The Anatomy of Vampires: Volume 1 (10 page)

~ Parliament incantation

I was in Paris at the time I realized there were only a few pages left in my leather-bound journal of secrets I’d been keeping, a crude work that to me, seemed invaluable. I think I’d read Cicero’s letter nearly a thousand times, mulling the words over again, flipping back to my notes, and then reading the letter once more. It was one particularly warm, summer eve when I realized…if I wanted to discover the gears of what made such a secret society tick, I would have to visit the place for myself.

The Saint James was lovely that time of year. It was throbbing with the life of the rich and well-to-do. I felt very out of place, but was grateful all the same to those who worked to keep me comfortable. It did not come without a price, however. I knew exactly what they wanted in exchange for the luxury, and I gripped it in my fist. The bellhop who had shown me to my room was a tad peculiar, I’d noticed. As he carried my bags, I glanced over at his pallid skin and the way he kept his eyes angled down at the floor as he walked.

“So, have you worked here long?” I asked, lifting my eyebrow.

I was not surprised, nor offended when he didn’t answer me. I knew what he was and why he was there. He was different than the chap in London, this one with blond hair and a more boyish quality. He left me at my door and said simply, “Let me know when you are ready.” And he turned and retreated at a human pace back down the elegantly dressed corridor with fine carpet, crystal chandeliers and large, ornate mirrors.

I knew I had to find the same bellhop again. Clearly, he was not the usual employee of the establishment, but rather one who worked for the Parliament, and they were waiting. Somehow, they’d known the minute I’d broken the letter’s seal. And somehow, they knew I’d be ready.

I dashed from my room to the main lobby of the hotel, which was bustling and alive with the sound of a band in the dining room and wealthy patrons carrying on in the foyers and sitting areas. I asked the concierge where I might find the young bellhop with the blond hair, however no one seemed to know whom I was referring to. I looked through the halls of the first floor, the dining rooms, and even the common toilets, but he seemed to be nowhere—a figment of my imaginings.

It wasn’t until I reached the gardens outside when I found him, wallowing over the corpse of an elderly countess in the deep shadows of a rose bush.

He looked up at me with blood surrounding his lips and dripping off the point of his chin. His eyes were awash in a demonic black, and with his gaping lips, there was a cobra’s hiss on the air. My skin prickled.

“I’m ready,” I gulped.

He stood from the dead woman, eyes never leaving mine. I knew he expected me to run away screaming. I did not. I stood steadfast, my jaw clenched, in spite of my pounding heart. He didn’t say anything, but rather held his hand out. I guessed it was for me to hand over my studies—my journal. I did not.

“Under one condition,” I began. “I want to be the one to personally hand it to Cicero. He’s the one who’s asked me for it, after all. It is only polite I see he gets it.”

“An impossibility,” he sneered and hissed like a wild cat, crouching and ready to kill me.

But I didn’t waver. “I must insist. In his letter, he states I am a friend of the Parliament
and
of the Vampire kind. I don’t mind the perils. I will tell no one of what I see. If I’m truly a friend, like the letter states, then I should be welcomed.”

He glared at me a few moments more before finally nodding. He straightened and I watched his eyes shift from black to blue. A bit calmer than before, he said, “Follow me.”

I did. And the journey to the Dark City was a long one. We took trains. We rode in carriages drawn by horses infused with the dark gift. We traveled only in the night, and by means no mortal would ever know about. Due to a promise I made to the Parliament, I cannot disclose within these notes the whereabouts of the Parliament or how we got there, but the experience was one of the most terrifying thrills of my journey. It was an underworld. It was hell. And it was lavish.

It took many nights, but at long last I was surrounded by the marble walls of their capitol, in the grand hall and among the most prestigious of the cursed kind. I felt in my bones I’d accomplished something no other mortal would ever live to tell about.

