Pawns of Kings
December 2001
(posted February 2002)
Jarvinia

This story is a sequel to 'Another Knight' (and 'The Past, Present,
and...') and it would be helpful, although not entirely necessary, to
read it first.

The time frame for this story is about a year and three months after
the events of 'Last Knight.'

Disclaimer:  Forever Knight and its characters do not belong to me. I'm
just using them for a bit of fun.  No copyright infringement is
intended.

This story may not be archived without my permission.  If you want it,
just ask and I'll let you know if you can or not.

I would like to thank my beta readers, David and Liz, for going through
this story (especially considering its length), and for all of thier
suggestions, comments, and corrections.

A note about some of the later flashbacks:  I'm making Nick's father
the Duke of Brabant, and am (more or less) disregarding the actual
genealogy for the Brabant family.  All but two of the names used are
entirely fictional.  It doesn't entirely break the family line, just
messes with it a bit.

Please give feedback...I'd really like to hear what you think....  ;)

And, finally--Happy reading!


~#~#~#~#~#~

Pawns of Kings (01/52)

As Nick walked into the precinct, he picked up on the tension around
him.  Since his return to Toronto, perhaps before he had even left, he
could feel the stress in the air around him.  It was as tangible as the
scents of the room, the sensation seeming to get stronger by the day.
Over the past two and a half, almost three months, the homicide rate
had also increased, and not just in Toronto.

Tracy was already at her desk when he arrived.  As soon as he sat down,
the Captain bellowed their names across the bullpen.  Both cringed
slightly, fearing what they would be told.

Silently, they entered Reese's office, Nick closing the door behind
them.

"Sit down, detectives.  I think you two have an idea what this is
about."

"The increased crime rate?  Particularly homicides?" Tracy asked.

"That's right.  Toronto isn't the only city.  In virtually every major
city in the world, the homicide rate has gone up, and most are going
unsolved as I'm sure you've noticed."  At the detectives' silence,
Reese continued, "I've got a case for you.  You two are to speak to no
one, not in or out of the precinct.  Doctor Lambert's the coroner
assigned to the case with you.  The Commissioner has chosen you three
to work on this, and I must ask you to be as objective as possible."

Sensing total seriousness from his superior, Nick inquired, "What's
this about, Captain?"

Pausing, Reese looked to both of them before standing and grabbing his
coat.  "Come on, I'll take you two down to the scene.  You'll see what
I mean when we get there."

Blindly following their captain, Nick and Tracy retrieved their coats
and followed Reese to his car.  As they drove, Nick noticed they were
leaving the 96th's jurisdiction.  Several minutes later, they were on
the other side of town.

"This isn't under our jurisdiction," Nick stated out loud, his mind
trying to figure out where they were going.

"No, it's not.  Like I said, the Commissioner wants the best on the
case, and he's picked us.  Now, we're almost there."

Three minutes later, the car pulled up to the crime scene.  Only a
single squad car and Natalie's car were present.  Nick, Tracy and Reese
approached, and with Reese's badge, the group was granted access. Nick
quickly spotted Natalie and walked over to her, the others following.

As the three arrived, Natalie turned around, waiting for someone to
comment.  By Nick and Tracy's confused expressions, she guessed they
didn't know what this case was about.  Boy would they be surprised.

"What do you think, Doctor?  Is this real?" Reese questioned.

The others could see her nervousness, the shock clearly evident in her
expression.  "Umm...I'm not sure.  I can't say without a more thorough
examination."

"Is what real?  Captain, what's this about?" Tracy demanded, wanting to
know just what their case involved.

"Show them what you found."

Natalie nodded, meeting Nick's eyes momentarily.  Then, turning away,
she led the two down between the buildings, stopping only a few feet
into the alley.  Near one side a man in his twenties lay; unmistakably
dead.  Although his face was turned mostly toward the wall, Nick and
Tracy could see the fear and utter shock on the victim's features.

Nick turned his attention to Natalie.  "What's the cause of death, or
can you tell?"

"Oh, that one's easy.  Blood loss.  The uncertainty is of how it was
taken."

"Taken?" the younger detective asked, her mind catching on the word.

Nick's reaction was unnoticeable to anyone but Natalie.  Taking a few
steps toward the body, he knelt and looked for wounds.  On first
examination, none were seen, but tilting the head toward him, he caught
two little holes alerting him that a vampire was the killer. Standing
up, he backed away.

Tracy quickly took his place.  As she saw the wounds, he heard a
slight, nearly imperceptible gasp.  Looking to Nat, Nick could see that
she had heard it as well.  Tracy knew what had killed this man. Now,
the only question was what to do about it.

Reese had told them that they couldn't speak a word about the case, and
to think objectively.  No personal opinions could be allowed to sneak
in.  This was going to be hard for all of them.

Suddenly, Nick heard approaching footsteps that stopped only a few feet
behind him.

"So, what do you think?"  Reese let them think a while, glancing
between the three.  Knight and Lambert were deep in thought.  Whether
the connection had been made yet, or not, he couldn't tell.  Vetter,
however, seemed to know where he was going.  "Detective?" he prodded,
directing his voice to the younger woman.

Tracy fidgeted a second under the captain's gaze.  "Uh, well, I guess
it sort of looks like a vampire bite, but they're not real, just
superstition."

"Tell that to your father and half of the metro areas of the world.
These kills are taking place all over, and so far, there has been no
evidence to prove that they aren't."  Pausing, he judged their
reactions once again.  Knight and the doctor seemed shocked, but then
from past observation, he had noticed they didn't believe much in
superstition.  Knight's partner, however, again appeared to have the
greatest reaction.  She was stunned, not surprised, but stunned.  "I
know, vampires are supposed to be superstition, characters in scary
stories to keep kids inside.  Now, I haven't been told much, but
apparently whoever, or whatever is doing this is getting more and more
careless.  At this rate, eventually somewhere, sometime, they're going
to get caught.  Then, and only then, will we know what's going on."

"If there has been more of these...whatever they are, then what has
been uncovered?" Natalie probed, wanting to know just how much was out
in the open.

"Down in the States, they’re ruling the cause of death as
exsanguination.  However, how the blood was taken is still up for
grabs.  So far, the only explanation is that the killer is something
more than human, something that sounds suspiciously like a vampire."
Watching Knight, who was unusually silent, he turned his attention to
Lambert for a moment.  "Doctor, I want you to get working on this
immediately.  No one but myself, Knight and Vetter are to see your
report."

"What about my other cases?"

"They'll either be reassigned, or pushed back a bit.  For now, this is
your only case."

As the full implications sunk in for Tracy, she asked, "So what do Nick
and I do?"

Reese watched her partner's head snap up at the question.  Neither the
Commissioner nor himself were thrilled about the detectives' job. "You
two are to find out as much as possible about this.  Try to find some
evidence, or better yet, a witness.  Any information you can get will
be useful."

Immediately, they reacted, both preparing to go on the defensive.  It
was clear that they weren't thrilled with the idea any more than he
was.

"I know, it's not what you'd like to be doing.  But this is an order,
not from me, or even the Commissioner-"

"If my father's not in charge, then who is?"

"Currently, it's the mayor.  That's where I've received all of my
information from.  However, depending on the outcome of this situation
and others like it, that might change."  Reese stood for a moment.
Again getting no reply, he pulled his keys out of his pocket.  Tossing
them toward Knight, he concluded, "Get working.  I'll get a ride back
in the squad car.  Stay here with Natalie until everything has been
taken care of, then find out all that you can."

The three watched as Reese turned and left.  Then, just before the car
pulled out, the coroner's van arrived.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Pulling into the precinct parking lot, Tracy wondered what she was
going to tell the Captain.  She and Nick had spent nearly two hours in
the general area of the crime scene.  There had been no evidence, not
that she had expected to find any.  However, there had been a witness,
or at least someone that had been one.  From how the man's eyes were
glazed over, she knew it had to have been a vampire's work.  How could
she explain what they saw without confirming the existence of vampires
and that she already knew they existed?

Not only did Tracy have to explain that they had found nothing, but
that her partner left her at the scene and told her to drive back to
the precinct.  He had explained that he wanted to talk to someone, one
of his informants.

After protesting for several minutes, she had no luck dissuading him.
When she'd attempted to follow Nick, she lost his trail.  Then,
reluctantly, she got in the Captain's car and went on her way back to
work.

Nick didn't know what he was getting into.  Undoubtedly, he would be
asking questions that would hint at the recent murder.  A vampire could
catch that knowledge, putting Nick in danger without ever knowing it.

Tracy wanted to tell her partner about vampires, but couldn't. Besides,
he would give her some skeptical look and laugh it off.... Yet, she
couldn't help but be concerned about what might happen to him,
whether he knew or not. If he pushed to far with his questions, the
vampires might take notice of him and do something about it.  She knew
that mortals who knew about vampires were usually killed.  She had no
wish to see her partner, or herself end up that way.  If Nick knew, he
might push even harder, making things worse.  No, keeping quiet was
probably the best thing.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Landing behind the Raven, Nick quickly made sure the coast was clear
before entering through the back.  Finding LaCroix at the bar sipping
his usual, Nick meet his sire's eyes, then walked straight into the
office.

LaCroix followed, making his way behind his desk and calmly sitting in
his chair.  He could feel the suppressed anger within his son, but at
what, he didn't know.  "Nicholas, it's been nearly three weeks since
you last visited.  What brings you here, mon fils?"

Shrugging off the comment, Nick firmly stated, "The Community is on the
verge of discovery."

Leaning back, the elder vampire simply shrugged, inquiring, "And?"

The simplicity of his master's words triggered the expulsion of his
emotions.  "And what, LaCroix?!  Are we to just sit and do nothing?"

"Yes!" he quickly countered.  Seeing the disbelief on Nicholas'
features he explained, "What can we do?  It is better to just let them
discover us, rather than announce our presence.  Either way, our lives
will be endangered."  With a faint pause and inhale, LaCroix continued,
"The Elders have met, and they have organized a council that will
handle the situation.  So far, it has been decided that we wait.
Warnings have been given out by the Enforcers but aren't being taken
seriously.  Very few know just how close to discovery we are."

Nick allowed himself to calm down.  Taking in the other vampire’s
words, he sobered, asking, "How long, LaCroix?  How long do we have
until we become more than just a myth?"

"Not long.  A few days.  A week.  Perhaps two...if we are lucky."

Nick was stunned.  Within two weeks at the most, the Community would no
longer be secret to the mortal world.

Standing, LaCroix told his son, "Return to work.  Pretend you are one
of them.  You are in a better position than most.  You could possibly
pass yourself off as a mortal for a while.  Do not come here unless you
have no other choice.  I have no wish for you to be a part of this, mon
fils."

As LaCroix walked out of the room, Nick stood silently.  His master had
basically told him to cut off his ties to the Community.  Although
unexpected, he understood LaCroix' reasons.  It was the only way he
could pass as a mortal.  Being as close to the mortal world as he was,
if he was discovered, he would probably have to quit his job and move
to another city to remain sane.  Finally, Nick understood why LaCroix
thought his decision was a bad one.  He now knew why LaCroix had
allowed him to stay in Toronto, but didn't want him to go back to work.
LaCroix hadn't wanted him to be caught in the mortal world when
everything hit.

Exiting the office, Nick turned to approach LaCroix.  Stopping short,
he nodded and walked out the back.  Now, all that was left was to
wait....


Pawns of Kings (02/52)

A week later, the two detectives found themselves just as frustrated as
Reese.  There had been more murders, and some cities had secretly
started to actively look for vampires.  Other than Reese, only Tracy,
Nick and Natalie knew anything about what was going on, and their
knowledge was very limited.  It wouldn't be long though before
everything hit the fan, not long at all.

Tracy watched her partner.  Since their special case, he had suddenly
stopped his disappearing acts.  Nick had been more or less acting
'normal'.  He was either with her or he told her where he was going.
He'd also become fed up with the case.  Why, she wasn't sure, but over
the last couple of nights, they had done nothing on it.  It was like he
was giving up, and that wasn't like Nick, not at all.  Although, one
explanation came to mind...Nick wasn't a resistor, she knew that.
Vachon had hypnotized...or whammied...or done whatever to Nick when
he'd seen the Inca fly.  Only for the past week had he been acting
strange, only since he left the scene to talk to an informant.  His
questions could have alerted the vampires.  If so, they would have
acted.  Perhaps her partner's more careful manner was a result of their
meddling.

Nick glanced over to his partner.  She was staring off across the
bullpen.  He guessed that she was probably thinking about their most
recent case.  Vampires....  Not something Tracy really needed back in
her life.  She'd gone for over a year without having to think about
them, and then, this case gets dumped on them.

More than once Tracy had eyed him in the past week, no doubt from his
unusual behavior since he had left her at that crime scene.  Since that
night, he hadn't had any contact with LaCroix, or any other member of
the Community.  As a result, he spent more time at the precinct, and
she was noticing it.

"Hey, Nick, Tracy," one of their fellow detectives called.  "You two
might want to come over here.  You're not going to believe this."

Both hesitated slightly, their gut telling them what was happening.
Approaching several others standing around a small TV, the two
detectives watched the special report.  Catching what was apparently
the end, the report began again.

"As of a few hours ago, a public announcement was made concerning
something previously believed to be myth.  Vampires, creatures of the
night, are real.  They've been proved to exist in our modern world."
The woman paused, looking down at her papers.  "Those that have been
discovered refuse to answer any questions or cooperate with
authorities.  At this point, it has not been decided whether the
vampires will be accepted like any other minority, or if they will be
restricted within society.  Currently, the Western European and Asian
countries favor leaving them be, while the Americas are taking a more
strict approach.  Further information on the situation will be
announced as it is known."  The view faded out to another screen as the
station returned to regular programming.

