Thicker Than Water....

Chapter 19 - Passion

How could such a timeless, formidible and deadly predator like this Calogera, consider herself honoured to meet the likes of me, a mongrel, a heinz 57 variety of freak?  How could she, and Vittorio for that matter, be so confident that my 'abilities', which in my opinion, were highly unpredictable and completely raw, could possibly be an asset in their war against their own kind?  Your kind, technically, corrected Baby Si.  Furthermore, with the pending assault nearly upon us, if it had not already started that was, how could they be so calm, so.....cavalier.

The High Supremo's eyes narrowed slightly.  "I assure you Sienna, you are indeed pivotal to this war, and we are anything but cavalier." 

I gulped.  She could read my mind!   Why did that surprise me so?  She laughed lightly and turned, strolling past Kula and Vittorio before facing me again, from across the room.   "We have been fighting our own kind for centuries, for all various, and usually inane reasons, just like humans have fought theirs. But this battle we currently endure, is still just a blip in our history.  It is in it's infancy, if you like." 

Hundreds of years is considered an infancy?  I had absolutely no concept of what I had been drawn into.  No! I corrected myself....of what my very existence had preordained for me. Calogera smiled at me, her fangs slightly extended.  "Dante's idea of us surviving without humans, this planets natural head-liners of the food chain, was preposterous!  His deformed venom-infested Desired have a serious flaw. One, which again, for all his scholarly knowledge was undoutedly beyond his time, he failed to foresee."

I cleared my throat.  My voice was a mere husk.  "And that is?"

She broadened her smile.  "The sacred blood, is going through it's own war.  Like antibodies which fight disease, it attacks the venom.  Our venom, normally so potent, has met it's match, and the tainted Desired eventually meet an unpleasant, excruciating death as would any who drank from them."

   "So, the war is pointless! As all wars are."

She moved so quickly, her form was but a blur and suddenly she loomed over me.  Her eyes blazed as if they were made of molten flame. "Pointless!" her voice ricochetted throughout the room, the entire house.  "Do you think fighting for our survival pointless, Sienna?"

A stirring, like static wave-lengths, deep inside me threatened to surface.  A faint red glow vibrated around me.  Calogera backed away, her own rage instantly cooled.   I concentrated hard, stemming the rising fury within me.  "That is not what I said, nor implied." I answered steadily.  I glanced at Vittorio.  His expression was mixed: relief and perhaps a hint of admiration.  It helped me to extinguish the menacing aura.

   "No, of course you didn't," Calogera said, regaining her composure. "Forgive me, Sienna.  These are trying times, even for those of us who have experienced things the likes of which you could not even dream of."

Wouldn't be too sure of that, pasty! Baby Si bounced back. No response from the High Supremo. Maybe this meant she couldn't  hear Baby Si,  as she did my conscious thoughts. I resisted a satisfied smirk.  Calogera changed tack.   "Vittorio will show you to your rooms, you must be tired from your journey."

   "Do I get to meet others like me?" I ventured.

The amber eyes studied me keenly.  "Yes, of course.  Later."

   "And my father?"

Her demeanour softened.  "I have sent orders for him to return from his mission, so you can be reunited."

   "Thank you."

Vittorio gave Calogera a brief nod then extended his arms towards Kula and me, indicating it was time to move out.  When we reached the doors, I turned to watch the High Supremo.  She had returned to her seat and was speaking quietly with her councillors.  She looked at me, just before the doors closed, and gave me the warmest of smiles.  Apart from our brief power-trip earlier, I decided that I liked this vampire.  I just knew she was on the level, and no threat to me.