《World Of Monsters》


 1. The First Hunt

    When Alyssa was born, the world had already gone to hell in a hand basket. The virus, known to the medical community as Z-914, was responsible for starting the apocalypse that everyone feared; the age of the zombie. When the first outbreak started in China, the world had no idea what was going on until it was too late. The state had blocked the media from finding out about the new disease, telling other nations that it was a new outbreak of the swine flu and something they were capable of taking over. When the undead become overwhelming to the point where the Chinese government was overrun, that when things got terribly ugly. In an act of strategic brilliance or possibly irrational fear, the former Soviet Union launched a barrage of tactical nuclear weapons at China in an effort to end the Zombie outbreak before it could get any worse. While many people tried to stop them, their close proximity made it hard to warn anyone what was about to happen. The Russians specifically slammed the areas that would protect their border, hoping that if the blast didn''t eradicate them all, the fallout would take the rest of them out. The world held its collective breath, hopeful the extreme measures, while very drastic, was enough to stop the undead. It wasn''t.


    The disease has spread to the Middle East before the nukes had landed, and they continued to spread into Africa and Europe. The Nations of North America did their best to stop the epidemic from crossing the oceans but it was a futile effort. Despite the blockades and shooting down any plane that attempted to enter their airspace, the zombies crossed the north-pole from Russia and infest Canada on their way to infecting the rest of the Americas. The U.S. military did their best to fight the Zombies, but there were too many of them and governments fell, people scattered desperate to find shelter and stay safe. In anticipation of the worst, American cities had started making moves to protect themselves the moment the outbreak was first reported in China. Cities used whatever cash they had and started to build walls, big ones. It took the Zombies almost a decade to successful cross the poles and by the time that was accomplished, most of the biggest cities in North America had walls that were close to a hundred feet tall and were twenty to thirty feet thick, most filled with concrete. While the cities were fighting to fortify themselves, the rest of the country was on their own. Suburbs and small towns were overrun and slaughtered. It was the cities that were located next to bodies of water that managed to survive. They used the ocean to their advantage as the Zombies were not able to swim. Cities such as New York, San Francisco and even New Orleans were the three that managed to fend off the dead more successfully than the others. Yet there was the odd scattered town that managed to make their own walls and defend themselves. They were few and far between but there were always a few holdouts that managed to ride the wave and survive.


    Alyssa was born in one of those towns and because they didn''t live near a body of water, it was always necessary to travel out into the land of the undead and search and scavenge for supplies. Alyssa could remember each time her father went out with groups to look for more food and water. Sometimes everyone would come back and then there were times when not everyone would return. She could still remember the day when it was her Dad that didn''t come back from the trip. They had been overrun by the undead trying to find something inside an abandoned Walmart. It was the saddest day of her life. She had never known her mother, who died giving birth to her so losing her father was more tragic because he was the only parent she ever had.


    Over the next ten years living in town, Alyssa learned how to kill the infected. Despite her distaste for violence, she was rather good at killing the undead. It wasn''t something she enjoyed doing and she often volunteered to do anything to avoid wall duty. Yet the town kept her up on that wall because no one''s aim was better than hers. It was only a matter of time before someone would ask Alyssa to do the one job she swore she''d never do. She was in the kitchen, washing dishes when that day came.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Alyssa." A voice called out from the other side of the kitchen.


    She was expecting to see the waiter there with more dishes for her to clean, but it wasn''t him. Instead it was the last person she wanted to speak with. His name was Maxwell Davies, but everyone called him either the Mayor, or Max.


    "I''m actually very busy at the moment." Alyssa said, trying to walk away.


    "I need to speak with you." Max insisted, "It''s very important."


    It wasn''t every day the mayor wanted to speak with her but she knew better. Alyssa knew exactly what he wanted to talk to her about. She had been avoiding him for months since she impressed everyone at the gun range.


    "I''m not going out there," she told him, "That''s how my father died."


    "I know," Max said, stepping closer. "But we''re getting desperate."


    "I have a sister," Alyssa reminded him. "I''m all Diane has left. Who will take care of her if I don''t come back from a run?"


    "I would." He replied, "And so would the rest of the town."


    "Just because I''m good at shooting," Alyssa said as she resumed cleaning dishes. "That doesn''t mean I''d be any good out there."


    "You are one of the highest rated citizens we have here." The Mayor protested, "Your zone scores are one of the highest. Sending anyone else out only risks more lives, not less."


    "That doesn''t mean I''ll be good out there!" Alyssa called back, still afraid.


    "We''ll start you off with an easy run." Max said, refusing to take no for an answer. "An area we know is low and would be an ideal place for you to get your feet wet."


    "What''s in it for me?" Alyssa then asked.


    "Fair enough," The mayor said, pausing for a second. "How about we set up a place just for you and your sister so you can stop living with the Wilsons?"


    That was a big offer. Despite her fears, Alyssa knew it was too good to pass up. The mayor could tell that she was mulling it over.


    "A light run to start, just to get my feet wet?" she repeated.


    "Yes, of course!" The mayor confirmed. "We''re not going to toss you into the deep end before you learn how to swim. I promise we''ll give you a light run, and ease you into it. If you keep an eye out for the odd undead, you''ll be fine. We have a list of things we need your group to look for, supplies that people in town badly needed. We need your help."


    Alyssa stopped doing her dishes and then tossed the sponge back into the water. "All right, I''ll do it."


    She could remember hugging her sister that morning. Diane had cried because she was afraid that her sister would die out there just like their father did. Alyssa was determined to make sure that didn''t happen again, but that guaranteed anything out there in the land of the undead. They hadn''t been out there more than half a day when Alyssa realized that the mayor had lied to Alyssa about her about going easy on her first run. Her group was overrun by close to a hundred of Zombies, and they were trapped in a massive grocery store with no way to escape. The last thing she remembered before passing out was the screams of the others in her groups as they were being killed.

 2. Gabriel

    When she opened her eyes, Alyssa was no longer in the same building. The bright Florescent lights from the grocery story had been replaced by a lowly lit room that was illuminated by lanterns that were hanging on the wall. She slowly sat up to realize that she was lying down queen sized bed in a room that looked fancy and was even quite clean. Alyssa looked around the room but couldn''t see anyone there. She slowly walked out of the bedroom, and into a hallway. It wasn''t until she reached the living room that she decided to call out and see if she was really alone.


    "Hello?" she yelled out, hoping to hear someone answer. There was no response.


    It at this point where Alyssa began to inspect her body, looking to make sure she wasn''t injured or hurt. There were no bites, no cuts, no signs of being infected by the zombies that had attacked her. Alyssa was completely unscathed. Considering how many undead there was inside that grocery store, so for her to get out alive and without a scratch on her was nothing short of a miracle. The fact that she was unconscious when this all happened, means someone else not only saved her but brought her to this place wherever it was. Alyssa had honestly thought that was the end of the line at that grocery store but there she was, walking around a strange place that wasn''t in her town. Rather than gripe about now knowing where she was, Alyssa chose to appreciate the fact that she was still alive and would be able to take care of her absence from home at a later time.


    "Good evening," A voice called out.


    Alyssa spun around and was shocked to see the young man that stood before her. He had literally come out of nowhere. She was facing the door so she had no idea how he entered the room without her knowing about it.


    "Where the hell did you come from?" she asked him.


    "It''s a bad habit." The man answered, "You''ll get used to it."


    "Where the hell am I?" Alyssa then asked. All she knew was this place wasn''t anywhere inside her town. "Where is everyone?"


    "You''re in my home." He replied, "There''s no one else here."


    "I don''t get it, how do you keep the undead out?" Alyssa asked.


    "Look outside and see for yourself." he answered.


    Alyssa walked over to the window in the living room that was closest to her and looked outside after pulling the drapes open. She was on what seemed like the twentieth floor if a high-rise building. They were in the middle of a deserted city as all the surrounding buildings were dark. When she looked down, she could also see there were hundreds, possibly thousands of zombies walking the streets outside.


    "Where are we?" Alyssa asked him.


    "We''re in the city that used to be Nashville." The man answered.


    Alyssa looked back at him, somewhat worried. "How are we going to get out of here? We''re surrounded!"


    "They can''t get up here." he replied, "I destroyed all the staircases between the fifth and ninth floors. So there''s a four story gap. All the floors ten and above are safe, but I recommend staying up here."


    "Where''s up here?" Alyssa asked.


    "The twentieth floor." The man answered.


    "What about the elevators?" Alyssa inquired.


    "The cables are snapped, they don''t work."


    "How long have you been here?" she then asked.


    "Every since the city was deserted." The young man answered as he stretched out his hand. "My name is Gabriel."


    "Alyssa." She said as she took his hand and shook it. She paused for a moment. "How long have I been here?"


    "Two days." Gabriel answered. "You took quite a bump back there. I wasn''t sure you were going to make it for a while."


    "Two days," Alyssa repeated while she thought about what happened. At this point, the entire town must think her and her crew were all killed in action.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "You must be hungry." Gabriel said, gesturing to the table in the next room. "Can we continue this conversation over some soup?"


    "Sure, I guess." Alyssa said, as she was pleasantly surprised by Gabriel''s hospitality.


    Gabriel flicked one of the switches on the wall and the big lights above them turned on, and the brightness from the startled Alyssa.


    "You have electricity?" She asked, shocked to see the lights working.


    "I do," Gabriel said, amused by her startled jump. "I installed solar panels on the roof of this building. I don''t usually use the lights, but thought you''d prefer to see what you''re eating."


    "Thank you," Alyssa said as she surveyed the massive apartment they were in, which looked like what she assumed a penthouse would look like.


    "This place is beautiful." She said to him.


    "I used to belong to a country singer," Gabriel informed her as he led the way to the kitchen. She took a seat on a stool in front of a small island in the middle of the massive kitchen and watched as he started to prepare the soup. He took it out of the can into a pot, turned the oven on and started to let it cook.


    "I''m afraid vegetable is the only kind of soup I have here at the moment," Gabriel said, stirring the pot as it cooked. "I would have made an effort to find something better if I knew I was going to have company."


    "No, it''s alright." Alyssa said as she sat down and watched him cook the soup on the stove top. "I don''t remember much of what happened."


    "That''s not unusual," Gabriel said, not turning away from the soup he was cooking. "Most people who bump their head that badly rarely remember it. Considering how many zombies were there, maybe that''s for the best. You''re lucky I happen to be in the area when you were attacked."


    "What were you doing out there?" she asked him.


    "Same as you," Gabriel answered, "Looking for supplies."


    "How did we get out of there?" Alyssa asked, "How did we get away?"


    "Not exactly something to talk about before eating." Gabriel said, as he kept stirring. "I promise to tell you everything you want to know later. Just know that you are safe here."


    "Thank you." Alyssa said, deeply sighing.


    Only minutes later, Gabriel poured the soup into a single bowl and then served it to her with a spoon. "Bon appetite."


    She took the spoon and tried the soup. It was very good but not something she was used to getting since most food supplies had been all used up and hard to find. "You''re not having any?"


    "I''ll eat later," Gabriel informed her, as sat down at the table with her. "I''d offer you some bread, but I didn''t make any. I''ll try to be more hospitable next time."


    "It''s the thought that counts." Alyssa said, as she continued eating.


    "I''m just not used to having guests." Gabriel admitted.


    "How long have you been here by yourself?" Alyssa asked.


    "Longer than I would like to admit." Gabriel said as she gave her a warm smile. "I don''t mind the solitude but I have to admit it''s nice to actually have company."


    "I''m not a prisoner here, am I?" Alyssa then said out of fear.


    "Of course not," Gabriel said as he let out a chuckle. "I will be happy to take you home whenever you like. I was just hoping you''d be able to help me first."


    "Considering that you saved my life, I''m game for almost anything." Alyssa said as she continued to sip her soup. "What''s the catch?"


    "I''m not going to lie, it''s a dozy." Gabriel admitted, "How old are you?"


    "I''m twenty-six." Alyssa replied. "How about you?"


    "Seven hundred and fifty-four." Gabriel answered.


    "That''s not possible," Alyssa said, as she suddenly stood up from the table. "How is something like that even remotely possible?"


    "You know," Gabriel started, as he also stood up. "If I asked you forty years ago if you believed in monsters, chances are you would have said no. But you do believe in monsters now, don''t you Alyssa?"


    Alyssa paused for a moment. "Considering that the undead have been walking the earth for longer than I''ve been alive, I''d say yes."


    "Then there''s your answer." Gabriel said as he held up his hands. "I''m a seven hundred year old monster."


    "What kind of monster?" Alyssa asked.


    Gabriel paused for a moment before responding. "I''m a Vampire."


    At first Alyssa wanted to laugh at the young man. She had read about Vampires at her local library but not once did she ever think they actually existed. Then she looked back out the window at the hundreds of zombies that were walking the streets of Nashville and then back at Gabriel. If one monster were to exist, she thought to herself, then the others wouldn''t be so farfetched after all.


    "A Vampire?" she called back out.


    "Yes." Gabriel said, keeping his answers short as he didn''t want to overwhelm her.


    "I remember reading about your kind." Alyssa said as she strolled into the living room after him. "I thought those books were just fables. Fictional works that started in the late seventeen hundreds."


    "I''m afraid they''re more than fables," Gabriel confirmed, taking a seat on one of the couches. "Every monster you read about is really out there. They''ve just become a lot more active since this whole zombie thing started."


    "I''ve read all the books about your kind." Alyssa repeated.


    "So I''ve heard," Gabriel replied, "Then you''re aware of how we survive?"


    "Yes," Alyssa said, thinking about it. "Is that why I''m here?"


    "It is," Gabriel confessed. "I''m hungry."

 3. Negotiating With A Vampire

    Alyssa thought about what he had said and did her best remember the stories she read all those years ago in the town library. She knew Vampires required something rare to feed their hunger and it wasn''t vegetable soup. Alyssa looked back at Gabriel who was standing at the other end of the living room, waiting to see if she could figure it out.


    "You need blood, don''t you?" She asked him.


    "I do." Gabriel confirmed. "Preferably human blood."


    "Then why me?" Alyssa then asked.


    "I could have let you die," Gabriel reminded her, "but letting you perish at the hands of all those zombies seemed like such a waste."


    "Is that the only reason?" Alyssa asked, "You dislike for wasting food?"


    "No, it''s because you''re not infected." Gabriel continued, "We can only drink from humans who haven''t been turned. That is not easy to find considering how low your numbers have gotten over the last few decades. You''re getting dangerously close to being listed as an endangered species."


    "So why can''t you drink the dead?" Alyssa inquired, despite that deep down she already knew the answer herself.


    "We learned the hard way a while back that the blood of the undead isn''t good for us." Gabriel answered, "It''s also possible for us to be turned."


    "It is?" Alyssa said, shocked by the statement.


    "It''s not a pretty site," Gabriel said, recollecting the dark memory. "Just imagine a zombie with the ability to run at fast speeds and have super strength."


    "Damn," Alyssa replied, thinking about it, "a super zombie?"


    "It took over a dozen of us to overpower and kill it." Gabriel said, as he was staring out the window into the darkness. "I was scared that night, I honestly didn''t know if I was going to make it."


    "How many infected vampires are there?" she demanded.


    "Right now, zero." Gabriel informed her. "We''ve taken them all out. Right now we''d rather starve to death than risk another of us turning like that."


    "So how many of them are you?" Alyssa asked.


    "It''s hard to say." Gabriel said, "We''ve had more freedom since the outbreak. More room to expand but we''ve all been very cautious about it... at least those of us here on this side of the planet. Europe tends to do whatever they want, regardless of risk."


    "So basically you want my blood?" Alyssa asked.


    "I need it," Gabriel corrected her.


    "I can''t help wonder," Alyssa confessed, "Is this the only reason you saved me?"


    "Of course not," Gabriel replied, "As I said, it''s nice to have company again. You looked like you genuinely needed a helping hand too by the way. While I was hoping you might be willing to make a donation out of gratitude, I will not pressure you to do anything you are not comfortable with. The choice is yours, and yours alone."


    "How much do you need?" Alyssa asked, trying to be as open about it as possible.


    "Not much," Gabriel said as he thought about it. "Just a little bit but nowhere near where it would put your health at risk."


    "How did we get here?" Alyssa inquired, looking out the window again.


    "I can fly," Gabriel replied, "Only naturally bred Vampires can do that. Those who are turned have most of our powers but not the really cool ones."


    "That''s amazing," Alyssa said as everything was starting to make sense. "Do you plan to keep me here forever?"


    "I honestly haven''t thought about it." Gabriel said, as he started to pace the room. "I understand that it''s only getting harder for some of us to find our food. Some monsters are adjusting to the plague far better than others have, but I''m sure Darwin would just refer to it as an evolutionary battle royal. Those that can adapt best will inherit the Earth."


    "What others?" Alyssa asked.


    "The Lycanthropes are living large." Gabriel replied, noticing the confused look in Alyssa''s face. "What?"


    "What''s a Lycanthrope?" she asked him.


    "Oh, that''s a werewolf." Gabriel replied, not noticing a shocked look on the young woman''s face. "Yes, there are werewolves."


    "Unbelievable," Alyssa said, but she remembered who she was talking to. "How are they able to do so well during the apocalypse?"


    "The Lycans are able to consume the dead," Gabriel answered, "As long as the meat is prepared and cooked a certain way to the point where all the bad stuff is burned out, their cast iron stomachs can handle it without being turned. As long as they follow procedure and keep their kitchens clean, those furry buggers are never going to run out of food."


    "That''s amazing," Alyssa said, cringing. "But also really disgusting."


    "It most certainly is," Gabriel agreed, as could barely hold back his disgust. "Since we can''t thrive on flesh, it doesn''t help us. The blood has to come from a living being. That''s where I need your help."


    "What if I want to go home?" Alyssa asked.


    "Well, I guess I''d take you back." Gabriel offered, "But then I would need to search for a new source of food."


    "Couldn''t we cut a deal?" Alyssa said, walking closer to him. "What if I agreed to let you take a little blood every week, would that be enough?"This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Gabriel stepped closer. "That would be enough for me to survive on. What would you want in return for your blood?"


    "Supplies," Alyssa replied.


    "What kind of supplies?" Gabriel countered.


    "The kind to help keep me and my town going," She continued, "I was out there scavenging for supplies when our team was ambushed."


    "I see," Gabriel said, curious about the idea. "Is this how your town feeds itself? Sending people out into danger to look for food?"


    "We do have gardens and grow our own food too, but space is limited." Alyssa explained, "We don''t have enough room to keep feeding everyone without going out for more."


    "And why were you out there?" Gabriel asked.


    "I''m good at killing them," She admitted, "One of our better shots too."


    "Fair enough," Gabriel said, continuing to think about it. "So what you''re proposing is that if I help you find food for your people, you''ll give me a steady supply of food for me?"


    "That''s correct," Alyssa confirmed.


    "I have to admit, I''m interested in this idea." Gabriel confessed. "It has potential, but why would you want to return to town? I can give you all the supplies you need here. There are plenty of apartments in the building you can move into."


    "As nice as that sounds," Alyssa responded, "I can''t do it. I need to return to my own town because there are a lot of people there that I care about. One of them is my little sister."


    "I see," Gabriel said, as he understood. "I apologize for being so insensitive."


    "That''s alright," Alyssa replied, "In these times it''s hard to keep track of who''s still around and who isn''t. But I have a home that I need to go back to, family to care for."


    "I understand," Gabriel said, "You like these people and as well as we''re getting along this place would bore you quite quickly. So to recap: if I fly you back to your home, you''ll meet with me at least once every two weeks to feed?"


    "Yes, that''s the offer." Alyssa concurred, "But you also have to help with supplies."


    "That will be the easy part," Gabriel confessed, "There are many ways to fulfill your towns needs, quite a few that will not put any of us in harm''s way."


    "There is?" Alyssa asked, curious about what he knew.


    "We can gather supplies from the cities." Gabriel suggested.


    "But the bit cities are all infested," Alyssa countered, "They are care more dangerous."


    "Not all of them," Gabriel corrected her, "Many of them are zombie free and doing alright on their own. Big walls and strict curfew enforcement seemed to help as well."


    "Wait, what cities are you talking about?" Alyssa asked, "I have no idea what''s going on outside my own town."


    "It''s hard to explain," Gabriel said, as he walked to the other side of the room, "It''s better just to show you."


    He opened a cabinet and grabbed what looked like a big scroll of rolled up paper. Gabriel walked over to the dining room table, and unrolled it without hitting her soup. It was a map of the United States, but there were correction drawn into them. Alyssa walked over and took a look, "What are these red circles?"


    "Those are the cities that are still functioning," Gabriel informed her, "They managed to fight off their dead and barricade them outside their city lines. Like I said tall walls seems to keep them out quite well, but it''s been hit and miss for most of them. Some cities managed to last a while before imploding because of hunger and class wars. The cities that seemed to be thriving the most are those who treat each other equally without any hierarchy, at least not one that lives better than everyone else."


    Alyssa wasn''t listening as she was too busy counting the red dots on the map. "I can''t believe it, there''s over fifteen cities here!"


    "Where''s your town located?" Gabriel asked. He watched as Alyssa pointed to specific part of the map and he nodded as things became clearer to him, "This would explain your isolation from the cities. The closest one to you is hundreds of miles away."


    Alyssa was still looking at the map, "Why are some of the cities circled with a green dot? I count at least six of them here."


    Gabriel took a deep breath. "Those are the cities that are not inhabited with humans."


    Alyssa paused for a moment. "What are they inhabited with then?"


    "Monsters, like myself." Gabriel answered.


    "Which one is the Vampire city?" she asked.


    "None of them," he answered, "We don''t have a city in this part of the world. There might be one in Europe, but I haven''t bothered to check. Flying across an ocean is too much for us to handle, very few of us can make that kind of distance. We''re not known for our social skills, so it''s hard for us to form a group let alone a government. I moved here to America to get away from the stiff asses from the council. We don''t get along very well."


    "How many of you are in the Americas?" Alyssa asked, "Ball park it."


    Gabriel sighed as he thought about it, "Probably 50, maybe a few more."


    "Alright," Alyssa said, thinking about it, "So if none of these are Vampire cities, whose cities are they?"


    "This one for example is New Salem; the city of witches." Gabriel said, pointing to one of them, "We''re never going there, too creepy even for me."


    "Are any of these cities friendly?" Alyssa asked.


    "This one is," Gabriel said as he pointed to another city. "This one is very diplomatic. Every species has their own building, which is a safe haven for us. Kind of like embassies. So when I stay in this city, I sleep at the Vampire building. They''re policed by locals, but reserved for our kind."


    "That''s interesting," Alyssa noted.


    "We can also try to hit one of the human cities," Gabriel suggested, "but I know for a fact this city will be easier to get supplies from. They''re more organized and ask far less questions about what we''re buying."


    "Wow, this could work." Alyssa said, looking at the map. "I would love to visit one of the human cities, just to be around people again."


    "Maybe one day," Gabriel said, "If things work out."


    "So you''re okay with the deal I offered?" Alyssa asked.


    "I can make it work." Gabriel said as he thought more about it. "But I will need you to stay at least a little while. I have to fetch medical supplies so that I can take the blood from you cleanly and without leaving any bite marks."


    "I''m so glad you said that first." Alyssa said with a laugh, "That was one thing I wasn''t looking forward to."


    "I wouldn''t recommend a direct bite." Gabriel admitted, "When we latch on like that it''s hard for us to let go, and that can sometimes be fatal to humans. By putting it into a bag first, it allows me control my urges."


    "In other words, portion control." Alyssa said with a friendly wink.


    "Pretty much," Gabriel agreed.


    "I appreciate your honestly." Alyssa said, sitting back down to resume eating her soup while still looking at the map on the table. She heard a sound from the undead far below and it startled her a bit.


    "They can''t get up here." Gabriel assured her, "And no one else can get into the building because of them. Think of them as our first line of defense."


    "An odd way to look at it," Alyssa admitted.


    "I don''t have to use the front door so they can''t harm me." Gabriel admitted as he walked over to the window to look outside, "I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am that you''re going to help me. I will do whatever I can to uphold my end of this deal."


    "When can I go home?" Alyssa asked.


    "Two days," Gabriel answered. "That will make me strong enough to carry you and some supplies back to back to town."


    "Thank you." Alyssa said, "For saving me and for offering to help me."


    "I have supplies here that I don''t need." Gabriel then said, "I will give you a few bags to fill up. Your people will have fewer questions if you show up with something to share."


    "I agree." Alyssa replied, "Thank you."


    "It is I who should be thankful," Gabriel said with a bow, "Finish your soup, it''s good for you and your blood."

 4. Terms and Conditions

    A few hours after having soup with Gabriel, Alyssa returned to her room to rest. While she was apprehensive about the agreement she had made with a Vampire, she could tell that he was desperate and that gave her the leverage. He couldn''t keep her prisoner; because she could refuse to eat and the lack of nutrition would simple degrade the quality of his food. Her willingness to volunteer made it easier to keep the quality of her supply fresh, and that made the product much more valuable to trade. But she was still tired so Alyssa returned to her room that night and slept comfortably in what was the softest bed she''d ever layed down on. It was also the biggest bed she had ever seen, as she was quite sure four or five people could easily sleep in it together. She felt guilty having it all to herself, but enjoyed having a room to herself, something she''s never had living in her small town. Since her father passed away, Alyssa and her sister had been shuffled from one house to another, sharing a bedroom between then because they were too young to own their own dwelling, which the town was strict about letting people have unless they contributed. That''s why she had agreed to go out and look for supplies; Alyssa was trying to earn the right to get her own place with Diane. That was the one thought that kept her awake that night, the fear that her sister was crying in her room under the impression that her only family was now dead. Killed in action trying to find food like their father had only a few years earlier. This was one reason why Alyssa was willing to negotiate with Gabriel, he would help her get the supplies she needed to be independent and even stay alive for her sister. They were both getting something out of the deal, so she had to get past the gross part of donating blood to get what she wanted most. If he wasn''t going to bite her and not drain the life out of her, this could work rather well for both parties. It was that thought, as well as the very comfy bed that helped Alyssa sleep well that night.


    The next time she opened her eyes, it was light outside. She slowly strolled back into the living room, and saw that the curtains were open and the sun was brightly shining in. She strolled around the room, and over to a massive bookshelf that was on the end opposite of the kitchen. After scanning the books, she walked over to the kitchen to check and see what was there. She didn''t expect to see much, but the shelves were in fact well supplied, but it was what was in the fridge that surprised her the most. In there was a shelf that had medical bags that here filled with a red liquid, and Alyssa knew exactly what she was looking at. She took a deep breath and kept looking to see there was milk and she had noticed the cereal when checking the cupboards so she decided to make herself some breakfast. She poured herself a decent bowl of cereal and filled the bowl with as much milk as she could without spilling the cereal over the edges. She wasn''t used to having this for breakfast as milk was a rare find and usually it was powdered, as opposed to something fresh. She checked the expiry date, and it wasn''t even due to go bad for at least a few weeks. It was obvious to her that Gabriel had done at least a little shopping while she was asleep.


    She spent most of the day scouring the house, looking in every nick and cranny for more clues about the man who was man who lived there. While she was tempted, she stayed away from the other bedrooms, showing at least minimal respect for the privacy of the man that saved her from the undead a few days prior. He didn''t seem like a threat, and if he really was the creature he claimed to be, then he genuinely needed her help. That need was enough to keep her safe, and she had to work that angle while it was a good deal for them both. She didn''t want to break that bond by snooping around too much so she kept her searches to common rooms like the hallways, closest and even the bathroom. To her surprise the water was running, and even though she had no idea how he managed to do it, she took her first shower in what seemed like forever. Afraid she''s run out of water halfway through washing herself, she did all her scrubbing first and enjoyed the hot water before turning it off after a brisk fifteen minutes. She could have stayed there for hours, but didn''t want to be that kind of guest.


    It wasn''t until after the sun fell that she saw Gabriel again. She was reading a book on the couch when he strolled into the living room.


    "Sleep well?" She asked him.


    "What makes you think I was sleeping?" Gabriel countered.


    She held up the book, which was a book about vampires. Considering where she was, it seemed like a good book to take from the book shelf.


    "For the record, I prefer a soft bed as opposed to a casket." Gabriel informed her. "That whole casket thing came from paranoid members of our group. They were afraid that people would stake them in their sleep, so they would lock themselves in caskets which could lock from the inside. I never liked doing that. If someone can break into your house, they can break into a casket. I personally preferred a safe room, which had more room and privacy."If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Good to know," Alyssa said, putting the book down. "Is all of this true?"


    "No," Gabriel confessed, "A lot of what people assume about us is fabricated. Some of it was made up by us to give false hope. For example, silver doesn''t affect us at all. This myth has saved friends of mine on more than one occasion."


    "Interesting," Alyssa said, thinking about it.


    "I can only imagine," Gabriel said as he walked over and sat down on a chair that was opposite of the love seat she was sitting on. "I also happen to be over three hundred years old. I''m surprised you''re not going to ask me about how things were in the past, especially before the outbreak when humanity was thriving."


    "Is that what you call it?" Alyssa objected, "Famines and genocides in Africa, wars being waged over oil, and people killing each other with assault rifles in their own schools. That''s your idea of thriving?"


    "Wow, I''m impressed." Gabriel said, smiling at her. "What makes you think I wasn''t taking about civil rights in the 60s, or winning the world wars? I''ll be the first to admit that world wasn''t in the best shape entering the twenty-first century, but it wasn''t all bad. Despite what I thought of humanity, even a vampire like myself would never claim that humanity deserved to have a zombie apocalypse."


    "Fair enough," Alyssa conceded, "But we invented the apocalypse, so we kind of deserved it considering we tried too hard to play God."


    "That''s true as well, but we can''t blame the masses for the malice of a few scientists who messed up a flu vaccine." Gabriel said, enjoying the conversation. "When this thing first broke out, it was like the whole world was set on fire. We lost a lot of our own as well. Many of those not luck enough to fly had to fight their way out, and sometimes the numbers were too overwhelming, even for a vampire."


    "Vampires against zombies," Alyssa said, thinking about it. "I could only imagine how many you guys could take out."


    "I watched one vampire kill over two hundred zombies in less than thirty minutes." He informed her, "We are very fast and can more from kill to kill before they can even grab us. These come in handy as well when taking out the undead."


    Alyssa watched as Gabriel held up his hand and the nails on each finger began to grow right in front of her until they were claws that were at least a inch long and looked rather menacing. She looked back at Gabriel after looking at his hand.


    "You can shred them without any weapons," she noted, "That''s helpful."


    "I''ll use a weapon if one is handy," Gabriel confessed, "but if I can fly away without having to come in contact with them, it''s usually my preferred method."


    "Wise choice," Alyssa admitted, "Lowers your risk of infection. Are Vampires capable of being infected?"


    "Yes we are, but it hasn''t happened in a while." Gabriel said, "And trust me, you guys don''t want that to happen again."


    "I don''t doubt it," Alyssa said, putting the book down. "I did a lot of thinking about what we talked about, and considering the talk we just had I''m confident I can help you."


    "I''m glad to hear that," Gabriel said, "But it''s nice to hear you confirm it."


    "How do you intend to take my blood?" she asked him.


    "I will show you the first time," Gabriel explained, "But after that, I would recommend you do it on your own after. It''s best if I''m not around when you''re draining into the bags. I have a lot of control, but I prefer to stay away from temptations."


    "So you want me to do it myself, in my town?" Alyssa asked.


    "I would prefer it," Gabriel insisted, "To help with my portion control."


    "Seems fair," Alyssa said, thinking about it. "I wouldn''t want to sour this deal over something this simple. Show me how to do this so I can get home."


    "Alright," Gabriel said, as he stood up. "I fetched some medical supplies, more than enough to help you withdraw blood for a while. You can bring them back with the other supplies I gathered for your town. We can take you back after I show you how to fill a bag up with your own blood. I recommend doing one bag every few days but no more than three a week. I would personally recommend only two, at least three days apart. Anything more and you put your own health at risk and I don''t want that anymore than you do."


    "Alright," Alyssa said as she watched him put the tools onto the table in front of her. "So after you show me this, you''re going to take me home?"


    "Of course," Gabriel replied, "I will honor our bargain. So let''s get started."

 5. Alyssa Comes Home

    The first time she flew with Gabriel, Alyssa was unconscious. Her return trip was a much different story. Despite how dark it was outside, Gabriel has no problem navigating and making all the right turns when he had to. Despite her town being well over a hundred miles from Columbus, Gabriel has flown her back home in less than a half hour. It took less time for him to draw her blood and drink it than it did to fly back to the camp. She pointed out a small part of the town that was normally deserted this time of night. It was way past curfew so there was no chance they''d be seen. Once back on solid ground, Gabriel took the large bag off his back and handed it to her. She was wearing one herself so she had quite the supply on her. She had raided his bathroom closet as well, since Vampires have no need for cosmetics and medicine. Combined with a great deal of canned foods and other items, she was coming home with not only her life but a successful haul. Gabriel hoped that would be enough to turn away suspicion.


    "Thank you again." Alyssa said as she gave the young man a kiss on the cheek. She couldn''t help but notice how cold his skin was. Almost as if he was undead as well.


    "Thank you." Gabriel said back to her. Before he could say anything else, there was a voice calling at her. Before the person speaking could put a flashlight on her, Gabriel launched back into the sky and was gone.


    "Who the hell is out there!" the voice called out.


    "David, it''s me." Alyssa called out.


    "Alyssa!" David called back, "That''s not possible!"


    "It''s me." Alyssa said as she held up here bags. "And I didn''t come back empty handed."


    "Holy crap, woman!" David called out, "Forget that stuff, we thought you were dead!"


    Without saying anything else, David picked up the bag and grabbed her arm and walked her away from the small park. She knew exactly where he was taking her; to see the Mayor. The same man who sent her out on that brutal assignment her first time out. David knocked on the Mayor''s door despite it being a late hour. Moments after the lights came on the door swung wide open and the Mayor was there, wearing a robe and slippers.


    "What is the meaning of..." he stopped in mid-sentence and could hardly believe what he was seeing. "Alyssa?"


    "The very same." Alyssa said with a smile. "Sorry I''m late."


    "How did you survive?" The Mayor asked, still shocked.


    "I managed to get out of the store and find a place to hide until things cleared up." Alyssa lied, unwilling to tell the truth for now. Considering that her first assignment wasn''t supposed to be that difficult, she wasn''t trusting of the man before her at the moment. "Did anyone else make it?"


    "No." The Mayor answered, "A herd of undead pushed at the wall a day ago and two of your crew members were among them. We assumed you were killed as well."


    "Happy to say I''m alive and well." Alyssa said as she even took the bag off her back and dropped it as his feet. "I even managed to find something we could use."


    The Mayor couldn''t believe what he was seeing. "I knew you''d be good at this!" he said with a smile. "But I''m just happy to see you! The rest is just gravy!"


    "I need to see my sister." Alyssa then said. "I need to tell her I''m all right."


    "Wait till morning." The Mayor suggested. "Last thing we want to do is start a commotion after curfew. We''ll announce your return in the morning at breakfast."


    The Mayor let Alyssa into his home and allowed her to crash on the couch. When first light came the next morning, Alyssa was up early and was just excited to see her sister again. To preserve food and prevent waste, the entire town ate at the main hall and it was a good time to for the Mayor to pass on news and organize wall watchers and runs for supplies. Usually when the Mayor made his entrance at breakfast, he''d discuss business but he was ready to present good news first.


    "Look who we found last night!" He called out as Alyssa came out into view and stood beside the Mayor.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Mouths were gaped in shock. Everyone had assumed she was dead and cheered. Many were also crying tears of joy, but that was nothing compared to what happened when Alyssa''s sister spotted her. Diane hopped up from where she was eating and ran over to hug her sister. The two girls clutched to one another as both had thought less than a day ago if they would ever be able to see each other again.


    "I''m so sorry." Alyssa said between tears. "I came back as soon as I could."


    "It''s okay," Diane said as she never let go. "You''re safe; that''s all that matters! Don''t you ever go out there again! We already lost father that way. I don''t want to lose you too."


    The mayor couldn''t help but overhear what she said and walked over. "Diane, I know you''re happy to see your sister again but she did really well out there. She not only survived but brought back a lot of supplies we needed."


    "You can''t!" Diane said, almost on the verge of tears once again.


    "She''s good at this." The Mayor repeated, "We need her help."


    Diane couldn''t handle it and ran screaming from the main hallway, crying as she left. The room was visibly upset but the spectacle, but the Mayor was already used to it.


    "I don''t like being the bad guy." The Mayor said as he sighed deeply. "What would you do if you were in my shoes?"


    "It''s alright, Sir." Alyssa said as she paused for a moment. "I''m willing to go back out there but I have a few conditions."


    "Name them." The Mayor replied almost immediately and without hesitation.


    "I need a new place for me and my sister." Alyssa said, "Preferably something with a roof and close to the wall."


    "I can make that happen." The Mayor admitted, "Most people prefer a home closer to the center as opposed to near the wall. What else?"


    "I need to work alone." Alyssa then asked, fully aware it was against the rules.


    "I can see why you''d prefer that," The Mayor said as he scratched his three day old beard. He smiled as he really did understand. "Without two more people slowing you down, you were faster and were able to avoid the undead easier."


    "That''s right," Alyssa said, even though it was a bald faced lie. There was no way in hell she was going to tell him the truth. It''s not like he''d believe it anyway.


    "If you can come back with the same supplies you did last night, I would have nothing against you going alone, especially if that meant two less people to put at risk every time you went out." The Mayor replied, which surprised her a bit. "I know it''s against the rules but if you go out there alone, it''s all on you."


    "And two more," Alyssa said, as she already knew she was pushing her luck.


    "Why not;" Max said as he took a seat, "Let''s hear it."


    "I go out every two weeks instead of once a week." Alyssa informed him.


    "Keep bringing in hauls like you did last night and I''ll be okay with that." The Mayor said as he took another sip of his coffee. "What''s next?"


    "I go out whenever I want. No schedules." Alyssa said as she also took a seat.


    "We need a little organization." The Mayor started to protest.


    "All I want you to do is give me a list every two weeks." Alyssa informed her superior. "I''ll do my best, but I come and go as I please. No questions asked."


    Alyssa was really pushing her luck but she didn''t care. This was the best way for her to keep working out there with the best possible chance to survive; with Gabriel by her side instead of two people that would get in her way.


    "Alright, I accept all your terms." The mayor said as he finished off his coffee. "Let''s give this a trail period; every two weeks for two months and we''ll see how this works out."


    "Agreed," Alyssa said as she put out her hand.


    The Mayor shook it with a smile. He couldn''t believe how eager she was go to back out there but had no idea the kind of help she had out there. If everything went according to plan, she''d have all the help she''d ever need.


    It took her a few hours to talk her sister out of the state she put herself into. When she told her most of how she made it, without mentioning Gabriel, her sister seemed to calm down a little. Four days later when the Mayor moved Alyssa and her sister in their new home, he moved them into an apartment building that was near the wall. As promised, he gave them a spot that had access to the roof. He wasn''t sure why she wanted it but he was willing to let it go for the time being.


    To Alyssa the reasoning was quite obvious: it would give Gabriel somewhere safe to land. She had decided to use the roof to tan, at least to convince some people it was her true motive really wanting the space. It took Diane and Alyssa only a few days to get settled into the new place. During that time, Alyssa had used a few hours a day when Diane was asleep to use the medical tools Gabriel gave her draw blood from her arm. Gabriel has shown her how to do it properly and she was careful not to take too much at a time. Only doing half a bag a day and then taking a break after having one full bag pumped. She would take a break for a few days before doing it again. She kept the blood in the fridge, which was one reason why she wanted a place of her own. She could explain the blood away to Diane but wanted to be sure no one else would tell the Mayor. She still didn''t trust him and likely never would after what had happened during her first scavenger run. Had it not been for Gabriel, she would have been killed with her first crew, and she often wondered if he had done that on purpose. The two other members of her crew were not popular in town so that would have been three birds killed with one stone. For the time being she had to keep her accusations to herself as right now all that mattered was taking care of Diane and that meant taking care of Gabriel.

 6. New Lycan

    It wasn''t until Friday morning when the Mayor came up to her just after breakfast. Diane was already on her way to school and Alyssa was eating when he sat down at her table with a cup of coffee. He waved a small piece of paper in her face.


    "Time to give our little arrangement its first test," He said with a smile. "As requested: a list of preferred items that would help our fair town the most."


    Alyssa took the piece of paper from him and looked at the items that he had on the list. There were a lot of very rare items, some she had never seen before. For the second time in as many weeks, Alyssa couldn''t help but feel like she was being set up the Mayor.


    "There are a lot of tough items here." She said looking back down at it, "I can''t promise I''ll be able to find them but I''ll certainly try my best."


    "I realize that," The Mayor said with a grin. "I''m just curious to see how well you''ll do your first time out there on your own. You''ll set your own bar when you return."


    "That seems fair," Alyssa said as she folded up the list and put it into her pocket. "Can you please authorize the kitchen to give me some extra fruit?"


    The Mayor paused for a moment. "Now that you mention it, you are looking a little pale. Are you alright?"


    "I''m fine." Alyssa said, remembering what Gabriel told her regarding what foods to take whenever her blood was low. "I''d also like an extra piece of fish for lunch."


    "Of course," The Mayor said as he nodded. "I''ll let the kitchen know you''re allowed to pick your own supplies for your runs. Just don''t waste anything."


    "I won''t," Alyssa said with a nod. "I know better."


    After taking some extra food from the kitchen, Alyssa spent the entire day sleeping in and eating fish and fruit to build up her strength. When Diane came home from school, she was surprised to see her there.


    "I''ll be alright." Alyssa said as she sat up. "I''m just getting ready to go."


    Diane paused for a moment. "I really wish you wouldn''t."


    "I know," Alyssa said as she got up and hugged her. "I promise you this will be different. What I learned out there the first time will keep me alive this time. I just need you to do one favor for me."


    "Anything." Diane replied.


    "Stay away from the roof." Alyssa said to her. "While I''m away that part of the building is off limits until I return."


    "Why?" Diane asked.


    "I can''t tell you right now." Alyssa answered, "But it''s important to my survival."


    "Alright," Diane said as she hugged her sister again. "I promise."


    After Diane went to bed, that was when Alyssa grabbed her bag and walked up to the roof. Once she was up there, she used a pad lock to secure the door from the outside. She required complete privacy, and since there were no other buildings tall enough to peek on in her, the Mayor had given her the perfect spot to meet with Gabriel. She pulled out a flare from her pocket, something Gabriel had given to her to signal him that she was ready to meet. Their original plan was to meet up after she went through the gates but she felt the roof was safer. It took less than a few minutes for Gabriel to fly over and make his landing on the roof.


    "Is this safe?" He quickly asked her.


    "Yes, it is." Alyssa called back. "I''ve locked the door and this is my roof. I thought it would be safer for us to meet here instead of outside."


    "I like it," Gabriel admitted. "I like the idea of knowing you''re safe if something happens and I don''t make it here in time."


    "I thought of that too." Alyssa said, "That doesn''t mean I don''t trust you."


    "You shouldn''t trust me," Gabriel admitted, "I''m a monster."


    "That''s not what I meant," Alyssa continued, "I understand that things can happen. You can''t be expected to be perfect. Trust can be earned over time, even for monsters."


    "I appreciate that," Gabriel said as he took off a heavy backpack he was carrying with him. "I''ve brought more supplies for your town."


    "Wow, thanks!" Alyssa said as she took the bag. "I thought we were going out to do that together. My Mayor actually gave me a specific list."


    "We can still do that," Gabriel said, looking back at her. "But I must feed first."


    "I have two bags here." Alyssa said as she took them out of her bag.


    "I''ll take one for now." Gabriel said as he reached out and took it from her. He popped the small lid off and slowly began to suck it dry, which only took a few moments.


    "Are you sure you don''t want another?" Alyssa asked, holding up the other bag.


    "I''ll be fine." Gabriel said, "Leave it here with the other supplies until we return."


    "Where are we going?" Alyssa asked, somewhat curious.


    "It''s a surprise." Gabriel replied with a very playful smile.


    "I see," Alyssa said, amused by his antics. "I''ll put these away and be right back."


    When she returned to the roof after hiding the new supplies and stashing the spare bag of blood in the fridge, she quickly returned to the roof and to Gabriel. Once on the roof, he stood behind her and slowly placed one of his hands around her waist. Alyssa couldn''t help but gasp as they both left the roof and started to float into the air. Since the flare was fully burned out, there was no way anyone could have seen they fly away, especially since the town kept lights to a minimum to prevent the undead from being beckoned to their area. They were in the air for what seemed like a lifetime but had only a half hour according to her watch. She couldn''t tell how fast they were flying but as they began to approach their destination, the lights from it were bright and became even brighter as they got closer. When they were almost on top of it, Alyssa couldn''t believe what she was seeing. It was a very large village that had quite an impressive wall. The wall was at least thirty feet high and covered miles and miles. She had never seen a central location that was so large. She had seen pictures of the coastal cities and this one rivaled them, despite their lack of access to a body of water, which to Alyssa was unheard of.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Get ready to land." Gabriel said as they flew over the wall and then landed on a specific roof, very similar to the one they had launched off of in her town. The only difference was each building had a letter painted onto it. The one Gabriel landed on was marked with a large V.


    "What the hell does this mean?" Alyssa asked as she pointed to the letter on the roof.


    "It means Vampire." Gabriel answered, "This city is aware of our existence. We trade with them often for mutual profiteering. Those of us that can fly also offer various services that others cannot. Vampires are only permitted to enter the city by landing on assigned buildings, or entering through the main wall like everyone else. Any building with an H is for Humans while W is landing zones for Witches."


    "Witches?" Alyssa asked, still surprised by that.


    "Don''t talk to them." Gabriel replied, "They are not to be trusted. Not ever."


    "Where the hell are we?" Alyssa asked as she looked out at the lights.


    "This is the true city that never sleeps." Gabriel answered, "This is New Lycan, the city of the wolves."


    Alyssa couldn''t believe what she was just told. Gabriel had mentioned the werewolves before and even pointed out cities that were populated by non-humans. She had assumed the werewolves were living in packs, yet they were all in one place: an entire city of them living together instead of in the woods. The city was bigger than it had looked from the distance. There were several skyscrapers that had to be a lot older than before the Zombie outbreak. With most of the cities deserted, the wolves must have cleaned one of them out and made it their own. It looked amazing but she couldn''t make out where she was, she was too young to remember what they all looked like before the outbreak.


    "Where are we?" Alyssa asked, "I mean what city was this before the outbreak?"


    "I was unsure if you''d recognize it or not." Gabriel said as he walked over to where she was standing and pointed to something in the distance. "Do you see that over there?"


    Alyssa looked to where he was pointed. "Is that an Arch?"


    "It is," Gabriel confirmed. "It used to be called the Gateway Arch. Have you heard of it?"


    "Yes, I read about it!" Alyssa exclaimed as it came to her. "This is St. Louis!"


    "You are correct," Gabriel confirmed. "But they prefer you call it New Lycan. The wolves actually picked this city because the Arch, which reminds them of the moon. They actually now refer to the arch as the Silver Moon, where they hold major religious ceremonies."


    "Have you ever seen any of them?" Alyssa said as she could only imagine what a religious werewolf ceremony would be like.


    "I have not," Gabriel confessed. "No one has. Non-wolves are not allowed to be within city limits during the full moon. Very few exceptions and I''ve never been desperate enough to ask them for one."


    Before Gabriel could explain further, four men walked out onto the roof. They were dressed up in what looked like police uniforms as they calmly strolled over.


    "Identification, please." One of them asked.


    Gabriel took a wallet out of his pocket and pulled a small card from it and handed it over to the officer. "There you go."


    The officer looked at the card for a moment before handing it back and making a slight bow. "Nice to have you back in New Lycan."


    "It''s good to be back," Gabriel answered. "I''m going to inform you right now that my friend here does not have identification, but she is my guest."


    "How long has she been a Vampire?" The officer asked.


    "She''s not." Gabriel answered. "She''s human."


    The officer looked over at Alyssa. "She''s a little pale."


    "I know." Gabriel said as he put his arm around her. "I warned her about that. I''m taking her to Gregor''s later tonight. Some fresh venison will have her healthy again in no time."


    "Good choice." The officer said with a nod. "She still needs her own ID."


    "Is the office open right now?" Gabriel asked. "If it is, we can go there before we do our shopping."


    "I''d recommend that," The officer replied. "You''ll be allowed to buy more if you have two cards on you."


    "Good tip." Gabriel said as he playfully slapped the officer''s shoulder. "Thanks."


    "You''re welcome." The officer said as he didn''t mind the playful tap. "You have only two days before the full moon. Please vacate the city before then."


    "We''ll need a room for tonight." Gabriel said with a smile, "But we will be returning home tomorrow night long before the full moon."


    "Excellent." The officer said as bowed again. "Please follow me to the elevator."


    Alyssa and Gabriel followed the three officers to the elevator. One of them swiped a card and opened the door for him. "Your room will be ready for you when you return."


    "Thank you." Gabriel said as he and Alyssa entered the elevator.


    "Enjoy your stay in New Lycan." The man said before the doors closed.


    "Where are the werewolves?" Alyssa then asked as the elevator started to move.


    "Those were werewolves." Gabriel answered.


    "But he looked human." Alyssa said, slightly confused.


    "It''s not the full moon." Gabriel answered, "Until the full moon, all the wolves look completely normal. You''ll never see them in wolf form because no one is allowed in the city when the change occurs."


    "Oh, that''s interesting." Alyssa said as she looked back at him. "That means everyone in the city will look normal while we''re here?"


    "Pretty much," Gabriel said with a chuckle. "But we have to get your ID first."


    "I''ve never had an ID before." Alyssa admitted.


    "I''m going to keep your card with me." Gabriel said, "The only times you''ll ever visit New Lycan will be with me, so it''s best I keep it so no one in your town discovers it."


    "I agree," Alyssa concurred, "Card stays with you."


    When they left the building after getting off the elevator, Alyssa couldn''t believe how many people were on the streets. Hundreds of people were walking all over the place. There were flower shops, new stands and even a hot dog vendor.


    "Can I get a hotdog?" Alyssa asked, pointing at the vendor.


    "No, you can''t." Gabriel said as he grabbed her arm and started walking her in the direction he wanted to go. "I would refrain from eating anything unless I approve of it first."


    "How come?" Alyssa asked.


    "That vendor is selling undead dogs." Gabriel answered. "Remember, they can eat the undead and not be infected. You can''t."


    Alyssa had forgotten that little detail. "I''m sorry."


    "It''s okay." Gabriel said as he smiled back at her. "I know a great place here that serves only fresh meat that wasn''t undead. You''ll be okay there."


    "Let me guess." Alyssa said, "After I get my ID."


    "It''s very important." Gabriel said, leading her into what was a government like building.


    As they walked into the lobby, Gabriel picked up a pen and clipboard and started to fill it out. He looked back at her. "When were you born?"


    "July 26th, 2050." Alyssa answered.


    "At least the math is easy for you." Gabriel said as he kept filling out the info. "I''m going to register you as a resident of my building in Nashville. That way no one else will know your true location."


    "Alright." Alyssa said as she waited patiently.


    A few moments later, they both got in line and waited for a teller to become available. They didn''t wait long and walked up when called. Gabriel handed in the forms and waited for her to process them.


    "How will you be paying?" she asked.


    "Lycan credits." Gabriel said as he gave her a card.


    The teller swiped the card and then gave it back to him. "Her card will be processed and available for pick up in thirty days. I will give you a temporary sheet in the meantime."


    Alyssa took the piece of paper from the teller and looked back at it. "You listed yourself as a relative of mine?"


    "I''m over seven hundred years old." Gabriel said with a smile. "There''s a good chance we''re very distant relatives."