Tracy turned, her partner's name on the tip of her tongue, but he
wasn't behind her.  Nick was sitting in his desk, his body still.
Joining him at her own desk, she questioned, "It's a little
unbelievable, isn't it, Nick?"

He wasn't sure how to answer.  Unbelievable in the sense that this was
really happening, yes.  He'd spent more than seven hundred and fifty
years as a vampire.  In that time he had never believed that the
Community would ever be fully exposed to the world.  Shaking his
thoughts off, he answered, "I guess you could say that."

Twirling her pencil around a couple of times, the younger detective
wondered aloud, "Do you ever wonder if you've met one of them without
knowing it?"

Nick tensed.  Her question was almost too ironic.  Tracy was talking to
a vampire right now.  And that vampire was him, her seemingly skeptic
partner.  Trying not to betray the worry that was seeping into his
thoughts, he commented, "Not really.  I'd rather not think about it."

She started at the answer to her question, not meaning to have voiced
it.  "Sorry, I was just thinking."

"That's fine," Nick commented, albeit more calmly than he felt.  "I'm
sure everyone is going to be doing a lot of that."

Nodding silently, she focused on a form, filling in the first few
lines.

"Knight, Vetter, get in here now!" Reese yelled from his office.

Obeying the order, the detectives entered, and sat down when they were
told to.  "You know the news?"

"Yeah, we know," Nick replied evenly.

"Well, that report was a worldwide announcement.  I have some local
information for you two."

Tracy was a little confused.  "Is this like that hush hush case you put
us on?  That only me, Nick and Natalie get to know anything?"

"Sort of.  For now, only you three will have the information."  Reese
paused, organizing his thoughts.  "In both Canada and the States, both
government and city employers are actively looking for vampires.
Depending on their past history, especially recent history, they will
either be allowed to return to work, or will be fired."

"Don't you think that's unfair?  I mean, we don't judge others on what
they've done," Tracy argued.

"It's not my decision.  This was decided because of how dangerous they
are assumed to be, but I think it's going to cause more tension than
there already is."  The captain finished, and like a week before,
Knight was very silent.  "Knight?  You okay?"

"Fine."  Tracy's skeptical glance made him elaborate, "It's...still
sinking in a bit."

"Attempting to break through that hard head of yours, no doubt," she
joked.  Receiving a glare, she quickly apologized before turning her
attention back to Reese.  "Captain, are we still on that case?"

"No, you've been pulled off of it.  Now, we know what the killer was,
just not who."  Reese tore off a piece of paper, handing it to Knight.
"I want you to check this place out."

After Nick had read the address, Tracy took it from him and exclaimed,
"The Raven?  I thought it was closed."

Reese shook his head.  "It opened back up a couple of months ago.  I
know you two checked it out before, but it's been over a year.  The
club is suspected to be a hangout for their kind.  We need to know for
sure.  Perhaps talk to the owner, LaCroix, but do so carefully.  It's
not known how much he knows, although I'm guessing it's a lot.  Just
check it out, see if you can find anything new."  Receiving a nod from
both, Reese dismissed them, reminding the detectives to be careful. As
an afterthought, he suggested that they change clothes to blend in with
the crowd.

Tracy followed her partner out of the office.  Immediately after the
door swung closed, she asked, "What's wrong with our clothes?"

"The Raven's patrons like black.  Right now, you're wearing all light
colors."

"And you're wearing all black," she thought aloud.  "What's with that,
anyway?  It's August.  Don't you get hot in both the black and the long
sleeves?

Nick shrugged.  He didn't know why black had been chosen more often
than not.  "If I were hot, I would have worn something different. It's
just what I picked to come to work."

Even though her partner seemed truthful, it just didn't make sense.
"For the third time this week?"  Getting another shrug, she just shook
her head.  "Okay.  So, are you going to drive, or am I?"

"I'll drive," he replied, leaving the building.

Tracy considered the abrupt departure for a second. Then, she grabbed
her things and ran to catch up to him.  Reaching the Caddy, she could
already hear the engine going, and quickly got in.

When her thoughts returned to the Raven, all she could think was
getting away from there.  The Raven was full of vampires, or at least
it had been.  She knew that, but Nick didn't.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

A half hour later, she followed her partner into the club.  As they
made their way down to the main level, Tracy caught several looks from
the patrons.  Whether Nick saw them as well, she didn't know.  He was
in front of her, scanning for someone, probably the owner.

Remembering that Lucien LaCroix was the owner and his 'visit' to the
precinct over a year ago, she was nearly positive that he was one of
them.  She had even asked Vachon about it, although his answer had been
negative.  She hadn't really believed him then, and she definitely
didn't now.

If the Raven was a club for vampires, it was only logical that its
owner should be one of them.  When Nick's eyes focused on the closed
office door, Tracy followed him to the bar.  She watched as Nick waved
the bartender off.  He seemed calm, too calm, as they had all but been
told that those in the Raven were vampires.

After a couple of minutes, his attention snapped to the door.  He stood
and approached it, telling his partner to stay where she was. Nick
remained with his hand on the knob for a couple of moments. Then, he
turned it, entering without even knocking.

Tracy was stunned.  If LaCroix was a vampire, Nick could really be in
for it.  By the looks of it, LaCroix was probably in a meeting, and
that wouldn't go over all that well.  Focusing on her surroundings, she
felt the gazes on her, and realized she had to be just about the only
mortal in the club.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

As his office door opened, LaCroix stood angrily.  His rage was
directed at both the intruder and his guest.  Giving his son only a
passing glance, the Roman turned to the other, "Antonius, we have few
choices in this situation.  Order as much as you can, and store the
bottles somewhere safe."  Antonius nodded, and started for the door.
"You are not yet dismissed.  Nicholas, what brings you here?" the elder
vampire demanded, his anger still on the surface.

"Business.  Tracy's here as well."

LaCroix controlled his emotions as best he could.  "You should not
bring a mortal in here, not now, and not if you want her to live." With
a quick glance to Antonius, he firmly ordered, "Make sure nothing
happens to the mortal woman.  She is to come to no harm."

The Italian was about to leave, but something occurred to him. "Where
is she?"

Nick quickly explained, "Sitting at the bar.  She has short blonde
hair.  Considering there are few mortals in the club, you should have
no trouble."

"Sure, Knight."

"Try not to draw attention to yourself," LaCroix added with a
threatening glare.

Antonius silently nodded.  After a second, he hurriedly exited the
office.

"I told you to stay away from others of our kind.  The mortals will be
looking for us soon, and if you wish to be unnoticed, you must not
return here," LaCroix reminded tersely.

"Like I said, I'm here on business.  Tracy and I are supposed to check
the club out.  They want to know if it's a meeting place for our kind.
What are we supposed to say?"

LaCroix' features softened.  His son was here because he had no choice.
Now, to answer the question.  "How well do you trust your Captain?  If
this knowledge were to fall into the wrong hands, we could be hunted.
I'm sure he would not want a massacre on his hands. Choose what you say
carefully."

Nodding, the younger softly asked, "How is the Community taking it,
LaCroix?"

"They are nervous, not sure what to expect.  One of the Council's
members will be visiting Toronto once things settle down some.  Then we
will know how we should react to all of this.  Until that is decided,
we are to keep quiet."  LaCroix watched his son turn to leave.  When
Nicholas' hand reached the door's knob, he advised, "Take care, mon
fils.  You are very close to the mortals, and I have no wish to see you
harmed.  You know the consequences of discovery better than I, no
doubt."

Nick nodded again, then turned the knob and left.  Reemerging into the
club, he found Tracy waiting for him nervously at the bar. Antonius was
standing in one of the shadows, his gaze fixed mostly on Tracy.

Seeing Nicholas exit the office, the younger vampire nodded slightly,
at which he started for the back exit.

Tracy stood, and then asked, "Did everything go all right?"

Brushing off her question for the moment, Nick led her out of the club.
Once the two were in the Caddy and on the way back to the precinct,
Tracy repeated her question, "Did everything go all right? Why did we
leave so suddenly?"

"LaCroix knew why I was there before I got a word out.  He told us to
stay clear and that now was not the time to provoke anyone.  I believe
him, but am unsure of what to tell Reese."

"What do you mean, Nick?" she asked.  If the Raven was a meeting place
for vampires, then that's what they would tell Reese.

"Tracy, consider everything for a moment.  The Raven is a hangout for
vampires, but if that becomes public knowledge, there are those who
would take the opportunity to eliminate them."

Doing as Nick said, Tracy remembered the club's occupants' reaction to
her.  They were nervous, their tension palpable.  If they were
attacked, that tension would be released in the form of bloodshed.  "I
think I understand, but we should still tell Reese, let him know what
we think.  Besides, I have a feeling Reese already knows what the Raven
is."

Her partner nodded silently, setting the tone for the rest of the drive
back to the precinct.


Pawns of Kings (03/52)

Five nights later, Nick sat at his desk, trying to work on a case.
Since the announcement, it had been virtually impossible to get
anything done.  Metro had decided to work in 'testing' for vampires
into the yearly physical, and they started the next night.  Everyone in
the department was to go through the physical, and they had begun with
the end of the alphabet.  Tracy's exam was one of the first ones. At
present, his was scheduled for sometime next week.  What would they do
when they discovered he wasn't quite human?  In the past, Natalie had
always done his physical, but this time, it would be someone else.

As his partner came back from her lunch break, he stood, mentioning he
would be at the morgue for a little while.  Quickly, he left the
building, and after careful consideration, took the Caddy.  He didn't
want to bother flying right now.  It wouldn't bode well if someone
spotted him.

Arriving at the morgue, he slipped into Natalie's office.  Not making a
sound, he patiently waited for her to finish up.  "Nat?" he voiced
softly as she started back to her desk.

The coroner turned quickly, nearly dropping the tape recorder. "Nick! I
thought I'd told you not to sneak up on me!"

He winced, quickly explaining, "Sorry, I guess I forgot.  I'm not
thinking very clearly lately."

Catching the wince, Natalie reminded herself of the pressure he was
under.  Nick had told her about the physicals.  She nodded back at him.
Her department was doing them as well.  Yet, tonight she also had news
for him.  "Yeah, and I don't blame you.  Taking the Litovuterine should
get you through the physical though."

"But it's addictive...right?"

"Litovuterine-B is, but I've been working on another version of
it...Litovuterine-D."  She watched him perk up a bit, but she still had
to finish it.  "Nick, it's not ready yet, but I think it will suppress
the virus without the problem of addiction.  At the same time, I think
it might have more side effects."

Nick let the information sink in, then inquired, "When will it be
ready?"

"I'll need a few more days.  If I can finish it before your physical,
hopefully you'll be able to pass as a mortal.  If not, we've got a
problem."

His head snapped up at her last comment.  "No.  If it doesn't work, *I*
have a problem.  I don't want you involved."

"If I get involved, it's my own choice," she argued, before returning
to their conversation.  "We both have the next two nights off.  I'm
going to spend most of my time here, in the lab.  Hopefully I'll finish
by the time I return to work and perhaps we can even do a preliminary
test.  Nick, I'm going to need another blood sample right now, and
possibly another in the next couple of days."

Without comment, he unbuttoned his cuff, pushing the sleeve of his
shirt up.  It only took her a minute to get the blood she needed. Once
that was done, Nick wasted no time in getting ready to leave.

"I'll drop by to tell you how it goes.  Do you want me to call first?"

"No, you can just come by.  You won't be interrupting anything," he
mentioned, letting the meaning sink in.  He couldn't go to the Raven,
and for the next two days he was off of work.  Perhaps he would paint,
or finally try to get some sleep--if he could.

Natalie watched as her friend slowly turned.  Her attention remained
fully focused on him as he soundlessly exited the room.  She was
worried.  Not only about how he was coping with his return to Toronto,
but what the new situation would do to him.  Despite their everlasting
life and amazing regenerative properties, she knew vampires were just
as sensitive, if not more so, than mortals.

Taking the blood sample over to the microscope, Natalie started her
work, putting her cases on hold for the time being.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Opening the elevator door, Natalie found the loft shrouded in darkness.
After spending the last thirty hours at the morgue, she had taken a
short break at home, and then drove over to Nick's.

Despite being thoroughly exhausted, she had finished her task.  The
Litovuterine-D changed the structure of Nick's cells, temporarily
subduing the vampire and making it invisible to any of the tests she'd
done.  Yet, that was based on tests performed in the lab.  How it would
work on Nick wouldn't be known until she gave it to him.

While her eyes began to adjust, she moved further into the room. After
glancing through the loft, her initial thoughts were that Nick either
wasn't there, or he was sleeping.  Natalie decided to check his room,
then suddenly became aware of his form on the couch.  "Nick? Are you
awake?" she whispered as she approached.  Carefully making her way over
to the table, she turned the light on to its lowest setting.

With the added light, Nick looked away for a moment, letting his eyes
adjust.  "Yeah, I'm awake.  I haven't slept for past few days."

Dropping her purse on the chair, she sat next to him, advising, "You
need to get some sleep...."

"So should you," he countered, trying to sound more awake than he was.

Natalie knew she needed to get some sleep, but that was different. "I
will, but I haven't been up as long as you have either.  You really do
need to get some sleep, and don't give me any of that not-mortal crap."

Hesitating slightly, Nick let out a frustrated sigh.  "I can't....  I
can't sleep, I can't think...I can't do anything...."

"Because of the physical," Nat concluded.  "The Litovuterine is ready,
but like last time, I'm not sure how you'll react to it."

Nick moved forward, grabbing a glass and bottle off the table. Filling
the glass full, Nick took a small sip of the liquid.  "The question is,
will it be enough?"

Opening her mouth to answer, the buzzer sounded.  Figuring Nick
wouldn't want to answer it, she went to see who it was.  "It's the
captain.  Were you expecting him?"

Shaking his head, Nick told her to let the captain in.  After buzzing
him in, Natalie returned to sit next to Nick.

