CHAPTER NINEThe NecropolisMr. Cillian’s officewas unbelievably posh and impossibly clean. Large, open drapes bordered the windows, and the immense oak desk looked as though it had not shed a single splinter. The walls were covered with finely-framed photos of Mr. Cillian shaking hands with famous thespians, grinning jovially at the camera. In the corner of the room, a gramophone blared a fluffy tune.Mr. Cillian sat at his desk, a tarp draped over him from the neck down. A Reaper held a looking glass before Mr. Cillian’s face, which at first glance looked alarmingly tumescent. Then I saw the razor in his hand, and realized the puffiness was from shaving cream. His face was simply so white and pasty that the cream was indistinguishable from it. As he slid the razor down his cheek, it looked as though he was removing a layer of skin.I was made to sit in an armchair in front of his desk. Crude and moth-eaten, my chair felt out of place in the otherwise pristine office. Mr. Ci
CHAPTER TENLe Boudoir des TénèbresYou Are Provided For Now!: A Notice From Rupert WaltersOne of Queen Isabelle’s first decrees has been that each and every immortal in England is to be guaranteed sustenance. If you are an immortal who lacks a source of blood, this can be remedied by going to the nearest Accommodation Center. While you are there, you may also request that your children attend one of our official schools, where the comprehensive curriculum comes with the Crown’s seal of approval.One may also seek out private blood merchants, who are known to offer particularly sought-after years and ethnicities.If you are a vampire who owns servants, you may wonder how an Accommodation Center will be of use to you. While it is perfectly legal to feed on your own servants, it can be easy to forget to pull away, and drain your servants to their expiration point. This is exceedingly impolite, and an immortal who does this regularly will not be thought of as a respectable gentleman
CHAPTER ELEVENThe EucharistThere was bloodin the Thames.I stared out at the river’s crimson waves as Salem and I rode to Buckingham Palace several hours after our visit to Le Boudoir des Ténèbres.“Sloppy work if you ask me,” said Salem. “I’m not even sure it was intentional. All the newlydeads want to become ritualists, but they certainly don’t all have the predisposition.”“It’s only been a week,” I said quietly. “Only a week, and already the Thames is red ... ”“This is part of why we didn’t attempt the Nightfall sooner,” said Salem. “We didn’t want countless impatient youths trying rituals at once. I spent years learning to control my thoughts and emotions before attempting a single spell. Most new apprentices don’t even meditate, much less consider magic’s nobler uses.”“And what uses would these be?”He chuckled, as if embarrassed to say it out loud. “I believe rituals have the potential to make the world a utopia.”“A utopia?” I repeated. “You call
CHAPTER TWELVESecrets ShedI waited forSalem in the entrance hall for hours, sitting on a divan, too restless to read. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried, in spite of things.I still didn’t know what to think about our attackers. They’d been killing demons, whom I might have considered my enemies ... but I’d been running for my life as well. And how did I know that all the demons in that room were truly loyal? Some may have been merely hiding their protests, as I had been.Still, the memory of the mysterious rebels did not unsettle me nearly so much as that of Queen Isabelle. Though I was no longer in her presence, the dark queen had left a mark on me, and her glamour was not easily shaken away.I found myself staring into a glass, debating whether I was beautiful enough to compete against Isabelle. The longer I gazed, the less alluring my reflection seemed, until I felt no more confident than I had as a mortal. My breasts were too large, my hips were too w
CHAPTER THIRTEENVisceral DreamsLilitu Feeding Etiquette: An F.A.Q. From Rupert WaltersThere seems to be a great deal of confusion about the niceties of lilitu feeding etiquette, and I have been asked to provide clarification. I will attempt to be as polite as possible while answering the common questions below, but the nature of the subject means that ladies of tender dispositions may wish to read with caution.Q: Is the consumption of venereal fluids necessary for lilitu to survive?A: Not precisely. Lilitu feed on erotic energy, which is derived most efficiently through the consumption of fresh venereal fluids. However, dreamfeeding demonstrates that it is possible for lilitu to gain sustenance without exposure to their partner’s physical form.Q: How long can lilitu go without feeding?A: Lilitu take between two weeks and a month to starve to death. An incubus must release his seed at least once a week, or it will build up inside him, leading to insanity, followed by death
CHAPTER FOURTEENDecadence & DeceptionIn the dream, I flew down to a pasture. I landed, searching for Sven, but the grass was so tall and dense that he would have remained concealed even right beside me. I knew I could remove the grass from the dream, but I didn’t. Sven wanted it this way. It was a test.The slash came swiftly from behind, chopping away some of my hair. I spun around, blade at the ready, only to find more grass, swaying in the wind.Expecting Sven to circle around me, I pivoted back and sniffed the air. The wind blew scents of grass, dirt, trees—and the sweaty, blood-thick odor of Sven’s body. His scent was more pungent to my left.I swung my sword.Sven ducked, then lunged towards me with his wristblades.I brought my sword up, stopping him mid-slash with a clang, but Sven did not withdraw. He pushed down against my blade, eyes glowing with wicked glee. We both knew that dying here would mean nothing more than waking up; he had no reason to hold back. By t
CHAPTER FIFTEENThe Ring & The RatsThere are those who say that England has experienced nothing but improvement since the Nightfall. Immortals say this because they are eager deny their culpability, and then mortals parrot it because they’re too frightened to acknowledge that their masters are no longer human. They freeze whenever they see a well-dressed, sharp-toothed gentleman walking down the street, a skeletal escort at either side of him. But when asked, they will say they are loyal to the Crown, and in awe of the divine powers their new masters possess. If servants are lazy or disobedient, they are lashed. Sometimes, they are lashed merely because their masters feel like it. Young women, even ones with children, may be purchased by incubi, who will rape them to death, then devour their bodies to avoid the scandal. Satyr priests are often given charge of the resulting orphans, and raise them to please their betters.All satyrs, it is said, have a connection to Black Heav
CHAPTER SIXTEENDartmoorSalem gripped myshoulders and grinned, but the distance in his eyes hadn’t gone away. “I must go to them. Tomorrow. Yes.”Oblivious to my fear, he collapsed backwards onto his pillow, and fell asleep once more.I was far too nervous to do the same. I needed answers. So I returned to the library, found the book from before, and continued reading from where I’d left off:The Viscera Sisters are known for establishing trios, finding each other by scent. After a trio has been formed, they may be claimed.Claiming the first Viscera Sister grants a ritualist the power to perform rituals instantly, without the need of a blood circle.Claiming the second sister grants the power to draw strength from an unusual form of energy, such as laughter, jealousy, or madness.Claiming the third sister allows for the creation of familiars, from which a ritualist may draw further power, and even new limbs to sacrifice instead of his own.The result will cause the man