    "Fair enough," Alyssa said as she handed the form back to Gabriel who then put it into his pocket. "Where do we go now?"


    "We''ll grab something to eat and then do some shopping." Gabriel said as he led her out of the government building. "Once we do that, we''ll crash for the day in the room we have booked and they fly you back home tomorrow night."


    "So you don''t burn up?" Alyssa guessed.


    Gabriel stopped her and looked back. "Technically it''s not true, but we don''t want anyone else to know that. We keep up the ruse just to appease others and the myths. If one of them proves to be false, everyone will panic and assume the rest are too."


    "Are they?" she calmly asked.


    "We''ll discuss that later." Gabriel said as he grabbed her hand. "Let''s get some food."

 7. Going Shopping

    The dinner at Gregor''s was everything Alyssa thought it might be. Fresh venison from the wild was nothing short of delicious. The people in New Lycan were all very courteous and went out of their way to be friendly. To see werewolves and other creatures laughing and chatting in the same venue seemed so odd to her. It was almost as if they actually liked the new world. She let the idea pass and chose to instead enjoy herself. As she was eating her venison, she couldn''t help but notice that Gabriel was having a goblet that was a redish liquid.


    "Is that what I think it is?" She calmly asked.


    "It is," Gabriel answered.


    "If you can buy blood here, then why do you need me?" Alyssa asked.


    "For two very good reasons," Gabriel calmly started. "One, the quality here is piss poor because some of these bags have been in a fridge for years. Fresh blood is almost unheard of in these parts, and because of that blood is also very expensive. Just this mug alone costs three times as much than everything we''re going to buy on your list combined."


    "Wow," Alyssa replied as she kept eating her meat. "So not only is my blood cheaper, but it''s also high quality."


    "Exactly," Gabriel said, "I hope you''re not offended by this?"


    "No," Alyssa said as she paused for a moment. "I''m actually enjoying the chance to see more of the world."


    "I thought you might," Gabriel said, taking another sip. "Finish up and we''ll do some shopping before for dawn."


    After dinner was finished, Gabriel took Alyssa to what looked like a super sized department store. The place was enormous and looked very similar to the department store that she and her crew had attempted to clean out a few weeks ago. The only difference was this one was lit up and fully operational.


    "What is in here?" Alyssa asked.


    "Everything we''re looking for." Gabriel said as he walked up gate and grabbed a cart. "You should find this very interesting; shopping without having to worry about an undead lurking around every corner."


    "Yes, for a change." Alyssa said as she put a hand on the cart. "Can I push?"


    Gabriel let out a hearty chuckle as he released the cart. "Of course you can."


    "Are we on a budget?" Alyssa asked.


    "Not exactly," Gabriel answered, "But we do have to carry this stuff home, so try to be careful. Remember that we can always come back again for more."


    "Of course," Alyssa said as she eagerly pushed the cart inside. "But I also don''t want to get everything on the list, or it would set high expectations for future trips."


    "That''s a good point too," Gabriel agreed, "But we''ll get a good bit of it."


    Alyssa was shocked by the view of everything inside. Instead of stuff tossed all over the place, every shelf was packed with new items, neatly organized and ready to be taken by eager customers. "Where did they get all this stuff?"


    "It''s produced in the other cities." Gabriel answered. "New Lycan has some very big trade deals with the human cities as well as their own productions made here in the city for their own needs. For example, you don''t want any of that. It''s canned zombie meat."


    "Ewww." Alyssa said as she walked past it.


    "The wolves love it." Gabriel said as he started to grab a few things off the shelves. "This will be more to your liking. Tuna and salmon are good when you''re low on blood, so keep some of that for yourself."


    Alyssa took out her list and handed it to Gabriel. "This is what I need to find."


    "Interesting," Gabriel said as he walked ahead to fetch some of the items for her.


    She stopped for a moment to look at some clothing that was on sale. They were nicely knitted sweaters and she tossed two of them into the cart, one for her and Diane. As she was looking at new socks, a young boy walked up to her.


    "You smell weird." He softly said to her.


    "Oh, I''m sorry." Alyssa replied, "What do I smell like?"


    "Like a human." The boy answered.


    "That''s because I am human." Alyssa replied.


    The boy slowly backed away and then ran away from her. She had no idea what prompted that and went back to looking for socks for Diane. Moments later the boy returned with two adults, who she likely thought were his parents. They didn''t seem happy either.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Are you a human?" a woman who looked like the mother asked.


    "Does it matter?" Alyssa replied as she tossed a pair of socks into her cart. "I''m just here to do some shopping."


    "Is she armed?" the other man asked, somewhat scared herself.


    "I''m not." Alyssa said which was actually true. She was unsure if she was allowed to bring weapons to the city, and she was unsure if any were necessary with Gabriel around.


    "Someone call for security!" the man called out.


    Alyssa didn''t know what to do. She stood there frozen while other shoppers stopped shopping and started to watch. A few moments later Gabriel returned with an armful of items from her list.


    "What''s going on here?" He said as he dumped the items into her cart and put himself between the Alyssa and the father of the young wolf.


    "She''s a human!" the mother called out.


    "So what?" Gabriel called back. "Last time I checked we''re allowed to shop here. There''s nothing wrong with anyone being here as long as the moon is not full."


    "Are you a human too?" the father asked while his boy was still hiding behind him.


    "Tell me, can a human do this?" Gabriel asked, as two fangs grew out of the top part of his mouth. He also gave a very chilling hiss as the two teeth emerged, which made him sound like a very angry snake. The sound caused anyone who was within twenty feet to back away. It was one thing to see a human in their shopping center, but not a Vampire. It was unheard of. It was at this point when security arrived.


    "What seems to be the problem here?" one of the center''s guards asked.


    Gabriel handed his card to the guard. "I was under the impression that every species was free to shop here. Was I mistaken?"


    The guard looked at the card and then back at Gabriel. "You are correct, Sir. I apologize for any transgression. Shall I press harassment charges?"


    "That won''t be necessary," Gabriel said as he took back the card. "We are only here to shop, and wish to be left alone while we gather what we need."


    "Very good, Sir." The guard said with a slight bow. "Have a good evening."


    The guard then took the small wolf family aside and spoke them about something. Whatever he said seemed to calm them down and then went off about their business.


    "What was that all about?" Alyssa asked.


    "It''s very uncommon for humans and Vampires to shop here." Gabriel answered, "Humans have their own centers like this in their own cities. Vampires really don''t have a reason to buy anything, so our presence here is unexpected."


    "I never thought of it that way." Alyssa said as she pushed the cart away from where the family of wolves had gone. They had browsed around for another hour before finally checking out. She had found most of what was on her list and even gotten a few things for Diane that would Alyssa knew her sister would love.


    "This is fun." Alyssa said, smiling. "Beats going through abandoned stores."


    "Sure does." Gabriel agreed. "We can come again, if you like."


    "That would be nice." Alyssa said as she liked the idea of getting stuff for her town and doing her thing as often as possible. She even liked the idea of just sending Gabriel out for them alone when she could trust him more. She didn''t feel bad about her deal with Gabriel because according to the Vampire, her blood was more expensive than four carts and her lone cart was barely full. Based on that, Gabriel was getting the better part of the deal. After making their purchase, Gabriel carried all the groceries back to the building they had started from. She offered a few times to help but Gabriel said he was all right. In addition to flying, he was able to pick up a lot more weight and barely break a sweat. When they returned to the building, the receptionist who was much more polite than the guards on the roof handed her a key.


    "You room is ready on the ninth floor." she told them.


    "Thank you very much." Alyssa said with a smile as she took the key from her. When they reached the ninth floor, they walked to room nine and opened the door. While the suite wasn''t as nice as Gabriel''s in Nashville, it was still very fancy.


    Gabriel walked in behind her and placed all the bags he was carrying onto the couch. "Not as bad as I thought it might have gone. You were considerate with your purchases and I appreciate you not making the trip too heavy.


    "I didn''t spend too much, did I?" Alyssa asked, worried she splurged too much.


    "Not even close," Gabriel said, "I have a substantial account, made from many years of working for various companies that paid handsomely for my services."


    "What kind of services?" Alyssa asked, curious about what kind of job anyone would prefer to hire a vampire for.


    "Believe it or not, vampires who can fly can make a fortune sending private telegrams." Gabriel answered. "I did this job for decades; flying from one city to another all over the country. I made a bloody fortune but like I said, we don''t need to hunt for anything. After earning so much wealth than I knew what to do with, I just walked away from the job."


    "That''s fascinating," Alyssa noted, "What kind of people would use your service?"


    "People who have secrets," Gabriel answered, "Those who didn''t want their message to be intercepted by hackers and corrupt mail workers."


    "That makes sense, but does that mean the humans know about you?" Alyssa asked him, "Does this mean the people in the human cities know about New Lycan and the other monster cities?"


    "That''s a complicated question," Gabriel admitted, "And the answer varies from city to city. Some cities are aware of our existence, while others are oblivious to it while their governments keep it a secret from their people. They assume that most people don''t want to know the other monsters out there besides the undead. If most of them are going to stay within the confines of their wall, do they really have to know?"


    "I guess not," Alyssa said, "I''m just curious to what small towns like mine really know."


    "Odds are they know nothing," Gabriel assumed, "They''re just trying to survive, and do you honestly think your mayor would send people out to die if he knew there were cities that he could trade with?"


    "I guess not," Alyssa said, thinking that was a good point.


    "I''m going to sleep in the living room," Gabriel said as he gestured to the couch. "You can take the main bedroom. I''ll be out here if you need anything, we''ll fly back to your town tomorrow night. Don''t answer the door; just let me handle anyone who knocks."


    "Understood," Alyssa said as she walked back to her room. She took one of the bags with her from the market, the one with the things she had bought for Diane. She looked at them for a few minutes before putting them on the desk beside the bed and going to sleep.

 8. Fact From Fiction

    Like the previous time she shared an apartment with Gabriel in Nashville, Alyssa had trouble sleeping, especially since it was daytime in the city. She got up and strolled into the living room and looked around to make sure Gabriel wasn''t in the room before going over to the windows. There were metal plate blocking out the light, but when she found the switch, Alyssa hit a button that she assumed would open just one up. To her surprise all the windows opened, bathing the entire room in natural light. She looked out the window and marveled at the sight that was New Lycan, the city formerly known as St. Louis. The building they were in had a distant view of the big arch, and it looked amazing from where she was looking at it. Alyssa stood there for a short time taking in the view of the big city until she heard a voice call out to her from the other side of the room.


    "Put the wall plates back down please," Gabriel ordered.


    Alyssa walked over to the same panel she used before and hit another button that lowered the plates and put the room back into darkness again.


    "I thought the sun couldn''t harm you," Alyssa recalled, "Were you lying?"


    "I wasn''t," Gabriel replied, "But people are not used to seeing open windows in the vampire building at this time of day. Just seems weird and can cause people to ask questions we might not want to answer at this time."


    "Alright," Alyssa conceded, "That makes sense."


    "Trouble sleeping?" Gabriel asked as he walked deeper into the living room.


    "Just nervous in a building full of vampires," Alyssa answered, "Scared even."


    "Nothing to be scared of," Gabriel said, trying to reassure her. "There are only two vampires in the building, the rest are security provided by the city, so the rest are Lycans. I told you there are not many of us, and the only other Vampire in the building is several floors below us. I''ve already informed him you''re off limits. He wouldn''t dare cross me, so nothing to fear."


    "Except fear itself," Alyssa added.


    "One of my favorite quotes," Gabriel said, sitting down. "Good bloke too; I miss him."


    "I keep forgetting how old you are," Alyssa confessed, as she also took a seat on a couch opposite of Gabriel''s. "You''ve probably seen amazing things and met some great people during your time."


    "You could say that," Gabriel replied, "I had some power back then, so it was easy to use that influence to open some doors."


    "You were also here when it happened," Alyssa added, "When the undead arrived and wiped most of us out."


    "I was," Gabriel confirmed, "Many of us thought that no one was going to survive. I''m happy to report that we were wrong. It''s still a struggle, but most of us are adapting to the new setting, some better than others as you can see here."


    "I believe we covered that; the Lycans are living large." Alyssa said, as she layed down. "And now they have a city, this is all so weird."


    "We can''t stay long," Gabriel told her, "The full moon is close, and security gets a little more hostile as it draws closer."


    "They''re that touchy about it?" Alyssa asked.


    "It''s not like that," Gabriel said, "The wolves become more sensitive and their senses are more heightened as the day draws near. What you saw at the superstore was just that aggression brewing to the surface. If this was last week, that incident probably would have never happened. That''s why I didn''t press charges, I knew they''re getting a bit jumpy with the moon coming up."


    "I guess that makes sense," Alyssa said, thinking about it. "So kind of like how women get aggressive during their time of the month, the wolves have theirs."The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "A crude way to put it, but accurate," Gabriel confirmed, "We should leave when the sun goes down. The darkness will also prevent anyone from seeing us enter your town. I like the apartment you were given, the roof is near the wall and I can quickly zip over there without being detected."


    "That was the point," Alyssa said, smiling. "I want you to have as little exposure with the people of my town as possible. I''m keeping our deal a secret, as there are people who I don''t trust that might try to use our agreement to their advantage. So the longer we can keep your participation in the dark, the better."


    "Agreed," Gabriel said, laying down across the couch, "I don''t really like being around humans that much anyway, present company excluded of course. Yet the more that there are around, the harder it is for me or any vampire to control their blood lust. One on one we''re fine, but if any of us are surrounded by more humans than we can handle then we are capable of losing our minds and going in to a feeding frenzy. You do not want to see us lose control; a full blown blood lust isn''t something we''re proud of. We do everything in our power to avoid it at all costs."


    "Understandable," Alyssa replied, "I wouldn''t want to see that either."


    "That''s why you would never see us stay long in a human city," Gabriel continued, "Even before the outbreak, we were forbidden to live in the big cities out of fear one of us might lose control and starting draining people dry. It''s just too overbearing. Even when I was messaging, I was there just long enough to deliver what I had, and then took off as soon as I could after being paid and given the return message. Cities like New Lycan are the exception, because we don''t feed off them. We are able to roam here without worrying about the blood lust. As you saw it''s rare for humans to visit here. It still happens, but they prefer to travel only to their own cities rather than stay here too much. They know they Lycans and other monsters exist, but prefer to concentrate on the undead as long as we don''t do anything to interfere. As long as we keep the peace, they leave us in peace as well."


    "Wow, I had no idea." Alyssa admitted, "I don''t even think anyone in my town knows any of you exist."


    "Doubtful," Gabriel disagreed, "But if your town does trade with any other towns or even just one of the cities, there is a small chance your leaders might have been brought into the loop. They might have told them about it just to warn them to stay away from certain cities that are no longer safe for humans to enter."


    "I guess that would make sense," Alyssa said, aware that humans wouldn''t be welcome in New Lycan, especially during the full moon. She thought about the mayor of her town, aware that he''s the kind of guy capable of keeping secrets that big. After what happened to her crew on their first mission, Alyssa knew that Maxwell couldn''t be trusted, despite being the leader of their small town.


    "Are you alright?" Gabriel asked, sitting up on the couch. He could sense there was something bothering her.


    "It''s the mayor of my town," Alyssa answered, "I don''t trust him, and if he knows about these cities he''s exactly the kind of guy that would keep it secret just so he could profit from the knowledge. He''s a little weasel."


    "What makes you say that?" Gabriel asked, surprised to hear her say such negative things about someone in her own town.


    "I think he tried to have me killed," Alyssa answered.


    "Excuse me?" Gabriel said, hopping off the couch. "When?"


    "When you saved me," she answered, "When we left the town that day, I couldn''t help but notice that the people I was teamed with were members of our town that were outspoken, known for asking too many questions. I can''t help but believe he sent us out to the slaughter just to get the bad apples out of the way, and have a few less mouths for the town to feed."


    "If this theory of yours is true," Gabriel said, pacing around. "Then he is a weasel and should keep him in the dark about our agreement. I want nothing to do with this man, especially if he might have knowledge about the other towns and cities."


    "I have no intention of talking to him," Alyssa confirmed, "After what he did I am never going to trust him with anything. Would you?"


    "No, I wouldn''t." Gabriel agreed, "If he crosses a line or puts you in danger again, I may have no choice but to remove him from the picture."


    "I hope he doesn''t try it again," Alyssa said, "But let''s burn that bridge when we get to it. Hopefully he''ll never learn about our arrangement."


    "They won''t," Gabriel said, as he layed back down on the couch. "I''m going to rest for a few more hours and then we''ll fly back to your town."


    "Do you need any more blood?" Alyssa asked, curious.


    "Not right now," Gabriel answered, "But I might when we get to town. You still have some in the fridge so that will do."


    "I''ll start packing our things into the bags you brought." Alyssa said, standing up to go back to her room. "Thanks again for bringing me out here. Despite the incident, I really did enjoy visiting."


    "I''m glad you did," Gabriel said, closing his eyes. "See you in a few hours."

 9. Little Secrets

    The blood Gabriel consumed at dinner the night before, as well as the rest he got during the daylight hours gave him enough vigor to fly Alyssa and all her supplies back to town in one trip. He would refuel when they got to her roof, so he wasn''t worried about running out of energy, so he flew faster than usual and made better time than they had coming to New Lycan. Gabriel made a sneaky approach using trees near the wall that allowed him to fly over and land on the roof of Alyssa''s building without being spotted. One they were back on the room, Gabriel put the backs down as Alyssa jumped off of his back. Seconds later Gabriel sat down on his ass and took a long, deep breath.


    "That took more out of me than expected," he said, sighing.


    "I''ll go get your refill," Alyssa said, as she unlocked the door and ran downstairs to get the blood from the fridge. She returned a few minutes later with a new bag and handed it to him.


    "Thank you," Gabriel said, as he popped the cap open and slowly drank a few gulps. He sighed again as he could feel he energy returning. "That''s much better."


    "Glad to hear it," Alyssa said, as she sat down on the roof beside him. "You need a moment to catch your breath?"


    "Just a few," Gabriel admitted, "I did kind of push things flying over. I''ve got to be more careful next time. Last thing I want to do is drop the supplies, or you, during our flight here."


    "I would prefer you didn''t," Alyssa said, watching him drink more.


    Gabriel took a few minutes to finish the blood that was in the bag, and slowly staggered back to his feet. He took a deep breath before looking back at Alyssa.


    "Do you need any help carrying that downstairs?" he asked.


    "No, it''s okay." Alyssa said, "You''ve carried them far enough; I can handle the stairs and I you shouldn''t stay too long. Nothing personal, but I don''t want anyone to see you, especially my little sister."


    "Say no more," Gabriel said as he dusted himself off. "I will take my leave. Thanks again for the fresh blood."


    "Feeling better?" she asked him.


    "I am," Gabriel said, "This will hold me over for at least a few days. The bags you gave me earlier that are still at my place will do for a few weeks. Pile up another list and we''ll shop again soon."


    "I will," Alyssa said, as she held out her hand for him to shake. "Thank you."


    He took her hand and kissed the top part of her hand. "You''re welcome."


    Before she could respond, Gabriel took to the air and disappeared into the darkness. She couldn''t believe how fast he was able to accelerate but the blood she gave him must have done wonders for his powers. It took Alyssa three trips to bring down all the bags that Gabriel has flown her back with. A total of five large bags that were full of not only items the mayor had inquired but one of the bags were full of the extra stuff she had picked up at the super mall for herself and Diane. Alyssa put all the new stuff away for her and her sister, and then piled the stuff for the town by the door. She would call on the mayor to pick it up himself. After moving the impressive amount of supplies to the door, Alyssa decided to lay on the couch and rest. She hadn''t slept well in New Lycan, and thought getting a few more hours before Diane woke up was in her best interests. She was going to have a busy day fending off questions of how she managed to get in and out with all these supplies without being noticed at the wall. At the moment she wasn''t willing to answer any queries, and as long as she delivered Alyssa expected the mayor to respect their deal and not question the result. She managed to lay on the couch for a few hours and nap until the sun came up. That was when her sister woke her in the morning with a big hug.


    "When did you get back?" Diane asked, smiling so brightly.


    "I came back while you were sleeping, and I didn''t want to wake you." Alyssa said, groaning as she huffed herself off the couch.


    "I was so worried," Diane told her, hugging her again.


    "Don''t make a big deal of it," Alyssa said, smiling back. "Let''s go get breakfast and then we can talk later."


    "Okay," Diane said, racing to the closet to get her coat.


    The two of them walked to the main hall for breakfast, and it didn''t take long for the mayor to sit down with them both, curious about a few things.


    "Diane," the mayor said with a smile of his own. "I''d like to speak with your sister, so can you go get another waffle and a refill of you juice?"


    "Sure, thank you!" Diane said, as she grabbed her glass and ran off.


    "Good morning," Alyssa said, knowing what he was up to.


    "This is the second time you came back like this," The mayor answered, "Is there a hole or a breach in the wall I need to know about?"


    "No, the wall is fine." Alyssa informed him, "I''ve been getting over the wall on my own. That''s why I wanted my home to be close to the wall. Wouldn''t you like to know what goodies I got for you instead?"Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "Now you''re singing my tune," Max said, still all smile.


    Alyssa passed back the same piece of paper that the Mayor had given her only earlier that week.


    "I couldn''t find everything," Alyssa started, "but what''s crossed off is what I came back with. I even found a nice sweater for Diane. Hope you don''t mind if I let her keep it?"


    "You''ve gotten over half of the items I asked for," The Mayor replied, "This is very impressive. How did you get all this? Is this place nearby?"


    "It''s not," Alyssa said, the first honest thing she told him.


    "Then how did you get out there?" he asked her.


    "I have my ways, and we have a deal." she reminded him. "If you want me to keep bringing in stuff like this, don''t ask how the sausage is being made."


    "That was our deal, but I have to ask." The mayor said, folding up the list. "Are you stealing it from someone who might come here to forcefully take it back?"


    "No," Alyssa assured him, "No one will come back for it. I promise."


    "Alright, who am I to argue with such results?" the mayor asked, pleased. "Where are these supplies now?"


    "They''re at my apartment," she told him, "Would you like to walk back with Diane and I and pick them up?"


    "Absolutely." The mayor replied, eager to see it himself.


    After the three of them finished with breakfast, the mayor walked the two ladies back to their apartment.


    "I hope the new place is to your liking," the mayor asked.


    "It''s very nice," Diane replied for her sister, "I like having my own room again."


    "It''s the simple things we miss most," The mayor said, patting Diane on the back, "like having your own room, a little privacy. Things we all took for granted before the undead came along."


    "Thank you," Diane said, smiling.


    "Thank your sister," the mayor corrected her. "It''s her hard work that made any of it possible."


    Once back at the apartment, the Mayor was impressed with what was before him. Three massive bags and they were all rather heavy.


    "How did you get these over the wall?" he asked her.


    "I used a rope," Alyssa lied, "hauling them up one at a time."


    "You could have just used the door." The mayor suggested.


    "I was afraid of people stealing what you asked for while trying to help me," Alyssa explained, "I didn''t want to lose something valuable."


    "That is commendable," The mayor replied, looking through one of the bags, noticing something he hadn''t seen in a while. "Where did you get this? It looks new?"


    "You remember the deal," Alyssa said, "You don''t want to know how the sausage is being made. As long as I''m not making enemies, do you really care where I got it?"


    "I suppose not," the mayor conceded, "great job."


    "Just to let you know," Alyssa said, pointing to the couch, "I kept a few things for Diane and myself like that sweater. Not much, but I hope you don''t mind."


    "Keep bringing in hauls like this, I won''t mind at all." The mayor repeated.


    "Do you need help carrying it back?" Alyssa asked.


    "No need," The mayor replied, "I''ll make two trips. Thanks."


    The major left with one bag and then returned with someone to help him carry the remaining two bags for the second trip.


    "Do you need a new list?" the mayor asked before he left.


    "I''ve got this one," Alyssa said, holding up her first list, "But if something comes up, let me know and I''ll add what you need to it."


    "Thank you," the mayor said, nodding. "Great work too."


    Once the door was closed, Alyssa walked up and locked it. She sat down with her back leaning up against the door and looked back up at her sister who was staring at her with a look that expressed confusion.


    "What is it?" Alyssa asked her.


    "It took Max two trips to carry it out," Diane started, "but you''re going to tell me you ran around with all three by yourself out there with the dead. Really?"


    "I had help," Alyssa finally said, "But you have to keep it a secret."


    "What kind of help?" Diane asked.


    "The kind that could get us into trouble," Alyssa informed her, "But he''s going to keep helping us as long as I give him what he wants."


    "Does it have to do with those red bags in the fridge?" Diane asked.


    "Yes, it does." Alyssa replied.


    "What is that stuff?"


    "It''s blood." Alyssa answered, "My blood."


    "Ewww!" Diane replied, cringing. "What is it for?"


    "My friend needs it," Alyssa explained to her, "I have a very rare blood type and he needs to use my blood because he''s sick. It''s the only thing that can make him feel better. So in exchange for this rare treatment, he helps me gather supplied and he''s very good at it, better than anyone in the town."


    "What''s his name?" Diane then asked.


    Alyssa took a deep breath, and let all the air out slowly as she was pleased to hear that Diane was moving on from the blood. She appeared to be satisfied with the answer. "His name is Gabriel, but we can''t tell anyone. Not even the mayor. All those supplies he''s getting for us allows us to keep this place. This is a trade, sweetie. Gabriel gets what he wants, and we get what we want. This is a good trade for both of us."


    "Okay, that seems fair." Diane said as she walked up and sat down in front of her sister. "He''s not going to take too much of your blood, is he? Losing all this blood isn''t going to hurt you, is it?"


    "No, it won''t." Alyssa said to her, "He needs only a little bit, but no where near enough to hurt me. As long as I eat a bit of fish and fruit, I''ll be alright."


    "This is strange," Diane admitted, "Where did you meet this guy?"


    "If you promise to keep a secret, I''ll tell you everything." Alyssa suggested, "And if you can keep my secret, maybe one day Gabriel will trust you enough to meet you."


    "Okay," Diane said, eager to hear more. "What are you not telling me?"


    "There are cities," Alyssa told her, "Huge cities full of people that managed to fend off the undead!"


    "There are!" Diane said, "How do you know this?"


    "Gabriel took me to one of them," Alyssa told her, "That''s where we got all this stuff. He bought it for us."


    "Wow," Diane said, "So we''re not on our own?"


    "I''m not sure." Alyssa said, pausing for a moment. "I''m not sure if anyone here knows what''s out there. So until we find out, this all has to stay between you and I. Okay?"


    "Deal," Diane said, smiling. "So where is this city?"

 10. Confronted at Town Hall

    Talking to Diane about most of what was going on felt liberating to Alyssa, as she didn''t like the idea of keeping secrets from her. Yet that doesn''t mean she told her everything that she knew, because the idea of even more monsters living out there in the open wasn''t something she was ready to share with Diane just yet. Her sister was still young and it was enough to know that the undead was real, so Alyssa wanted to give her some time before tossing vampires, werewolves and witches into the mix. The world was dangerous enough, and her sister didn''t need to know everything until it was unavoidable. She also got the impression while they were in New Lycan that Gabriel didn''t advertise himself as a vampire that much, so Alyssa thought it would be best if he was given the power to decide when Diane learned the truth about him. It was something she would discuss with Gabriel the next time he flew in. It would also be easier for Alyssa to keep her secrets to herself if she didn''t have to worry about Diane getting confused and mucking up her story. For someone in her mid-teens, Diane seemed to be handling the news about other cities rather well, and it impressed Alyssa a great deal. She had underestimated her sister, but considering the times they had both grown up in with the undead walking the earth, it was something she should have expected from her.


    Alyssa hadn''t heard from the mayor at all that week, as Maxwell had been true to his word. He wasn''t going to give her a new list until two weeks had passed and given the haul she brought back, he wasn''t going to question the results nor her methods. He had a right to ask about whether or not her gathering would because any conflicts with other towns or colonies, and she didn''t take offense to that. The last thing either of them wanted was an armed conflict that could endanger civilians, which made the deal with Gabriel that much better for Alyssa, as they were not stealing the supplies and thus lowering any chance of causing trouble for the town. Things were cool between the two of them, and Alyssa was determined to keep things that way. Despite her feelings about the mayor and her suspicions about her first trip out, Alyssa was willing to work with him but not able to trust him. A test to their pact would come less than two weeks after her first delivery.


    There was something going on in the town square, and so Alyssa went to check out it since Diane was still in school. There were a few trucks and a large gathering of people who were as curious as Alyssa was. As she was walking to the square, she tapped someone else on the shoulder that was also walking in that direction.


    "What''s going on?" she asked her.


    "There are supplies from another town!" she replied, "The mayor seems to have made a deal with them to open trade."


    "That''s interesting," Alyssa said, as she kept walking.


    Alyssa kept her distance, not getting to close as she wanted to get an idea of where these supplies were coming from first. After standing there for a few minutes, the Major jumped onto a chair to address the people.


    "These people come from another town," he confirmed for them, "And they want to open trade because we have something they have trouble making which is fresh produce. All the hard work we''ve been doing farming is about to pay off. This trade will make the need to send out people to salvage for supplies less necessary for our survival. According to my friend here, there are other towns we can trade with as well. This could be the beginning of better times!"


    The people in the audience cheered, happy to know that their days of running for food was not going to be the necessity it was the last few years. Some hope was better than nothing, and good relations with other towns was very good news. Alyssa was excited about it as well, as less dependence on her meant that she wouldn''t have to go out as often and she wouldn''t have to ask too much from Gabriel. Less runs also meant less questions, which meant it would be easier for her secrets to remain that for a lot longer. At least that''s what she had hoped for.


    As the people began to disperse, Alyssa saw someone who also saw her. A small boy was standing there beside some of the people from the other town. It took only a few seconds for her to recognize the small boy, but before she could turn away the young man also realized where he knew her from as well. It was the young boy she had the incident with in the shopping mall with Gabriel. These people were not from another town like their own, they were from New Lycan. They were werewolves.


    "Dad!" the boy called out, pointing at Alyssa. "It''s that woman from the mall."


    Almost everyone talking stopped what they were doing and looked at who the boy was pointing to, and Alyssa realized she was in trouble and tried to walk away. It was however too late, as the young boy''s father had also recognized her.


    "Grab her!" he called out, and seconds later Alyssa was dragged back to the truck which surprised the major who finally stepped in.


    "What is the meaning of this?" Max demanded.


    "You tell me," the man replied to the major, "What is she doing here?"


    "This is Alyssa," Max replied, "She''s lived here all her life. Her father was one of this town''s founders."


    "I know her," the father replied, "I''ve seen her before."


    "She is one of our salvagers," Max tried to explain, "So she does travel outside of the town to gather supplies."


    "Do you want to tell him where you saw me," Alyssa challenged him, "Or do you want me to tell him where you''re all really from?"


    Max turned back and looked at Alyssa, "What are you talking about?"


    "I''ve been to his town," Alyssa replied, pretty sure that the werewolves were not that honest about where there trade goods were coming from. "But he''s being far too modest about where he''s from, because it''s a lot bigger than a town. Some might even tall it a city."This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    "A city?" Max repeated, "What is she talking about Frank?"


    Frank looked a little nervous. "Take her inside."


    Max was still at a loss, but didn''t want anyone else listening to this conversation. Frank and a few of his men walked Alyssa into the town hall and then into Max''s office.


    "Start talking," Max said, looking at Alyssa. "Where do you know these people?"


    "I bumped into them when gathering supplies," Alyssa answered.


    "She was in our city!" Frank confirmed.


    "So there really is a city," Max said, as he was gathering as much Intel from the conversation as he could.


    "Yes, there is." Alyssa confirmed, "I told you that I got those supplies from a place that wouldn''t cause problems."


    "You''re causing a problem right now," Max informed her. "What city are you guys talking about?"


    "St. Louis," Alyssa replied, aware that using the city''s old name would upset them.


    Frank stood there, fists clinched in rage. "It''s not called that anymore."


    "I know," Alyssa said, smiling.


    "She knows too much," Frank then added, looking at the mayor. "I''m not comfortable with her being here."


    "But we have a deal!" Max said, shocked to hear any talk of backing out.


    Without warning, Frank reached out and grabbed Alyssa by the throat and pinned her against the wall. He moved so quick that no one in the room had any time to react. "Perhaps we should remove her from the equation."


    "Whoa!" Max said, hooping out of his office chair, "That''s not an option!"


    "Why not?" Frank asked, his tone indicating he was quite serious about shutting up Alyssa.


    "Because my friend wouldn''t appreciate that," Alyssa replied, "I''m sure if something happened to me, then he would come looking for you."


    Frank''s eyes widened as she reminded him about something that he had forgotten about regarding their encounter at the mall. Her friend that had stepped in: the vampire. He let go of Alyssa''s neck and started to back away from her.


    "What friend?" Max asked, as he suddenly realized she was keeping something from him as well.


    "Give us a minute," Frank told the major, "I need to speak with this woman in private."


    "You just had her in a choke hold!" Max reminded him, as it was clear he was concerned for Alyssa''s safety. Chances are he was more concerned about losing a good scavenger than he was about losing a civilian. "I''m not going anywhere!"


    "I''ll be alright," Alyssa told Max, "He''s not going to hurt me."


    Max gave her a look that told Alyssa they were going to have a long conversation later on, one she was sure wasn''t going to be pleasant. But Frank had just as many secrets to keep as she did, so she was confident they could talk it out.


    "What are you doing working with a vampire?" he asked her once everyone had left and the door closed behind them.


    "He''s my friend," Alyssa replied.


    "They don''t have friends!" Frank roared back at her.


    "We have an arrangement," Alyssa then informed him. "So harming me would break that deal and make my friend very angry."


    "I get it," Frank said, as he figured it out. "You''re supplying him."


    "He''s supplying me," Alyssa added, "It''s a fair bargain."


    "Your mayor doesn''t know about him, does he?" Frank asked.


    "I''m guessing he doesn''t know about New Lycan as well," Alyssa added, knowing that dropping the name of the city would tell him how much she knew: everything. "You keep my secret, and I''ll keep yours."


    "What incentive do I have you''ll keep your word?" Frank said, considering it.


    "This deal with you is important," Alyssa reminded him, "I don''t want to go out there anymore than the next person. The deal you have with us will ensure that we won''t have to risk our lives as much, and that''s important to me."


    "Alright," Frank said, nodding in agreement.


    Moments later, Frank opened the door and called everyone to come back in. Once the mayor was back in the room, he was pleased to see everyone was alright and actually being quite civil.


    "I apologize for my actions and behavior." Frank told the mayor, "Your people have every right to gather for your survival and I commend your person here from taking full advantage of what''s out there. It had caught me by surprise, and I promise it will not happen again."


    "What about our deal?" Max asked, worried about it.


    "It''s still on," Alyssa informed him, "We''re good."


    "Yes," Frank confirmed, "This was a small misunderstanding."


    "That''s great to hear," The mayor said as he sat back down into his chair.


    "We''ve got to get going." Frank then said, "We have a schedule to keep. I don''t like to be on the road after dark with the undead."


    "I understand," Max said, shaking hands with Frank. "Thank you for this deal, it means a lot to us all."


    "She said that too," Frank informed her, "She''s loyal to you, and I respect that."


    Alyssa watched and said nothing as Frank and his people unloaded the supplies from New Lycan and then loaded up the produce the town had agreed to give them in return for them. Fresh fruits and vegetables were harder to come by in the city, so it made sense to Alyssa that the wolves would try to strike deals outside of the city to take advantage of their wealth. It made sense to her, because trade deals would keep their malls full of fresh products and thus help their people collect more credits. As the two of them watched the trucks roll away to the front gate, the Mayor spoke to her without even turning to look at her.


    "You and I are going to have a long talk about this." He told her.


    "Are you sure about that?" Alyssa asked, "I thought you didn''t want to know how the sausage was being made?"


    "You know more about what''s out there than I do," Max replied, "I''m not sure I''m very comfortable with that either. My office, right now."


    Alyssa was tempted to refuse, but thought better of it. They both walked back into the office and once in there Max poured two glasses of whiskey and then sat back down in his office chair.


    "I''m not angry at you," Max informed her, "I''m actually quite happy you saved that deal with the people from St. Louis... wait, what is it called now?"


    "I can''t tell you," Alyssa replied, as she sat down on one of the chairs in front of his desk "I promised him that I wouldn''t tell you, so let''s just call it St. Louis for the time being."


    "Fair enough," Max said, sipping his drink. "We have something more important to discuss anyway."


    "Such as?" Alyssa asked.


    Max paused for a moment, "Who is this friend that you talked about? The one you said would come looking for Frank if he hurt you?"

 11. Manipulating the Mayor

    Alyssa sat there in her chair and slowly took a sip of the whiskey that Max had poured for her only moments ago. This was a question that she was going to have to walk like a high wire, hoping not to fall into the abyss of her own lies. It was a fine line to begin with, not only trying to protect her secrets but also those she agreed to keep for Frank and the werewolves. She was pretty sure that towns would be less likely to trade with the city if they realized they were all monsters as well. She took a deep breath and thought long and hard about what she was going to tell the mayor.


    "Well," Max called out, sensing her hesitation. "Who is this person?"


    "He''s a close friend," Alyssa finally said "Gabriel saved my life. He''s the only reason I''m still here and gathering supplies for you."


    "So that week we thought you were dead?" Max asked.


    "I was at his place," she told him, "He saved me from the undead that had attacked our group, and then took me to his home where I recovered from my injuries. I had hit my head and blacked out."


    "So this Gabriel is still helping you?" Max asked, "Is this the reason why you wanted to work alone?"


    "Yes," Alyssa confirmed for him, "But what do you care? He doesn''t live here and he helps us get stuff we wouldn''t have without his help."


    "I hate to sound so cynical," Max continued, "but what''s in it for him?"


    "He gets my gratitude." Alyssa answered.


    "That''s it?" Max scoffed back, "What makes that worth the risk?"


    "I think he''s got a thing for me." Alyssa lied, "He enjoys my company and to be honest, I''ve been enjoying his."


    "Oh, I see." Max said, as the idea never dawned on him. He was well aware of what men were capable of when they liked someone, so why would that be any different in the zombie apocalypse?


    "He''s the best scavenger I''ve ever seen." Alyssa said, spinning more lies. "He even does some work for the cities out there and has made a lot of money. We used some of that money to buy your supplies in St. Louis. That''s where I bumped into Frank and his son and why they remember me."


    "So those few days after you took my list," Max said, trying to piece things together, "You were with this guy in St. Louis?"


    "Yes," Alyssa confirmed, "We were in St. Louis most of that time. It''s a nice place, and they had most of what was on your list."


    "I have to be honest as well," Max started, "I was worried that you had stolen those supplies from someone. I actually feel better knowing that they were obtained legally and won''t cause any conflict for our town."


    Alyssa sat there, thinking about all the things that Max had no clue about. Then again, if she even tried to explain to the mayor that the people he just struck a deal with were supernatural creatures that turned into wolves once a month, would he even believe her? She had no idea, so for the time being it was best that she kept those details to herself until absolutely necessary. If she didn''t have to explain the existence of werewolves to the mayor, she could also avoid having a conversation about vampires as well. That was a talk she didn''t want to have with anyone, not anytime soon.


    "I have this feeling you''re not telling me everything," Max accurately assessed.


    "You''re right, I''m not." Alyssa said, putting her empty glass down. "Right now this is all I can tell you. There is a lot you really don''t want to know about. I''d recommend living in blissful ignorance as long as you can, because once you know what I know you can''t go back to not knowing it."


    "It''s that fucked up out there?" Max asked.


    "Trust me," Alyssa replied, "You don''t want to know how fucked up things really are out there."


    "And this is why I don''t want to know how the sausage is made?" Max continued, catching her drift.


    "Precisely." She confirmed.


    "Well damn," Max said, polishing off his one glass. "Want another?"


    "No thanks," Alyssa said, standing up. "I''ve got to go get Diane from school. My friend and I will be meeting again."


    "How soon are we talking here?" Max inquired.


    "Later tonight," Alyssa answered, "He drops in to check up on me. Like I said, he''s got a real crushing. He likes to make sure I''m doing alright."


    "I don''t have a list," Max said, reaching over to a drawer in his desk, "But if these cities are as functional as you say they are, see if there''s any way you can get this refilled for me."


    Without warning, Max tossed a small pill bottle one would get from a drug store. The words were faded but she could still read what was on it.


    "What is this exactly?" Alyssa asked.


    "Heart medication," Max replied.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    "You''re having heart issues?" Alyssa asked, as she was more surprised than concerned.


    "Not for me," Max corrected her, "We have some older residents that would benefit from having this drug back in circulation. I would especially love to get some for Bertha who works in our gardens. She''s got the best green thumb in the town, and we could use more of her around here. This might help with that."


    "I''ll see what I can do," Alyssa said, clutching the pill bottle. "I can''t make any promises, but I''ll ask Gabriel when he drops in."


    "Is he taking you back to St. Louis?" he asked her.


    "I''m not sure," Alyssa confessed, "I usually just follow his lead."


    "Are there more cities out there?" Max inquired, as his curiosity was getting the best of him at this point.


    "Yes there are," Alyssa replied, "Show a little trust, and I''ll see what I can do about letting you see his map."


    "I do trust you," Max told her, "Frank said you were loyal, was he right?"


    "I''m loyal to my home," Alyssa corrected him, "I always will be."


    "Thanks for putting up with my nosiness." Max said, "Tell Diane I said hello."


    "I will, thank you." Alyssa said before she saw herself out of that office and far away from that very awkward conversation.


    As Alyssa was walking to meet Diane outside her school, she couldn''t help but reflect on what had just happened. She had to tell Max a little bit about Gabriel but managed to spin a good yarn that was enough to satisfy his curiosity. She would have to inform Gabriel about it at a later time to make sure he stuck to the story if necessary. She was also sure he was going to have a good laugh about it, especially about the part where she bumped into the wolves who were trading with their town. Yet he would go along with it, especially if it kept the town and the wolves from interfering with their deal. He needed her blood enough to make any deception work, that was one she that Alyssa would never doubt. She was also sure that if she asked him to, Gabriel would relocate herself and Diane anywhere they wanted to go if living town was no longer a viable option. Gabriel has already asked her if she wanted to stay in Nashville with him, so she was sure the offer would stand if it meant securing his supply of fresh product. But when Diane came out from her school, Alyssa greeted her sister with a warm smile, but needed to keep her in the loop. She told her about the incident with the people from St. Louis, but managed to avoid the crucial details like what kind of creature they really were. She also has to bring something up with Diane.


    "I had to tell the mayor about Gabriel," Alyssa told her, "But I managed to do it without bringing up the blood. That part he knows nothing about. We have to keep hat between us, okay?"


    "I promise," Diane said, holding her sister''s hand. "They won''t hear it from me."


    It was pretty quiet walking back to the building where their apartment was. Supper was simple but enough to fill them up. When it was time for bed, Diane didn''t put up a fuss and cleaned up before hopping into her bed. She looked up at Alyssa as she tucked her in.


    "Is he coming over tonight?" Diane asked.


    "He is," Alyssa said, as she kept tucking her in. "Are you okay with that?"


    "I am," Diane said, smiling. "He''s been helping us and I appreciate it. "Does Gabriel need my blood too? I''d be willing to help if he needs it."


    "That''s nice of you to offer," Alyssa said, touched by her sincerity. "But Gabriel has a specific blood type, and yours probably doesn''t match him. But I am sure he will be pleased to hear you offered."


    "Good night," Diane said, "Tell him I said hello..."


    "Will do little one," Alyssa said, kissing her sister''s brow. "Sleep tight."


    Once Diane was asleep, Alyssa went to the roof and patiently sat in a folding chair she had brought up with her. It didn''t take very long before Gabriel swooped in out of the darkness and came to a skidding halt on the asphalt of the roof. As he came to a stop, he looked down at Alyssa in her chair.


    "I didn''t keep you waiting, did I?" he asked.


    "No, I was just relaxing." Alyssa replied, "Enjoying the scenery and the silence."


    "That''s good," Gabriel said, looking around from the roof. "The town does seem rather quiet."


    "We have a curfew." Alyssa informed him, "We keep quiet so we don''t attract too many undead to our walls."


    "That makes sense," Gabriel said, as he continued to look around. "Did your mayor give you a list?"


    "No, he didn''t." Alyssa replied, standing up. She walked over and handed him the empty pill bottle. "He''d like us to try to find this."


    "I see," Gabriel said, reading it. "Someone here needs this medication to regulate blood pressure."


    "How do you know that?" Alyssa asked.


    "I went to med school," Gabriel answered, "You''d be surprised how many schools I attended to pass the time."


    "Alright," Alyssa said, somewhat surprised by the revelation. "Where can we go to get a good supply of this stuff?"


    "We can get it from one of the human cities," Gabriel replied, "I know someone who owes me a few favors. I can make this work. This is all we need?"


    "Well it''s all I was asked for," Alyssa said, "We can do a little shopping and grab the reminder from the previous list if you want."


    "Fair enough," Gabriel said.


    "Do you need to feed?" she asked.


    "I will for this trip," he replied, "It''s a bit further than the last city we visited."


    "Alright, I''ll be right back." Alyssa said as she left the roof to head back to her apartment to grab a fresh bag for him.


    As Gabriel stood there waiting for her, he looked over the roof again and saw someone standing in front of Alyssa''s small building. The man was standing there, looking at him. Gabriel could tell by the man''s posture that he was a man of authority, which led him to conclude it was that mayor she had been talking about.


    "Good evening, Mr. Mayor." He called down from the roof.


    "Evening," he called back up. "Gabriel I assume?"


    "Yes Sir," he replied, "Pleasure to meet you."


    "I hate to sound ungrateful," the mayor called back up, "but I need to know: how did you managed to get by the walls?"


    "That''s easy," Gabriel called down, "I can fly."


    "Seriously," Max replied, not in the mood for jokes. "I need to know if there are any structural weaknesses that have to be addressed."


    "You''re good," Gabriel replied, "As a matter of fact, it''s one of the better walls I''ve seen outside the big cities. You should be quite proud."


    "Thank you," The mayor responded, "Glad to hear that."


    Gabriel held up the empty pill bottle, and waved it slightly. "We''ve got this covered. I know someone who will get you a few months worth. It will take a few days, so get someone nice to watch her sister for us."


    "Done," Max said, giving a deep sigh. "Much appreciated."


    "Take care," Gabriel replied, watching as the mayor walked away from the building and back from whence he came. Moments later Alyssa came to the roof with the fresh bag of blood for him.


    "Who was that?" she asked him.


    "Your mayor," Gabriel said, graciously accepting the bag from her with a smile. "He was checking up on us. Forget to update me about something?"

 12. A Small Cabin in the Woods

    Gabriel wanted to find how the mayor got information about him but the moment wasn''t right. Once he drained the bag of blood from the fridge, he picked Alyssa up and flew up into the sky once he looked around to make sure people were not watching them. It wasn''t that Gabriel didn''t want to hear what happened, it''s just that on the roof wasn''t the place to do it. He didn''t want the mayor to mosey his way back into the conversation, and this was a two stop trip so there was no point wasting time if they were going to have plenty of it the next day to discuss it further. The city they were traveling to was so far, that he needed to crash somewhere when the sun came up, which confused Alyssa greatly when they arrived at their first stop hours later. It was a small cabin near a batch of mountains, and there was even snow where they had landed. Alyssa was amazed by it but the wanted to go inside to get warm. Gabriel said nothing to her and started a fire. He didn''t need the heat but understood that it was something he''d had to take care of for his guest. When he returned with some extra fire wood, Alyssa began to explain what had happened, that someone had recognized her from St. Louis, and that she had to do some quick thinking and talking to avoid her mayor from finding the full truth instead of that half truths she fed him. Gabriel paced the room as he heard Alyssa explain everything, especially the part about him being a love-sick scavenger rather than a vampire that fed on her blood.


    "I think you did the right thing," Gabriel finally replied, "If you didn''t tell him everything, he would have badgered you and nosed around a lot more until he figured things out for himself. By pretending to open up, at least you can control the narrative. It allowed you to leave out certain details while at the same time satisfying his curiosity."


    "I can''t believe he came by like that," Alyssa confessed.


    "He doesn''t know how I''m getting in and it concerned him." Gabriel informed her, sighing. "He''s just worried, and with what''s out there I can''t blame him."


    "I get it, the undead are unforgiving." Alyssa conceded, cuddling into her blanket on the couch. "I wouldn''t want his job, which basically is the protection of everyone in town."


    "I wouldn''t wish it on my worst enemy," Gabriel agreed, "But that doesn''t change the fact that he sent you and other people he didn''t like out to their deaths. I don''t trust the guy, and I certainly don''t trust the Lycans."


    "It was weird seeing them in my town," Alyssa confessed, "I don''t know how they found my town, but now we''re trading with them."


    "This is very peculiar," Gabriel admitted, continuing to pace the room. "I''ve never known them to reach out that far to trade."


    "It seemed legit," Alyssa said, thinking about it. "But I was lucky that I managed to talk my way out of it without our secret getting out."


    "That was smart thinking," Gabriel said, smiling. "I''ll do my best to play my part. I think as long as we collect things for your mayor, he won''t bug us as long as we continue to deliver."


    "I agree," Alyssa said, shifting to make herself comfortable. "He won''t do something that would jeopardize something that benefits him, but that doesn''t mean I trust him."


    "After what you''ve told me," Gabriel added, "There''s no way I would either."


    "I also don''t think he''s ready to know what''s out there," Alyssa continued, "If he knew what I knew, he''d freak out."


    "Most people would," Gabriel agreed, "The world is far scarier than it used to be, and even more than when Humans had the ability to end the world. Now some are wondering maybe that is what they should have done."


    "I''m not sure about that," Alyssa replied, "I don''t think having radio-active zombies would be ideal, since we don''t know what started their reign."


    "Fair point," he conceded, "But there''s no saying that couldn''t have prevented the apocalypse. We''d still have less humans, but no undead to run from."


    "I get your point," Alyssa said, "But not much we can do about it now."


    "Get some rest," Gabriel said, pacing around the living room. "You''ll want your energy when we go into town tomorrow."


    "You never told me," Alyssa reminded him, "What city are we visiting?"


    "Denver," Gabriel answered, "They decided to use the high altitude hoping the cold would fend off the undead. It doesn''t affect them much but slows them down, which makes them much easier to kill. They used the winter to build some rather big walls, and it''s not one of the better fortified cities. Unlike some of the bigger cities, Denver is aware of what''s out there. The wolves, the Vamps and witches... everything. We''ll have a better time finding what we need there. I''ve got contacts that can help too."


    "Fair enough," Alyssa said, looking outside. "Sun''s coming up, so I''ll get some rest. We''ll take off at nightfall?"


    "Yes," Gabriel confirmed, "When we get there, we''ll stay a few nights, depending on how long it will take my friend to gather what we need. You''ll have a chance to roam during the day, but I still want you to be careful."


    "I''ll be fine," Alyssa said, but still excited about the idea of being able to roam a human city all by herself. "Would you be able to give me some money so I can buy some things during the day?"


    "I can''t see why not," Gabriel said, grinning. "You are help me a great deal so it''s only fair I return the favor. Chances are you can go shopping with Dani and the kids when we get there."


    "I''m sorry, who?" Alyssa asked.


    "I have a friend who lives there, his name is Sean." Gabriel explained, "If we land on his roof, we can enter the city undetected and not have to register. He''s got a few guest rooms so I can pay him under the table, harder to track our movements. He owes me a few favors, but might call in a few chips when he sees I''m not alone. Dani is Sean''s wife and she''ll probably be happy to take you shopping so you won''t have to roam about alone."The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    "Sounds good," Alyssa replied, "It will save time to have a guide. Less time wandering around, looking for things."


    "We''ll be in town a few days," Gabriel informed her, "So if you want to roam around on your own, you''ll get a chance. I just prefer you do it during the day, when it''s a little safer for everyone."


