The Vampire's Pet

The Vampire's Pet Chapter 4

"Very little."

"How many of your former owners were vampires?"

"Three," she answered.

He traded out the bacon and cracked eggs into the leftover grease. "Did you learn anything from them?"

"That people are cruel and make promises they never intend to keep."

Was she throwing a barb at him, or just being truthful? He let it go.

"Vampires, as I said before, are both genetic and magical. Someone without the right genes will just die, no matter how hard one tries to turn them, nor how powerful the vampire who tries to turn them. This has led to distinct families, or clans of vampires. Usually they are referred to as Houses.

"Each House typically has a group of powers or skills that the blood magic brings out in them. Resistance to sunlight runs in my line. But Lincoln, who you met last night, doesn't have that gift.

"Some gifts, again like that one, are very obvious. Others not so much. And a person may be a member of a certain family and not gain all, or even any of the family's gifts because of their human bloodline, or because of the age of the one who makes them. Older vampires make stronger vampires.

"The current vampire king on this continent is Roalf Ettington. He has been in power for over two hundred years. He has, in that time, sired three sons all of which were also his mortal descendants."

Jackson topped the eggs with salsa and shredded cheese and slid the plate over to his pet. He pulled a knife from the block and an apple from the fridge and began slicing it for her as well. He stole the first piece and smiled. She looked less amused and finally picked at the bandages on her hands as her food cooled.

"Antony was the first. He is unwaveringly loyal and lives on the west coast, maintaining his sire's control of that side of the territory. He has sired quite a few descendents who have passed the bloodline on as well.

"The second is Cole, who after a hundred years of playing the part lost all interest in playing the game of vampire politics. The king makes many excuses and exceptions for him. Largely, though, he doesn't get very involved in any politics unless it's to get people to leave him out of it. His two children play all the vampire social games for him, which satisfies the king's desire for supplication from his children. "

Jackson paused. "Roalf's third son is much more of a problem.

"About eighty years ago, by all accounts, he went quite mad. The king hid it for a while. However one night Deacon escaped whatever nannies Roalf had on him and took it upon himself to slaughter the entire line of the king's known mortal family. Men, women, children. In three nights he tried his absolute best to completely end the Ettington line."

Vixen peeled some of the bandage away and eyed the food. She picked up a fork. "What happened to him?"

Jackson plucked another apple from his stock. "We don't know. As far as I can tell, no one knows. Could be that he was killed. Could be that he was chained up in some dungeon, rotting. As fairy tales would say; 'And he was never seen in the kingdom again'."

"Where do you think he is?" She measured his words, then began eating. She had to be starving. He admired her self control.

"I don't like to guess. I prefer facts."

She accepted this with a nod and gestured around them. "So everyone has to come here?"

"At least every decade. But the king sometimes requests one's presence at court."

"So it is like a court. An evil, Regency court of vampires," she said. "When I was a teen my second owner kept all kinds of trashy books around for the pets to read. Dime store stuff, corset rippers, scifi adventures, mysteries. Not fine literature, but I read them. We all did."