suite, it could have been another planet. The only sound came from the TV. Jason figured Paige had to have fallen asleep pretty much right away.
‘I’m going to get a soda, want one?’ Jason asked after about an hour. He felt like he was losing his edge. Not that he was about to fall asleep, just that he wasn’t alert for any suspicious sound the way he had been at the beginning of the shift.
Zach shook his head. Jason grabbed a Coke from the bar and took a swig as he walked back to his chair. The carbonation bubbles felt good, popping against his dry throat.
‘So what’s the deal with the Thirteen Families?’ he asked as he sat down again. ‘Paige said the Lessards were one of them.’
Zach looked at him for a long moment. Was it not OK that Jason had asked a question about the vampires? After everything he already knew? He’d been shot by a vampire hunter for chrissakes!
‘The first Vampire High Council was set up by the Thirteen Families during the Renaissance in France,’ Zach finally replied. ‘For some reason, the vampires from the Thirteen Families were particularly gifted in their vampire abilities. They were that bit faster, stronger, more powerful than “ordinary” vampires. For that reason, they became powerful politically. They were the most prestigious of all vampires.
‘Paige, Sienna, Brad, myself – most of the DeVere Heights vampires – have an ancestor from one of those Thirteen Families. But in each case, the ancestor married outside of the Thirteen – thus their bloodline, and their unusually potent vampire abilities, were diluted slightly.
‘However, of those Thirteen Families, there are still three in existence today who had an ancestor on that first Council and who have had a member on every High Council since. They’ve always married other vampires from the Thirteen Families – so no dilution of their blood with “ordinary” vampires and no dilution of their powers. The Lessards are one of those families. They’re rich, prestigious and unbelievably powerful,’ Zach said flatly. ‘That’s all there is to know.’
Jason nodded thoughtfully as he and Zach turned back to the movie. He knew just how powerful the DeVere Heights vampires were. He could hardly imagine what the vampires of the Thirteen Families must be like.
‘Whoa!’ Jason couldn’t stop himself exclaiming as an elephant went flying off a cliff.
‘Yeah,’ Zach agreed.
* * *
‘Did you hear that?’ Jason asked Zach several hours – and some extreme ass-kicking by the Spartans – later.
‘Brad and Van Dyke,’ Zach told him.
‘You sure?’
Zach checked his watch. ‘It’s four.’ He got up, checked the peep hole, then swung the door open. Brad and Van Dyke walked in. Brad looked a little bleary-eyed. Van Dyke looked a little wet.
‘Anything?’ Brad asked.
Zach shook his head.
‘See you guys later,’ Jason said as headed for the door. He couldn’t wait to see Sienna. ‘You’re staying?’ he asked Zach, who’d returned to his chair.
‘Yes,’ Zach answered.
Hmm, could there be some romantic interest there on Zach’s part? Jason wondered. Maybe going to the prom with Paige meant something different to him than Sienna thought. Or maybe it was just Zach’s extreme sense of duty kicking in. He was on the DeVere Heights Vampire Council. And even before that, he’d seemed to feel responsible for every vampire in the Heights, at least the ones in high school.
Jason felt a little weird leaving now, but he really wanted to see Sienna. And three vampires made for some pretty heavy-duty bodyguards. ‘See you,’ he said again and closed the door. He headed toward the elevator at a brisk walk, not allowing himself to break into a jog. He realized it had only been a little more than four hours since he’d seen his girlfriend. But she was waiting for him. In a fancy hotel room. Alone.
During the short elevator ride, he pulled out his key card, so he had it ready. He bolted down the
‘I’m going to get a soda, want one?’ Jason asked after about an hour. He felt like he was losing his edge. Not that he was about to fall asleep, just that he wasn’t alert for any suspicious sound the way he had been at the beginning of the shift.
Zach shook his head. Jason grabbed a Coke from the bar and took a swig as he walked back to his chair. The carbonation bubbles felt good, popping against his dry throat.
‘So what’s the deal with the Thirteen Families?’ he asked as he sat down again. ‘Paige said the Lessards were one of them.’
Zach looked at him for a long moment. Was it not OK that Jason had asked a question about the vampires? After everything he already knew? He’d been shot by a vampire hunter for chrissakes!
‘The first Vampire High Council was set up by the Thirteen Families during the Renaissance in France,’ Zach finally replied. ‘For some reason, the vampires from the Thirteen Families were particularly gifted in their vampire abilities. They were that bit faster, stronger, more powerful than “ordinary” vampires. For that reason, they became powerful politically. They were the most prestigious of all vampires.
‘Paige, Sienna, Brad, myself – most of the DeVere Heights vampires – have an ancestor from one of those Thirteen Families. But in each case, the ancestor married outside of the Thirteen – thus their bloodline, and their unusually potent vampire abilities, were diluted slightly.
‘However, of those Thirteen Families, there are still three in existence today who had an ancestor on that first Council and who have had a member on every High Council since. They’ve always married other vampires from the Thirteen Families – so no dilution of their blood with “ordinary” vampires and no dilution of their powers. The Lessards are one of those families. They’re rich, prestigious and unbelievably powerful,’ Zach said flatly. ‘That’s all there is to know.’
Jason nodded thoughtfully as he and Zach turned back to the movie. He knew just how powerful the DeVere Heights vampires were. He could hardly imagine what the vampires of the Thirteen Families must be like.
‘Whoa!’ Jason couldn’t stop himself exclaiming as an elephant went flying off a cliff.
‘Yeah,’ Zach agreed.
* * *
‘Did you hear that?’ Jason asked Zach several hours – and some extreme ass-kicking by the Spartans – later.
‘Brad and Van Dyke,’ Zach told him.
‘You sure?’
Zach checked his watch. ‘It’s four.’ He got up, checked the peep hole, then swung the door open. Brad and Van Dyke walked in. Brad looked a little bleary-eyed. Van Dyke looked a little wet.
‘Anything?’ Brad asked.
Zach shook his head.
‘See you guys later,’ Jason said as headed for the door. He couldn’t wait to see Sienna. ‘You’re staying?’ he asked Zach, who’d returned to his chair.
‘Yes,’ Zach answered.
Hmm, could there be some romantic interest there on Zach’s part? Jason wondered. Maybe going to the prom with Paige meant something different to him than Sienna thought. Or maybe it was just Zach’s extreme sense of duty kicking in. He was on the DeVere Heights Vampire Council. And even before that, he’d seemed to feel responsible for every vampire in the Heights, at least the ones in high school.
Jason felt a little weird leaving now, but he really wanted to see Sienna. And three vampires made for some pretty heavy-duty bodyguards. ‘See you,’ he said again and closed the door. He headed toward the elevator at a brisk walk, not allowing himself to break into a jog. He realized it had only been a little more than four hours since he’d seen his girlfriend. But she was waiting for him. In a fancy hotel room. Alone.
During the short elevator ride, he pulled out his key card, so he had it ready. He bolted down the
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