Free Vampires Dead Ahead by Cheyenne McCray Page B

converted will have far richer lives as Vampires.
    “Perhaps you have wondered if they would they go up against their own friends and do what it takes to turn them … or destroy them.” Volod smiled at Monique and gave a slight inclination of his head.
    Monique vanished.
    Several conclave members gasped.
    From beneath her glamour, Monique’s voice rang clear in the room. “The answer is yes, we shall do whatever it takes. We believe the Vampire way of life is the only way of life.”
    “We are not capturing the unskillful or foolish,” Volod said. “We have strong, committed paranorms.”
    “You have given us an effective demonstration.” Nicholas made a confident gesture that meant the paranorms were to take their places behind Volod again.
    If the conclave prolocutor was affected by the display, he did not show it. However, other members wore expressions ranging from furious to impressed.
    “Please return,” Volod said to his dream team. The paranorms acknowledged him and went to stand behind him, changing back to their human forms.
    When the paranorm Vamps had gathered around him again, Volod took a casual relaxed stance. He was in fact anything but relaxed. He wasn’t sure his gamble would pay off.
    “You see how fast my team works.” Volod projected his words so that he could be heard clearly throughout the chamber. “All of these Vampire paranorms can do amazing things that include battling humans and other paranorms. Of course humans would be child’s play and hardly worth their time or talents.”
    Marcus was nearly trembling with fury, so much so that he was obviously finding it difficult to speak.
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    “I want to do this in a manner that meets the conclave’s approval.” As he spoke, Volod let his gaze meet that of each Vampire seated at the long table. “I do not wish to go against you.”
    Nicholas folded his hands in front of him. “What are you proposing?”
    “First, I need your approval and commitment to this mission. Second, I need resources and would like them quickly,” Volod said. “I wish to have a sizable group of your best Vampires from around the country.” He paused and put the menace he felt into his voice. “We need bodies to back up our Vampire paranorm army. The meaner and more ruthless, the better. However, I do need those who respect authority.”
    Nicholas looked to either side of him at the members of the conclave. “Does anyone have questions for Volod before we take a vote?”
    No one spoke. Nicholas called in an aide, who then handed a piece of paper to each member. Each Vampire wrote a single word on his or her piece of paper before handing it to the aide.
    When the aide had collected them all, he handed the sixteen pieces of paper to Nicholas, who put in his own. Volod did his best to keep his expression calm as the papers were split into two piles, one larger than the other.
    Nicholas counted the papers in each stack then folded his hands again on the tabletop.
    “The conclave has spoken.” Nicholas met Volod’s gaze. Nicholas’s eyes were dark, intense. “You may have whatever you need to allow Vampire-kind to once again rule the paranorm world.”

SEVEN

    I STOPPED FIGHTING MY INNER DEMONS
WE ARE ON THE SAME SIDE NOW

    “Do those inner demons like being spanked, too?” I said with a grin when I got a look at Olivia’s T-shirt as she walked in the door of our PI office.
    “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Olivia smirked and tossed her Mets sweat jacket onto her desktop, causing a dozen sticky notes to flutter on the surface of the desk. A towering stack of thick folders teetered.
    “Heh.” I closed the file folder on a Metamorph case I’d been dealing with and set it beside my large-screen computer monitor. “Truth is, I’m not sure I want to know.”
    I should have known better. Olivia took that statement as a challenge.
    “You can’t tell me you haven’t thought about a little tie-up play.” She flopped into the chair