About a minute later, Reese made his way through the dark room to the
two on the couch.  "Am I interrupting anything?"  Reese inquired
uncertainly, stopping about halfway there.

"No, I just stopped by to talk with Nick."

The Captain considered the explanation, but didn't completely buy it.
There was something going on between those two.  The doctor had stopped
by to do more than just talk, but whether that was dinner, or something
more intimate, he couldn't say.  "Well, I need to talk to him too.
Knight, I know about your allergy, and so does the Commissioner.  As a
result, they've moved your test.  It's tomorrow at 10:00 AM.  The
Commissioner also wants you to work day shift to prove that you're
mortal.  Do you think you could handle one day, with limited sun
exposure?"

"I think so," Nick replied, trying to sound a little unsure, which
wasn't difficult.  After all, he and Nat hadn't tested out the
Litovuterine-D yet.

"Good.  Your shift starts at noon.  Tracy will meet you there."  As he
finished, Reese's eye caught the green bottle on the table, and the
wine glass in his detective's hand.  The liquid was a dark blood red,
the substance appearing thicker than wine.

Noticing the Captain's curious gaze, Natalie steeled herself.  Taking
the glass from Nick's loose grasp, she brought it slowly to her lips.
Calmly, she took a large sip under both Reese, and Nick's, scrutiny.
Suppressing her reflex to gag, she swallowed the blood, handing the
glass back to Nick before she dropped it.

Reese cut off his previous line of thought.  It couldn't be blood.
Lambert had just downed nearly half of the liquid, and she came and
went at all hours of the day and night.  Completely scattering his
curiosity with a faint shake of the head, he instead asked, "Isn't it a
bit early for wine?"

"Depends upon your point of view.  Besides, I'm only having this one
glass."

"Just make sure you're sober when you come in.  Both of you." Turning,
the Captain walked toward the elevator.  Just before leaving, Reese
reminded Knight that he wouldn't be working the next night, but the day
after.

Nick nodded silently in response, feeling the tension in Natalie.

The moment the elevator came to life, Natalie started off to the
kitchen.  By the time Nick arrived, she had drunk a full glass of
water, trying to get the salty-metallic taste out of her mouth.

"Are you okay?" he asked, watching as she scoured his fridge for
something to eat.  Finally, she grabbed some leftover fried rice she'd
left there a few days before.

"I can't believe I just did that.  Remind me not to do that again."
Adding some water to the container, she stuck it in the microwave and
hit the power button.

"Well, you didn't need to drink quite that much, and certainly not that
quickly."

She froze at Nick's words.  "How much did I have?"

Nick held up the wine glass, guessing, "About a half of the glass, if
it had been full to begin with."

"Half of the glass?"  Receiving a nod, she muttered, "Hopefully I won't
do that again."

"You didn't have to do it in the first place...."

"What was I supposed to do?  Reese was getting curious.  I dispelled
his thoughts before they became suspicious."

"I know, Nat.  I know," he argued.  "I would rather have Reese
suspicious, than have you drink any blood."

The microwave dinged, and after a moment, Natalie grabbed a fork and
the food.


Pawns of Kings (04/52)

Nick had silently watched as Natalie ate her meal.  Whether she was
really hungry, or if it was a result of drinking the blood, he didn't
know.  When she had finished, he asked, "About the Litovuterine...how
will we know if it's going to work?"

"The only way is to test it.  I brought some with me, and it's getting
pretty close to dawn.  I guess we could try it now."

Nodding, Nick unbuttoned his cuff, pushing his sleeve up.  Natalie
retrieved the Litovuterine and a syringe from her purse, and then
approached him.  "Nick, remember last time.  You might want to lay on
the couch, or better yet, the floor."

He seemed to consider the suggestion for a moment, then moved away from
most of the furniture.  Lying on the ground, he watched as Natalie
approached and knelt next to him.

She cleaned and prepared his arm with practiced ease.  Filling the
syringe with the drug, she asked, "Are you ready?" Receiving another
nod, she injected the Litovuterine into his bloodstream.  Now, all they
had to do was wait.

For two long minutes nothing happened.  Then, feeling his heart beat
under her fingers, the drug was finally dispersed through his system.
Natalie watched as he closed his eyes in pain, then rolled onto his
side scrunching up.  Nick made no sound despite the pain it undoubtedly
caused him.

Natalie sat behind him, her hand rubbing his arm, feeling his muscles
spasm.  When he relaxed, she brushed his hair out of his face, her
fingertips lightly touching his cheek.  "Nick?  How do you feel?"

He rolled back onto his back, catching a wave of dizziness.  Taking in
a large breath, he responded, "Tired...weak....  My stomach hurts, not
from hunger, but something else."

"Do you think you can get up?" she asked, hoping he would answer
truthfully.

"Yeah, but if I don't stay that way, try to catch me."  He managed a
weak smile, and with Natalie's help, he was standing a minute later.
The lightheadedness returned for a moment.  As it subsided, Nick became
aware of the pain in his stomach once again.  Suddenly feeling sick, he
moved as fast as he could to the sink, nearly losing his balance
partway there.  His stomach protested, letting loose its contents.

Seeing the bright red blood, Natalie quickly turned on the faucet and
washed the liquid down the drain.  As his spasms subsided, she led Nick
to the kitchen table.  He sat at the end of the table, his arms folded
on its surface, his head resting on them.

"Are you all right?"  When he didn't answer, she prodded, "Nick?"

Nick sat up, leaning back into the chair.  "I think so.  I guess I
shouldn't have had anything to drink before taking the Litovuterine. It
doesn't hurt anymore though."  He gave her another partial smile,
wanting to reassure her that he would be fine.  "So, now what?" Nick
asked, as she made her way back to the chair.

"I'm going to take your temperature and all of your vitals.  I'll also
take a blood sample, and then we'll see what the sun does.  If you feel
it wearing off, tell me.  We'll need to know how long a dose lasts."

"Are you sure it will wear off?"

"Yes, I'm sure," she stated evenly.  Every form of Litovuterine she'd
tried in the lab had worn off, some rather quickly, some after nearly a
day.  Taking her thermometer she moved toward Nick, only to have him
pull away.

"What's that?"

She looked at the device in her hands and realized she hadn't shown it
to him yet.  "Oh, it's one of those digital thermometers.  About a
month ago I broke down and got one.  It takes your temperature from the
ear within seconds.  A lot quicker and more accurate than the alcohol
ones."  Natalie carefully took Nick's temperature and showed him the
display.

"Isn't that a little low?"

Glancing at the temperature, she shook her head.  "It's within human
normal.  Some people have lower body temperatures than others.  I'll
check it again in a few minutes.  Now, unbutton your shirt so I can
listen to your heart and lungs."

Five minutes later, Natalie was amazed.  Nick's pulse was strong and
steady, a little slow, but as with his temperature, it was within
normal parameters.  The same went for his lungs.  After taking his
temperature a second time, the value didn't change, but it wasn't
really a problem either.

Now came the biggest test.  She grabbed the remote and opened one of
the blinds.  Suddenly, he was beside her, standing just outside the
range of the rays of light.  His eyes were squinting slightly, the
light being just a little too bright for him.

Slowly, with a hint of hesitation, he stepped into the light.  When it
didn't burn, he turned around in it to face her, the smile gracing his
lips being a full one.  "I almost forgot how much I love sunlight. At
the same time, I don't think mortality is my goal anymore."

For a moment, Natalie felt like she'd lost.  Yet, at the same time, she
hadn't.  Nick may not be looking for mortality anymore, but he still
seemed interested in his humanity.  That was something he could show
despite the fact that he wasn't mortal.  "Don't get too used to it.  It
will wear off."

"I know.  It's what I've missed the most, and it's been my biggest
fear."

Watching him, she couldn't imagine what it would be like to be in his
place.  Nick loved sunlight but was forced to exist without ever seeing
it.  At this moment, he seemed more alive, more human, than he ever did
at night.  Even with his tiredness as Nick squinted into the daylight,
he was energetic, almost as if he were feeding off of the sun's rays
for energy.  Silently, she wondered what Tracy would think of Nick's
enthusiasm, something he hadn't had much of lately.  That is, if it
lasted.

"As soon as the dose wears off, I want you to tell me, and then you
need to get some sleep.  I'll give you more tomorrow morning."

Nick nodded, then suddenly spoke, "So, do you have any more tests?"

"Hmm...yes, I do.  Give me your arm," she instructed, hoping that Nick
didn't have a problem with a little pain.  She took it, cleaning the
skin as she always did.  Before he could protest, Natalie swiftly began
to draw blood.  Unlike other times, Nick struggled, pulling away from
the needle.  "Nick, hold still.  It'll only be a little longer."
Quickly, she switched vials, and waited for the second to fill up.
Removing the needle, she placed a cotton ball over the spot, telling
him, "Now, hold that right there."

"That hurt," he complained while Nat was putting the samples away.

Natalie nearly said, 'Well, duh,' but stopped herself.  When Nick was
mortal, they didn't have syringes and blood tests.  The vampire element
in his blood dulled the pain, and it took much more to get a response. 
"Well, now you'll know what to expect tomorrow."

Concern abruptly filled his features.  "They're going to do a blood
test?"

"That's what Tracy said."

"But, how...I mean, won't they be able to tell I'm not mortal?"

"That's why I'm going to get your samples under a microscope.  Tracy
said they did the test while she was there.  If that's the case, the
Litovuterine wouldn't have worn off by then.  Hopefully, I can come up
with an explanation for whatever oddities are in your blood."  Getting
a faint nod, she instructed, "Nick, I'll be at the morgue.  If I don't
get back before it wears off, I want you to write down the time that
the vampire begins to come back.  Then, get some sleep.  You'll need
it."

Nick nodded again.  As he watched Nat leave, he was curious of how long
it would be.  Would the Litovuterine take several hours to wear off, or
merely one?  Now, it was time to wait again, but this time he was
tired.  When it wore off, he would sleep, whether he really wanted to
or not.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Around noon, Natalie let herself into the loft.  The room was dark and
quiet, but she could still easily maneuver.  Nick was sleeping on the
couch.  Approaching, she took his hand in hers.  His skin was cool, not
cold, but not warm either.  No pulse beat, his body nearly back to
normal--vampire normal.

Proceeding to the kitchen, she turned on the light.  On the table was
an empty bottle and a sheet of paper where Nick had written a single
sentence.  '10:15 with side effects.'

Natalie pondered the side effects.  What had happened when the
Litovuterine had worn off?  But more importantly, she had a time.  She
gave Nick the Litovuterine at twenty till six.  It had lasted roughly
four and a half hours, which meant he would need to take more than one
dose to get through the next day.

Her shift started in about nine hours.  Before then, she really needed
to get some sleep.  Remembering she had left a few changes of clothes
here, Natalie decided to just sleep at Nick's.  He was sleeping on the
couch, so she would have to take his room.  Perhaps Nick would be awake
when she got up, although she doubted it.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Tracy had been waiting for Nick for the last ten minutes.  She debated
trying to call him on his cell phone.  A moment later, that thought was
squashed as she saw Nick walk into the room.  He had his sunglasses on,
something she only saw when he left for home near sunrise, yet it was
the middle of the day.  That's another thing she was curious about.  If
Nick was allergic to sunlight, how was he getting through today?  He
appeared relatively normal as he entered, his complexion seeming a
little brighter than normal, but then, she contributed that to it being
daytime.

He wasn't wearing a lot of black either.  In fact, other than his
sunglasses, he had no black on at all.  Nick was wearing jeans and a
light blue silk shirt.  Weird, that's what it was.  "Hey, Nick. What's
up with the change?"

"What change?" he asked, stopping mid-stride.

"Your clothes.  Since you came back, you've been sticking to black and
other dark colors.  So, what's with the blue?"

Tracy's curiosity had been aroused.  Unless he wanted to listen to her
prodding him all night, Nick would have to explain.  "It was Natalie's
suggestion.  She thought I should wear something a bit more lively."

"Well, the color was a good choice, or was that Natalie's idea as
well?"

The corner of Nick's lip quirked up a bit.  "Yeah, she picked the
color.  Then, she went on about how I should wear it more often."

"And you should.  Blue suits you, and it's a lot more interesting than
boring old black."

"I like 'boring old black'," he countered.  "Besides, black doesn't
stain easily."

About to ask what her partner meant by that, Tracy turned at the call
of their names.  Reese wanted them and, by the sound of it, about ten
minutes ago.  "Well, since you're late, we better get in there."

"It's not my fault.  They were running behind."

"Then you better tell Reese that."  As Nick nodded, she couldn't help
but look at him.  The shirt really did suit him.  Amazingly, it didn't
make him look as pale, and the color brought out his eyes.  She knew
Nick would be getting a lot of looks that day.


Pawns of Kings (05/52)

The sun's rays caressed her skin, something she needed to get more of.
Working night shift nearly eliminated any chance that she'd have a
summer tan.  Tracy glanced over to her partner.  She was amazed at how
much the bright light suited him.  Perhaps it was the shirt, but she
suspected the current culprit was the sun.  

A few hours ago was the first time she'd ever seen him outside in it.
Nick enjoyed the sun, she could see that readily, but there was
something dark underneath.  If he could go outside during the day, what
stopped him?  "Nick?  If you're allergic to sunlight, then why are you
driving with the top down, without a care in the world?  And why don't
you work days more often?  It's just that it seems like you haven't
been outside during the day for a long time, but aren't really having a
problem with it."

His features clouded at the question.  He had never really explained
much about his 'allergy.' Remembering what he had told the doctor
during his physical, he explained, "Normally, I blister in the sun.
Natalie's giving me something that she hopes would stop my reaction, at
least for a little while.  The problem is, there are side effects."

