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  He had eventually arrived in London, but instead of feeling relief, he had felt only fear; the one time a vampire experienced fear being when his survival was threatened. He had not fed for four nights and he had no coven to retreat to before the sun rose. Fortunately, another of his kind had seen him and instinctively sensed his predicament, and had helped Nikolas to find prey before taking him to his coven. That was in 1530. Nikolas had remained in London ever since, but that coven was destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666. Nikolas had miraculously avoided being destroyed by the fire and as he had watched the humans attempt to quell the flames engulfing London, Charlotte had come to stand at his side. Nikolas had felt immediately drawn to her and had transformed her, and together they had taken refuge from the fire on Hampstead Heath, where they had burrowed deep into the earth to create a coven in which they had lived until the present time.

  ***

  Nikolas had frequently been retreating into solitude when his coveners were consumed by comatose slumber at dawn for some months now. A desire for major upheaval was on his mind. He wanted to change the way of life that vampires had followed unquestioningly for a thousand years and more. He wanted to eradicate the constant threats to a vampire's survival. And he wanted to alleviate his intense boredom and intensify the thrill of the hunt by subjugating all of humankind.

  A vampire felt powerful, invincible, when he wasn't under threat. And Nikolas wanted to ensure that vampires were invincible into perpetuity by creating a vampire army and bringing about a new world order.

  Nikolas rose from his chair and made his way to his sleeping chamber. He lay down next to Charlotte and wrapped his arm around her. She did not stir. He shut his eyes and was instantaneously consumed by non-consciousness. When his eyes next opened, it was instinctively, as darkness began to edge its way across London the following night.

  ***

  Location: London

  Monday, 17 November 2025

  Sunrise: 07:22

  Sunset: 16:08

  The coven members had gathered in the grand chamber. Nikolas sat at his customary place at the head of the long table. He was silent, his eyes flitting from one vampire to the next. They waited for him to begin speaking.

  Several long wax candles burned on the table, their flickering light giving the chamber a stately nuance. Nikolas's coveners often humoured him about his fixation with candles and his refusal to adapt to modernity, but he merely listened to their taunts, a bemused smile on his lips.

  Eventually, the quiet of the cold chamber was broken by Nikolas's charming voice. "What do you want from life?"

  The coveners looked at one another quizzically.

  "Nikolas, we are dead!" Michael rejoined.

  With that comment, the subdued atmosphere within the chamber momentarily lapsed and Nikolas's coveners laughed with abandonment, their sharp canines glinting in the candlelight. Nikolas remained silent, observing them.

  When the laughter had fully abated and they were all once again quiet, Nikolas spoke again. "We don't have much time. Dawn is approaching. I want to discuss something radical with you tonight and I want you to contemplate what I have to say and let me know your thoughts when the moon is next full."

  "We offer obeisance to the moon," Michael said sarcastically.

  Nikolas turned swiftly and locked his eyes on Michael's, who understood immediately that Nikolas was finding his humour inappropriate.

  "How long have we lived precariously as vampires?" said Nikolas. "How long have we been at the mercy not only of humans, but also of the sun, of the elements? We are eternal and yet we are vulnerable. We have lived in much the same way since time immemorial: our lives consist of nothing more than lustful hunting and day time unconsciousness."

  Emma raised a hand to indicate that she wished to speak, but Nikolas knew what was on her mind and responded to her intended interjection.

  "Yes, Emma, it is pleasurable, what we do, but after all these centuries that we have lived on this earth, what have we, as vampires, really accomplished? What have we achieved?"

  The coveners looked at one another.

  Then Nikolas resumed, "I have been contemplating this for some time now, how we might change things, what we need to do to ensure that we no longer live as the underdog, in hiding."

  He suddenly stood up, his irises now red, as he said, "I want for us vampires to rule the world."

