no respect for the scrolls, short of how I may use them to my advantage. Isaac and I are bound to come into conflict. I know of his foolish politics. He would oust all competition and gain control of London. I could leave, or simply ignore him, but I could be persuaded to take a more... active interest.

“Serve me now, Theroen, and when that time comes I will give you not only Isaac’s head, but those of his entire line.”

Theroen was young, still gripped by mortal concepts like revenge. Still able to hate. He felt this hatred now, burning hot like something molten inside of him.

“Ah, son, such emotion! Isaac has left you alive. Would you not give him the same courtesy?”

“There is nothing else left for me, without her, but my hate. Isaac took from me everything I had. I would not.”

“Then we have a deal?”

“We do, father.”

There was a moment of quiet as the two vampires surveyed each other. At last, Abraham turned back to whatever lay on the desk, beyond the reach of the light.

“Put out the candle. There is a room for you in the west wing. I shall call upon you tomorrow.”

Theroen, as he would for centuries thereafter, did what he was told.

* * *

“And that is all there is, or nearly so. I could tell you lies. I could tell you that I worked for goodness, even in Abraham’s service, but that is hardly true. I’ve done many things that humans would consider evil for Abraham, and I regret very few of them, beyond bringing Melissa and Tori to him. I held my own goodness close. I would not tarnish Lisette’s memory by returning to my former ways.

“I was hated, greatly, by some for my continued existence against vampire laws. Abraham’s power protected me where Lisette’s could not, and in time, my own was more than adequate for the task. Of those vampires left that might be capable of bringing about my destruction, none care enough anymore to bother. The old hate is gone.”

Two stirred, stretched, felt the rush of air through her fingers. She should be freezing, driving in late November with the top down. The only cold she felt was internal.

“Isaac?” She asked at last.

“Isaac. Yes, Isaac died badly. I was present for it, but I found that I took little real pleasure in his destruction. A certain... mortal need for revenge was served, but after that I had only endless years as Abraham’s servant.

“Lisette’s words proved true, though. Isaac knew fear. He knew his weakness, and he died in shame. Abraham had him bound and gagged, hung upside-down, so the blood would go to his head and keep him alive while his skin was flayed from his body and he was unmanned and disemboweled.

“Abraham brought out his children, his fledglings. Isaac had three of them. And in front of him, while he wept, Abraham cut their heads from their bodies and burned them to ash. I was not sorry. All three had taken part in Lisette’s abduction.

“At the end, when Abraham removed his gag, Isaac could not even speak coherently. Terror, sorrow, and pain had combined to rob him of his senses. He wept and pleaded, the words in the vampire language that Abraham has never allowed me to learn, and Abraham did him a favor and cut his head from his body.”

“Jesus...”

“It was something less than pretty. I watched from a distance, but I made sure Isaac could see me. Oh, I made very sure of that. I am not proud of these things, Two, but I do not regret them, either.”

Two was quiet for a moment, thinking the story over in his mind. What would it be like if someone swooped in and took Theroen from her now? How could she go on?

Theroen smiled at this. They were very near the mansion now.

“Two, there is no one left to do so. Abraham has known for many years now that the time of my leaving was imminent. He does not have to like it, but he will permit it.”

To Two, this was somehow little comfort.

* * *

They rounded a corner, and the mansion came into view. Two felt a sudden surge of adrenaline, followed by a slow, crawling dread. Theroen grimaced. At the end of the driveway, nearly hidden in shadow, stood a massive black figure that could only be Abraham. The Ferrari moved up the gradual slope of the long hill, and the creature’s face came into the headlights.