Page 32 of Because the Night

Samuel’s tongue plays behind his cheek. “The largest family in Russia was dissatisfied with their hunting grounds. They decided they needed more and turned their eyes to our fair city. Lev, the heir, was in charge of the operation. He had the money to buy a large following among the greedy and stupid. Then bolstered those numbers with newborns, and lots of them. All of those creatures out on the streets every night, causing bedlam and killing indiscriminately. Within no time at all, L.A. was in turmoil. The families had no choice but to send out their guards night after night to deal with the troublemakers.”

“And that’s when Lev tried to take them out?” asks Lucas.

“Yes.” Samuel stares out at nothing. “He succeeded in destroying several of the midsize families. There were also attempted hits on Archie, Javier, and Rose. The board was hastily convened, and they didn’t trust each other. It seemed unlikely they’d agree on anything. But the cull went ahead simply because they were so desperate for a solution. Lev, unfortunately, managed to escape the city and avoid being caught.”

“I was this close to waking you, Father,” says Henry, holding two fingers half an inch apart. “It was a shitshow.”

Lucas frowns. “L.A. is a long way from Russia.”

“The old ones love a land grab. You know that. And a juicy big war always staves off the boredom for a while.”

“Why hold on to all of these rules and regulations for thirty years?” asks Lucas.

“You have to understand, what happened here in the nineties wasn’t unique,” says Samuel. “The vampire population had gotten out of hand everywhere. There were more of us than could safely share this world and its hunting grounds. To compound the problem, we’d gotten soft. The age of science made it easier to survive for a time. Humans became more rational thinkers, and no longer listened to the old stories. Many turned their backs on religion and those who would have warned them of things that go bump in the night. But there were also fewer of them for a while. A hundred-million lives were lost in the human wars of the last century. It’s just as well; they fuck like rabbits and multiply quickly.”

Henry plays a couple of bars of some piece at an up-tempo speed. His take on classical porn music, perhaps.

“But more importantly, technology changed. Governance changed. People don’t tend to go missing anymore without any follow-up from the authorities. There are fingerprint and DNA databases.”

“Henry explained to me about how far science has come,” says Lucas. “It doesn’t surprise me humans carry their individuality even into their blood. Any vampire could have told you as much.”

“And it’s not just DNA,” Samuel continues. “Cameras are everywhere, and the methods of tracking us plentiful. Our race can’t afford to have fools or careless newborns running around exposing us all to risk. The world is much more dangerous for vampires than it used to be,” says Samuel. “We weren’t the only ones to decide on population measures. Many families forbade the making of newborns and formed packs to destroy any creatures who strayed into their territories. Wars over hunting grounds broke out everywhere. Most families were diminished. Some were even wiped out entirely.”

“These are dangerous times. A fool sat on a beach in Ibiza last year, waiting for the sun to come up. Broadcast it live on social media for all the world to see. It was written off as a stunt to promote a new horror movie. Lucky our bodies turn to ash and leave no evidence.” Henry starts playing a piece by Chopin. “The nineties were a purge for our kind. There are guesses that our population dropped by almost seventy percent.”

“Is that still happening?” asks Lucas.

“No. At least, not to the same degree,” says Henry. “By the time the new century came around, our numbers were sufficiently lowered enough for everyone to relax. But from the reports I’ve received, the world out there still isn’t as cushy as it once was, Father.”

“We should have talked about this earlier,” chides Lucas.

Henry sags on the piano seat. “I only just got you back. Forgive me if I wanted a few nights of fun before detailing the many ways in which the world went to shit while you were sleeping.”

Lucas rests an arm on the back of the chaise and toys with the end of my ponytail. Picking up a lock of hair and winding it around his finger. This is odd behavior, to say the least. We’re not touchy-feely friends. We’re not even friends. Though, this seems like a serious conversation that is best not interrupted. I, therefore, give him the side-eye, but keep my mouth shut. My boot, however, shifts nervously against the Persian rug at my feet. Tonight, my body wants to move; sitting still sucks. I’m like a restless child.

“Why are you here, Samuel?” asks Lucas. “What do you want?”

“You have to take Archie’s seat,” he answers. “Anything else will make the board look weak and leave them open to challenge. You would be forcing them to move against you. As you can imagine, the laws have been unpopular. The board has alreadypublicly committed to a lessening of them, along with reducing the presence of board members’ guards on the streets. But Lev has been sighted in Seattle. We know his family didn’t take well to his failure here. And the mess that is now your territory would appeal to anyone looking for a place to start some trouble.”

“The house on Lake Como is lovely this time of year,” says Henry. “Or the penthouse in Copenhagen. Fuck it. Even the draughty old castle in Scotland would be tolerable given the circumstances. Just in case anyone was wondering what I was thinking.”

“The fact is, you weren’t here to help sort shit out when we could have done with assistance, Lucas,” says Samuel, in a brusque tone. “If you’re going to stay in this town, you need to step up. We don’t want another cull. But if Lev, once again, starts causing chaos, we may not have a choice.”

“What’s happening with Archie’s family, now that he’s gone?” asks Lucas, changing the subject.

“Some have gone into hiding. Some are being absorbed into other families,” reports Samuel. “But even with his group diminished, one of Archie’s guards, Joshua, is making a move. There are rumors that he was the family assassin, but we’re having trouble confirming that. I find it unlikely, since my sources have confirmed that it was he who ordered the hit on you last night outside that club.”

“Why not do it himself, if he’s really the assassin?” asks Lucas.

“That’s my thought.”

“Wait. Someone named Josh tried to kill us?” asks Henry archly. “Are you serious?”

Samuel shrugs.

“Oh, his head is fucking mine. Like hell I’ll have aJoshpaying people to take shots at us.”

Lucas holds up a hand for silence. The one that isn’t busy playing with my hair. He pauses for a moment before saying, “I don’t remember anyone of that name being particularly close to Archie. Was he the designated heir? Did he inherit the family money?”

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