  ***

  Location: London

  Thursday, 4 December 2025

  Sunrise: 07:48

  Sunset: 15:53

  The pale circle of the moon lit the sky above the coven on the Heath. Nikolas's coveners had regrouped in the grand chamber and were listening to him, absorbing every detail of his plan for vampire dominion. Charlotte was sitting on Nikolas's lap, his arms wrapped round her slender waist. When Nikolas had finished speaking, he leant back in his chair to observe his coveners, pulling Charlotte closer to his chest.

  Michael eventually spoke. "We're in," he said.

  Several other vampires nodded in agreement.

  Nikolas smiled. "It is now early December," he said. "We need to take advantage of the long, dark winter nights ahead to make our initial gains so that by the time summer comes, our plan is at least already on its way to fruition."

  Upon saying this, he and Charlotte stood up, and Nikolas snuffed out the flickering flame of each candle he passed as they left the chamber. His coveners remained where they were, reflecting on his nigh impossible plan. It would change not only their lives, but also the lives of every human being on the planet. Vampires were used to living a life of indolent sensuality, and to carry out Nikolas's plan would take effort and forethought, neither of which was at the forefront of a vampire's inherent characteristics. But they were willing to do what Nikolas asked of them - vampires may have the potential for eternal life, but they were in agreement with Nikolas that their existence was truly precarious. They were outnumbered by humans and vulnerable to attack by them, especially when the sun was in the sky. Nikolas's plan at least increased the odds of their long-term survival. Besides, it appealed to their inherently dark mindset and they were eager to unleash the terror on humans that would accompany their efforts to take over the world.

  ***

  Location: Paris, France

  Thursday, 11 December 2025

  Sunrise: 08:34

  Sunset: 16:54

  The beautiful thing about being a vampire was that vampires were innate con artists, always successful in their illicit endeavours, and Nikolas's fake passport had served its purpose well. He felt a sense of elation at the prospect of meeting Victor, the Parisian sire he had encountered on the Dark Web. He searched for him amongst the crowds at the Gare du Nord and soon homed in on a man he instinctively knew was Victor.

  As Nikolas made his way towards Victor, he observed how the black, full-length fur coat he was wearing contrasted sharply with his masculine features and thick-set jaw. The coat was open and beneath it Victor wore black jeans and boots that brought to mind the style of the Roman Empire. He was shirtless, his well-defined abs on display. Victor had brought with him a small, exotic entourage of vampires.

  "Well, well, Nikolas, we meet at last," Victor said when Nikolas reached him, and they cheek-kissed. "I take it you lack the stamina to fly across the Channel."

  "Flying isn't my strong point," said Nikolas.

  "Nor mine," said Victor. "I guess travelling by train beneath the Channel isn't such a bad alternative. Well, shall we go, then?"

  Nikolas followed Victor and his entourage out of the station and into the Parisian night.

  ***

  As they travelled to the centre of Paris in Victor's white limousine, Victor said, "Nikolas, I'm so looking forward to our discussion. It's quite something of a fateful coincidence that we found each other on the Web. I'd almost given up on ever finding another creature like me elsewhere in the world. I guess it worked, giving my site the blatant name VampireLinke."

  Victor pulled th
e female vampire sitting next to him towards him and she pressed herself sensuously against his body. She had revealed her vampire features, and her red sequined dress accentuated the red irises of her eyes.

  "I didn't want to discuss anything with you until I met you in person," said Nikolas. "It's a good thing you speak English."

  "I can't wait to hear what it is you're so eager to discuss with me. What a pity I can't read your thoughts; you have an impenetrable barrier around you, Nikolas."

  The limousine made its slow way down a cobbled street, then came to a stop. Nikolas glanced at the street sign on a nearby wall; they were in rue Lepic. They got out of the vehicle, walked across the street and entered an old building. They crossed a vestibule and the female in the red dress unlocked the front door of an apartment and they all entered it. A young human who had been sitting watching TV in the apartment silently got up and pulled back a threadbare rug to reveal a hatch in the wooden floor. He opened it and the vampires descended down a creaking stairway. The hatch closed above them, shutting out the light, and Nikolas heard the human drag the rug back to its original position. A musty odour assailed Nikolas's senses now that they were in the cellar.