Side effects.  She knew how serious they could be.  As a result, she
had to stay away from certain prescriptions.  Nick's momentary cure
could easily be doing a lot of damage to his system, more than if he'd
simply gone without it.  "Oh, sorry," she muttered in apology.
"Umm...Nick?  Reese is having us check out all of the wine
distributaries in the off chance we can find a blood supplier.  So far,
we've found nothing, and there is only one place left on the list.  I
mean, why would they be so far out into the open?"

"There's a chance," Nick stated calmly, knowing that their last
destination was indeed what they were looking for.  Why did Reese have
to keep picking him and Tracy to deal with part of the present
situation?  All it was doing was giving him problems.  At the same
time, he was given a chance to limit exposure as much as possible.

"Is that it?" Tracy asked, looking ahead to the large, modern building.
When Nick nodded, she softly commented, "Wow.  That's big."

"They are an international distributor."  Pulling into the parking lot,
Nick parked in a visitor's spot.

As Nick made his way toward the entrance, Tracy sprinted to catch up.
"The others were smaller, specialty distributors, only having wines
from a specific area or province.  So, if this is an international
distributor, then they probably have a lot more vintages available, and
perhaps some pretty rare ones, right?"

He knew what she was trying to hint at.  Human blood was a rare vintage
to come by.  Unless one was in the Community, or very close to it, that
knowledge was kept secret.  "Possibly," Nick said as they entered the
building.

Leading the way, Nick brought them to the secretary's desk.  He flashed
his badge before she could comment, introducing, "Detectives Nick
Knight and Tracy Vetter.  We're here to see Mr. Vinattiere.  I believe
he is expecting us?"

"I'll let him know you're on the way to his main office, Detective." As
the woman picked up the phone, Nick started off down the hall.

"Shouldn't we wait to be shown where the office is?" Tracy asked once
she had caught up to him by the elevator.

"I know where his office is.  I've been here before."

"Can I ask why?"

Considering his answer, he nodded.  "I do occasionally drink wine. Much
of the time, I get it from here."

The information didn't surprise her too much, but it made her realize
that she really didn't know much about Nick.  Tracy could see him as a
wine drinker, but the thought had never crossed her mind before now.
The rest of the way to Mr. Vinattiere's office was spent in silence.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Antonius was agitated, and rightfully so.  Nicholas and his mortal
partner were on their way to his office.  Several days before, he had
transferred all of the blood to another location per LaCroix' orders.
He had tried to cover up what he could, but he didn't have enough time.
With all of the new shipments coming in, and then having to move them,
he'd barely had a chance to get started working on fixing the records.

Abruptly, he looked to the door.  Two mortals were approaching.  With
his secretary still sitting at her desk, he wondered who the second
mortal could be.  At the knock, he ordered his guests to enter.

Nicholas and his partner entered, and Antonius was thoroughly confused.
They both had a heartbeat, yet at the same time, he could still feel
the presence within the vampire.  Nicholas wasn't mortal, but he just
seemed to be.  That would explain his presence there during the day.
"Nicholas..." he began, but was cut off first with a glare, then a more
apparent nod.

"This is my partner, Tracy Vetter.  Tracy, this is Antonio Vinattiere,"
he introduced, hoping Antonius would tone down his charm a bit.

The younger vampire took the mortal's hand.  Then, with a smile and a
flourish, he kissed the back of it.  When she seemed stunned, Antonius
brightened even further.

Clearing his throat, Nick again glared at the Italian, instantly
sobering Antonius.  "We are here to view your storage facilities, and
buy and sell records."  Pulling out an envelope, he continued, "Here's
the warrant."

Taking the envelope and opening it, Antonius pulled out the warrant.
Nicholas wasn't lying.  They really did have the right to search his
records and premises.  Suddenly looking back to Nicholas, he felt
something.  The heartbeat that shouldn't be there was slowing.

"Start showing my partner around.  I'll catch up to you after I make a
phone call."

"Nick, shouldn't you come as well?"

"I've been given the tour, Tracy.  I know my way around this building
and would miss what we're looking for.  I'll find you after I call
Nat."

Antonius was the first to take the hint, moving toward the mortal. He
let his hand rest in the middle of Tracy's back leading her to the
door.  "Come, I'm sure your partner will not be long."  When she
attempted to protest, Antonius repeated, "Come."

Tracy glanced back to her partner.  Receiving a reassuring nod, she
allowed herself to be led from the room.

Once the door was firmly shut, Nick pulled the Litovuterine and a
syringe from his pocket.  This dose would be the third in a row.
Quickly, he injected himself with the drug, immediately feeling a
shudder of pain course through his body.  The vampire had been close to
reemerging, too close.

He had waited until now to have a better explanation for not staying
with Tracy.  It had been a full four and a half hours, and he was
supposed to redose after four.  A few minutes longer, and he would have
fallen to the floor in agony as he had the previous morning.  He waited
for the pain to dull, then started off toward Tracy and Antonius.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Tracy was frustrated after the tour.  There had been nothing suspicious
along the way, and she doubted they would find anything in records. The
only thing that bothered her was Vinattiere, or Antonio, as he insisted
she address him.  The man reminded her a lot of Vachon. Not once had
she seen Antonio in sunlight, and he had the pale, slightly sallow skin
characteristic of vampires.  His old world mannerisms had diminished
noticeably after their initial meeting, but they were still there.

Antonio seemed to get along with her partner, but there was a tension
between the two.  Perhaps it was because she was there?  Tracy didn't
know, and knew she probably never would with Nick.  He didn't like to
talk about his personal life, and that had never changed.

The Italian led the detectives back into his office, Nick closing the
door behind them.  Sitting at his desk, Antonio pulled out a large book
from his top drawer.  "This is the most current version."

Looking at the old book, Tracy asked, "Isn't this a little old
fashioned?"

"Perhaps, but I also have a copy of all but the last week in the
computer.  This book contains every order since the beginning of the
year."  He passed the book across the desk, watching as the mortal
began scanning the most recent page.

She found nothing, then turned back a page.  One week back in the
records she hit the jackpot.  "Hey, Nick, look at this."

Coming closer, he read the entry.  It was a large shipment to the
Raven, ordered by Lucien LaCroix.  Under description, it was listed as
'special order.'

"What does 'special order' mean?" she asked, scanning the entries for
more such orders.

Antonius hesitated.  He had used 'special order' to indicate orders by
the Community.  "They are orders of a crate or larger containing
special order and rare wines."

'Like the human vintage,' she thought to herself.  Most of the orders
came from the Raven, although there were also several individuals
listed as well.  None of the names were familiar, until she made it
back about four weeks.  Nick was one of the individuals, which meant it
didn't necessarily indicate the whole order was blood.  Perhaps Antonio
was telling the truth about the nature of the orders?  Then, she got an
idea.  "Do you have records for last year?"

Not expecting the request, Antonius took a moment to answer.  "Yes,
just a second."

She waited as their host returned with another book.  Being handed it,
she immediately turned it back to before Vachon was killed.  About a
week before then, Vachon had indeed ordered a crate.  After his name,
was scribbled, c/o Raven.  Vachon had the blood first delivered to the
Raven, where it would have been more convenient to pick up.

Going forward in the records from there, she found one order to the
Raven, then a day after Nick disappeared was an individual order from
LaCroix.  For a month, there were periodic orders from the Raven's
owner, then they suddenly stopped.  During that time, individual orders
picked up in number.  Tracy looked to her partner.  When he seemed out
of it, she asked the other man, "Could we get a copy of your records on
disk?"

"Of course.  I'll have that for you in a few moments."

Watching Antonio leave, she went back to the current year, starting
where she left off.  Since Nick had returned to Toronto, he had placed
three orders, all marked 'special order.'  From what she could tell,
that description was reserved for orders from vampires, but it was on
Nick's as well.  She would ask him about it, but not now.  Nick was
mortal, she knew that.  They were working day shift, and Nick seemed
fine.  Tracy shook the thought off, unaware that her partner was
conscious of her speculation.

Antonius abruptly reentered the room, startling both detectives.  The
two stood up, and the Italian passed the disk to Tracy.  "The disk
contains our records for the last three years.  If you need further
back, just ask."  As Nick and Tracy turned to leave, Antonius
mentioned, "Nicholas, you must come by sometime.  I have a wine I think
you'll enjoy immensely."

With a single nod, Nick led Tracy to the door, wanting to leave before
Antonius could mess things up further.  His records weren't separated
into mortal and vampire, but all mixed together.  Antonius' friendly
attitude might work to charm Tracy, but it could also lend itself to
suspicion.  The Italian's last words he feared trying to explain to
Tracy.  Although not friends with Antonius, they were on good terms.

"Nick?  I saw your name in there a couple of times.  What did you
order?"

He considered his response, and Antonius' description of 'special
order.'  "Just a few bottles.  Some I'm keeping for a while longer,
although I've drank a few and given a couple to Natalie."

In her mind, a few bottles couldn't have added up to three crates, but
then Nick might be a heavy wine drinker.  Perhaps Natalie wasn't the
only one he gave them away to.  She really didn't know.  "So, you know
Antonio, then?"

"A little..." he began.  Then, Nick became slightly frustrated, "Like I
said before, I buy my wine here.  Antonio often lets me sample new
arrivals."

Tracy decided to drop the subject.  Nick didn't seem to want to talk
about his visits to the Italian.  Feeling her stomach rumble, she
glanced at her watch.  It was a little after six o'clock.  She and Nick
hadn't stopped for lunch or even for a break, and decided now would be
a good time for dinner.  Did Nick like Italian?  Again, she came up
blank.  Not once had she ever even seen her partner eat, let alone at
an Italian restaurant, or for that matter, any restaurant.

"Are you hungry?" she off handedly asked as Nick started his car. His
stomach answered for him, and Tracy commented as much.  "Pick somewhere
to eat," she told him.

He didn't know what to say.  The only restaurants he knew where
expensive ones that needed a reservation.  "Doesn't matter."

"Okay, how about Italian?" she suggested.  Receiving a shrug, she
suggested a place.  Nick didn't know where it was.  As a result, she
ended up having to give him directions.


Pawns of Kings (06/52)

Nick slouched into his chair.  The soft leather cushions melded to his
body.  He and Tracy had ended up working a long shift.  After getting
back to the precinct, Reese had ordered them to start looking through
the records, and try to figure out what it all meant.

Tracy had explained her theory that the special orders were blood.
Reese seemed to agree with it, at least partly.  Most of the
individuals seemed to be respectable people.  Consequently, the captain
had told them to focus on the Raven, particularly any orders sent to
the club.  He and Tracy had found out little more than what was already
known.  Almost all of the Raven's beverages, whatever they may be, were
ordered through Antonio.  The club was one of the distributary's
largest local customers.

That had taken them past sunset.  Now, Nick was waiting for the
Litovuterine to wear off.  He had taken the last dose a little over
five hours before, but it hadn't worn off yet.  The dose had been
larger than Natalie prescribed.  Nick figured that was the reason he
hadn't changed back yet.

He groaned as his stomach rumbled again as it had been for the last
half hour, but he didn't want to eat anything.  The lasagna he had for
dinner was going to be bad enough when the Litovuterine wore off, which
he hoped would be soon.

Closing his eyes, Nick leaned back and rested.  Oh, how much he wanted
to sleep, but he would wait a little longer.  His ears picked up a
light tapping.  Opening his eyes he could see a form on the other side
of the skylight.  Gesturing for them to enter, Nick soon found himself
face to face with Antonius.

"Nicholas.  Whatever you are doing to yourself, I suggest you stop. I
don't know how you can have a heartbeat, but it is slowing, as it did
in my office."

"Yes, the Litovuterine is wearing off, and this time I'm not going to
take more."

Antonius' features clouded.  "Lito...what?"

"Litovuterine.  Natalie found it."  Seeing the younger vampire's
continued curiosity, Nick continued, "It suppresses the vampire enough
that I appear mortal, but wrecks havoc on my system.  I had to take it
to remain mortal to those at the precinct."

"And how long are you going to manage that?  Sooner or later, you will
slip.  Someone will notice, and then the others will as well."

"I know, and the illusion will only last for a while.  Tracy's
suspicions are building.  She knows what you are, and she knows what
those 'special orders' are.  I don't know if she's linked them to me or
not."

"Then, she doesn't know much about us?"

Nick shook his head.  "She knows a lot, actually.  Antonius, Tracy has
known about the Community for a little more than two years.  I think
she knows what you are.  In fact, I'm almost positive of it." Nick
paused, turning away from Antonius for a moment.  "I assume the blood
is in a safe place?  No records, no knowledge outside of the
Community?"

"Of course.  I have more on order, but it may be difficult to bring it
in.  What action is being taken, or can you say?"

Debating his options, he figured he might as well tell the other
vampire.  After all, if he didn't, it would only be a matter of time
before he noticed.  "Both your distributary and the Raven are being
watched.  So far, that's all that's been done."

Antonius nodded.  He'd suspected as much of the mortals.  Feeling a
change in Nicholas, he looked up to see the elder vampire in great
pain.  Nicholas' heartbeat was virtually non-existent, and the vampire
had visibly reemerged.  When it looked like Nicholas could no longer
stand, the Italian helped him to the couch, where he watched the elder
vampire curl up into a ball.  "What's happening?  Is that drug wearing
off?"

Antonius thought he saw the other man nod his head, but wasn't sure.
Abruptly, he closed his eyes, a wave of pain rolling through him.  It
was from Nicholas, and he could feel it easily despite having no
relation to him.  When the elder vampire stopped moving, Antonius
reached forward, placing his hand on Nicholas' forehead.  He was as
warm as a mortal, but there was no doubt he was a vampire.

Nicholas opened his eyes, and Antonius started at the older man's
expression.  Hunger overwhelmed the blond vampire in the same manner as
the first hunger.  Antonius wasn't sure what to do.  At nightfall, he
had gone to LaCroix, and then had come here.  LaCroix explained that
his son had to be spared the Community's fate, something that would be
impossible to assure.  LaCroix wouldn't come to his son's aid as he was
being watched.  Acting on instinct, the younger vampire offered his
wrist to Nicholas.

