Fall of a Deity .x. Prologue Part 2

Night came early in the Arctic, perhaps for the sole purpose that the sun’s rays did not even reach the barren land at the present time of year. Regardless of the lack of danger for the vampire, Cairo did not venture out onto the deck of the Lucretia again until two nights layer. A top hat tilted over his eyes, shadowing the glare of a predator seeking out his prey. Delphine’s arm was wrapped in his own, yet it was obvious that the younger vampire was seeking other company as well. After several steps, she tipped onto her toes as she tried to peer over the crowd of passengers. Delphine’s stormy grey eyes were large and questioning. She looked like a little bird with a string tied to her foot, constantly trying to flitter away. Cairo held her fast though. His grip alone was surprisingly strong, and he managed to keep the other vampire close. A pout caught Delphine’s face as she tried to pull away, and found herself restricted. An eyebrow arched suggestively over Cairo’s startling cobalt eyes as he noticed other vampiric activity on the deck of the cruise ship.

There was a hopeless quality towards Danae as she leaned against the railing of the deck. Brilliant golden eyes scarcely blinked as she stared out into the depths of the Arctic Ocean. Her head tilted to the side, moving gently to imitate the waves breaking against the bow of the ship. Her smooth hand gently trailed over the rusting rail of the deck. Danae slid her hand down, and firmly gripped at the upper railing. The vampire closed her fist, only to hear the rigid sound of crumpling metal. “Where is he?” A high pitched child like voice interrupted her thoughts. Danae blinked once as she slowly turned around. Her golden eyes opened to glare at Delphine who was standing behind her, anxiously tapping her foot. Cairo hovered in the background, in some pathetic excuse for a conversation. Danae’s glare fixated on Delphine. Loathing caught her facial features. It was clear that Danae felt beyond hatred for the younger vampire. They had a past, a history that would have been ill fated not to have been documented. Delphine was the very reason Danae was infamous, and had retreated to become the first known aquatic vampire. The elder vampire saw Delphine’s presence as a blasphemous curse.

“Who?” The vampire snarled. Danae’s voice was cold and abrupt. Delphine wrinkled her nose in an aggravated manner as she began to stomp her feet. “I hear voices in my head, voices that have only sung since I’ve almost been dead. They say you took him away! They say you maimed him, and mauled him, and now he’s with them!” Delphine screamed. Danae looked down at the other vampire in a very calm and collected manner. She wasn’t phased at all by Delphine’s fury. “You didn’t answer the question.” Danae responded. Delphine’s eyebrows furrowed. The vampire’s stormy grey eyes flashed malevolently. “You know who I mean! I smell his blood on you, you reek of the stench! Danae, you murderer!” Delphine hollered at the top of her lungs. Her voice had cracked, yet she continued to scream. The shouts from the apparent little girl had caught the attention of several passengers aboard the deck. “You took something from me; this is my gift in return.” Danae muttered under her breathe.

Murderer. The word echoed clearly in his mind. Delphine had screamed it, and had clearly attracted unwanted attention. Though Cairo knew that humans weren’t very intelligent, it wouldn’t take long to figure out the truth about their strange company if Delphine kept dropping hints. He couldn’t concentrate. The vampire was trapped in a crowd of people whom he had wished to familiarize with. Killers weren’t people you knew. Cairo was aware people rationalized that way, and the general thought would have come in handy. The crowd’s talk had changed from fine wine to the little girl throwing a tantrum on the deck. The vampire was glad that they were still blinded by Delphine’s appearance of youth. “You know how children are. Always angry when they don’t get their way, shouting nonsense.” Cairo broke into the conversation. Several people were quick to agree. “Yes, she does look like a spoiled one. It’s silly bringing a child on a cruise like this.” One voice responded. “That’s right; it’s too cold for children in the Arctic. She must have been very upset, to have been dragged along by her parents most likely.” Another person said. “Not that she needs sympathy though, I mean, look at the ruckus she is causing.” The person who had first spoken argued. “Yes, a definite ruckus. I’ll go and see if she can be silenced.” Cairo interrupted. He was gone from the crowd before the breeze had even caught the flap of his long coat.