    "I get it," Alyssa said, understanding his position. "I''ll try not to give you something else to worry about, but I can assure you I can handle myself out there."


    "Fair enough," Gabriel said, walking to the door, "I''m going to check the perimeter before sunrise, I suggest you try to sleep."


    When Gabriel took off, Alyssa decided not to wait up for him and went to sleep. She went into one of the guest rooms and checked it out before calling it a night. She didn''t tell Gabriel, but she had brought a gun with her. It was a small 9mm handgun, nothing huge but enough to take out a zombie if one got too close when Gab wasn''t around to help her. She kept the gun in the night table beside her bed before crawling into bed to sleep for the night. She locked the door but assumed Gab has a key. The point was to keep everything else out long enough for her to grab a gun and think of a strategy before all hell broke loose. She didn''t need to apologize for being cautious and planned to take a similar approach in Denver as well. After what happened with the wolves in St. Louis, she wasn''t willing to take chances during extended trips with Gabriel. She as determined to have back up plans, and that''s what Alyssa was thinking of before she finally nodded off to sleep.


    When she woke up hours later, she felt refreshed and grabbed the gun and stuffed it in the back side of her jeans and covered it up with a t-shirt. She went down the stairs and looked around to see there was no sign of Gabriel, so she went to the kitchen to make something to eat. The fridge was surprisingly full, so she grabbed some eggs, cheese and mushrooms, things she normally didn''t have access to in her town for obvious reasons. She put on a pot of coffee unaware if Gab would even have any, but if he didn''t that just meant more for her. She was plating her eggs, and the toast had just popped when she thought she saw someone moving out of the corner of her eye. Alyssa slowly put down her coffee mug as she pretending to react to the toast, but instead pulled her gun out it and pointed it at the other man in the room. The man also had a gun and he was pointing it at Alyssa.


    "Holy crap," the man, who clearly wasn''t Gabriel said, impressed. He looked to be mid-forties, so around the Max''s age. "That is one hell of a draw you got there!"


    "I''ve had lots of practice." Alyssa replied.


    "I believe you." The man acknowledged, never taking his eyes or his gun off of her the entire time they talked. "What are you doing here?"


    "Just passing through," Alyssa answered, "I put coffee on."


    "That''s how I knew you were here," the man told her, "It smells great."


    "I brought it with me," Alyssa said, still holding up her gun.


    "Who are you here with?" he then asked.


    "What makes you think I''m here with someone?" She retorted with a question.


    "Only three people know of this place." He continued, "I''d prefer it stay that way, so I''m hoping you''re with one of them."


    "I might be," Alyssa said, hoping for the best. "Would Gabriel happen to be one of them?"


    The man sighed and stopped aiming the gun at her. "Yes. Is he sleeping?"


    "As far as I know," Alyssa said, still pointing her gun at him. "How the hell do you know him?"


    "He and I have an arrangement." The man said, putting his gun into a holster on his left hip that was attached to his belt.


    Alyssa thought about it, "You''re feeding him?"


    "I am," the man confirmed, "Are you one of those blood suckers too?"


    "If I was," Alyssa said, gesture to the breakfast she just made, "Why the hell would I need any of this?"


    "Good point," the man replied, "I''m Pablo."


    "Alyssa," she said, putting the gun down on the counter. "Want some eggs and toast? There''s enough for two."


    "Sound great," Pablo said, sighing again. "I''m sorry, but I''m not used to seeing anyone here... especially during the day."


    "I understand," Alyssa said as she grabbed the toast and an extra plate. "Take a seat at the table. What do you take in your coffee?"


    "Just two sugars, please." Pablo said, not resisting as he walked slowly to the table and took a seat. He watched as she made his coffee and then walked over with both the plate with scrambled eggs and toast and his coffee. She walked back to the island counter in the middle of the room and used it as a barricade between her and Pablo, eating her breakfast from there with the gun lying on it.


    "Keeping your distance?" Pablo asked, already aware of it.


    "Sorry," Alyssa called back, "Experience has made me a creature of habit."


    "No need to explain," Pablo said, digging into his breakfast. "This is really good! Thank you."


    "Thank you for not freaking out about me using your food." Alyssa replied.


    "Gabe can resupply me anytime I need it," Pablo informed her, looking up at the surprised look on her face. "Can you really be surprised he has more than one donor?"


    "I guess not," Alyssa answered, "Doesn''t it make sense to have backups? I mean what if one of us dies, even accidentally? He''d be scrambling if he didn''t have a backup in place. Makes more sense now that I think about it."


    "You and me both," Pablo concurred, "I knew there were others, which I''m happy about. The more he''s got out there, the easier it will be for us to donate. This is just the first time I''m meeting one of them. How long have you known each other?"


    "Not long," Alyssa said, not willing to tell him exactly how long. "You?"


    "Years," Pablo answered, "If you take care of Gabe, he will move mountains to help you out if he hasn''t already."


    "He has, yes." Alyssa admitted as she seemed to ease up a bit.


    "Good to hear," Pablo said, holding up his mug to do a mock toast. "Can you cook anything else this good?"


    "What did you have in mind?" Alyssa asked.


    "I bagged a buck yesterday," Pablo told her, "I''m going to clean it up and chop it up. Normally I put all of it in the freezer, but if you know how to cook any of it I can leave a piece out."


    "Leave out one of the legs," Alyssa said, smiling back at him. When her mother was still alive, she had shown her how to cook various meats for hunters coming back with wild game for the town. She was determined to get her a job in the kitchen so that she''d never be sent out to salvage for anything. It was her mom''s way of trying to make her too valuable to be sent out. It didn''t work as her talent for handling guns and other weapons stood out too much after her mom had died.


    "A whole leg?" Pablo replied.


    "Yup," Alyssa replied, "Get me the biggest roasting pan you have and even if we split it, you''ll still have enough to feed you for a week."


    "Yes Ma''am!" Pablo said, smiling back at her. "Would you like me to save another leg for you to take home? I assume you''re heading into Denver so you''ll be back here in a few days. I''ll leave it in the bottom of the fridge for you, all papered and tied up for delivery."


    "That sounds like a fair bargain," Alyssa said, smiling back. "You sir, have yourself a deal."

 13. Trouble Brewing in the West

    When Gabriel woke up, he immediately sensed a change in the building. There was something but he couldn''t tell what it was just yet. He snuck out of his room and started to wander around the second floor of the house. He was about to call out for Alyssa to see where she was but something else caught his attention. There was a nice aroma coming from the kitchen, so he descended down the stairs to see what was going on. There was laughter in the kitchen and that''s when Gabriel noticed a second voice downstairs, which caused him to run down a little faster. When he bolted into the living room, he was surprised to see two familiar faces instead of one. Pablo was sitting at the table and nursing a glass of wine while Alyssa was cooking something on the stove top with her own glass of wine on the island in the middle.


    "Pablo!" Gabriel said, sighing deeply. "You''re back early."


    "That''s not a crime," Pablo informed his friend, "And I do live here. So contrary to what you might think, I''m free to come and go as I please."


    "I''m not suggesting you can''t," Gabriel said, immediately backtracking. "I was under the impression you''d be hunting for a few days."


    "I did too," Pablo confessed, "But I managed to bag a big one early and I also noticed a lot of undead activity near the hunting lodge. It wasn''t safe to stay up there so I quickly bagged a dear and brought it back. I''m lucky the undead didn''t hear my rifle or they would have been all over me."


    "I''m glad to hear you''re alright," Gabriel said, thinking about it. "I did a perimeter sweep before I went to sleep. It looked pretty clear."


    "You might want to do that again," Pablo suggested, "As a precaution, I put this place on lock down. Hope you don''t mind."


    "Not at all," Gabriel replied, "I''d rather you be cautious and have nothing happen rather than not be safe and all hell breaks loose."


    "I thought so too," Pablo said, gesturing to Alyssa, "And it gave me a chance to get to know your new friend. I like her! She''s an amazing cook too. I am going to feast like a king tonight!"


    Gabriel paused for a moment. "Happy to hear that, but I wasn''t trying to avoid you. I was trying not to impose."


    "Nonsense," Pablo said, sipping his wine. "I actually appreciate the company. She''s a lovely person and I''ve enjoyed hearing about her little town east of here. It''s nice to know there are a few small specs out there beyond the big cities."


    "Well, I''m glad you two get along." Gabriel said, walking closer to the table.


    "Don''t be so worried," Pablo said, reading his mind. "I know you can''t have all your feeders in one spot. We have to be spread out. It''s just nice to meet someone new. It can get a little boring here just talking to you all the time."


    "Fair enough," Gabriel said, sitting down at the table. "What''s cooking?"


    "Venison," Pablo said, smiling. "She''s cooking up a roast of the dear I bagged. I can''t wait to try it. I''m also letting her take some home for her town. We came to an arrangement in exchange for her services."


    "Always negotiating I see," Gabriel replied.


    "Bad habits die hard, my friend." Pablo agreed.


    "It''s just a shame we won''t be staying here too long," Alyssa added, finally jumping into the conversation.


    "Are you taking her to Denver?" Pablo asked.


    "I am," Gabriel confirmed.


    "I''d think against that," Pablo warned, as he put his glass down. "I''ve been trying to contact Sean for days, but I''m not getting a response. Combine that with the added undead activity near the hunting cabins, it worries me."


    "You worry about everything," Gabriel reminded him.


    "I do," Pablo confessed, "But do you think it wise taking her into a city if you don''t know what''s going on?"


    Gabriel paused for a moment. "I suppose not."


    "So what we going to do then?" Alyssa asked, surprised by the sudden change in her plans.


    "You''ll stay here," Gabriel decided, "Keep the place on lock down and just ride out the next few days. I''ll fly off for Denver and check up on Sean alone. It won''t take long, I shouldn''t be gone no more than a day."


    "There are plenty of supplies here." Pablo informed him, "I might even have some spares that I could donate to Alyssa''s town."


    "Thank you, Pablo." Alyssa said, grateful of the gesture.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "I''ll worry about supplies later," Gabriel said as he got up from the table. "I''m going to do a security check before taking off. Make up the guest rooms, enough to take two adults and three kids."


    "You think that will be necessary?" Pablo asked.


    "No," Gabriel replied, "But I need you to be ready to receive them just in case the worst really is happening over there."


    "I hear you," Pablo acknowledged, "Alyssa and I will have the house ready for anything, and I''ll keep the place locked up as a precaution."


    "I like that idea," Gabriel said, as he stood up and started to pace the room. "How long have you been trying to contact him?"


    "At least a week," Pablo answered, "They''ve never gone this long without replying."


    "Alright, I''ll check on them tonight." Gabriel turned back to face Alyssa, "You okay staying here with Pablo?"


    "I''ll be fine," Alyssa told him, "Pablo knows what I''ll do if he doesn''t behave."


    "That I do," Pablo confirmed.


    Gabriel left the room and there was a flash sound as he departed through an entrance in the room made just for him.


    "You''ll get used to it after a while," Pablo said, smiling.


    "I don''t think I ever will." Alyssa confessed, as she turned back from the roof at her host. "What do you think is going on in Denver?"


    "Nothing, I hope." Pablo replied, "But the big cities have been threatening to wage war on one another for some time."


    "War?" Alyssa said, stunned. "As if the Undead was enough... they have to fight one another?"


    "I know; total bullshit." Pablo agreed, "But this has been mainly a west coast issue as there''s no such aggression between the east coast cities. Then again, they are not dealing with the same issues."


    "Such as?" Alyssa asked.


    "Natural resources," Pablo answered, "I hate to be the one to break it to you, but even in a post zombie apocalypse, water and oil are still good reasons for men to go to war with each other over. Right now northern cities like Denver and Seattle are pissing off the southern cities like Los Angeles for hogging the water supply and keeping it for themselves. It''s caused a lot of tension between the two."


    "I''d say," Alyssa said, thinking about it. "Clean water would be vital for survival."


    "Tell me about it," Pablo agreed, "And because of that, some cities have gone as far as threatened to invade or attack one another."


    "So you''re worried this might have happened?" Alyssa asked.


    "It''s just the undead in the north," Pablo said, "Seeing them this far up surprised me and it suggest someone lead them up here. Normally they shy away from the mountains cause of the cold. That''s why Denver managed to survive long enough to build some big ass walls, the cold and the second amendment."


    "I can only imagine how the east would respond," Alyssa surmised, "Especially cities like New Lycan."


    "Wow," Pablo said, grinning. "He has really let you in on everything if he''s told you about New Lycan."


    "He took me shopping there." Alyssa told him.


    "He did?" Pablo said, surprised. "That must have been interesting."


    "It was," Alyssa admitted. She then took the leg out of the oven, and it smelt just great as it came out. "Hope you''re hungry."


    "Oh I am," Pablo said, licking his lips.


    She served the meal and put everything on the table for Pablo to help himself and fill his plate. She sat on the other side and also did the same. After they toasted to the meal to come, they started to quietly eat. Alyssa looked up and saw Pablo was looking at her.


    "Something in my teeth?" She asked.


    "No," Pablo said, pausing. "Tell me more about your town."


    Surprisingly, Alyssa found herself talking to Pablo about everything concerning her small town. About how she and her parents found the place and were able to integrate themselves into it. How she and Diane have managed to live there despite losing both their parents as the years went by. Into their second bottle of wine, they even started to talk about the major and his strange ways. Pablo seemed to nod a lot as she was talking about him and what happened to hear during her first trip out.


    "I''ve seen his kind before," Pablo noted. "Using the undead to take out your trash, or people who you think will cause trouble. He''s just looking out for number one. You and Gabe are better off not trusting that guy further than you guys can toss him. Well, just no further than what you can toss."


    After speaking with Pablo a little longer, the old man eventually passes out on the couch. Rather than disturb him, Alyssa took a blanket and just put it onto him like she would with any child that crashed. As she was clearing the table and starting the clean up process, Gabriel came back into the house and noticed Pablo on the couch.


    "Is he going to be alright?" He asked.


    "He''s just asleep." Alyssa said, smiling. "He had a lot to drink but he also ate a lot and that can induce napping too. Are you alright?"


    "I''ll be fine," Gabriel said, as he walked closer to her. "Pablo was right, there is more undead activity up here, much more than usual. I cleared a few out and you guys are clear for a few miles. Tell Pablo to keep this place locked up while I''m gone, just as a precaution. No one can get into here when it''s locked up except me, so don''t worry about how I''m going to get back in."


    "How long will you be gone?" Alyssa asked.


    "A day, two tops." He informed her, "If everything is alright, I''ll grab what you''re town needs and fly back. We might hit New Lycan on the way back to get more stuff to make it a decent drop off."


    "What if it''s not alright in Denver?" Alyssa then inquired.


    "We''ll burn that bridge when we get there." Gabriel said, "I might have to bring them all here. So make sure the spare rooms are made up with fresh sheets. I don''t want to bring people here, but I might have no choice."


    "Don''t worry about him," Alyssa said, noticing he was looking at him again. "I''ll take care of everything while he sleeps."


    "Thanks," Gabriel said, "But still be careful."


    "You too," Alyssa said, worried about him just a little.


    She watched as he flew back out of the entrance in the ceiling that was made out just for him. There was a loud swooshing sound and Gabriel was gone. Alyssa stood there and took a deep breath before going back into the kitchen to resume cleaning up and putting away leftovers. She would try to save as much of the food from the meal as she could, just in case there might be more mouths to feed in the coming days.

 14. Chaos in Denver

    It didn''t take long for Gabriel to fly to Denver, but the closer he got to the city the more answers he got to the questions he had been thinking about on the way there. He could see the fires from miles away and the shelling was hard not to notice as well. Pablo''s instincts as usual were spot on: Denver was being attacked. There were many conflicts between man and itself since the zombie apocalypse started, and that never bode well for the survival of their own species. Gabriel had joked with the Lycans that if the end of the world at the hands of the undead couldn''t bring them all together, then there was nothing that could. It was the exact thought that was running through Gabriel''s mind as he flew closer and closer to Denver. Half the city was in flame, and he could hear the moans from above as well. Not only did the enemies fo the city knock down the city''s walls with artillery, but it was only to allow the undead to invade the city and take out its population. A brilliant but very messy strategy, as the people were dying and then joining the undead''s ranks seconds later. Turning the city''s own people against themselves and just assuring the city would eventually fall, it was only a matter of when rather than if. This was the worst case scenario, Gabriel could hear Pablo saying in his own head. The vampire watched the carnage from above for a moment before remembering why he was there: to help his own people. He continued to fly over the city until he spotted the building he was looking for, as it was harder to look around since it was dark and there was fire and smoke everywhere. He dove down and then landed on the roof without hesitation. There were already several people on the roof of the building, and it looked like they were hiding from something there. When Gabriel landed on the roof, it scared most of the people, except for one person who immediately ran up and it was Sean, his friend.


    "Gabriel!" Sean said as he walked up and hugged him. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you here!"


    "What the hell is going on?" Gabriel asked. He had an idea, naturally, but he wanted to hear Sean explain it to him.


    "The southern towns want the water," Sean explained, "And the shelling started a few days ago. We''ve got to evacuate cause they''re going to wipe out the entire city but we can''t get out cause the streets are littered with the undead."


    "I noticed that," Gabriel said, looking around at everyone in the roof. "How many people are up here?"


    "About twelve," Sean answered, "Family and close friends."


    "I''m strong," Gabriel started, "But I''m not that strong."


    "I''m open to suggestions," Sean said, hoping his friend had ideas."


    "What about the truck?" Gabriel said, "The one Pablo and I had made for you? The one we have stashed outside of the city?"


    "That''s a good option, but city is surrounded." Sean said, "We were thinking of using the sewers to get there, but it''s very dangerous."


    "Don''t bother," Gabriel said, "I can fly you guys out two at a time. It will take about ten trips to get you all out there. We start with two of your toughest guys to secure the truck and guard it while I fetch the rest of you."


    "That sounds doable." Sean said, nodding his approval. "Let me talk to my people about this. Until right now, they thought you were normal."


    Sean turned to face the people looking at him. They were all scared because their building was on fire and surrounded by the undead. He raised his hands up to calm them and reassure them all.


    "Who wants to get out of here?" He asked them.


    They all raised their hands.


    "This is my friend Gabriel," Sean said, "Many of you remember seeing him visit every now and then. He''s even worked at my practice a bit when he''s had time. My friend here is different."


    "Different how?" One of the men asked.


    "He can fly as you just noticed," Sean answered, "And he can fly us out of here. Beyond the wall and far away from this battle, which means we can escape."


    "He can''t carry all of us," someone else called out.


    "No he can only carry two out at a time, but he''ll fly us all to the truck." Sean explained to them. "He''s here to help us. Don''t question why he can fly, just be happy that he''s here to get us the hell out of here. Alright?"


    Everyone needed and seemed to understand where Sean was coming from. This was a way out, so don''t be picky about how it''s happening and just accept the chance to get the hell out unharmed. Gabriel grabbed two men, and then launched with them into the sky. It took Gabriel only ten minutes to fly the two men out of the city and to a small abandoned barn that was a few miles from the city''s walls. As they were flying out, they could see tanks and cars stationed outside the city to stop people from trying to escape, a blockade that would have been impossible for Sean and his people to make it out of without his help. When he landed by the barn, dropping two men off, Gabriel grabbed one of them by the arm as he tried to walk away.


    "Don''t take off until everyone is here." He ordered, "Try to take the truck for yourself, I will find you and kill you. Understood?"


    The man looked Gabriel in the eyes and nodded, "Understood."


    "No need to worry," The other man said, "The people back there is our wives and kids. We''re not going to leave any of them behind. Go get them and so we are not left here waiting too long."


    "That''s all I needed to hear," Gabriel said, and then immediately shot back into the sky and flew back into the city.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    As Gabriel had informed his friend, it took him about ten trips to get everyone off the roof and to the small barn outside of town. Inside the barn was a small, armored truck that was capable of very rough undead conditions, and large enough to keep everyone snug and secure while traveling back to Pablo''s cabin. When Gabriel made his landing to pick up the last two people, Sean and his wife, Sean was waiting there on the roof with something for him. Gabriel took the small bag of red liquid and began to immediately drink it. Sean and his wife were the only two who knew the truth about him and waited until then to feed him.


    "Thank you," Gabriel said, taking a break halfway through the bag, "I really needed that."


    "I thought you might," Sean said, smiling back at his friend. "How did you know to come here?"


    "Pablo," Gabriel replied, "He''s been trying to reach you for a week. Chances are they are scrambling all lines so you can''t call for help."


    "That paranoid fool saved our asses then," Sean said, smiling. "I don''t think his cabin can safely fit all of us, can it?"


    "Not long term," Gabriel admitted, "But I might have a plan that will work because I don''t even think Pablo''s place is safe anymore."


    "We can talk about it later," Sean said, "Finish your drink so we can get the hell out of here."


    Gabriel finished the bag of blood off before grabbing Sean and his wife and then launching back into the skies above the city. They all watched in awe as the shelling continued below them as well as the loud moans from the undead as they continued to walk the streets of the city and tear it apart.


    "It''s not right," Sean''s wife said as she looked away from it.


    "It''s the future," Sean said, "Using the Undead will be the new warfare."


    "I doubt something like that would work in New Lycan," Gabriel noted, "To them it would be like the sheep walking themselves to the slaughter."


    "Or like your groceries jumping into the fridge themselves." Sean agreed.


    "Here we are," Gabriel said, as he landed just outside the barn. Several people were still outside, happy to see the last of them arrive.


    "How''s the truck?" Sean asked.


    "It looks good," one of the men replied, "We should be good to go in a few minutes."


    "Then get going," Gabriel said, looking around. "I''m going to go ahead and make sure the road is clear."


    "I know the way," Sean said, patting his friend on the shoulder. "You jump ahead and make sure Pablo is ready for us."


    "Not this time," Gabriel said, "Pablo will be fine, he''s got someone there helping him now. I''m staying here to make sure you all make it out."


    "Thank you," Sean said, "Get going and we''ll be right behind you."


    Gabriel waited for everyone to get inside and for the truck to start moving before he flew back into the sky and started to scout ahead. There were a few undead strays that he quickly dispatched of, but it was the roadblock that had caught him by surprise. Gabriel looked down as there were two humvees, and about a dozen heavily armed soldiers guarding the road to make sure anyone who managed to escape the city under siege didn''t get very far. The vampire hovered a few hundred feet above them and thought about his options. He then lowered himself to the ground and landed in front of them all. The people were shocked to see someone drop out of the sky, as they all raised their guns and pointed them at Gabriel.


    "Greetings," Gabriel said, smiling at them all. "Nice night for a blockade."


    "Who the hell are you?" one of the women present there asked, never lowering her rifle for a moment.


    "My name is Gabriel," he answered, trying to be friendly. "I''m not from around here. I''m more of an east coast person myself."


    "What city are you from?" the woman asked.


    "Nashville," Gabriel honestly answered, "but it''s not very hospitable. I''ve got my own place in one of the high rises. I prefer to keep to myself."


    "What are you doing here?" one of the other men there asked.


    "There''s a truck coming up the road," Gabriel explained to them, "It''s going to be here in a few moments. They''re friends of mine from the city you''re currently burning to the ground. It''s just a small group, a few men and their wives and children. I would be well appreciated if you could let them through without a hassle."


    "We''re under orders to not let anyone by," the man replied.


    "Wait," the woman interrupted, "Why are you helping them?"


    "They help me," Gabriel said, "and they''re also my friends."


    "You always help your friends like this?" the woman asked.


    "Isn''t that what friends are for?" Gabriel countered, "At least that''s the kind of friend I prefer to be; someone who helps when the times are tough."


    "It would be nice to have a friend like that," The woman said to him.


    "I agree," Gabriel said to her, "Because I can assure you that I would make a very dangerous enemy."


    "I''ve heard enough of this," The other man said as he tried to use the but of his gun to knock Gabriel in the side of his head.


    Gabriel not only was able to dodge the hit with ease, but he came back around with lightning fast reflexes and lashed back at the man that tried to hit him. With one slash of his right hand, with the small talons sticking out of his fingers, Gabriel was able to decapitate the man with just one chop of his hand. The man''s head rolled off as if it had been sliced clean off with a machete. Before anyone could respond, Gabriel zipped away from his position and killed one soldier after another, until there were none left standing except the woman that spoke to Gabriel. She looked back at him, covered in other people''s blood, shaking like a leaf. Gabriel''s eyes had turned red during the conflict and she could see the fangs sticking out of the top half of his mouth as he spoke to her again.


    "I warned you," he hissed at her, "I make a dangerous enemy."


    She tried to shoot him but before she could even raise the barrel of her rifle, Gabriel had covered the distance between them and knocked it out of her hands. Before she could respond, Gabriel grabbed her and drove his fangs right into the side of her neck, penetrating her jugular. She shook and twitched uncontrollably as Gabriel drained every drop of blood from her body, which caused her skin to turn grey and her muscle mass to slowly wither away as he also drained the woman of her life. He dropped her to the ground, and what was left of her corpse turned into a cloud of dust on impact. Gabriel hadn''t drained someone completely in quite some time, and the power he was feeling was immense as it was unbearable. To drain someone that fast and without pacing yourself can sometimes drive a Vampire into temporary madness, something his people call the bloodlust. He stood there shaking like a leaf, as if he was a druggie that was fixing to get another hit. Gabriel flexed every muscle in his body as he arched his back and looked up to the sky as he roared like a lion that had just killed new prey. He stood there growling and grunting for a few moments until the feeling started to subside. He growls had slowed down into just heavy breathing and his body began to tense down. Moments later, he started to clear away the bodies and move the cars to clear the blockade for Sean and his people who were only a few miles away, as he could hear them coming down the road. He took a rag from one of the vehicles and a water canteen and used the water to clean the blood off his face. While he was still a mess, Gabriel knew he had to remove proof that he just drank someone''s blood before the truck arrived. He jumped back into the skies and flew ahead to look for more road blocks. He was confident there wouldn''t be more but it was an excuse to stay ahead.

 15. Getting Out Of Dodge

    It took the truck about twelve hours of non-stop driving to go from just outside Denver to where Pablo''s cabin was located, and they never stopped for anything. Gabriel flew ahead not only to check for more roadblocks but to also clear any herds of undead that might have been blocking their way. Gabriel also flew ahead to gas stations to fill up canisters full of gas so that he could refuel the truck as it was still going. When Gabriel was sure there was nothing left in their way to Pablo''s cabin, he manage to fly the rest of the way to make sure Pablo and Alyssa were ready to receive a lot of guests, arriving just as the sun was coming back up. When he came back through the sunroof entrance, he could see the look on both of their faces were one of absolute shock. Gabriel was covered in human and zombie blood, and he was quite a mess from all the clearing he had been doing the last dozen hours.


    "Jesus, Gabriel." Pablo said, grabbing some cloths from the kitchen and wetting them in the kitchen sink. "What the hell is going on out there?"


    "Denver is gone," Gabriel answered, "They were under full siege when I arrived."


    "I knew something was wrong," Gabriel said, as he started to wipe down Gabriel''s face like a father would when tending to a filthy child.


    "We need to prepare for more people," Gabriel said, sitting there and taking his cleanup without complaint, "Sean, his family and a few other survivors we managed to get out are driving up here. I already cleared the way for them."


    "How many are we talking about?" Alyssa asked.


    "At least twelve," Gabriel answered, "Get more cots ready."


    Alyssa ran up the stairs to get busy setting more places for people to sleep. She was determined to help out as much as he could and didn''t question anything.


    Gabriel waited until she was gone and then turned to face Pablo. "I drained someone. I didn''t mean to, it just happened."


    Pablo''s face was now one of surprise. "On a scale of one to ten, how badly did you spaz out?"


    "Three," Gabriel said, sighing. "I didn''t last more than a few seconds, and I was fine before Sean and the others arrived at the roadblock."


    "There were roadblocks?" Pablo said, as he continued to wash Gab''s face. "Those Californians meant business, didn''t they?"


    "They certainly do," Gabriel confirmed, "I killed at least seven of them at the road block, and that''s when I got caught up. I just eased right in and drank her until she was dry. She was dust before she hit the ground."


    "We got lucky," Pablo said, "But try not to do that again."


    "I''m sorry," Gabriel said, feeling shamed.


    "It was one of the bad guys," Pablo reminded him.


    "Is that supposed to make it better?" Gabriel asked.


    "No," Pablo conceded, "But it could have been worse; it''s not like you accidentally drained someone we know, and you seemed to recover faster this time too. The yoga and the meditation I recommended seems to be helping, isn''t it?"


    "It appears so," Gabriel said, unwilling to flat out admit it.


    "It is," Pablo said, unwilling to let go. "And that''s a good thing, cause the last thing you want anyone to see is a Vampire in the middle of a vicious bloodlust. You''re too old and strong to control, so if you lose your shit we''re all dead. Don''t take this lightly or you could lose all your meal tickets. Comprede?"


    "Yes, I understand." Gabriel said, watching as Alyssa came back down the stairs. "I think we''ve got enough room for everyone."


    "Don''t fret too much," Pablo said, "The trucks have a few cots as well, and we''ll probably make the men sleep in them and let the ladies take the nice rooms."


    They could hear the horn honk as the truck was arriving to the cabin.


    "Head downstairs and get some sleep," Pablo said, patting Gabe on the shoulder. "I can handle it from here."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Gabriel did as he was told and went down to his private room and locked himself away inside to rest. Pablo opened the door and walked it with Alyssa to greet the truck as it came through the gates and onto the property. Sean was the first to depart from the large vehicle.


    "Is this area clear?" Sean asked.


    "Gabriel cleared it before he got here." Pablo called back, "You''re alright."


    Alyssa watched as about a dozen men, women and children exited the vehicle and they all looked in rough shape. Most of their clothing was black from the fire that their building had sustained, and they all looked filthy and beat. Pablo walked up and hugged Sean and his wife, happy to see them both.


    "I knew something was wrong," Pablo told them, "I sent Gabe over to check because you don''t go four days without answering my badgering."


    "That is true," Sean said, grinning at him. "For once your paranoia saved us. We wouldn''t have gotten out without ..."


    Sean stopped talking when he noticed that he noticed that Alyssa was standing there looking at them.


    "This is Alyssa," Pablo said, "Gabe and I both vouch for her."


    "That''s good enough for me," Sean said, shaking her hand. "Where''s Gabe?"


    "He''s gone to rest," Alyssa said, "He looked very tired."


    "He didn''t feed before bed?" Sean asked, indicating to her that he knew all of Gabriel''s secrets.


    "He had something on the road," Pablo answered, "He''s fine."


    "We''ve got beds and cots ready for everyone," Alyssa said, "You guys can rest too if you''re tired from the road."


    "That sounds great," Sean replied, "But we can''t stay here too long."


    Pablo''s face turned serious. "What''s going on?"


    "While we were driving, about halfway here," Sean started, "A helicopter flew over our heads. Since Gabriel took out one of their checkpoints, so they''re going to put two and two together and follow us here just out of revenge and spit. It''s not safe to stay here very long. I''m afraid they''ll come after us."


    "Son of a bitch," Pablo said, thinking about it. "Where do we go from here?"


    "I''m not sure," Sean replied, "But we better figure it out soon."


    "We''ll decide something before nightfall," Pablo said, "And then we''ll let Gabe decide from there. We can spend the whole day packing and we''ll take both trucks: yours and mine."


    "In the meantime," Pablo said, putting his arm around Alyssa. "How about we get the little lady to make up some chow for everyone?"


    "That would be awesome," Sean replied.


    "Hun," Pablo said, looking at Alyssa. "Make up some eggs and bacon for everyone. You can use everything that''s left in the fridge."


    "Are you sure?" Alyssa asked, remembering how much he had in there.


    "We can''t take it with us," Pablo reminded her, "So use it or lose it."


    Alyssa did as she was told, because Pablo''s idea made sense. Feeding everyone was the best way to settle everyone down, as food was comforting. She couldn''t help but overhear Sean and one of the bigger men there talk about options for their ride away from the cabin. They were talking about setting camps in secure spots ore even using a building like Gabe did in Nashville. It wasn''t until she finishing cooking all the eggs and bacon and serving herself that Alyssa stepped into the conversation.


    "Excuse me," Alyssa said as she sat down, "But you''re a doctor, right?"


    Sean looked back at her. "I am."


    "What is your specialty?" Alyssa asked, rather curious.


    "In Denver I ran a family practice." Sean answered, "But I''m also a skilled surgeon. I can do almost anything with the right tools."


    "And what about you?" Alyssa asked the other man, "What was your thing?"


    "Security," the man answered, "I used to be in the military. Army Ranger."


    "I have a suggestion," Alyssa started, "Why not come back with me to my town?"


    Sean turned to face Alyssa as he was intrigued by the idea. "How many people live in your town?"


    "About twelve to fifteen thousand," Alyssa said, "and they''re always in need of new doctors and people to help with security."


    "How far is this place from here?" Sean asked.


    "Twice as far as what you just traveled." Alyssa replied. "It won''t be easy."


    "That''s an interesting idea," the man across from Sean stated, "If we ditch the trucks, it would be hard to trace us there from Denver. Too far for the coasters to look, I''d be surprised if they went any further than here."


    "I''m comfortable with the idea," Sean admitted, "And I could use a new place to open my practice. This could really work."


    "What about your town?" The Ranger asked, "How do we know they''ll accept us?"


    "I''m confident we can make it work," Alyssa answered, "We''ll sweet talk my mayor to accepting you guys as a package deal. I have a feeling he won''t take much arm twisting. Surgeons are hard to find and we do have the equipment to help you do whatever you need to do. It should be a piece of cake."


    "What do you think, Pablo?" Sean asked.


    Pablo had been standing behind them, leaning against the wall the entire time. His arms were folded and his face has a weird look as he was pondering it.


    "I like it," Pablo honestly answered, "If her town is half as nice as she is, this is the kind of place I wouldn''t mind settling down in. Gabriel might not like having all his eggs in one proverbial basket, but he''ll have to get over it. I''ll talk Gabriel into it, but in the meantime we need to start packing. We leave at sun down."

 16. On The Road Again

    As predicted, Pablo had no problem talking Gabriel into agreeing to Alyssa''s plan. It was by far the best way to keep everyone safe in one spot, far away from the hostile forces that just took out Denver. Sean was excited to start a new practice, something that Alyssa was sure her mayor would do somersaults over. Doctors were in high demand in every city and town, the key was convincing the mayor of Alyssa''s town of that without dictating terms to him. Pablo came up with an idea that that Gabriel seemed to agree with as it seemed the best way to approach integrating into the small town without ruffling too many feathers. As Pablo had also predicted, they had two trucks packed up and ready to roll by sun down. Pablo had his own truck just like Sean''s, a tank to help him evacuate if he ever needed to get the hell out of dodge. So with two trucks available, it made things more comfortable since everyone didn''t have to pack into one like a can of sardines. Sean and his family went with Pablo and Alyssa, while Gabriel flew ahead and cleared the roads of any issues. As the sun was coming up, Gabriel found a secure spot for them to crash and then he flew off for a quiet place to rest during the daylight. Despite the secure position they found, Alyssa wasn''t content to stay in the truck as she found a tree to climb into to look around their perimeter and keep a look out. Pablo sat on the roof of his truck and took in some rays while watching her look out.


    "Is that really necessary?" he asked her.


    "Do you want to take any chances?" She countered, "You?"


    "Fair enough," Pablo said, smiling. "I''ll be the first to admit that I''m a little paranoid on occasion."


    "A little?" Alyssa asked, smiling back at him.


    "Mock away," Pablo replied, "But this paranoia is what''s kept me alive all these years. I trust my gut, and it''s never led me astray."


    "Can''t argue with results," Alyssa conceded, "I just feel better making sure we keep an eye out."


    "I put motion detectors out there before Gabe left." Pablo told her, "This little thing in my pocket will buzz if there''s any activity near us, but Gabe also cleared the area. If he says we''re clear, we are. And if he''s wrong, he''ll come back and take care of it for us."


    "How will he know?" Alyssa asked, "He''s not here right now."


    "Ahhh, I get it." Pablo said as he took a deep breath. "He hasn''t told you."


    "Told me what?" Alyssa asked, not liking the tone his last comment had.


    "It''s the blood," Pablo started to explain, "Usually when vampires take someone it''s just one quick shot and that''s all she wrote. In the past they didn''t used to feed from one person more than once, so it was never noticed until now. They had to ration blood since food is scarce for them. That''s when some of them started to notice what was going on. Vampires who fed from the same person for a long period of time started to develop a connection with the person they were feeding from."


    "What kind of connection?" Alyssa asked.


    "Best way to describe would be a psychic connection," Pablo replied, "I first noticed it a few months after he started drinking my blood. I could sense whenever he was around, or if he was feeling strong emotions like whenever he was angry or feeling something else."


    "I haven''t felt anything," Alyssa informed him.


    "You guys just started," Pablo reminded her, "But I''ve also seen some cases where nothing ever developed. It''s not an exact science. We have no idea what causes it or what even triggers it. It''s entirely possible you might never feel anything."


    "What about Gabriel?" Alyssa asked.


    "Like I said, Vampires feel it a lot more and for them it develops quicker." Pablo answered, "In other words, he feels if first and feels it strong. If you''re ever in trouble or need help, then he''ll feel it, even if he''s hundreds of miles away. That''s when he''ll drop whatever he''s doing and fly to you. He''s not feeding off of Sean or anyone in his family, so that''s why he had no idea what was going on in Denver."Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    "He''s not feeding off them," Alyssa started, "But they know what he is?"


    "They do," Pablo confirmed, "He and Sean have been friends for some time now, and they hide nothing from one another.


    "Oh," Alyssa said, as it was rather ignorant of her to assume that Vampires didn''t have any friends. Gabriel seemed in control of his craving to feed, so it would be no issue for him to hang out with and have a few human friends. There''s always the possibility that Gabriel was saving them as a feeding backup, but she didn''t think he was that cynical. She could be wrong, but if he was helping Sean as much as he was helping her, Alyssa could understand how Sean and his family would be a last resort backup only to be used in case of emergencies.


    "He''s one of the good guys," Pablo said, as if he could tell what she was thinking. "It''s the other Vampires that give their kind a bad name."


    "You''ve met other Vampires?" Alyssa asked.


    "Unfortunately," Pablo confirmed, "Many of them are nasty, hostile, and look at you with a total lack of empathy, like how we would look at a cow. We''re food to them and nothing more. Gabriel never got along with the others and refused to pick up their way of thinking and he''s better off for it. He broke away with his own kind a long time ago, before this whole zombie thing even started."


    "If you don''t mind me asking," Alyssa said, as she saw an opening, "But do you know how old he is?"


    "Gabriel?" Pablo said, teasing her. "He''s pretty old."


    "How old?" Alyssa asked again.


    "We''re talking at least a several hundred years." Pablo answered, "I''ve seen an old picture of him with Abraham Lincoln. So he''s been around for a while but I don''t have the exact number. He''s pretty mum about that one. If you ever find out, please share with the class because I''m rather curious about it myself."


    "Sure," Alyssa said, as she turned away to keep her look out.


    "There''s nothing around." Pablo told her, "Gabriel cleared the undead for at least a few miles in all directions."


    "How does he do that?" Alyssa asked.


    "You haven''t seen him engage them yet," Pablo replied, "Vampires have two things that make them useful to wipe out the undead. First they''re very fast, and move too quickly for the zombies to catch them. Then we come to the claws, as a Vampire''s finger nails can extend into razor sharp weapons that can tear a zombie''s head off in less than a second. I''ve see Gabriel take out as many as two hundred undead in less than a few minutes."


    "Damn," Alyssa said, thinking about it. "That''s how he saves me. He killed all the zombies and then took me out of that mall."


    "Fortunate for you," Pablo said, "I can tell you''re good at killing them. Your town would have lost a good fighter if you had perished."


    "They didn''t care," Alyssa replied, "Especially that horrid mayor."


    "That''s also why I like this plan," Pablo told her, "Not only do we get a good place to take shelter in and contribute, but you''ll have people in town you can trust. Gabe and I will have your back. You don''t have to fear that mayor anymore."


    "I can''t be sure he''ll let you in," Alyssa warned him.


    "I''m sure he will." Pablo disagreed, "I''ve been dealing with men like him all my life. I know how they work and like my favorite movie infamously said; I''m going to make him an offer he can''t refuse."


    "What movie is that from?" Alyssa asked.


    Pablo responded by slumping his shoulders. "I realize the apocalypse is upon us, but you''ve never seen the Godfather?"


    "I''m kidding," Alyssa said, laughing at him. "My Dad loved that movie. I''ve seen in a few times."


    "There''s hope for you yet, Alyssa." Pablo said, "A shame your father is no longer around, I have a feeling I really would have liked him."


    "I''m sure you guys would have been besties," Alyssa agreed, "He was also a very good hunter. He preferred to hunt with a bow though."


    "Truly a loss the world will not recover from soon," Pablo said, sighing.


    "Are we really going to wait here all day?" Alyssa asked.


    "Getting impatient?" Pablo countered.


    "We could try to cover more ground." Alyssa suggested, "And if we come across trouble, we just back away and then wait for Gabe. He''ll know where to find us when he wakes up."


    "That''s true," Pablo concurred, thinking about it.


    "Why does he keep up the facade?" Alyssa started, "He told me back in St. Louis that it was all an act."


    "Because it''s not a facade," Pablo replied, "Vampires may not burn up like a firecracker in the sun, but it definitely weakens them. They find it harder to function by day, unless they''re indoors with all the windows covered. It''s not a brutal as the movies portray, but it''s still very unpleasant."


    "We good to go, Pablo?" She asked.


    "Let me talk to Sean, see what he thinks." Pablo said as he went back into his truck and closed the lid behind him. Moments later he came back out to consult with Alyssa about it.


    "What did he say?" she asked him.


    "He''s game as long as we don''t take any chances." Pablo said, "If we can cover some ground before Gabe wakes up, he can catch up and we might be able to make your town before he needs to rest again."


    "Sounds like a plan," Alyssa said, smiling back at him. She was looking forward to getting back to town, and to her sister.

 17. New Arrivals

    The road was clear and whenever they did bump into a stray undead moseying around, they would take it out with a silenced rifled and carry on. They didn''t attract any attention and kept the trucks in a quieter mode they referred to as silent so the engines wouldn''t attract any undead to come their way. By the time the sun started to go down, the two trucks had covered half the distance before Gabriel caught up. He landed on one of the trucks as Alyssa opened the hatch on top for him.


    "Good morning," she said playfully.


    "I guess you got impatient," Gabriel said, looking around, "You covered a lot of ground. Any troubles?"


    "Hardly," She replied, "Just a few strays we easily picked off from up here. And if we had, we just would have stopped and waited for you."


    "Good to hear," Gabriel said as he sat down and made himself comfortable. "Do you guys have a plan for when we get there?"


    "Pablo and I have been working on it," Alyssa said, "Just let us do the talking and I have a feeling we''ll be just fine. We''ll be there in a few hours too."


    "Sounds good," Gabriel said, "I''m going to fly about and scout ahead. Just to make sure there''s nothing ahead of us."


    "How can you see anything in this darkness?" she asked him.


    "I''m a creature of the night," he reminded her, "To me this setting is as clear as day, and I can also hear very well too. I can hear the moans of the undead ten miles away so they cannot sneak up on us. Right now I hear nothing."


    "That''s a good sign then," Alyssa said, "But it''s a good idea to check anyway."


    "Yes ma''am." Gabriel said as he leaped off the roof of the truck and she watched him fly away before closing the hatch.


    The stayed on the road for several hours and with Gabriel flying ahead there was nothing in their blocking their path the entire way. It was around four in the morning, just a few hours before daybreak when the two medium sized trucks started to see Alyssa''s town in the distance. She couldn''t believe how happy she was to see it. And when the trucks came up to the large gated wall, there were two guards who didn''t notice they had arrived until Pablo honked the horn, which got their attention.


    "Holy crap!" one of them said, as if he had just woken up. "Where the hell did these two things come from?"


    The other guard went on the radio and called for someone to wake up the mayor, and it took Max about ten minutes to run over to the gate, and up the stairs to join the guards. He looked down at the two trucks, and then back at the guard that called him over.


    "Have they said anything yet?" Max asked.


    "Not a peep." the guard replied, "They just honked the horn."


    "Who are you?" Max called out to the two trucks. "Identify yourselves!"


    The hatch of one of the trucks opened up, and to the surprise of the two guards, and especially the mayor, Alyssa popped out with a smile on her face.


    "Hey boys!" she called out, "Did you miss me?"


    "Alyssa?" Max called back, startled. "Whose trucks are these?"


    "They''ll be ours if we negotiate in good faith," Alyssa answered.


    "Negotiate with whom?" Max inquired, eager to know more.


    This was when Pablo also popped out of the same hatch hole, and waved to the mayor. "Good evening, Max. It''s a pleasure to finally meet you. Alyssa has said nothing but nice things about you and your town."


    "Has she," Max said, sounding skeptical. "How do you know Alyssa?"


    "I know her through my son," Pablo replied, "I believe you met Gabriel already."


    "I have," Max confirmed, "But what are you doing here?"


    "We had to desert our home," Pablo explained, "things were getting too hot on the West Coast."


    "Interesting," Max said, thinking about it. "What do you have to trade?"


    "Besides these trucks?" Pablo replied, "We bring twelve new residents, a few of them who are exceptionally talented."


    "What kind of talents?" Max asked.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    "One of them is a doctor," Pablo answered, "A former surgeon and he comes with two of his own nurses."


    "Open the gates and let them in," Max said, as he looked back to Pablo. "Drive these thing over to city hall, Alyssa can lead you there."


    "Will do," Pablo said as he hopped back into the truck.


    After the gates opened, the two armored trucks rolled in and slowly drove up to city hall as requested to. There were some people walking around when the trucks arrived, so a small crowd gathered at city hall. They were all surprised when the side door opened and Alyssa popped out to greet them. Her stepping out first was all the people needed to see, as knew she wouldn''t let them into the town if she didn''t trust them. The mayor motioned everyone to back away as he walked up to Pablo and offered his hand.


    "Pleasure to meet you," Max said, trying to be hospitable.


    "The pleasure is mine," Pablo said, equally diplomatic.


    "Where''s Gabriel?" Max said, looking around.


    "He''s not here." Pablo replied, "He takes off whenever he smells something that might be worth salvaging. It''s his talent."


    "Say no more," Max said, smiling. "I''ve seen the results of his work."


    "Our work isn''t possible on the west coast anymore," Pablo said, aware Max was likely short on data about the news from the west. "Denver was attacked earlier this week, and we could only get a select few out before the city was swarmed with herds of the undead. It''s not pretty out there."


    "Who''s attacking Denver?" Max asked, confused about it.


    "California," Pablo educated him, "They''ve been threatening force for a while over the Colorado water supply. That part of the country is too hot for anyone to do any kind work in the foreseeable future."


    "It''s not like we have enough creatures like the undead out there trying to get us," Max said, sounding pained to hear news of the west coast conflict. "We can''t afford to fight one another."


    "I''m in complete agreement," Pablo concurred, "That''s why we chose to run rather than fight. We have no interest in killing other human beings, especially since there are so few of us left compared to only thirty years ago."


    "So you have a surgeon?" Max then asked, eager to know more about Sean.


    "We do," Pablo confirmed, "He can deliver babies or remove your appendix, and that''s just the tip of the iceberg of what this guy knows. For the last ten years he''s been running a family practice in Denver, which he''d like to reopen here to serve this community, if it''s alright with you of course."


    "Doctors like him are in high demand," Max admitted, "And if he has half the experience you say he does... he''s far more advanced then the doctors we have."


    "He can teach yours," Pablo added, "He''s willing to help your doctors advance, because we can''t have too many good doctors in these troubled times."


    "And what do you want in return?" Max asked, aware they wanted something.


    "A place to call home," Pablo told him, "A roof over our heads, good people to mingle with, and a chance to earn our keep."


    "That''s music to my ears," Max confessed, "We have space, especially in the building that Alyssa and her sister lives in."


    "She told us that," Pablo added, "We''d like to move into that building, to be close to Alyssa."


    "Most people in town don''t like it," Max informed him, "It''s very close to the wall and the undead can be heard from it."


    "It''s nothing new for us," Pablo said, "I don''t even hear the undead anymore. They''re like crickets to me now. And I''ll toss the trucks in too, which could be used for gathering more supplies. Do we have a deal?"


    Pablo extended his hand the mayor, looking the man in the eyes to see how he would respond to be offered such a sweet deal. Based on what Alyssa had already told him about Max, he had a good idea of how the mayor was going to respond. She had already told Pablo that their doctor was not well trained, so the idea of Sean making her a better doctor was beneficial since if things went wrong and they left in the future, they would have better doctor afterwards than they had going in. Yet it was Pablo who had the advantage going on since he had Gabriel, who was the ace up Pablo''s sleeve. The undiscovered vampire was a wildcard that can swing any situation his way, which would explain why Pablo was smiling widely as he offered the mayor his hand.


    "We do have a deal," Max said, reaching out and shaking his hand.


    "Excellent," Pablo said, just as pleased. "We are short on supplies, but we can change that in a jiffy."


    "How do you plan to do that?" Max asked, rather curious.


    "We''ll send Alyssa and Gabriel out to get some," Pablo answered, "You now have the best scavenger in the lands, so make up a new list. Include everything in the last one and we''ll make sure it''s filled in a few days."


    "A few days?" Max repeated, as he was somewhat surprised.


    "We lost our home," Pablo answered, "But we didn''t lose our contacts. We have trade deals with people in various cities up and down the west and east coast. We''ll stick to our contacts in the east for now, the west is just too hot to even venture into."


    "Are you going to share Intel on these contacts?" Max asked.


    "Alyssa already told you," Pablo said, proving how much she told him. "You do not want to know how the sausage is made. Once you know what we know, you''re going to have a lot of sleepless nights. I barely get five a night. You''re the leader, you need a lot more to function and make the tough decisions. Let us take care of the sausage and you take care of this wonderful town."


    Max nodded as he understood. "Fair enough; allow me walk you all over to your new home. I think there are enough vacancies in Alyssa and Diane''s place to take care of everyone in your party."


    "Lead the way," Pablo replied.


    As the group of new people walked with Max towards Alyssa''s building, Gabriel was in the air, watching them walk. He was a few hundred feet up and it was still dark so no one could see him with the naked eye. He was their backup in case things had gone sideways but Alyssa was right: Max''s ambition and greed made Pablo''s offer to rich to turn down. Sean and his family just wanted a safe place, so they were more than happy to accept any deal they could get. Sean would get a much need break from work as whatever medical practice he ran in this small town would be far less busy than the one he was running in Denver. Compared to the number of patients he saw in Denver, Sean was going to see a lot of down time. Once everyone entered the building, Gabriel flew away in the direction of Nashville as he was eager to get back to his own place before daybreak. Little did he know was that someone in town had spotted him, and took note of his direction as he flew away.

 18. The Man with the Plan

    Gabriel got some rest in Nashville, drank up some of Alyssa''s blood from a backup supply and then flew back to her town the next night. He made good time getting back to town and when he landed on the roof, there was three people waiting for him as Sean, Alyssa and Pablo were all there. As he came to a sliding stop, Gabriel was all smiles and surprised to see them all there.


    "Hey guys," Gabriel said, looking back at Alyssa. "And lady."


    "Hello son," Pablo said, laughing. "We need to catch you up on what''s going on here before you get to work."


    "Alright," Gabriel said, "Let''s hear it."


    Pablo went into detail of how their first encounter with Max went, and how he pretty much salivated at the thought of having a surgeon and few nurses added to what was an already weak medical staff. He also informed him about their relation, how Pablo claimed that Gabriel was his son. Despite the fact that Gabe was a lot older than Pablo, he still looked young enough to be his son but he still laughed at it.


