3. That does not bode well.
THREE
That does not bode well.
Emerick opted to poach an entire flock of chickens in enough clarified butter and spices I considered crying over the grocery bill.
Every stove in the complex cooked his precious birds, resulting in all floors becoming permeated with the heavenly scent.
To make it clear I was his beloved wife and he wanted me to know it, a turkey roasted in our kitchen so I could conquer a flattened piece of bread under a potato volcano drenched in gravy and meat.
The turkey would not make it to dawn, leaving me to eat leftover hot chicken sandwiches for the next few nights.
My father showed up armed with pounds upon pounds of parsley, several types of flour, lamb, ground camel, ground beef, and dates.
“Camel?” I asked for the third time, staring at the pile of meat, which he worked at spicing so he could cook it in batches.
“Cattle were sacred and only consumed on holy days after we sacrificed their blood to our gods,” my father informed me in a solemn tone.
“I no longer worship those gods, but in that age, killing a cow meant execution, not just of the killer but of the killer’s lineage.
Let’s just say after the first few examples were made, nobody killed any cows unless it was a holy day.
Vampires raised cattle for sacrifice, partaking from their herd before their sacrifice.
A wise vampire drank near dusk, and those who could not walk under the sun were quick to perish if they were not under the wing of someone who could, be it another vampire or a sympathetic human.
” My father finished cooking the blend of camel and lamb, added the parsley, and created a mixture of the meats, the remaining herbs, and dates, which he set aside.
After washing his hands, he gathered the flour, fetched some water, and even more spices.
“The Originals came from this era, but vampires technically predated them. During the time of the Originals, vampires were few and far between, often perishing shortly after their rise. Superstitious humans were quick to dispatch identified vampires.”
Emerick, who had come into our kitchen to check on his precious birds, paused in his work to stare at my father. “Are you saying that the Master of the Originals was not actually the first vampire?”
“Correct. That is a truth you need to fully understand. Many like to think that master is the first vampire. He is not. He’s one of many vampires who came into being at the same time. He just happened to survive longer than most of the rest.”
“You use the present tense,” my husband pointed out. “That does not bode well. If he is still alive, we are in a lot of trouble.”
“I did not use it in the sense that he still lives. He does not. I saw his head separated from his body, his heart staked, and his bones turned to dust long ago. My hand helped with the task. That is not something we older vampires discuss, as it does well for people to believe he might still be out there. As such, I speak of him as though he still might be. It keeps people from attempting to be as he once was. In any case, the surviving Originals would not allow him to live. He fell to madness, and he liked his blood from infant females, with the daughters of vampires being his preferred prey.” For a moment, my father’s expression turned troubled, and then he shrugged, as though he sought to exorcise some demon from the depths of his soul without much in the way of luck.
I winced while my husband scowled. The silence dragged on, and my brothers wisely busied themselves around the kitchen. Benoit handled making certain our father had the spices he needed when he needed them while the other two triple checked the precious chickens poaching in clarified butter.
The entire lot of them, my father included, had drooled upon realizing what my spouse made.
My impatience got the better of me, and after heaving a sigh, I asked, “Why was his fate hidden?”
“The surviving Originals grieve over what their master did, a grief that lasts ages; they admired and looked up to him. They viewed him, one and all, as a harsh father to be cherished and respected.” My father shrugged, and he glanced in the direction of the sitting room, where my mother and Master Clarke snuggled together on the couch.
She worked on a blanket while he watched and appreciated her art.
Upon my father’s arrival, my mother had jumped on him, hugged him as though she had been afraid of never seeing him again, and had refused to let go until Emerick’s maker had battled to pull her off.
The drama had amused my father, and to my relief, the pair of ancient vampires had exchanged greetings before deciding to hug, slap each other on the back, and behave more like old friends rather than suitors vying over the same woman.
For my parents, divorce hadn’t been the end of life but rather the beginning of it.
“You should go find yourself a vampire chick and get properly married,” I informed my father.
In the other room, my mother snorted before chortling her mirth over my commentary.
“Why would I do that?” my father asked in an exasperated voice.
“I thought it was obvious. You should have more children so I can dote on them, and as you successfully raised me to be the most beautiful heiress of your empire, you can raise the next one so the rest of the clueless vampires in this world can understand what commitment actually looks like. For the record, I will not be having a race of neck suckers decree when or if I decide to reproduce.”
Emerick coughed, shook his head, and headed off to check on the rest of his cooking flock, muttering to himself as he went.
I smirked at the discomfort I’d managed to inflict upon my father and brothers. “Let me ask you a question, Father.”
“Ask, as you’d speak your mind even if I didn’t welcome your words, which I do.”
The circumstances of my birth no longer bothered me, leaving me with appreciation over what my parents had done.
One day, the difficult elements of my childhood would ease away, leaving me strong because of rather than in spite of the challenges I’d faced.
“Why are you concerned over if a child has a predisposition for vampirism? I wasn’t asked before my birth if I wanted to be born a human.
Clearly, I opted against humanity in favor of survival.
Any children you have are born because you wished for them to be born.
Whether they’re predisposed or not changes nothing: they are wanted children.
” I pointed at my eldest brother. “I’m not sure why, but you wanted that one.
” I targeted Benoit next. “And that one.” I finally directed my finger to Eugene, who grinned at my antics.
“I can understand why you would want this one, especially as he’s wise enough to consider throwing in his lot with me.
I’d take the other two if they can handle becoming part of my brood.
I just let Emerick think he runs this show. ”
“I heard that,” my husband called out from the direction of the entry.
I ignored him. “What are you doing with that flour anyway?”
“I am making dough, which I will form into circles I stuff with the meat and date mixture and fold in half to form crescents. Once his chickens are done, I will use the leftover butter to cook them. This is a recipe that was handed down for many a year before society became aware of vampires.”
There was only one question I could ask, and I braced for the answer with a growing sense of worry. “Are you an Original, Dad?”
“I am not. Make no mistake, my daughter. I am quite old, but I am not one of the Originals. I did, however, play my part in the death of their master. I did not find joy in those dark days. The Originals could not do it. The binding between them was far too strong. They could never raise their hand against their master, even in his maddened state. I simply did what they could not.”
Master Clarke came into the kitchen, hooked a stool with a foot, and dragged it closer to my father before sitting.
“I’ve been trying to identify your father’s age for the past few months without success, Pepper.
However, I can tell you a few things: he’s likely an early child of an Original, one who has since found his eternal rest. That is the only guess of mine that fits everything I know. ”
My father smiled while he worked at kneading water into flour to transform it into dough, pausing now and then to direct my brothers on how much of which spice to add while he worked.
“That is the closest of the guesses I’ve heard as of late.
It’s not quite correct, but it’s close enough for our purposes.
But you’re closer than some might appreciate.
I was going to have the boys tell you, but the Sleepers come, as does an Original.
I expect they’ll be here within the next few nights. ”
“Friend or foe?” Clarke asked in a worried tone.
“Friend, at least for now. I expect they’ll remain friends for a while. This Jeremy Breckenan has stirred an ancient evil, and once awoken, it tends to stay that way.”
I wrinkled my nose. “That is the most cliché form of evil, Dad. What’s so special about this brand of ancient evil?
If we watched horror flicks featuring ancient evils, we’d spend multiple lifetimes doing it.
I don’t even like horror movies that much, although I will watch them with Emerick.
He tolerates when I shriek, jump, and bolt halfway across the penthouse.
It’s fright night for me and comedy hour for him. ”