It was instantly snatched up, and faster than a cobra, fangs plunged
themselves into his flesh.  Antonius gasped, not from the suddenness of
the action, but from the speed at which his blood was being drained. As
the blood loss became too much for him, the younger pulled his wrist
away, Nicholas' fangs tearing the skin slightly.

Clutching the wound, Antonius looked the elder vampire over.  The
hunger was still there, still on the surface, but exhaustion was taking
over.  By the time his wrist had healed, Nicholas was sound asleep. His
temperature had dropped to vampire cool, and all seemed fine.

Now, he needed to replenish his blood, and Antonius drank two bottles
of blood before leaving.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

"Nick?" Tracy called into the darkness, hoping he was awake.  "Reese is
blowing a fuse about you not showing up.  Nick, you here?"

Walking further into the room, her eyes began to adjust to the
darkness.  Flipping a light on by the kitchen, she found Nick lying on
the couch.  He was still dressed in the same clothes he had worn the
day before.  It looked like he'd come home, sat down and immediately
fallen asleep, and then stayed that way.  Even his shoes were still on.
His hair was unruly, its stands falling in all directions. Brushing it
off of his forehead, she found a very pale, very cold Nick.  He looked
liked death warmed over, and felt that way too.  In fact, he didn't
seem to be moving, not even to breathe.  As Tracy moved her hand toward
his neck in an attempt to check his pulse, she snapped it back when he
took a deep breath, nearly falling over backwards in the process.

Regaining her balance, she found herself staring into his open eyes,
their color a deep, almost black, midnight blue.  "Nick?"

"Let me go back to sleep," he mumbled as his eyes lazily shut once
more.

"No, you don't get to go back to sleep."  Tracy grabbed his hand and
pulled slightly.  "Come on, get up."  He made no reaction.  "Nick?"
Again, he didn't respond, not even to a light slap on the cheek.
"Damn," she cursed as she let herself sit on the floor.

How was she supposed to get her partner to work, when she couldn't even
wake him up?  Water.  That's a trick her father had used when she was
younger.  Even when she was sound asleep it always worked.  Making her
way to the sink, she got the water as cold as she could.  Then, filling
her hands with the chilly liquid, she went back to Nick,
unceremoniously throwing the water in his face.

Within a second, he was sitting up, wiping the liquid off of his skin.
As a yawn escaped him, Tracy could see he was still exhausted, but at
the same time, he was definitely awake.

"What was that for?" he eventually mumbled drowsily.

"To wake you up.  Reese is going nuts.  You were supposed to come in an
hour and a half ago."

After a couple of seconds, her sentence seemed to suddenly hit him.
"I'll be there as soon as I can," he muttered, standing up.

Steadying him, she countered, "No, I'll wait here, then take you down
to the precinct."

He shrugged out of her grasp.  "I need to take a shower, I'll be a few
minutes."  Pausing, Nick made sure he had his balance before starting
for the stairs.

Tracy sat down on the couch, her eyes wandering across the room as they
always did when she was at Nick's.  As her curiosity got the better of
her, she walked around, eventually heading over to his refrigerator.
She pulled the door open, not sure what she would find. Inside, there
was almost no food.  There was a partial container of milk, a few
leftovers and some fruit, but that was about it.  One shelf stood oddly
empty, but she shrugged it off, closing the door and heading back to
the couch.

Hearing the water shut off, Tracy felt her pulse quicken.  Hopefully
Nick wouldn't notice her prodding.  She didn't think she'd touched
anything, but...if she had, Tracy knew that Nick would notice.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Ten minutes later, they were on their way to the precinct with Tracy
driving.  She occasionally glanced over at her partner to make sure he
was still awake.  Pulling into the parking lot, she led Nick in, and to
their desks.

Reese wasn't there.  He was talking to her father and the mayor,
discussing the current situation.  Apparently, they were preparing a
plan to get the vampires out into the open.  Depending on their
approach, the reaction could be any number of things.  Yet, she also
knew that the more forceful their actions, the more dangerous the
vampires would be.

Nick didn't do much until Reese came back around midnight.  Then, her
partner had no choice but accompany her into the Captain's office.
Tracy quickly sat, but after closing the door, Nick remained standing.

Reese looked over his detective.  Knight looked absolutely horrible,
and even more out of it than he'd been since all of this news had
broken.  Something was bothering the detective, and he hoped Nick would
be able to snap out of it.  Nick had no reason to be late. Although he
had worked dayshift, there had been plenty of time for him to readjust.
He hoped he wouldn't have to do this again.

Taking in a deep breath, he focused on Nick, mustering the sternest
expression he could while looking at the other man's tired form.
"Knight, get your ass in that chair, and stay there until you're
dismissed.  I'm not even going to ask why you didn't come in. You look
somewhere between about to fall asleep and about to lose your last
meal.  Do it again, and you'll have some explaining to do."

Nick winced despite his tiredness.  If he could have helped it, he
wouldn't have been late.  When the Litovuterine wore off, it had left
him weak.  Not only that, but he'd lost all of the food he'd had the
day before, which had made him feel even worse.  He was having a little
trouble with digesting the blood, and was momentarily glad he didn't
drink anything before coming in.  From the day before, Nick knew that
exhaustion took over, and it hadn't worn off before taking more
Litovuterine.  Hopefully it would disperse soon.

"The mayor has explained what our actions will be.  We're going to shut
down Vinattiere's distributary in the hopes to force them into the
open.  You two will be there when we intercept a shipment.  It will
arrive tomorrow night."

Nick was awake now.  The shipment was probably blood.  If it were,
Antonius would be exposed.  He would be questioned, and then an
important issue was raised.  "Captain, I know Vinattiere.  I shouldn't
be there."

"I'm fully aware of that.  So are the Commissioner and the Mayor.
That's why you and your partner will be the senior officers on the
scene.  We need someone who knows Vinattiere."  Reese momentarily
fingered the folder before him, wondering just where all of this would
lead.  Then, he passed it to Knight.  "Read your instructions
carefully.  You are not to deviate from orders in the slightest."

Both detectives nodded, and Reese dismissed Tracy.  As her partner
stood and made to follow, the Captain shot a glare at Knight.
"Tomorrow, you cannot be late.  You got that, Knight?"  Receiving a
second nod, Reese gestured for the detective to leave.

Watching Knight return to his desk with the file, Reese was unsure of
himself.  Nick hadn't quite adjusted to work when everything hit.  Oh,
the detective was doing his job, just as well, if not better than
before his disappearance.  But he seemed...different.

Now, both him and his partner were mixed up in the current mess. They
would probably find themselves constantly working on these special
assignments, and it concerned him.

Until tonight, Knight hadn't been pulling many of his disappearing
acts.  In fact, since the announcement, Knight had model behavior.
Sometimes he seemed somewhere else, but it really wasn't much of a
problem.  Perhaps the day shift was too much of a sudden switch, which
would no longer be a problem.  The reason Knight had spent a day at
work, was because of his allergy.  Commissioner Vetter wanted there to
be no doubt Knight was mortal.

Around the world, vampires were being exposed.  Some forcibly, while
others came forward on their own.  But, one thing wasn't changing. They
were keeping quiet, telling nothing more than what they were, and their
current names to authorities.  Just how much of the myth was actually
true wasn't really known, except for one thing--sunlight.

During an interview down in the states, a blind had been opened.  The
rays had landed on the vampire's arm, almost immediately sending a
spiral of smoke into the air.  The man had almost instantly changed,
revealing what he really was to those present.

It was clear that distrust was the motivator that was keeping the
silence.  Here in Toronto, as in most other cities, few had been found
in government or city jobs.  Those that had, tended to have fairly high
positions and fewer connections to others of their kind.  After their
discovery, most mysteriously vanished.

He hoped that would not be the case with Antonio Vinattiere.  Yet, this
was also a new approach to the situation.  Perhaps with Vinattiere,
they could find who to talk to, someone that could speak for their
community.  Even without an answer, Reese had a pretty good idea who it
would be.  Lucien LaCroix, the Raven's owner.


Pawns of Kings (07/52)

The night was slow, as had been every night at the morgue for the past
week and a half.  Not only had the vampire kills ceased, but the
announcement seemed to have kept the murderers indoors as well, at
least for now.  At present, Natalie had no patients and no cases.
Dayshift, however, she knew had been busier of late, and she was
momentarily glad she worked nightshift.

For the last two hours, Natalie had been organizing her computer files.
They seemed to get messed up every month.  This time, she was trying a
different way of doing it.  Moving several files to another folder, she
suddenly felt a faint movement of the air and a presence. Even though
the door had been locked, she knew of a couple of people who could get
in.  Looking up, she found LaCroix placing a box on the examination
table.

The vampire raised an eyebrow, a hint of a smile at the corner of his
mouth.  The doctor had indeed become sensitized to their presence,
probably a side effect of his son draining her.  He approached the
desk, standing next to the mortal woman.  "I hope I'm not interrupting
anything," he mentioned, noticing the empty surface before her and her
previous engagement on the computer.

"Just organizing my files.  Something I seem to have plenty of time to
do lately.  Although, I will comment my file cabinets are more orderly
than what I'm trying to do here."  Realizing she could have easily left
her answer to the first sentence, she muttered, "Sorry.  I haven't had
any visitors tonight, alive or otherwise."

LaCroix' lips tweaked into a slight smile, and for a moment his eyes
seemed to sparkle.  "No need to apologize.  I fully understand the
difficulty of modern technology.  Far more than you could imagine."

Natalie watched his features darken with his last comment.  She
understood the vampire's frustration better than he thought.  Modern
technology, while freeing their movements, it also limited them.
Fingerprints, photographs, videotapes...they all could identify not
only themselves, but one of their past lives.

She swallowed, trying to pass off her thoughts.  LaCroix didn't drop by
to discuss technology.  "I'm sure you're not here to speak socially,
so...what brings you here?"

"The box contains supplies for Nicholas.  As it would be unwise to
deliver them directly, I brought them here for you to give to him."

Blood.  Of course that's what it was.  Nick was cutting himself off
from the Community by LaCroix' order, but without contact, he couldn't
get the one thing he needed to survive.  The Roman's visit should have
been expected.  He had already made his delivery, but he hadn't yet
left.  "Is that all?"

LaCroix seemed hesitant, a quality that wasn't usual in the ancient
vampire.  She watched him, his eyes glancing to the box, his hand
sliding across one of its edges.  When he looked at her, Natalie knew
he was still working on his answer.

He considered his reply carefully.  "No..." he finally began, the
darkness to his words all but disappearing.  "How is Nicholas?  I've
felt pain and exhaustion from him...."

As his voice faded off, she could both see, and hear, the concern.
"He's fine.  To keep himself hidden from the others, I gave him
something to subdue the vampire.  The pain was a direct reaction of the
drug, the exhaustion a side effect."  Natalie paused, watching a slight
flicker of anger flash across his face before it disappeared. Then, she
continued, "Nick's also been under a lot of stress, as I'm sure you
know.  I don't think it's going to dissipate.  In fact, I'm pretty sure
it will get stronger."

Nodding, he made his way silently to the door.  Glancing once more to
the mortal, he pushed open the door, disappearing down the hall.

Waiting for a couple of minutes to make sure LaCroix lad left, Natalie
looked over at the clock.  Three more hours left until the end of her
shift.  Not only was business slow, but time seemed to be deciding its
own pace as well.

Sighing, she stood and took the box LaCroix had left and put it behind
her desk, next to the wall.  Looking like a box of files, it weighed it
as well.  Despite certainly containing bottled blood, no noise sounded
as the box was moved, which meant no suspicious clanking sounds would
be heard as she carried it to her car that morning.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Hefting the box out of the elevator, Natalie carried it over to the
kitchen and set it on the counter.  She had quickly discovered the box
was heavier than she had first thought.  At the time, she'd only
carried it a few feet.  Now that she'd delivered the box, she just had
to talk to Nick.

Soon after LaCroix' visit, she had drove by the precinct.  Nick had
been exhausted, just like LaCroix had felt.  Apparently, Nick hadn't
shown up to work on time, Tracy having to go by his place.  At the
time, she hadn't been able to ask Nick anything.  Now that they would
have some privacy, she could.

From the top of the stairs, Nick watched Natalie set a box down. "Nat?
What are you doing here?"

"LaCroix brought this by the morgue.  He said it was supplies."  She
followed his movements as he first approached her, and then opened the
box.

Inside were eight bottles tightly packed with a thin layer of material
between them.  "LaCroix should have kept them," he stated with the same
darkness his father had when mentioning the problems of technology.

Nick turned away from her, sinking heavily into the couch.  "What
happened?" she asked, joining him.

"It hasn't yet."  Seeing the expectancy on Natalie's features, he
explained, "Tomorrow night, Tracy and I are going to intercept a
shipment to Vinattiere's Distributaries.  The company will be
temporarily shut down, and Antonius will be pulled in for questioning."

"They know what he is?"

"No, at least not with certainty.  Not yet."  Leaning back, he took in
a breath.  "Starting tomorrow, the blood supply to the city will be all
but cut off.  Only what's been moved will be available to the
Community.  It won't last long.  When the supply runs out, the
Community will react.  The plan is extremely well thought out, but the
risks are too high.  With the blood supply diminished, the Community
will resort to hunting unless ordered otherwise."

Natalie was stunned.  She could almost gauge LaCroix' reaction.  He
would be forced to act in one way or another.  Either he would reveal
himself to get the blood supply resumed in an attempt to lessen the
tension, or he would do nothing.  Natalie was sure there had to be
another supplier in the area, but she also suspected they would be
smaller, probably catering to single orders.  They probably wouldn't be
able to handle the demands of a whole city.  With the cut off blood
supply, she was fully aware many of the Community wouldn't mind killing
for their survival.  It would show the mortal world just what they were
dealing with and the foolishness of their actions.  She guessed LaCroix
would probably take the first option, but she wouldn't rule the second
out.