    "I know, it''s funny." Pablo agreed, "But this helps our story. I also told the mayor that you work at night and sleep by day. They think it''s suicide to go out there at night with the dead walking around, but I told him you work better at night. He seemed to buy it, and as long as we keep delivering the goods he won''t question it. He doesn''t seem like the kind of man to look a gift horse in the mouth."


    "What does that mean?" Alyssa asked, "I never really got that reference."


    "It''s a very old saying," Gabriel said, as he was technically the oldest one there. "In the past the best way to check a horse''s health was to look at their teeth. So if someone gave you a horse and you checked its teeth too soon, it was considered offensive because you looked ungrateful."


    "Oh," Alyssa replied, "I can''t believe it actually had something to do with an actual horse."


    "Getting back on track," Pablo interrupted, "The mayor seemed to welcome us with open arms, but Alyssa is right about him. The guy acts like a used car dealer, and I can''t trust the bastard any further than I can throw him. What I can trust is his need for supplies so a long as we show results, his ambition and ego will keep him in check."


    "For now," Gabriel said, "If he starts to piss me off, I can always take him out."


    "Try to be careful," Sean said, finally stepping in. "My wife and the kids really like this place. I can see ourselves going long term here. Try to not ruin it as we''d hate to move again so soon after what happened in Denver."


    "We''ll try," Gabriel said, "But I''m going to start doing some renovations at my place in Nashville. Not idea considering how infested it is, but it''s better than nothing. Pablo can look for some other alternatives if we need them, but I agree with you. We''ll move mountains to make it work here. I don''t see the Californians going this east. They''ll have to go through New Lycan to get anywhere near here, and I have a feeling they wouldn''t get a warm welcome there."


    "That''s putting it mildly," Pablo replied, "The wolves won''t kill anyone, they''ll just turn everyone into them. The wolf population could double overnight."


    "That''s a scary thought." Sean said, thinking about it.


    "It won''t come to that," Gabriel rebutted, "The Vampires will step in long before that happens. A population explosion in New Lycan is not something anyone wants to see happen, so I doubt the council will allow it."


    "I''m sorry," Alyssa said, as she heard something new. "The council?"


    "Not now," Pablo said, as he heard it too. "We''ll let you in on it later, but for now the less you know the less you''ll be distracted from your objective."


    "To be continued?" Alyssa asked.


    "Yes," Gabriel agreed, "We''ll fill you in later, but not now."


    "Speaking of the Lycans," Pablo said, smiling back at his son. "Here''s a list of items the town needs. Fly Alyssa to New Lycan and stay over again. Make it look like you''re making an effort and just kick back and relax. Have a meal at the pub, on me this time."


    "Sound great," Alyssa said, "I want to go shopping."


    Pablo couldn''t help but laugh at that.


    "Here''s my list," Sean said, handing his own paper over, "Just a few things to help the family settle in."


    "I only have two arms," Gabriel reminded them.


    "You''ll be fine." Pablo said, slapping his shoulder. "Take the sack with you."The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I hate that thing," Gabriel said, "And I gotta carry her too!"


    "Don''t me a whiner." Pablo said, "Most of the stuff is small. This is also a fact finding mission. I want you guys to mingle with the wolves and find out what they know about California and Denver. Talk to your contacts as well as the common folk. Find out what they know and bring it back to me."


    "Not a bad idea," Gabriel said, thinking about it. "That''s worth carrying the sack for. Shall I speak to Cornelius as well?"


    "Don''t even joke about that," Pablo answered, sighing deeply. "Chances are that arrogant bugger is still in Europe. Speak to the other Vampires if you can, see if they''ve heard anything from the council."


    "I''ll inquire," Gabriel confirmed, "But make no promises."


    "Get going," Pablo said, "Do you need something for the road?"


    "No," Gabriel replied, "I''m good for now. I''ll get something in the city."


    Gabriel grabbed Alyssa and took off back into the darkness in the sky that he came from and flew away. Sean and Pablo watched them disappear and then looked back at one another.


    "Are you sure we should consult the vampires at all?" Sean asked, looking rather nervous. "I don''t like the idea of Alyssa being around him."


    "Nothing will happen," Pablo reassured him, "Those vampires knows better than to cross Gabriel."


    "I hope you''re right," Sean said, "Cause I have a feeling he likes her."


    "He does," Pablo confirmed, "I haven''t seen him look at someone like that in a very, very long time."


    Gabriel had no problem flying back out to New Lycan, and since the skies were clear, he was able to notice that there was only a half moon, which mean security wasn''t going to be a hassle either. He flew back to the same building that they had resided in before, and landed on the roof again. The same security guards that had greeted them before came back out to see them again. Gabriel handed both his and Alyssa''s card to the guard, and waited as he inspected them.


    "Welcome back," the guard said, saluting him after giving the cards back.


    "How many days till the full moon?" Gabriel asked.


    "You''ll be fine," The other guard replied, "We''re only half way through the cycle, so you''ve got more than two weeks."


    "We''re only going to be here for two days, three tops." Gabriel informed them.


    "There are many vacancies," the guard informed him.


    "How many Vampires are here?" Gabriel asked.


    "Two," the guard informed him.


    "Book my room on whatever floor they''re not on." Gabriel requested, "Also, is one of them named Cornelius?"


    "No sir," the first guard replied, "Your brother is not here."


    "He hasn''t been here in years actually." The second guard added.


    "I know," Gabriel noted, "He used to like visiting here."


    "He''s used to be a regular." The first guard confirmed.


    "Thank you for your help," Gabriel said as he took Alyssa''s hand. "We''re going to get dinner and then do some shopping. Please have our room ready for us when we return."


    "The front desk has already been notified." The guard confirmed.


    After that Gabriel and Alyssa entered the elevator and went back down to the main lobby to exit into the streets.


    "Can''t we just fly to the mall or pub?" Alyssa asked.


    "Not ideal." Gabriel answered, "Remember how that kid freaked out when we had our encounter at the super store?"


    "I get it," Alyssa said, thinking about it. "Don''t draw attention."


    "Precisely." Gabriel confirmed.


    "Also," Alyssa started, "Cornelius is your brother?"


    "I didn''t mention that?" Gabriel said, smiling back at her.


    "How does a Vampire have a brother?" Alyssa inquired.


    "You see," Gabriel started, his tone thick with sarcasm, "When a mommy and daddy vampire love each other very much..."


    Alyssa punched Gabriel''s shoulder playfully, "Okay, so you''re actually brothers. Is that normal?"


    "No, it''s not." Gabriel said, "Natural breeding is very rare, because vampires who are naturally born have more powers than vampires those who are turned. We all have blazing speed and super strength along with our claws. Yet the natural born ones can do a lot more than the average vamp."


    "Like the ability to fly?" Alyssa suggested.


    "That''s right," Gabriel replied, "Flying is something that usually only natural vampires can do. Now I''ve seen some turned Vamps develop the ability, but it only seemed to happen if they live to a very old age. Pure vampires get a lot of power a lot faster in life. I was flying before I turned twelve, while Cornelius happens to be unnaturally powerful. He has the strength of twenty regular vampires. He also flies twice as fast as I can. He can cross an ocean in less than two hours. It''s obscene."


    "Wow," Alyssa said, thinking about it. "That''s faster than the concord!"


    "He reminded me every time I saw him," Gabriel said, chuckling.


    "So who''s the oldest?" She asked him, as they continued to walk.


    "He is," Gabriel confirmed, "But only by a few hundred years."


    "Are we hitting the superstore first?" Alyssa asked, no longer interested in his older brother.


    "No," Gabriel told her, "Since we''re getting something to eat first, I think it would be best to hit a shopping center for medical supplies. I know someone there that owes me a few favors. That will take care of your mayor''s medical needs."


    "Are there any other stores in there besides this pharmacy?" Alyssa asked.


    "A few," Gabriel confirmed, "We can hit a some of those tonight, and then we''ll do the superstore tomorrow."


    "Sounds good to me," Alyssa said, hooking her arm into his as they walked.


    Gabriel led the way to the pub to buy her something to eat, but as they walked there he used the shop windows to look behind him as they passed. It allowed him to notice the person that was following them. Since the person was not staying too close, he chose to leave the person be, unwilling to make a scene in front of Alyssa. He also had no idea what kind of being that person was, and until he knew Gabriel was unwilling to confront anyone. Since he wasn''t doing anything illegal with Alyssa, Gabe chose to let the tail watch them do nothing significant that night, especially since he planned to take Alyssa to ever shop they had. While he''d be bored to tears, so would the person following him. As his brother would always tell him, misery loves company.

 19. News Spreads Fast

    When they arrived, the shopping center Gabriel was taking her too looked like something Alyssa saw in books referred to as a mall. There were so many shops, but Gabriel insisted that they do his store first. He told her it would take the person at the pharmacy a while to fill out their order, and that time would be used to let her shop for things for herself and Diane. As they walked up to the window, the man who was in the white coat almost shit himself when he saw Gabriel.


    "Gabriel?" the man said, as his voice so low he was whispering.


    "Franklin," Gabriel said, as he handed him a note. "I have an order for you. I don''t care what the cost is. Put it on my tab and even tip yourself well."


    "You don''t need this," the pharmacist said, looking as the order.


    "It''s not for me," Gabriel said, gesturing to Alyssa who was looking at something in another part of the store. "It''s for her."


    "Oh," Franklin said, sighing. "That makes sense."


    "Franklin," Gabriel said, as he was sensing something. "What''s wrong?"


    "Where is she from?" the man asked.


    "A small town south of here," Gabriel answered, "Why do you ask?"


    "I thought she might be from Denver," Franklin said, looking nervous.


    Gabriel reached over the desk and grabbed Franklin by the coat and pulled him closer. "What the hell do you know about Denver?"


    "The whole city knows about Denver," Franklin told him. "Every wolf found out a few nights ago. The high priest even had to release a statement to settle everyone down. The town was buzzing so much you would have thought the full moon was near."


    "Why did you ask if she was from Denver?" Gabriel inquired, giving the man a look that told him not to screw around.


    "Some people escaped," the man explained, "And rumor was a vampire helped them out. Your building was on lock down last night. Only access was through the roof if someone wanted to show up."


    "How do they know a vampire helped them escape?" Gabriel asked.


    "The roadblock," Franklin replied, "They were supposed to check in every five minutes, and only a vampire can move that fast."


    "Don''t sell yourselves short," Gabriel countered. "A pack can move that fast too."


    "That''s right, we could." Franklin replied, "But we don''t change when then moon isn''t full. That''s blasphemy unless the high priest allows it."


    "Good point," Gabriel said, relaxing. "I''m not here to cause trouble, and you know I pay well. How soon can you get this order filled?"


    Franklin looked at the list. "Give me a few hours."


    "I''ll check back in three." Gabriel said, "Don''t close until you''re finished."


    "We don''t close," Franklin corrected him.


    "Oh, good to know." Gabriel said, as he started to walk away. He waved over to Alyssa to get her attention.


    "What''s up?" Alyssa asked.


    "We''ve got a couple of hours to kill," Gabriel called back, "So let''s hit a few shops and buy something nice."


    They browsed a few stores, but there was one above the others that Alyssa couldn''t help but bolt into the moment she saw it. Gabriel didn''t know what was so exciting about this particular shop, as it looked no different than the rest of them. Yet she looked back at him with an excited look on her face as she looked at this specific product, and he found it interesting.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "It''s just a dress," Gabriel said, sounding insensitive. "I''ve seen women over the ages go nuts for a dress, but never so excitedly as you are."


    "I''m sorry," Alyssa said, looking back.


    "You don''t have to apologize," he corrected her. "I find your excitement inspiring. It''s something I haven''t seen in a very, very long time. I''m unsure why but I''m enjoying it too. It was not my intent to demean your enthusiasm."


    "I''ve never owned a dress," Alyssa told him, "I mean we make dresses at the town, but nothing near this quality. I''ve never even seen something so beautiful that I could wear before."


    "That makes sense," Gabriel said, as he understood. Alyssa was born during the zombie apocalypse and good fashion took a backseat at least half a decade before she was even born. He hadn''t shopped for dresses in over a century, and the feeling was foreign to him again. It was not something he wanted to forget but just did while trying to keep everyone alive, even himself.


    "So let''s buy one then," Gabriel told her. "Just one as I can''t carry a whole wardrobe back with me. Well, I could but there would be too many questions."


    "Are you sure?" Alyssa asked, feeling bad about it. "They''re all so expensive."


    "I can afford it," Gabriel assured her, "Trust me. I''ve got a lot stashed away from the work I''ve been doing. So don''t worry about it; we have plenty of time so there''s no need to rush either."


    "Okay," Alyssa said, as a wide grin formed on her cute face. She jogged off to the sales person so she could ask questions. Gabriel had a smile on his face, as he played the boyfriend role that Pablo had set him up for. He remembered what it was like to watch as a lady went shopping with his money, and a part of him missed that as he thought back about those days long past. Even in the undead apocalypse, it was fun to see that materialism hadn''t completed died. It was back from the dead just like the zombies that plagued the Earth.


    She had retreated to the change room to try some of the dresses on, and Gabriel found a seat and waited patiently as she took her time trying them out. Moments later when she found something that she liked, Alyssa emerged from the change room wearing her preferred dress to see what everyone waiting for her thought about it. When she emerged from the room, Alyssa was wearing a red dress that showed her bare shoulders and looked more like a cocktail dress out of a romance movie than a ball gown. The way her hair fell down around her neck made Alyssa look stunning, and it was the first time Gabriel looked at her with the eyes of a man rather than a creature that needed her to feed. It had been a long time since he felt that was just looking at someone and the dress really brought it out of him too. He was used to seeing Alyssa wear something so elegant, so it was hard for him to picture or think of her that way. The elegant dress what changing that for him, to the point where it felt like Gabriel''s jaw was on the floor.


    "So you like it?" Alyssa asked, noticing the look on his face.


    "It''s stunning." Gabriel honestly answered, "I haven''t seen work that magnificent in a very long time."


    "I agree," the sales woman said, trying to use his face to sell it. "Do you like it too, dear?"


    "I do, but it''s expensive." Alyssa said, as she noticed the price tag on it. She could buy a ton of food for the town with the money this dress demanded. She felt back even thinking about taking it.


    "I don''t care," Gabriel said, standing up to look at it from another angle.


    The more he examined the dress, the more he liked it. Especially with how it made the person wearing it too, something he didn''t anticipate.


    "We''ll take it," He told the sales lady.


    "We will?" Alyssa repeated.


    "Yes," Gabriel said, smiling. "Change back into your clothes and we''ll pack it up in a nice box for purchase."


    "Alright," Alyssa said, looking surprised. "Thank you!"


    "You''re very welcome," Gabriel said, as he was pleased as well. "Don''t take too long and we''ll try to find some shoes that match."


    "There''s a nice shop down the hall to your left." The sales lady replied, "They have a lot of nice stuff that nicely compliment our dresses. If it''s for an important event, a match purse might be quite appropriate as well."


    "Duly noted," Gabriel replied, amused that sales-people were still as annoying as they were before the end of the world.


    After they purchased the dress, Gabriel noticed there was a skip in her step as Alyssa walked away from the shop. He didn''t say anything and preferred to pretend he didn''t see it while secretly enjoying it. His amusement was short lived as something caught his attention as they were strolling around the small mall. Several men dressed in the same body armor as the guards at the Vampire building were walking through the hallways, and a man in a suit was leading them. It took a few seconds to realize that the man was walking towards them.


    "Alyssa, we need to stop." Gabriel said.


    "What''s wrong?" Alyssa asked as she stopped and turned around. When she saw the armored troops walking over she slowly got behind Gabriel as she didn''t like the look of them marching over.


    "Mr. Vladimirescu," the man in the suit called out to Gabriel.


    "Gabriel will suffice," he corrected the man, "Can I help you?"


    "We need to speak to you and the human," the man in the suit replied, "We have some pressing questions that cannot wait. The authority of New Lycan wishes to question you both regarding urgent matters."


    "Of course," Gabriel said, taking Alyssa''s hand. "We will cooperate."


    "Thank you, Sir." The man in the suit replied, "Come this way."

 20. Interrogation

    While Gabriel preferred both he and Alyssa be seated in the same room for interrogation, he knew better than to make demands of Lycans. They were very proud creatures and didn''t like to be told what to do, especially by other creatures that were assumed to think themselves better than them. Gabriel knew Alyssa would be alright anyway, confident she wouldn''t say a thing that would put him in an awkward position. She was tough and the wolves wouldn''t be too rough with her, not unless then wanted to answer to him later. Gabriel instead chose to sit there in silence and at least give the wolves a chance to control the conversation, at least from the beginning. The guards the escorted him there stood at the door and waited while Gabriel sat in the room at a table that had two chairs. Very clich¨¦, he thought, but the clich¨¦ was new again since television had been off the air for over fifty years. He sat there and waited, wondering if this was a tactic they had been trying to use on him as well. Gabriel soon go this answer when the door flung open and a man wearing a suit walked in. It was the exact same man that had met up with him and Alyssa in the shopping center and interrupted them. Gabriel didn''t even shift in his seat and watched as the man in the suit walked in and sat down in the seat across from him.


    "Gabriel," The man started.


    "Mystery Man," Gabriel replied, trying to be funny with his first response.


    "I have a name," the man aggressively retorted.


    "Then I suggest you share with the rest of the class," Gabriel continued, "Unless you want me to keep making them up as we go."


    "You can call me Clive," the man informed him, as he shifted in his seat a bit.


    "Well Clive," Gabriel said, not caring if the name was fake or not, "Maybe you can tell me what has gotten everyone so nervous around here?"


    "We''ve been getting reports from the west coast since hostilities began," Clive said, not breaking eye contact to see Gabriel''s response. "New Lycan has chosen to remain neutral while the west fights it out for whatever the hell they''re fighting over."


    "Water, oil, land," Gabriel guessed, "Some things will never change."


    "Regardless," Clive said, as he obviously didn''t give a shit. "We got reports that a lookout was attacked by something that was supernatural. Since it wasn''t us, we suspected that the only thing just as fast that could have done it was a Vampire. That suspicion was confirmed when we realized that one of the soldiers had been drained. Since you''re one of only four Vampires living in this area, it makes you one of our top suspects."


    "You''re only tracking four of us?" Gabriel said, smiling back at Clive.


    "I know you fly in that direction often," Clive noted, "We have scouts that spotted someone fitting your description going there a few times in the last several months. Do you deny being out there?"


    "I do not," Gabriel answered, "I have friends over there that I met when I used to work as a private messenger. I like to visit them and make sure they and their families are doing alright. Last time I checked it''s not a crime to fly out to visit a friend on the coast."


    "It is a crime to murder someone." Clive replied.


    "Someone should take that up with California," Gabriel retorted, "Because they murdered a lot of people a few nights ago."


    "So you were there?" Clive asked.


    "Yes, I was." Gabriel answered, "I watched those punks from the coast knock down Denver''s walls and then let the undead do their dirty work for them. It was quite an act of cowardice if you ask me."


    "What about the girl," Clive continued, "Is she from Denver?"


    "She is not," Gabriel denied. "She resides in a small village south of here. I found her being attacked by the undead and rescued her. We''ve been friends ever since."


    "Vampires don''t have friends!" Clive corrected him.


    "I have a lot of friends," Gabriel replied, "I''m a very social kind of Vampire, like the ones you read in books."


    "So that''s your game," Clive said, figuring things out. "You cut deals with humans so you can feed without risking infection. It''s quite clever."You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "The humans I work with are better off as well," Gabriel added, "I like to think the deals as you call them are beneficial for all involved."


    "Alright," Clive said as he stood up, "I''m not judging. We''ve all done questionable things to get by in this new world."


    "Says the man that eats the undead for breakfast." Gabriel shot back.


    "Now who''s judging?" Clive asked as he turned his back on Gabriel. "Let''s get back on topic. I assume you had this deal with someone that lived in Denver?"


    "I had an arrangement, yes." Gabriel answered. It wasn''t true, but it seemed like the best way to go. Using his momentum and just agreeing with stuff that was more convenient made him look more honest than he was being.


    "So that''s why you were there?" Clive inquired.


    "We keep in contact and we lost contact," Gabriel answered, "I knew tensions were high so after several days without hearing anything, I flew over there to check up on them. They were in trouble so I evacuated them out of the city."


    "Is that why you attacked the convoy?" Clive asked.


    "Yes," Gabriel replied, "They were blocking our escape. The last time I checked my friends and I have a right to defend ourselves. They were being the aggressors. If they didn''t want to die, they should have stayed in California."


    "So you admit to killing them all?" Clive asked.


    "I admit to defending my friends," Gabriel corrected, "As someone who is old enough to remember the old wars, the rules go out the window when the shit is hitting the fan. Compared to the genocide that California committed, what I did pales in comparison. Are you worried that they think you did it?"


    "Some of us are," Clive confessed, "Mostly because California is in the dark about most of us living out here. We preferred to keep it that way."


    "They''re going to find out eventually," Gabriel said, "Wouldn''t you prefer to do it now when you can control the narrative rather than when California tries to march on what they think is St. Louis?"


    "Do you really think that will happen?" Clive countered.


    "Honesty? No, I don''t." Gabriel answered, "Denver was about water and electricity. They have no reason to keep moving forward. They don''t have the numbers or the equipment to move east and I doubt they''d want to if they knew who was really inhabiting some of the cities now. There''s no need to hide what you are, the truth will keep them in check."


    "That''s not my decision to make," Clive said as he sat back down. "But it''s something that''s being considered."


    "Like I said, you might want to move fast." Gabriel repeated, "Unless you want their first contact to be with say... New Salem?"


    "That''s not funny," Clive hissed back at Gabriel, "Don''t even joke about those despicable hags. Besides, they''re not the kind to reach out and open lines of communication."


    "How the hell would you know?" Gabriel asked, "When was the last time you talked to a witch?


    "I haven''t," Clive answered, "And New Lycan hasn''t had any talks with the witched in over twenty years. We prefer to keep our distance."


    "I''m well aware of that," Gabriel replied, "I''m not fond of them either."


    "Something we agree on," Clive said, smirking. "We''re making progress."


    "Well, I''m happy for you." Gabriel said, standing up. "But I''m kinda finished here. I have business that I need to finish before heading back."


    "Back where?" Clive asked, curious about it.


    "I have a place in what used to be Nashville." Gabriel answered, "But I''ll drop the lady off in her town before I fly back there."


    "I see," Clive said, thinking about it. "I''d like to let you go, but we''ve been asked to hold onto you until..."


    "Until what?" Gabriel asked, his patience wearing thin.


    "Someone wants to speak to you," Clive replied, "And I''m sure he''s not fond of your actions in Colorado anymore than we are."


    "I don''t care," Gabriel chided back, "I don''t answer to anyone."


    "That appears to be the problem," A voice called out as the door opened.


    Gabriel turned around and couldn''t believe who was standing there. He cleared his voice and stood up straight. "Cornelius."


    "Hello brother," the big vampire replied as he strolled into the room. All the wolves in the room backed away as Gabriel''s older brother intimidated them all. Until he entered the room, Clive was the tallest man there, but he dwarfed even that Lycan by at least a foot. "You''ve been very busy around here."


    "So I''ve been told," Gabriel said, as he wasn''t standing down like the rest of the Lycans in the room. He had seen this act before and knew better, especially since he''d been watching Cornelius do this for hundreds of years.


    Cornelius was like a peacock strutting feathers, but it was very effective. His broad shoulders and thick neck scared the crap out of everyone. He was also well known around the world as the most powerful vampire on the planet, and the fact he was there in New Lycan wasn''t a good sign. Cornelius would only leave Europe for one reason: to serve the will of the Transylvanian council. The likely sent him there to deal with Gabriel, which was a good choice since Cornelius had a knack for getting on his nerves.


    "Not here to visit I assume?" Gabriel asked.


    "Correct," Cornelius replied, "The council is not happy."


    "They never are." Gabriel added, "So why bother trying to please them?"


    "You''re not required to please them," His brother corrected, "But I would recommend not pissing them off."


    "I don''t answer to the council," Gabriel repeated. "I stopped associating with them a very long time ago."


    "I remember," Cornelius concurred, "But this incident in Denver has caused problems, and you''ll have to answer for it."

 21. Cornelius

    The two vampires stood there in the middle of the room, staring at one another. There was a long and rather uncomfortable silence that even made the wolves in the room slightly uneasy. Gabriel on the other hand had been staring down his brother for thousands of years and had never backed down from him during that time. He''s likely the only person to stand up this defiantly to Cornelius and lived to talk about it. That had given Gabriel a reputation of his own, one that he didn''t really care for since most of his rep was based on his brother''s status as well. It was one of the many reasons Gabriel had left Europe and the jurisdiction of the council to seek out a life of his own, far away from his own species. Cornelius was looking rather casual about it, which was surprising considering the serious matter at hand. He cracked his knuckles while looking back at his younger brother.


    "It feels like it''s been a few decades," he told Gabriel.


    "That''s because it''s been few decades," Gabriel confirmed, "Time flies when you''re doing the council''s dirty work and being their garbage man."


    The other wolves stood there in silence, some with gaped jaws at what they were hearing as both men stood off with one another. Cornelius turned to face Clive when that moment passed.


    "Leave us," He barked, as it clearly wasn''t a request.


    Once the wolves were out of the room, Cornelius walked over to the table and took a seat. Gabriel remained standing as he knew the lecture that was coming his way. He had heard it often since he moved to the Americas many centuries ago.


    "I have the right to exist," Gabriel started, "And so does the people who are my friends. I would wipe out of all of California to protect them."


    "Well, at least you don''t deny it." His brother replied, "Not like that mattered, as we already verified where every other Vampire in the country was when this incident occurred."


    "How did you know it was a Vampire?" Gabriel asked, and then he figured it out himself, "It was the one I nearly drained, wasn''t it?"


    "It was," Cornelius confirmed, "You nearly sucked her dry. Did you experience the rage after you did it?"


    "Only briefly," Gabriel said, "It passed almost as quickly as it started."


    "Thankfully no one was alive to see it." His brother added, "You need to be more careful if you want to stay out here in this wasteland."


    "It wasn''t a wasteland when I got here," Gabriel countered, "It was a nice place and it could be again."


    "I actually prefer it this way," Cornelius said, "I like that we are free to be so open and proud of what we are here."


    "If clean food wasn''t so hard to find, I might agree with you." Gabriel replied.


    "I think you''ve done well with that," his brother disagreed, "Is that why you did it? They''re your clean supply?"


    "Pretty much," Gabriel lied, "I thought they were safe in Denver, but I was clearly wrong. The Charter says anyone I feed on is my property. Those fools tried to kill them. I was within my rights."This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Yes, you are." Cornelius confirmed, "I just wish you didn''t drain one of them. We could have denied it and even pinned it on something else.


    "My apologies," Gabriel finally said, turning his back. "I got caught up in the moment. It hasn''t been easy out here."


    "You can always come home," Cornelius offered, "We don''t have this problem back home. You don''t have to keep this struggle up if you don''t want to."


    "Didn''t you just say you liked it here?" Gabriel countered.


    "I don''t like the undead," Cornelius replied, "We''re working on that."


    "Are you now?" Gabriel said, curious about that statement. "How so?"


    "That''s not your business." His brother answered. "And don''t bother trying to talk me into telling you any of it. The council is keeping this one close to their chests. I know very little myself and yet they send me here to gather Intel."


    "That''s unlike them," Gabriel noted, "They like to be in the spotlight, not dashing in the shadows. Why the secrecy?"


    "Fear of failure, I suppose." Cornelius guessed, "Not wanting to get hopes up only to fall flat on their faces and let the world down."


    "Since when did the council care about the world?" Gabriel asked.


    "Since it started to end," Cornelius answered, "It takes an apocalypse for even the most stubborn monsters to realize we all share this world together. That the demise of one species can affect the others, and even wipe them out as well."


    "No humans," Gabriel surmised, "Means no food."


    "Precisely," his brother concurred, "This is our problem now as much as it is theirs, and so we must also act."


    "So what do you want of me?" Gabriel asked, "I know you... you''re here to ask me for something."


    "You have a good rapport with the humans," his brother started, "I was wondering if you could use your contacts to gather information for the council."


    "What kind of information?" Gabriel asked.


    "Intel on the undead," Cornelius replied, "Especially from those who remember when it all started. I have lists of queries you can take with you."


    "I know a few humans that can help," Gabriel added, "One of them can talk people into sharing anything, he''d remind you of Horace."


    "I miss Horace," Cornelius recalled, "And he''ll help us?"


    "I saved him and his friends from Denver so he owes me," Gabriel said, "but what am I going to get out of it?"


    "We''ll inform the Californians that the matter is closed," Cornelius answered, "Since they never bothered to inform us of their attack on Denver, we cannot control assets that might respond. This is as much their fault as it is yours."


    "Seems fair for now," Gabriel said, "I''ll see what my people can do, maybe even try to reach out to older friends in other cities on the east coast."


    "I appreciate your efforts," his brother added, as he stood to hand Gabriel a document with the questions they want asked. "As does that council."


    "I''m not doing this out of the goodness of my cold heart," Gabriel informed his brother as he took the document from him, "My friend and I are leaving and heading back to her town. I want assurances from you and the council that her small part of the world will be protected from threats that you can control, like those crazy pricks from California."


    "If your sources reside in this town, they will have it." His brother conceded.


    "Then we''re done here," Gabriel said, "See you in a few decades."


    Gabriel didn''t even need to ask for directions as he could subtly feel what room Alyssa was being held in. As he pushed the door open, Alyssa couldn''t help but smile as the guard watching her was less than impressed with the intrusion.


    "What are you doing here?" the Lycan asked.


    "We''re leaving," Gabriel said, "If you have an issue with it, take it up with my brother. He''s brooding just down the hall."


    The Lycan gave no further protest as Gabriel took Alyssa''s hand and led her out of the room. They would head back to the pharmacy in the mall like outlet to grab the medical supplies before leaving early to head back for her small town... completely unaware of the chaos that waited for them when they returned.

 22. Fires to Put Out

    While the chaos couldn''t be seen in the distance, one of the buildings in the middle of Alyssa''s town was on fire and that could be noticed from miles away. She had a look of shock on her face as they both flew closer to her town to access the damage. There appeared to be a hole in the wall, and the undead were using it for access. That meant the town was likely on lock down, meaning no one in or out of the buildings till the dead was cleared up and the wall repaired. They were prepared for such an incident, with each building supplied to take a siege for at least a week.


    "What is going on?" Alyssa asked as they got closer.


    "I''m not sure," Gabriel answered, "But that fire can be seen for miles, and that will summon more of the dead to walk over. They need to be put out, and quickly."


    "Let''s find Diane first and make sure she''s alright." Alyssa ordered.


    Gabriel flew her back to the roof of her building, and to her relief both Diane and Pablo were there with a few others, all waiting for them.


    "Your timing is impeccable." Pablo said, "We appear to be under attack."


    "I had no idea what was going on," Gabriel confessed, "But the fire can be seen for miles away. It''s going to attract a lot of unwanted attention."


    "How did this start?" Alyssa asked.


    "There was an explosion that took out the wall and another that lit the building, likely to attract the dead." Pablo said, "These are the cheap, cowardly acts I''d expect from a Californian."


    "Let''s not jump to conclusions." Gabriel said as he set the supplies aside. He leaned over and looked off the roof at what was going on below. Only the undead walking the streets, and no signs of any fresh dead as everyone probably managed to barricade themselves in before things really god bad.


    Pablo tossed Gabriel a bandana. "Here, get started. I''ll continue to pick them off on the other side of the wall with my rifle to keep them from spilling in."


    "What''s that for?" Alyssa asked.


    "To keep my face covered," Gabriel said as he used it cover the bottom of his face up, like a western bandit. "It also keeps my fangs hidden."


    "Oh," Alyssa replied, "Good point."


    Gabriel turned to face one of the troopers that came with them from Denver.


    "I''m going to drop you off by the truck," he informed the big man, "When I start clearing them from the wall, park the truck by the hole."


    "A temporary patch?" Pablo asked.


    "It will do for now," Gabriel concurred, "and once the grounds are clear, we''ll get some sheet metals, fix the wall and get things back to normal."


    Before anyone could respond, Gabriel zipped off the roof and to the ground, and all anyone from the roof could see after that was a blur zipping back and forth as various undead creatures started to drop like flies. Once things started to seriously thin down, Sean''s driver from the second truck used the fire escape to slowly get to the truck that was parked just underneath it. Sean and his crew had left it there so they could make an escape if the situation ever called for it. The driver stood on the stairs and waited for the undead around the truck to be cleared before jumping down onto the roof and then into the vehicle. He started the truck up and rolled it slowly to the spot where the wall was breached. It wasn''t a very big hole, but it was enough to let the dead in and the fire was attracting them in droves. As the truck was slowly pulling up, the dead walking around were dropping like flies, as Gabriel cut them down with great speed and extreme prejudice. He cleared the path for the truck to park in front off the breach, and it was big enough to block the hole off and stop the dead from coming in. Gabriel stopped to take a look at their patch.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    "That looks solid," Gabriel said, inspecting it. "That will hold them off till we can clear them and fix it."


    "What do we do now?" The driver asked.


    "I''m going to clear the rest," Gabriel said, looking around. "You collect as many fire extinguishers as you can find and I''ll deal with the fire next."


    "On it," The driver said as he hopped out and started to run to look for the extinguishers needed.


    Gabriel had no problem cutting the rest of the undead down, and when he was finished, Sean''s friend had collected half a dozen red containers.


    "That will do," Gabriel said, grabbing one. "Watch them, and I''ll be right back."


    "Affirmative," the driver replied.


    Gabriel ran quickly in to the building and used his speed to put out the fire as fast as he could, even his fast motions help blow some of the fires out as he was moving with great speed. Just as he was clearing the flames in the hallway of the second floor, Gabriel stopped as he heard something. A beeping sound, and the old vampire knew exactly what it was. He bolted to the source of the sound, which was another bomb, and moving at a very quick pace Gabriel had little trouble disarming it before it could go off. He heard other beeps and quickly disarmed those devices before they had a chance to cause the town more damage. Gabriel didn''t finish putting out the first but instead ran out of the building where Sean''s friend was watching over the other extinguishers.


    "What''s wrong?" the man asked.


    "I got most of it," Gabriel told him, "Get in there and take care of the rest of it. I''ve got bigger fish to fry."


    Before the man could ask for details, Gabriel bolted off and into the air, using his ears again to look for a beeping sound but this time he was looking for the bomb, but instead the device used to trigger them. There was a pickup truck less than a few miles away from the town, and two people in the back watching the town from a distance. Before they knew what happened, Gabriel grabbed the bigger man and dragged him off the truck and onto the ground. He had fangs and claws bared, when he heard the other person from the truck call out.


    "Don''t hurt my daddy!"


    Gabriel turned to see the smaller person in the truck was a child, no more than eight years old. The vampire recognized the kid too, as he had seen him before in New Lycan. That mean the man on the ground was...


    "Frank, I assume?" Gabriel said, looking back down at him. "What are you doing here and what is the meaning of this attack?"


    "I don''t have to answer to you, Vampire!" Frank sniped back, defiantly.


    "No you don''t," Gabriel confirmed, "But I already disarmed the rest of your bombs. Whatever this is, it''s over."


    "What are you working with these fools?" Frank asked, "They''re just taking up space."


    "I could say the same for you and the rest of New Lycan," Gabriel countered, "But let me make one thing clear, this town is under my protection. I will fight every one of you damn wolves to protect if it I have to, though I assume my brother might step in before that."


    "I''m not afraid of him," Frank replied, "Or you."


    "You should be," Gabriel said as he turned to the kid. "Can you drive?"


    "Yeah," The kid replied, "Dad taught me."


    "Good," Gabriel said as he drove his foot into Franks leg so hard that he broke it badly. Frank roared in pain as he wasn''t going to be walking for a very long time, if ever the same again.


    "Son of a bitch!" Frank screamed in terrible agony.


    "Next time I take your head," Gabriel informed him, "Right after I take his."


    Frank understood the message as it was loud and clear. He would not hesitate to kill the kid if he crossed the Vampire again.


    "Your first and only warning," Gabriel chided, "Now get out of here."


    Before Frank could respond, Gabriel zipped around and stole every device he suspected could have been the detonator. He also took their rifles, giving them even more incentive to take off and head home. Gabriel went back to town and leaped onto the roof without being noticed. Pablo, Alyssa and Sean''s family were still on the roof watching over what was going on. Once Gabriel landed on the roof, he walked over and handed the devices and rifles to Pablo.


    "Where did these come from?" Pablo asked.


    "I''ll explain later," Gabriel said, turning to Alyssa. "Is everyone alright?"


    "It seems so," Alyssa said, happy to see him back.


    Gabriel was about to say something else, but something had caught his attention. Sitting down in the middle of the other kids Sean had brought to the roof, was Diane. She had seen everything.


    "Oh crap," Gabriel said, knowing what he had just done.

 23. We Need To Talk

    It took the night to clear away the undead and secure the town, but when it was all said and done, the mayor closed the school and told everyone to take a day off. It was to give them all a chance to recover from the events of the previous night. Everyone was ordered to stay home, while guards and public officials did sweeps all day looking for undead stragglers that might have been missed. Alyssa had a problem of her own as Diane locked herself away in her bedroom and didn''t come out the entire day, even refusing to come out to eat. She was beginning to worry about her sister, who hadn''t said a word to anyone since the chaos, and watching Gabriel fly all over the place and do his Vampire thing to save the town. It was enough to make her cry because she didn''t want to burden Diane with this secret, not something this dark, this gruesome. She knew Diane had to know eventually, but not this way. She was thinking about trying again when there was a knock at the door. Alyssa walked over and opened it, and Pablo was standing there with a tray of food.


    "I''m not trying to overstep," Pablo started, "But I have experience with this sort of thing."


    "You mean explaining monsters?" Alyssa asked.


    "No," Pablo replied, "I mean talking to stubborn teenagers. I used to have a few, so let me take a crack at her."


    "Alright," Alyssa said, opening the door. "Give it your best shot."


    "Thanks," Pablo said as he walked past here and over to Diane''s door. He paused for a moment and then softly knocked on the door. There was no answer, so he softly knocked a second time.


    "Go away!" a voice called from within.


    "I get it, you''re upset." Pablo said, "And I understand how that feels. I wasn''t given any warning before the truth was dumped on me. It was like tossing a viper onto your lap without any notice. Just not cool, and that kind of surprise takes a long time to process. Believe me, I know this from experience."


    The door opened a crack, as Diane peeked out.


    "What is that?" she asked.


    "Something to eat," Pablo answered, "Some great stuff you can''t get here that comes from one of the big cities."


    "What cities?" she asked.


    "I brought a map," Pablo said gesturing to the tube under his armpit. "I''ll tell you everything if you''re willing to hear me out."


    "Everything?" Diane repeated.


    "Everything." Pablo replied, "But you have to promise to keep it all a secret. There are a lot of people who would flip out if they knew half of this stuff. Some people are just not ready for it yet."


    "Okay," Diane said, opening the door wider. "But just you."


    "Don''t worry," Pablo said to Alyssa, "I got this."


    "Okay," Alyssa said, as she didn''t appear to have a choice in the matter. She was just happy to see that Diane was willing to speak to someone, anyone at this point. She stood there and watched as the door closed after Pablo walked in was relocked. Once Pablo was inside, he good a seat on a chair in the corner as Diane sat on her bed. He placed the tray of food down and put the rolled map on the night stand. He gave her a moment to eat before starting to talk to her.


    "I don''t need to tell you how messed up this world has become," he started, gesturing to the window. "We live in the land of the undead. So while I know this is a shock, but the undead are not the only monsters that are out there. They''ve always been around, but only stared to come out after this mess started. They''re just trying to survive like we are in the new reality we''ve been given, but they''ve also taken advantage of the situation and used it to elevate their status."


    "Elevate it how?" Diane asked.


    "By creating their own towns and even cities." Pablo answered.


    "So they''re just trying to make it like we are, right?" she asked.


    "Something like that," Pablo concurred, "But it can be complicated. There are more of one monster than others. Some are spread out while others prefer to run in packs. Gabriel''s kind is like cats, many of them do their own thing and are very independent."


    "How many monsters are out there?" Diane asked.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "More than I''d like to admit," Pablo replied, "But they want nothing to do with you, well most of them. The undead are just oblivious to the world, but others just want their own place in the world."


    "But Gabriel needs blood," Diane reminded him.


    "Yes, he does." Pablo confirmed, "But he doesn''t take it without consent. It''s offered to him freely or not at all."


    "Why would Alyssa consent?" the young girl asked.


    "For the same reason I do," Pablo answered, "Gabriel barters it for help. His assistance has helped me stay a live for a very long time. All those supplies your sister brought back was with his help. He trades for it, so he doesn''t have to hunt for it."


    "Why does he need Alyssa''s if he has yours?" she asked.


    Pablo took a deep breath. "By using more than one person, it prevents anyone from being overused. It can be very tiring."


    Diane sat there in her bed, eating more snacks as Pablo went on to explain what was on the map any why they were marked with different colors. When the map came out, she paid more attention and listened as the older man who was her father''s age continued to babble on about werewolves in New Lycan and other human cities that were on the coasts.


    "Why blood?" Diane then asked, apparently still full of inquires.


    "I have no idea, it''s just what they eat." Pablo replied. "Vampires are very rare in these parts. There are only a small handful in North America, while most of them are in Europe which is their homeland. They''ve been there for thousands of years, and probably a lot longer."


    "How old is Gabriel?" Diane asked.


    "I''m not sure of the exact age, but I''ve seen a picture of him with Abraham Lincoln, so he goes at least a few hundred years." Pablo said, "If you have any questions about history, he''s clearly the man to go to."


    "Wow," The young woman said, thinking about it.


    "I know right," Pablo added, "And we haven''t covered everyone yet. "Don''t get me even started on the witches."


    "Witches?" Diane repeated.


    "You won''t have to worry about that," Pablo said, trying to calm her. "Those hags all live in New Salem, and we all stay far, far away from the horrid place. They rarely travel either, as it''s too dangerous for them. Not just from the undead but also from the other species who are scared."


    "Have you ever met a witch?" Diane asked, looking very eager to hear more.


    "I have," Pablo confessed, "But I''d rather not talk about it right now, especially before bed time. We need to get some zees around here."


    "Promise to tell me more when the time is right?" she asked, hopping underneath the sheets.


    "I promise," Pablo said, smiling back. "Good night."


    Pablo turned the light off and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him. Alyssa was still in the hallway, as it was apparent that she had been out there the whole time, waiting for him to come out.


    "She''ll be okay," Pablo whispered to her. "She''ll probably have more questions, but that will give you a chance to mend fences on your own time. Give her some space and let her digest everything that''s been laid on her. She''ll come around."


    "Alright," Alyssa replied, smiling back. "Thanks for your help."


    "I try my best," Pablo said, "There isn''t exactly a manual to breaking the news of the existence of more monsters to teenagers. She seemed to handle it alright, and the undead outside our walls makes anything a bit easier to buy."


    Pablo saw himself out, and soon after that Alyssa went to bed as well. The next day Diane stays cooped up in her room, but Alyssa followed Pablo''s advice and waited for her to make the first move. Alyssa was sleeping on the couch, when Diane came out to get a glass of milk. She was eating leftover cookies Pablo had given her and looking at the map he brought over again when there was a knocking sound. She walked over to the door but when she opened it there as no one there. Then the knocking sound came again, and Diane turned around to realize it was coming from the window. This scared her a bit as she remembered that there was no balcony outside her window, and she lived on the third floor. Diane walked over to the window and opened her curtains, and floating there in the air, with his arms folded, was Gabriel.


    "Hello," Gabriel said, giving her a small smile.


    "Hi," Diane said, looking at his feet to check to see if he was really flying. "Are you upset at me?"


    "For what?" Gabriel responded.


    "For staying in my room," she answered, "Not talking to Alyssa."


    "You mean for acting like a teenager?" Gabriel added, "You''ve been asked to process a lot. Your response is actually quite mature compared to how others have responded to me in the past."


    "Really?" Diane asked, "What did they do?"


    "Formed a mob," Gabriel answered, "Pitch forks, torches, the whole nine yards."


    "Wow." Diane added, "What happened?"


    "I flew away, and started over again." Gabriel said.


    "It''s cool that you can fly," Diane said.


    "It is very cool," Gabriel confirmed, "Safest way to travel in these parts. Want to give it a try?"


    "Now?" Diane asked, aware of how late if was.


    "We''re nocturnal," Gabriel reminded her, "I don''t do this by day. Alyssa will understand."


    "You don''t want my blood, do you?" Diane asked.


    "No, I do not." He replied, "I am well supplied, and you''re too young."


    "That''s a thing?" she asked.


    "We don''t broadcast it," Gabriel continued, "But young blood has some pretty annoying side effects, so we tend to avoid anything under a certain age. How about we visit my place?"


    "You mean in Nashville?" she asked, remembering what Alyssa said to her.


    "Yes," Gabriel said, "And we''ll talk more there."


    Diane smiled at the thought of getting away from town. "Alright."

 24. Dinner In Music City

    As instructed, Diane made herself at home in Nashville. She spent the day reading the books from the fast library in the lush apartment, to watching he scores of undead over fifty stories below and far from where they could harm her. Still watching a swelling of undead that massive wander around the city was in itself mesmerizing. Normally when you laid eyes on a herd of zombies that massive, it usually would mean your doom. Diane watched them throughout the day, and even found their unified murmur lulling, which caused her to nap a bit that afternoon. When Gabriel eventually emerged from his daytime slumber, there was a nice smell in the air as Diane was up and cooking something for supper in the massive kitchen.


    "I hope you''re hungry," Diane called out as she spotted him.


    "I am," Gabriel said, "but not in the way you think."


    "You don''t eat normal food at all?" Diane asked.


    "I don''t have to," Gabriel explained, "But I do enjoy trying new things, as I have a very fine pallet."


    "Set the table then," Diane ordered, not taking her eyes off her the pan she was cooking on.


    "Yes Ma''am," Gabriel said, as he started to set the table. He knew better than to not listen to a woman in the kitchen. Just as he was finishing the setting, Diane arrived with the food and placed it in the middle of the table.


    "Looks delicious," Gabriel said, sitting down at the table.


    "Thank you," Diane replied, also sitting. "For someone who doesn''t eat much, you sure had a good supply here to pick from."


    "To be honest," Gabriel retorted, "I have been building my supply up since meeting your sister, just in case. If I didn''t need it, I would have just donated to the town at a later time."


    "Good plan," Diane said, "I hope you like it."


    "I''m sure I will," Gabriel said with a smile, "Who taught you and your sister how to cook so well?"


    "My mother," Diane replied, "She taught us in an effort to keep us off the front lines and away from the undead."


    "A wise strategy," Gabriel said, "But I''m confused; I could have swore I heard Alyssa say something about her mom dying during childbirth."


    "That was her mom," Diane replied, "My mom managed to survive until she died of an infection five years ago."


    "That explains it, you''re half sisters," Gabriel concluded. "I should have guessed."


    "In this world, half is better than none," Diane countered.


    Gabriel raised a glass, "I''ll toast to that."


    The rest of the meal was relatively quiet, and Gabriel didn''t drink any blood to be respectful to Diane. He would drink a pint after she went to bed. He was washing the dishes when the young girl walked up to the big island in the kitchen and took a stool.


    "Pablo said there were other monsters," she informed him, "But he was hesitant to talk about the witches. Why?"


    "Witches prefer to stay in New Salem," Gabriel explained, "So if you see one away from the city, odds are that hag was banished from the city and is a extra bad apple from an already sour tree. The witches that wander do not leave a good impression of those still in the city. The odd time I have encountered one, it wasn''t a pleasant experience."


    "Doesn''t seem very fair," Diane started, "For a creature known to consume human blood to survive to generalize other creatures like that."


    "Touch¨¦," Gabriel said, getting her point. Every creature had their good and bad apples, especially vampires. All he had to do was think of his brother for proof of that.


    "I don''t mean to generalize," Gabriel continued, "But the ones wandering around have given the rest in the witches a very bad rap. I''m sure there are probably some nice ones out there, but I''ve yet to meet even one thus far."


    "How long have you been living here?" Diane asked.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Since the city was deserted," Gabriel answered, "I found this place about a year after the outbreak, and the owner was already dead and roaming around in circles. He was even still wearing his cowboy hat, because he was a country singer."


    "A what?" Diane asked


    "Before your time, I get it." Gabriel said, laughing.


    "How old are you?" Diane inquired, unafraid to ask.


    "A lot of people want to know, but are afraid to ask." Gabriel noted, "but I''m over two thousand years old. So two millennium, and change."


    "Wow, you''ve been around." She noted.


    "I''ve seen a few things," Gabriel noted, "And back then there were a few times I thought the world might end. The black plague, the Cuban missile crisis, and even the three world wars. But each time mankind managed to shake it off and move forward. So even in this dark time, I''m confident we''ll make it through."


    "That''s a nice way to look at it," Diane admitted, "I''ve never heard someone speak about our future like that."


    "Like what?" Gabriel asked.


    "With optimism." Diane answered, "Almost hopeful."


    "I think your sister picked up on that too," Gabriel admitted, "but she refused to admit it to anyone."


    "You really like her, don''t you?" Diane then asked.


    "Wow," Gabriel said, as he stopped the dishes for a second. "You really don''t beat around the bush, do you?"


    "Whatever that means," Diane said, "You didn''t answer the question."


    "Yes, she''s nice." Gabriel said, "I like her company. I haven''t been around someone like that in a while."


    "Define a while," Diane asked.


    "A few hundred years," Gabriel added, "But we''re just friends right now. I''m not really in that much of a hurry to make it anything else. I like having new friends."


    "You''re also immortal," Diane noted, "You can afford to be patient."


    "That too," Gabriel agreed, "We are known for our patience, but not all of us have it. My brother would be a prime example of that exception to the rule."


    "You have a brother?" Diane asked, "How old is he?"


    "He''s double my age," Gabriel said, "And like you and your sister, we have different mothers, which is why he''s far more powerful than I am."


    "Why does that make a difference?" Diane asked.


    "Bloodlines," Gabriel answered, "The purer your bloodline is, the stronger you are as a result. Cornelius was born when lines were at their strongest. I was born in a century when things were messy and chaotic. I''m strong and have the same powers, but he''s just at an insane level. Some would argue he''s the strongest vampire in the entire world."


    "Wow, that is intense." Diane said, thinking about it. "How powerful is he?"


    "He can cross the ocean without ever needing to land," Gabriel told her. "I can''t last half that long in the air, and he''s faster too. He can clear that distance in less than a few hours."


    "That''s almost as fast as the concord," Diane said, thinking about it.


    "That would explain the pointy nose," Gabriel said, laughing.


    Later in the night, Gabriel flew Diane back to her town. As they landed softly on the roof, there was someone waiting for them. Alyssa was standing here, arms folded with a look that reminded Diane of her mom.


    "Hey guys," Alyssa said, giving a half smile, "Have fun out there?"


    "Yeah, we did." Gabriel said, smiling back. "You okay?"


    "I''m alright," Alyssa replied, "Pablo told me what you guys were up to."


    "It was so neat," Diane said, hugging her sister. "There were so many undeads below. They were like a chorus off murmurs. So creepy and yet so lulling."


    "Well it''s getting late," Alyssa informed her sister, "Get ready for bed."


    "Alright," Diane replied before turning to face Gabriel, "Thanks for the ride."


    "It was fun," Gabriel concurred, "Good night."


    They watched Diane disappear back into the building, and he looked back at Alyssa with an innocent smile.


    "You''re not upset, are you?" he asked.


    "No," Alyssa answered, "I trust you."


    "This put her at ease," Gabriel explained, "And she''s comfy with Nashville just in case we ever have to move you guys there. I thought it was a good exercise to get her comfortable with my secret."