The vampire’s hands clenched into fists. Delphine held them fiercely at her sides, clamping onto the fabric of her party dress. She held back from striking out at Danae. “You killer! You butcher! You’re a wench Danae! A wretch, a waste of eternity!” Delphine screamed. Danae held back a chuckle. “Such feisty words from a little girl. You better hold that tongue of yours, because you aren’t ready to get off the porch and play with the big dogs just yet.” Danae replied coldly. “The big dogs? You’re just another bitch Danae!” Delphine shrieked. The young vampire’s words seemed to have struck a nerve within Danae. Her scowl turned violent. Elongated fangs pulled into view as she parted her jaws in a snarl. Cairo had intervened before Danae had a chance to approach Delphine. He caught the other vampire around the wrists, and forced her back into the railing of the deck. With the weight of his body, Cairo kept Danae trapped between him and the rickety railing. He could feel the metal bend beneath their weight, and wasn’t sure how long it would last. Cairo turned his head to catch the lilting sound of Delphine’s laughter. The mesmerizing chuckle only caused Danae to struggle fiercely. “The white rabbit is grinning; I can hear his teeth chatter. That’s right; she needs punishment, not your pity. She killed him, she killed Nathan!” Delphine hollered.

The death had not surprised Cairo. He had purposely set Nathan up to tend for Danae. The vampire had been weak, and Nathan would have been an easy slaughter. It was Delphine’s reaction to the death that surprised Cairo. Cobalt blue eyes narrowed at her open screams. He had a feeling Delphine didn’t care if they were caught anymore. She was a child that lost all reason when she was angry. Cairo was furious in return. Had he not still held Danae pinned against the railing, the vampire would have lunged at the other female. He growled roughly. Cairo pushed his entire weight into Danae. He released one hand, and used it to claw out at Delphine and grab her. The vampire pulled Delphine into him. Cairo twisted Delphine’s arm backwards until she glared up at him in a pout. “She killed him.” Delphine snarled softly. “Just like you kill humans, you’re no better.” Danae interrupted coldly. Her voice was strained as she continued to unsuccessfully try and fight off Cairo.

“He’s still terrified, I can hear his screams. He cried out for mercy, didn’t he? He’s moaning in despair… will it ever get out of my head?” Delphine hollered. She brought her palms to clamp over her ears. The vampire slipped out of Cairo’s grip as she fell to her knees. Delphine bent her head down, and began to wince in pain. “His hatred, his screams, his curses… they’re all in my head!” Delphine moaned. Her words were choppy, and shot out between heavy breathes. The vampire leaned over entirely, until her head was cradled in her lap and she began to rock. Delphine’s eyes were closed. The vampire tore her hands away from her ears, and began to claw at her hair. Her fingernails became tangled in the blonde curls, yet she continued to pull. “Get him out!” She pleaded. Delphine sobbed into her lap as she shook.
Large golden eyes stared down at Delphine’s quivering body. Danae’s head tilted to glare at Cairo out of the corner of her metallic eyes. The other vampire was immersed in Delphine’s fit. Danae had little trouble taking advantage of the distraction. She brought her arm back. With one quick motion, Danae slammed her elbow into the side of Cairo’s jaw. As the vampire’s head was knocked back Danae crashed her palm into his temple, and kicked him cleanly in the stomach. As Cairo stumbled back, he grabbed Danae’s still outstretched foot and tore the vampire down with him in his fall. They both hit the solid ground of the deck with a thud. Delphine rolled over beside them. She lay flat on her back and twitched sharply. Cairo spun over to pin Danae beneath him. His weight pushed down into his hands to grip her shoulders in place. “What did you do to Nathan?” Cairo snarled roughly at her. Danae twisted sharply. She raised a leg to knock him directly in the spine with her knee from behind. Cairo’s entire body went momentarily limp. Danae stole charge of the situation and threw him off. The vampire hit the railing of the deck with a clang. “Killed him. What else did you expect?” Danae answered. Cairo got up on his hands and knees. “How did you kill him?” Cairo questioned her.

