Free Dark Studies (Arcaneology) by C. P. Foster Page A

knew, but wondered whether he was still hungry. Not that she needed to worry. James was one of the most well-controlled vampires she had ever met.
    “The Fallen are motivated by desires of the flesh,” he reminded her, “and have no sense of morality or ethics. They will not respect your boundaries. Even a few moments with one is enough to render you helpless, so you must consider how far you are willing to go in the pursuit of knowledge.”
    A waitress interrupted to take her order. Angie requested salmon with a huckleberry glaze and a side salad of mixed greens, then turned her attention back to the stuffed mushrooms. The wine went very well with them. How did James know what to order? He hadn’t tasted wine in over seven hundred years.
    “They can’t seduce everyone they meet,” she protested. “There must be many people who come into contact with the Fallen and don’t end up in bed with one.”
    “True. But the Fallen is the one who decides this; the human has no choice in the matter. You are a beautiful woman. I have no doubt what the decision would be.”
    “Now who’s the flatterer?”
    “And who is being falsely modest?”
    Angie chuckled. “It may be a moot point. If I can’t get the material I need on the Fallen, I’ll focus on elves instead. You have contacts among them, too, yes?”
    “More than among the Fallen, actually.”
    “And you could arrange something?”
    James frowned. “Yes, but be careful, Angel.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    “Elves are a different matter. They will want something in return for helping you, and you’ll have to be very cautious with your negotiations. In fact, it would be best if I went with you.”
    “Always watching out for me.”
    “Always.”
    They looked at each other, leaving unspoken his reasons for such devotion to her well-being. Neither had said anything about it in years. There was no need.
    The waitress brought her food, and Angie took her time savoring it while James told her what his child, Vanessa, had been up to lately with her work as head of the Covenant’s Enforcement Committee.
    “It disturbs me,” he said with a sigh, “to see how this work is changing her. But the nature of our kind is such that only the most extreme tactics will be effective, and she is determined to succeed.”
    “Does she see what it’s doing to her?”
    He nodded. “I taught her to be self-aware. She knows, but she considers it a sacrifice worth making.”
    “She would.”
    If it weren’t for Vanessa’s fiery dedication to the Covenant’s ideals, Sarah Miller would still be a slave.
     

Chapter Nine
     
     
    Vampires are born ravenously hungry for blood, death, and violence. They have no self-control. Thousands of years ago, to prevent our young from annihilating the human population, havens were formed, in which older vampires undertook to teach and discipline them until the fledglings were able to exercise restraint. As humans became more dangerous to us, this teaching expanded. For the last few centuries, we have taught our young how to avoid outraging the human population to the point that they become the hunted rather than the hunter—in other words, how to do as they wished without getting caught.
    —James Morgan, author of Guide to Vampire Havens
     
     
     
     
    Sarah Miller
    Twelve Years Ago
     
     
    It started like any other party. Sarah had lost count of how many she’d attended. How long had she been a slave to this enclave? Months? Years? The parties were thrown every week or so, and by now they all blurred together.
    Alaric, the vampire in charge of the slaves, took them out of their dungeon for showers, party clothes, and the usual fussing with hair and makeup. They were all too thin, with shadows under their eyes and hair dull from lack of care. It took some work to make them presentable. A taste of the blood helped. Sarah still bore the marks of her last beating, something that happened regularly now that they had no other way to control