    "You don''t have to sell it," Alyssa said, "I''m just happy that you and Pablo have appeared to have gotten her back out of her shell. I appreciate that."


    "Happy to help," Gabriel said, relieved to not be in the dog house.


    "We do need to get back to work," Alyssa reminded him, "The mayor expects us to get back out there and get supplies."


    "We can do that," Gabriel replied, "We can fly out to one of the cities on the east coast, and trade over there. We should be safe enough to venture out again."


    "Sounds good," Alyssa said, "I think Pablo wants to speak to you as well."


    "Alright," Gabriel said as he followed her inside.


    Across the street, checking out the roof from her window was an old woman. She was knitting something and listening in on what was happening across from her. Her senses were profound and made her able to hear in on words not meant for anyone else. As she was knitting, a black cat pranced over and sat down in the chair beside her and purred a bit before making a few sounds.


    "You''re far too paranoid," the old woman replied, "We have no proof they''re hunting for us. They could be just trying to get by like we are."


    The cat made another sound, one that emphasized his frustration.


    "Your objection is noted," she said, "And overruled."


    The cat leapt off he chair and pranced away, unhappy with how the conversation was going. The old woman laughed and continued to knit, content with her decision and stance concerning the vampire across the street.

 25. Herbs and Furry Creatures

    It has been weeks since the big fire and the attack on their town, and things were relatively quiet since then. While that made some people like the mayor rather nervous and expecting something worse to come along, others like Pablo and Gabriel were more confident things would get better and they were making progress. There were few debates or disagreements, but even the coolest of heads would occasionally but, but it never led to much afterwards. Gabriel was in the mess hall with Alyssa, as they had time before first light. He was pretending to eat a plain piece of toast when the mayor came to their table and took a corner without even asking. He put on the show some mornings before he slept to prevent anyone from suspecting something, and to boost the rumor of his relations with Alyssa. They trusted her, and he thought it would be easier for them to trust him if she did too. A strategy that worked all to well as the Mayor was one of the first to apply that standard.


    "I need something important," Max requested as he sat down at their table.


    "Unlike some others," Gabriel started, "I actually appreciate the direct approach. What can I do for you, Max?"


    "Here," Max said as he slipped him a small piece of paper. "We are running dangerously low on this one and it would be a miracle to get more."


    "I can get it," Gabriel answered, "But we can''t make the trip till the end of the week. My supplier has rules and superstitions."


    "Superstitions?" Max repeated, "Really?"


    "He''s reliable," Gabriel added, "So much that I tolerate his weird quirks. His quality will be worth it. Ration what you have left until Friday."


    "Alright, I think we can handle that," Max said as he stood up, "But let me know about these rules so we can avoid this from happening again."


    "What rules?" Alyssa said once Max was gone.


    "Full moon this week," Gabriel reminded her. "We couldn''t enter the city even if we wanted to. I could try to go somewhere else, but the wolves are far more reliable and worth the wait."


    "I''m still getting used to that," Alyssa said, sitting back, "Sorry."


    "I''ve known about them long before the undead were here," Gabriel informed her, "I''ve had time to get used to it. You''ll be okay after while."


    When they were finished breakfast, Gabriel made it back to Pablo''s apartment and went to sleep for the day just before light broke. There was an office like room in Pablo''s apartment with no windows, which was perfect for Gabe to use to rest. When he didn''t have time to fly back to Nashville, he would rest in that windowless room, confident Pablo wouldn''t let anyone disturb him. Alyssa had spent most of her day cleaning up around her place and prepping for dinner with Diane and Pablo. She went for a walk to fetch some herbs from one of the gardens, when one of the old ladies working the garden walked up to her.


    "Excuse me, young lady." The older woman started.


    "Alyssa," she reminded her, "How are you today, Mrs. Goldman?"


    "Yes, that''s right. Alyssa." Mrs. Goldman said as she smiled back. "I''m fine, dear. Did you need anything else from the gardens, today?"


    "No, thank you." Alyssa replied, "These are wonderful."


    "What about that young man," Mrs. Goldman asked. "Are you sure he can he be trusted since he''s not from around here?"


    "He can be trusted," Alyssa told her. "He''s different, but considering that there isn''t many of us left... we really cannot afford to be picky about who our friends and allies are, right?"


    "I suppose not," the old woman replied, "So he''s with us?"


    "He''s with me," Alyssa corrected her, "And as long as I''m with the town, then so is he."


    "I see," Mrs. Goldman said, "That does simplify things for us. Thank you for putting up with this nosey old woman."


    "It''s alright Mrs. Goldman," Alyssa said, cheerfully. "We need to do whatever we can to fight the boredom, so I understand."


    "Speaking of passing the time," Mrs. Goldman added, "One of my cats is going to have a litter very soon, within a few days I believe. I thought Diane might want to have a kitty of her own, if that''s alright with you of course."This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Alyssa was surprised to hear the news and beamed with excitement. "That sounds wonderful! But what do we feed it?"


    "Well, I make my own cat food from the town''s leftovers." Mrs. Goldman explained, "But I heard that your new boyfriend has contacts on the east coast. I was thinking he might be able to procure some dry food in bulk for us."


    "That''s a good idea," Alyssa agreed, but she declined to respond to the boyfriend comment. "I''ll talk to him about it. I also think Diane would love to have a cat of her own. Would you mind holding onto the cat for a week or so? Diane has a birthday coming up and I think that would be the prefect gift."


    "That''s a wonderful idea." Mrs. Goldman said, "I usually keep them a while to litter train them so an extra week or so won''t make a difference."


    Alyssa said good bye and went off about her business, even speaking to some of the other ladies in the garden before walking back to her own place. She used the fresh herbs to mix in with the meal she was preparing and then tidied up a bit before walking to the school to pick up Diane. She had a surprise waiting for her at the school as someone was already amongst the parents waiting for class to dismiss. She walked up and greeted Pablo with a smile.


    "You didn''t tell me you were coming to get Diane." She said.


    "I just needed a bit of air," Pablo replied, "To be honest, that''s one thing I like about this place. We are able to roam around a bit, and not be cooped up in the house all day like I used to be."


    "I had a feeling you might," She admitted to him, "I like that about it too."


    "I like that you have a school here," Pablo added, "Something I haven''t seen in a while as well. I know there are some in the big cities, but not out here in the middle of nowhere. It''s different, that''s for sure."


    "I don''t mind the company," Alyssa said, looking around to make sure she wasn''t missing any activity. "Reminds me of when my Dad used to come here with me."


    "I know you miss the guy and he can never be replaced," Pablo said, "But I''m here and I''ve got your back. So does Gabe, and he''s older than us both combined."


    "And times ten," Alyssa added.


    "He''s been around," Pablo said with a chuckle.


    "And what about cats?" Alyssa asked.


    "Cats?" Pablo repeated, cocking up an eyebrow. "What about them?"


    "Well, I was recently offered one." Alyssa informed him, "One of our townspeople has a cat that''s about to give birth. I thought it would make a great birthday gift for Diane. Do vampires have allergies?"


    "No, they don''t, and neither do I." Pablo replied, "I''m just not used to seeing cats that much around here. Not outside the cities, and they''ve gotten a really bad rap lately, mostly because of New Salem."


    "You mean the witches?" Alyssa said, thinking about it. "Are they really connected to cats like the stories about them say?"


    "Those hags are connected to nature in general," Pablo replied, "And that means all animals, not just cats."


    "Wow, that is interesting." Alyssa said, thinking about it.


    "I try to not think about it." Pablo continued, cringing at the thought. "Gabe says witches can communicate with animals, as if they''re magically able to translate their sounds into actual words. While it sounds ridiculous, imagine the strategic advantages. Every bird flying around could be a potential spy, or scout."


    "That''s really scary," Alyssa admitted, unaware of all this. "I''ll have to speak to Gabriel about it when he gets back."


    "I wouldn''t worry too much," Pablo continued, "Witches rarely leave New Salem, mostly for the same reason you guys don''t wander out much: the undead roaming about and such. But it''s also because of their rep, which is far from kind in the other cities. New Lycan is especially hard on them, as they''ve had no official talks in almost a decade. They do not like one another. Not one bit."


    "What happened there?" Alyssa asked. "That kind of hate doesn''t just appear out of nowhere, does it?"


    "Probably not, but I have no idea." Pablo said, "If Gabe knows anything about it, he''s not saying. I''d also keep this chatter on the down low for now as well, as we don''t need to add more to Diane''s plate at the moment."


    "Fair enough," Alyssa said, nodding in agreement. "Mum''s the word."


    Pablo also agreed to remain silent about the cat, and said nothing when Diane came out to greet them. They walked back to the apartment and had dinner, and the day was going along just fine. Pablo was helping Diane with her homework and Alyssa was working on some dishes, when there was a loud sound coming from across the hall. Pablo stood up and waved back at Alyssa.


    "Lock the door when I leave," he said as he quickly ran out of the apartment. He crossed the hall into his own apartment, to make sure Gabriel was alright. Gabriel had been the source of the sound as he had tripped over something while rying to abruptly leave the den where he was sleeping.


    "What the hell are you doing up?" Pablo called out as he came over to help Gabe up and move him to the couch. He then walked over to the windows and shut all the curtains. "The sun isn''t down yet. I realize it''s not fatal, but I know that still hurts. What''s going on."


    "I can hear them." Gabriel said, "They''re so loud that they woke me up."


    "Ah Shit," Pablo said, as he knew exactly what the meant. Vampires could hear things very far away, and if there were a lot of undead in the area, Gabe would know about it.


    "That''s pretty accurate," Gabriel said, rubbing his temples.


    "How many are we talking about," Pablo asked, "and how far out are they?"


    "Can''t be any more than fifty miles," Gabriel said, rubbing his head. "But there''s a lot of them. To be that loud, there has to be tens of thousands... and they''re heading this way."

 26. Creeping Death

    As the sun was going down, both Alyssa and Pablo went to the mayor''s office to break the news to Max. They told him that Gabriel bumped into the herd of the undead while he was savaging. That they were already heading in this direction and they never saw him and he hightailed it back to the town. Max should have asked more questions, but he smartly kept his attention on what mattered most, which was the horde of thousands of undead that were going to overrun their walls and breach the walls. He looked concerned as he was clearly tempted to drink out of the bottle of scotch in his desk rather than pour himself a glass. Earlier that day he was asking Gabriel for help getting one of the old ladies some heart medication, and half a day later he has to think of a way for all of them to avoid being overrun and eaten by the dead. He took a deep breath and looked back at the two people staring at him.


    "And how many are there?" He asked again, praying he misheard them.


    "At least ten thousand," Alyssa replied, "They''re going to be here sooner rather than later. Especially if we leave the lights on."


    "She''s right," Pablo said, sternly. "We need to go lights out and be as quiet and church mice... and I mean right now!"


    "What good will that do?" Max asked.


    "We have a plan." Alyssa replied, "And one that doesn''t include wasting all our ammo on that herd."


    "Let''s hear it then!" Max ordered, "Time is not our friend here."


    "We''re going to park one of the trucks out in front of the herd," Pablo explained, "Use bushes and fallen trees to build a small barricade."


    "What for??" Max asked, "You said there was ten thousand!"


    "This barricade will be to divert the herd," Alyssa explained, "Splitting them to walk in different directions. They''ll walk right around and right past us as if we were never there and move off."


    "That sounds interesting," Max said, "But how will it work?"


    "When they reach the split," Pablo added, "We''ll set off charges in the distance, to make them walk faster away from us.


    "What explosives?" Max asked, confused.


    "The ones Gabriel disarmed the night of the fire." Pablo answered, "I meant to tell you about it, but we never had the chance. Now they might save our lives."


    "They''ll walk around us as long as we stay quiet and keep the lights off." Alyssa said, "But we need to go lights out right now or we''ll be their prime target."


    Max stood up from his seat. "And what if one of them or a few happen to break towards us?"


    "We''ll have snipers on the roofs with silencers." Pablo replied, "Any undead bugger that breaks rank will be dropped. As long as they can''t hear the shot, they''ll keep walking towards our decoys."


    "Alright," Max said, convinced. "Tell Gabriel to get his shit ready."


    "He''s already out there setting up," Alyssa said, "Trying to save time."


    "Fair enough," Max said, "I guess that leaves us. Let''s shut off every light and get people to their shelters. I made sure every one of those shelters was sound proof so that our people couldn''t been discovered because a baby was crying."


    "Good one," Pablo said, cracking a smile. "I''ll have to remember that."Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "No time for ass kissing," Max said, "We have work to do."


    Max couldn''t sound the alarm cause that noise would have been encounter productive, so he and his staff spend the next twenty minutes getting everyone to their emergency shelters. In less than an hour, ever light was turned off and everyone was underground, so the entire town was dark as night and quiet as a church mouse. All while that was going on, Gabriel was using his speed and flight to get out beyond the wall to set up the new charges and get ready for the coming herd while Pablo and his men from Denver all went outside and used the truck and brushes and trees to set up the divide about two hundred feet in front of the town''s wall.


    "Will this work?" Sean asked, as he was also helping out.


    "It should," Pablo said, "As long as the charges draw them away. Even if they don''t, Gabriel should have no problem slicing and dicing whomever breaks off that that our silencers can''t take down. We might just get lucky."


    "We can hope," Sean said, "Let''s get back in there before they arrive."


    It was close to midnight when the horde of undead started to reach the divide. And it was partly working, but it was the first two explosions that caught their attention. Gabriel had split the charges he found up, so the bangs where not huge, but was enough to grab their attention on anything but the walls near them. Gabriel moved around in the darkness, and was just as invisible as he flew around. He watched with his advances eyesight and smiled as he realized that the undead were following the plan perfectly. He watched from above as the massive herd was splitting right down the middle as they both parted to follow the explosions and the light that emanated from them. Gabriel was one step ahead of them as he flew to the fires and put them out before the first zombie could make it. Right after taking off undetected, he set off another charge, this one even further away from the town. He was leading them away, one blast at a time. Gabriel kept playing both sides, and lead both halves away from the town but there were still a few that broke away from the herd and walked towards their walls. Pablo was waiting for them.


    He had a silenced rifle and gunned them down quietly from the top of the wall. With no undead making contact with the wall, there was no sound to give any of them that there was something between the two lights they were walking towards. In all, about fifty zombies broke away and tried to walk towards the town, and all of them were taken down quietly and didn''t attract further attention. Just to make sure that.


    They didn''t turn back, Gabriel flew down and took few dozen at the back of each group, increasing the gap between the walking herd and the town. It was around two in the morning, when Gabriel set off the final charges, which were set up on trees miles away that were sure to burn right for hours. That final explosion and light would give the thousands of zombies a light source to walk towards for hours, taking them far away from the town. He watched the two herds from the sky and only flew back to town when confident they were not going to turn back. He landed on the ground and walked up to the mayor who was on the wall with Pablo, both watching.


    "They''re walking towards the final targets." Gabriel told him, "As long as we keep the lights off for the rest of the night, we should be alright."


    Max sat down and sighed deeply. "If you hadn''t spotted them, we would have been under siege for days, maybe weeks. That would have been ugly."


    "Has this happened before?" Pablo asked.


    "Once but only with several hundred," Max answered, "This could have exhausted our ammo and put a strain on our walls. Thank you."


    "This is our home now too," Gabriel reminded him, "We were happy to help."


    Max left the wall to check up on the people in various shelters to break the good news, but also ask them to stay in shelters that night, just as a precaution."


    Pablo stayed on the wall and watched was watching for more undead stragglers but he looked back at Gabriel. "Do you hear anything?"


    "No," Gabriel told him, "We''re clear for at least a mile or two."


    "Good," Pablo said, also taking a deep sigh of relief. "No offence but I really didn''t want to move to Nashville. I like it here."


    Gabriel smiled back at him. "I do too, surprisingly."


    It was at this moment that a black cat walked out and over to where Gabriel was standing. Gabriel looked down at the cat, surprised to see him.


    "Hello there," he called out to him, "No need to worry, my fluffy friend. I think the threat is over. Things should be back to normal very soon."


    The cat made a few sounds, and then scurried off back from whence he came. Gabriel looked back at the cat with a stunned face and then back at Pablo.


    "What?" Pablo asked, "You actually understood him?"


    "I did," Gabriel said, just as surprised.


    "Well, what did he say?" Pablo said, rather curious about it himself.


    "He said thank you, and not bad for a blood sucker," Gabriel answered, looking back at his friend. "That damn cat knows all our secrets."


    "Oh shit," Pablo added. He knew what that meant.

 27. The Cat Came Back

    The Mayor ordered everyone to remain in their shelters for the remainder of the night and a little deep into the morning. Gabriel went to his dark room, while Pablo remained outside and kept an eye out. Pablo was standing on the wall, looking out with binoculars to check for the undead. The herd they diverted seemed to be long gone and the threat was thankfully gone. Pablo had other things on his mind, but he convinced himself to remain quiet and keep it to himself until nightfall. He was standing guard on the southern wall, keeping an eye out as the sun came up. There was a few straggling undead walking around, but the majority of them were gone. As he was watching this one undead walk away from their position, someone came up there to speak to him.


    "Mr. Mayor," Pablo said, as he put down his binoculars.


    "Please, call me Max." the mayor said, as he grabbed the binoculars to look for himself. "It''s starting to look normal out there again. I can''t believe how close we came to being swarmed."


    "You''re telling me." Pablo said, sighing again. "I just got here, and I like it here. I would prefer not bugger off so soon."


    "I''m very hesitant to trust," Max admitted, "But I''m glad to have you here. Your help has been invaluable, and that''s a total understatement."


    "After Denver, we were just happy to find anything." Pablo admitted.


    "How bad is it out there?" Max asked.


    "You don''t want to know." Pablo answered, "What I saw out there in the west was the worst of humanity, at a time when we cannot afford to toss away so much life so recklessly. We are technically an endangered species, yet some of us are acting like there''s still several billion of us walking around. Every survivor we have is precious, and we have to protect them as if the human race depends on it. No exceptions."


    "Well said," Max said, as he put the binoculars down. "I agree with that."


    "I hope so," Pablo said, "Because we can''t afford to risk lowering our numbers. I just wish California thought about that too before taking action."


    "Is there something bothering you?" Max asked.


    "No," Pablo replied, "Why do you ask?"


    "You''ve been rather tense," Max observed.


    "I''ll be alright," Pablo replied, "I''m just a little tired, and peckish."


    "I hear ya," Max said as he was heavy eyed as well. "I''m going to check up on the other points. I think we will give it a few more hours before letting everyone back out from the shelters."


    "Seems right," Pablo said, "See you around."


    Pablo watched as the Mayor walked away, and then he turned and noticed something he didn''t notice earlier. That black cat was back, and it was sitting on a window ledge no more than ten feet away from his position. Pablo stared at the cat as he fought a desire to shoot the little fur ball with his silenced rifle. Good judgement got the best of him because he didn''t do anything. He didn''t shoot the cat because there was a chance that it was just a cat, and he didn''t want to spook Max, as the last thing the mayor needed was someone complaining about him shooting a small animal.


    "What are you looking at?" he called out to the cat.


    The cat got up and stretched his back, before meowing at Pablo and scooting off the ledge and onto the ground running away.


    Pablo ignored it and stayed at his post until the curfew was finally lifted and everyone was allowed to come out of their shelter hours later as Max had suggested. Pablo was relieved a short time after that and he immediately went to Alyssa''s place to check up on her and Diane. When he arrived, Alyssa could tell that something was bothering him, but didn''t say anything until she finished making breakfast.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Pablo," Alyssa started, "Is something wrong? Are we still in danger?"


    "No," Pablo answered, "At least I don''t think so."


    "What do you mean by that?" Alyssa asked.


    Pablo paused for a moment as he was hesitant to talk about it. He then looked over at Diane who was glaring at him from across the table.


    "You promised," Diane reminded him, "No more secrets."


    "Alright," Pablo said as he sighed, "There was this black cat, and it kind of freaked me and Gabe out a bit this morning."


    "You guys were freaked out?" Alyssa repeated, "By a cat?"


    "It talked to Gabriel," Pablo informed her, "And Gabe knew what it was saying!"


    "Gabe can talk to cats?" Diane asked, surprised by it. "I didn''t know that."


    "Neither did I," Pablo admitted, "But that''s the least of my worries. That cat represents something much worse: a witch."


    "Excuse me?" Alyssa asked as she couldn''t believe. "A witch?"


    "From New Salem?" Diane also asked.


    "I don''t know," Pablo said, "But witches are known to communicate and get along with all types of animals, especially cats as they consider them kindred spirits."


    "There''s a witch?" Diane said, still surprised, "Here?"


    "That I also don''t know," Pablo admitted, "But we should be careful just in case there is one amongst us. If we just act normal and pretend to be oblivious of her, chances are she''ll act normal as well and keep doing her thing."


    "Then stop freaking yourself out," Alyssa ordered, "Even if there is a witch, that doesn''t mean we''re in danger. If Gabriel is capable of being nice despite his people''s less than admirable reputation, then there nothing that says this witch can''t be too. Let''s not judge this witch until we meet her and learn a bit more. Understood?"


    "Alright," Pablo said, as he understood. "A valid point."


    They hadn''t spoken about the witch or the potential of one for the rest of the day. When Gabriel emerged from his dark room as sun down, he didn''t want to talk about it either as the first thing he wanted to do was fly around and make sure that threat from the undead was gone. He spent the better part of a half hour flying for miles around the town and checking up on the split herds that had traveled far away. He was relieved to see that the town was safe from them as long as they continued on their current course. Gabriel also took note to give the wolves a heads up about thee half that was closest to them, as the Lycans would have no trouble using the surplus for their own food supply. When Gabriel flew back to town and made a smooth landing on the roof of Alyssa''s building, there was someone waiting for him. That same black cat was sitting pretty and purring as Gabriel walked closer to it.


    "I know what you are," Gabriel called out, "If you''ve got something on your mind, just spit it out already."


    "Do the humans know what I am?" the cat asked him.


    "They do not," Gabriel replied, "As far as they know, you''re just a small fluffy pain in my ass. I prefer not to let them know, cause the concept of your true form would freak them all out, big time."


    "I agree," the cat concurred, "But you know my charge. I will protect my master from anything I deem threatening to her, even Vampires."


    "So, you have a master." Gabriel said, taking note of it.


    "Are you here to hunt for us?" the cat inquired.


    "I am not," Gabriel admitted, "I may not be the biggest fan of witches, but I will cause no trouble for your master as long as she doesn''t cause any trouble for me or the people I''m protecting."


    "Fair enough," The cat said as it started to walk towards the stairs.


    "So," Gabriel said, as he leaned back on the door leading into the building so no one else could come to the roof to interrupt them. "How long have you and your master been living here in this town?"


    "Longer than you think," the cat replied, "Since the beginning."


    "Is that so?" Gabriel said, as he remembered what his brother said. "Was that even before the undead came?"


    "Yes," the cat answered, "Long before then."


    "Interesting," Gabriel said, "I might need to speak to your master about that."


    "I will ask," the cat replied, "Why do you wish to speak about times before the undead walked the earth?"


    "My people are investigating it," Gabriel answered, "They might even try to help the human race."


    "That''s not like them," the cat admitted, "Usually your council prefers to stay in the shadows, and let evolution take its natural course."


    "I''m just as surprised as you are," Gabriel agreed, "Pass the message along. All I wish to do is talk, nothing more. If she keeps my secret, I will keep hers."


    "I''ll get back to you on that," The cat said, as he scampered to the emergency stairs by the fire escapes. He used the steel steps to make his exit and vanish into the shadows on the ground and was gone. Gabriel tried to use his enhanced sight, but it was no use. The cat was gone and they had to give him a little trust for the time being. Trust in that the fur ball was telling the truth and that his master was not aggressive, but just as friendly as the rest of town. That didn''t change the big news: there was a witch in the small town, and they were just going to have to deal with it.

 28. The Witches

    That week had been hectic for everyone, but the town was just happy to be out of the shelters and back to work. It took the small town a few days for everyone to get things back to normal, but that was easier to accomplish knowing that no one was injured during the incident. This also scored some big brownie points for Gabriel and his new band of friends, who helped greatly to defend the town and prevent a siege that could have lasted for days, maybe even weeks. Gabriel chose to lay low since his discussion with the cat, not telling anyone about it. He knew that Alyssa and Pablo would become more unnerved if he told them about it, which pretty much confirmed there was at least one former resident of New Salem residing in their town. Gabriel saw the cat again days later, but didn''t speak to him. The Vampire thought it would be better to give the cat and his master some space, let them think and discuss what he had proposed earlier. Gabe didn''t want to cause any trouble, so being pushy with a witch didn''t seem wise, so he decided to be patient and fly to Nashville and a few other cities to gather supplies to pass the time. With Max very happy about his work, less questions were asked, and that allowed Pablo, Sean, and the rest of their people time to settle in and become a part of this caring community. Sean was by far the most popular of the new additions, as not even the town''s previous medical staff had an issue with him. Sean took the regular doctors under his wing and gave them additional training, making them even better at their job than before. His ability to each medicine and expanded what their own doctors could do made Sean even more invaluable to the town. His family as showered with gifts and other tokens of appreciation from thankful people who appreciated his work.


    When eating at the town''s cafeteria, Pablo and Diane were sharing an early breakfast. Pablo had agreed to take care of Diane while Alyssa and Gabriel were gathering supplies and staying a few nights in one of the human cities on the east coast. He knew Alyssa would enjoy that, but watching Diane wasn''t that much of a chore, as it reminded him of his own kids. A part of his history he never discussed that much to anyone, not even Gabriel.


    "Are you alright?" Diane asked.


    "I''m good," Pablo replied, "Just thinking about the past."


    "Don''t do it too much," Diane said with a smile, "The future is the other way."


    "Well said," Pablo agreed, "I''ll try to remain focused."


    Without warning or invitation, something he was known for doing, Max came over to their table and sat down. "Pablo, I need something from you."


    "Alright," Pablo said, eager to be helpful, "What''s up?"


    "One of my men is sick," Max reported, "And next to him, you''re the best shot in town with a rifle. I''d like you to take his sift on the wall."


    Pablo paused for a moment. "I''m actually watching Diane for Alyssa."


    "Well, she has school today." Max reminded him, "And I can get someone to watch her until your shift is done."


    Pablo paused for a second, then he turned to Diane. "Are you okay with hanging with someone else this afternoon?"


    "I''ll survive." Diane replied, "It''s alright."


    Max seemed genuinely happy. "Thank you very much!"


    After he bolted off, Pablo and Diane slowly finished their breakfast before he walked the young lady off to school. Once she was inside, Pablo grabbed his personal rifle and too his duty seriously as he went to the wall to cover the shift requested. Diane had a normal day at school, learning about human history, doing Shakespeare in English and even playing dodgeball in gym. It was a typical day, and when she left the school after the final bell, there was a lady out there waiting for her.


    "Hello Diane," the lady said, smiling to her. "I''ll be watching you this afternoon."


    "Hello, Mrs. Goldman." Diane said, remembering the nice lady from the town''s herb garden. Before she died, Diane''s mother always took her to the garden to gather things to cook for the town.


    "I can''t believe how much you''ve grown," Mrs. Goldman gushed. "You look so much like your mother."Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "Thank you," Diane said, taking it for the compliment that it clearly was.


    Mrs. Goldman took Diane back to the garden, and they worked there together for a few hours before calling it a day. But rather than take Diane to the town''s dining hall to eat, she invited the young girl back to her place. Mrs. Goldman started to work in the kitchen, making her own meal from scratch for the two of them. It wasn''t everyday that Mrs. Goldman had company and she wanted to make it special. Diane was looking around the apartment, and all the old photos that were framed on the walls. Some looked very old, while some others looked more recent.


    "It smells very nice," Diane said, trying to be polite.


    "Thank you dear," Mrs. Goldman replied. She watched as Diane walked closer to one of the more recent picture frames. The young girl picked it up and looked at it for a moment. She looked back at her host with a confused look on her face.


    "This picture here," Diane said, showing it to her. "Is that my mother?"


    "It is," Mrs. Goldman answered.


    "Who is that woman beside her?" Diane asked.


    "That would be me," she answered.


    "But you look so young in it," Diane said, but then she paused. "I''m sorry."


    "Don''t be, dear." Mrs. Goldman said with a smile. "I am old, and it was no secret that your mother aged much better than the rest of us."


    "How long did you know my mother?" Diane inquired.


    "Longer than you father did," Mrs. Goldman answered. "We came to this town together, back when the wall was a lot shorter."


    "I see," Diane said, pausing again. "Why is he hiding?"


    "Who dear?" Mrs. Goldman asked.


    "The cat," Diane replied, "The black one hiding underneath the couch. He''s not very good at it."


    "I suppose not," Mrs. Goldman said, giggling a little bit. "Oscar was never good at being subtle. He''s like a bull in a china shop. His friends on the other hand are much better at it than he is."


    "His friends?" Diane asked.


    Mrs. Goldman clapped her hands, and not only did the black cat named Oscar come out from underneath the couch, but several other cats of different colors came out of their hiding place and lined up like soldiers that were standing at attention for a military superior.


    "Wow," Diane said, rather impressed with their formation.


    "Off ya go," Mrs. Goldman called out, snapping her finger at them. The cats scattered and ran off in different directions. Two cats however, Oscar and another gray colored cat, jumped in top of the couch, layed down, and to snuggled in to lay around.


    "Always the worry warts," The old woman called out with a huff.


    Diane put the picture frame back onto the dresser it came from and slowly walked up to Mrs. Goldman. She was a little nervous but brave at the same time.


    "Can I ask you something, Mrs. Goldman?" She asked.


    "Anything love," the old lady replied.


    "How long have you been a witch?" Diane asked.


    Mrs. Goldman stopped what she was doing, but she didn''t look upset. Instead she paused for a moment and then gave the young girl a warm smile.


    "All my life, dear." She replied, "I was born a witch. My mom was a witch, like her mother before her and so forth."


    "Is your Dad a witch?" She asked.


    "No," Mrs. Goldman replied, "The magic doesn''t flow through men. They have enough goodies in life, so this was nature trying to balance things out I suppose."


    "How does someone get this kind of magic?" Diane asked, curious about it.


    Mrs. Goldman was comfortable to speak about it, cause she could tell that Diane wasn''t upset or fearful, and was being friendly despite knowing the old woman was a witch. "Some people can learn if they work hard enough, but most witches are born with the power as they inherit from their mother."


    "That''s so interesting," Diane said, as she took a seat to watch Mrs. Goldman cook while they talk. "Are there any other witches here?"


    "There used to be," Mrs. Goldman said.


    "What happened," Diane asked.


    "She was a good friend," Mrs. Goldman said, wiping a tear away. "But she died about six years after you were born."


    "Wait a second," Diane said, thinking about the dates, and remembering the picture she just looked at. "Are you saying what I think you''re saying?"


    "Yes," Mrs. Goldman said, "Your mother was a witch."


    "I had no idea." Diane said.


    "She was keeping that to herself," Mrs. Goldman explained, "We both kept a lot of it to ourselves for obvious reasons. We used some magic but also our knowledge of potions to benefit the town, but never telling anyone what we were really up to. Do you remember that chicken soup your mother gave you when you were a very sick girl for almost a month when you were five?"


    "I do," Diane said, vaguely recalling it.


    "That wasn''t just soup," the old lady told her, "I made a healing potion that brought you back from death''s door. It was a unique concoction that uses a witches own aura to enhance the body''s healing ability. If it were not for that potion, you would have met an early death little one."


    "Hang on," Diane said, decrypting what she was just told. "If this potion actually worked on me and saved my life, does that mean..."


    "Yes dear, it does." Mrs. Goldman said, "You''re a witch, just like your mother."

 29. The Guardians

    Diane sat there at the counter with a stunned look on her face. She couldn''t believe what she was being told, that like her mother before her... she was a witch! It just seemed so surreal. Even thought the old woman was not telepathic, she could easily tell what was going through the young girl''s mind.


    "A bit of a shock, I know." Mrs. Goldman said, "I can prove it if you need more convincing."


    "How?" Diane asked, clearly curious.


    "Do this," Mrs. Goldman said as she cupped her hands together, "Nature flows like a river to the sea, through Salem and me."


    When the old woman said the words, and soft light started to emanated from within the small cup formed by her hands. After shining brightly for a few seconds, it faded out and was gone.


    "Wow," Diane said, looking back up at her. "What was that?"


    "It''s a greeting," the old woman answered, "Like a special salute witches give one another to prove their authenticity."


    "Oh, I see." Diane said, "And you''re saying I can do that?"


    "Only one way to find out, love." Mrs. Goldman said with a smile.


    Diane cupped her hands together and repeated the same words she had heard only seconds ago. Not only did that glow started to emanate from her hands, but the glow was brighter and stayed lit up even longer before fading down. As the light was burning bright, the two cats in the room stood up from where they were laying and the other cats also returned to the living room as the could feel the magic in the room.


    "Wow!" Diane said again, even more stunned than the time before.


    "That was quite impressive," Mrs. Goldman noted, "I haven''t seen an aura that strong in a very, very long time."


    "I can''t believe this," Diane said, sounding far more excited than scared. "I actually have magic!"


    "Yes," Mrs. Goldman said, "And that means you''re in danger."


    "What?" Diane said, her excitement settling down. "Are you serious?"


    "Power scares people," Mrs. Goldman said, "Especially to people who do not have it and don''t understand it. Our powers when used can attract people who can detect magic or just feel it. I''m pretty sure the oldest ladies of Salem felt that glow you just projected. There''s no telling who is did as well. This means you''re going to require a guardian."


    "A guardian?" Diane repeated.


    "Yes," Mrs. Goldman confirmed, "What do you think they are?"


    Diane turned around and looked at the several cats that had all returned to the living room, looking at her awkwardly. Her aura had gotten their attention and they had all quietly regathered and lined up again, except for Oscar and the grey cat, who were still lounging on the couch.


    "The cats?" Diane asked, confused.


    "They''re not cats," Mrs. Goldman said, "They''re Gargoyles. Creatures that a can manifest themselves into any form they want."


    "So, all the stories about a witch with a cat," Diane said, thinking about it, "All those cats were actually Gargoyles?"


    "Yes," Mrs. Goldman confirmed, "They are massive, grotesque creatures when in their true form. I prefer them to remain in the current, cuddly form. They are loyal only to us and do as we say, without hesitation or question."


    Oscar growled a little bit after she said that.


    "Yes, yes, I was getting to that." Mrs. Goldman said, "Oscar wanted me to remind you that Gargoyles are not slaves; they''re volunteers. Gargoyles devote themselves to a witch until the day that witch dies, and then they return to Salem to sign up to protect another witch if they so choose to."


    "Why would a Gargoyle volunteer to work for us?" Diane asked.


    "Gargoyles like witches because our aura feeds them." Mrs. Goldman replied, "They actually live much longer lives by sticking around witches. They closer they are too us, the more our powers keep them alive. Serving and living with a witch can quadruple a Gargoyle''s average lifespan. In return for that, they offer us their protection. It''s a long-standing deal we''ve had with them for over a millennium. It''s also said that the more powerful a witch''s aura is, the more powerful the gargoyle guarding her is and the longer it lives. The Gargoyles that guard walls of Salem are virtually immortal and very powerful, because they are fueled by the combined powers of every witch in the city. No one dares enter the city or try to harm a witch in Salem, or the Gargoyles will sense it and then terminate the threat immediately."


    "What happens when a witch passes away?" Diane asked.


    "The Gargoyle has a choice," Mrs. Goldman explained, "They can return to Salem for a new assignment, while others sometimes mourn their loss for decades before either fading off themselves, or moving on for new work."


    "Did my mom have a Gargoyle?" Diane asked.


    "Of course she did," the old lady said, "Who do you think has been sitting on the couch with Oscar all this time?"


    Diane turned to look at the gray cat that was still sitting with Oscar. She looked at the cat for a moment and then suddenly the answers all came back to her.


    "Smokey?" she called out.


    The cat sat up and meowed rather loudly.


    "What did he say?" Diane asked.


    "He''s happy to see you again," Mrs. Goldman translated for him. "But you don''t have to take my word for it. Cup your hands together like you did last time, and this time recite these words: ''Listen to the earth, and all her blessed creatures''."


    Diane closed her eyes, and cupped her hands while reciting the words. The glow started to emanate from her hands like it had before but this time the glow had a tinge of blue that shined for a moment and then faded out again.


    "Did it work?" Diane asked.


    "Wow!" A voice called out from the back of the room.


    "Look at the aura on that girl!"


    "That is one powerful witch."This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Diane turned around, and the voices she was hearing were coming from the small furry creatures, the disguised Gargoyles.


    Smokey jumped off from the couch and slowly approached her.


    "Very good Diane," he said to her. "Your mother would have been very proud."


    "How long did you know her?" Diane asked the gray cat.


    "I had been her guardian for a very long time." Smokey answered, "Ever since she was your age, little one. I miss her very much."


    "As do I," Diane said.


    "Alright, break it up." Mrs. Goldman said, snapping her fingers at them again. "It''s supper time. You can talk to her after we eat."


    Diane and Mrs. Goldman sat at the table and enjoyed a nice meal and they didn''t say very much, until Diane decided to ask more questions.


    "Do you know what Gabriel is?" Diane asked.


    "I do," Mrs. Goldman said, suddenly surprised herself. "I''m shocked that you do."


    "I found out the night of the fire," Diane said, "I saw him fly off and they had to let me in on their secret."


    "Vampires are a tricky bunch," Mrs. Goldman said, "Thankfully there are so few on this side of the world. The majority of them are in Europe."


    "He seems very nice," Diane added.


    "He''s not feeding off you, is he?" Mrs. Goldman then asked.


    "No, he''s not." Diane answered, "Just from my sister and Pablo, but not directly. She puts it into a bag, and stores it in the fridge."


    "I see," Mrs. Goldman said, "Just to let you know, you cannot let him drink your blood, ever. The magic in our systems makes our blood too potent for a vampire to handle. Vampires can go into a rage if they consume too much blood at one time, something that''s called a bloodlust. Just drinking a tiny bit of our blood causes them to go into that lust almost immediately, and for a lot longer. I''ve seen it happen before, and it''s not a pretty sight."


    "I guess that means Alyssa isn''t a witch," Diane concluded.


    "Quite right," Mrs. Goldman confirmed. "Her mother wasn''t a witch, so that just makes her a normal human being."


    "That likes to hang out with a Vampire." Diane added.


    "That does sounds like a very corny young adult novel," Mrs. Goldman said, laughing to herself. "But who are we to judge?"


    "Does this mean you''ll teach me?" Diane asked.


    "Teach you what?" Mrs. Goldman inquired.


    "How to be a witch." Diane said.


    "Well, you are a witch," Mrs. Goldman corrected her, "But if you want to learn spells and how to hone your powers, that I might be willing to do. I have my own conditions."


    "Name them," Diane said, eager to seal the deal.


    "You have to volunteer to work at the garden," She started, "This will not only give me time and privacy to teach you, but I also want you to learn potion making as well. That way if I eventually pass on, you''ll be able to take my place here as the town herbalist."


    "I actually like that idea," Diane said, "I also was curious about potions."


    "Sounds like we have an understanding," Mrs. Goldman said, "I do not think Alyssa or Max will have an issue with you working at the garden. We could always use the extra help, and Max knew how close I was to your mother when she was still around. I think that''s why he asked me to watch you today. Well, at least that what he thinks is the reason. Men are easier to control if you know the right spells."


    "Oh," Diane said, hanging on her every word.


    "Just eat for now, dear." Mrs. Goldman said, "I will speak to Max later this week and tell him how helpful you were today, and that you want to volunteer. Max likes putting people to work, and with me watching you after school, Pablo has more time to help Max on the wall, doesn''t he?"


    "I supposed so," Diane said, still very interested in the idea.


    "If only your mother were here," Mrs. Goldman said, so proud.


    "Me too," Diane said, "I miss her a lot."


    "We all do," Smokey said, calling out from the couch.


    The rest of the meal was rather quiet, and after supper Mrs. Goldman walked Diane back to her own apartment, and Pablo was just getting home as well when they arrived. He stopped as he saw the two of them approach him.


    "How did you know he was just finishing up?" Diane asked.


    "I had a cat watching him," Mrs. Goldman said, smiling. "I knew the moment Max had him relieved for the day."


    "That is so cool," Diane noted.


    "Very," The old lady agreed.


    "Hey Pablo!" Diane said, waving as they got closer.


    "Hey kiddo!" Pablo said, waiving back.


    "Here you go," Mrs. Goldman said, handing him a plastic container. "Leftovers from our supper tonight. It will restore a lot of energy you lost on the wall today."


    "Wow," Pablo said, taking the container from her. "Thank you."


    "It was my pleasure," Mrs. Goldman said with a warm smile, "Good night, dear. I really enjoyed our time together today."


    "As did I," Diane said as she gave the old lady a big huge. "See you soon!"


    As Diane and Pablo were walking up the stairs, curiosity got the best of him.


    "What did you mean by see you soon?" he asked her.


    "I worked at the gardens today," Diane answered, "I really enjoyed it. She''s going ask Max if I can start working there after school and on weekends."


    "Oh," Pablo said, rather surprised. "That''s pretty cool."


    "It is," Diane agreed, "And I can also use my work to get awesome herbs for Alyssa to cook with."


    "That''s a good point," Pablo said, "So glad to hear you had a good day."


    Once they were back home, Pablo crashed on the couch and ate his supper while Diane went to her room and stayed there for the rest of the night. She sat there in bed, looking at pictures of here mom in old photo albums. It didn''t take her long to find them, pictures of both her mother and Mrs. Goldman, which pretty much confirmed the old lady''s stories on what good friends they were. Mrs. Goldman even stood for her mom at her wedding, which told the young girl that she could trust the lady... even if was a witch.


    Diane sat up in bed, checked to make sure the door was closed, then cupped her hands on her lap, and closed her eyes.


    "Nature flows like a river to the sea," she started, concentrating hard, "through Salem and me."


    This time the light that started to shine was brighter than it was before, glowing as if there was a sun rising in her bedroom. Her concentration was broken and the light faded as there was a sound that caught her attention; something was tapping on her window.


    "Gabriel?" Diane asked, as she walked over to her window.


    She hopped off her bed and ran over to the window, but when she opened the curtain there was no vampire floating outside this time. There was only a gray cat sitting on her windowsill, meowing to be let it.


    "Smokey?" Diane said, opening the window for him. "How did you get up here?"


    "You do realize Gargoyles have wings, right?" the cat said just before he jumped through the window and onto the bedroom floor.


    "Oh, I forgot." Diane said, closing the window. "Sorry about that."


    "It''s alright," The cat said, shaking off the cold. "Nice room."


    "Thanks," Diane said, "It isn''t much but at least its mine."


    "It will do," The cat said, not being too critical.


    "What do you mean?" Diane asked, thinking about it for a second, "And what are you doing here?"


    "What do you mean what am I doing here?" The gray cat asked, almost offended by her question. "I''m here to resume my duties as your guardian."


    "My guardian?" Diane repeated.


    "Well, I was technically your mother''s guardian." The cat explained, "But after you were born, I was your guardian too."


    "Oh," Diane said, remembering what the old lady had told her. "I guess that would be alright. I don''t know what Alyssa would think of me having a cat."


    "Do not fret," the cat replied, as he pranced around the room a little more. "I will return to Mrs. Goldman''s in the morning before your sister wakes up, and return every night when you sleep."


    "Okay," Diane said as she hopped back into bed. "And you''ll remain in cat form?"


    "I only change to my natural state when there is danger," The cat told her, "Such as if there are undead to be dispatched."


    "You''re good at doing that?" Diane asked.


    "Very," Smokey answered, "Even better than vampires."


    "You are?" Diane said, suddenly impressed. "Wow."


    "It''s time for bed, little one." The cat suddenly said, "You have school tomorrow."


    "Really?" Diane asked, surprised by the cat''s sudden mothering.


    "Really," the cat answered, "Your mother would expect nothing less."


    "Alright," Diane said, as she hopped into bed and turned out the light.


    The cat jumped onto the bed, circled around before laying down at the bottom of the mattress, curling up into a little purring ball of fur. They both had no trouble getting to sleep that night, as it was the best rest both of them had had in a very long time.

 30. All Cards On The Table

    Alyssa and Gabriel were gone for only a few more days, but Alyssa was very happy to be back home after their long trip to the human cities on the east coast. She was relieved to be back home as the cities were far too crowded for her liking. It was nice to meet and interact with new people, but Alyssa was clearly happy to be back in her small little town. Since they had arrived in the middle of the night, Alyssa went to bed herself while Gabriel flew back to Nashville to take a break from humans in general. Alyssa packed away her new stuff, and left Max''s new stuff on the floor before going to her own room and sleeping for at least ten hours. When she finally woke, up Alyssa was eager to see everyone and get an update on what had been happening since she and Gabriel had left. They had been away almost a week, so she was eager to hear how everyone was doing. As she walked into the living room, Pablo was in the kitchen, checking on some of the stuff she and Gabriel had brought back.


    "You guys had a nice haul this week," He noted, "Max will be beside himself."


    "It will keep him quiet for a while," Alyssa said, as she made herself a coffee. She quickly looked around. "Where''s Diane?"


    "She''s at work," Pablo answered.


    "Excuse me?" Alyssa asked, "Work?"


    Pablo laughed as he remembered she didn''t know. "Take a seat, and I''ll explain."


    Pablo told her everything that had gone on that day, and then explained that Mrs. Goldman had pretty much told Max that Diane was one of her people now and that she''d be working at the gardens. He knew better now to say no to her, and Diane had been at the garden every day after school."


    "So that''s where she is now?" Alyssa asked.


    "Yes," Pablo answered, "She''s taking a real liking to working in the garden. You said yourself that it was best she found something to do so she wouldn''t be asked to do something more dangerous. Mrs. Goldman is watching her after school as well, which has allowed me to do more wall duties for Max."


    "Wow," Alyssa said, thinking about it. "I had no idea she liked it so much. I''m happy she''s found a place to work and be safe. I just wasn''t ready for the change to come so suddenly."


    "Change comes when we least expect it," Pablo reminded her, "Kids grow up whether we want them to or not."


    Alyssa found it hard to believe, but after getting something to eat she decided to see it for herself. She left her apartment building and decided to take a walk to the garden and check up on her sister. When she arrived, Diane was in the middle of all the action, putting plants into fresh pots, and was earing gardening gloves and a hat to block the sun. Alyssa slowly approached, but as she got closer, there was a light growl. She looked around to see where the source was but she couldn''t find where it came from. The noise has caught Diane''s attention and she turned around to notice that her sister had arrived.


    "Hey," She said, with a smile. "I know you came in last night, but decided to let you sleep in. I hope you don''t mind."


    "No, I appreciate it." Alyssa said, looking around at the work Diane had done already as there were over a dozen pots on the ground around her. "You seem to really like the work you''re doing here."


    "I do," Diane confirmed. "Did you know Mom used to work here sometimes whenever she wasn''t busy with the kitchen?"


    "I didn''t," Alyssa said, pleasantly surprised.


    "She did," Mrs. Goldman said, as she walked over to greet her guest. "Welcome back Alyssa. I take it your trip was bountiful?"


    "It was," Alyssa said, "I even managed to get some new seeds for the garden."


    "Wonderful!" Mrs. Goldman said, beaming with excitement. "Variety is often hard to come by so anything you can find will be put to good use."


    "Mrs. Goldman," Alyssa said, "Gabriel and I are going to travel East for a few days next week, would you be up for watching Diane again while we''re gone? She appears to really enjoy being here."


    "It would be my pleasure," Mrs. Goldman said, "Having her here has been such a delight, but it would be easier if she stayed in my guest room while you are both out of town. Less walking and easier on my hips."


    "Of course," Alyssa concurred, not wanting to bother her. "Are you okay with staying with Mrs. Goldman while I''m gone, Diane?"


    "Sure," Diane said with a smile, "That would be cool."


    "Just one more thing," Mrs. Goldman said, "Your friend Gabriel had a talk with my friend Oscar. He told me that Gabriel wanted to speak with me about something private about something important. Tell him I''d be okay with that but we can do it before or after you get back next week. There''s no rush."


    "Oh," Alyssa said, unaware of their talk. "I''ll let him know."


    "Thank you, dear." Mrs. Goldman replied, "And your day is done too, little one."


    "It is?" Diane asked, almost looking disappointed.


    "The garden will still be here when you return," the old lady reminded her, "Spend some time with your sister, and cherish it."


    "Alright," Diane said as she stood up, "I''ll see you Monday."


    "Take care, dear." Mrs. Goldman said, watching them walk off.


    Alyssa and Diane walked back to their apartment, and used some of the veggies and herb from the garden along with foods brought back from the city to make up a very nice meal for them and Pablo when he returned from the wall. It was dark when it was all ready so Gabriel came out to join them but he didn''t eat anything. He just liked to hang out and talk with the others while they ate.


    "By the way," Alyssa said, almost forgetting. "Mrs. Goldman said you spoke to a friend of hers, someone named Oscar."


    "I don''t know anyone named Oscar," Gabriel said, confused.


    At that moment, Diane softly giggled at the table, which caused everyone to turn around and look at her.


    "What was that for?" Pablo asked.


    "It''s just a nice change," Diane said, "I know something you guys don''t for a change."


    "And what is that?" Gabriel asked.


    "You talked to Oscar last week on the roof," Diane reminded him. "He''s the black cat that has been following you guys around since he spoke to you at the wall after the incident with the undead herd."If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "You know about the cat?" Gabriel said.


    "Yes, I do." Diane said, "It''s Mrs. Goldman''s cat."


    There was a long pause at the table as Diane clearly knew a lot more than everyone at the table did.


    "Do you know what that means Diane?" Alyssa asked.


    "Yes," Diane said, "She''s the witch you guys suspected was living here."


    "How did you confirm that?" Gabriel asked.


    "She told me," Diane said, "Oscar passed along your message about wanting to speak with her. She told Alyssa today that she''s willing to speak with you. Oscar said you wanted to discuss something with her that was rather important about the undead."


    "That''s right," Gabriel confirmed, "I did."


    "Okay," Pablo said, raising his hands. "Before anyone freaks out, it''s clear to see that even thought she''s a witch... Mrs. Goldman appears to be a pretty stand up lady. She''s been a pillar to this community and helpful to us as well, especially the last few days with Diane. Let''s not panic."


    "And why not?" Alyssa asked, a tad unnerved that a witch had been watching her sister while she and Gabriel were gone.


    "Because everyone here, especially him." Pablo said as he gestured to Gabriel, "Should know that not everyone lives up to their species'' horrid reputations."


    "He''s right," Gabriel confessed, "Mrs. Goldman deserves the benefit of the doubt, especially considering all the work she''s put into this town. She''s worked hard to help the people here."


    "She even saved my life." Diane added.


    "Excuse me?" Alyssa said.


    Diane went on to explain how Mrs. Goldman created a potion that saved her when she was very young, and quite ill.


    "One question, Diane." Pablo started, "Do you happen to know how many witches are in this town?"


    "Yes," Diane replied, "Just two."


    "Well, that''s a relief," Pablo said, sighing.


    "What about the Guardians?" Gabriel asked. "How many?"


    "I''m not sure." Diane answered, "They''re rather good at hiding. Oscar is one of only a few that are brave enough to show themselves so openly. The rest prefer to hide and lurk in the shadows."


    "What the hell is a guardian?" Pablo then asked.


    "The cats," Diane asked. "He''s asking me about the cats."


    "How are they Guardians?" Alyssa asked.


    "Should you tell them," Diane asked Gabriel, "Or should I?"


    "Tell us what?" Alyssa asked.


    "They''re not cats," Gabriel said, "It''s a form they take to hide in plain sight."


    "That doesn''t sound good," Pablo said, "Even creepy."


    "They''re Gargoyles," Diane added.


    "Gargoyles?" Pablo repeated, looked at Gabriel. "Is she serious?"