“I fed him daisies…. What do you think?” Danae quipped. Cairo lunged at Danae. The vampire rolled over on the deck. She narrowly avoided the attack. Cairo managed to grab hold of her arm. Danae attempted to tear it away, yet he held it fast. Cairo traced his forefinger over the exposed underside of her arm. “You didn’t feed on him though. You didn’t drink any of his blood Danae; you haven’t had a human’s blood in at least two weeks. The veins on your arm are exposed and shrunken. So how did you kill him then?” Cairo spoke aloud. Danae glared at him as she pulled her arm away. The vampire remained still on the deck though. Both lay on their backs, inches away from the convulsing Delphine, yet neither seemed to notice her anymore. “Playing detective are we? What does it matter?” Danae snapped. Cairo stared at her with startlingly bright blue eyes. “Obviously he died some other way. Was it tragic, extraordinary?” Cairo continued to question. “Neither. We were playing a game that spoiled his blood. I’m surprised the plaything of your little princess gave in so quickly.” Danae taunted. The vampire rolled over onto her stomach, but Cairo was faster to stand. He was on his feet, and gently pressing a foot down on her back before Danae could struggle away. Danae snarled out viciously. “What sort of game?” Cairo asked brazenly.

The vampire tried to roll over, yet Cairo kept his foot on her back. It seemed as if Danae was going to give in. She became generally still. “We played doctor.” Danae spat out. Before Cairo had time to arch an eyebrow, the vampire bit into his leg. Her two elongated fangs tore through his pants and into the skin beyond. Cairo lashed out in a mixture of surprise and pain. He accidentally kicked Danae in the throat, yet she managed to struggle away. “Sick of dancing around in circles for answers yet Cairo?” Danae snarled as she edged away towards the railing of the deck. “The music’s only just started though.” Cairo responded with a wide grin. Revealing his anger with Danae wouldn’t get him anywhere fast. “You sound just like her, your little pet.” Danae growled disgustedly. “Tell her when she wakes up that he didn’t scream for her. No, he didn’t remember her at all. In the beginning it was just a game. He didn’t like it when his supposed patient turned on him. That one fought back, wiry.” Danae said with a sadistic smirk. “In the end he screamed for me. I didn’t kill him though. I don’t care what she says. I gave him a box of needles, and I let him take his pick. I gave him a riddle, told him one would kill him instantly, two would numb the pain, and the rest would make it worse consecutively. He was an awful guesser. He went through at least six that only made it worse. After the first four, he said it felt like his arm was on fire and he couldn’t bear to stick them in anymore. The rest went in his neck. Even the last one, that one only went in half way before he went limp and it clattered to the ground.” Danae mused aloud in ecstasy. She grinned, and stared directly at Cairo. “So you see, I didn’t kill him.” Danae retorted thoughtfully.

He was shocked. Surprise didn’t explain what Cairo was feeling. “His death was traumatic. That must be why he’s stuck in Delphine’s head.” The vampire stammered. Danae only tilted her head to the side slowly. “I’m still in awe that you believe she sees half the things she rants and raves about. It’s all complete nonsense. They didn’t choose an innocent child when they turned her into a monster, they chose a mental case. The last thing she needed was to be set free as a vampire; she should have been locked up instead.” Danae responded coldly. Cairo fell silent. His head turned down as he glanced at Delphine’s limp body. She was still now, out cold. “So, why are you two on this cruise in the first place? Skip the lies about how the cold is good for her complexion.” Danae questioned in an agitated way. She stepped away from him to lean against the railing. The vampire was turned away from Cairo, and her listless golden eyes were watching the churning waves below. Cairo slowly walked up beside Danae. His coat nearly brushed against her as the vampire leaned against the deck not a pace away from Danae. His bright blue eyes remained on her the entire time. “You’ve missed a lot, living under the water and all. Sort of a shame really.” Cairo mused aloud. His voice was uncharacteristically gentle. “Tell that to that little tramp of yours lying on the ground. You bloody well know it’s her fault.” Danae snapped quickly. Cairo cleared his throat. It was a rough sound, much like the cogs of a clock clogging up and grinding into one another.

