Chapter 27: Tale Of The Old Blood And New

--- Aurelio Hermenez ---

He wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about being back in the Renfield Hotel.

On the one hand this was basically a vampire den, which (is so cool!)

On the other he was pretty sure these vampires were part of some familial cult, which (is less cool…)

(Don’t worry, if they begin looking tempting I’ll talk you into leaving.) Geraldine assured him. (I’d rather not waste too much time with another religious cult… Though if they turn out to be a sex cult…)

He decided for his own sanity to pretend she hadn’t mumbled that last bit, and instead made his way into the old hotel noting the vintage decor filling the open entry hall and giving the whole thing a classic sort of feel with everything in a mix of red, gold, and black.

“Can I help you?” A muscular man asked, his arms crossed as he gave Aurelio a once over. “You don’t look like our usual sort.”

“Um… I’m uh, I’m supposed to meet someone on the thirteenth floor.” He tried to explain.

The man glared upward for a moment before frowning at him. “And what was this someone’s name?”

Before he could answer a feminine voice cut in. “Kid ‘s with me.”

A dark skinned woman with her hair in short dreads walked up to them while wearing a white shirt with some band logo, a black leather jacket, and torn up jeans.

“Freeman.” The man blinked, looking taken aback. “He’s with you?”

“Yeah, he is.” The woman nodded. “Next time just give him directions. Kid is New Blood.”

The man’s eyes drifted between them. “Your Blood or…?”

“Blood is Blood, does it matter who’s with everything going on?” The woman -Freeman- countered with a glare. “Alex doesn’t want any strays left out to the wind, given the recent losses. You see anymore newcomers out of place, check for the Blood before bouncing them, else you’ll have to tell him what happened to the New Blood. Got it?”

The man swallowed before nodding. “Understood.”

“Good.” Freeman nodded back before pausing. “Actually, if you see any New Bloods be sure to tell him they’re here, you know how Alex loves giving his welcome to the Bloodline speech.”

With that said, Freeman turned to him and threw her head towards an elevator near the back of the lobby. “This way, newbie.”

“Uh, right…” He gave the guard one last look before following after. “Did, uh, did Alex send you?”

“Elevator, then questions.” The woman told him, barely glancing his way as she put her hand on a blank piece of the elevator.

“Okay…” He agreed slowly, wondering what she was doing.

“Button is behind metal plating, you can’t press it without magic. Makes sure no one can get in that isn’t supposed to.” Freeman explained as the doors slid open before stepping inside. “Come on.”

He briefly wondered if he should before feeling a hand rub against his back, (Don’t forget you’re not alone. Even if I’m not at my full power I can still aid your escape should things go poorly.) Jerry assured him.

(Right, thanks…)

Two steps forward and the elevator doors closed behind him, locking him in with the vampire and on his way into their nest as he felt the floor beneath him beginning to rise.

“Alright, so quick run down. I’m Catherine Freeman, like with you Alex turned me. Unlike you he gave me about a few months to consider the offer.” Catherine explained. “Now thanks to the whole sky cracking we’re in a volatile situation, so for everyone’s sake do not tell anyone Alex turned you, or it’ll make things a lot more complicated than they need to be for all of us.”

“Yeah, I remember Alex saying something similar… just that I shouldn’t spread the circumstances of my turning.” He frowned.

“Right, of course…” Catherine sighed, before giving him a look. “Okay, I know you didn’t sign up for any of this but I need you to pay attention. Alex is one of the two highest ranking vamps in the city, and the only reason he isn’t the highest is because he refuses to turn on his Blood brother regardless of how much of an asshole William is. In fact, if we exclude actually earning your place, depending on which of them goes first you’re third or fifth in line for preserving our Bloodline’s artifacts. A job no one wants to leave with a complete unknown.”

“Oh…” That… sounded a little bigger than he was expecting. (Uh, Jerry, think you can translate any of this?)

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

He was under no doubts that she was smarter than him, and was really hoping that she could clear this up for him.

(Well, if I’m understanding this correctly… You’re either the prince or the duke of this little cult.) The one to actually turn him explained. (Though, if they base their right to rule on placement within the Bloodline, the fact that I’m the progenitor of this Bloodline and I turned you…)

(Is something we should tell absolutely no one.) He’d run from his home half because of how people treated him due to his father, he had no desire to repeat that even if in a different flavor of crazy.

(Completely understandable.) Jerry accepted easily, before taking on an uneasy tone. (Though if they’re doing anything weird with my things I request that you steal and or burn it. Especially if they’re doing anything to my corpse, like that one group who pretends to eat their god every week. Which actually given the whole vampirism situation…)

(Yeah, completely get where you’re coming from.) He agreed with a grimace of his own.

“Given the look on your face you at least half way understand your situation.” Catherine nodded.