The Raven was the center of the Community.  As far as she was aware, it
provided shelter and food to a good percentage of the Community, along
with a safe meeting place for their kind.  "What about the Raven?"

"It's being watched.  LaCroix has already been discovered, along with
the nature of the club.  As of yet, no action is planned for the Raven,
except perhaps a meeting with him."

After a moment of silence, Nick leaned forward, resting his head in his
hands.  "How am I supposed to get through this, Nat?"  Turning toward
her, he continued, "I'm playing the part of a mortal, yet I'm not. With
my assignments, I'm getting closer to the others, and I'm afraid I'll
slip....  Tomorrow night, if I even once call Vinattiere by his real
name the Captain will know I'm hiding something."

Nick doubted himself.  He doubted that he could continue his charade,
and that was the worst thing he could do.  Natalie knew he was under a
lot of stress, but she hadn't realized exactly what it was doing to
him.  Nick was pretending to be an outsider to the Community when, in
actuality, he was the city Elder's son.

As he looked away, she cautiously moved closer to him.  Taking hold of
his shoulders, he pulled away from the touch, but she didn't let him
break free.  Gently, Natalie guided him toward her, letting his head
rest on her shoulder.  Leaning back, Nick's arms wrapped around her,
his muscles tight, but at the same time he was shuddering.

Holding him, she rubbed his back until his body relaxed, falling into a
dreamless sleep.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

The next night:

"What is the meaning of this?" Antonius demanded of no one in
particular.  The officers around him paid no attention.  About to
repeat his question, his eyes caught hold of Nicholas approaching with
his partner.  As the two reached him, he demanded, "What is this?  Why
is this shipment being inspected?"

Nick hesitated a mere second before stating, "You are suspected in the
involvement of shipping human blood."

"What?  That's foolish...I do not deal in blood," he explained, trying
to sound as truthful as possible.

"Perhaps, perhaps not.  Either way, you will be making a trip to the
precinct to explain.  If the shipment is blood, then you'll be there a
while."  Nick turned to leave, Tracy planning on following.

"Am I under arrest?"

Stopping, Nick turned back, letting his eyes lock with Antonius'. "No.
You are not under arrest...not yet.  I do, however, suggest that you go
calmly and cooperate with the officers."

Antonius watched Nicholas again prepare to leave.  He reached forward,
grabbing the elder vampire's arm.  "What does this mean?"

"Your business is being shut down temporarily to undergo a thorough
investigation.  Your employees will be notified."

Nodding to a nearby officer, the detective instructed him to take the
man before him to the 96th.  The officer and his partner led the
stunned Antonius to a patrol car.  Moments later, they drove off.

"Well, that part's over," Tracy commented.

He shot a glare at her, but she didn't notice it as another officer
called their names.  The officer, Melendez, approached him cautiously.
"Knight?  We've got something.  You're not going to believe this."

Nick nodded, and the two detectives followed Melendez to one of the
trucks.  Grabbing one of the bottles, she passed it to Knight.  "It's
blood," she stated, watching as he removed the cork and smelt the
contents.

Human blood, Nick knew.  The bottle's label was the same as the Raven's
stock, the same as the bottle's in his own refrigerator.  The aroma
teased his senses, pulling him closer.  All he wanted to do was upend
the bottle right then and there...but he couldn't.  Quickly recorking
the bottle, he handed it back to Melendez.  "How much is in the truck?"
he inquired, already having a fairly good idea of the answer.

"The whole thing.  Every single crate is filled with the stuff. There
are several hundred bottles by my guess.  What should we do with it?"

Both Melendez and Tracy turned to Nick, waiting for an answer.  "It's
evidence.  Have the truck stored somewhere and kept under guard."
Seeing a question on the tip of her tongue, he added, "It doesn't
matter where.  Just make sure it's safe and guarded.  The fewer people
who know about its location, the better."

The officer nodded, leaving.  A moment later, Tracy asked, "What next?"

"We go back to the precinct and question Vinattiere, see what he
knows."  Staring at the truck for a few seconds, Nick abruptly started
for his car.

Tracy jogged after him, reaching the Caddy as he put the key in the
ignition.  The ride back to the precinct was spent in silence, neither
really in the mood to talk.


Pawns of Kings (08/52)

Entering the building, Nick found Natalie at his desk.  As his partner
continued on to Reese's office, he stopped there, probing, "What are
you doing here?"

"Reese called me over just after you and Tracy left.  He asked if I had
an ultraviolet lamp.  Apparently, I'm going to test Vinattiere to see
if he reacts."  Natalie watched as Nick tensed.  "Reese has had me go
over his medical records.  There is no mention of any allergy or
condition that would explain his reaction."  She paused, then quietly
asked, "When he burns, what am I supposed to say?"

"Nothing.  Just let the result be whatever it is.  He'll have a better
chance that way.  Keep your reaction neutral, and remember, you don't
know him."

She nodded, knowing that now she could slip as easily as Nick could.
Even Antonius could slip and give one of them away.  Hopefully, none of
that would happen.

"Knight, Lambert," Reese began, reaching the detective and doctor.
"Tracy is waiting for you two in the interview room.  Natalie, I want
to remind you that Vinattiere's reaction could be violent, and want you
to get out of the way as soon as possible if he is.  You got that?"

She knew exactly what Antonius' reaction would be.  Violent, perhaps,
but she suspected that he would contain the majority of his emotions.
Except the pain, that would probably make itself known.  "Of course,
Captain.  When am I going to test him?"

"I'll tell you when," Reese replied.  "Mr. Vinattiere, or whatever his
name is, is getting impatient.  We might as well not let the 'wine
dealer' wait any longer."

As Reese started for the interview room, Nick winced.  The Captain knew
about Antonius' play on words, or in this case, languages.  The two
followed Reese, entering the room a few seconds after him.

Antonius was sitting at the table, clearly more than a little
impatient, his fingers tapping regularly on the table.  When he saw
Nicholas and Natalie enter, he became confused.  Lambert was a doctor,
more specifically a coroner.  What was she doing at an interview?

Reese pushed 'record' on the tape recorder. Then, he began, "Please
state your name and occupation for the record."

Staring at the device for a moment, the Italian stated, "Antonio
Vinattiere.  I am the president of Vinattiere Distributaries and the
owner of several vineyards in Italy."

"Do you still insist that you were only transporting wines?  Nothing
more?" Reese prodded, wondering what Vinattiere would do in response.

Locking eyes with the police Captain, Antonius responded in a crisp
voice, "Yes.  That *is* what my business is."

Reese raised an eyebrow.  "Detectives, would one of you enlighten us on
the contents of the shipment?"

Tracy expected Nick to answer.  When he didn't, she told Vinattiere,
"Two of the trucks carried what you said, a variety of wines.  The
other truck contained more than two dozen crates of human blood,
bottled much like wine."

Antonius instinctively swallowed.  The truck with the blood was
supposed to arrive several hours after the first three.  Apparently,
the fourth truck, the one containing the blood, arrived with the first
two, and the third truck was somewhere else.

"The shipment was sent to an Antonio Vinattiere.  Unless you were lying
before, that's you.  Now, what do you have to say?"  When Vinattiere
remained silent, Reese continued, wondering why Knight wasn't taking
over the interview, "Do you still deny knowledge of the truck's
contents?"  The Captain could see the man's nervousness.

"No," Antonius eventually replied, his voice barely audible.

Nick could see the satisfaction on Reese's face.  "So, you knew the
shipment was blood, human blood?" he asked for clarification.

Swallowing hard a second time, Antonius simply answered, "Yes."

Reese moved closer to the Italian, and leaning with his hands on the
table, explained, "Doctor Lambert is going to perform a test.  Now, I
suggest you don't move."

"Test, what test?" he demanded, looking from the Captain, to the
detectives, then finally to Natalie.

"Hold out your hand and lay it flat on the table," the doctor told him,
pulling out a small hand held device.

Antonius focused solely on the device in Natalie's hand.  "What's
that?"

She wasn't sure what to do.  Turning to the Captain, she received a
nod.  "It's an ultraviolet light.  Now, hold out your hand."

Hesitantly, he did as instructed, fearing his reaction.  Natalie held
the device over the back of his hand, and turned the light on.
Instantly, Antonius could feel the light piercing his skin.  It felt
like the morning sunlight.  Clenching his jaw, he bit back the pain,
his fangs descending into his lower lip.  Feeling the vampire emerge
further, he closed his eyes to hide the change.

Natalie removed the light and switched it off.  Antonius' hand was
spotted with burns and blisters.  His whole body was tense, and the
others watched as the wounds began to slowly heal before their eyes.

"We know what you are, Vinattiere.  Open your eyes," Reese ordered.

After a few seconds, Antonius complied, not really having a choice. As
his eyes opened, their golden glow was revealed to the whole room. The
officer at the door was the only one who visibly reacted, a faint gasp
escaping him.

The vampire looked down, hiding his features as much as he could. Then,
meeting the Captain's eyes, Antonius asked uncertainly, "What are you
going to do with me?"

Reese could see the fear.  Vinattiere was scared, the gold fading as
his wound healed.  When the gold was gone, his eyes reverted to a deep
green color.  "We only wish to end the distrust."

"By halting an important shipment and bringing me here?  How do you
expect me to trust?" Antonius exclaimed, the gold returning in anger.

"The tension is too much on both sides.  Unless we find a balance,
everything will fall apart.  Without your trust, we cannot trust you."
Vinattiere's anger simmered in a glare.  "We'll let you go, but until
we speak to whoever is in charge of your people, your shipment will
neither be released, nor will another arrive."

"You cannot do this!" Antonius argued, standing up and approaching
Reese.

The Captain backed away from the creature approaching him, the cat-like
eyes flashing between a yellow-green and a deep amber.

Nick recognized the slight loss of control, and stepped in front of the
other vampire.  "We must trust one another.  Otherwise the view of
vampires will be based on myth and folklore.  In most cases, vampires
were feared, hated, and hunted.  Is that what you want to become?"

Antonius halted his advance, the golden hue becoming brighter for a
moment before once again fading to green.  He didn't like the terms he
was given, and neither would LaCroix.  The Community kept to itself for
a reason, but he was also aware that distrust would destroy the
Community.  The mortals would kill them out of a fear as strong as
their own.  "Again, I ask if I am under arrest?" he demanded, his voice
rough from the recent emergence of his nature.

"No."

Stiffening at the mortal Captain's single word, Antonius turned his
attention to him.  "May I leave?"

Reese nodded.  "Yes, you may.  Remember my words.  I expect to be
contacted by one of your people within a week, no more."

Breaking eye contact with the mortal, the Italian briefly glanced first
at Nick, and then Natalie, before quickly leaving the room.

Once Vinattiere had made his exit, of the building as well as the room,
Tracy walked up to her partner and broke the silence that seemed to
have drowned the room.  "What were you thinking, Nick?  They aren't
human, and Vinattiere wasn't very happy.  They are probably a lot
stronger than mortals, and in case you haven't noticed, you are mortal.
He might not have stopped with your action, and could have become
enraged with your words!"

"The words were the truth.  Although I've only met him a few times, I
know he values the truth," Nick stated, leaving the interview room with
Natalie close behind.

"Nick?  He won't be mad at me for what I did, will he?" 

Her question was hesitant.  Turning to Natalie, he could see that he
wasn't the only one suffering from the stress in the room.  Natalie was
just about as stunned as he.  At least Tracy was further from the
situation, but not by much.  Making sure no one was close enough to
hear, he softly pronounced, "No.  He knows you had no choice."

Nodding, Natalie knew Nick was right.  She really hadn't had to ask,
but did so to reassure herself.  For seven years she had kept Nick's
secret and that of the Community.  Now, it was exposed, yet she and
Nick remained a part of another deeper secret.


Pawns of Kings (09/52)

It had been nearly a week since Antonius was brought into the precinct.
Although it was his day off, Nick was in at work.  The night before,
Antonius had apparently called Reese, informing the Captain that the
next night one of the Community would meet with him.  Then, he had
demanded to get the blood delivered.  Reese had the truck taken to the
Raven, and then he had called Nick, telling him to be there the next
night.

Reese was in his office, and Nick was sitting, waiting at his desk. The
Captain didn't know the identity of the vampire coming, but Nick did.
LaCroix was taking care of the situation himself.  His sire had dropped
a couple of bottles off with Natalie for him, during which time he had
told her about it.

The meeting would consist of himself, Reese and LaCroix, with
Commissioner Vetter on the other side of the interview glass.  Their
conversation would be recorded.  Once again, Nick feared that he would
slip.  Considering the recent tension between the two, Nick was aware
just how easy it would be for one of them to lose their temper.

His senses buzzed to life, a vampire approaching the precinct.
Instantly, Nick knew it was his sire.  It could be no other.  Upon the
vampire's arrival, Nick was supposed to escort them to the interview
room and the desk sergeant would send an officer to notify Reese.
Commissioner Vetter was already waiting in the room adjacent to the
interview room.

As his master's form moved toward the main desk, Nick kept quiet and
calm, pretending he didn't notice.  Seconds later, Nick was being
called by the desk sergeant, who was visibly nervous.

Approaching LaCroix, he nodded, just enough that the elder vampire
would notice. "If you'll follow me, the Captain will be notified of
your arrival."

Without a word, Nick led his sire through the precinct.  The mortals'
heart rates were elevated.  Everyone in the room knew exactly what
LaCroix was.  Their eyes carefully followed the vampire’s movements as
he was led to the interview room.  Only when the door closed did the
precinct return to work, and then only slowly.