He shifted his weight as he leaned against the rickety railing on the deck. Cairo chose to ignore Danae’s comment about Delphine. He had been waiting for the opportune moment to explain things to her, and this was it. Spoiling it with banter about the past before he could catch her attention would ruin it. “There’s trouble brewing, lots of things have been going on. It could take a while.” Cairo baited the trap. Danae turned her head to look directly at him. “Well then, start talking.” The vampire replied coolly. Cairo barely held back the grin that tried to surface. “Our little history lesson begins with the largest documented vampire cult in North America. You know of the one I mention, not more than a century ago you walked amidst the crowds as an honorary member.” Cairo began. Danae’s golden eyes narrowed in disgust at his words. “Like every cult, ours has a god, a deity that every member worships. Ours was Vora. She is the oldest documented vampire, the founder of the cult, and disputably one of the original creators of the vampire species itself. Everyone has always been under the impression that vampires are immortal. Until now that is. For an unknown reason, it seems Vora is fading away. Her powers are draining; she can barely kill without aide. The only deity that the cult has ever known is dieing.” Cairo explained. The vampire paused for dramatic effect. Danae was simply staring at him now. “That’s not possible. Vampires live forever. She can’t be dieing.” Danae objected quickly. Cairo nodded slowly. “That’s what we thought. We only believe that vampires are immortal though because we have been told so by older vampires. Maybe like all beings on this Earth, the monsters too have an expiration date. There may have been vampires older than Vora, but they are gone now. Perhaps they died out in secrecy, just like our god is doomed to. They say it could take anywhere from 5 years, to just over half a century. She is slowly dieing, that much is certain. Some vampires in the cult seem eager to speed up the process.” Cairo said slowly.

It was Danae’s turn to be shocked. The vampire was still for close to a minute as she attempted to absorb the information. In the end, Danae only shook her head. “It still doesn’t make sense, I mean… isn’t anyone trying to find out exactly how Vora is dieing? We’re in a modern age; there is more than enough technology to solve the problem.” Danae mused aloud. Cairo nodded gently as he coaxed her into the idea. “Of course there is enough technology, but no one has made it a top priority to find out exactly why Vora’s dieing. The entire vampire species drastically craves a change. With the most influential vampire in history out of the way and another one to take her place, that change is now impossible not to occur. No one cares that Vora is dieing, already the campaign for the next god to be set in place in the cult has begun.” Cairo explained. Danae was silent again for several long seconds. “That’s where the options come in. As far as everyone is concerned, the next deity must be a son or daughter of Vora. In other words, they must have been turned into a vampire by the dark goddess herself.” Cairo continued. Danae arched an eyebrow slowly in confusion. “Well if Vora is the oldest documented vampire, wouldn’t that mean that she would have created hundreds of vampires over the centuries?” Danae cut in hesitantly.

