Chapter 58: A Time to Stand Together

June 1999

It was June 12, 1999. We all met in the library that night. Tayla was dressed regally as usual, with a flowing set of robes, her dark hair flowing down her back. All the familiars, Rachel and I assembled to pay homage to not just an interesting, yet commanding personality but to a queen. Tonight, would be our last full night with Queen Tayla, the vampire queen who has ruled an empire for eight hundred years, avoiding suspicion, detection, and persecution. She is a monarch who has built a palace of immense proportions in an underground world few mortals had ever seen or knew about. Emissaries and ambassadors from all the clans would be arriving, but only two of the siblings would be attending this conference. The other two, Prince Othar and Princess Prieta, had elected to stay away due to the power struggle. They were quite aware of it and wished to have nothing to do with it. Tayla told us that they would support the victor but not necessarily the rightful monarch. Their lack of loyalty disgusted her and drew her wrath almost to the feverish pitch that she felt for Rascha.

Now, the undead predators of the night were invading the underground palaces, reveling in the gathering of their fellow members of their powerful race. None had attempted to enter the Upper Estate. They could not even if they had tried. She said that all the vampires knew Malcolm was the master of the Upper Estate but had informed them that they would meet us tomorrow night at the gathering of the clans.

We listened as Tayla gave her familiars last minute instructions and words of encouragement. In the arena, at the opening celebration, we would strike. Tayla knew that soon after the opening, Rascha had intended to strike with an assault on the Lower Estate. Tayla’s legions of vampires would be standing by. All the familiars in the room swore allegiance to Tayla, vowing to shed their blood and give their life if need be, especially Dread. I knew he loved her, and I saw Tayla look at him with adoring eyes as she spoke to him.

“My dear Dread ... My friend, and my servant. I have never questioned your loyalty. Before you were my servant, you risked your life for me even then. I shall reward you for your loyalty.” She turned to the others in the room. “I shall reward you all for your loyalty and service to me. Some of us may not survive this battle. It is an ancient rule that some shall die in battle and that some shall live. As in all battles, all lose something, and some lose all. For those who survive, they shall be rewarded.” She paused, listening to the air around her as she sat in her chair, facing us all. Some of us were sitting on the floor, others in chairs where available. She closed her eyes.

“If you could hear what I hear below, and see what I can see, what a carnal sight you would behold! They have gone into frenzies in my chamber of lust. They are using up my concubines, male and female, and then devouring them. They mock my rules and violate my laws. Yet tomorrow they will know retribution. My legions stand by ... but do nothing. They will await my orders when to strike. I will lift the ancient edict forbidding the warfare of vampires. They are emptying my stables, as even some of my familiars are falling victim to them. Their next move is to open the secret entrances to allow the invasion of the Jackals into my sanctuary. They will defile my palace, my coliseum, and many of my chambers that I hold as my personal quarters. Finally, they will try to storm the Upper Estate, seeking out all that remains of my kingdom, and those that I hold dear. They will no doubt attempt to destroy all those who are close to me, and those close to them.” She had looked at Rachel and me as she had finished. Her last words were very somber, perhaps threatening.

However, we had a plan. Moreover, twenty-four hours from now, that plan would launch and there was going to be hell to pay. We all had our orders and left the room one at a time to steel our courage and prepare for battle.

Rachel and I slept late that fateful day, waking about five thirty in the afternoon. We showered, and then dressed. This time of year spelled a later nightfall. I looked out the window, as black limousines carrying familiars of the visiting clansmen lined up in the driveway. It appeared every car was full of familiars of the Black Velvet clan of vampires. It was as though I were looking at the enemy for the first time. “This is a day we will all remember,” I said to myself.

Rachel was finished dressing. She approached me from behind, peering out the window from behind me. “Here they come. Are you ready for this?” she asked. I did not answer, but after a long pause she asked again, “I suppose it’s not like we have any choice at this point, do we?”

“No, my love, we don’t. A marked man doesn’t have any choice, does he? We must kill them all. And these will be among the first to go.” I closed the curtain. Under normal circumstances, if there were any in this situation, I would have been fearful for my children’s safety. However, I knew they had their own angels assigned to them. I had my angels, but I was worried about Rachel. We had asked for her hedge of protection, though it had not manifested itself to us. At this point, everything was in God’s hands. Our mission was from God, not from Tayla, so trusting Him to provide for our security was necessary.

We picked up our Bibles, placed them in our inside breast pockets, and knelt to pray. I felt as if we were two knights on crusade, on bended knee in prayer before battle. In a sense, we were just that. We reviewed our game plan, checked our equipment, and prepared to leave our bedroom that had been our private living quarters for almost three months. Rachel and I both wondered if we would ever see it again.