Page 50 of The Vampire King's Victory

“In a way, everything is our future. I cannot see the moments that arecriticalto my own existence, but we can see this,” Daemon explained.

Directly before them, there was a Black woman in a well-tailored suit who was flanked by an Asian man who blinked rapidly to her right and a military officer who should have been pulled over by the amount of medals on his chest to her left. The figures were fully fleshed out, but still ghostly. Daemon could see the floor and back walls through their forms.

“That’s Jameela Arnold. She’s running for President of the United States right now,” Julian whispered as if these figureswho were not there--not yet--could hear him. “The guy to her right is her running mate, James Ito. I don’t know who the military guy is.”

“It appears they win,” Daemon remarked.

“I’m planning on voting for them. She’s amazing. So is he,” Julian murmured.

President Arnold spoke in a precise, authoritative voice, “King Daemon, I will not allow my people to be made slaves.” Her voice deepened as she added, “I will not allow that to be done toanyonewhether they are under my direct protection or not. So if that is your plan, know you have an enemy in me.”

She glared at them. Daemon had no doubt she meant what she said. He was quite certain that she would defend her people--all people--with words and weapons. Anything under her control or within reach to keep humanity safe from Vampires. He couldn’t help but admire her.

“She doesn’t appear to be very impressed by us,” Julian said with a huff of laughter.

“She recognizes the threat we pose, not just to the people she was elected by, but to the world,” Daemon answered evenly, not surprised by this.

Anyone sensible would realize that predatory creatures who saw humanity as a food source could not be trusted. Add in their abilities to control minds, raise the dead, and more and trust seemed more like insanity.

“But we’re going to convince her that we’re not a threat though, right?” Julian asked. His voice was hopeful as his eyes shone with the same admiration for President Arnold that Daemon had.

Daemon stared into the woman’s intelligent face. “No.”

“Wait! No?” Julian shifted forward in his seat to look at him.

“She knows we will always and forever be a threat,” Daemon told him.

“What? But, no, that’s not--”

“Weare, Julian.” Daemon reached over and covered Julian’s nearest hand with one of his. “Without the need to hide, Vampires could very well overreach. It will beourduty to make sure that doesn’t happen. But humanity must help us. We cannot be everywhere at once.”

Julian’s shoulders slumped. “I--I see. So she won’t view us as allies, but as enemies?”

“Not enemies. And we will not view her that way. But uneasy allies. In time, she may come to respect us for reasons not associated with wariness,” Daemon explained carefully. “But her role--andours--mean that she must not be our unconditionally, loyal friend. She rightly intends to do all she can to keep us in line and make it so those that come after her have as good a hand as possible. I have no doubt she will like you, Julian. But she can’t trust you.”

Julian nodded. “I’m not human anymore.”

“No.”

“I’m not on her side.”

“No.”

“I have to protect Vampires first and then humans second?” Julian asked this as a question.

“In a way, protecting humanityisprotecting Vampires. We need them to survive. They willwantwhat we have, but they do not need us,” Daemon clarified.

Julian looked out at the ghost figure of President Jameela Arnold. He let out a huff of breath and smiled.

“So she really is the right person for the right time,” Julian said as he nodded.

“Indeed. I would like to offer her to join the Vampire ranks, but I think… I think she would refuse. Though we shall see,” Daemon said.

The “ghosts” of the future changed. Other world leaders appeared before them in all of their resplendent garb. Elected or royal. Democratic or autocratic. All of them came. Julian recognized some of them. He gave Daemon a brief overview of all he knew, but admitted he didn’t know enough.

“The Eyros gift will take us far, but we will need to know far more than what one individual understands,” Daemon agreed.

Then it came back to President Arnold again. While they were seeing her here in the throne room, it was clear to him that they were in another room where they were all seated. On the same level. There were computers and tablets in front of the humans. Reams of paper were sorted and put in folders.

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