“Uh, yeah…” He swallowed, mouth a bit dry. “I don’t… I don’t suppose there’s a way I can get out of all that… political stuff.”

“Well, you could do what I did.” Catherine admitted.

“And that is?”

“Become so unrepentantly badass that no one tries to make you do anything you don’t want to.” Catherine smiled, showing off her sharper than normal fangs as her eyes began to glow blood red.

(So cool~)

The elevator doors opened to a red headed man in a trench coat and cap smoking a cigarette. “Ah, this the New Blood?”

“Yeah. Aurelio, Eric Campbell. Eric, Aurelio Hermenez.” Catherine introduced despite Aurelio having never introduced himself.

(She likely learned it from Alex, but given your position I wouldn’t be surprised if they have at least one spy watching you most nights.) Jerry explained.

“Pleasure, laddie.” Eric smiled before nodding down the hall. “Alex is in the public library.”

“Great, get ready for a history lesson, kid.” Catherine sighed looking resigned as she started moving that way. “Alex wanted us to help you get the broad strokes of our Bloodline’s abilities but he believes history is important to that.”

(Indoctoration she means.)

(Shh! You’re not supposed to say that part out loud.)

As he and Eric moved to follow, the other man told him that, “Most of our ‘public’ rooms are on this floor, with the next couple of floors being housing for anyone who needs it, and the top floor being a cross between Alex’s home, the original copies of everything in the library, and a sort of council room for when things get serious. On this floor we’ve got our own little club room, a bar, kitchens, library, and… storage room.”

(Okay, that pause means the storage room is something we need to look into.) He decided.

(Agreed.)

Eventually Catherine and Eric stopped in front of a set of large dark wood doors covered in a mix of bat and rose like imagery. Not that anyone other than him stopped to admire the artwork, the other two walking straight past and into the library.

Inside they found Alex looking up at the massive portrait of a beautiful pale woman with dark hair dressed in a black and red dress as she lounged on an antique couch with a rose in her hand. And while it was an extremely impressive portrait, having seen its subject in person if only in short bursts, he couldn’t help but think that, (they didn’t quite get your likeness did they?)

(Because this isn’t me.) Jerry told him, sounding hollow.

“One hundred and twenty-seven years ago our Bloodline was founded by one Beatrice Rhinefield, a once in a generation magical genius.” Alex told him not looking away from the portrait. “Shortly after both the miscarriage of her first child and the death of her husband Beatrice dove into the dark arts in an attempt to circumvent death’s hold on the few loved ones she still possessed. After several years of this research, Beatrice discovered the secrets of the Old Blood magic granting her and those she loved many more years of life together as well as the power to defend themselves from virtually any threat. Or so she thought…”

Alex sighed, sounding pained. “Shortly after the first world war religious fanatics determined that the magics she practiced were heretical to the church and proceeded to hunt down and slaughter the family she’d spent the last forty years building. Fearing for her remaining kin Beatrice spirited them away to America to begin anew in a small but growing city on the once western frontier. Here she changed her name to Beatrice Renfield, in an attempt to distance herself while still respecting her old family’s name, and founded the Renfield hotel for all of her kin to live in safety and luxury. A life she was sadly only able to enjoy for another twenty years before being claimed by what we now know as cancer, while survived by twelve Blood Children and then sixty-three grandchildren.”

With the life story of Beatrice Rhinefield concluded, Alex let his gaze fall from the painting. “Sadly, that does not mark the end of tragedy for our Bloodline. During a number of conflicts both throughout the city and internationally, our kin’s numbers have risen and fallen with a distressing frequency since, with few of us making it more than twenty years with the Gift of Blood in spite of its many blessings.”

Alex turned back to them, conviction prevalent in his blood red gaze as crimson mists began to waft off of him. “But that does not mean we will surrender to death! Our progenitor created our Bloodline in defiance of death and in love of life! And so to honor her we shall continue to fight and persevere until we have conquered our greatest enemy, death itself! As well as anyone else who dares threaten to take our kin from us!”

He found himself taking a step back as the intensity of Alex’s gaze locked onto him, the bloody mists behind him taking on the shape of several angelic wings. “Which is why young Aurelio, tonight we shall begin teaching you the many gifts of our Blood so that you may live and thrive in defiance of death and the pursuit of the love of life itself!”

Chills ran down his spine with that speech, enough so that he knew if it weren’t for his unique situation with Geraldine, he absolutely would’ve bought into Alex’s fervor and been all in.

Instead however, he found himself wondering about the echoing silence in his head from an unresponsive Geraldine.

And as the others led him out of the library, he couldn’t help but glance over his shoulder. The only one to notice as a pale woman rose from the shadows, her hand gently brushing the painting as she looked at it in an emotion he was far too familiar with himself.

(I suppose there are worse goddesses to have, hmm, Betty?)