    "Gargoyles protect witches," Gabriel explained, "In exchange for longer life and more power. They feed off a witch''s aura. It makes them very close."


    "Okay," Alyssa said, trying to process what they''ve been told. "Maybe Diane needs to stay away from Mrs. Goldman until we find out who the other witch is."


    "Why don''t you just ask?" Diane offered, "I already know."


    "Who is it?" Alyssa asked.


    "It was Mom," Diane replied, "She and Mrs. Goldman came to the town together."


    "Your mother was a witch?" Gabriel said, jumping up from the table.


    "Hold on," Alyssa said, also standing up. "Are you alright?"


    "She''s a witch," Gabriel said, suddenly.


    "What?" Alyssa said, "Diane?"


    "Witches inherit their powers from their mother." Pablo explained, "It''s passed down from mother to daughter."


    "Kind of," Diane said, "You can learn to become one, but it''s far easier if you just inherit the power from a parent."


    "Diane?" Alyssa turning back to her sister. "Is this true?"


    Before Alyssa could respond, three cats emerged from Diane''s bedroom and slowly walked closer to the kitchen table. The one leading the way was gray, while the other two were brown and a black and white mix. One of them could be heard growling softly as they walked closer.


    "Okay," Pablo said, as he now stood up. "Are those what I think they are?"


    "Yes," Diane said, "They''re my guardians."


    "What did he say?" Pablo asked, assuming Gabriel heard him.


    "He told Gabriel to keep his distance," Diane answered for him.


    "She''s right," Gabriel said, "That''s exactly what he said."


    "Gabriel," Diane said, using a very soft tone. "You asked me to trust you despite the fact that you were a vampire, and I have. Now I''m asking you to show to give me the same consideration even though I''m a witch. To be honest, I had no idea of this until this week. I''m still dealing with this reality myself, so a little understanding and support would be rather helpful during this transition."


    Just then the gray cat meowed again, sounding rather annoyed.


    "What was that?" Pablo asked.


    "He said he''s disappointed," Gabriel said, "In her."


    Gabriel had motioned to Alyssa, who look rather surprised to hear that the cat wasn''t happy with her.


    "Why me?" Alyssa asked. "What did I do?"


    "He''s sad that you don''t remember him," Diane answered, "This was Mom''s cat."


    Alyssa looked back at Diane with a surprised face. "This is smokey?"


    "Yes," Diane confirmed, "He''s been staying with Mrs. Goldman since Mom passed away because he needed to stay close to an active Aura."


    "I''m sorry, this is crazy." Alyssa said, as she just couldn''t believe it. "You''re really a witch and Mom was too?"


    Rather that try to convince her, she cupped her hands together and closed her eyes and whispered. "Nature flows like a river to the sea, through Salem and me."


    As the light started to emanate from Diane''s hands, Gabriel started to cover his eyes, and Pablo jumped in front of him to shield Gabe''s body with his own. Seconds later the light was out.


    "OWW!" Gabriel screamed as he could be seen holding his hand, as the fingers and the top of hand were scorched as if they were hit with a blowtorch.


    "Damn!" Pablo said, impressed with what he saw. "Okay, I''m convinced. She''s a witch!"


    "What the hell was that?" Alyssa asked, "Gabe, are you okay?"


    "I''ll be fine," Gabe called back, "It will take a few hours, but I''ll heal. Thankfully she wasn''t concentrating that hard."


    "That was artificial sunlight," Pablo said, looking back at Diane. "That is incredibly harmful to vampires."


    "I''m sorry!" Diane called out, covering her mouth. "I didn''t know that."


    Diane ran off for her room, and Gabriel tried to follow her. While his intent was to assure the young girl that he was alright and that everything would okay, that was not the impression that the three cats were given. The gray cat suddenly transformed into a much larger, more menacing gray form. A tall muscular beast, with wings, and a long tail. The Gargoyle grabbed Gabriel by the neck, and dragged him to the other side of the room in less than a second, and slammed him up against the wall, snarling at him with fangs that were even bigger than his own.


    "Let me make something perfectly clear," the Gargoyle said, in plain English that Alyssa and Pablo could hear and understand. "Witches do not kill vampires, we do."


    "I wasn''t going to harm her," Gabriel said.


    "No, you weren''t." the gargoyle agreed, "And to answer your question, blood sucker, there are over twenty guardians in this little town. That is actually the highest concentration outside of Salem. That number doubled in the last few days because many of them sensed a new aura. That number might double again in the next week or two. This Aura is the most powerful we have ever sensed in centuries, and we will all do anything to protect it. Is that understood?"


    "Yes, I understand." Gabriel said, "I''ve also been protecting her and the town for a while now. No harm will come to her while I stand as well."


    The Gargoyle looked Gabriel in the eyes and could sense that what he was being told was the truth. Seconds later, the Gargoyle released Gabe from its grip and lowered him back to the floor.


    "I believe you," The gargoyle said, "But we still have a job to do. The best way for you to protect her is to stay out of our way."


    Before anyone else could say anything else, the Gargoyle vanished and seconds later the same gray cat they had seen earlier ran across the floor, scampered back into Diane''s bedroom, and slammed the door behind him.


    Pablo looked at Alyssa. "Did that just happen?"


    Alyssa walked over to where Gabriel was standing, "Are you alright?"


    "I''ll heal," Gabriel replied, "But grab me a bag from the fridge, and that will speed things up."


    Pablo tossed her a bag of blood from the fridge and she handed it to him. He also grabbed a bottle from the fridge and waved it at Alyssa. "Now that all the cards are on the table, I''m going to have a drink. Please tell me I''m not drinking alone."


    "Oh, hell yes." Alyssa said, "I need a few shots after that."

 31. Time Out Everyone!

    Alyssa and Pablo sat at the table and traded a few shots while Gabriel drank from his bag, all not saying a single word for several minutes. After finishing his bag of blood, even Gabriel was feeling better as he strolled back into the kitchen and sat down at the table with the two humans, who were both looking at him. They both had that look your parents would give you when you''re in trouble or just got home late past curfew, like they were very disappointed in you.


    "What?" Gabriel asked, even though he had an idea and was just playing dumb.


    "You haven''t been up front with us, Gabe." Pablo replied. "There are more than a few things that need to be clarified tonight."


    "What he said," Alyssa concurred, before taking another shot.


    "I''m sorry," Gabriel said, realizing he''d be caught. "I tend to keep my secrets close to my chest. Vampires cannot afford to be too loose with our vulnerabilities. It''s not that I don''t trust you, quite the opposite. I''ve told you guys far more than I have any other human I''ve ever interacted with before."


    "But it appears some lies actually hold truth," Alyssa said, pointing to his hand. "It turns out sunlight is a little more harmful than you suggested."


    "It can be," Gabe finally confirmed, "But it would take hours in the sun to cause this kind of damage. That light Diane projected was more intense because that specific spell was created to detect creatures and harm them. This prevented vampires from spying on witches whenever they met to discuss things. Once they knew we existed, they had taken great measures to make sure they were ready for us."


    "Fair enough," Alyssa said, "But you need to be up front with everything."


    "Shoot." Gabriel said, sitting back in his chair. "What do you want to know?"


    "How about your age?" Alyssa started, "It appears you''ve been telling everyone different numbers. When were you born?"


    "I was born in the year 473." Gabriel answered, "BC."


    "BC?" Pablo repeated, his eyes as wide as saucers. "That means you''re almost twenty-five hundred years old!"


    "Why did you lie to us about that?" Alyssa asked.


    "Everyone lies about their age," Gabriel said, "I just stopped saying BC a long time ago because I got rather tired of being asked questions about Jesus and the Roman Empire."


    "Well I guess that would be annoying," Pablo admitted, "But that''s quite a difference from what you were telling us."


    "I also didn''t want to intimidate you," Gabe replied, "I found over the years that shortening my alleged time on Earth make people less intimidated. I was just doing it to make you guys more comfortable, well, as comfortable as you can be with a vampire."


    "Fair enough," Alyssa said, sitting back and folding her arms. "But you don''t need to do that with us. We can handle anything."


    "Even Gargoyles?" Gabriel asked.


    "Okay, that was a tad freaky," Pablo admitted, "We could have used a heads up on that. I almost shot at one off the cats a few days ago. It would have been nice to know they were powerful, mythical creatures so I wouldn''t mess with them."


    "You can''t harm them," Gabriel informed him. "Bullets would have no effect. You''d just piss them off, nothing more."


    "Nice to know," Pablo said, sighing. "Any other creatures we should worry about?"


    "Many," Gabriel admitted, "But none that we have to worry about in these parts."


    "Let''s get back to that black cat," Pablo started, "You asked him to ask this Goldman woman for a powwow about the undead. What the hell is that about?"


    "She''s been around for a while," Gabriel explained, "I wanted to speak to her about the undead because I''m curious about something."


    "That can''t be it," Alyssa said, "Don''t hold back."


    "Alright," Gabriel said, realizing he had to be honest. "I was asked to speak to some people on behalf of the council. Gather up specific Intel about the undead and when they started to appear."


    "The council?" Pablo repeated, "You spoke to someone from the council?"


    "Yes," Gabriel confirmed, "They sent someone to speak with us in New Lycan, when Alyssa and I were in separated interrogation rooms. They also sent that same person to question me about the incident with the Californians."


    "Who would they send that fast?" Pablo asked.


    "They sent the only vampire that''s powerful enough to cross the ocean without resting." Gabriel answered.


    Pablo''s eyes widened "They sent Cornelius?"


    "Yes," Gabriel confirmed, "He''s looking rather well."If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Isn''t that Gabe''s brother?" Alyssa asked.


    "Yes, it is." Pablo confirmed. "And what happened?"


    "He said the council spoke with California," Gabriel said, "Informed them that they were wrong to attack Denver without letting them know first. For that I was let off the hook, and that''s when Cornelius asked me for something in return."


    "That sounds like the big bastard," Pablo replied, "He does something for you and then ask for something in return. Classic vamp manipulation."


    "What did he want?" Alyssa asked.


    "Information," Gabriel answered, "Cornelius and the council know that I communicate with humans and other monsters a lot more then they do. They want to take advantage of my contacts to ask questions and survey them about the undead and the history of them."


    "This doesn''t sound right," Pablo said, thinking about it. "What are they up to?"


    "If I am to take Cornelius at face value," Gabriel replied, "The council appears to be ready to step in and bring this undead thing to an end."


    "It''s just self serving." Pablo added, "I guess they finally realize that no more humans means no more food. Not the best reason to get involved, but I''ll take it. Humanity needs all the help they can get."


    "That''s for sure," Alyssa agreed.


    "Cornelius in New Lycan," Pablo said, giving out a big sigh. "That had to be interesting around all those wolves."


    "They knew who he was," Gabriel confirmed, "They were all seriously intimidated."


    "I don''t understand," Alyssa said, "Why are they intimidated?"


    "Besides his scary size," Gabriel answered, "Cornelius is the most well know Vampire in the world. Most monsters know who he is and fear him. I think the only vampire more well known than him, well, that would be Dad."


    "Yeah, that sounds about right." Pablo agreed.


    "Wait a moment, your father?" Alyssa repeated, "So, your Dad is the most well know vampire by monsters?"


    "No, by the world." Pablo replied, "Even humans are aware of how badass he was. For thousands of years, many monsters knew him as Tyrannius."


    "But to humanity, he was known as Tyrannos." Gabriel continued for him, "The ancient Greek ruler whose name is the very standard for modern dictators. My father is the reason why oppressors are referred to as ''tyrants''."


    "Then he went underground for over a thousand years," Pablo said, "He popped back up in Romania in the 1400s,


    "Yet since it had been over a thousand years since his last appearance in history," Pablo added, "So this time out he was known as Vlad the Impaler."


    "Wow, that''s not creepy." Alyssa said, "How did he get that name?"


    "He impaled a lot of people," Gabriel answered, "Tens of thousands."


    "Why haven''t I heard of him?" Alyssa asked.


    "You have heard of him," Gabriel said, smiling. "The Impaler is his nickname, not his surname."


    "What is it?" Alyssa asked.


    "His name was Vlad Dracula." Pablo answered.


    "Dracula?" Alyssa said, turning to face Gabriel again. "You lied again!"


    "I did?" Gabriel asked.


    "I remember you telling me that this book wasn''t true!" Alyssa chided.


    "It wasn''t!" Gabriel said, "First of all, Dad''s not dead."


    "Wait, he''s not?" Pablo said, "I thought the council replaced the monarchy?"


    "They replaced nothing," Gabriel said, "When Dad wakes up from his nap, he''ll expect to take his stop at the head of the table."


    "Wait, how long has he been napping?" Alyssa asked.


    "A very long time." Gabriel replied, "A few centuries, which means he doesn''t even know about the undead. I don''t even think any of the other elders really know what''s going on up here on the surface."


    "That''s interesting," Pablo said, "Imagine a rancher goes on a trip and returns weeks or months later and the cattle on the ranch have been wiped out by a plague while you were gone. Imagine just how pissed off you would be if that happened to your food supply?"


    "That explains the council''s actions quite a bit," Gabriel said, "They''re gathering Intel and trying to make it looking like they''re doing something about it. So if the elders wake up and see this mess, they can at least claimed to have tried to stop the food supply from going extinct, save themselves all a brutal impaling."


    "He still does that?" Alyssa asked.


    "Not for a very long time," Gabriel said, "But he looking at this mess might make him want to impale the entire council if they have nothing to show him."


    "Alright, we have the why," Pablo said, sitting back down. "So what are we going to do now that we know?"


    "I made a promise," Gabriel said, "I promised Cornelius I''d at least try, and I have been. Speaking to some elders in the eastern cities. We need to speak to this witch and see what she knows. There''s a possibility she''s old enough to remember when it all started."


    "Sounds like a plan," Alyssa said, "But we''re all going."


    "I agree," Pablo said, "I want to speak to hear as well."


    "Alright," Gabriel said, as he realized there was no point fighting. "But don''t do too much talking, I need to get the information for my brother."


    "We''ll go on Monday," Alyssa suggested, "After we take Diane to school. Let''s all go to our corners and all cool down before talking to Mrs. Goldman. It will give me time to talk to Diane as well and resolve things with her too."


    "Alright," Gabriel said, as he stood up to go. "Pablo and I will take off and give you some space."


    Alyssa followed the men to the door and closed the door behind them after they walked out. Once the door was locked, she turned around and the grey cat was standing in the middle of the room. Alyssa wasn''t scared because if Diane was telling the truth about his identity, the cat used to be her pet as well. They had history.


    "Smokey," Alyssa said, as she couldn''t believe she was talking to a cat. "Let Diane know that I''d like to speak with her, please."


    The cat gave a short sound before scampering back into Diane''s room to get her. Moments later Diane came out of the room but the cat was still following behind.


    "Is he alright?" Diane asked, still upset she hurt Gabriel.


    "He''ll be fine," Alyssa said, as she walked over and hugged her sister. "Vampires heal very quickly and we gave him a bag to speed up the process. He''s already much better and will be good as new tomorrow."


    "I didn''t mean to," Diane said, clearly remorseful.


    "I believe you, and so does Gabriel." Alyssa said, "Take a seat and I''ll make some tea."


    "Alright," Diane said, as she sat down at the table. "You''re not mad at me for keeping my power a secret?"


    "I''ve kept secrets too," Alyssa said, smiling back. "We can get through this, and we will have a nice, calm and very civil discussion with Mrs. Goldman about it."


    "That sounds good," Diane said, relieved to see everyone had calmed down.


    Alyssa was pouring the tea into cups and she decided to change the subject so Diane wouldn''t feel do bad.


    "Listen to this," Alyssa called out, "You are never going to believe who Gabriel''s dad is!"

 32. Conference at the Cauldron

    Hours before Alyssa walked Diane to school that following Monday, after a weekend of peace and quiet, Gabriel left the building and walked over to Mrs. Goldman''s place of residence before the sun came up. As he walked into the hallway of the building, standing there at the end of the hall was the same black cat that had been following Gabe and Pablo around town for a while now. Gabriel looked down at the black cat as he sat pretty, constantly keeping an eye on the vampire.


    "Hello again," Gabriel said to the small ball of fur. "Oscar, right?"


    "Correct blood sucker," Oscar replied. "Are you just going to wait here for the next few hours?"


    "Yes, I am." Gabriel answered, "And I have a name too."


    "My apologies, Gabriel." The cat said, "I don''t normally converse with vampires long enough to be on a first name basis."


    "Understandable," Gabriel conceded, "We can be a finicky bunch."


    "I''ve never heard a vampire admit that," Oscar admitted, shaking up a bit.


    "There are some of us who are humble," Gabe offered, "It just takes us a lot longer to get there. A lot longer."


    "Fair enough," Oscar said, "She is expecting you downstairs."


    "I''ll stay here," Gabriel countered, "I promised to wait for them. It''s best not to leave them out, because they''ve got enough issues with trust."


    "I understand," The cat said, "Our reputations tend to cause some of those issues with the humans."


    "Mine more than yours," Gabriel countered, "Yet I completely understand why they fear me, because they''re my food. It''s like asking a rat to trust a cat, the distrust is not assumed and is quite earned."


    "I see," the cat replied, "My master and I have known about your presence here in the town since the beginning when Alyssa was sent out on her first salvage mission and didn''t come back for over a week."


    "Since the beginning," Gabriel said, thinking about it. "I guess I should thank you for not confronting or exposing my secrets."


    "Exposing you serves no purpose," the cat said, "It also risks exposing ourselves. It doesn''t make any sense if you''re not causing trouble."


    "Usually I''m accused of causing trouble," Gabriel admitted, "Most vampires are well known for stirring things up."


    "But you''re not most vampires," Oscar noted, "My master is old enough to know your history, hence another reason why she is not that concerned but still cautious."


    "Not a bad attitude in this world," Gabriel agreed, "You can''t afford not to be."


    "Indeed," the cat concurred.


    There was a long silence that took over from there, as the vampire and the cat stood there at the staircase for what seemed like a few minutes to them but was a few hours to the rest of the world. It was only a matter of time before Pablo and Alyssa arrived after dropping off Diane at school. They seemed surprised to see Gabriel and the cat waiting for them, but Gabriel was offended by their shock.


    "Let''s not keep her waiting any longer," Pablo said, "I have to report for wall duty in less than two hours."


    The cat started to head downstairs instead of up.


    "Isn''t her apartment this way?" Alyssa asked.


    The cat stopped, looked back at them and meowed.


    "He said she''s not waiting for us there," Gabriel said.


    "Lead the way fur ball," Pablo said, as he didn''t honestly care where they were meeting as long as they got things started.


    The cat descended towards the basement to a part of the building that Alyssa had never seen before. When the reached the bottom of the stairs, if looked like a dead end but the can walked up to the wall and growled for a moment. As if controlled by machines, a secret door popped open, much to the surprised of the three people watching. The cat led the and walked through the opening and Gabriel went second as the two humans followed behind. Once they were all inside the door closed behind them, but they didn''t look back but preferred to see what was in front of them. There was an assortment of plants, and in the middle of all it was a big black pot that many of them had read in stories but had never seen in person until then.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    "Where the hell are we?" Alyssa asked.


    "This looks very creepy," Pablo added.


    "It''s a cauldron." Gabriel answered, "But one that hasn''t been used in a while."


    "Quite correct," the old woman said, as she smiled to greet them. "This cauldron hasn''t been active since Diane''s mother passed away."


    "Why not?" Pablo asked.


    "Rules," Mrs. Goldman said, "It takes two witches to safely control a cauldron. I haven''t been able to use this puppy since I lost my friend, but that might change soon."


    "You''re talking about Diane?" Alyssa asked.


    "Yes, I am." Mrs. Goldman replied, "While an active cauldron might scare some people, it''s actually very beneficial to the town."


    "How so?" Gabriel asked.


    "They can repel the undead," the old lady answered, "The power from the cauldron gives the undead a bad vibe and they stay miles away from it. Alyssa, haven''t you notices more undead activity since Diane''s mother passed away?"


    "She''s right," Alyssa said, "The dead at the walls and even the herd activity did go up a lot around the time mom passed away."


    "That''s fascinating," Gabriel said, taking note of it. "What about the cauldron repels them?"


    "We think it''s the aura of death," Mrs. Goldman answered, "The cauldron kind of reminds them of the underworld and that''s why the undead stay away from them. It''s like a sixth sense, as they can detect it miles away and make course corrections."


    "That''s amazing," Pablo said, "So how soon can you get it fired back up?"


    "Not yet dear," Mrs. Goldman said, "I''m sure Alyssa would prefer I take things slow with Diane when teaching her the craft."


    "Yes, I would." Alyssa said, "But are you sure she''s strong enough to handle it?"


    At that moment, Mrs. Goldman let out a bellowing laugh, as if the young woman had said something that was very funny.


    "You have a nothing to worry about that, dear." The old lady replied, "Diane is a special one, as you can see from all the guardians that have been gathering."


    "How many are here now?" Gabriel asked.


    "I''ve honestly lost count," Mrs. Goldman said, "I''ve never seen anything like this outside of Salem."


    "Why is this happening?" Alyssa asked.


    "It''s because of her aura," Mrs. Goldman answered, "A witch''s power broken up into seven magical fields. The first four are the elements, which are magic used through earth, wind, water and fire. Then there is light and dark magic. As a witch grows up, her aura will naturally gravitate to the one that fits her abilities. Some witch''s auras are strong enough to take on two powers, classified as a main and a minor. When a witch has two, they often compliment each other. For example, my specialties are in earth and water. This is why I also work with herbs and potions, as that''s part of my special abilities."


    "That''s quite interesting," Pablo said, "But which one is Diane?"


    "The seventh," Mrs. Goldman answered, "Which is called the heavenly aura. We haven''t seen or felt an aura like this in centuries but she has it."


    "What does that kind off aura do?" Gabriel asked.


    "Everything," Mrs. Goldman said, "Diane''s aura allows her to access any of the other six powers at will. She can control them all. That makes her the most powerful witch in the country, possibly the world."


    "Wow," Alyssa said, trying to grasp what was being said. "So not only is my sister a witch, but she''s like a super witch?"


    "Not exactly," the old lady corrected, "Because she can access all elements that makes her an idea person to lead. Leadership is often chosen from those who have a heavenly aura as they are able to work with everyone. Now that a new aura like this has arrived, I''m unsure how the others will respond."


    "The others?" Alyssa repeated.


    "The witches in Salem," Mrs. Goldman answered, "They will no doubt send someone to find out where this aura is. Do you think I''m cleaning up around here just for kicks and to be nostalgic? I''m preparing for company."


    "How many?" Gabriel asked, as he was suddenly concerned.


    "I''m not sure," Mrs. Goldman answered, "But I will use whatever powers I have and the rule of law to stop them if they try to take here away. I should also let you know that the guardians here all came to serve the heavenly aura. If Diane doesn''t want to leave, these guardians will defend her, even against other witches and fellow guardians. I hope the witches will notice that and use diplomacy rather than do something stupid that we''ll all regret."


    "I don''t even know if I want her to take part in all this," Alyssa said, concerned for her younger sister.


    "You don''t have a choice dear," the old woman said, "Sooner or later Diane was going to show signs of powers, and I would have had no choice but to step in if she didn''t talk to me about it first. This isn''t a bad thing, dear. Diane has a power that she can use to protect herself and this town from the undead. And because of what she is, Salem will always offer her a home if she wants it. She has a place that will welcome her with open arms, and accept her just the way she is."


    "If it''s like that, why did you leave?" Gabriel asked.


    "Politics," she answered, "Without a heavenly aura to lead, the elemental council had no choice but to become the ruling body. There''s been infighting and conflict ever since. It''s not as bad as I make it out to be, but it was too much for me so I left to find a better and quieter place to do my thing."


    "But now they''re coming to us?" Pablo asked, "How will we explain this to Max?"


    "I''m not sure, but we''ll burn that bridge when we get there." Mrs. Goldman answered, "What I need is permission to train the child and get her caught up to what a witch her age should know. Is that alright with you, Alyssa?"


    "It is," Alyssa said, surprised herself to hear it. "You knew my mom, so I assume you''d be her first choice too."


    "I appreciate that dear." The old woman said, giving her a hug. She turned to look over at Gabriel, "Now, you wanted to talk to me about the undead... something about some questions your council wanted answered?"


    "I did," Gabriel said, "But it can wait. We have to get ready for your company. Tell me more about the witches that might be coming..."

 33. The Dark Prince

    Alyssa didn''t want to leave the town, not wanting to be away when the witches arrived to see Diane but Max was becoming impatient. It had been over a week since she had spoken to Mrs. Goldman and there was no sign of any new witches. Gabriel said that the old woman was right, that the guardians would protect her and that she had nothing to worry about. She was still reluctant but finally relented and they decided to take a quick trip to New Lycan to get enough supplies to get Max off their backs. Alyssa was packing a light change of clothes since they were going to stay in the city overnight when she decided to check up on Diane and say goodbye before taking off. She walked over and softly knocked on her sister''s door.


    "Come in," Diane called from inside.


    Alyssa opened the door to see her little half sister, sitting on the bed. There were half a doze cats on the best with her, and one of them was playing with a piece of string that Diane was using to dangle above it. If Alyssa didn''t know what those little things really were, she would have thought it was very cute.


    "Hey," Alyssa said, looking around. "They actually like playing?"


    "Some of them are playful," she answered, "Some just like to hide in the shadows and do nothing."


    "How many of them are in here?" Alyssa asked, as that wasn''t the first time that she had heard the term hiding in the shadows.


    "More than a few." Diane said, smiling innocently. "You''re not mad?"


    "I guess not since they''re your bodyguards." Alyssa replied, "The next time a herd of undead attacks, this will be the safest room in the town."


    "Mrs. Goldman says if we get the cauldron running again, we can keep them all away from us." Diane said, "That would make things a lot easier around here, right?"


    "I actually like that part," Alyssa said, as that last herd had really scared her.


    "Is it going to be weird now?" Diane asked, "Now that I''m a witch?"


    "Honestly," Alyssa said, "I think we passed weird a long time ago when vampires and werewolves came into the picture to join the undead. Now I''m ready to believe just about anything. What I find interesting about all these monsters is that they''re just like us. There are a lot of good people who just want to live their lives in peace and it''s just a small handful of jerks that are making things difficult for everyone else."


    "We all have a Max to deal with I guess," Diane added.


    "Yes, we do." Alyssa said with a smile, as she agreed. "That reminds me, Gabriel and I are taking off for New Lycan, are you going to be alright here with Pablo and Mrs. Goldman?"


    "Yeah, I''ll be fine." Diane said, "These guys won''t let anything happen either."


    "Can we grab anything for you in the city?" Alyssa asked.


    "Some snacks would be nice," Diane said.


    The grey cat lying on her bed picked up his head and meowed loudly.


    "What does Smokey want?" Alyssa asked.


    "He wants to know if you could find some tuna or fish," Diane answered, "The guys here like that kind of stuff."


    "Tuna, huh?" Alyssa said, looking at the cat. "Alright, I''ll grab a few. Just take good care of her while I''m gone."


    The cat made a small sound before lying down.


    Alyssa didn''t need a translation as sh left the room and went to the roof where Gabriel was waiting for her.


    "Are you alright?" he asked her.


    "I''ll be alright," Alyssa said, "You were right, she''s well guarded."


    "If Mrs. Goldman assessment is accurate," Gabriel said, "Then those guardians will be loyal only to Diane, and she''s got too many for any witch to overcome. In other words, she''s not going anywhere. We can focus on just heading to the city and hanging out in New Lycan for a while. Maybe get something nice to eat at the pub?"


    "Trying to make me feel better with food?" Alyssa asked, smiling as she walked closer, "That''s a good idea, because it would make me feel better."


    "It''s a nice pub," Gabriel said, "I''m a very old creature and that place is hard for even me to forget."


    "Speaking of the guardians," Alyssa added, "Apparently they like tuna and want us to grab some for them."


    "Really?" Gabriel said, looking rather surprised. "Well... since they''re doing something for us while we''re gone that seems like a small price to pay, right?"


    It took them less time to fly out to New Lycan as Alyssa was getting used to flying with Gabriel and they didn''t have to make as many stops to adjust or break. After they registered with the wolves in the Vampire tower, Gabriel thought it would be best to get the shopping for the town done first so they could have more time to relax when they had dinner at the pub. Alyssa was enjoying the trips to the city and even the wolves in the town were starting to get used to seeing them there so there were no more incidents like there had been the first time. Gabriel returned to the cart with several decent sized cans and dropped them in.


    "For the cats," he reminded her.


    "You sure that''s enough?" Alyssa joked, as she knew there were a lot of guardians in their town to protect Diane.


    "Probably not," Gabriel agreed, "I''ll be right back."


    It didn''t take them long to get most of what the town needed and Alyssa even picked up a few goodies for Diane and Pablo. Once the supplies were stored at their room in the Vampire tower, Gabriel then escorted Alyssa to the pub so they could sit down and relax to a good meal without feeling rushed.


    "Thank goodness," Alyssa said, looking at her menu. "I am starving!"


    Alyssa had ordered a glass of wine to go with her meal while Gabriel only needed the house blood to get by. The pub was lively as it always was, and even Gabriel''s presence wasn''t bothering the wolves as much as it used to. Seeing him interact with the human girl was interesting to the locals, and the staff loved it because Gabriel was a very good tipper and their blood supply wasn''t selling very fast anyway. Gabriel also benefited from the fact that none of the locals had any idea of Gabriel''s place or status within the Vampire circles, and he had preferred to keep it that way. That option was tossed out the window the moment the big man strolled in through the doors. The pub went silent as every wolf in there stopped what they were doing and all turned to face the man who had just walked in. The man was the size of a mountain, was finely dressed and had a grin on his face that his presence had brought everything to a grinding halt. He was used to getting a response from other creatures, especially his fellow vampires, but this wasn''t infatuation. The room was filled with fear. The rooms was still eerily quiet as he walked into the room and over to the table where Gabriel and Alyssa were sitting. He turned to face Alyssa and greeted her with a very polite bow and a warm smile.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "Excuse me, my dear." He said to her, with a voice that was as smooth a silk. He even had a tinge of a British accent in there. "But is this seat taken?"


    "Oh," Alyssa said as she looked at Gabriel and then back at the man who was still looking at her. "It''s not, I suppose. Do we know you?"


    "We''ve never had the pleasure," the man said, still towering over everyone in the room. "My brother doesn''t like to talk about me very much."


    "Your brother?" Alyssa repeated, and then she figured it out. "Cornelius?"


    "A pleasure to meet you Alyssa," Cornelius said, bowing again.


    "Please, sit down." Alyssa said, gesturing to the chair. She could tell that everyone in the room was quite nervous, and she hoped it might ease the tension if she was friendly with the big man. It was a move that seemed to work, because as Cornelius sat down, everyone else in the pub seemed to exhale all at once and resume what they were all doing.


    "The house blend I assume?" Cornelius inquired, gesturing to what Gabriel had in his mug. "It is any good?"


    "Not really, but it''s better than nothing." Gabriel answered.


    "Fair enough," Cornelius said, giving out a light chuckle.


    One of the waitresses walked over. "Can I get you anything, your grace?"


    "I''ll have what he''s having." The big vampire replied, "And bring my brother a refill too. As a matter of fact, I''ll be covering the bill for this entire table."


    "Yes, your grace." The waitress said before cowering away.


    "Your grace?" Alyssa said, "What''s that all about?"


    "Just political hogwash," Cornelius answered, "I don''t care for it myself but the wolves are all about traditions and go out of their way to observe it all. Despite the council running things right now, I am still the dark prince."


    "What does it that mean?" Alyssa asked.


    "A dark prince outranks regular princes," Gabriel said, "It means he''s the eldest brother and the first in line for the throne. I think he likes that one a bit more than the others because he gets to hold it over my head."


    "Quite right, brother." Cornelius said, "Take your pleasures wherever you can find them. Speaking of pleasures, is the food here any good?"


    "It is," Alyssa said, kind of surprised. "You eat food?"


    "Of course we can," Cornelius replied, "We don''t have to, but I enjoy it. Some of us can''t stand it, but others have a cast iron stomach for it."


    As the waitress arrived with Alyssa''s food, Cornelius pointed to it and gestured to the waitress.


    "Bring out two more plates of that, love." He said to her.


    "Yes, your grace."


    "Thank you," Cornelius said, "You see... I can be civil."


    "I can see that," Gabriel said.


    "It feels like it''s been a few hundred years since we broke bread like this." The big vampire said.


    "That''s because it has been a few hundred years," Gabriel confirmed.


    "I know, I just like to say that." Cornelius said, as he laughed before taking a sip of his mug of blood. His face twisted a bit and then he forced down his gulp. "I''ve had worse, but it''s pretty close. Almost tastes like rodent blood."


    "You get used to it," Gabriel noted.


    "I hope not," Cornelius said, taking down another slug. "This makes the work we''re doing very important."


    "The council must be desperate," Gabriel said. He was aware that his brother''s overly polite behavior had more to do with his job for the council to learn more about the undead rather than being polite to his brother and the human he hung out with. "What caused this air of desperation. Did one of the elders wake up?"


    "No," Cornelius said, "And I wouldn''t care if they did. There''s only one elder that I fear and he''s not waking up any time soon."


    "Fair enough," Gabriel said, "I''ve been doing interviews in the eastern cities, and have gathered some very good information for the council."


    "Very good," Cornelius said, finishing off his mug. "I had a feeling you would excel at this task. You have a gift of communicating. You would have made a good diplomat for the council if we ever needed one."


    "I don''t work for the council, and I never will." Gabriel reminded him. "I only answer to one person, and you know who that is."


    "That I do, and admire your loyalty." Cornelius said, "More blood!"


    His bellow caused half of the patrons to jump in their seats. Cornelius laughed at that and seemed to be enjoying himself.


    "What about that small town where you found this lovely flower?" Cornelius said, gesturing to Alyssa. "Talked to anyone over there?"


    "I have," Gabriel said, "A few people but I have one more to interview."


    "Alright," Cornelius said, taking his new mug from the waitress as she arrived rather quickly. "Thank you, my dear."


    Alyssa sat there and listened to the two brothers talk about their business but finally after a while the dark prince turned back to look at her.


    "And what about you, dear." He asked her, "How did you and my brother come to know one another?"


    "He saved me from the undead," she answered, "I wouldn''t be here if it wasn''t for him."


    "That''s Gabriel for you," Cornelius said, "Vamp with a heart of gold."


    "At least I have a heart," Gabriel chided back.


    "I have a heart," Cornelius contested with a laugh, "It''s black as night, but it still works. Not bad for a ticker that''s over ten thousand years old."


    "That''s amazing," Alyssa said, after hearing his age. "You''re actually older than the pyramids!"


    "I never liked those things," Cornelius admitted, "I thought triangles was the wrong shape to go with, as putting them together was a damn pain in the ass. Dad can be very stubborn when he sets his mind to something, isn''t that right brother?"


    "That''s an understatement." Gabriel concurred.


    The conversation was interrupted when the waitress arrived with more food, and Cornelius was no longer interested in talking shop. Despite being a vampire, the big man dug into his food and ate it as if he really needed it to live even though he didn''t. Despite wanting to ask him questions, Alyssa kept quiet and ate her food and watched Gabriel as he seemed rather quiet as well.


    "This has been fun," Cornelius said as he stood up. He looked over to the waitress as she walked over. "Charge this to my room at the Vampire tower and give yourself a very good tip for services well rendered."


    "Yes, your grace." The waitress replied.


    "I must be off," Cornelius said, as he took Alyssa''s hand and kissed the top as if he was from France. "A pleasure to meet you, my dear. I hope that we can break bread again in the near future."


    "Maybe we shall," Alyssa said, "It was nice to meet you too."


    "Brother," Cornelius said, "I''ll speak to you again later when you have more to report."


    "I look forward to it," Gabriel said, with an air of sarcasm.


    The room became silent again as the big vampire walked out of the pub and out the door without any hesitation. Once he had left the building, the patrons were even louder than before, and talked about what had just happened. Alyssa looked back at Gabriel and could sense that he was still uneasy about their uninvited guest.


    "Are you alright?" she asked him.


    "I''ll be fine," Gabriel said, "Are you doing okay?"


    "I''m great," Alyssa said, "He seemed rather nice to me, but I get the feeling he was going above and beyond here."


    "Just a tad," Gabriel said, "I''m unsure what that was all about. Usually he''s very unfriendly to those he feels are beneath him. Yet he was nice to everyone here, even the staff of the pub."


    "Bad tipper?" Alyssa asked.


    "Usually," Gabriel said, "I''m as surprised as you are."


    "Is it just me," Alyssa started, "Or does this mission seem a lot more important than he''s making it out to be?"


    "Seems that way," Gabriel said, "It has to be huge to get a big man like that going out of his way to be nice to get what he wants."


    "Excuse me," Alyssa said to the waitress, "Can I get another two orders to go and the desert menu?"


    The waitress smiled, "Of course you can."


    "What are you doing?" Gabriel asked.


    "What do you care," Alyssa replied, smiling back at him. "This is being billed to the dark prince, remember?"


    Gabriel laughed, "I guess I''ll have another mug then."

 34. Tradition & Etiquette

    After collecting their extra items, Alyssa was too full to take another bite as was Gabriel in a metaphorical sense. Alyssa liked the idea of getting something extra to bring back to town with her. Something for Diane and Pablo to try, cause she''d been taking about the food in New Lycan so much. It wold be nice to bring something for them to try, even if they had to reheat it later. Since it was all on the Dark Prince, she knew Pablo would get a kick out of it, since it appears Pablo wasn''t a big fan of Gabriel''s much older brother. She had no idea why, or if Pablo had ever met the man and was just basing his opinion on what Gabe had told him. She would have to ask him when they met, cause if he hadn''t then he would be very interesting in hearing how her first meeting with the big man went. Once back in the Vampire building, Alyssa just crashed on the couch and layed down to rest.


    "That was pretty intense," she called out, "And you weren''t kidding about your brother. Everyone in the room was terrified of him. It felt like everyone was holding their breath until he left the pub.


    "Yeah, he''s pretty imposing." Gabriel admitted, "Even I get a little flustered sometimes when he''s making the extra effort. Even after thousands of years, he still manages to get under my skin."


    "Brothers are supposed to do that," Alyssa said, "Or siblings for that matter. The more time they spend together the more you know how to push each other''s buttons. I''m sure you know how to push his if you really wanted to."


    "I suppose so," Gabriel said, thinking about it. "I guess I do my own thing that probably gets on his last nerve, but he''s very good at hiding it. He doesn''t give anything anyway, no matter what happens. That''s what makes him so intimidating."


    "He seemed nice at dinner," Alyssa noted, "What was that about?"


    Gabriel walked out into the living room only to shrug. "I have no idea. Usually he''s not very tolerant of people I associated with, especially humans. I was just as surprised about it as everyone else."


    "That is odd," Alyssa said, thinking about it. "Pablo painted him as such a villain. Have they ever met before?"


    "No," Gabriel answered, "He''s just working off of information from others. He was acting different today, but I''m unsure why. I realize he needs me to do this work for the council, but to the point where he''s polite. We''re missing something."


    "That''s another thing," Alyssa said as she sat up, "Why is Cornelius working for the council if he''s royalty?"


    "Technically he''s not working for the council," Gabriel replied, "He''s a member of the council, so he''s working for himself. I think he likes the idea of the council cause it lets him roam about and not get bogged down with politics and feudalism. He prefers to delegate the boring stuff and do whatever he wants but still give off the impression that he''s helping them."


    "That''s pretty smart," Alyssa concluded, "Help them to help yourself."


    "Try to get some sleep," Gabriel said as he put a coat on. "I''m going to meet a few people about procuring some meds your mayor asked for. I''ll probably be asleep myself when you get up. Just hang out around here, and we''ll take off to return home when I wake up tomorrow night."


    "Sounds good," Alyssa said, yawning at the vampire. "How many of you are in the building right now?"


    Gabriel closed his eyes and concentrated for a few seconds. "There are currently seven vampires staying here, and twenty wolves guarding the tower. That''s a lot more than I''m used to but chances are some are here because of the Prince."


    "If he''s your brother," Alyssa continued, "Doesn''t that make you a prince too?"


    Gabriel stood there with his arms crossed and sighed. "Yes."


    "So that''s why Cornelius holds that Dark Prince power over you," Alyssa said, "How far down the line are you?"


    "Three after him," Gabriel answered, "But that only recently changed. I used to be first behind Cornelius but since then women are allowed to be in line for the throne, so that bumped me down a few pegs."


    "Hold on," Alyssa said as something clicked, "You have sisters?"


    "A few," Gabriel said, "And I''m glad they''re recognized, because I want nothing to do with the monarch. So the more bodies that lie between me and the damn throne, the better as far as I''m concerned."


    "I get it," Alyssa said, "You''re the black sheep and everyone else falls over each other for the throne."


    "To be honest, I don''t think Cornelius cares that much either." Gabriel added, "He respects the throne, but doesn''t act like he needs it. I think he was amused when I left Europe to come over here all those centuries ago."


    "Jealous even?" Alyssa suggested, "You did the thing he was tempted to do but couldn''t since he''s first in line."


    "Never considered it like that," Gabriel admitted, "But I doubt it. He''s always been a traditionalist about the throne. He''s never been shy about his duty either, which is why he''s so well known and out there."


    "Alright, well have a good night." Alyssa said, laying back down on the couch.


    "You too." Gabriel said as he left the suite.


    Alyssa had a very long day, so it took very little time for her to fall asleep and she cuddled up on the big couch with a blanket and was off the la la land. It must have been a very deep sleep because not only had Gabriel returned while she was out and he didn''t bother her and went to sleep himself before the sun came up. It wasn''t until between ten and eleven the next day when Alyssa woke up. It wasn''t by her choice, but instead because of a soft sound the jolted her awake. There was a light rapping on the door, which caused her to jump up from where she was laying. She knew Gabriel was down, so she was scared of who might be knocking at their door. Alyssa slowly got off the couch and crept over to the door as quietly as she could. She took a quick peek through the door to see who was there and after a few seconds she sighed and took a deep breath. She opened the door to greet the man that was standing at the door, patiently waiting to be admitted.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    "Good morning," Alyssa said, trying to seem friendly. "What brings the Dark Prince to my door so early? Shouldn''t you be sleeping with the others?"


    "I''m not tired," Cornelius admitted. "I can go three to six days without resting."


    "Wow, I bet you sleep really well after a week awake." Alyssa said, as she thought about staying up so long.


    "Usually when that happens, I rest for one or two days." Cornelius added, "But I rested recently so I won''t be going down anytime soon. I thought you might want to join me for breakfast."


    "Breakfast?" Alyssa repeated, as she forgotten that the big vampire loved to eat.


    "There is a banquet hall downstairs," Cornelius explained, "We use it to host humans, wolves or anyone else who wishes to dine while going over policy. So the Chef can make anything you like."


    "Oh, I see." Alyssa said, considering it.


    "You will be safe," Cornelius assured her, "I would never let anything happen, as the last thing I would want to face is his wrath."


    "Gabriel''s wrath?" Alyssa asked.


    "No, our father''s." Cornelius replied, "He''s far more of a traditionalist than I am. Since you are with Gabriel, so it would be against the rules for any vampire to bring harm to you. The old man would execute any of us without hesitation if that happened, and probably impale us for old time''s sake. So I can assure you that you are quite safe in this building."


    "Fair enough," Alyssa said, "Let me change for the hall."


    "Don''t overdress," Cornelius said, "It''s very informal this morning."


    "Okay, I''ll be right back." Alyssa said as she closed the door.


    She closed the door but didn''t lock it, quite sure it wouldn''t matter or stop the big vampire from barging in if he wanted. He waited very patiently outside while Alyssa changed into something decent but not too dressy. She left a note on the table beside the couch in case Gabriel woke up before she returned, but she doubted that would happen. Even Cornelius knew better than the worry his brother. The walked to the elevator and took the lift down to the second floor where the banquet hall was located. There were several people dining in there, but most of them were wolves as they were guests or patrons of the hall. When Cornelius walked into the room, the reception was far more formal, as everyone in the hall stood up and bowed to the Dark Prince.


    "Whoa," Alyssa said, walking behind him, "You didn''t get that kind of reception at the pub."


    "I actually preferred it that way," Cornelius replied, "I suspect the pub wolves were too shocked to remember, but it didn''t matter. I don''t mind when someone makes the effort but am too lazy to demand it. It gets tiring after a few thousand years."


    "How much older are you than Gabriel?" Alyssa asked.


    "A lot more," Cornelius said, "But it''s impolite to ask someone their age."


    "I''m sorry," Alyssa said.


    Cornelius laughed, "I don''t care. Father and I are the two oldest vampires in the world. Sometimes I''m surprised we''ve both lasted this long. So many people have come and gone, and will continue to as the centuries pass."


    "That has to be lonely," Alyssa observed, "Do vampires marry?"


    "Of course we do," Cornelius said, they reached their table. He pulled out a chair for her. "You could say some of us are responsible for creating the formal union that was later picked up by other species and their religions."


    "I see," Alyssa said as she watched Cornelius take his own seat across from her at their table.


    "You can virtually order almost anything," The big vampire told her, "Or if you don''t know I can order for you."


    "I appreciate that," Alyssa said, looking at her menu but it was written in a language she couldn''t recognize. "What is this?"


    "That is French," Cornelius said, "I should have known. My apologies."


    When a waiter in a very formal suit arrived, he and Cornelius began to speak what she assumed was that language. After several minutes, the man promptly left without even asking her a single thing.


    "Trust me," Cornelius said with a smile, "You will enjoy trying something new."


    "Alright," Alyssa said, trying to remain calm and civil. She was still a little scared of the big man, but like the night before he was still on his best behavior. The statement about the wrath of Gabriel''s father put her at ease, but Alyssa couldn''t wait to tell him about it when he woke up later that day.


    "Is there anything you''d like to speak about?" Cornelius asked.


    "I assume you''ve spent most of your time overseas?" Alyssa asked.


    "Correct," Cornelius answered, "I rarely visited America during it''s golden years, only doing it a few times. I spent most of my time in Europe and Africa."


    "How are those parts of the world doing concerning the Undead?" she asked him, curious to how they''re doing.


    "Some parts are just as ravaged as the Americas," Cornelius admitted, "But many parts of Europe are faring far better than you guys are. There are some countries that are completely undead free and have been for decades. Since the outbreak originated In Africa and the Middle East, we had time to fortify before things got out of control in Asia and Europe.


    "How did they manage to be dead free?" She asked.


    "Walls, very tall walls." Cornelius answered, "Some of them are ugly as shit, but they are very effective in what they were built for. Asia has fallen into chaos, just from their numbers which soon became uncontrollable. The islands are faring a lot better, since the dead can''t swim. They appear to not do well in the cold either, so the cities in the north are faring better as well."


    "That''s fascinating," Alyssa said as the waiter arrived with drinks and a platter which had some sliced meats on it as well as some poached eggs. She could tell that the glass the vampire had was a very bright red substance which was easy to guess. Here glass was a bright orange, which surprised her.


    "Fresh orange juice," Cornelius said, smiling as he raised his glass. "Cheers."


    His politeness was even more creepy this morning as it had been the night before, but she didn''t want to act like a scared puppy so she went along with it. They started to eat the foods that were served, and things were quiet for a while as they usually were when the food first arrived. After a few minutes, Alyssa decided to ask something that had always been on her mind.


    "Who came out first?" She asked him. "Which monsters revealed themselves to the world first after the undead started to ruin the world?"


    Cornelius smiled and put his glass down. "Good question. The council believes it all started about seventy years ago..."

 35. Relighting the Cauldron

    In order to let Pablo get his rest, Diane lodged with Mrs. Goldman while Alyssa and Gabriel were out of town as part of their compromise. After school on Friday, the day Gabriel left for New Lycan with her sister, Diane went to the garden after school and helped out as much as she could till the sun went down. After that she enjoyed a nice meal with Mrs. Goldman, and read a book while the old lady was working on something. She was sewing something together but Diane couldn''t make out what it was. She tried to look above the brim of her book to peek as it.


    "It''s a surprise dear," the old woman called out, "The only person you hurt by spoiling it is yourself."


    "Okay," Diane said as she resumed reading her book.


    She didn''t bother the old woman for the rest of the morning, even when they were working in the gardens. Diane stuck to her garden duties and didn''t say another word until Mrs. Goldman was ready to let her know what the plan was. She led her downstairs to the basement and the secret room that she had shown Alyssa and her friends only days earlier, and Diane walked in with a look of amazement on her face. She walked up to the large black pot into the middle and looked into it. The solid thing was empty and looked like it hadn''t been used in years.


    "Is this what I think it is?" She asked the old woman.


    "Yes," Mrs. Goldman confirmed, "Your mother and I used to run this cauldron together but it hasn''t been active since she passed. In order to run smoothly and without incident, you require two witches to run a cauldron. Now that you''re here and learning, I thought we could get this started again to keep the town safe."


    "Safe from what?" Diane asked.


    "The ghoulish things outside our gates," the old woman answered, "An active cauldron has an effect on them and they tend to steer clear of them. So, once we get this running again, then we won''t have anymore incidents with herds brushing past us."


    "I like the sound of that," Diane admitted, "Will this be hard?"


    "Not for you, dear." Mrs. Goldman said, smiling. "Just take my arms around the pot and we''ll get started."


    As Diane took the old lady''s arms, a small glow started to emanate from within the black cauldron. It was dark at first and then it started to change into various colors, and kept changing as if there was a wheel spinning inside the dark bowl. It was during this process when the bowl was glowing that the guardians all started to appear around the two witches. Diane looked around as they all started to appear from the shadows and surround the cauldron. There had to be a least a hundred cats when they all stopped gathering, and watching as the cauldron was getting brighter.


    "This is normal," Mrs. Goldman called out. "Guardians love to be around for the lighting of a cauldron. What isn''t normal is the sheer number of guardians we actually have here."


    "That isn''t normal?" Diane repeated.


    "It''s unheard of," the old woman answered, "But they do like to be around a new cauldron because it gives them heightened powers that can last for months."


    "How much more power?" Diane asked.


    "It depends on the Aura," Mrs. Goldman replied, "But based on how many are here, they are expecting a very heightened cauldron. From what I''ve witnessed thus far, they''re not going to be disappointed."


    When the cauldron had finished spinning, it settled into a bright golden hue and vapours from it started to travel throughout the room. All the cats that were sitting there, inhaled the gas that was going around and all their eyes started to glow the same bright gold that was also in the cauldron.


    "What just happened?" Diane asked.


    "This is a heavenly cauldron," Mrs. Goldman answered, "The first I''ve ever laid eyes on, and the first I think there''s been in centuries. These guardians are also pledged to you Diane, as the witch with the heavenly aura. The power they feed from your aura and the cauldron make them dedicated to you, and you alone."


    "Whoa," Diane said looking around, "That''s a lot of cats. Do I really need this many guardians?"


    "You might," the old woman answered honestly, "The other witches, and possibly the other monsters might feel your presence, and feel threatened by it."


    "What is your aura?" Diane asked her.


    "Darkness," Mrs. Goldman answered, "But don''t feel threatened. You mother had an aura of light... and that made for a very nice cauldron, as opposites make for a better match. Like fire and water, wind and earth. A cauldron of light and dark is very powerful, but your aura is so powerful that it cancelled me out."


    "I''m sorry." Diane said, feeling bad.


    "Don''t be," Mrs. Goldman replied, "It''s very rare for witches to be able to maintain their own cauldron, but for a heavenly aura it''s not that uncommon. An aura that powerful doesn''t play well with others but it still takes two witches to light and maintain it so I''m still needed."


    "So this cauldron will keep us safe?" Diane asked.


    "It did before," Mrs. Goldman replied, "I can''t see why it wouldn''t now."


