you.”
“Yes, as a lord for The Vampire League, my job is to protect our kind by enforcing the laws that we’ve created,” Augustus reiterated. “That usually involves ensuring that my constituents are being as discreet as possible, and our discretion always benefits humans in the end.”
“As noble as that sounds, I don’t think that our interests would always match up,” I said. “Can I have your word that you won’t use your power over me to make me do something that goes against my beliefs?”
“I can’t give you my word that I won’t, but I can promise that I will only exert my influence when it is absolutely necessary. I have access to scores of loyal, fearsome vampires that I can call on, so the odds that I would ever need your assistance in any matter are very slim.”
I mulled over Augustus’ honest but not exactly desirable answer for a moment. If my assumptions about keeping my salvation and The Holy Spirit were correct, God’s influence would outweigh his. After all, who had a greater claim on my life than God did? He’d purchased my salvation with his Son’s life. Nothing trumped that.
“That caveat aside, I am still your best option,” he continued. “Emmanuel and his coven members would force you to commit acts of violence and perversion that would fill you with more self-loathing than you could ever imagine.”
“I know. You’d have to change me during the eclipse, right?”
“Yes.”
“What day is the eclipse?”
“October twentieth.”
“That’s in four days,” I realized. “I only have a few days left as a human.”
“And only a few days to plan our little coup d’état,” he pointed out. “I already have a plan in mind, but we would have to get the slaves to participate.”
“Spill.”
“Vampires traditionally celebrate by going outdoors during the height of the eclipse. It’s the one time we can go outside and feel a little sunlight on our skin without risking death. If the house is ablaze during this time, their only options would be roasting in the sun or burning in the house.”
“Couldn’t they just put out the fire?”
“Yes, but that’s why the fire extinguishers will have to be removed. In addition, we will use enough flammable materials to create a fire that they can’t extinguish with water alone. Direct sunlight also can be nearly paralyzing when vampires don’t wear protective clothing, so they’d be weaker and slower than humans.”
“If the house is on fire, where would we go to escape from the sunlight?”
“I will create a shelter for us to stay in until dusk. The vampires wouldn’t be terribly suspicious at our absence since most makers tend to lie with their progeny before and after exchanging blood. While Emmanuel does have some questionable practices, I don’t think he would deny us privacy if he believed that we would truly be intimate with one another.”
“What’s your plan for making him believe that,” I asked hesitantly. “Are we supposed to jump up and down on your bed and make obscene noises every night?”
Augustus chuckled and shook his head.
“No, our work will have to be more subtle. Besides, the rooms here are soundproof and Emmanuel doesn’t have any audio or visual surveillance equipment on the property. However, vampires have a very acute sense of smell. If he detects our scents on each other and sees that you’re becoming more comfortable around me, he may believe that you’ve developed a soft spot for me and that our fondness for one another has inspired a few private displays of affection that haven’t crossed that all-important line.”
That part of his plan sounded feasible, but I was still skeptical.
“How do you plan on making us smell like each other?”
“By sleeping in the same bed going forward,” he suggested. “If we shower before dawn and sleep in each other’s arms, then that will be enough. You storming off during the performance is the perfect prelude to us spending our
“Yes, as a lord for The Vampire League, my job is to protect our kind by enforcing the laws that we’ve created,” Augustus reiterated. “That usually involves ensuring that my constituents are being as discreet as possible, and our discretion always benefits humans in the end.”
“As noble as that sounds, I don’t think that our interests would always match up,” I said. “Can I have your word that you won’t use your power over me to make me do something that goes against my beliefs?”
“I can’t give you my word that I won’t, but I can promise that I will only exert my influence when it is absolutely necessary. I have access to scores of loyal, fearsome vampires that I can call on, so the odds that I would ever need your assistance in any matter are very slim.”
I mulled over Augustus’ honest but not exactly desirable answer for a moment. If my assumptions about keeping my salvation and The Holy Spirit were correct, God’s influence would outweigh his. After all, who had a greater claim on my life than God did? He’d purchased my salvation with his Son’s life. Nothing trumped that.
“That caveat aside, I am still your best option,” he continued. “Emmanuel and his coven members would force you to commit acts of violence and perversion that would fill you with more self-loathing than you could ever imagine.”
“I know. You’d have to change me during the eclipse, right?”
“Yes.”
“What day is the eclipse?”
“October twentieth.”
“That’s in four days,” I realized. “I only have a few days left as a human.”
“And only a few days to plan our little coup d’état,” he pointed out. “I already have a plan in mind, but we would have to get the slaves to participate.”
“Spill.”
“Vampires traditionally celebrate by going outdoors during the height of the eclipse. It’s the one time we can go outside and feel a little sunlight on our skin without risking death. If the house is ablaze during this time, their only options would be roasting in the sun or burning in the house.”
“Couldn’t they just put out the fire?”
“Yes, but that’s why the fire extinguishers will have to be removed. In addition, we will use enough flammable materials to create a fire that they can’t extinguish with water alone. Direct sunlight also can be nearly paralyzing when vampires don’t wear protective clothing, so they’d be weaker and slower than humans.”
“If the house is on fire, where would we go to escape from the sunlight?”
“I will create a shelter for us to stay in until dusk. The vampires wouldn’t be terribly suspicious at our absence since most makers tend to lie with their progeny before and after exchanging blood. While Emmanuel does have some questionable practices, I don’t think he would deny us privacy if he believed that we would truly be intimate with one another.”
“What’s your plan for making him believe that,” I asked hesitantly. “Are we supposed to jump up and down on your bed and make obscene noises every night?”
Augustus chuckled and shook his head.
“No, our work will have to be more subtle. Besides, the rooms here are soundproof and Emmanuel doesn’t have any audio or visual surveillance equipment on the property. However, vampires have a very acute sense of smell. If he detects our scents on each other and sees that you’re becoming more comfortable around me, he may believe that you’ve developed a soft spot for me and that our fondness for one another has inspired a few private displays of affection that haven’t crossed that all-important line.”
That part of his plan sounded feasible, but I was still skeptical.
“How do you plan on making us smell like each other?”
“By sleeping in the same bed going forward,” he suggested. “If we shower before dawn and sleep in each other’s arms, then that will be enough. You storming off during the performance is the perfect prelude to us spending our
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