"You must be joking."
My words echo across the massive empty room, night has fallen but I didn't tell the servants to turn on the lamps so only the city lights are illuminating the dark grey walls and the silhouette of two men who keep their heads down, bowing respectfully and fearful, despite I'm not even shouting at them. I don't need to do that since the blood bond that binds us allows them to feel my anger. I never lose my temper in public, trying to maintain decorum and a dignified attitude, as is expected from someone in my position.
I move closer to the window, shoving my tattooed hands in the pockets of my elegant navy blue slacks, watching the tall buildings around us, cars driving down 5th Avenue at my feet, the lively streets full of people... my people. Humans used to say that New York was the city that never sleeps, I can't help smiling thinking about it... it does sleep now, while the sun is high in the sky. The same happens in Paris, London, Tokyo, Cairo or Sydney, quiet during the day, only birds and squirrels enjoy the parks and empty streets, without vehicles and hordes of humans bothering them while they go to their jobs. But when the sun sets, vampires leave their dens and cities are buzzing again, full of music, laughs and light... even if we don't need it because our sharp senses allow us to see in the dark.
"Where's Lord Kenneth?" I ask quietly and both men leave the room in a rush to find the head of the council.
New York has changed a lot these past decades but retains its essence. Humans would still recognize the old metropolis full of stores, theatres and restaurants, although the opening hours are different now. There're new buildings with tinted windows and the subway tunnels were improved to allow vampires to move easily during the day, even if they prefer to sleep and don't feel the need to go anywhere at noon. Most of my subjects are too young to bear the sunlight and heat. That will change over time but, anyways, our habits are deeply ingrained and we're still nocturnal creatures, no matter if we're powerful enough to sit down on a terrace during a cloudy day wearing a hoodie and sunglasses.
"Everything his better now," I think smiling. I'm very happy with the decision I made more than 20 years ago after our scientists found out how to make artificial blood from real human blood. Finally, we had an endless supply of food that only depended on us... We no longer needed humans, we didn't have to live hiding, scared despite our superior powers, subjected to the ups and downs of the economy and the whims of politicians that were members of a weak and pathetic race that was throwing the world into a chaos.
The entire planet was about to collapse because of wars, epidemics, famines, climate disasters, corrupt politicians, businessmen without moral or principles and all kinds of criminals that seized positions of power while citizens seemed to live in a state of drowsiness, turned into zombies addicted to their phone screens, unable to understand that they comfortable way of life was in danger and chaos was knocking at their doors. And we were caught in the same net, trying to limit the damage working in the shadows with our own companies, influencing politicians... But all the vampire power was useless to control the selfishness and greed of those degenerate humans.
And suddenly, there was hope. We were independent, free to feed ourselves without relying on an inferior race and I had to make a decision, for the sake of my subjects, for our survival, before the entire world could burst through the seams. Humans were exterminated or turned into vampires and my people took control. It was a perfect plan, an operation from the inside, but war never broke because, when those idiots averted their eyes from the screens that had them dazzled and understood what was going on, it was too late to stop us. I waited for the last babies who were born from human mothers to grow into young adults to turn them too, anyone who tried to fight back was killed, and now I rule over this planet with an iron fist thanks to my power and moral authority because I'm the oldest vampire of my race, the only descendant from the original vampire that's still alive.