    "What was with all those colors?" Diane inquired.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "That was the different kinds of auras." Mrs. Goldman answered, "Since you have a heavenly aura, you are able to access all six of them; those being Fire, water, wind, earth, darkness, and light."


    "And heavenly makes seven," Diane added.


    "Yes, it does." Mrs. Goldman said with a smile. "The heavenly aura is like having all of the above and if you practice, you can learn and cast all six of the auras and use them to their fullest potential."


    "That''s a lot more studying than I was hoping to do," Diane admitted, "I was hoping it would be a one and done situation."


    "I''m afraid not," Mrs. Goldman said, "But you''re in a unique position. Most witches, especially in Salem, like to mingle amongst those who share their own aura. Because you can access them all, they will all welcome you as their own. Every witch in the city will want to be your friend, and that can be good and bad sometimes."


    "Learning all the auras is going to be a lot of work, isn''t it?" Diane asked.


    "Yes," Mrs. Goldman said, "But if you''re willing to work on it, I''ll help you as much as I can to learn them. If there is something I can''t teach you, I know some other witches that owe me a favor that might be able to fill in."


    "Thank you," Diane said, relieved to know she wouldn''t have to do this all by herself. The task seemed daunting enough.


    "Now comes the tough part," Mrs. Goldman said, taking a deep breath.


    "What is that?" Diane asked.


    "We need to cast a spell," the old woman answered, "It connects us to Salem and let''s them know that our cauldron is being run by witches that were properly trained in Salem and not being cast by amateurs that could cause problems."


    "Why is that a problem?" Diane asked.


    "They will sent a witch to confirm it," Mrs. Goldman answered, "Our cauldron will get their attention, especially since it''s being run by a heavenly aura. I don''t anticipate any problems but by doing this, we will have Salem''s undivided attention."


    Diane thought about it for a moment and then remembered the numerous guardians that were present in the room. She felt confident that the guardians, Mrs. Goldman and even Gabriel would be enough to keep her safe.


    "I''ll be alright." Diane said, "Let''s connect with Salem and follow the rules."


    "Well said, Diane." Mrs. Goldman said, reaching out with her hands again. "All you have to do is same the same spell I first taught you. The one witches use to greet each other, but this time over the cauldron."


    "Okay," Diane replied, "I remember."


    The two women held hands and recanted the line a few times and as they did the cauldron was glowing a bright golden light. The cauldron kept glowing and even popped a few times which scared Diane. A few minutes further the glow died down, and all was well again.


    Diane looked back up at Mrs. Goldman. "Did it work?"


    "Oh yes," Mrs. Goldman answered. "We got their attention."


    "So someone will be coming out?" Diane asked.


    "Given that it''s a heavenly aura," Mrs. Goldman said, "It''s almost assured."


    "I''m not worried," Diane said, "I look forward to meeting more witches, especially if they are nice as you."


    "There are many who are much nicer than I," the old woman confessed, "But there just as many who are bad, and might want to take advantage and use the power of the heavenly aura for themselves. So be careful when that witch arrives until we know their true purpose."


    "Understood," Diane replied, "I will follow your lead."


    Diane then looked around at the sheer number of cats that were around them, and they were all making sounds and speaking to one another.


    "What is it?" Mrs. Goldman asked, as she could see the concern on Diane''s face.


    "I don''t have to take them all home do I?" Diane asked, "Don''t get me wrong, I like cats but my room isn''t that big."


    Mrs. Goldman laughed. "No dear, you don''t have to take them all. Most of them are going to sleep here and guard the cauldron. This aura is like a warm fire in the middle of a cold storm. The closer to it they are, the better they feel. That works for me because their duty will be to protect it. Isn''t that right, boys?"


    Most of the cats meowed and growled to indicate they understood.


    "So which ones are coming with me?" Diane asked.


    "Tell Smokey to select a dozen or so to join him." Mrs. Goldman answered, "And leave him in charge of your personal security. Most of them will hide in the shadows and you won''t even see them."


    "What about you?" Diane asked.


    "I have enough guardians," Mrs. Goldman said, "But I will take a few more as well just o make sure no one tries to get to you through me."


    "Thank you," Diane responded, as that''s what she was thinking too.


    Later that night when Diane was going to sleep in Mrs. Goldman''s guest bedroom, she looked back at the grey cat that was lying on the other end of the bed. He opened his eyes and looked back at her.


    "What is it, little one?" Smokey asked her.


    "How many guardians are in the room?" She asked him, "I mean besides the five that I can see lying on the floor."


    "There are twenty more in the shadows." Smokey answered.


    "Wow," Diane answered, "Do I need that many?"


    "Probably not," Smokey answered, "But I wasn''t taking any chances until the witch or witches from Salem pay a visit."


    "You think more than one might show up?" Diane asked.


    "It''s possible." Smokey replied, "Witches usually travel in groups of two. Odd numbers are very rare. Given the rarity of your aura, I felt it was wise to be cautious."


    "Alright," Diane said, as she laid her head down to rest. "Do what ever you feel is right and I trust you."


    "Thank you, little one." Smokey said, "Sleep well."


    It didn''t take Diane long to fall asleep, but when she did one of the other cats walked out of the shadow and up to Smokey.


    "What is it?" Smokey asked her.


    "Why did you lie to her?" The other cat asked.


    "I didn''t lie to her," Smokey replied, "I just gave her a simple answer, and left out key details."


    "You know what happened the last time there was a heavenly aura," the other cat continued, "It nearly tore the city apart. You know they''re going to send a lot more than two witches. I wouldn''t be surprised to see a whole delegation."


    "There are over a two hundred guardians here," Smokey said, as he and Oscar had counted them all himself a few times over. "The only place that has more in one spot is Salem itself. They are also all loyal to the heavenly aura. So unless they send an army of witches, she''s quite safe."


    "Alright," the other cat said, unaware of the true count. "Do you know what you''re doing?"


    "Oscar has more experience with this," Smokey admitted, "He used to command the guardians of Salem, so he knows how to work with a large number of guardians and I''m following his lead. We will be fine so long as no one panics."


    "I get your point," the other cat said, "Thank you for hearing me out."


    "Get some rest," Smokey ordered, "The next few days are going to be very interesting."

 36. A New Guest

    When Gabriel woke up from his daylight sleeping, he arouse to the sounds of laughter, and it was coming from the living room. He quickly got to his feet and dressed but slowly strolled into the living room to act calm. What was waiting for him in the living room however was a large number of bags from the shopping mall. There was almost triple the supplies that they had gathered the last time they were in New Lycan and he could barely fly them and Alyssa back into town. He looked around the room and then at Alyssa who was grinning at him.


    ¡°What?¡± Gabriel asked.


    ¡°Your face looks quite amusing.¡± She said, laughing again.


    ¡°This is a lot of stuff,¡± Gabriel admitted. ¡°I can¡¯t carry this all back.¡±


    ¡°You won¡¯t have to.¡± A voice boomed out.


    Cornelius emerged from the kitchen and he was carrying a bag of blood from the fridge. Gabriel seemed less impressed that he was drinking Alyssa¡¯s blood that they had stored the night before.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t drink that without asking.¡± Gabe informed his brother.


    ¡°I did ask,¡± Cornelius said, gesturing to the person who produced it.


    ¡°There¡¯s still plenty left,¡± Alyssa told him. ¡°Cornelius was teaching me how to access other veins that are easier to hide from others. I can only poke my arms so many times before people start thinking I have a problem.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Gabriel said, knowing he was right. He had meant to teach her that, but hadn¡¯t had the time to get around to it.


    ¡°I will help you carry all this back,¡± his brother also added. ¡°I want to see this little town that you¡¯ve been residing in.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± Gabriel said, rather surprised to hear it.


    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Cornelius confirmed, ¡°I also want to talk to the witch myself.¡±


    ¡°You told him about the witch?¡± Gabriel asked Alyssa, surprised to hear it.


    ¡°We talked about it over breakfast,¡± Alyssa said, ¡°Turns out Cornelius has a rather interesting history with witches.¡±


    ¡°You do?¡± Gabriel asked his brother.


    ¡°I¡¯ve mingled with some over the last several hundred years.¡± Cornelius admitted, ¡°I haven¡¯t been to Salem, but I heard it¡¯s nice.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize this,¡± Alyssa continued, ¡°But the witches were slowly claiming Salem long before the whole undead thing started.¡±


    ¡°Is that true?¡± Gabriel asked his brother.


    ¡°It is,¡± His brother confirmed, ¡°They had been buying up large amounts of land and real estate one piece at a time. They were already unofficially in charge of that place when the undead thing started.¡±


    ¡°How do you know this?¡± Gabriel asked, curious about it.


    ¡°One of the witches let me in on it,¡± Cornelius answered, ¡°She knew with father asleep that I had unlimited access to the family treasury and therefore had the means to financially back her. I liked her very much, so it made sense to help her claim a significant stake in Salem. It also doesn¡¯t hurt to have people that owe you favors, even if she¡¯s a witch.¡±


    ¡°Wow,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°I had no idea.¡±


    ¡°The sun is going down,¡± Cornelius reminded him, ¡°Let me know how much you can carry and I¡¯ll take the rest.¡±


    ¡°Show off,¡± Gabriel chided back with a grin. He already decided to take less than he did last time just to make his brother do more work. He was ten times stronger so it was doubtful the big man was even going to break a sweat. Both vampires took to the roof and the departed New Lycan with relative ease. They had remained rather quiet until they were more than halfway back. The mood changed in both men and Alyssa could tell.


    ¡°Do you feel it?¡± Cornelius asked.


    ¡°I do.¡± Gabriel said, ¡°It¡¯s been a while for me.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Alyssa asked.


    ¡°The cauldron is lit.¡± Cornelius replied, ¡°Your sister and the old woman have been busy.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s quite powerful,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°For us feel it all the way out here.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Cornelius concurred, ¡°Quite powerful.¡±


    ¡°Amazing that you can feel it.¡± Alyssa said, surprised by it.


    ¡°Everyone can feel it,¡± Gabriel reminded her, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure some of the elder wolves in New Lycan, and the witches in Salem did too. Your town might become a little more popular now because of it.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful,¡± Alyssa sarcastically replied.


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± his brother said, ¡°Lead the way so I know where to land.¡±


    Gabriel didn¡¯t respond and instead flew down to the town and landed first on the roof of the building. There as no one there, but the black cat sitting there and looking over the small town like he was a guard.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Hello Oscar,¡± Gabriel called out as he left Alyssa down and put down the bags he was carrying.


    ¡°Greetings,¡± The cat replied, ¡°You didn¡¯t pick up very much.¡±


    As the cat said that, the other vampire who was carrying many more bags landed on the roof as well. As Cornelius put down his bags, he looked over at the cat who was staring at him with an intense look on his face.


    ¡°I assume this is the guardian you spoke of,¡± Cornelius said, smiling. ¡°Greetings guardian.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, your highness.¡± The cat replied.


    ¡°You know who I am,¡± Cornelius said, rather impressed. ¡°That is helpful. Run off and tell your master that I¡¯ve come to speak with her. Inform her that I come in peace and have even brought tribute to prove that.¡±


    ¡°I will tell her,¡± the cat said, and with a quick flash it was gone.


    One the cat had darted off, the door behind then swung open and Pablo came scrambling to the roof to greet them. He saw the massive haul that was on the roof and looked at it with wide eyed shock.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Pablo started, ¡°How the hell did you get all this here?¡±


    ¡°We had help,¡± Alyssa answered.


    ¡°So this is Pablo,¡± Cornelius said, as he strolled closer to him. ¡°You¡¯re right, brother. He does remind me very much of Horatio.¡±


    ¡°Is that a good thing?¡± Pablo asked.


    ¡°He was a good man,¡± Cornelius said, ¡°It is a great compliment.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it as such.¡± Pablo said, ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°This is my brother,¡± Gabriel answered, ¡°Cornelius.¡±


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± Pablo said, looking back at the big vampire.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had worse greetings,¡± Cornelius said, giving a short chuckle. ¡°I guess my brother does talk of me a little bit, hopefully not all bad. It is for me to understand as I''m aware there is a bit of an age gap.¡±


    ¡°Only a few millennia,¡± Gabriel said, picking up some of the bags.


    ¡°More like a dozen,¡± Cornelius corrected.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this downstairs and organized.¡± Alyssa ordered, ¡°We need to hide this away so our mayor doesn¡¯t get spoiled.¡±


    Pablo didn¡¯t say much as they carried all the supplies down to Alyssa¡¯s apartment. Alyssa was worried about waking up Diane but Pablo let her know she was still over at Mrs. Goldman¡¯s place. Once all the supplies were in the apartment, Alyssa went through the tough task of organizing what was going the town and what they were going to keep for their own personal supply.


    ¡°A wise strategy,¡± Cornelius said as he watched her split things up. ¡°But I¡¯m curious, where are you hiding your portion. Are you not afraid it will be discovered and taken away?¡±


    ¡°Not possible,¡± Gabriel answered for her. ¡°I¡¯ve been flying her stash to my place in Nashville. If she needs anything I go there to get it for her. But if the town falls, then the apartment and the supplies hidden there is our backup if we need to move again.¡±


    ¡°Very wise, brother.¡± Cornelius said, nodding his approval. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize Nashville was still around.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Alyssa informed him. ¡°The undead rule that city. He uses them like a moat which makes his building more secure.¡±


    ¡°That sounds fascinating!¡± Cornelius said, again impressed. ¡°You¡¯ll have to show me this building of yours so I can see it for myself.¡±


    ¡°You can come with me tomorrow when I fly the supplies there if you like.¡± Gabriel offered, ¡°It will give us some privacy to talk council business.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Cornelius said, ¡°A very good idea.¡±


    ¡°We have a spare room for you to sleep in.¡± Pablo offered, trying to be polite to the tall, menacing vampire in the room.


    ¡°That will not be necessary,¡± Cornelius said, ¡°I do not sleep as often as my brother, but I thank you for offering. I am going to fly around and check on the undead. I am curious to see how effect this new cauldron is.¡±


    ¡°The new cauldron?¡± Pablo asked.


    ¡°We think Mrs. Goldstien and Diane lit the cauldron,¡± Gabriel replied, ¡°We could both feel it many miles away.¡±


    ¡°It will protect this town very well,¡± Cornelius added, ¡°The undead steer clear of witches and their auras. If this cauldron is the element I think it is¡­ then you will not be having any undead activity around here for a very, very long time.¡±


    ¡°In other words,¡± Pablo added, ¡°I should bring a book to guard duty.¡±


    ¡°Might as well,¡± Cornelius said, letting out a bellowing laugh.


    ¡°Can you help me deliver the good to the mayor before you start?¡± Alyssa asked.


    ¡°Not necessary,¡± Cornelius said, ¡°I will assist you. I am eager to meet this mayor of yours after everything Alyssa has told me of him.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s a good idea?¡± Gabriel answered. ¡°He will be suspicious of you and how you got here.¡±


    ¡°I am aware of his ignorance,¡± Cornelius said, ¡°And I will in turn exploit that for our gain, quite easily I might add.¡±


    ¡°Well damn,¡± Alyssa said, smiling. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see that!¡±


    After a bit more discussion about the mayor and what not, Pablo was the first to go to sleep as he had a shift to rest for, and Alyssa followed shortly after. This left the two Vampires in the room, sitting at the small table and looking at one another. They sat there in silence, like that had so many times before throughout the centuries, but finally Gabe broke their silence as he usually did at most of their encounters.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Gabriel finally asked.


    ¡°I told you already,¡± Cornelius said, ¡°Council business.¡±


    ¡°Since when did you give a crap about that?¡± Gabriel asked. It was a fair question since the Dark Prince didn¡¯t have to do shit for them. They didn¡¯t even have the authority to tell him what to put into his coffee if he ever drank the shit. Cornelius replied with a grin and a quick huff that was almost a laugh.


    ¡°Yes, they do not control me.¡± He confirmed to his brother, ¡°But I wanted to come over here and check in on you, so they gave me the perfect excuse so I wouldn¡¯t have to make something up that might make them suspicious and cause a panic.¡±


    ¡°When did you give a shit about me?¡± Gabriel asked.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t very nice,¡± Cornelius chided back, ¡°I¡¯ll have you know I¡¯ve always cared for my brothers and sisters¡­ well, most of them.¡±


    ¡°How many do we have now?¡± Gabriel asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve honestly lost count,¡± Cornelius answered, ¡°But thank goodness father has been in the ground for a while. At least that number hasn¡¯t increased in a while and that has made it easier to keep up with the ones we have. That and this whole undead thing popping out of damn nowhere.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think Dad will hate this when he wakes up?¡± Gabe asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Cornelius answered, ¡°He might had the idea of our food being so scarce, but at the same time he might enjoy impaling something that will keep withering on the stick for years afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Good point,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°It¡¯s a real toss up.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Cornelius said, ¡°So when the old man does wake up, we have to be prepared for both scenarios just in case. That is why I accepted the council¡¯s mission to find you and search for Intel.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Gabe said, not sure if he could believe him. ¡°But why do I keep getting this feeling you¡¯re not telling me everything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m not telling you everything.¡± Cornelius confessed, ¡°And that is all I can say about it. When the time is right, I will share with you what information is relevant to you and nothing more.¡±


    ¡°Whatever,¡± Gabe replied as he wasn¡¯t in the mood for riddles. ¡°I¡¯m going to check the undead and see how well the cauldron is working. You coming?¡±


    ¡°Why not,¡± Cornelius said as he stood up, ¡°We have time to kill.¡±

 37. Hunters From The West

    As he strolled into the house, it was clear to see from the items tossed around that whoever had lived there had packed in a hurry before clearing out. As he strolled around the house, he was impressed with its space and yet it¡¯s ability to keep the undead out. It was built for survival and comfort, something that was not seen that often these days. He knew the moment he set eyes on the small compound that this was the place they were looking for. It seemed like just the getaway that the people they were looking for would use. Someone smart enough to have an exit plan from Denver would no doubt have a hideaway to get to so they wouldn¡¯t have to be on the road that long. If they had driven straight here from the slaughtered check point, it would have taken less than two days. It took the Californian Independent Army a little longer to track this place down, and it was already cleared out. The man was in the kitchen, checking out the coffee machine when a soldier walked into the room and saluted him.


    ¡°At ease,¡± the man replied without even looking. He could hear the sound the boy¡¯s arm made and knew what he had done. ¡°Report.¡±


    ¡°We found some tracks, and they look quite similar to the ones left by the convoy that ambushed our men,¡± the soldier replied, ¡°It¡¯s a little snowed over, but we can still make them out. I think it¡¯s been at least a month since anyone was here.¡±


    ¡°In what direction are the tracks leading?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°They appear to head East, General.¡± The boy replied.


    The General stopped fiddling with the coffee machine and looked back at the young man. ¡°East? Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Our trackers are pretty sure about it, Sir.¡± The boy confirmed. ¡°The Convoy appears to have moved east.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s surprising,¡± the General said, ¡°I would have traveled north to avoid the undead. They¡¯re either not as experienced with moving across the lands, or they had a specific destination in mind when they departed.¡±


    ¡°Why are we following them, Sir?¡± the boy asked his superior.


    ¡°We are following them because I said so,¡± The General sniped back.


    The boy snapped back into attention. ¡°Sorry, Sir!¡±


    The General walked closer to the young man. ¡°Did you know anyone at the check point that was ambushed, soldier?¡±


    ¡°No Sir!¡± the boy replied without making eye contact.


    ¡°Regardless if you do or not,¡± The General said as he stepped closer, ¡°No one kills our people in such a brutal fashion without consequences! If you take out any member of the Californian army, you will pay for it!¡±


    ¡°Yes Sir!¡± the boy called out. ¡°We will make them pay!¡±


    ¡°Go fetch the Sergeant.¡± The General ordered.


    ¡°Yes Sir!¡± The boy said before running out to comply with his orders.


    As the General was waiting for the Sergeant to return, he returned to the coffee machine and began to set it up. He stood there and patiently waited as the machine slowly made the pot of coffee before him. It was about half finished when the Sergeant reported to him as ordered.


    ¡°You called for me, General?¡± The Sergeant asked.


    ¡°I did,¡± the General replied, ¡°This place is quite interesting, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°It is, Sir.¡± The Sergeant concurred. ¡°But it also has some features that are different and quite confusing.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± The General said, still watching the coffee machine. ¡°Explain.¡±


    ¡°There are not many windows,¡± The Sergeant started, ¡°And the ones that are present can also be sealed off.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty handy if you want to keep the dead out.¡± The General suggested.


    ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to keep them closed to do that.¡± The Sergeant continued, ¡°The windows that are here are rather thick. I¡¯d even say they¡¯re bulletproof. Whoever was living here was well stocked and was ready for almost anything.¡±


    ¡°What is the confusing part then?¡± The General asked.


    ¡°There are only two exits,¡± The Sergeant answered, ¡°One in the garage and the front entrance.¡±


    ¡°That is incorrect, Sergeant.¡± The General retorted. ¡°There are three exits.¡±The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Where is the third?¡± The Sergeant asked.


    Without turning to face the Sergeant, the General reached to the wall beside him and hit a small button that was beside the light switch. When he tapped the button, the window in the ceiling twenty fleet above the kitchen slid open, showing them nothing but cloudy skies above.


    ¡°How is that an exit?¡± the Sergeant asked.


    ¡°It actually answers a lot of questions.¡± The General said as he started to pour two mugs of coffee as the machine had finished making its pot. ¡°How do you take your coffee, Sergeant?¡±


    ¡°Just sugar, please.¡± The Sergeant replied, ¡°Two spoons.¡±


    The General walked over with both mugs and handed one of them to the Sergeant, it was easy to tell them apart as the General had sugar and some cream from the fridge in his mug. The cream still looked good so the General was willing to chance it since he preferred some creamer in his coffee. After the General handed the Sergeant his coffee, they stood there for a few moments, sipping their mugs and looking at the new opening in the ceiling.


    ¡°I¡¯m still not getting it, Sir.¡± The Sergeant finally admitted.


    ¡°Not only are we looking for a Vampire,¡± The General explained, ¡°But based on the evidence before us¡­ we¡¯re looking for one that can fly.¡±


    The Sergeant almost spit his coffee out of his mouth.


    ¡°He flies?¡± The Sergeant repeated, ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m quite positive.¡± The General insisted, ¡°It explains a great deal. Such as how the people in the convoy managed to get out of Denver without us noticing or being able to stop them. Your people had the city surrounded, and no one reports anyone escaping the city or getting by them. My guess is the convoy was never located within the city, and this vampire just flew them over the walls all out of town where the convoy was neatly stashed away for their escape.¡±


    ¡°That does explain a lot,¡± The Sergeant concurred, ¡°We had the city surrounded, and no one got past us. The sky was the only part we didn¡¯t have covered.¡±


    ¡°That damn blood sucker could have made as many trips as he wanted and if he flew high enough, our men on the ground couldn¡¯t even see him.¡± The General said, taking a moment to sip his coffee. ¡°Then the only thing stopping their getaway was the checkout, which was meant to keep people away from the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t realize those blood suckers could fly,¡± The Sergeant added, ¡°That makes them a lot scarier.¡±


    ¡°From what I¡¯ve been told, flying isn¡¯t very common.¡± The General said, ¡°Only certain vampires can fly, which means the one we¡¯re looking for might be rather old.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t make things easier for us.¡± The Sergeant said, sipping away.


    ¡°What makes you say that, Sergeant?¡± The General inquired.


    ¡°If he¡¯s quite old, then it¡¯s safe to assume he¡¯s educated.¡± The Sergeant answered, ¡°I mean what would you do if you could live forever? I¡¯d read a lot of books and take most of it in like a sponge. Then there¡¯s also a chance he¡¯s served at least once in his long lifespan, so he¡¯ll also have military experience. That would certainly explain the hideaway and the pre-planned escape.¡±


    ¡°Both good points, Sergeant.¡± The General agreed. ¡°That would indeed make things difficult, but he also cares about these people. He took them into his home for a while, at least until they decided to move east.¡±


    ¡°Where do you think they went?¡± The Sergeant asked, ¡°New Lycan?¡±


    ¡°Doubtful,¡± The General answered, ¡°It was too close to the full moon. We¡¯ll follow the tracks as far as we can, and once we lose them we¡¯ll use drones to scout for possible destinations. If it leads us to New Lycan, we¡¯ll deal with it. I have a feeling they probably avoided that city, especially people coming from Denver. Lycans wouldn¡¯t want to take them out of fear.¡±


    ¡°Fear of what, Sir?¡± The Sergeant asked.


    ¡°Of us, Sergeant.¡± The General answered.


    ¡°What should we do with this place?¡± The Sergeant asked.


    ¡°Have the men ransack it for supplies,¡± the General answered, ¡°And when we¡¯re finished with it, burn it to the ground. Remove this as an option for that blood sucker.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± The Sergeant said, before making a salute and leaving the room.


    The General walked out of the house and to the Humvee that was waiting for him outside of the gate. He watched as the house was set ablaze and the flames quickly consumed the place from within. Yet as he watched the small structure burn, all the General could think about was that fateful night when Denver fell. As far as they had known, the operation has worked exactly as they had planned. No one escaped, at least no one did by ground, and no one of the actually assault was killed in action. There were some injuries, but no deaths from the any of the infantry that were attacking the city. It wasn¡¯t until the next morning when they discovered the Californians that were killed at the check point. Based on how brutally everyone was killed, this was more of a slaughter than an actual fight. Everyone was slashed with precision, killed before they even had a chance to defend themselves. They were taken by surprise and had no idea what kind of monster they were dealing with until it was too late. He probably tried to talk his way through the checkpoint, but as soon as he realized they soldiers were not going to back down, the vampire slaughtered them. Most of them never saw their death coming, all except the last one.


    The last victim was a woman, and she had managed to get a few shots off before her demise. The General remembers finding her lifeless body, drained of all life by a single bite mark that was present in her neck. It was clich¨¦, but effective. It was also the most disturbing thing that he had ever seen. She wasn¡¯t chopped down quickly like the other soldiers at the checkpoint, but slowly drained of her life. It had to be an agonizing and inhumane way to he killed. Her blood was consumed until there wasn¡¯t enough left inside her for her body to function. Her skin had turned a light shade of grey, as if her soul was being sucked out as well as her blood.


    It was a sight that upset the General when he first laid eyes on her, mostly because it was his fault. He had personally assigned the woman to the checkpoint for a reason, which was to keep her safe. His obsession with her safety is what eventually put her into harm¡¯s way, and that infuriated the General the most. It was why he and his men were still looking for that damn bloodsucker. He didn¡¯t care what the politicians said, or the excuses that were made by the Vamps in Europe. He was going to find the blood sucker that slaughtered the checkpoint, and deliver some Californian justice.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get rolling,¡± The General ordered, as he pounded the roof of his Humvee. ¡°We¡¯ve got a damn bloodsucker to kill.¡±

 38. The Delegates Arrive

    When Gabriel went to bed for the day, Alyssa had assumed his brother would do the same but the big Vampire had other plans. He reached into his small bag and pulled out a leather trench coat that had a hood attached to it. He quickly put it on and while it looked outdated and even something out of a cowboy movie, the Dark Prince was wearing it more for convenience than fashion.


    "Alright, let''s go." he suddenly said to Alyssa.


    "Excuse me?" Alyssa asked.


    "What do you usually do this time of day?" Cornelius asked.


    "Well, Pablo and Diane left for breakfast." Alyssa replied, "I was going to meet them at the hall and then walk Diane to school."


    "Sounds good," Cornelius said, "I could go for some eggs."


    "Hold on," Alyssa interrupted, "The sun is out."


    "It doesn''t harm me as much as the others," the big vamp replied, "And I also have this. It''s from a creature that no longer exists, but when I''m wearing it, the sun has zero effect on me."


    "Oh, does Gabriel know about that?" Alyssa asked.


    "No one does," Cornelius answered, "But I''m sure I can trust you."


    "What makes you so sure of that?" Alyssa inquired.


    "That I can''t tell you," The prince said, smiling back to her. "Let''s go."


    As they were walking to the town hall for breakfast, Alyssa could tell that the coat was tightly zipped up and the hood was huge. Cornelius also kept his hands in his pockets at all times, and despite the sun being out he didn''t respond and kept rather quiet while walking with her. Once they were inside, Cornelius was able to put the hood down and seemed in a better mood. He grabbed a tray and followed Alyssa through the cafeteria like setup and got himself a good helping of food. For some reason women who were always stingy with their services had no trouble giving the prince extra food and filling his platter up without protest.


    "Thank you, ladies." Cornelius said, giving them a polite nod.


    He then followed Alyssa to the table where Pablo and Diane were sitting, and Pablo has a look of absolute shock on his face as the big vampire walked up to their table and places hid tray down. He took off his very heavy coat and draped it over the back of his chair before sitting down. Alyssa was sitting beside him, while Pablo and Diane were sitting across from him.


    "What are you doing here?" Pablo asked.


    "I''m hungry," Cornelius said, "I heard the eggs here were pretty good."


    "They are," Diane said, "I prefer them scrambled though."


    "I do too," Cornelius agreed, "Maybe if I can get some supplies from one of the cities, I''ll make scrambled eggs for you sometime. And I''ll make it with fresh eggs, and none of that powdered stuff."


    "I didn''t know you liked eggs," Diane said, "I thought you only liked one thing."


    "It''s true most of us do." Cornelius corrected, "But while your food doesn''t sustain most vampires, I still get a little bit from it. Father believes is has to do more with how long someone has been here I believe."


    "You father?" Pablo repeated.


    "Yes, I realize he''s a little infamous in these parts." Cornelius conceded. "He''s napping so no need to worry about him. I guess Gabriel doesn''t mention him that often, I suppose. A shame really, cause I think dear old dad might have enjoyed the zombie apocalypse. He definitely would have enjoyed the chaos from it, that''s for sure."


    It was at this moment, when Max suddenly showed up at their table. He was unaware of who the big man was sitting there. Diane sat at the table and smiled at the mayor to give him a pleasant greeting.


    "Hello, Mr. Mayor." Diane said, deliberately giving Cornelius the heads up to who had just joined the table, as they had yet to meet.


    "Hello Diane," Max said, smiling at her. "I noticed we have a new person here at the table."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    "How rude of me," Pablo said, gesturing to Cornelius, "This is my older brother, Matthew. He''s not staying long, and is just in town to check up on me and Gab."


    "I had no idea you had a brother, Pablo!" Max said, clearly surprised.


    "We try to keep sensitive information to a minimum," Cornelius said, "My apologies."


    "I understand," Max said, as he started to fish for more info. "So where do you reside when you''re not here?"


    "I have my own place," Cornelius lied, "Somewhere between here and the cities, so I keep to myself mostly. But I am grateful for how you''re taking care of my family here and if I have anything you might need... consider it yours."


    "Oh," Max said, taken back by the offer. "Thank you."


    "My pleasure, Mr. Mayor." Cornelius said, "You must be a very busy man, we shall finish our food and be on our way."


    "Of course, thank you for your time." Max said, and he suddenly stood up and left the table and was gone about as quickly as he left.


    "How the hell did you do that?" Alyssa said, "Usually I have to leave the table to get away from him."


    "One of my special talents," the Dark Prince answered, "Older vampires have the power of strong suggestion, but it only works on simpler minds. Most people still alive these days are mostly strong willed so it barely works anymore."


    "Fascinating," Diane said, as she finished her breakfast, "That was pretty good."


    "I can tell you''re still hungry," Cornelius said, as he shared an extra fried egg and piece of toast, "You have time, so don''t worry about it."


    Diane smiled back at him. "Thank you."


    When they were finished breakfast, Cornelius put his coat back on and walked with Alyssa to escort Diane to her school.


    "Have a good day," Alyssa said, hugging her sister.


    "Thanks, you too." Diane said, looking at the bundled prince. "Are you still going to be here after school?"


    "I''ll be here a few days," he informed her, "So yes."


    "That''s good," Diane said, "I have a history test in a few days. I''m sure you can help me out with that."


    "That I can," Cornelius said, "Considering I was alive for most of it."


    "That is so cool." Diane said, "See you guys later."


    They both stood there and watched her walk into the school with the other kids.


    "She''s a good kid," Cornelius said to her.


    "She''s a witch," Alyssa told her.


    "I know," Cornelius said, "I could sense her aura, which is very rare. I haven''t seen a witch with heavenly aura in a while, and I mean centuries."


    "Mrs. Goldman told us other creatures will feel her presence." Alyssa added.


    "She''s right," Cornelius said, looking back at her. "I''m surprised a contingent from the council hasn''t already arrived. I also haven''t seen this many guardians since I last visited Salem. Quite impressive."


    "You can see them?" Alyssa asked.


    "I can feel them." Cornelius said, as they started to walk back to her building. "That child''s aura is so powerful that just being in her presence sustains them. There doesn''t even have to be a bond for them to feed."


    The big vampire walked around with Alyssa, taking a stroll outdoors in the fresh air. Alyssa couldn''t believe the sun wasn''t harming him, but if it was... the Dark Prince wasn''t letting her in on it. He was keeping all his feelings to himself.


    "Why do you trust me?" Alyssa asked. "What did I do to make you feel this way around me?"


    "I have my reasons," Cornelius answered, "I''m afraid that''s all I can say."


    A few moments they arrived at the town gardens but Mrs. Goldman was no where to be found. Alyssa looked around the garden but was confused. This was the first time the old woman wasn''t out and tending to her gardens.


    "This is awfully strange," Alyssa said, "Where did she go?"


    "Let''s find out," Cornelius said, as he reached into a bush and pulled out a cat that had been hiding in the shadows.


    The cat hissed and tried to scratch the big vampire''s hand.


    "You do not intimidate me, little one." The Dark Prince told the feline, and paused for a moment as the cat made some sounds. "I don''t care how urgent her business is, I demand to speak with her right now."


    Cornelius dropped the cat and they followed it as it lead the way to the same stairwell where Oscar had used to lead them to the cauldron. The same black cat was on the stairwell, guarding the entrance. When Cornelius entered the building, he took his hood off to reveal himself to the black cat.


    "I demand entrance," He called out.


    Even Oscar knew better as he stepped aside and opened the door for him.


    Alyssa walked in first, and when she walked in there was Mrs. Goldman and three other women her age, and they were all arguing about something.


    "The girl needs to be in the city," one of them called out. "Where we can protect her!"


    "It''s not up to me," Mrs. Goldman replied, "It''s up the child and her sister."


    "We do not answer to humans!" one of the other women chided.


    "You will answer to me." Alyssa called out, "Cause if you''re talking about my sister, I''ve got plenty to say about the issue."


    "Who gives you the authority to speak to any of us like that?" one of the women called out.


    "I do," Cornelius called out as he stepped out of the darkness and into view. "Hello, Florence."


    "Cornelius?" the woman replied as she gave a bow. "I had no idea you were in the area, your majesty."


    The other two women also bowed to the Dark Prince to show their respect.


    "It looks like we arrived in time," Cornelius said, as he walked closer to the caldron. "I was expecting Salem to send someone, and I know why you''re here. I could sense her aura as well. Even the elders in Transylvania felt it. I am here to represent the council and make their wishes known regarding this matter."

 39. A Consensus Reached

    While Florence was hoping to use her authority from Salem to strong arm the old witch into letting her have her way, the presence of the Dark Prince had made things around the Cauldron rather unpredictable. They knew he was only there to serve his council, but he was also there to make sure that the child was given a fair shake and that her own views were heard. Cornelius really didn''t care about the child more than anyone else, as it was an issue about being fair to all involved. The fairer he was to everyone else, the more reasonable of a deal he''d get out of the bargain. He could also use the situation to speak to the witches to get the intel the council was seeking. The other witched on the other hand were not pleased to see him.


    "This is a matter for Salem," One of the other witches said, not pleased to see so many people at the meeting concerning a witch and her status.


    "You know this matter concerns us all," Cornelius replied, "So I suggest you get used to the players here and negotiate in good faith."


    "We will, my lord," Florence said, stepping in on behalf of her friend.


    "As her sister, this is my decision." Alyssa added, "Not yours."


    "We know dear," Mrs. Goldman assured her, "Our sisters are just worried about Diane''s safety as people and other species are antsy when a new heavenly aura comes into the world."


    "How rare is that kind of aura?" Alyssa asked.


    "There hasn''t been one in a few decades," Cornelius answered.


    "In other words," Gabriel added, "It''s been a while."


    "I wouldn''t worry about security that much," Cornelius continued, "Have you seen the guardians here? She''s pretty much the safest human on the planet."


    "We understand," Florence said, "But we worry about other creatures."


    "Such as you blood suckers!" the other witch spat out.


    "That''s enough!" Florence chided back to her colleague. "The Dark Prince is not to be spoken to that way. Show respect or you will be dismissed from the gathering!"


    "We may be blood suckers," Gabriel said, "But we are not dumb enough to want to go near a witch. We''re actually old enough to remember what happens when a vampire feeds off a witch, especially one with a heavenly aura. I can assure you that neither of us want to see that happen again."


    "That is accurate," Cornelius said, "We do not."


    "The undead isn''t an issue either," Mrs. Goldman added, "The cauldron will keep them at bay. Anything else would be no issue for the guardians."


    "So what are you suggesting, sister?" Florence asked Mrs. Goldman.


    "I purpose she stay here," The old woman answered, "I will be here to protect and train her. Her mother and I were very close, and I know she would have wanted it this way. If something were to change, we can always come to Salem at a later time. But this is the only home Diane has ever known, and as long as it''s still safe, there''s no reason she can''t remain here under the care of her sister, and myself of course."Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    "And what say you?" Florence asked Cornelius.


    "I''m fairly comfortable with the idea," The Dark Prince replied, "And the council would be wise to accept my recommendation. With my brother here to back up the guardians, I am confident no harm shall come to the young witch. That will please the council too knowing one of us is around to keep an eye out and assist."


    "Your brother also has a gentle reputation," Florence added, "We are alright with him staying behind to watch but no one else."


    "I won''t take that personally," Cornelius said, with a snicker. "I am actually here to do business for the council. If you can help me with the answers I seek through private consultation, then I shall head back to Europe when you leave."


    "I shall do what I can to help you, my Lord." Florence said, "I will have to consult the witches in Salem about this, but I have a feeling they will accept my recommendation which is to let the child stay here and continue training."


    "No!" the other witch cried, "We should take her back to Salem!"


    "Good luck," Gabriel said, "The guardians here are all loyal to her. You won''t get out of the town alive. Even if you mange to, both my brother and I will be next. This is the decision. Respect it and leave this town in peace."


    Mrs. Goldman and Alyssa watched in stunned silence as the witched took their leave and stormed out of the cauldron room. This wasn''t the result she had expected, but was happy to see it happen none the less. Alyssa turned to face the man who had surprised her the most, which was the Dark Prince.


    "Why?" Alyssa asked, "Why are you helping us?"


    "Because I want to," Cornelius said, with a small grin. "This helps me as well, I can assure you. The intel I will gather from Florence and the old woman here about the undead will be more than enough to satisfy the council."


    "I will help as much as I can, my lord." Mrs. Goldman confirmed.


    "Much appreciated, dear." Cornelius said. "We will talk later before I depart, and with that I shall take my leave."


    Cornelius started to walk away, and Gabriel followed him out and ran to catch up as he wanted to speak with his brother.


    "Is it really that simple?" he asked.


    "It can be, if you want it to be." Cornelius answered. "You must realize when you''ve been around as long as I have, the big picture is easier to see."


    "So you''re playing a long game?" Gabriel guessed.


    "I am," Cornelius confirmed, "But I need you to trust me. I will not allow harm to come to any of your friends as long as you not interfere and do as I say. The same goes for you, dear brother. Unlike our other siblings, I like having you around."


    "Really?" Gabriel said, rather surprised.


    "Yes, really." Cornelius said, as he gave his brother a playful push. "Take care of yourself and these people. I will be around if I am needed, but I need to continue doing the council''s business because our father isn''t going to sleep forever."


    "Aren''t you worrying a bit much here?" Gabriel asked.


    "He''s already overdue," Cornelius explained. "Father is sleeping in, which means the council is living on burrowed time. I don''t like the council, but it would be a waste to see them all impaled with large spikes."


    "It might be amusing actually," Gabriel said, thinking about it.


    "Perhaps," Cornelius conceded, "but I prefer to avoid it. That''s why I am here looking for answers. The world cannot afford to have father up and cranky. It''s the last thing this continent needs should he wake from his long slumber."


    "What are you not telling me?" Gabriel asked.


    "There''s a lot I''m not telling you, brother." The Dark Lord answered, "But that doesn''t mean I''m hiding from you. I need to keep details to myself or we risk things not going our way. My silence is a small price to be successful."


    "I don''t get it," Gabriel said, "How can you be so confident?"


    "I will tell you when the time is right," his brother replied, "But for now you''re going to have to trust me to do the right thing."


    Gabriel watched as his brother left the building and with his coat was able to walk right out into the sunlight and not be harmed. Gabriel had to stay inside and wait and he kept thinking about what his brother had told him. He would have to trust him, but it was easier said than done.

 40. Great Preparations

    Diane was pretty chipper after school, and that mood didn¡¯t change when Alyssa told her about the meeting with the other witches. She was also informed that everyone at the meeting had agreed that she was to remain with Alyssa and Mrs. Goldman as long as her safety could be assured. Diane seemed to hang off every word as Alyssa told her what was said, and who stood up for her.


    ¡°Gabriel¡¯s brother is very interesting,¡± Diane said, ¡°But I sense something strange about him.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Alyssa asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s his eyes,¡± Diane explained, ¡°Whenever I look into them, I get the feeling he knows a lot more than he¡¯s willing to share.¡±


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± Alyssa inquired, curious to know more.


    ¡°Dad had the same look,¡± Diane answered, ¡°He never wanted to tell us the details about his trips to the outside to look for supplies. I could tell whenever he was holding something back, and Gabe¡¯s brother has the same look most of the time. He¡¯s got secrets, and considering how old he is¡­ I bet he¡¯s got oodles of them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is quite old.¡± Alyssa agreed, ¡°I bet his secrets have secrets.¡±


    They both laughed, and as she did so there was a sound coming from Diane¡¯s coat. Alyssa stopped to check, and lying in the hood of her coat, was Smokey. The cat looked back up at her and meowed.


    ¡°He thinks Cornelius is hiding something too,¡± Diane translated.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± Alyssa said, looking back at Diane. ¡°Was he in your coat the whole day when you were at school?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Diane replied, ¡°He¡¯s only in my coat when I¡¯m walking between school and the house. When I¡¯m at school, he hides inside my shadow. Sometimes I have several of them hiding in there at any given time.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Alyssa said, looking back at her shadow. ¡°How does that work?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure,¡± Diane answered, ¡°But it¡¯s pretty cool. They can hide rather easily and jump out at any time if I¡¯m in danger. Pretty neat, eh?¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Alyssa confirmed, ¡°You an have a snack when we get back, cause we¡¯re going to have a late supper tonight, like around eight o¡¯clock. I suggest you get your homework done before then cause you will be too distracted during and after supper.¡±


    ¡°Why so late?¡± Diane asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re having dinner with the witches,¡± Alyssa answered, ¡°Mrs. Goldman and the other witches are going to prepare a special meal for everyone, and even the vampires are invited. We¡¯re all going to eat, be merry, and show the witches that they have nothing to fear about you staying here because we all get along, like a weird family.¡±


    ¡°That sounds like fun,¡± Diane said, ¡°I¡¯ll get to my homework right away after we have that snack you promised.¡±


    When they returned to the apartment, Gabriel was there speaking with Pablo. The both looked over at Alyssa and Diane as they came in.


    ¡°Hey guys,¡± Alyssa called out, ¡°Everything alright.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re okay,¡± Pablo answered, ¡°Just talking about the meeting. I¡¯m honestly stunned to hear how civil it was. I was under the impression that witches and vampires hated each other with a passion, and yet here we are negotiating in good faith and hours away from breaking bread. This is going to be a very interesting feast.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did you say feast?¡± Alyssa asked. ¡°Should we bring something?¡±


    ¡°Only your appetite,¡± Gabriel answered, ¡°Witches are known for their cooking, for both good and bad reasons. I don¡¯t think anyone has anything to be afraid of. Those witches wouldn¡¯t try anything with the Prince around. They¡¯re not that crazy.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be in my room,¡± Diane said, after grabbing her snack. She ran off for her room and closed the door behind her.


    ¡°Try to keep the negative stuff to a minimum,¡± Alyssa said to the men, ¡°I¡¯d like to keep an open mind, and let Diane get to know everyone.¡±


    ¡°I apologize,¡± Pablo said, ¡°I¡¯ll be the first to admit that my bad thoughts about some people are changing every day. Mrs. Goldman has forced me to rethink what I thought about witches, and even Cornelius is no where near as bad as advertised.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d like to point out,¡± Gabriel added, ¡°That I said nothing about my brother, as he reputation spoke quite well for itself.¡±Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Alyssa looked around, ¡°Speaking of the Dark Prince; where the hell is he?¡±


    ¡°He went to New Lycan,¡± Gabriel answered.


    ¡°What?¡± Alyssa said, confused. ¡°But it¡¯s still daylight out.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°As long as he¡¯s wearing his coat, he can travel in daylight and not be harmed by the sun.¡±


    ¡°Then why can¡¯t you do it?¡± Alyssa asked.


    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± Gabriel answered, ¡°That coat is just too heavy for me to fly with. He loaned it to me one day, I could barely walk twenty steps without falling over. How that big bugger can even stroll around, let along fly in that thing is remarkable.¡±


    ¡°It didn¡¯t look that heavy,¡± Alyssa said, thinking about it.


    ¡°You can¡¯t even touch it,¡± Pablo explained, ¡°The material is so dense, if you tried to carry it, your arms would break.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s unbelievable!¡± Alyssa said, rather surprised. ¡°What is it made out of?¡±


    ¡°Dragon hide.¡± Gabriel answered.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Alyssa asked, ¡°Did you say dragon?¡±


    ¡°He did,¡± Pablo confirmed, ¡°But they haven¡¯t existed in several millennium.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only seen a few in my life,¡± Gabriel recalled, ¡°Cornelius killed and skinned that bad boy himself. He was burned so badly that over half of his skin was black from the flames charring his body. It took a lot of blood and a few months to recover from that battle. Not even our father was bold enough to challenge a dragon, but Cornelius was willing to at least try.¡±


    ¡°How did he kill it?¡± Alyssa asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re not sure,¡± Gabriel honestly answered, ¡°There were no other witnesses. He just into the mountains and returned weeks later with a charred body, pulling a wagon full of dragon skin. There was a lot of it there, so we assumed he had killed it. We asked him so many questions but he refused to answer them. He¡¯s been pretty mum about it but that¡¯s where the coat came from. For some reason, the dragon hide prevents the sun from hitting our skin so if you¡¯re strong enough to carry it.¡±


    ¡°And as far as we know,¡± Pablo added, ¡°Only one vampire is strong enough.¡±


    ¡°Speak of the devil,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°And he shall appear.¡±


    ¡°Greetings,¡± Cornelius said, walking into the room through the front door, carrying a decent sized crate. ¡°I hope that I¡¯m not interrupting anything.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Alyssa said, looking at the box. ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡±


    ¡°I wanted to make sure dinner remained civil,¡± Cornelius answered, as he opened it and pulled out a wine bottle. ¡°So I procured some fine wine from the wolves. They¡¯re not known for their drinking, but they sure can bottle the stuff rather well. I think their secret has to do with their advanced noses.¡±


    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Pablo said as he walked over to take a look, ¡°That seems quite nice, a gesture I am sure they witches will appreciate.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re coming too, aren¡¯t you?¡± Cornelius asked.


    ¡°I am?¡± Pablo said, rather surprised.


    ¡°I insist,¡± Cornelius said, ¡°Any friend of Gabriel is one of mine.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Pablo said, as he walked to the door to leave. ¡°I guess I better start getting ready.¡±


    ¡°Brother,¡± Cornelius called out. ¡°I brought your dinner suit.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gabriel said, surprised by the thought. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°A dinner suit?¡± Alyssa said, curious about it.


    ¡°It¡¯s more of a uniform, actually.¡± Cornelius corrected, ¡°We are dining with people who represent another group. To not wear them would not only upset the council, but imagine what father would say if he ever found out?¡±


    Gabriel looked like he wanted to say something snappy and try to talk his way out of it, but even he realized that his brother was right. ¡°How did you even know we¡¯d need them?¡±


    ¡°I had a feeling,¡± Cornelius said, handing it over to him.


    ¡°I hate these things,¡± Gabriel said, looking at it. ¡°What if we¡¯re seen by the town wearing these?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re costumes,¡± Cornelius answered, ¡°From an old play we used to do. They¡¯re believe anything if it¡¯s told with a good spin.¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°But yours looks cooler than mine.¡±


    ¡°I could say it was the perks of being the Dark Prince, I suppose.¡± Cornelius said, ¡°But that¡¯s what you get for skipping the royal fitting! Those who didn¡¯t show up had to suffer the abuse that was Father¡¯s poor fashion sense. No one to blame but yourself.¡±


    Alyssa could barely stifle her laugh as she watched Gabriel take his suit and walk out the main door, to return to Pablo¡¯s apartment to change. Once the door had closed, she turned to Cornelius immediately.


    ¡°Is it really that bad looking?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Cornelius answered, ¡°But mine does look better. Father is partially color blind so that didn¡¯t help either.¡±


    ¡°You can have the bathroom to change once I¡¯m done with it,¡± Alyssa informed him as she bolted off to change as well. Cornelius draped his own suit over the back of the chair, and paused for a moment.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see you, but I know you¡¯re there.¡± He called out.


    Out of the shadows of the room, the small black cat emerged and jumped up into the couch to elevate his position with the vampire.


    ¡°I assume you¡¯ve come to confirm our count for dinner?¡± Cornelius asked.


    ¡°I have,¡± said the black cat known as Oscar ¡°You know the protocol.¡±


    ¡°Indeed I do,¡± Cornelius said, ¡°Notify your master we shall not be late and appreciate the preparations that she¡¯s undertaken for us. Also inform her that our party has five members that will be attending. Two humans, two vampires, and the young witch. I cannot speak for my brother, but I consume ordinary cuisine and look forward to sampling what your master has made great efforts to prepare.¡±


    ¡°Very good, my lord.¡± The cat replied, ¡°Are there any other customs we should observe for yourself?¡±


    ¡°There are none that I care about,¡± Cornelius confessed, ¡°Tell her I will be alright with whatever rituals or traditions they care to use.¡±


    ¡°I will do so,¡± Oscar said, ¡°Dinner starts at eight thirty, which is just after sunset. Please try to be on time.¡±


    Cornelius didn¡¯t respond but simply nodded and then watched as the small black cat backed up and disappeared into the shadows.

 41. Dining With The Witches

    Cornelius had taken the time to fly to New Lycan and return back to Alyssa''s town with over an hour to prepare for dinner. While he was over there, the Dark Prince picked up his formal wear, a suit that was custom made for a man of his position. He also took the time to pick something up for Diane. Diane was not only surprised by the gesture but shocked that the prince was able to get her size perfect just from mere observation. After the young girl ran off to change, Cornelius was smiling as he turned to his younger brother.


    "What?" Gabriel asked, and then he figured it out. "You didn''t!"


    "Oh, I did." Cornelius said, even laughing a little. "I brought it here."


    "I hate that thing!" Gabriel shouted.


    "What is it?" Pablo asked, as he was the only one in the room that had no idea what they were talking about as both women were changing and getting ready in their rooms.


    "You are a member of the royal family," Cornelius said, "And you must wear the official suit of when representing them and the council."


    "Dammit," Gabriel said, as he was well aware of the regulations. "I left it behind for a reason."


    "You''ve trimmed down in the last few decades," Cornelius observed, "It will not be as tight as it used to be. As the Dark Prince and the senior member of this family that isn''t sleeping, I have to insist. You know how much of a stickler father was concerning etiquette and formalities."


