Read Online Vamps by Nancy A. Collins - Free Book Online Page B

to the Synod. The man you attacked at the club is newsworthy, Lilith. What with satellite uplinks, podcasts, and CNN, it’s more important than ever for our kind to keep our secret.
    â€œIf the Lord Chancellor finds you guilty of placing us in the spotlight, you’ll be defanged.”
    â€œHow barbaric!” Lilith gasped, instinctively covering her mouth.
    â€œIndeed,” her father replied. “In the old days it amounted to a death sentence, since the offender slowly starved to death. Now do you understand why it is wise to keep from doing things that would result in being brought before the Synod?”
    â€œYes, sir,” she said sullenly.
    â€œNot only that, but we also don’t want to do anything that would make Count de Laval reconsider the wisdom of marrying into our family, am I right? So, do I have your promise that you will never tap a human in the club again?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œVery good,” Todd said with a relieved sigh. “Now, perhaps you can tell me why you’re standing in front of me dressed in nothing but a man’s jacket. What happened to your dress?”
    â€œIt got shredded when I shapeshifted.”
    â€œYou shapeshifted?” Todd scowled. “How did that happen?”
    â€œIt’s a long story,” Lilith replied, still staring at her feet.
    â€œWhy am I not surprised?”
    â€œI’m sorry, Daddy. I really, really am. But it wasn’t my fault,” Lilith said, the words suddenly pouring out of her like water. “We were over at Tanith’s place, just goofing off. We were bored because we couldn’t go to the club. We ended up going to Washington Square Park….”
    â€œWhose bright idea was that ?”
    â€œJules’s.”
    At the mention of Jules, her father softened. “You were in the Village? What for?”
    â€œWe were just out partying, that’s all, I promise.”
    â€œI know you’re lying to me, Lilith. Or, at the very least, you’re not telling me something. But I’ve had a very long night and I’m too tired to play any more games with you.” He leaned toward his intercom. “If you don’t tell me what you and the others were doing in the Village, I’m going to have all your credit cards canceled.”
    â€œNo! Don’t do that!”
    â€œThen tell me the truth.”
    â€œOkay. You win,” she said, her shoulders dropping in defeat. “We were slumming.”
    Victor Todd came out of his chair as if it were electrified. “You were what ?” His voice reverberated so loudly it made the walls of the room shake. “Of all the most dangerous, stupidest things you could have done—! And after everything I have worked to achieve—! The whole point of HemoGlobe is to make risky behavior like that a thing of the past for our people! By the Founders, child, what were you thinking?”
    â€œWe thought it was safe this time….”
    â€œSafe! It’s like Russian roulette—the odds are against you! Every time you go out in public, you run the risk of being attacked by Van Helsings! You, of all people, know how much you stand out in a crowd!”
    â€œWe were keeping a low profile, I swear! Everything was going just fine. Then this New Blood bitch showedup and everything got out of hand….”
    â€œNew Blood?” Todd’s scowl deepened further.
    â€œYeah. She’s the one who’s really responsible for what happened. If it wasn’t for her, the Van Helsings would never have known we were there.”
    â€œWhat did she do?”
    â€œShe tried to attack me with a bolt of lightning.”
    â€œA stormgatherer ?” Todd seemed genuinely startled by this revelation. “Are you sure about that? I thought you said the girl was a New Blood.”
    â€œWell, I assumed that’s what she was,” Lilith said. “I mean, I know all the Old Blood kids, and