LaCroix followed his son into the room, ignoring the mortals' nervous
glances.  He suppressed a sneer.  In reality, they had nothing to fear
from him, but he wasn't about to change their minds.  Nicholas
indicated for him to sit at the table.  Doing so, he could feel a heart
beat just on the other side of the one-way glass.  Then, he felt
another mortal approach.  As the door opened to admit Reese, LaCroix'
eyes locked with the Captain's.

Seeing LaCroix sitting at the table finally confirmed that the Raven's
owner was a vampire.  Ever since the freezer incident at the club,
Reese had suspected it.  Knight had loosely confirmed that LaCroix and
many of the club's patrons were vampires, but now it was certain.  "I
had a feeling you would be here.  Now, this time you aren't going to
get off so easily."

"I did not 'get off' before, Captain," LaCroix stated, his icy eyes
throwing daggers into Reese's.  "I am not here to discuss the past,
only the present."

"Fine," the Captain murmured, switching on the tape recorder.  "State
your name and occupation."

Continuing his stare, LaCroix waited for the mortal to break the gaze,
which didn't take long, before complying.  "Lucien LaCroix.  I am the
owner of the Raven, and also the radio personality of the
Nightcrawler."

"The Raven is a dance club and bar, correct?"

"Yes," LaCroix nearly hissed.

Reese paused before asking another question, "The club is also a
gathering place for others of your kind, for vampires, is that right?"

Nick watched his sire tense.  He needed to do something, and settled on
sending a reassuring gesture through their bond.

After a moment the vampire relaxed, noticeable only to his son. Then,
he finally stated, "Yes."

"You are here on behalf of Toronto's vampire Community.  What is your
position within it?" Nick asked in attempt to release some of the
tension.  Reese didn't trust LaCroix, and the feeling was mutual.

"I am the city Elder, the patriarch if you will."

The Captain considered the comment for a couple of seconds.  "Is that
what your society is based on?  A patriarchy?"

LaCroix smirked.  How little the mortals knew of their Community. "Not
a patriarchy.  A hierarchy is a better description...but then, we are
not here to discus the organization of my people, now are we?"

"No, we're not.  Although I do have a question of curiosity."  The
vampire raised his eyebrows and waited.  "This is the first move of
trust by your people.  Was it your decision, or another's?"

He pondered his reply.  This curiosity was moving dangerously close,
but could be answered.  "Another's."

The response was short, simple, and clearly the end of the subject.
Reese cleared his throat, delaying the conversation if only for a
second.  "We understand your kind's need for blood, but the supply will
not increase from what it is presently according to Vinattiere's
records."

LaCroix didn't like the sound of where this could lead.  Their blood
supply would be limited, and from the sound of it, would be difficult
to increase the allowance without sufficient reason.  Mortals who knew
little or nothing about vampires would evaluate their reasons, their
needs.  "What is the proposed policy on us?  Are we to be given the
same rights mortals posses?"

"Yes, but you would also be limited in some ways...."

"And what would those be?" LaCroix interrupted, the vampire just
beneath the surface.

"In what jobs your kind is able to hold.  You would have a slightly
different set of laws covering anything and everything from how to deal
with a parking ticket to murder.  All known members of your Community
would reveal their true age and names, along with information on their
past lives.  This would open more opportunities to some, while giving
further limitations to others."

Silently, the vampire clenched his jaw.  He focused minutely on his
son, Nicholas' opinions appearing to mirror his own.  He could not
agree to such terms, not without conferring with the others.

Reese watched the man before him seem to consider the words.  "What do
you think?"

"I think you harbor disaster, Captain.  If this is the direction our
conversations will continue, I must speak with others of my kind."

The Captain nodded.  He had expected to get nowhere tonight.  It was
more the opening for a discussion, than the discussion itself.  The
real discussion would begin soon, he hoped, but it would not take place
at the precinct.  After tonight, all meetings would be held in City
Hall with the mayor and other officials.

"What will be your current actions?" the vampire inquired.

Pausing, Reese reciting the instructions that the mayor had given him
by way of Commissioner Vetter.  "Your blood supply will be based on
Vinattiere's records.  All shipments will be checked and monitored. The
Raven will be watched as well, but otherwise nothing will change until
official arrangements have been made."

"Is that all?" LaCroix asked, standing.

The authority the man welded infuriated Reese.  If he could, he would
push the vampire into the noonday sunlight, even if LaCroix merely
received a quickly healing burn.  The vampire's momentary pain would be
enough satisfaction for him, knowing that something as simple as
sunlight was fatal to them.

Watching LaCroix wait for an answer, the creature's anger nearly
visible, Reese suppressed a smile.  "Not quite.  You will have a
liaison with the police.  You will contact them before myself or anyone
else.  They will then bring the matter to either my attention, or if
needed, to a higher authority."

Another limitation, was all the Roman could think.  "And who will be
this liaison?"

"One of my detectives, Nick Knight.  I'm aware you two have already
met.  If for some reason you cannot contact Detective Knight, then you
will contact his partner, Tracy-"

"Vetter," LaCroix finished.  "Yes, I've met them both.  More than once,
I might add."  Hearing the heartbeat on the other side of the glass
increase, the vampire smiled faintly.  Oh, he wouldn't harm the young
detective, but the hint would keep the Commissioner in his place, for
now.

Abruptly turning to his son, LaCroix could see and feel that Nicholas
knew nothing of this arrangement.  In a way, it would make things
simpler.  In others, matters would be more complicated.  "I believe our
conversation is finished."

"For now," Reese shot back, turning his attention to Knight, who had
once again been unusually silent.  "Knight, show Mr. LaCroix out and
tell him how to contact you.  When you've finished, meet me in my
office."

Nick nodded.  As his eyes locked with LaCroix' for a mere moment, he
could see something rarely seen in the other.  Under the hard and
commanding surface, was a hint of fear.  Just a hint, and no more.
Doing as instructed, Nick was unable to speak with his sire, but
perhaps that would change with his new duty.

He watched LaCroix leave the building.  Then, as their bond faded, he
started for Reese's office.  Knocking, Nick was immediately admitted.
Although gestured to sit, the detective remained standing.

"Nick, sorry about the assigning you to be LaCroix' liaison without
putting it by you, but I just got the order and-"

"I know Captain.  I guess I'll be around him a lot, then," he
mentioned, not making eye contact with his superior.

"Perhaps.  Personally, I don't know how anybody could stand to be
around him.  I mean, the air around him seems...evil, and I think it's
more than just what he is.  Vinattiere at least seemed mortal upon
first examination.  Perhaps a little eccentric, but mortal.  LaCroix on
the other hand...I knew there was something about him over a year ago
when he was pulled in."  Turning to Knight, his detective stood still,
almost seeming agitated or nervous.  About what, Reese had no idea.

Perhaps Nick just needed a break.  "Take tomorrow night off, Knight,
and tell your partner."  That provoked a reaction, more specifically
the appearance of a protest.  "Don't even try.  You will stay home, or
do what ever you want tomorrow night, as long as I don't see you here.
That goes for Tracy as well."

The vampire detective nodded, his mind more on the slight change in the
present situation.  LaCroix needed to speak with the others. Unless the
Council decided to visit Toronto, his sire would be away for several
days to a week at the least.

Seeing Knight become lost in his thoughts, Reese minutely shook his
head.  "Go on, Nick.  Tonight is your night off as well.  You only had
to stay for the meeting, nothing more."

Reese watched him nod again, then exit the office.  He hoped that it
was only work that was bothering Knight, and that an extra night would
alleviate some of the stress.  Ever since the discovery of vampires,
the detective had been on edge.  Tonight had only pushed him a little
farther off kilter than before.  He hoped that giving Nick the next
night off was the right thing to do.  His detective needed to get
straightened out.


Pawns of Kings (10/52)

A week and a half later:

LaCroix had spent the last week in New York City with the Council and
several other city Elders.  The Council, which had been assembled
merely days before discovery, consisted of the five eldest vampires
within the Community that dared risk involvement.  They were all
Ancients, and each one of them was at least double his age.  Now, they
were attempting to find a solution.

The Community's silence had been broken as part of a test.  Toronto had
specifically been chosen for its large population, both mortal and
vampire, and also because of the former's actions.  The authorities of
this city had been the first to push them out, forcing the Community to
take action.  Both sides then seemed to have taken Toronto and made it
into a test city.

On the good side, the mortals had slowed their search for more of their
kind, but in turn, focused their attention on Toronto.  Whatever
happened there, would determine the fate for other cities on the
continent.

In Europe, the problem had already been solved.  They were, more or
less, being left alone and allowed to live as they have for centuries.
As long as no attention was brought to the Community, vampires were
free to life as they wished in Europe.  As a result, vampires from
other regions were flocking there for safety.  Although tempting, the
remaining cities needed order, much more so than those across the seas.

Toronto had lost Aristotle and Felix to the Old World, but neither was
really suited for this situation.  Aristotle left more because of need
than want, his knowledge of the Community would be dangerous if it was
ever known by other vampires, let alone by the mortals.  Felix left for
similar reasons, his dealings with their kind making him a target.  Of
the older vampires in Toronto, only Merlin, Nicholas, and himself
remained.

Yet now, despite his protests to the Council, Nicholas was considered
an Elder within Toronto's Community.  By Council orders, each city had
a tribunal of the three eldest to discuss city matters.  Nicholas was
third eldest.  His job as liaison had made it possible to attend two
meetings before his own journey to New York, much to LaCroix' dismay.

While the older vampires flocked to Europe for safety, the younger
flocked to Toronto for similar reasons.  LaCroix nearly laughed at
their reasoning.  Toronto was possibly one of the most dangerous cities
in the new world for their kind, but at the same time, it was one of
the safest.  The mortals couldn't take the chance of offending them too
early.  Consequently, the younger were taking advantage of it.

The Roman sat at the table.  The Council was on one end and the five
oldest vampires on the continent were on the other.  Not counting the
Council, he was the second oldest and most powerful of those present.
Through a combination of intimidation and his direct involvement in
whatever action would be taken, he was allowed the end seat.

What had amazed LaCroix the most was what little they had done.  His
first impression of this Council was that they were weak.  They seemed
to have more plans than they could ever hope of carrying out.

For the last week, the discussion had centered on their reaction to the
mortals' proposal.  All agreed that in the end, they would have to
accept whatever had been decided.  However, whether it should be
modified or not was an entire other matter.  Thoughts ranged from
complete acceptance, to outright refusal.  Although the proposal was a
relatively sketchy outline, something that LaCroix had quickly demanded
of the mortals, the thoughts were there.  Limitation was the issue and
most of their time had been spent arguing.

In the end, they had decided that the blood supply could not be a
limitation.  It had to be under complete control of the Community.
Their population and needs varied without notice.  With the blood
limited, they could easily and unexpectedly run out.  It was a disaster
waiting to happen.

They would, however, agree to revealing their ages and place of origin.
Their mortal names could be asked for as well, but the individual would
determine the answer.  Only limited information would be told about
their abilities and weaknesses.  LaCroix objected to revealing personal
histories, but to obtain control over the blood supply, they needed to
make some compromises.  At least he had convinced the Council to hold
onto a few of their advantages.  As a result, their abilities would not
be entirely revealed to the mortals.

They had reached the apparent ending of the last meeting.  All had been
discussed, and then discussed again.  LaCroix would be Toronto's
representative as he was the city Elder.  It had also been decided that
one of the Council would return with him.

Considering standing, the last minutes filled solely with silence, the
Toronto Elder banished the thought.

The head of the Council, an Egyptian, glared at the younger vampire
with his black eyes, "There is one more matter to be discussed.  All
but Lucius may leave."

LaCroix watched as the other Elders and Council members stood,
disappearing through the door without a comment.  Locking eyes with the
Ancient, LaCroix asked, "What is to be discussed?"

Aware that the answer would not please Lucius, he leaned his thin form
back in the chair.  "Your son, Nicholas...."

The Roman froze.  "What of Nicholas?" he asked carefully, wanting to
know what the Ancient wanted to do with his son.

"He is currently your liaison with mortals, correct?"  Receiving a nod,
he continued, "Is it also true that he is mortal as far as they are
concerned?"

"Yes," LaCroix stated, fearing the direction the Ancient's words were
heading.

"I, and the other Council members want Nicholas involved in the
meetings as much as possible.  Whether as a mortal liaison or your son,
that does not matter."

"Because of his trust, and the mortals' regard for him," he realized, a
hint of anger coloring the words.

The Ancient, known as Aha to the Community, was getting annoyed with
the younger vampire, yet refused to react for one reason.  Lucius was
very strong, much more so than the other Elders.  He also had a temper
to match it.

Further more, Lucius was merely two generations removed from Qa'ra, the
same as two members of the Council, one of those being himself. Qa'ra
was brought across by the first of their kind.  He had been the last of
that first generation to die.  The other Council members were of the
same generation as Nicholas.  As such, even the Council feared Lucius,
and that was the main reason for having Nicholas with the Elder.

It was well known that Lucius despised mortals, and wouldn't hesitate
harming or even killing one.  The only single vampire outside of the
Council that had a chance of stopping Lucius would be his son.
Apparently, about four years before, Nicholas had nearly killed Lucius
despite being nearly as weak as a mortal.  From recent observation of
Lucius' child, Nicholas was returning to the Community.  Now, it was
unknown what the younger vampire's strength was, as Nicholas had been
on relatively good terms with his sire.

Lucius valued his son more than his own life.  He protected the younger
vampire from the other Elders and the Ancients to an extreme degree. In
the past, such actions were both unusual from a master, yet in this
case, needed.  Nicholas seemed to have a knack for running into
trouble. The Brabantian had been the topic of several of the Elder's
meetings. From their discussions, he had learned much about the Roman's
child. Aha stiffened, preparing for Lucius' reaction to what he was
about to say.  "Nicholas is a valuable member of the Community.  If the
present system of a High Council is kept, eventually he may be
appointed a position on it."

