Vampire High Council

A mortal writer is introduced to Immortals and clans of vampires who live and work worldwide among humans

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Without taking his eyes off Demetrius, Chance asked in an icy cold voice, "Do I have the High Council's permission to fight these men, to kill them if it is necessary?" After a minute of rapid-fire talk, the High Council agreed by a show of hands that Chance could fight the three men to the death. He bowed to the High Council then he turned and stared at Wolfric and Diego. "I've already accepted your challenges so why don't you go and use Illya's family chapel to tell your God that you're coming and prepare yourselves for the journey." He grinned, making some in the audience shudder. "I'm going to kill both of you so fast God won't even know you're dead, and two minutes after I've killed you two, Demetrius will be right behind you, meeting Lucifer himself in Hell." Wolfric and Diego were like statues, afraid to say anything or even look at each other, but Demetrius moved into the en garde position and stared at Chance over the point of his sword. His face was distorted by a sneer, but he looked confident and very sure of himself. Wolfric finally glanced at Demetrius, saw no help there, and turned to face Chance. He tried to be stoic and put on a brave front, but his voice broke when he said, "No ... No. I can't accept your offer ... I can't." He also moved into the en garde position, but his moves weren't as confident or as smooth as Demetrius' had been. A second later, Diego swallowed heavily and said, "I can't accept your offer." He brought his sword up into the en garde position and tried to stare at Chance over the point of his sword like Demetrius was doing, but he couldn't bring it off because his sword arm was trembling too much. "Then expect no quarter," Chance said and again bowed to the three of them. He brought up his sword into the en garde position, then he moved so quickly that no one watching realized that he'd moved until there was a loud clang as Demetrius parried his lunge. He and Demetrius exchanged a rapid series of six or seven lunges and parries before he stepped away from Demetrius in time to see Diego and Wolfric coming at him from either side of Demetrius. He surprised the men by moving forward to engage all three of them, and he and his sword were a blur as he spun and danced around them, one second parrying a move by Diego, the next lunging at Wolfric, then blocking a move by Demetrius. He lunged and parried, thrust and blocked their every move and seemed to be toying with them, exposing his neck or side, then blocking a thrust or dancing out of harm's way before a sword could come near his body.

About the Author

Sam Shafer is a bachelor and a baby-boomer who has spent most of his life in the area around Kansas City, Missouri, but in his teens and 20s he spent ten years on the motorcycle circuit racing all over the Midwest. Since he gave up motorcycle racing, he has spent the last 28 years working as a master taxidermist, artifact trader, and dealer. He just recently turned to writing screenplays and novels and is currently working on the sequel to 'Vampire High Council'. Dennis Logan Miller is a twice-married, twice-divorced baby-boomer and U.S. Navy veteran who grew up in Kansas City, Missouri but spent most of his adult life living overseas and in other parts of the U.S. He has worked as a photographer, an electronics technician, a technical manager, an F.C.C. compliance technician, and in sales and marketing. He has been a writer for most of his life but 'Vampire High Council' is his first published work. He is currently working with Sam Shafer on the sequel to 'Vampire High Council'. The authors would like to hear what you think of 'Vampire High Council' and comments may be sent via e-mail to '[email protected]'

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