The blond Vampire (I’d learned his name was Alek) ushered me through the winding halls, only very dimply lit by scattered candelabras and wall sconces. I could not stop my gawking at the elaborate, ancient carvings in the walls, dotted by precious stones.

Once we had entered the grand, double doors of the main hall, the crude stone floors vanished underneath black marble so polished and glassy, I could see myself reflected back at me. We were greeted by the Elders—males and females dressed in the most elegant clothing I’d ever seen, and all in varying shades of blues, blacks, silvers, and purples. They seemed to be dressed in the finest fashions, straight from Paris, with dazzling buttons and intricate lace. I was even surprised to find the elegant feast of exotic fruits, meats, and breads laid out over tables of pure sterling. And it was all prepared for me. I couldn’t imagine what any of the rest of them would have done with such food.

Cicero made his way through the clusters of the marvelous creatures who resembled humans, but were things much more sinister. He was the most impressive of them all, and I recognized him instantly from the first time I’d met him on the shiny street in London.

“Alistair,” he extended a claw to shake my hand. “What a pleasure it is you’ve decided to grace us with your…warmth.” He flashed a grin that contrasted the olive undertones of his ashen flesh.

“You hand delivered your request. Traveled all the way to London. I only wanted to be as personal as you were.” I shook his hand firmly, though the strength of my grip could never compare to his. I continued to eye him, curiously. I didn’t miss it when his frosty gaze flashed down to the scar at the side of my neck.

“I see you’ve taken your studies rather seriously,” he said.

“I have. What does it mean?”

He released my hand. “It is
Law One
at its finest. The secret we all wish to keep. If any of us ever decide to leave our victims alive, the dark venom will destroy you from the inside out. You die slowly. Painfully, I imagine, too.” He rubbed his index claw over his lower lip. “I did warn you, Alistair, did I not? I told you you would die.”

“You did.” I grinned and shrugged. “But I don’t mind. You can’t imagine what a wild adventure I’ve been on. I would never exchange my fascinating experiences for the mundane life I used to have. You have given me a gift.”

“Ah. And I do believe, you are about to give me one.” He lifted his dark eyebrows at me.

I only nodded, reaching into my interior coat pocket, pulling out my prized, leather-bound journal. I held it up. “Take care of all I have done. I hope it works to your advantage. But, I want you to promise me something.”

He waited, silently, and didn’t yet reach for the journal.

“Protect my wife. Keep her safe. See she is happy,” I said, recognizing the salty taste of tears as it filled my mouth. But I only swallowed them down.

“Of course.”

After the simple promise, I handed it to him. All of my work. All of my effort—it was then in his talons.

The rest of the evening was a dazzling blur. Their women embraced me in their cool arms. I drank the finest wines. I was celebrated. Revered. And I was not done yet.

Finally, at the end of the evening, Cicero and I sat before the largest fireplace I’d ever seen. I told him of my journey and of the accounts and various colorful characters I’d met. He, in turn, exchanged with me some of his own stories, and several of them I wanted to include in my notes, but couldn’t. My book was full. My pages were brimming. And it was in Cicero’s possession.

“I am most grateful, my friend. When this is published, perhaps the light will not fear us as they once did. Perhaps our world will accept the darkness and come to find we are not something to be buried and forgotten.”

“I wish you all the luck,” I replied. “I’ve realized the light is not always good.”

“Indeed,” he nodded. “Vladislov and the Regime will stop at nothing….”

“They must realize you have the ability to be more powerful than they, and without you, they will falter anyway. And perhaps it would be wise if mortals—”

“No,” he interrupted “No mortals shall be made aware. We have been apart from them for centuries and it must remain that way. In secret.
You
are our only mortal friend.”

“But…the uprising,” I said, remembering the words of one, particular Witch I’d met along the way.

“What uprising?” He arched an eyebrow.

I thought for a moment, but shook my head. “Never mind. Too much wine.”

“No. You know something,” he deduced. “I’m going to request you continue, dear Alistair. Be our eyes and ears. The Regime will never catch you. They won’t know where to look for you. Continue your quest, and I will keep my word about protecting your wife.”

