Free Masquerade (Vampires Realm Romance Series Book 10) by F E Heaton Page B

longer lords or ladies, or Chosen Sons and Chosen Daughters, or even commanders and elite guards. Their rank, their bloodline, the laws, none of it existed at the ball. They were one species, born of one master, all the children of his creation.
    They were vampires.
    Many dreamed of attending the masquerade. Few achieved that desire. Only the highest-ranking members of the bloodlines received invitations to the ball.
    Which was why the gathering of hunters seemed insane.
    Even if the hunters worked together, they were only a match for vampires of Vivek’s age and strength or possibly lower. The members of the seven pure bloodlines of Europe attending the ball were the strongest and included some of the oldest vampires in existence.
    Lord Hyperion of the Validus was over three thousand years old and could probably defeat all nine hunters without even breaking a metaphorical sweat.
    Nine hunters wasn’t the entire force. It couldn’t be. If Aleksis were serious about attacking the ball, then he would have more hunters based in different locations throughout the city. This was just one cell. How many more were there? How many hunters did Aleksis have under his command?
    It didn’t matter.
    There could be one hundred hunters, one for each of the attendees, and the ball would still go ahead. The lords and ladies of the pure bloodlines would sooner face the hunters disturbing them than forgo a Creator Day masquerade. Especially this one.
    Another century had passed since the birth of their creator. In honour of this special occasion, the ball would last two nights.
    Forty-eight hours of freedom from duty and laws for the elite of their kind. The lords and ladies wouldn’t give that up, not for anything.
    The guards could live without it.
    The masquerade normally started in the evening and ended before dawn, with guests leaving immediately. A two night celebration meant that every lord or lady, Chosen Son and Chosen Daughter, of each of the seven bloodlines would be sleeping in the Venia mansion.
    In the day.
    When none of the guards could venture outside.
    Many of the bloodlines had proposed to bring guardians with them.
    Werewolves.
    The recent steps towards peace between the werewolf and vampire species by Lord Hyperion of the Validus bloodline and the remaining lord of the werewolves, Dmitri, brought with it added complications. Lord Hyperion, Lady Prophecy of the Caelestis bloodline and Lord Valentine of the Aurorea bloodline had forced agreement from the other lords and ladies that in an effort to improve relations between vampires and werewolves, only free werewolves would be used as guards during the ball.
    Tensions were running higher than usual between the bloodlines because of that.
    The Venia’s guardian compound was on lockdown, Lord Timur convinced that the werewolves Dmitri brought with him to guard them would attempt to free their kin from Venia rule. Lord Hyperion had apparently assured him that no such thing would happen but Lord Timur wasn’t taking any chances. Without the guardians, the Venia household was vulnerable to attack during the day.
    Many in the bloodline believed that the Venia should stop keeping werewolves like rabid dogs in the compound and seek to employ them instead, following the lead of the Validus and Nocens bloodlines just as the Aurorea and Caelestis had. Lord Timur was intent on keeping them as slaves, in following with tradition. The Tenebrae and Vehemens bloodlines were in agreement with him for now.
    The bloodlines were divided on the matter.
    Lord Hyperion was a powerful and cunning foe, and had threatened Lord Timur, reminding him that tradition also stated that Saint Petersburg and its environs were Validus territory.
    Therefore, in following with tradition, Lord Hyperion was perfectly within his rights to remove the Venia by force.
    Lord Timur was no fool. The Venia bloodline was strong but they were no match for the Validus. There were barely a handful of vampires in Vivek’s