Dark Desire

Chapter 6.

Emma stood near the refreshment table, a glass of orange juice in her hand, Cole at her side. Nothing really seemed to be happening, other than Garrett was really being converged on. It seemed as soon as he was done with one conversation, someone else was right there. Emma couldn't help, but feel for him. He had no time to himself, but Asher was staying really close to him, which seemed to make things more tolerable for Garrett.

Music had been playing this whole time, most of which was pretty nice, at least to Emma's ears.

"I can honestly say I do not envy Lord Garrett right now," Cole stated, "He's been asked the same question at least over a dozen times."

"What is he being asked?" Emma asked.

"If he fancies someone to be a potential mate for him."

"The nobles can ask the royals that?"

"Yes. And it's not impossible for a noble vampire to marry a royal. If anything, it's actually what a lot of vampires hope for."

"So, then...not all royal vampires marry another royal."

"Despite the fact that you have seen six of us royals in a close proximity, royal vampires are actually very, very rare. That's why they are the royals. Because there isn't that many. Before now, the Bennett family and my family, the Argentein family, we were the only royals that we knew about. The Bennetts and Argenteins made a pact years and years ago, well before Asher and I and maybe even our parents were born."

"So, then, how do you rank a vampire? Just based on the color of their eyes?"

"Well, you see, vampires don't conceive children, like humans do. Vampire women wouldn't be able to bear a child. So, I say born, but in reality, we're made. The reason some vampires may look like their parents is because of the blood used from the parent during the creation. Asher and I were created at the same time, during the same process, which is why we're twins. In a way, we're like petri dish children. Using magic, vampires are created and grown. And like many things, vampires grow up fast, but when they reach a certain point, the aging processing slows down. So, even though vampires are deemed immortal, that's true, but we do grow till we reach a certain point. But, I do know this, to make children, vampires age again. It's like using their power and own genetics has an effect on the vampire parent, which is why some vampires look older than others."

"Oh, I see. That does make sense, now. So, compared to Ivory and Aleister, who look older because they created Garrett, compared to you, Asher, and Garrett, who look the ages you do, because you've never done anything to age you."

"Correct. Now, about the ranking of vampires, only vampires with gold eyes can create a vampire also with gold eyes. I guess you could say it's like a vampire with "pure blood." Whereas, if a vampire with gold eyes and a vampire with purple eyes were to create a child, they could end up with a child with purple or blue eyes. And any vampire pair with the same colored eye could make a child with that color of eye. But, a royal and a noble couldn't make another royal vampire child."

"Because the blood isn't compatible to make a vampire with pure blood."

"Exactly."

"Are there other types of vampires?"

"There is another. We call them the Sanguine. They are the only vampire who rival the royals in power. They are said to be vampires who once used to be apart of our social hierarchy, but they began to dabble in darker magics. They are the ones who often bite humans, which makes the human into a spawn, if they don't become one of the Ashes. The Sanguine vampires have red eyes."

Emma took a sip of orange juice. And around that point, a new song began to play and many vampires were starting to dance with their partners. Somehow or another, Asher and Garrett were able to make it back to Cole and Emma.