I agreed.

“And out of our sincerest appreciation, I want you to take this.”

The Vampire removed a rather hefty medallion from his throat. If I was correct, the stone was sapphire, set in pewter.

“What is this?” I asked, accepting the necklace around my own neck, feeling the weight of it hanging past my sternum.

“It guards your thoughts. It will protect your motives. It will behoove both of us if you use our magic to your advantage.

I smiled, and shook his claw. Warmth and chill. Life and death. For once, we were on the same side.

And that was that. The Parliament had my words. My adventures. They would publish my studies under an assumed name to protect my identity from the Regime and their onlookers. And they released me with the request I go on to continue my search of knowledge for a second volume. I didn’t know what I might find, or what I might endure. I only knew I was not done with the Occult yet. And the Occult was not done with me. There were many more secrets to uncover. Many more places to explore and truths to be revealed. And I was honored to be the one to concur this most dangerous, exciting, and magical frontier.

…to be continued.

In closing, if any mortal might happen upon this text, I wish to urge the utmost caution about continuing forth. In my case, and in performing a task for the Occult, I was welcomed with open arms, but the case most certainly will not be the same for others. My suggestion is to place this volume back where you’ve found it, and forget all you have read. For the secrets contained within these words will only mean certain death for you.

To all members of the darkness, I thank you for your friendship and your acceptance. Keep close to the shadows. Mind the daylight. And most importantly, do not succumb to the tyrannical reign of Vladislov of the Central European Magic Regime.

To all members of the light, I kindly request you take the time to educate yourselves. And never forget, without balance, this world will fall to chaos. You’re not superior.

Kindly and most sincerely,

Alistair Vlain

In Shayne's first year out of high school she penned, co-directed, and starred in the feature film 'The Incubus', a paranormal romance, which obtained distribution and screened in over fifteen theaters across South Florida, among major theater chains such as Regal, AMC, and Cinemark. 'The Incubus' has also obtained a passionate fan base of over 100,000 girls online and has garnered the attention of reporters from the Miami Herald, CBS News, and NPR Radio. Leighton also starred alongside Scream Queen, Tara Cardinal, in the film 'Legend of the Red Reaper' which made its world debut in 2013 at the Central Florida International Film Festival and is now set for global release in 2014. Leighton penned the 'Of Light and Darkness', set in contemporary Prague, and is also developing the film adaptation of the novel series. A triple-threat, Leighton has her debut a EP in the works, having been signed to the internationally renowned Spectra Music Group in early 2013. Named #26 in Boca Magazine's "Top 100 'It' People" for 2011. Shayne Leighton lives in Fort Lauderdale, FL with her husband and key inspiration, Frantisek and travels back and forth to the Czech Republic often.

Find out more about Shayne at:
www.ShayneLeighton.com

Of Light and Darkness

When one human stands before an army of impossible obstacles, the likelihood of overcoming them in this coming-of-age modern fairytale may result in war between light and darkness.

Abandoned as an infant in Prague, naive and strong-willed Charlotte Ruzikova was raised by one of the last Vampires left alive. As a human, she knows no other home than the one nestled deep in the woods of Eastern Europe, where Witches drew spells of enchantment, Phasers threw tea parties, and Elves are the closest in kin. Charlotte has lived her life in the dark with her Guardian, content to having him to herself and reveling in his attention, until she's realizes she wants more...

Resident medical doctor and Vampire, Valek Ruzik fears the day his ward would come of age and blossom into a fine woman, and he is forced to confront his own motives as time is of the essence once his past catches up to him, and their lives become endangered...

As genocide and war threatens their secret society, the dictator in power is ready to wipe out Valek's race, but Charlotte will not allow that to happen. Fighting for the only one she's ever loved and truly believed in, she will do whatever it takes to save their love...before the sun comes up and light takes over.