Conclave (Hypernaturals 3)

Vampires, Meet Adrian

As Victoria stood waiting for quiet, I was reminded how this twelve hundred-year-old head of the North American council looks like she just changed out of her running togs, and put on social clothes for the occasion. She has that fresh look that they try to capture on sports ads.

"Good evening." She said warmly, looking out across the room "Ladies, and a few gentlemen I see as well. Thank you for coming to this impromptu Conclave. We are faced with extraordinary times, and getting this together so everyone can be informed about the frankly shocking news of the Sirens resurgence, and the dangers of exposure we face are critical to our survival. Before we get started, I would like to recognize Helen, for buying this place for the Conclave and getting it ready for us on such short notice."

Victoria waved over to Helen on the stage with her. Polite applause. Helen stood, nodded, waited. "I hope you all enjoy the new Jacuzzi we installed. I had to up-size it in order to be ready for you all. It's pretty nice for having been created so quickly, so enjoy it. You know how it works, impromptu or not. Sessions during the day, alcohol and hot tub at night."

Now the applause was louder and more sincere. Vampires love their hot tub parties. Helen sat back down with a wave. I know her well enough to see the regret in her body language. I know how much she wishes she could be there.

Victoria continued "Unless you have been living under a rock, you may also know about Rachel's series in the Times about the sex slavery ring. That was uncovered here, so our coming here, and having this Conclave bore the lovely side effect of breaking up several international sex slavery organizations." Victoria again paused for the applause, which Rachel took sitting down, but nodding in acknowledgment, and an almost unnoticeable glance over at Morgan. I knew what it meant, and so did Morgan.

Morgan smiled back at Rachel with that smile that would make Da Vinci do handstands and gave her back a slight head tip. Morgan did not want her part in the investigation known and is happy Rachel is getting all the attention. Rachel would like it better the other way around. She is a public figure in a way, being a reporter for such a big paper, but she has no ego tied to any fame it brought her. Why would she? She knows that this fame is fleeting at best. Soon enough (in Vampire terms), she will be required to leave the Times and disappear from public sight for the next several decades.

When the applause for that subsided, Victoria used it as the segue into her main topic "Rachel's reportage has special meaning for us. Most of you know about Melissa. She was taken five years ago, and serially raped, and reduced to a shadow of who she used to be. It is something we think cannot happen to us. We are beyond that kind of thing. Stronger and faster and smarter, with our fangs full of hypnotics. We are used to being in control. To be able to stay hidden by force of our collective power, and how careful we are as a species."

Victoria paused here for effect. "We can be taken captive. We can be the victim. Any of us."

Victoria paused again as there rose a small wave of murmuring. "If you did not know about Melissa before this, you are probably shocked to hear about it. If you did know I hasten to give you an update. She is here, in Austin, resting and gaining strength. We have surrounded her with love and attention and nutrition. She is going to be recovering for years, and in some ways, she will never be the same. How can she be? It was brutal and forced upon her by men who kept her in chains. Our first reaction is hunt and kill every man involved in this. Fast or slow, drink their blood dry."

A wash of general agreement at that sentiment flowed through the ballroom.

Victoria let that burble run its course, her head down. When it subsided, she looked back up, and took in the room."Yet, we cannot. Ladies..." she waited, then said louder over the hum of dissatisfaction "Ladies, to do as we would risks exposure." She hit it harder. "No!: It guarantees it! Complete and utter exposure! Our entire race, all of you here now and the ones that could not make it, known to humans. It's hard enough now, in this technological day and age to stay hidden."