Tarnished Knight - By Bec McMaster Page 0,62
between Will and Blade.
Her smile slipped at the thought, a pair of burning amber eyes haunting her. She would forget Will Carver, if it was the last thing she did.
No matter how much a little part of her cringed at the thought.
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GLOSSARY
Beast of Whitechapel – The only free verwulfen in London, Will Carver serves the Devil of Whitechapel and is swiftly earning a dangerous reputation as a brute and a fierce adversary.
Blue bloods – afflicted by the craving virus, blue bloods are faster, stronger and impervious to most injuries. Blessed with rapid healing rates and superior senses, they are driven by a thirst for blood. Most blue bloods of the Echelon are formed during the blood rites, however sometimes accidents occur, in which these blue bloods are referred to as 'rogues'. See craving virus, blood rites, rogue blue bloods.
Blood Rites – the rite of infection, in which a human boy undergoes the transformation from human to blue blood, usually at the age of fifteen. Each House must court the Council of Dukes to seek their approval of this process, and each youth is examined thoroughly, for his quality of character. Women are denied the blood rites for fear of the darker nature of the craving virus overwhelming their delicate sensibilities.
Blood taxes – set at two pints a year for the past fifty years, all humans are required to donate their portion.
Craving virus – origins: unknown. Some suspect it came from the orient, with rumours that Sir Nicodemus Banks brought it back to Europe from the White Court of the Chinese Empire. Indeed, his Tales of the Orient chronicles his infection and the subsequent way he sold his blood to aristocrats throughout European courts in order to create a superior class, though rumour suggests the virus originated further West than the Chinese Empire, perhaps even high in the Himalayas. The infection is spread by blood borne contact and there is no cure.
Council of Dukes – The Council is comprised of the ruling dukes (and duchess) of the seven Great Houses. See Bleight, Casavian, Morioch, Malloryn, Lannister, Caine and Goethe. The Queen historically has a vote, which may overrule all the others, but it is well known that she speaks with the Prince Consort’s voice.
Devil of Whitechapel – a devilishly handsome, rogue blue blood who rules Whitechapel with an iron fist, he is one of the very few who dare defy the Echelon and not suffer the consequences. Considered a man of dubious character and dangerous proclivities by the Echelon, his name is whispered in the houses of the city as a deterrent for small children. ‘If you do not eat your supper, the Devil of Whitechapel shall come steal you away…’
Drainers – nefarious people who take advantage of the poor by buying their blood off them and selling it to the draining factories. Not quite as bad as Slashers, but rumours abound of people going missing in the East End, forced to sell all their blood in order to feed their families.
Draining factories - located at Brickbank, down along the Thames, the draining factories process and filter the blood gathered in the blood taxes, where it is then sold to the Echelon.
Echelon, the – Formed of the highest aristocratic Houses in the British Empire, the Echelon is comprised of blue bloods and lesser human aristocrats. Ruled by the Council of Dukes and the Prince Consort, it is also defined by a rigid set of societal rules.
Fade, the – the frightful conclusion of the craving virus, in which all of the colour drains out of a blue blood’s skin and he becomes something else… something worse. Usually it begins to occur once a blue blood’s craving virus levels reach 70-80 %. See vampire.
Ivory Tower, the – An enormous gleaming-white tower that sits on the remains of parliament, from when the blue bloods overthrew it. The Ivory Tower is the Echelon’s seat of power and can be seen from every street in London.
House of Bleight – The Duke of Bleight is firmly in the Prince Consort’s pocket and rules out of spite and malevolence.
House of Caine – The Duke of Caine has been in seclusion for several years, and his vote is often cast by his son, Leo Barrons. There are whispers of some mysterious illness, which is impossible, due to the possessive nature of the craving virus. Some wonder if the duke is even still alive or if his son has disposed of him.
House of Casavian – Ruled by the Duchess of