Twilight Prophecy by MAGGIE SHAYNE

king. He gave Gilgamesh the gift of immortality—but it didn’t work quite the same way in him, as on the man to whom had been bestowed, because Gilgamesh received it not from the gods but in direct disobedience of their dictates. Gilgamesh became more and more sensitive to sunlight, and he craved human blood, the elixir his new self needed in order to survive. He was, in fact, the first vampire. And yes, he is still alive today.”
    Lucy could barely believe it. “I must meet him,” she whispered. And then her gaze shot to the cloaked stranger. “Is it you?”
    He smiled, and it was warm, affectionate even. “No, child. Not me. I’m Roland de Courtemanche, and I’m a mere eight centuries old, give or take.” He bowed deeply, and she had to blink her vision clear.
    “You will meet Damien. I give you my word,” James said.
    She could hardly believe it was possible. “If he’s still alive, then why can’t he translate the tablet for you?”
    “It’s a dialect from a different time than his,” James told her.
    “And what about Utanapishtim?” she asked, mesmerized by the tale to the point where she had momentarily forgotten that these people were holding her against her will. Or were they?
    “He was punished by the gods, who took away his ability to live forever but did not take away his immortality,” James said. “I know that seems like a contradiction, but it’s how the story came down to us. We don’t know what it means. Except that, at that very moment, he began to age, to die. And when King Gilgamesh’s mortal enemy, Anthar, arrived later, having followed the great king and spied on events, he demanded that he, too, be given the gift. Utanapishtim tried to refuse, but that evil one forced him, and then he beheaded the old man, leaving him for dead, and took his faithful servant, a young man barely out of his teens, as his own slave.”
    “So this Anthar was…the second vampire.”
    “Yes, and he soon made the servant into the third—thinking to make for himself a stronger, more resilient slave. But all that did was allow the boy—a man by then—to escape,” James said.
    “And the first thing the boy did,” said Brigit, “was return to the old man’s home to see to his remains. But they were gone.”
    “We need to know what happened to Utanapishtim’s remains,” Rhiannon said. “That is why we’ve brought you here. We believe there is a clue on that tablet you’ve been caressing so lovingly throughout this conversation. It’s been among us forever. Even Gilgamesh doesn’t know its source. But we’ve always known to keep it safe, because it would save our race one day.”
    “And you believe that day is here.”
    Rhiannon nodded slowly. Lucy turned her gaze from the intimidating vampiress to James. “But why do you need to find his remains? Surely there’s nothing left but dust by now. What good can that possibly do you?”
    He lowered his head. “Can you translate the tablet for us, Lucy?”
    She blinked rapidly. “If I had access to my books, to my notes, to my lab…”
    “We’ll get you whatever you need. But the work will have to be done here,” Rhiannon said. “And despite what I said earlier, no harm will come to you. So long as you do as we ask.”
    “No harm will come to you either way, Lucy,” James said.
    “J.W.” Rhiannon’s tone held a warning.
    “No, this is bullshit.” James put a hand on Lucy’s shoulders. “The fact is, Lucy, no one here could hurt you even if they wanted to. They’re incapable of it, compelled to protect you instead, as a matter of fact.”
    She frowned up at him. “But why?”
    He shrugged. “You’re sort of…related.”
    Her frown deepened, but he explained no more. Instead, he dropped down to his knees in front of her chair. “Stay with us, translate this tablet for us, and I give you my solemn vow, you’ll be safe. And as soon as it’s done, I’ll personally return you to your home.”
    She couldn’t hold his gaze.