Dark Liaison (First 10 Chapters)

“I can’t believe Jalmari was able to convince him,” I mumbled.

Jesu chuckled. “It was not easy, but it helped that Sweden had recently come out of a long war with the Kalmar Union. They had just gained their independence and were trying to rebuild. The last thing Charles needed was a vampyre threat, so he cooperated. Unfortunately, the agreement did not last. The humans chosen to help us were Charles’ knights and they did not trust us. Plus they aged and died so much faster than we did. It was a hassle trying to convince each new generation. Jalmari gave up until the late 1700s when he heard of a scientist named Carl Linnaeus. Carl was fascinated by our kind and understood our dilemma. It was Carl who thought of the name and officially established the Reclusive Eternal Dragons as a secret fraternity of men specially trained and dedicated to our cause. Now there are R.E.D. branches established all over the world with many divisions and networks all working in secret.”

When Jesu finally paused, I realized I could feel the strain in my brow. That’s how wide and taut my eyes were. I shook myself and then leaned my elbows on the counter with a huff.

Never mind the fact that yet another semester of my college years was blown to smithereens by what Jesu just said.

“You do not believe me,” he teased.

“What’s not to believe? A secret society of humans that work for vampyres—” “No.” Jesu’s voice was stern. “They do not work for us, they work with us.”

My brow lifted. “What’s the difference?”

“There is a delicate balance of laws between the R.E.D. officials and all the Major clans.

Remember that small group of very powerful humans that run the R.E.D.? They comply only for the safety of their species, as we comply for the safety of ours. The sole reason the fraternity is successful is because both sides realize the level of chaos that will follow if either side were to breach those laws.”

“Right. So the R.E.D. keeps vampyres and vampires a secret by providing them with fancy hotels and co-species night clubs like the one Jalmari took me to?”

Jesu frowned. “Club Korento is solely my brother’s idea of a fun investment. But yes, the R.E.D. provides our kind with many services. They aid the locals in housing, finding third-shift jobs, animal and human donor blood, relocation, any number of things that might prove difficult to come by without giving ourselves away to the public.”

“And all we have to do is keep our true natures a secret?”

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