February 2, 2002
Coralis was having lunch in the mezzanine of The Bloody Velvet, Veronica, Prince Hendrick and Eva.
"Something doesn't make sense. We all know King Matthew never got along with his brother Lucas, and we suspect Lucas of working with goblins. I do not understand why the EBEE is instructing me to inquire about the whereabouts of the Vase of Crimson Sky. I should be handling the potential of a war with Eva. If Lucas is after it, I should be helping you to keep it out of his hands, not just inquire about it, and it certainly shouldn't be EBEE's focus of business."
"If you don't mind me asking, why would anyone care about that vase? I'm assuming it's not just some antic decor?" said Eva.
"It's a family heirloom. If we're to believe what Father told us about it, it creates born vampires and fortifies bloodlines. He didn't elaborate, but from my understanding, it allows the firstborn to procreate and is basically at the root of our bloodline," said Prince Hendrick.
Coralis and Eva looked at each other.
"I think you got snakes among the EBEE, who exactly wants you to just inquire about that vase? Did they tell you why?" said Eva.
"Andrew didn't tell me much. He said that's what the elders needed me to do. You call me right after I ended the hologram communication with him. I don't trust any one of them, and neither does Andrew. We think some of them work with rogue vampires. I'll think of something to make them believe I'm doing what they asked me to do, but I'm planning on doing what I should be doing instead."
"I'm willing to bet that as soon as you report to them about that vase, they will recall you and send you somewhere else random," said Eva.
"I won't bet on it, because I think you're right. Either that, or they'll ask me to retrieve it and bring it to them, and I don't think they should put their slimy hands on it. I have to leave soon for my flyball game in Dallas, but I'll be back right after. Eva, can I ask you for a favour while I'm in Dallas?"
"You don't even need to ask, just tell me what you need me to do."
"Can you please search the CMMA archives to see what information they have about the Vase of Crimson Sky? I'll give a call to my friend Gus while on my way to Dallas. I want to dig up everything that is believed to be known about it, to have a better idea if the EBEE merely thinks that Lucas could be after it, or if some elders might want it for themselves."
Coralis finished her lunch and left for Dallas, where the American flyball team was based.
"You need to run from the EBEE," said Sebastian when they were done with their practice. "I'd tell you that I'm sure my dad could help you transfer to the CMMA, but I'm sure that any of our elders would gladly do so."
"It's not that simple, or even Panjik would have done it. In theory, the only window I'll have to walk out on them is when my apprenticeship ends, and you know that they won't let me walk out. If I leave and they come after me… I can't have them do something to Frank if they find out about him. If I want to go rogue on them, then I need to leave Frank and ensure they can't ever find him."
She felt her hologram vibrating in her cloak and reached for it. It was Gus. She looked around her.
"Give me a minute, I need to take this," said Coralis as she walked away from everyone. "Hey, Gus! Found something?"
"Definitively, and from what you're telling me, I'll pass the words to your bros and see what we can find out on the EBEE ends. I don't know why they tasked you to only inquire about its whereabouts, but it smells like hellshit."
"I'm listening."
"It is a family heirloom, yes. According to lore, demons forged it to create King Matthew's bloodline, his ancestor… King Phileas. We know King Phileas wasn't the first vampire in history. He wanted to get closer to the gods and made a pact with some demons, but I couldn't find anything about the pact itself. From what I read, however, if you fill that vase with holy water and a vampire bathes in it for 30 minutes, he will then be able to impregnate someone."
"So it's not something the EBEE would have a valid reason to seize from them."
"Indeed. Want to hear the best part? It would also make the vampire as strong as a god, making him a Vampire King. It's what allows his family line to walk under the sun. Lore said that if his firstborn dies first, then whoever is next in line has to bathe in it to continue the bloodline when the king dies."
"Someone would want it to potentially disrupt King Matthew's bloodline and place someone else on the throne before his second-born could bathe in it."
"We think alike. If Prince Hendrick wanted to turn against his family, he could just kill his brother himself and bathe in it before anyone realized what happened. I think the EBEE has a different motive for it. Think they are working for Lucas?"
"Possibly. Something doesn't add up. The vase would have more use for a normal vampire to be able to challenge the king after getting a firstborn killed. Unless Lucas wants to be the one to continue the bloodline, he'd have no use for it. Thanks, Gus, I owe you one."
She ended the hologram communication and returned to her teammates.
"Please don't tell me you're going to break up with Frank over what you just found out," said Sebastian.
"I don't know yet what I'm going to do with him, I seriously need to think about it, but for now, I need to find out who wants to take down King Matthew's family."
The Northerners won their game against Seventh Sky, the American flyball team. As soon as the game was over, Coralis took off and reached out to Eva on her way back to Chicago. What Eva found out about the Vase of Crimson Sky matched what Gus had told her.
"Girl, you need to run from the EBEE, this is stinky as hell. Come to the CMMA, we're partners already anyway."
"Sebastian said something like that earlier, but it's not that simple. I think I have a plan for the vase, but I need to run it by Prince Hendrick. If someone is after that vase, it also means that Prince Charlie is the target. If my elders still believe I'm sleeping with Veronica, they probably think it'd be easy for me to find out where their heirloom is."
Coralis landed behind The Bloody Velvet and reopened the portal for Eva. Her partner walked through it, and she closed it before heading to the front entry.
"Why does it have to be Saturday night when we're on the clock?" said Eva.
"Just so we can piss more people off by skipping the line," said Coralis.
It was a Saturday late evening, there was a line forming by the door. They walked directly to the bouncer, who recognized them and let them in without asking questions. Eva spotted Prince Hendrick by the bar and pointed to him. He was alone. Coralis went to his left, while Eva went to his right.
"Can we talk to you privately?" said Coralis.
"Aah, I surely cannot refuse a meeting with my two favourite people of the day. Let me get you a drink, and we'll head to my suite. Should I tell Veronica to join us?"
"The more the merrier," said Eva.
Veronica was already in Prince Hendrick's suite when they got there. Coralis relayed to the siblings what they found out regarding the Vase of Crimson Sky and told them her suspicions. The two vampires looked at each other.
"We need to tell Charlie about this," said Prince Hendrick before returning his attention to Coralis and Eva, who sat on a couch across them. "And you don't think Lucas is after it?"
"No. I think Lucas is merely a distraction. Don't get me wrong, I do think that a war involving goblins is brewing between Lucas' clan and your father, but I don't think Lucas is after that vase. He might be second-born, but he is blood-related to your father, so it'd have little use to him unless a woman is pulling his strings and wants children from him," said Coralis.
"My uncle is a man-slut. That slimy vampire wouldn't know what to do with a child. He does want the throne, but you're right, he wouldn't need the vase for it. He could just have us all killed through war, then search the place to find it and bathe in it if he wants an heir later on," said Veronica.
"I have an idea," said Coralis, as she chugged the drink Prince Hendrick had just poured her. "Can you show it to me? I could create a replica and try to spell it with a curse that does the opposite of what it is believed to do. I would tell the EBEE about the whereabouts of the fake vase, and you hide the actual one elsewhere."
"Blue, I like you more every time you come. You're a genius. I'm aware that the rumour between you and my sister is dying out, but if you need, I'll happily start one about you and me to help you protect your beloved."
"Depending on what my next order will be, after I tell my elders about the vase, I might need a fresh rumour."