My limo waited for me on the street under a look-away cloak that caused mortal gazes to slide over its presence-although, in an odd twist, meter maids always seemed to notice and leave tickets. I slipped into the backseat and the car pulled away from the curb. Thank hell that’s over. I pulled out my phone and dialed.

“Is it done?” the answering dulcet voice asked without greeting.

“Yes, my queen.” My respectful tone was sincere. I loved my queen because she was the one who’d saved me so long ago from myself and the villagers who would have killed me.

“Excellent. Follow the plan for the moment, and if there are any changes I will let you know.” The queen dropped her regal tone to say almost in a whisper, “And now the lines have been drawn. Let us hope our daring act is not met with chaos.”

What she meant was hopefully the humans didn’t freak and start sharpening stakes. If we could somehow end up accepted by the humans for what we were, then perhaps the others who hid in shadows would come forth and join us. Death was coming, and to survive-much as it irritated me to admit-we’d need the help of every race on the planet.

And if they refuse to join our army, then they’ll feed us as we fight to save the planet from extinction.


* * * *

My announcement made the eleven o’clock news, and by morning every broadcast and newspaper had a piece on me. The headlines were predictable.

Vampires are coming out of the coffin

Lock up the virgins

Garlic good for your health and against vampires, too

One rag magazine had a simple, We told you so!

At least I looked great in the pictures and videos; although, I did make a note to have my hairdresser lighten my hair a bit.

In this age of technology, it didn’t take long for my announcement and everything else vampiric to go viral. Vampire movies and books made a rapid resurgence, selling out, while across the internet, vampire blogs and websites popped up all over. Every single fact-and fiction-about my kind cropped up for commentators and the public to dissect and analyze. Heck, even the Twilight actors had something to say-and to those who wondered, I was on team Volturi. Did I mention I liked rooting for the bad guys? Although, I wouldn’t have minded taking a bite from that Jacob fellow.

Back to my new found popularity, as expected, along with the believers and hordes clamoring to meet us-and donate their blood-came the skeptics. “Camera tricks,” they claimed. Mass hypnosis. Telekinesis powers. The theories against my existence rolled out in staggering amounts, working against what I hoped to accomplish. Personally, I wondered if I grabbed one of those nonbelievers and ate them if I’d convert them? My queen forbade me from trying. Spoilsport.

The humans, though, and their questioning nature made me wish I’d fought harder for my idea. Worldwide human subjugation. In other words, make them all blood thralls and thus automatically on our side. My queen didn’t like that idea either. Said free will was what made them into a more powerful dinner. She was probably right, but given the conflicting reports revolving around my state of being and that of my brethren, I had to admit the idea of food that didn’t talk back was gaining appeal.

My initial coming out announcement required some repeat performances and even a few duo shows where I brought along another vamp. After the fourth media circus, I refused to do any more. Going on Larry King-who’d agreed to come out of retirement just to talk to me-and CNN wouldn’t make a difference because some people just would never believe.

The expected crazies-those not locked in loony bins-showed up both denouncing our existence and calling for our death. A conundrum that once again my queen refused to let me address. We had strict orders to not eat the annoying humans-yet. But the morally indignant and religious fanatics would be the first to go when the war arrived and we needed to bring some snacks along for a quick pick-me-upper.

When I realized the humans were still a ways off from accepting us as partners in the society we built-they just fooled themselves if they thought they’d created it-I went back to my regular job of keeping an eye on the vampires and the increasing danger to society as a whole.

As the vampire queen’s general, I oversaw our safety whether from exposure by a careless vamp or a menace from an outside source. Under my strict rules, our society flourished without the power and mind games of the past. It’s funny how a couple of decapitations could encourage the majority to follow my laws.

However, all my edicts were of no help to the coming menace. The one foretold in the Mayan calendar. The calamity predicted by Nostradamus himself. The precognitive nightmare I’d suffered-my first and only dream since my turning.

Daemons were invading our world. In single digits so far, but if all the auspices were correct, that was just a prelude to the upcoming main event.

Hell’s coming to earth, and unless I find a way to stop it, we’re all going to die.