    Gabriel couldn''t believe that he was bringing up their father, but his brother was right. Their father was a fan of pomp and tradition. He designed the suits himself, and was always proud when his favorite boys would wear them to supper. Gabriel looked at the table where the suit bag was laying.


    "How did you even know to bring it?" Gabriel asked.


    "I always pack our suits together," Cornelius said, "Just in case."


    Gabriel took the suit bag off the table and stormed out of the room in a huff. Pablo watched him go and then looked back at the Prince.


    "Man, he really doesn''t like that suit." Pablo observed.


    "No one does," Cornelius said, "It was just one of many ways our father liked to usurp his control over everyone. He liked to dress everyone up like we were his dolls, and we all complied because of the alternative."


    "Which was?" Pablo asked.


    "The spike," Cornelius replied.


    "Even for you?" Pablo said, "His own sons?"


    "It was worse for us," Cornelius explained, "We are immortal, so to us the spike was like a very sinister time out. He''s leave us on that thing for a few days or until he felt that we had learned our lesson."


    "And I thought my dad was tough," Pablo said.


    "This isn''t a competition," Cornelius added, "Everyone''s father is tough on their kids, ours just had to be extra harsh because we were tougher than the average kid."


    "Your father sounds like a real piece of work," Pablo said, "No offense."


    "None taken," Cornelius said as he grabbed his own suit bag off the table. "Father is an acquired taste. You get used to him after a few thousand years. If you don''t mind, may I change in your loft?"


    "Change away, I don''t mind." Pablo said, "Just go easy on Gabe. He''s complying so cut him a bit of slack."


    "Very well," The Dark Prince concurred, "But only a little."


    Pablo remained in the kitchen as the Prince left the room and had something to drink as he wasn''t coming along. He didn''t like the idea of being around the witches, at least not until he got used to them. He was still seriously creeped out by their sudden arrival. They had a bad reputation, but everyone was doing their best to be respectful. Gabe had invited him to join them, but he was happy to use night shift at the wall as his excuse to pass on what could be a very awkward breaking of the bread. Ironically, Cornelius was the first to return from changing, and Gabriel wasn''t kidding about how much cooler the Dark Prince''s outfit looked. It was all black with a silver sash, and it just made the Prince look even darker than he did before. As if he didn''t look imposing enough, the outfit seems to compliment the darkness he was naturally brooding.


    "Now I know why they call you the Dark Prince," Pablo observed. "That actually makes you looks very authoritative."


    "Thank you," Cornelius said as he was checking his collar in the big mirror in the living room. "I think that was why father had chosen it for me. He had a reputation to think of and I had to play my part."


    Alyssa and her sister emerged from their rooms and both looked very nice in the dresses they had chosen for the big dinner. Alyssa was wearing the dress that Gabriel had bought her earlier, and Diane was wearing a similar one that Cornelius had earlier acquired. Alyssa was surprised by how similar the two dresses were.


    "That''s a very nice dress," Alyssa said, "It looks very similar to mine."


    "That''s because it is," The Dark Prince answered, "I purchased it from the same shop where you got yours. I recognized the box when I was questioning Gabriel with the wolves. So I spoke with the shopkeeper about your visit and she showed me the dress you purchased and gave me recommendations to what would go well with it. She was quite co-operative."


    "It''s very nice," Diane added, "Thank you very much."


    "You''re quite welcome," Cornelius replied.


    It was at this point where Gabriel came into the apartment with his rather interesting royal suit. It was similar to what Cornelius was wearing but was red with a yellow slash, where as his older brother had a cooler outfit that was all black.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "Gaud, I hate this thing," Gabriel muttered.


    "I think it looks very nice," Alyssa said, trying to make him feel better.


    "For some reason, Father was into those colors around the time that you were born." Cornelius added, "Be luck you weren''t born a few centuries earlier. He had this rather weird phase when he was into bright pink colors. That was when our sister was born so that might explain it a bit."


    "I suppose," Gabriel said, checking it in the mirror. "I guess it could be worse."


    Alyssa then noticed something, "I can see you in the mirror!"


    Cornelius laughed, "Of course you can. Not everything you read in books are ever true. We actually were responsible for the whole mirror thing, cause it made us harder to detect. It gave us deniability whenever we needed it. That and the whole garlic thing."


    "Garlic isn''t real either?" Pablo asked, rather surprised.


    "It''s not," Gabriel confirmed, "The truth is father just didn''t like it, so he outlawed it in his kingdoms. People read that the wrong way and that''s just how the rumor of it being a weakness started."


    "The last thing we want to do is offend him," Cornelius added, "So we wear what he picked for us, no questions asked."


    "Isn''t he sleeping?" Alyssa asked, "How would he know?"


    "He has a knack for knowing these things," Gabriel answered, "It''s rather uncanny but he tends to know when people don''t do what he asks, even when he''s not there to see it himself."


    "That''s enough talk about the old man," Cornelius said, "We should be going or we''re going to be late. The sun is going down so our exposure is minimal."


    "The sun is a real thing?" Diane said, still sound curious.


    "It is," Cornelius answered, "But it''s only lethal to younger, less pure blooded vampires. The younger they are, the faster they burn. Any vamps that are less than a few years old would pretty much explode if touch by just a small beam."


    "Oh, wow!" Diane said, rather surprised by the details.


    "Is this appropriate before supper?" Alyssa asked.


    "My apologies," The Dark Prince said, as he held the door open for the ladies. As they were walking down the stairs, Diane couldn''t help but keep asking.


    "Would you and Gabe explode?" She asked him.


    "No dear," Cornelius answered, "My brother and are still susceptible to sunlight, but it would take many hours, maybe even days to have the same effect on us. We just avoid it because it''s very irritating to the skin and we itch for weeks."


    "Except for the day walkers," Gabe added.


    "They''re not real," his brother countered, "I''ve been walking this planet thousands of years longer than yourself, and I''ve never met one. The concept of day walkers are just unproven myths."


    "So are you guys," Alyssa reminded him, "Sometimes myths can be legit."


    "Good point," Cornelius concurred.


    The sun was very low, so they had no trouble walking over to Mrs. Goldman''s house, and she had a magnificent spread made at her table, which was much bigger than Diane had remembered it. Turns out the witch used a spell to change it''s shape and would put it back to it''s regular size once everyone was gone. A trick witches used to accommodate everyone and not have to use multiple tables.


    "Where do I sit?" Diane asked.


    "A wise tip," Cornelius said, "Sit beside Gabriel."


    "Why is that?" Diane inquired.


    "He doesn''t eat," The Dark Prince reminded her, "Gabriel doesn''t like regular food. So if you really like what''s being served, you can steal some more from his plate."


    "Good point," Diane said, "Do you eat?"


    "Oh, yes," Cornelius answered with a smile. "I have a very good palate."


    As everyone took their seats, Cornelius was the last to sit down as he looked across at the witches with a smile.


    "I realize you are very fond on pre-dinner ceremonies," he started, "But please keep it brief as the little one, who is also the guest of honor, probably hasn''t eaten since lunch and would prefer to eat sooner than later."


    "We understand," one of the witches replied, "We shall be brief, but keep close to our hallowed traditions."


    "Thank you," The Dark Prince said, taking a seat. "Proceed."


    The witches at the table gave a small hymn and were over rather quickly, much to everyone''s delight as dinner was served. As Cornelius had predicted, Gabriel was served a portion despite the fact that he wasn''t going to touch it. It was a very nice meal that Mrs. Goldman and the other witches had concocted, and everyone dug in were quiet for the most part. Cornelius had brought a bottle of blood from New Lycan and had poured a glass for himself and his brother, as if it were a simple wine. Finally, Alyssa broke the silence.


    "I hope you don''t mind me asking," Alyssa started, "What is Salem like?"


    The witches were surprised by the question, but were delight to answer it.


    "It''s quite lovely dear," one of the ladies replied.


    "Very peaceful and quiet," another added.


    "Yes," Mrs. Goldman concurred, "Sometimes too quiet."


    "How do you keep the dead out?" Diane asked.


    "The cauldron, dear." Mrs. Goldman reminded her. There are hundreds of them, maybe even thousands active in the town right now. The dead don''t like them and stay very far away. Those that are strong enough to handle them are quickly dispatched by the many guardians watching the gates."


    "Wow," Diane said, thinking about it. "Could Alyssa and I visit one day?"


    "We would be delighted if you did," one of the other witches replied.


    "That sounds nice," Alyssa added, "I wouldn''t mind seeing it too."


    "They usually don''t allow normal people to enter the city," Mrs. Goldman informed her, "but considering your sister is a witch, I am quite confident they might make an exception for you."


    The other witches at the table all nodded in agreement. To them Alyssa was a small price to pay if it meant the newest heavenly witch visiting their fair city. There hadn''t been a witch that powerful in centuries, and the city was already a buzz about it. Mrs. Goldman was confident Diane could take the vampires with her if she asked, that''s how desperate they were to have her come over. The old lady peered over at Diane just as she reached over and stole a piece of meat from Gabriel''s plate. The vampire didn''t seem to mind as he hadn''t taken a bite since he sat down. The old lady smiled as she watched Diane enjoy a her seconds. Yet her watching was interrupted as Cornelius stood up from where he was sitting, as if something had startled him.


    "Is something wrong, my lord?" Mrs. Goldman asked him.


    "The dead," the Dark Prince replied, "I can feel them."


    "No need to worry," one of the witches said, "They will not come here, they are repulsed by the cauldron."


    "They''re coming closer despite that," he countered, "As if they''re being forced to keep moving forward by another force. As if they''re being herded."


    At that moment Gabriel stood up as well, as he understood what that meant.


    "Californians?" he asked.


    "It appears so," Cornelius sneered.


    "Are everything okay?" Diane asked, as she could sense his anger.


    "It''s alright, dear." He said, smiling down at here. "It appears someone needs to be reminded of what happens when my orders, and the council''s orders are ignored."


    "Right now?" Gabriel asked.


    "I''m afraid so, brother." Cornelius said, "Unless you want me to wait until they start shelling the town like they did to Denver?"


    "No!" Alyssa said, as she was scared of what might happen. "Take care of it."


    Gabriel paused for a moment. "You heard her, brother. Take care of it."


    "Very well," Cornelius said, placing his napkin on the table. "Excuse me, ladies."

 42. A Debate Between Leaders

    The General was getting very impatient, as the convoy he was moving had slowed to a near standstill. It got the point where all the vehicles stopped moving completely, which had reminded him of the traffic jams he remembered as a child back in the old days of California. But that was a long time ago and congestion like that had gone extinct, so what was slowing them down? He stepped out of his command truck and made his way the front of the line and up to the commander who was herding the undead. There were hundreds of them tied together, as they never released them until they had a target to run towards that was more appealing than them. He tapped the soldier on the shoulder to get his attention.


    ¡°Sir!¡± The soldier said, realizing he was there. ¡°Sorry about the delay!¡±


    ¡°What the hell is going one, soldier?¡± The general asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s the undead, Sir.¡± The soldier replied, ¡°They¡¯re refusing to move forward.¡±


    ¡°Completely?¡± The general asked, walking closer to the line to see for himself. He got on top of the roof of one of the vehicles to get a higher view of what was going on, and the young man was right; the source of the blockage was the undead themselves. They were refusing to move forward, every single one of them. As the General looked on, the dead were refusing to move beyond a certain point, as if a line had been drawn into the Ground and they were unable to cross it.


    ¡°What¡¯s in their way?¡± The general asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Sir.¡± The young man replied, ¡°It¡¯s just empty road in front of them. We tried to go around it, but it doesn¡¯t work. It¡¯s like an invisible barrier is there and the undead can¡¯t pass through it.¡±


    ¡°Can we pass by that point?¡± The General asked.


    ¡°Yes, we can.¡± The soldier replied. ¡°We¡¯ve had a few scouts to well beyond this point. Yet for some reason the undead won¡¯t go beyond this point.¡±


    ¡°This is damned strange.¡± The general said, getting off the top of the vehicle. ¡°I want to speak to some of these scouts.¡±


    ¡°Right away, Sir!¡± the soldier called out, running off to carry out his orders.


    ¡°The General walked back to his own vehicle and waited for someone to come to him. The young soldier returned minutes later with another soldier, who was no doubt the scout he ordered to speak with.


    ¡°Sir,¡± the Scout said, saluting him. ¡°You wanted to speak with me?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± The General said, ¡°What did you see out there?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a small village not far from here,¡± The scout reported, ¡°Decent walls from what I can say and there are probably at least a few thousand in there, maybe more.¡±


    ¡°Not bad for out here, away from the cities.¡± The General noted, ¡°Answer me this: when you checked out this village, did you see any undead wandering around.¡±


    The scout paused for a moment to ponder the question.


    ¡°Now that you mention it,¡± The scout started, ¡°I did not.¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be a coincidence,¡± The General noted, ¡°For some reason this village is able to keep the undead away from their walls. How are they doing that?¡±


    ¡°Maybe we could ask the vampire,¡± The scout said.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± The General asked.


    ¡°I saw one of the trucks that passed our checkpoints outside Denver.¡± The scout replied, ¡°It came out through one of the gates and drove away. The people we are looking for are likely there.¡±


    ¡°And we can¡¯t use the undead to attack them,¡± The General said, his frustration growing. ¡°Thank you, soldier. You¡¯re dismissed.¡±


    As the scout and the soldier he came with walked away, the Sergeant he was riding with since the cabin exited the vehicle to join him.


    ¡°Have you ever seen anything like this?¡± The General inquired of the Sergeant. ¡°The undead are refusing to budge an inch towards this town.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen it, but I¡¯ve heard about it happening.¡± The Sergeant replied.


    ¡°You have?¡± The General said, looking intrigued. ¡°Where do I dare as had this happened before?¡±


    ¡°Salem,¡± The Sergeant answered, ¡°I¡¯ve been told that a witch¡¯s cauldron repels the undead, as they¡¯re driven away by light magic. So this means there are more than just Vampires in this town.¡±


    ¡°Witches?¡± The General said, with a tone of relative disgust. ¡°Dammit.¡±


    The soldier from the front of the convoy came back, looking rather winded.


    ¡°Sir,¡± The boy wheezed. ¡°There is someone here to speak with you.


    ¡°Out here?¡± The General said, looking back at the boy. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± The boy replied, ¡°But he¡¯s a vampire, and he¡¯s asking to speak with he person in charge.¡±


    The general looked at his sergeant and then back at the boy.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°A vampire?¡± The Sergeant said, ¡°Are you sure about that?¡±


    ¡°He can fly, Sir.¡± The boy replied, ¡°And he looks rather pale. So I¡¯m pretty confident he is one.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ he wants to talk, eh?¡± the General said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bite. Then let¡¯s go meet this blood sucker.¡±


    The General with his Sergeant following behind him walked out to where the vampire was waiting for him, was about twenty feet beyond the mark where the undead refused to push forward. The large looking figure was wearing a black uniform that looked rather formal, with a red sash that made him look like a dictator from a fascist nation. He stood there with arms crossed, waiting to be addressed by someone of authority.


    The soldiers made a path for the General to walk past his own undead and through the invisible barrier that was holding them back. Once he was through, the large vampire turned to face him, hoping that his wait was over.


    ¡°I take it you¡¯re the man in charge of his unit?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m General Davis,¡± The general replied, ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°My name is Cornelius,¡± The large vampire replied, ¡°I am the Dark Prince of Transylvania, and I represent the vampire council. I am here to inform you that your presence violates an agreement we made with your government.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± General Davis asked, rather confused. ¡°What agreement?¡±


    ¡°Agreements that were negotiated when I spoke to your President in Sacramento,¡± Cornelius said, as he slowly started to walk closer to the general.


    ¡°When did that happen?¡± The general asked.


    ¡°A short time ago,¡± Cornelius repeated, ¡°About two days after Denver was destroyed. We had a long discussion about what happened that day, including your army¡¯s conflict with one of our citizens.¡±


    ¡°So you know one of your vampires killed my troops?¡± General Davis asked.


    ¡°I do, as does your President.¡± Cornelius said, ¡°And we came to an understanding during that meeting that no actions would be taken against that vampire. Your president assured me that you would be ordered to stand down. Did you not receive those orders from your superiors?¡±


    ¡°Why would my government allow someone to get away with murdering our soldiers?¡± the general asked, refusing to acknowledge the orders he did in fact receive but chose to ignore.


    ¡°Because the conflict that occurred was caused by your own incompetence.¡± Cornelius said, ¡°The reason this incident occurred in the first place, was because you did not give us sufficient warning to your attack on Denver. Had we known, we would have ordered any vampires in the area to stand down and get out of your way, like we did in Portland last year. You went into Denver without consulting us, making this all your fault. For this reason, your President has agreed to not pursue this vampire and the matter according to him is closed.¡±


    ¡°The matter is not closed to me!¡± General Davis called out to the Dark Prince.


    ¡°I can see that,¡± Cornelius said, noticing his anger. ¡°Where is all this hostility coming from? Did you know someone that was killed at that roadblock?¡±


    ¡°The loss of any soldier is one too many,¡± The general replied, doing his best to avoid the question.


    ¡°While I might be inclined to agree with you,¡± Cornelius said, ¡°We cannot be held responsible for this conflict if we were not given sufficient warning to avoid it. Your government has already accepted responsibility for it and apologized to the council for not letting us know before the attack occurred. You were ordered to disengage your search for my citizen, and I command you know to follow those orders. Stand down, and head back for California.¡±


    ¡°Or what?¡± General Davis asked, boldly challenging him.


    ¡°Or I will lose my temper,¡± Cornelius answered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t take orders from any blood suckers,¡± The general called out defiantly, ¡°I want you to surrender that vampire to my custody or I will attack that village.¡±


    ¡°That is unfortunate,¡± Cornelius said, feeling rather disappointed.


    The general was about to turn to his own men to give his own orders, but Cornelius used great speed to close the distance between them. Cornelius suddenly appeared beside the general and grabbed him the neck, his large hand easily gripping onto the man¡¯s neck. The actions of the Vampire took all the soldiers watching with surprise, as they were now pointing their guns at them both. Cornelius didn¡¯t even look at them as they presented no danger to him. The Dark Prince gently began to squeeze the general¡¯s neck, letting him know that his own life was now in danger.


    ¡°General Davis,¡± Cornelius said, whispering to him. ¡°I need you call out your second in command, and do it quickly.¡±


    ¡°Sergeant!¡± General Davis called out.


    The Sergeant he was speaking with came running out to aid his general, but stopped just short as Cornelius raised his other hand to stop his advance.


    ¡°Sergeant,¡± Cornelius started, ¡°Your division were given orders handed down from the President of California to stand down and return to Denver.¡±


    ¡°Says you,¡± The Sergeant replied, just as defiant as his general.


    ¡°Your doubts are understandable,¡± Cornelius conceded, ¡°But if you do not believe me, then I suggest you contact your people and confirm the orders yourself.¡±


    ¡°Why are you asking me to do this?¡± The Sergeant asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you to do this because the general has been relieved of his command.¡± Cornelius answered, as he then grabbed the general with both hands.


    ¡°No!¡± The general cried out, ¡°Wait a minute¡­ you can¡¯t¡­¡±


    Cornelius didn¡¯t bother to listen and the generals screams could be heard by everyone close by as he tore the general¡¯s head off, causing him to die instantly despite the fact that his body was still twitching like a chicken. Cornelius dropped the General¡¯s body to the ground, which was still lightly twitching as it fell. He turned to face the Sergeant, while still holding up General Davis¡¯ head.


    ¡°You are in charge now,¡± Cornelius said, dropped the head to the ground as well before walking closer to him. ¡°If any of you come anywhere near that village or fire a single shot at it, then I will come back out here and rip all of your damn heads off. Have I made myself clear, Sergeant?¡±


    ¡°You have,¡± The Sergeant replied, ¡°I will confirm the orders after you have vacated the area.¡±


    ¡°Return to Denver as ordered,¡± Cornelius said as he started to back away, ¡°And you¡¯ll never see me again.¡±


    ¡°Was it really necessary to murder the general?¡± The Sergeant called out.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± Cornelius said as he started to float into the air.


    ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± The Sergeant asked.


    ¡°The details are above your paygrade, Sergeant.¡± Cornelius said as he started to rise higher into the air. ¡°But I can assure you all means were exhausted before making that decision. This is the way it has to be.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± The Sergeant called out.


    ¡°And you never will, so don¡¯t trouble yourself with it.¡± Cornelius responded, ¡°Just verify your orders and go back to Denver.¡±


    Before another word was spoken, Cornelius shot up into the sky with great speed and was gone. The Sergeant watched the vampire zip away and then turned his attention to the body and its severed head lying on the ground before him. He slowly walked over to the had and knelt before it. He sat there looking at the head an the open eyes of his fallen commander. Moments later one of the other soldiers came out to speak with him.


    ¡°Sir,¡± the man asked the Sergeant, ¡°The men are rather upset, and are unsure what we¡¯re going to do next. What are you orders?¡±


    The Sergeant took a deep breath and got back to his feet. ¡°I want someone to get a body bag and to store the General¡¯s remains so we can take him home for a proper burial.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± The soldier replied, ¡°Anything else, Sir?¡±


    ¡°I want our artillery units to come forward,¡± The Sergeant said, angered by the murder of the man he considered his mentor. ¡°We¡¯re going to attack that damn village.¡±

 43. Evacuate!

    Gabriel and Alyssa were still in the dining room that Mrs. Goldman had set up for the evening, as the long wait for Cornelius to return was beginning to frustrate most of the people in the room. Gabriel could tell Alyssa and Diane were rather nervous as the young girl went to her sister and hugged her for a while as they waited. Their patience was eventually reward as there was a loud swooshing sound that let them know that the big vampire was returning. Cornelius entered into the large room and slowly approached everyone who was awaiting his return. He didn¡¯t look like his cocky self, and rather somber as he walked up to the big table. It was assumed he would return to his seat and resume eating, which was what Gabriel had thought, but he didn¡¯t. Instead the big vampire stood behind his chair and remained standing as the look on his face didn¡¯t give his younger brother the impression that all was well.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid things were not settled,¡± Cornelius said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Gabriel was at a loss for word, as those were two words that he never heard his older brother ever speak in his presence and certainly never that sincerely as well. Rather than dwell on it, Gabriel approached his brother.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Gabriel asked him.


    ¡°They¡¯re rather determined to come get you, brother.¡± Cornelius answered, ¡°To the point where it¡¯s not safe here. We need to evacuate the town, immediately.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Mrs. Goldman said, rather stunned by the statement. ¡°When?¡±


    ¡°Right now,¡± Cornelius said, ¡°As soon as possible. They seemed rather angered by our exchange. I didn¡¯t help matters at all.¡±


    ¡°Dammit,¡± Gabriel cursed, ¡°Where should we go?¡±


    ¡°What about the rest of the town?¡± Alyssa asked.


    ¡°We can¡¯t save everyone,¡± Cornelius said, ¡°We need to save those who are important to us first, and if I have time, I¡¯ll see what I ?can do for everyone else.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take Diane,¡± Mrs. Goldman said, standing up. ¡°The safest place for her right now is in Salem.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± One of the other witches called out in agreement. ¡°We shall all escort her there ourselves. Combined with all her guardians, she will be quite safe.¡±


    ¡°I want to go too,¡± Alyssa said, standing up.


    Cornelius walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. ¡°You cannot."


    "What?" Alyssa said, angered by that. "Why not?"


    "Only witches are allowed in Salem unless authorized through diplomacy." Cornelius explained, "I can pull some strings and get you access, but she¡¯s right. Salem is the safest place for Diane right now. Let the old woman care for her, and we¡¯ll retreat to New Lycan for the time being.¡±


    ¡°I will care for her as if she were my own child,¡± Mrs. Goldman said, ¡°Your mom was my best friend, and I will never let anything happen to her.¡±


    ¡°I believe you, M¡¯ lady,¡± Cornelius responded, ¡°Because if you fail, every one of you will answer to me.¡±


    ¡°We understand, my lord.¡± The other witch replied, fully aware of what he meant by that statement.


    Alyssa and Gabriel walked Diane to their building, back to the apartment as quickly as they could without catching anyone¡¯s attention. Once in their apartment, Alyssa started to pack up their personal belongings. Things that couldn¡¯t be replaced such as pictures, old books and clothing that meant something. It was at this moment when Pablo came into the room, as he could tell what was going on.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Pablo asked.


    ¡°Packing,¡± Gabriel replied, ¡°There is trouble coming our way.¡±


    ¡°What kind of trouble?¡± Pablo asked.


    ¡°California,¡± Gabriel answered, ¡°They¡¯re less than twenty miles away and are none to pleased. This is going to be Denver all over again.¡±


    Pablo¡¯s eye grew as wide as saucers as he could hardly believe it.


    ¡°What¡¯s the plan?¡± Pablo asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pack this stuff up,¡± Gabriel answered, ¡°You get Sean and his family back into the big trucks. We need to hit the road for New Lycan before it¡¯s too late.¡±


    Pablo didn¡¯t even respond and just bolted out of the room, and one his way to break the bad news to Sean and his family. They¡¯d have to go on the run again and from the same people as last time. Gabriel used his speed to pack faster than ten men could in the same time, but packed light aware that space in the trucks were limited. He checked in on Diane and she appeared to be packing everything rather than just the essentials.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Diane,¡± Gabriel started.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be alright,¡± Diane interrupted, without looking at him. ¡°I have over a hundred guardians that are all volunteering to carry it for me to Salem.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°Good luck out there. Alyssa and I will try to come over and visit as soon as we can. Follow Mrs. Goldman¡¯s lead and you should be alright. If what I¡¯ve been told is correct, that entire town will protect you. You¡¯re the safest of us all right about now.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Diane said, still packing, ¡°Just don¡¯t keep me waiting too long then, or we¡¯ll come looking for you.¡±


    Gabriel nodded and then zipped into Alyssa¡¯s room and started to pack all her stuff into small bags with lightning speed. When he was done, he looked back up at her and noticed her shocked look.


    ¡°I tried to be gentle,¡± he admitted, ¡°Just trying to help out.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Alyssa said, sighing. ¡°Just a warning next time, okay?¡±


    ¡°Promise,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°I¡¯ll get these to one of the trucks.


    Gabriel grabbed a few of the bags and zipped down to the same two trucks that had helped them evacuate from Denver only a short time ago. They would be their savior again but far sooner than Gabriel had hoped them would be. Pablo was down there and he took the bags from Gabriel as he came down.


    ¡°Such a shame,¡± Pablo admitted, ¡°I was really liking this place.¡±


    ¡°Sean and his family getting ready?¡± Gabriel asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re packing,¡± Pablo said, ¡°We¡¯ll be good to go in about a half hour.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± A voice called out.


    Gabriel and Pablo turned to see who was calling out to them, and it was Max. The mayor of the small town was walking up to them and had heard what Pablo had just said about leaving town and didn¡¯t seem too pleased about it.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving town?¡± Max said, looking rather suspicious. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of difficult to explain,¡± Pablo said, trying to bullshit his way out.


    ¡°Try,¡± Max insisted, ¡°Because no one leaves this town unless I say so.¡±


    ¡°You sure about that?¡± Gabriel asked, as he walked over to Max and met him halfway. ¡°Because I¡¯ve been coming and going as often as I like.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Max asked.


    ¡°That is so,¡± Gabriel confirmed, ¡°I don¡¯t need your permission to do a thing. I do what I want and whenever I feel like it.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Max said, ¡°And where are you off to in such a hurry. If I didn¡¯t know better, you guys appear to be running from something.¡±


    ¡°More like someone,¡± Pablo corrected him.


    ¡°More undead?¡± Max guessed, ¡°Is there another herd coming?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°Not this time. Something alive and more dangerous.¡±


    ¡°What could be more dangerous than the undead?¡± Max asked.


    ¡°You¡¯d be surprised,¡± Pablo retorted, ¡°Very surprised.¡±


    It was at this moment when there was a series of swooshing sounds, as Mrs. Goldman and the three witches from Salem launched off the roof of Alyssa¡¯s building. Mrs. Goldman had Diane with her and right after the four witches on brooms took off into the sky, close to fifty large winged creatures also launched from the same roof and flew into the sky behind the witches. The three of them all watched as the witches and gargoyles flew off into the night and vanished into the dark skies. Gabriel was a little sad he never got a chance to say goodbye but understood that the witches were not taking any chances with Diane¡¯s safety. The sooner they got her out of here, the better Gabriel thought as time wasn¡¯t something they had a lot of. Gabriel turned to face the mayor as he also watched with a stunned look on his face.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± Max called out.


    ¡°To be honest,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe us if we told you.¡±


    It was at this point were Max pulled out a handgun from his person. While he didn¡¯t raise it or point it at anyone, the presence of it was supposed to be enough to intimidate one of them into talking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me ask you again,¡± Max demanded, ¡°I want the truth.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t handle the truth!¡± Pablo called back, as it was a favorite line from a movie he always wanted to say.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± Max said, as this time he pointed the gun at Gabriel. ¡°Tell me the truth or it will be the last thing you ever say!¡±


    ¡°I doubt it,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°And we¡¯re in a hurry. So put down the gun and let us get back to work. Time is not on our side.¡±


    ¡°Time for what?¡± Max asked.


    Gabriel was about to finally make a move on the mayor, something he¡¯s wanted to do for a while. That nosy piece of shit had been getting on Gabriel¡¯s last nerve for some time and he never trusted the little worm since he tried to have Alyssa killed by the undead when they first met. It was something he had wanted to do to repay the corrupt mayor for a while, and this was his chance. Yet it was Cornelius who had other plans as he grabbed the mayor first and dragged the little man to the side of the building and pinned the mayor to the wall. Cornelius had one big hand wrapped around the mayor¡¯s throat while the other held the mayor''s hand that was holding the gun. Before the mayor could wheeze out a single word the Dark Prince snapped the mayor¡¯s wrist, which caused him to drop the gun. Less than a second later Cornelius snapped the mayor¡¯s neck with his other hand, killing the man instantly. It was at this moment when the big vampire let the man go, and his lifeless body fell to the ground with a very loud thud as he crumpled on the ground like a piece of paper.


    ¡°Whoa,¡± Pablo said, as he could hardly believe what he just witnessed.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± Gabriel called out, angered by his brother.


    ¡°There is a time and place for diplomacy,¡± Cornelius said, turning to look at his brother. ¡°But this is not that time. We have to hurry, and this man was in our way. Now he is not.¡±


    ¡°How do you know all this?¡± Gabriel asked.


    ¡°I just know,¡± Cornelius answered, as cryptic as ever. ¡°I can explain later, but right now our time is better served getting everyone to safety. Get back to work.¡±


    Before either man could respond, Cornelius zipped away with great speed and was gone as quickly as he arrived. Gabriel wanted to check on the mayor, but the big vampire no matter how annoying he was happened to be right. If the Californians were as mad as he thought they were, this town was going to be flattened, and he needed to get everyone out before that happened.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± Pablo asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get rid of the body,¡± Gabriel answered, ¡°You get Sean and his people out here as quickly as you can. Cornelius wouldn¡¯t be moving this aggressively if he thought he had time to talk his way out of this.¡±


    ¡°Noted,¡± Pablo said, ¡°Let¡¯s get back to work.¡±


    Gabriel grabbed the body, and flew over the wall with it, taking the mayor out of the town. He flew about a mile out, and dumped the body like it was a sack of potatoes and as he turned to head back to town, in the distance he could see what had his brother so worried. The lights from the vehicles that told Gabriel everything he needed to know about the situation. They were already out of time as an attack on the small town was imminent.

 44. The Siege

    They had been hoping, even praying, that there was enough time to get out before the attack began but their aggressors had the patience of a dead horse. Gabriel was helping Sean and his family into one of the big trucks they used to get away from Denver when the first shells from the Californian army hit the town. When the first shell slammed into one of the town¡¯s buildings, there were screams along with people running for cover and their very lives. The explosions caught the town people off guard, and with no leaders or mayors around to give orders or instructions things turned chaotic very quickly. Gabriel was still helping Sean when the shells started to fall and it had startled them both.


    ¡°Just like Denver,¡± Sean said, rather disgusted. ¡°Tossing shells up because they¡¯re too cowardly to march on us like real men.¡±


    ¡°This town isn¡¯t that fortified,¡± Gabriel said, confused. ¡°What is the purpose of using this kind of artillery?¡±


    ¡°Usually they reserve these bombs for the walls, so they dead can walk in and take care of the people inside,¡± Sean answered, ¡°But aiming for the buildings doesn¡¯t make sense. This is a waste of ammo.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± Pablo said as he came rushing over with a few crates of food for their trip. ¡°Here¡¯s the last of the supplies from the apartment upstairs. We need to get out of here before they hit their target and unleash the dead on us.¡±


    ¡°What target?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°The cauldron.¡± Gabriel said as it all made sense to him now. ¡°As long as that thing is here, the dead can¡¯t attack. They need destroy the cauldron, or the undead are useless.¡±


    ¡°Since they have no idea where it is,¡± Pablo added, ¡°They¡¯re just going to shell every building till the dead are no longer held back.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t bode well for us,¡± Sean said, taking the boxes from Pablo. ¡°The back gate appears to be our best exit. We need to run before California surrounds the town, if they haven¡¯t already.¡±


    ¡°They haven¡¯t,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°They¡¯re too busy trying to find the cauldron first so they could disable it. We have some time, but not much. You guys make your exit right now before one of these shells gets too lucky for my liking.¡±


    ¡°Where are we heading?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°New Lycan,¡± Gabriel answered.


    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Pablo asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s our best option,¡± A voice came booming as someone else landed near them.


    ¡°Cornelius,¡± Pablo called out to the big Vampire. ¡°I guess we have you to blame for the current aggressions from our west coast friends.¡±


    ¡°My apologies,¡± The Dark Prince said as he walked over with more boxes to fill the trucks up with. ¡°I tried my best, but they want my brother more than peace. There¡¯s nothing I could have said or done to slow down their momentum.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re apparently heading for New Lycan,¡± Pablo informed him.


    ¡°A wise choice,¡± Cornelius said, ¡°I will make sure you are taken care of there, and then we¡¯ll move you all to a new safe space before the next full moon.¡±


    Before anyone could speak further, a building across from the one they had been living in for the last while exploded as another shell came too close for comfort. The blast sent glass and other debris flying everyone, which no doubt distracted everyone from what they were trying to do.


    ¡°Do you need any further motivation?¡± Cornelius asked, ¡°Leave now, we can replace your stuff and supplies.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Sean said, ¡°We¡¯ll take off now and ride for New Lycan.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just waiting for Alyssa,¡± Pablo said, ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°There''s no time!¡± Gabriel said, ¡°I¡¯ll get her out of here. You guys get going right now and we¡¯ll catch up.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Pablo said as he opened the door to get into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°We¡¯ve pushed our luck enough, let¡¯s blow this pop stand!¡±


    Pablo was driving the truck, while Sean and his family where in the second, which made for the second time they were using the armored vehicles to escape the attacking soldiers. They both drove the big things over to the back gate which was still being guarded, despite the explosions going on. Pablo opened his door to speak with the guard.


    ¡°Open the gates,¡± Pablo called out.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± The guard called out.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Pablo considered saying something stupid, but thought the best way to get through was to be honest for a change.


    ¡°They¡¯re the same army we ran away from on the west coast,¡± Pablo explained, ¡°They might have followed us here. So there¡¯s a chance if they see us running, they might stop the attack and follow us away from here.¡±


    The guard stood there, and thought about what he was told. Moments later he hit a button that opened the gates, as he hoped what Pablo said was true.


    ¡°Get out of here then,¡± the guard called out, ¡°And make sure they see you run, and I won¡¯t tell the mayor about it.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Pablo said as he closed the door and floored it.


    Both trucks rolled beyond the walls and used the lights to make sure their exit was seen. He was kidding about the fact that the Californians might follow them. Pablo suspected that rolling to New Lycan might have been Cornelius¡¯ plan to get them to stop since they wouldn¡¯t dare encroach on a major monster city. That and the wolves have an army of their own according to the Dark Prince, so they are more than capable of defending themselves against any incursion. Pablo kept driving, hoping to see any signs of movement but there was nothing. The only thing he heard was the continued shelling of the town, and even more explosions. Their effort had stopped nothing.


    ¡°Dammit!¡± Pablo said, slamming the wheel with his hand. ¡°Follow us you empty headed beach bums!¡±


    When they were a few miles away, Pablo pulled over to the side of the road, using an old gas station for cover. He crawled out of the hatch to the top of the truck and used it to climb on top of the roof of the abandoned gas station. From there Pablo used binoculars to watch the town as the fires and explosions keep going on. Sean crawled out of his truck and joined Pablo on the roof.


    ¡°It¡¯s still going on?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°It is,¡± Pablo said.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they following us?¡± Sean asked, angered by the site before them.


    ¡°They were never after us,¡± Pablo confessed, ¡°They were after Gabriel, and they¡¯ll keep shelling that poor town into dust just to piss him off.¡±


    ¡°Should we get back on the road before the dead come here?¡± Sean asked, looking around for any.


    ¡°There are none for miles because of the cauldron,¡± Pablo answered, ¡°So unless California manages to hit it, we will not see any for while.¡±


    ¡°How will we know they hit it?¡± Sean inquired.


    Just as he asked that there was another explosion from town, but this time it was much bigger, and so bright that it lit up the night sky like a tiny sun for several seconds. There was a bright yellowish and white mushroom shaped cloud that also shined a bit before going dark seconds later.


    ¡°Oh, I think that was it.¡± Pablo said, as he was barely able to shield his eyes from the blast. ¡°The cauldron is down, the undead are likely going to start walking here from all directions.¡±


    ¡°What should we do?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°We drive as far as we can,¡± Pablo suggestion, ¡°And then when the crowds of undead get too big we find a place to hide and wait for them to pass by. Bunker in and stay quiet and let them all march right past us.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Sean said as he started to walk back to his truck, ¡°Let¡¯s haul as while we still have time. We should keep an eye out for somewhere to hide. I¡¯d rather park early if we find a good one.¡±


    ¡°I hear you,¡± Pablo said, nodding in agreement. ¡°We¡¯re hiding from the undead and those soldiers. If we find a good one, it will be worth parking a bit early. If we can¡¯t find anything, we keep hauling ass to New Lycan as quick as we can.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Sean said, ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±


    Once they were back on the road, it didn¡¯t take them long to start bumping into small patches of the undead, starting to wander back into the zone that was being denied them by the now disabled cauldron. Pablo and Sean would occasionally stop their trucks, bunker down and let the dead pass by as they played dead themselves. To their surprise, the dead had no interest in the trucks as they moseyed on by without a care for them. It was almost as if the former cauldron was now drawing them closer now that it was gone. Once the roads were clear, Pablo didn¡¯t want to hang around as they carried on, driving most of the night, using the cover of darkness to hide their exit. When the sun finally started to come up, Pablo spots a gas station that had a pretty decent garage, and that seemed like a good spot to stop. He pulled into the area and Sean¡¯s truck followed.


    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± Sean asked as he peaked out from the hatch at the top of his truck.


    ¡°We stash the trucks in the garage,¡± Pablo called back, ¡°Bunker down and get some rest and start driving again when it gets dark. I¡¯m sure everyone is tired.¡±


    ¡°The kids are already asleep,¡± Sean replied, ¡°They have been for an hour at least. Would be nice to get some rest too.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± Pablo said, ¡°We¡¯ll park in there and bunker down. Then when the sun goes down we¡¯ll keep driving till we reach New Lycan.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a plan,¡± Sean said, ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Sean and Pablo did a sweep for zombies, and only had to kill one to clear the garage. They barricaded the only doors in, and then parked the decent size trucks inside. Pablo then closed the garage doors and that gave them the perfect cover. Odds were if the Californians followed them, they¡¯d pass by this place and not even give it a second look especially with all the undead crawling around. The good thing about these armored vehicles was they were strong enough to be bunkers to hide in. They didn¡¯t need to find houses if they didn¡¯t want to.


    ¡°Should anyone take watch?¡± Sean asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Pablo answered, ¡°the deader this place looks, the better. Having anyone around that could be caught or seen from a distance would be unwise. Let¡¯s bunker in her and get some sleep.¡±


    After Sean disappeared into his truck and locked up, Pablo couldn¡¯t help but climb to the second floor of the garage and take a look around. There were no undead to see or hear of, so that wasn¡¯t the issue. He instead snuck up to a window and peeked out of it in the direction of the town they just left. Black smoke could be seen still rising into the air, as could hundreds of stray zombies walking towards it in all directions. Pablo took a deep breath as he couldn¡¯t believe what had happened. The town that took them in had paid the price for their defiance of the west coast army. All Pablo could think about was Gabriel and Alyssa.


    ¡°I hope you guys got out in one piece,¡± Pablo said to himself, sighing deeply.


    Pablo returned to his vehicle and locked it up once back inside like Sean had with his, turned off all the lights, and said a prayer for his friends before laying down to rest. He was wishing for the best but preparing for the worst, hoping that they all made it out in time before the cauldron exploded.

 45. Tumbling Down

    Alyssa was in her room, looking for only the things that could be replaced. Pictures of her parents and family heirlooms, as clothing and all the other stuff could be gathered again in the next town or city they chose to reside in next. She was looking around frantically trying to remember what was important to her when the first explosion shook her building and even rattled the windows. Another blast came seconds later and it was clear to her that what happened to Denver was starting to happen to her small town, which caused her to pause and think about that. She was now going to have to abandon the only town she ever knew. She was born here, both of parents died for this place, and now the only home she knew was going to end as well. Alyssa couldn¡¯t help but think that this was her fault. She¡¯s the one who cut the deal with Gabriel, to give him blood for supplies. If she hadn¡¯t done that and maybe had just died out there with the zombies instead, Gabriel wouldn¡¯t have been in Denver that fateful day and an army of California wouldn¡¯t help shelling her town into oblivion. She didn¡¯t have a lot of time to dwell on it, as another explosion rocked her building and this time the windows all shattered instead of just rattling because the hit was just across the street. Alyssa fell down, and the gravity of the situation was now starting to finally press on her. It was time for her to go, and while she wanted to take as many people with her as she could, she had to think of herself and those she cared about. It was at this moment when Gabriel came into the living room as she was also emerging from her bedroom, still a little dazed from the blast.


    ¡°Hey!¡± Gabriel said, as he walked over to check on her, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Is this our fault, Gabriel?¡± she asked him.


    ¡°What?¡± Gabriel said, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°I mean you went to Denver because of me,¡± She added, ¡°If you hadn¡¯t done that, this town wouldn¡¯t be in danger and being attacked. We did this.¡±


    ¡°First of all, they are the ones doing this¡­ not us!¡± Gabriel corrected her, ¡°And second, I¡¯m pretty sure Sean and his family are happy I showed up that day, or him and his family would have been murdered. I¡¯m sorry we brought this fight to your town, but the crazy soldiers out there are the bad guys. This isn¡¯t on you.¡±


    ¡°It just feels like it,¡± Alyssa said, ¡°And now I have to leave home.¡±


    ¡°Anywhere can be your home,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°Trust me, I¡¯ve lived in hundreds, maybe thousands of different homes over the last several centuries. You don¡¯t think they¡¯ll be another place you¡¯ll think is home, but it¡¯s the people around you who make any place a home, not the location or structure you¡¯re within.¡±


    ¡°What if we never met?¡± Alyssa asked.


    ¡°They you¡¯d be dead,¡± Gabriel reminded her, ¡°I know a few people, especially that really amazing sister of yours who wouldn¡¯t want that to happen. We can what if till the cows come home, we need to get the hell out of here. When we¡¯re somewhere safe, we can resume this entire line of conversation over tea.¡±


    Gabriel walked over and checked a cut that was causing blood to fall down the side of her head. It was a small cut cause by broken glass but it wasn¡¯t too serious.


    ¡°How are we going to stop this?¡± Alyssa asked.


    ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°And you appear to be in shock.¡±


    ¡°This is all my fault,¡± Alyssa repeated, ¡°The mayor was right.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not dwell on that,¡± Gabriel replied, ¡°We need to get you out of here right now. These shells are hitting too close for comfort. Pablo and Sean have already left and are already rolling for New Lycan. Let¡¯s grab what you¡¯ve collected and fly there as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I keep thinking that I¡¯ve forgotten something,¡± Alyssa said, but she couldn¡¯t remember what.


    ¡°Probably,¡± Gabriel conceded, ¡°But we can always come back later and look for it when it¡¯s all over. Right now we need to get out the hell¡­¡±


    Before Gabriel could finish his thought, they were interrupted by a bright flash which was the start of a massive explosion. While the blast had come from a few buildings away, it was easy for Gabriel to notice the source. The Californians had hit the cauldron and the hit was causing an explosion even bigger than what he imagined it would be like. The force of the explosion from the cauldron felt like someone had dropped a bunker buster like munition on the small town, as it obliterated nearby buildings and flattened them with ease. Gabriel tried to grab Alyssa and protect her from the explosion, but was unable to reach her in time as the building collapsed around them as they fell through the floor. After he fell through the floor everything went dark for the vampire, and when he saw light again it was only after someone lifted a large piece of rubble off of him. Cornelius looked down at him with a stare that indicated he was a little disappointed, likely for not getting Alyssa out of the building in time before it collapsed. It was at this moment when Gabriel sat up and looked around.


    ¡°Alyssa!¡± he called out, ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t found her yet,¡± Cornelius said, looking around. ¡°And we don¡¯t have much time either, as I have no doubt the dead are crawling their way here. Let¡¯s find her and get the hell out of here.¡±


    Cornelius helped his brother out of the rubble and the two vampires started to search through the rubble at a break neck speed. They were moving so fast, the only thing human eyes would have seen was two blurs zipping around as both men were moving rubble out of their way. Both of them suddenly stopped when there was a loud that caught their attention. Gunfire, coming from the walls.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Gabriel asked.


    ¡°The sound of our time slowly running out,¡± Cornelius answered.


    ¡°We need to keep looking!¡± Gabriel called out.


    ¡°You keep looking,¡± Cornelius said as he cracked his knuckles. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you as much time as you need.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Gabriel said as he started to move to another area of rubble.


    ¡°Not there,¡± Cornelius called out, ¡°Continue from here, cause I thought I could sense someone here.¡±


    ¡°Really? Are you sure?¡± Gabriel asked, walking over to where his brother was digging earlier.


    ¡°Trust me,¡± his brother said, grabbing his shoulder. ¡°I have powers you are unaware of, and they¡¯re telling me she¡¯s around here. Keep digging and I¡¯ll make sure no one interrupts your search.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°I¡¯ll dig here.¡±


    Gabriel started to toss out more rubble where Cornelius was working as his brother walked away from the flattened building towards the gunfire. The source of the gunfire were the town¡¯s guards that hadn¡¯t been killed yet, shooting at the undead as they started to crawl through the holes in their walls that were created by the shells that had been fired at them by the army outside. Some of the guards watched with surprise as the unarmed man walked past them and towards the dead crawling through their walls.


    ¡°Hey man,¡± one of the guards called out, ¡°You need a gun?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be alright,¡± Cornelius said, looking back at him, ¡°Save it for yourself, but I thank you for asking. I¡¯ll be alright.¡±


    What the guard didn¡¯t notice because he was too busy trying to defend his town, was that the nails on Cornelius¡¯ hands had extended just and inch and a half. While that wasn¡¯t very long, it was long enough as the Vampire¡¯s nails were sharper than katanas. Cornelius walked up to the zombie and sliced it¡¯s head clean off with one swipe of his hand. He then zipped out of town through the hole that was made by the shelling and outside the walk to see the hundreds, maybe thousands of undead that were being unleashed into the town by their invaders. Once again Cornelius zipped around at a lighting like pace, decapitating every zombie he passed by with great ease, killing almost a hundred of them per minute. Gabriel¡¯s powers were nowhere near a strong as his own, nor were his nails as sharp, as the Dark Prince was the only vampire strong enough to dispel of this many undead as fast as he was taking them down. Over the next several minutes, Cornelius managed to kill over a thousand and even used his speed to stack their bodies at the wall to cover up the holes that were made by the dropping bombs.


    Right after he stacked all those undead, Cornelius zipped over to the position where the invaders were shelling the town. He killed a soldier right off the bat, and removed a shoulder strap the solider was wearing that had several grenades attached to it. Before any of the other soldiers could respond, the Dark Prince took each grenade and at high speeds ran up to each cannon that was being used to shell the city. He unpinned a grenade and dropped it into each barrel and ran off for the next cannon before any one could see he was there. After each barrel had a live grenade stuff into it, Cornelius ran off in a new direction and up the Sergeant that had taken over command after the General was murdered. Cornelius ran right up to the Sergeant and put one of his big hands around his neck, lifting him into the air off his feet.


    ¡°Did I not give you sufficient warning to what would happen if you angered me?¡± the big vampire asked the Sergeant, his eyes glowing red with anger.


    ¡°I don¡¯t take orders from blood suckers!¡± The Sergeant defiantly called back.


    ¡°I see,¡± Cornelius said, thinking about it. ¡°I¡¯ve tried everything else, so I might as well give this a go as well.¡±


    Before the Sergeant could respond. Cornelius proceeded to punch a hole into the man¡¯s chest which stopped his heart from beating and killed him. The soldiers around him were about to respond, but the grenades he stuffed into the cannons started to go off, destroy them all. The munitions around them were also causing even more explosions and chaos which gave Cornelius all the cover he needed to leave the area and zip back into town to check up on his brother. By the time he arrived, Gabriel was holding Alyssa¡¯s lifeless body in his arms. She was badly injured, unresponsive and there were tears in Gabriel¡¯s eyes as he was looking back at his brother.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s breathing.¡± He said to Cornelius.


    The big vampire didn¡¯t hesitate to spring into action, as he walked over and took Alyssa from him, aware that his brother was shaken by what he had found.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking her to your apartment in Nashville,¡± He told the little brother, ¡°You know I¡¯m faster and I used to be a field medic during the wars, so I¡¯ll start treating her the moment I arrive. You¡¯re the surgeon so her life is in your hands. Get to the apartment as fast as you can and be ready to do whatever it takes to save her when you arrive. Is that understood?¡±


    Gabriel didn¡¯t respond as he just stood there staring at his brother. Cornelius responded by slapping his brother across the face with an open hand. He had to let go of Alyssa for just a second, but brought his arm back fast enough to prevent her from falling at all while he smacked some sense into the vampire before him.


    ¡°We don¡¯t have time!¡± he called out, ¡°Follow me and get to the apartment as fast as you can or she dies!¡±


    Before Gabriel could respond, Cornelius launches into the sky with Alyssa and flies away so fast that there¡¯s a sonic boom created as he breaks the sound barrier. Gabriel was about to launch into the air himself when he noticed that someone was watching them from a short distance. One of the townspeople just watched Cornelius take off and looked back at Gabriel with a shocked look on his face.


    ¡°What are you?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to know,¡± Gabriel said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°Sorry for what.¡± the man called out.


    ¡°For everything,¡± Gabriel said, before launching into the sky himself.


    He turned in the direction he needed to go to get back to his apartment in Nashville, flying back to that city as quickly as he could. As Gabriel made his way towards the city, he started to think about what he wanted to do for Alyssa, determined to use his skills and medical knowledge to save the woman that he cared about. Gabriel wasn¡¯t going to lose her that day, or any other day for that matter. He didn¡¯t want this day to be their last time together, as he wanted more time and more chances to make up for the mistakes that caused the disaster he was fleeing from. He would make things right for her, but first he had to make sure that she didn¡¯t die from her injuries. When he arrives to the apartment, Gabriel would do whatever he possibly could to make sure Alyssa lives to see another day. It was all he could think about as he flew as fast as he could unaware of what fate had in store for them all in the world of monsters.


    TO BE CONTINUED IN THE NEXT NOVEL... COMING IN 2023.