"Our queen killed her of course."

I shouldn't have been surprised the queen was an evil woman and since reading the book that's how MOST vampires became king or queen.

"The King or Queen can revoke the throne but most would prefer to die..."

"I see..." I looked at Cassius, he seemed to be some help, the name Eldrich Friedman deffinatley seemed worth a look. However, if he wasn't informed the queen must've kept it a secret or must be working on something else.

"Well I think I should be off... It was nice seeing you again Fang... Raven it was nice meeting your acquaintance."

"Thank you for your help have a nice day."

He