"Gabriel," The man started.

"Mystery Man," Gabriel replied, trying to be funny with his first response.

"I have a name," the man aggressively retorted.

"Then I suggest you share with the rest of the cla.s.s," Gabriel continued, "Unless you want me to keep making them up as we go."

"You can call me Clive," the man informed him, as he s.h.i.+fted in his seat a bit.

"Well Clive," Gabriel said, not caring if the name was fake or not, "Maybe you can tell me what has gotten everyone so nervous around here?"

"We've been getting reports from the west coast since hostilities began," Clive said, not breaking eye contact to see Gabriel's response. "New Lycan has chosen to remain neutral while the west fights it out for whatever the h.e.l.l they're fighting over."

"Water, oil, land," Gabriel guessed, "Some things will never change."

"Regardless," Clive said, as he obviously didn't give a s.h.i.+t. "We got reports that a lookout was attacked by something that was supernatural. Since it wasn't us, we suspected that the only thing just as fast that could have done it was a Vampire. That suspicion was confirmed when we realized that one of the soldiers had been drained. Since you're one of only four Vampires living in this area, it makes you one of our top suspects."

"You're only tracking four of us?" Gabriel said, smiling back at Clive.

"I know you fly in that direction often," Clive noted, "We have scouts that spotted someone fitting your description going there a few times in the last several months. Do you deny being out there?"

"I do not," Gabriel answered, "I have friends over there that I met when I used to work as a private messenger. I like to visit them and make sure they and their families are doing alright. Last time I checked it's not a crime to fly out to visit a friend on the coast."

"It is a crime to murder someone." Clive replied.

"Someone should take that up with California," Gabriel retorted, "Because they murdered a lot of people a few nights ago."

"So you were there?" Clive asked.

"Yes, I was." Gabriel answered, "I watched those punks from the coast knock down Denver's walls and then let the undead do their dirty work for them. It was quite an act of cowardice if you ask me."

"What about the girl," Clive continued, "Is she from Denver?"

"She is not," Gabriel denied. "She resides in a small village south of here. I found her being attacked by the undead and rescued her. We've been friends ever since."

"Vampires don't have friends!" Clive corrected him.

"I have a lot of friends," Gabriel replied, "I'm a very social kind of Vampire, like the ones you read in books."

"So that's your game," Clive said, figuring things out. "You cut deals with humans so you can feed without risking infection. It's quite clever."

"The humans I work with are better off as well," Gabriel added, "I like to think the deals as you call them are beneficial for all involved."

"Alright," Clive said as he stood up, "I'm not judging. We've all done questionable things to get by in this new world."

"Says the man that eats the undead for breakfast." Gabriel shot back.

"Now who's judging?" Clive asked as he turned his back on Gabriel. "Let's get back on topic. I a.s.sume you had this deal with someone that lived in Denver?"

"I had an arrangement, yes." Gabriel answered. It wasn't true, but it seemed like the best way to go. Using his momentum and just agreeing with stuff that was more convenient made him look more honest than he was being.

"So that's why you were there?" Clive inquired.

"We keep in contact and we lost contact," Gabriel answered, "I knew tensions were high so after several days without hearing anything, I flew over there to check up on them. They were in trouble so I evacuated them out of the city."

"Is that why you attacked the convoy?" Clive asked.

"Yes," Gabriel replied, "They were blocking our escape. The last time I checked my friends and I have a right to defend ourselves. They were being the aggressors. If they didn't want to die, they should have stayed in California."

"So you admit to killing them all?" Clive asked.

"I admit to defending my friends," Gabriel corrected, "As someone who is old enough to remember the old wars, the rules go out the window when the s.h.i.+t is. .h.i.tting the fan. Compared to the genocide that California committed, what I did pales in comparison. Are you worried that they think you did it?"

"Some of us are," Clive confessed, "Mostly because California is in the dark about most of us living out here. We preferred to keep it that way."

"They're going to find out eventually," Gabriel said, "Wouldn't you prefer to do it now when you can control the narrative rather than when California tries to march on what they think is St. Louis?"

"Do you really think that will happen?" Clive countered.

"Honesty? No, I don't." Gabriel answered, "Denver was about water and electricity. They have no reason to keep moving forward. They don't have the numbers or the equipment to move east and I doubt they'd want to if they knew who was really inhabiting some of the cities now. There's no need to hide what you are, the truth will keep them in check."

"That's not my decision to make," Clive said as he sat back down. "But it's something that's being considered."

"Like I said, you might want to move fast." Gabriel repeated, "Unless you want their first contact to be with say... New Salem?"

"That's not funny," Clive hissed back at Gabriel, "Don't even joke about those despicable hags. Besides, they're not the kind to reach out and open lines of communication."

"How the h.e.l.l would you know?" Gabriel asked, "When was the last time you talked to a witch?

"I haven't," Clive answered, "And New Lycan hasn't had any talks with the witched in over twenty years. We prefer to keep our distance."

"I'm well aware of that," Gabriel replied, "I'm not fond of them either."

"Something we agree on," Clive said, smirking. "We're making progress."

"Well, I'm happy for you." Gabriel said, standing up. "But I'm kinda finished here. I have business that I need to finish before heading back."

"Back where?" Clive asked, curious about it.

"I have a place in what used to be Nashville." Gabriel answered, "But I'll drop the lady off in her town before I fly back there."

"I see," Clive said, thinking about it. "I'd like to let you go, but we've been asked to hold onto you until..."

"Until what?" Gabriel asked, his patience wearing thin.

"Someone wants to speak to you," Clive replied, "And I'm sure he's not fond of your actions in Colorado anymore than we are."

"I don't care," Gabriel chided back, "I don't answer to anyone."

"That appears to be the problem," A voice called out as the door opened.

Gabriel turned around and couldn't believe who was standing there. He cleared his voice and stood up straight. "Cornelius."

"h.e.l.lo brother," the big vampire replied as he strolled into the room. All the wolves in the room backed away as Gabriel's older brother intimidated them all. Until he entered the room, Clive was the tallest man there, but he dwarfed even that Lycan by at least a foot. "You've been very busy around here."

"So I've been told," Gabriel said, as he wasn't standing down like the rest of the Lycans in the room. He had seen this act before and knew better, especially since he'd been watching Cornelius do this for hundreds of years.

Cornelius was like a peac.o.c.k strutting feathers, but it was very effective. His broad shoulders and thick neck scared the c.r.a.p out of everyone. He was also well known around the world as the most powerful vampire on the planet, and the fact he was there in New Lycan wasn't a good sign. Cornelius would only leave Europe for one reason: to serve the will of the Transylvanian council. The likely sent him there to deal with Gabriel, which was a good choice since Cornelius had a knack for getting on his nerves.

"Not here to visit I a.s.sume?" Gabriel asked.

"Correct," Cornelius replied, "The council is not happy."

"They never are." Gabriel added, "So why bother trying to please them?"

"You're not required to please them," His brother corrected, "But I would recommend not p.i.s.sing them off."

"I don't answer to the council," Gabriel repeated. "I stopped a.s.sociating with them a very long time ago."

"I remember," Cornelius concurred, "But this incident in Denver has caused problems, and you'll have to answer for it."