She was interacting, asking questions, and seemingly interested. Everything was working perfectly. Cairo knew it would not take much more of an explanation to coax Danae into helping him. “That would be correct, except for the fact that the hundreds of vampires she had created over the centuries do not all exist now. Over 2,000 years ago around the time when Christianity was just beginning, the vampire species was overpopulated and weak. Many of the older vampires had fed and turned humans into their kind without a second thought. The cult began to lose power with hundreds of small groups of vampires springing up in any populated area. That’s when Vora became angry. She declared the Cleansing. It surpassed any human known action in brutality. The Crusades, the witch burnings, the atom bombs were nothing compared to the actions that the god brought out on her own children. Bounties were set on the heads of every vampire that did not obey the cult. Vampires were mutilated, maimed, decapitated and obliterated in ghastly ways by their own kind. They were chained underground in prisons with macabre torture sessions that were meant to last for centuries. Over the twenty three year process, over three quarters of the entire vampire race was destroyed. The Cleansing resulted in the death of every direct descendant of Vora, except one. After that, the deity took greater care when she chose those to take up her direct bloodline. Up to the present date, there are only five existing children of the goddess.” Cairo explained. Danae was shocked. “That’s why they call our dear deity blood thirsty. She lost favour after the Cleansing. The vampires are eager for a change, and each of the five candidates offers just that.” Cairo continued.

It had been on the tip of her tongue; Cairo had only given it a full explanation. The Cleansing was legendary. Historical references simply could not agree on any one act of brutality, and thus any explanation of the Cleansing did not match others. Danae had been aware of the historical act that had occurred long before she had existed, yet now it made sense to the vampire. “The single descendant of Vora to survive the Cleansing, who was it?” Danae asked. “Salem. He is nearly as old as Vora herself, and the clear choice to become the next deity. The only problem is that most vampires detest Salem, and call him tame. Perhaps it is only because he is so ancient, but Salem pities humans. He only kills when he absolutely has to, and does it in the most painless ways possible. Salem exists for the sole purpose to keep Vora in check. If he became the next deity, it is feared that Salem would take the entire cult underground. There are some vampires that value his emotional outlook on life, however most believe he expresses his pain of immortality by being vile to other vampires.” Cairo commented. A humane vampire god wasn’t the smartest idea. Even Danae found that she disagreed with the obvious choice of Salem for the next deity of the cult.

“The second oldest child of Vora is the exact opposite of Salem. Lynx was created in Romania around 1,800 years ago. She is a vampire bent on pure power. She experienced the brutality of the barbarians invading her town and tearing it apart, only to have vampires mangle the remains. The only fight Lynx is rumoured to have ever lost was the one to Vora, where the deity tore into the female and turned her into a vampire. Her fighting skills have made the vampire infamous. Lynx is a clear choice, however some vampires fear she is too malicious and power hungry to become the next deity. Lynx exceeds Vora in cruelty, easily. Lynx would take the vampire cult to a new depth of evil that the race may just not be ready for yet.” Cairo continued. Danae nodded slowly, yet she was clearly uncertain. “Alright, so after Lynx, who comes next in line?” Danae asked. Her voice was calm. She could almost visualize Cairo’s answer before it left his lips. They were already discussing recent history, and she dreaded the answer with every bone in her body. “After Lynx, the vampire twins Catalina and Adair are next. I believe you know the story. Vora created Catalina in France in the late 1500’s. Catalina was beautiful, enchanting, the perfect specimen to turn into a predator. She was spoiled rotten, and still is for that matter. Catalina is smart enough to become the next deity; however she creates rifts like a teenaged clique princess in high school.” Cairo joked with a grin. Danae shot him a glare. “A what, in what school?” Danae snarled. “I forgot that you haven’t been out of the Arctic Ocean since before high school was invented. Never mind doll.” Cairo teased.

Her anger flared. Danae felt the urge to hit Cairo, and not stop until he went numb from the pain. The vampire’s hand closed around the railing to avert her frustration. “Just… continue the history lesson.” Danae muttered coldly. “Well basically everyone in the cult either worships Catalina or they hate her. Vora took Catalina to England two years later. By complete accident, it was there that Vora found Adair. The female was selling herself off back then, one night at a time. She was an exotic temptress, a wild animal that could not be understood or tamed. So Vora turned her into a real animal when she became a vampire. Adair and Catalina are often classified as the vampire twins, because they act like true siblings. They bicker like sisters. Two years is nothing to a vampire, and absolutely nothing compared to the centuries that separate the rest of Vora’s children. Adair is the wild card in this entire game. She’ll do anything to mess things up for everyone else. She’ll befriend, use, backstab, and destroy absolutely anyone just to stir things up. Adair doesn’t want to be the next deity at all; she just wants to ruin the opportunity for the other children of Vora. Since Adair does not want to become the next deity, she is easily the most useful ally any of the other four can gain. Unfortunately, it’s clear that Adair is going to play this out till the bitter end to get the most amusement out of it that she can.” Cairo persisted. Danae nodded. The vampire turned around so that she was leaning against the railing, and gazing out onto the deck of the ship. She glared down at Delphine’s still body. “Don’t tell me, that little corpse of a girl friend of yours is the fifth child of Vora.” Danae snarled.

