Page 5 of The Vampire King's War

HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT

Daemon lifted his head to watch the flying vehicles coming towards them. Helicopters, that’s what they were called according to Julian’s mind. His fledgling feared these helicopters, not because of their aggressive almost insectile look or the loud sounds they made as they approached, but because they would contain people with cameras which would spread their images--and all the dead--all over the world.

Julian tugged on his arm. “We need to go inside. I don’t think their cameras have seen us yet. We need to get undercover.”

Daemon allowed the future to play out before him. He saw how it would go if they stayed outside and allowed the cameras to show them to everyone. Their images would literally encircle the world in less than a day.

In the future, he glimpsed into tens of thousands of homes around the world, in every country, in every culture as people were glued to their televisions, laptops, phones and tablets. He saw wide-eyed children, noses practically pressed to the screens, and parents frantically trying to stop them from seeing what was impossible.

Two beautiful men in tuxedos standing amongst the colorful dead. Women in their gowns cut down like flowers. Men in their suits sprawled inelegantly. His red eyes would be debated as fake or real. Were they CGI or contacts or some freak of nature? Or maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t human. People would see their beauty but also all the death. Beautiful monsters, they would call him and Julian.

The looks on the faces of the dead would be ones of surprise. They had not expected to die. There was no pain etched into their features either. Not exactly. So they didn’t die in agony. But the sense of life cut too short would be remarked upon again and again. And this seemed all the more terrible in a way.

There had been no danger that these people had seen before their souls were sundered from their bodies. They hadn’t experienced agony or fear. What had happened was too quick for that to register. But it also meant there was no way to avoid what had happened. There was no way to protect oneself.

People huddled in their homes with curtains drawn or sought sanctuary in churches, mosques, temples and other places of religious significance. Everything was a portent from the extinguishing of a candle to a flock of birds to the sky darkening with a storm. Superstition roamed every street in every country.

But they would not all be wrong about being afraid. Because others who followed Kaly, or simply feared Daemon, would do the same as Kara had done or close to it. Dozens dead here. A family dead there. A whole village wiped off the map. Nowhere and nothing was safe. The only thing that seemed to offer hope was the coming of the day. All the incidents apparently happened at night.

Then the word “Vampire” would be reported and things would become darker for many. Those who feared them would fear them more and never accept that he and Julian were not responsible for the slaughter of the “Bright Lights” as those in the museum would be called. There would be rumors that these Bright Lights had met to form opposition to Daemon with the charity aspect being a front. But he had chopped them down before they had begun to fight.

There would be conspiracy theorists which would wax on about the end of the world, a new world order, the coming enslavement of humanity, chemtrails and the dangers of fluoride in the water. All of them would be Vampire plots.

There would be those excited by the prospect of Vampires. They would want to see if they could harness for themselves the strengths of the immortal beings. Later, they would want to have those strengths themselves, not just for their soldiers on the front lines. Immortality, eternal youth, magical powers, ancient knowledge and more would lure them in like flies to honey.

All of this would happen in some form or another no matter how or when Daemon revealed the existence of Vampires and Immortals to the world, he knew, but this way, there would always be a black mark, a crimson stain, to start and it would never be washed away. It would remain there. A darkening. That a Kaly Vampire had done this--in front of him, no less--was a terrible slight. But to have it poison all he intended? No, he would not have it.

Red washed over Daemon’s vision. Julian was right. They should not be seen or associated with this. Already though because it had happened, because it was so huge, there would always be those that connected the dots, but he needed to stem that tide as much as he could.

“Daemon, please, we need to get out of here!” Julian’s voice was tight with alarm.

“There is no need to go anywhere,” he said calmly.

“But you agree with me! We can’t be seen!” Julian had followed his thoughts evidently. That was good. They were becoming more and more aligned.

“You are thinking like a human, Julian. Experience the power of the Helm Bloodline. To turn invisible,” Daemon replied gently.

“Wha--oh, man!” Julian gasped as they disappeared even from sight of each other. He felt rather than saw Julian wave a hand in front of his own face. “I can’t even see myself! This is wild! We wouldn’t have to leave and they wouldn’t know we were here!”

“Exactly. I can already sense that there are many Acolytes aligned with various of the Bloodlines among those coming here now, but not all are on our side yet,” Daemon explained. “We need to stay and assist those who serve us.”

“Right!” He could still sense Julian’s awe at being invisible.

Watch me, fledgling. Learn,he told Julian. There were more wonders to show.

Daemon’s eyes narrowed as he touched the minds of those in the helicopters. Fear, excitement and curiosity washed over him.

This is going to be the story of the decade! One thought.

Those bright spots of color… are those bodies? Another thought.

Tell me the camera is getting this!!!Came another.

Could they all be dead? My God, most of the politicians in the city were at the museum! What will happen to the city?

What could have killed them all? A terrorist group? Are we hearing any chatter?

House Wynter wants us to keep this under wraps? How? That was made by one of the reporters who was having to feign more excitement than alarm and anxiety. Is that--that the Vampire King by the doors?! My God… he’s real. And we’re taping this!

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