Chapter Two

“No fucking way.” I ranted in my office as I read the email from the queen’s secretary.

My minion and blood servant Annabelle stretched lazily on the couch and queried, “What’s got your panties in a knot?”

I scowled at her, but she just grinned unrepentantly. Over forty, my age before I’d turned, she looked great-blonde, fit and tanned, the bitch. Her apparent youth and health were especially fascinating considering she’d fed me as one of my sheep for almost twenty years. Soon, I would bestow the gift of the change on her, not necessarily something she’d survive. If she did live through her death and turned into a fledgling, I would miss her. Young vampires always ended up consumed by blood lust. It would take many years for her to regain her mind, if she found it again at all. I’d miss nibbling on her when that happened; her blood was quite tasty since she followed a strict diet. My version of chocolate. Mmm.

I pushed aside my hunger as I returned my focus to the email currently pissing me off. “Read this,” I said, sweeping my hand towards the screen.

Annabelle sat up and leaned forward. She read aloud, “As expected, our coming out has caused quite the furor, but so far no signs of mobbing humans or an increase in stake production. However, the call to understand us is great, thus in the spirit of openness and goodwill, the regency has decided to allow one of its loyal subjects to answer the questions of one highly regarded scientist and doctor. As general, I expect you to put yourself at the discretion of Doctor Raphael Angelus. Be candid and allow him to conduct his tests. We already know what he will find. Oh, and Elizabeth, don’t eat him, please. By order of your queen.”

Annabelle laughed.

I glared at her. “It’s not funny.”

Annabelle tittered louder. “Oh, please, she signed it with a happy face. Like how can you say no?”

I growled. “I’ve just been ordered to be a guinea pig for some human.” I said the word human with distaste. The queen seemed determined to test my loyalty and this latest harebrained idea was really pushing it. I didn’t submit to the pawings of humans. They submitted to me.

“Hey, it could be worse,” she said with mischief glinting in her eyes.

I arched a brow at her. “How could this get any worse?”

“He could be old and ugly.”

“I take it he’s not,” I replied dryly.

Annabelle jumped up and leaned over to tap furiously on the keyboard of my laptop. “I read an article about him recently and it had a picture of him. Here, see for yourself,” she replied as she tilted the screen towards me.

I wanted to pretend disinterest. Who cared what he looked like? But dammit, with more lives than a cat, I couldn’t fight curiosity. My deep seated need to know everything made me look.

Oh, he is a handsome devil. Tousled blond hair, clear blue eyes hidden behind a bookish pair of lenses and a sensual mouth made for biting. Just the type of snack I liked to enjoy when my hormones craved something carnal-what a shame my partners never survived. “Good looking in a nerdy way or not, I’m still not crazy about the idea of letting him poke and prod at me.”

Annabelle shrugged. “Suit yourself. Me, I wouldn’t mind stripping for him and letting him search all of my cavities with any of his body parts.”

I laughed at her shameless comment before I dove on her for a satisfying nibble on her neck. As her rich blood rolled down my throat, warming me and speeding up my heart, I wondered if I’d get a chance to snack on the good doctor, in the interest of science, of course.

Yum.


* * * *

Several days later

The doorbell rang and I scowled. My dreaded guest had arrived.

I smoothed down my silk blouse and already wrinkle free skirt. I recognized my nervous gestures as a way of controlling my environment-or so the psychiatrist I’d eaten and absorbed claimed. I didn’t like my queen’s plan of offering me up as a white rat for human experimentation. But I couldn’t disobey a direct order.

I’d managed to get my way in at least one respect and that was the doctor would reside here with me while he probed me. It took some finagling and an investment in medical equipment that my kind didn’t require, but I refused to put myself in a strange location under the control of humans. To my surprise, I didn’t have to argue long, and so the time had quickly arrived along with the man who would dissect me without killing me.

Talks with my queen also ended up with the decision that broaching the coming menace would be at my discretion. In other words, if I didn’t kill the doctor and he wasn’t a complete moron, I’d let him in on the secret. We needed to start getting some outside views on the situation. Our usual tactic of eat the enemy was not exactly feasible given what we would face-and the fact the marauders tasted bad.