He wasn’t sure how to respond. Cairo turned around slowly to gaze down at Delphine as well. She was resting now, almost peacefully. All of the colour drained from her cheeks made the young vampire look positively deceased. Cairo knew better. He tried to hold back a grin. “She’s not my girl friend.” He objected quickly. Danae rolled her golden eyes in annoyance. “Whatever. She is next in line though, isn’t she?” The vampire snapped. Cairo took a few seconds to respond. “Yes, Delphine is the fifth child of Vora. I’m sure you know most of her story. Catalina found Delphine around 80 years ago in the United States of America. Delphine was young, no more than 14 at the time. The little girl’s innocence drew Catalina towards her, and the vampire fed on Delphine. There was something about Delphine that intrigued Catalina. Instead of simply murdering her, she brought the girl to Vora. The deity had her own fun with Delphine for a while, for three years actually. For three years Vora got inside Delphine’s head and found out what made her tick, and then she tore it apart. The deity internally destroyed the little girl, and just when she contemplated suicide, our dark goddess turned Delphine into a vampire.” Cairo explained. His voice began to turn bitter and cold. “So your purpose in the Arctic is to help campaign so that Delphine can become the next deity.” Danae cut Cairo off. Her cold golden eyes rose to glare at the other vampire. “You should have known I won’t do anything to help her.” Danae growled. The vampire took a step away from Cairo and Delphine.

They had a strange relationship, or at least they once had. Now the thing between Cairo and Danae could barely even be called a relationship at all. “Her existence destroyed everything you had, and you’re going to help her? Let me be the one to give you a little history lesson Cairo, because I believe you have begun to forget where you came from.” Danae sneered. “Adair had not been a vampire for more than twenty years when she found us. She lingered in England some time after Vora left to give her space, and Adair found that she wanted vampire accompaniment. It was a stormy night, a masquerade ball held just for the fun of it. My mask had feathers, yours was barely a mask. We didn’t know each other, but something about the romance of dancing with a stranger made it all the more amusing. Adair was terribly mistaken when she thought that we were more than strangers though, and turned both of us into vampires that fatal night. We were three young vampires that took Europe as our playground for the next two hundred years. We moved to North America, and caused the chaos to stir there. As the daughter of a deity, the cult lay at Adair’s feet in worship. You and I were just pretty ornaments to string on a tree, decorations to make Adair seem all the more enticing. Catalina moved back to Canada over two hundred years later, and brought Delphine with her. Delphine destroyed the three of us. She tore us apart, was the reason I was banished from the cult, and enraged Adair enough that she returned to England alone.” Danae growled.

“So when Adair turned on us and I was forced to leave, who did you go to for solace? The very vampire that created our destruction!” Danae cursed. “Now, you want to help her?” Danae spat coldly. She moved away from Cairo on the deck as if she were disgusted by him. Her facial features shone with revulsion. Cairo took a slow step towards her. “You have more than enough reasons to harbour hatred for Delphine. I understand that, I do. She is not the reason that I am here though, you have things all wrong Danae. Let me explain.” Cairo persisted gently. He took a single step towards Danae. When the other vampire did not insist on moving away from him, Cairo decided to continue. “I’ve wronged you, I’m aware of that. This is our chance for things to return to the way they were. I do not have any intentions of Delphine becoming the next deity. She’s young, immature. The entire cult would have a rebellion against her. The entire reason I came to the Arctic was to find you. I’m going to do my best to make sure Adair becomes the next deity, but I’m going to need your help with that. When Adair takes over the throne Delphine, Catalina, Lynx and Salem will not matter anymore. It will be you and I Danae who will be the children of the dark goddess. We can be three vampire companions that will make North America our apocalyptic playground.” Cairo tried to coax Danae into the idea.