LaCroix' anger boiled on the surface before simmering down. "Nicholas
is a confused fledgling!  He cannot decide between us and the mortals!"

"He may be your child, but he is no longer a fledgling!"  The other's
emotion was mirrored in his own voice.  Then, after a short pause, the
Ancient calmly advised, "Keep your anger to yourself, Lucius, and do
not deviate from the Council's decisions.  Otherwise, I may have your
position within the Community questioned.  In that case, Nicholas would
be appointed city Elder."

With his eyes glowing bright gold, his fangs fully descended, LaCroix
held his reaction in.  How dare Aha suggest that his position be
challenged, especially with Nicholas as his suggested replacement.
Calming himself, he stated, "Despite my disagreement, I will follow the
Council's orders."

Aha nodded, and dismissed Lucius with a glance to the door.  Once the
Roman had left, he considered the vampire's words.  Yes, Lucius would
follow the orders, if only to keep his position as Toronto's Elder.


Pawns of Kings (11/52)

Entering the precinct, Nick's mind was elsewhere.  LaCroix had returned
that night, shortly after dusk.  Despite his distance from the
Community, he still wanted to know what had happened at the meeting.

Although Tracy hadn't arrived yet, Reese wasted no time calling him
into his office.  When the door was firmly shut, Nick asked, "What do
you need, Captain?"

"LaCroix dropped by tonight, had a message for you."  Knight froze at
the answer.  "Weird, that's all I can say.  The whole precinct just
stopped working when he walked in.  I haven't met too many vampires,
but that guy...there is something more to him."  Handing a small
envelope to his detective, the Captain continued, "Apparently, you are
going to be let in on a lot of things about their Community."

Trying to hide his surprise, Nick halted in opening the envelope. "Is
that what this says?" Nick asked, even though the envelope had been
sealed.  Besides, he knew Reese wouldn't read the message without
permission, not unless there was no choice.

"When I asked him, that's what he said.  As to if it's true, I have no
idea.  That man, that vampire...I don't trust him."

Passing off the comment, Nick opened the envelope and took out the
note.  He scanned through the expected Latin.  It merely asked him to
stop by the Raven, mentioning nothing of the reason.

"Knight, what does it say?" Reese asked curiously.

Keeping a smile to himself, Nick passed the note to his Captain.

Reese stared at the note for a couple of seconds before realizing he
couldn't read it.  How Knight could, he didn't know, but decided not to
ask, simply passing the note back.  "I suppose he wants to meet with
you, right?"  As his detective nodded, he told Nick, "Go on, but get
back here as soon as you can so you and Tracy can get some work done."

Once Knight had left, immediately exiting the precinct, Reese wondered
about the detective.  Since being made LaCroix' liaison with both the
police department and the mayor's office, he had periodically been
called to the Raven for some reason or another.  The visits almost
seemed too often, but he didn't complain.  The more Nick was called to
the Raven meant the fewer times LaCroix stopped by the precinct.

*+.*+.*+.*+.*+.

Arriving at the club, Nick made his way to the bar, only to be directed
to his sire's private quarters.  Once to the main door, he hesitated,
and then knocked.  Now was not a good time to push his master.

In a matter of seconds, LaCroix opened the door.  At that moment, Nick
faced not only his sire, but another vampire as well.  The other was
far older than himself, probably surpassing LaCroix in age as well.

The vampiress was nearly as pale as his sire, her dark brown, almost
black hair down to her waist.  Her age was clear in the black eyes,
seemingly made darker by her equally black dress.  As her ebony orbs
met his blue, Nick looked away.

Shutting the door firmly, the Roman approached Nicholas, beginning,
"This is my son, Nicholas."

The female vampire looked the newcomer over.  Nicholas was much as she
expected, yet not.  From other dealings with Lucius, she had been
confused by the power that emanated from the Elder, and still didn't
understand it.  From the Roman's mentioning of his son, she had
expected Nicholas to be weak, still a fledgling by Lucius' description.
Here before her, stood a 'fledgling' that had the presence of an Elder.
The younger vampire glowed of a light she hadn't seen in another of
their kind for centuries.

LaCroix moved behind the Council member, introducing, "Nicholas, this
is Ningal, one of the Council."

Nodding, Nick became nervous.  If Ningal was one the High Council, then
she was more than just an Elder.  She was a true Ancient and one of the
oldest still alive.  Once, he had met one of the Ancients. After that
experience, he had feared them.  Doing his best to hide the faint
shaking, Nick focused all of his attention on Ningal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

France - 1229

Nicolas glanced across the dark room, finding his sister, Janette, in a
similar state to himself.  LaCroix had left them a week ago, telling
them to pick somewhere to stay for a while.  They had each been
provided with ample funds, should they choose to use them.  Then, their
sire had disappeared, not only from sight, but from sense as well.

It was disconcerting.  For the past year and a half LaCroix had always
been close by, never letting him out of sight.  Other than a few
disagreements, nothing had been out of the ordinary.  Then, not only
does his master suddenly leave, but cuts both himself and Janette off.
For the first time since he'd entered this darkness, there had been no
connection between them.

Although day had weighed heavily on the two, they had both stayed up
despite the sun.  "Janette?"

"Do not ask again, Nicolas.  I have no answer, nor shall one suddenly
manifest itself.  LaCroix is not here.  Until he returns, that is
that," the vampiress stated, not quite meeting his eyes.

"Then, I ask if he ever did this when you were a fledgling?  Leave with
no explanation, no mention of his return?"

At that, she did meet her brother's eyes.  "No, not like this."
Standing, she suggested, "Come, Nicolas, it is dusk.  We must feed,
then you may worry more if you wish."

Nicolas watched his sister retrieve her outer garments, then glare at
him when he made to follow her outside.  "What?" he asked, unaware he
had done anything wrong.

"We will not hunt with you dressed like that."  Getting another look of
bafflement, she explained to her thick-skulled brother, "It is winter.
You may not be cold, but the mortals will be.  They will suspect
something."  With a touch of frustration, she compromised, "At least
put on a cloak.  Perhaps you will not be soaked to the bone by
morning."

Moving toward the entrance, Nicolas grabbed his cloak.  A moment later,
the pair exited onto the street.  Several mortals watched them venture
down the street, the quality of their clothes seeming out of place in
their rural village.

They had nearly made it to the tavern when three men with faintly
glowing eyes appeared out of the shadows.  Nicolas sensed their
approach too late, turning as the three vampires pounced.

Janette was held by one, the other two pinning Nicolas against a wood
building.  Each had one free hand, using it to strike the younger. When
Nicolas continued to struggle, one drew his sword.  With one swift
trust, the vampire pinned the younger to the structure through the
heart.

At Nicolas' disbelief, one vampire explained, "We have been sent by an
Ancient.  You will accompany us."

With the mention of an Ancient, he forgot his pain.  Other than knowing
the Ancients were the oldest of their kind, he knew only one thing;
they had absolute power of the vampires younger than them, particularly
those with either no master, or an absent one.  He'd never met one,
LaCroix being the eldest vampire he'd met.  As the pain returned, his
body began to shut down to heal, the injury being too severe for a
vampire as young as himself to tolerate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Getting control of his thoughts, Nick cut off the memory, not wanting
to remember the rest.

Ningal took a single step forward.  "Times have changed, Nicholas. Our
laws forbid such actions.  You no longer have any reason to worry. You
may be a child compared to myself, but you are no fledgling."

Her voice made him relax, if only a little.  At least she didn't use
his real name, Nicolas, as the other Ancient had.  At that time, the
only one that ever called him anything else was LaCroix.  Even now,
some of the older vampires still called him Nicolas.  It was a name he
had used more than any other.  He didn't mind its use, but it connected
him to a past he'd all but forgotten.

Pushing the thoughts away, he returned his gaze to Ningal.  He felt
more comfortable now than when he'd first seen her, but he still didn't
want to let his guard down.  It didn't feel right.  Since he had been a
fledgling, he had never met another of the Ancients until now.  He
could feel his sire's anger at her words, knowing LaCroix' opinion of
him was different than Ningal's.  Nick turned his attention back to the
Ancient, and that's all he saw.  Not Ningal, but the Ancient he had met
when he was still newly brought over....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Waking, Nicolas found himself chained to a stone wall.  Tugging on the
links, he was too weak to free himself.  The movement caused his captor
to approach, but he had not seen this vampire before.

Standing, he could see that the man was of equal height to himself, the
man's form thinner and darker than his own.  Two black coals stared at
him, looking him over.  At the same time, he could feel the vampire
prodding him with his mind.  It was a feeling somewhat similar to
LaCroix' probing, but harsher, stronger.

"What do you want of me?" he asked the Ancient, aware he was completely
helpless.  Not only was he chained, but it also felt as though his
blood had been drained, the hunger nearly overwhelmed with tiredness.

A smile twitched into position.  "I want you as my own, and you are
mine for the taking."

Watching the man's eyes burn amber, Nicolas shook his head in denial.
"LaCroix will...."

"Lucius will not be pleased, but as he is not here, he can do nothing."
Returning his attention solely to the fledgling's face, the Ancient
explained, "I will take you as my own son.  You are something much more
than the other fledglings.  I can make you like me, an Ancient.  It is
a gift we have and can bestow on those such as yourself.  You are
hungry, your blood drained.  Take mine and drink deeply, it will fuse
with your own...."  The vampire sliced his wrist, holding it out to the
fledgling.

Nicolas' eyes glowed with their hunger, the blood enticing his senses.
Closing his eyes, blocking out the red liquid from his view, he refused
the offer.

"You cannot refuse, Nicolas, not at your age.  The hunger will
overwhelm you."  When the child shook his head again, denying himself
the liquid, the Ancient pounced forward.  He sunk his fangs into the
chained vampire, draining the remaining life-blood from him.  Pulling
back from Nicolas, he found scarlet, hungry eyes staring back.

The vampire was fully in control of the fledgling, and now, Nicolas
would be his.  Unchaining him, the Ancient sliced his wrist a second
time, bringing the wound close to Nicolas' mouth.  Seeing the
hesitation, he stood behind the younger.  In a swift motion, he yanked
Nicolas' head back, impaling his wrist on the fledgling’s teeth.

Tasting the blood, Nicolas could do nothing in protest as his body
needed the nourishment.  Instead of pushing the elder vampire away, he
greedily drank in earnest the Ancient's blood.

It was only a few mouthfuls before the wrist was ripped from his
strengthening grasp.  Then, he had watched as the Ancient was pushed
back into the wall, a blade decapitating the surprised vampire in
another second.  Turning his attention to the intruder, Nicolas snarled
at the vampire, not immediately recognizing the form as LaCroix'.
Within seconds, he was drinking from his sire's wrist, the blood
faintly dimming the effects of the Ancient's.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LaCroix had beheaded the Ancient.  Then, only after his sire's blood
replenished his own, had events sunken in.  The Ancient, whoever he had
been, had apparently planned on making him their son.  Even though he
had asked LaCroix how that could be done, he'd never received an
answer.  Every question had been pushed away.  LaCroix had forbidden
him to ever speak of the event, not even with Janette.  It had taken
two weeks before he felt relatively normal.  Only then had Janette been
allowed to see him, let alone talk to him.  That had taken another
couple of days, LaCroix rushing his sister out of the room before
either could speak.

Locking eyes with Ningal, all he could see was the Ancient he had met
so many years ago, her previous words doing nothing to calm him.

"Nicholas, Ningal has been sent here as an advisor.  I have asked you
here, as she needs a safe place to stay.  It is too dangerous here, or
with any other members of the Community.  As you are not connected to
us, she will stay with you."  Seeing a faint look of shock and
protestation, LaCroix reminded, "There is no need to worry.  She cannot
harm you."

Ningal took a step toward the younger vampire, but when he backed up,
she stopped.  "I am merely here to observe the proceedings from a
closer view.  If I interfere, it will be the mortals with which I will
deal, not you."

Instinct told him to get out of the room, but that was a result of the
past.  He knew there was nothing to fear.  Taking in a breath, he spoke
aloud, more to himself than the vampiress, "I know, it's just that the
memory remains.  I hadn't planned to ever meet another Ancient."

The Roman watched his son calm slightly.  He hoped it would not be a
mistake to have Nicholas conceal the Ancient.  Yet, time was wasting
and his child needed to return to work.  Nicholas' visits becoming more
often, something the mortals might take notice of.  "Take Ningal by
your place.  Show her around, and then return to work.  Make sure you
are not seen as you leave, and take the sky."  After a moment of
hesitation, Nicholas nodded.  "Do not mention this to the mortals, not
even one of them.  Ningal will explain the results of the Council
meeting in the morning."

Nodding a second time, Nick knew he didn't have much choice.  Right
now, none of their kind was safe.  Ningal either had to stay with him,
or risk one of the hotels.  He would give shelter to the Ancient, but
he didn't have to like it.  Glancing to the woman, Nick turned toward
the hallway and the roof exit.  She followed him silently, as he
expected her to.  The elder members of their kind rarely spoke to the
younger generations.  Even he avoided the younger vampires more than
the elder ones, although right now, all he wanted was to be far from
this vampire.  Far, far away.


Pawns of Kings (12/52)

For two weeks Ningal had been staying at his place.  Although he didn't
particularly enjoy her presence, it wasn't as bad as he had expected.
For the most part, her presence was minimal, their conversations rare.
Between sunset and sunrise she would be absent. They slept at roughly
the same time, and avoided one another for the remainder of the day.

Sitting at his desk at work, Nick stared at the computer screen.  He
looked blankly at it, not getting anything done.  Right now, he didn't
want to deal with everything, namely LaCroix.

His sire had 'dropped' by the precinct a half a dozen times in the last
two weeks, each occasion arguing with the Captain.  LaCroix had call