The vampire stared at Cairo sceptically. Cairo walked over to Danae and slowly took her hand. “We’ll get you out of these waters, and take North America by storm. I need you Danae, without you, this just will not work.” Cairo spoke gently. Surprisingly enough, Danae did not pull away from him just yet. “What about Delphine?” She asked doubtfully. Danae pulled her hand out of Cairo’s, although she did not move away. “She has no idea what’s going on. I’d like to keep it that way.” Cairo responded slowly. Danae turned her head to glance at him, grinning slightly. “Feel guilty do you?” The vampire teased darkly. Cairo’s startling blue eyes turned their gaze away from Danae. “I don’t know why, but I am starting to feel guilty. Not only for this, but all of what I’ve done to her. I just… used her.” Cairo muttered. The vampire turned away to lean against the railing. His arms clasped together as he glared out into the surface of the water over the edge of the ship. Danae arched an eyebrow in disbelief. “Don’t get all emotional on me now. What do you mean you used her?” Danae questioned slowly.

He sighed. Or at least the sound came out somewhat like a sigh, Cairo was out of practice. “I didn’t want things to turn out how they did. I assume you must know that, on some very deep level. Adair left furiously before anything could be mended. I couldn’t prevent your banishment without Adair. Delphine was my last resort. She was young, and naïve. She didn’t have a clue about what was going on, and that only made it easier to drag her around like a little doll and pretend that she was an accomplice of mine. Being with Delphine made me important because she was important. I’m starting to come around to the idea that she’s been aware that everything was all an act, and she just liked the attention, lies or not. This will be the final blow. I’ll really have to trespass Delphine to do this, but I’ve known from the beginning that she was just a temporary ally.” Cairo replied. His tone was vexed, and it was clear that the plan made him uneasy, even if it was his own. Cairo turned his head to look at Danae. “So yes, I feel guilty because I’ve grown attached to her over the last 80 years. It doesn’t matter though. If you agree to help, we’re doing this. The guilt will pass; I’ve long outgrown human emotions.” Cairo added. His words became more certain. Even if the vampire desperately wanted another way to get on the good side of Adair and Danae again, he knew it did not exist. He simply had to persuade himself that Delphine was everything to him that she was meant to be; absolutely nothing.

Cold golden eyes looked Cairo over uncertainly. “You said it yourself; Adair does not have any intention of being the next deity though.” Danae persisted. The vampire was still not sure she trusted that Cairo would betray Delphine, but that could be worked around. The plan was appealing, and the watery crypt of the Arctic Ocean was not as thrilling as it had once been. “We’ll let Adair have her fun with the other children of Vora. I’m sure as long as she’s allowed ample time to ruin things for them; she will come around when she realizes that we have set up everything for her to take over the throne.” Cairo explained. He grinned slightly. “Do you really think Adair will not become the next deity of the largest vampire cult in North America if we lay the cards out for her?” Cairo added, his tone lightening suggestively. Danae could not quite hold back a grin of her own. “Alright then, so it’s settled. I assume you’ll still have to pamper Delphine as usual, just as an alibi. It would arouse suspicion if everything changed suddenly.” Danae added less than whole heartedly. Cairo nodded. “So, shall we drink to it then? There’s an entire crew and shipload of patrons to satisfy a toast to our plot.” Danae purred. “We’ll drink to it until we soak the floor boards in blood.” Cairo agreed. Against the back drop of the Arctic Ocean the murder they went on to commit was almost beautiful, in some very strange and unnatural way.