  Victor lit a candle. "I know we can see perfectly well without light, Nikolas, but I find that candle light adds to a congenial ambience."

  "I would agree with you there," said Nikolas.

  An oval dining table was positioned in the centre of the room and they sat down around it. Victor clasped his hands together and placed his elbows on the table. He looked at Nikolas, clearly waiting for him to begin to talk about what he had travelled from London to discuss.

  "Victor, I would prefer for us to discuss my proposal in private," said Nikolas.

  "Renata, you haven't yet fed," said Victor. "Take the others out with you and make sure you bring back a tasty morsel for our guest." He turned to look at Nikolas. "Do you have any dietary preferences, Nikolas?"

  Nikolas laughed as he leeringly watched the female in red get up and climb back up the stairs, followed by the other four vampires. She tapped on the hatch above them and the human once again pulled back the carpet and opened it for them.

  The loud, incessant ticking of an antique clock reverberated against the walls of the cellar as Nikolas waited until their footsteps had faded on the cobbled street above before he said, "Victor, have you ever considered changing the status quo?".

  "What exactly do you mean by that?"

  "What I mean to say is, have you ever wondered what life would be like if we, not humans, ruled the world? I have contemplated this for a long time now and have a plan to attack and conquer the human race, to make them subservient to us, to make them our concubines."

  "I've never considered such a thing before. It certainly sounds appealing. But is it feasible? We are incapacitated when the sun is in the sky and restricted during the long summer days. I don't think it would be possible. Dream on, Nikolas, dream on."

  "This is no dream, Victor. If all vampires unite and work together, we can and will succeed in our quest for world domination. The digital age has made it possible for all us vampires, the world over, to communicate with ease. We can coordinate planned assaults on humanity. Whilst we are sleeping, our friends on the other side of the world will be awake and can continue with our quest. We will infiltrate government, the media, the military. If every coven in every city unites, then we will end up with an indomitable vampire presence."

  Victor was listening avidly. "And who will rule this vampire empire?"

  "I, you - we, the sires, will, of course. That goes without saying, Victor."

  ***

  Location: South of Cologne, Germany

  Monday, 15 December 2025

  Sunrise: 08:29

  Sunset: 16:26

  It was snowing and the roads were icy. Victor drove slowly. He had hired a sensible car and was now driving down a winding, isolated road. Renata, his consort, sat next to him, her hand resting on his thigh, her red eyes fixed on the narrow country road ahead of them. They had left Paris intending to reach Cologne within six hours, but the weather conditions had slowed their progress. They had only just skirted the edges of Cologne and were now making their way through sparsely populated countryside to a coven that until now had only existed in vampire mythology for them. They were taking a risk, heading to where they hoped to find a coven that may not even exist, to persuade the coveners there to join them in a war against humanity. Victor and Renata planned to make their way across the European continent, stopping off in each country where covens were rumoured to exist in vampire legend. They were bringing with them tablets and all the necessities that would enable covens to each set up their own digital communication facilities. Victor had been instructed to go as far east as Russia and to make contact with covens along the way, inviting vampires to join Nikolas's army. They were driving alongside a forest when Victor suddenly sensed an outcrop of buildings just beyond the horizon. He knew instinctively that they were approaching a vampire enclave.

  "Just think, Renata, we're about to encounter vampires of age-old legend," said Victor.

  They were approaching the centuries old coven that had shunned modernity and shied away from the metropolis, preferring the quiet life of the countryside. Local humans knew of their rumoured existence and no one ever ventured out this way at night, not unless they were outsiders, ignorant of vampire lore, or unless they were being challenged by other humans to dare to walk alone in vampire territory. Those humans that did always survived, returning in an entranced state, their necks punctured by two tiny wounds, with stories of seduction by outlandishly beautiful men and women. Some of these humans became obsessed with their erotic one-off vampire liaisons and repeatedly returned to the vampire territory, hoping for a repeat encounter.

  ***

  Victor parked the car outside a large, plain, windowless building. A male human approached them and Renata became infused with intense hunger for him. Victor put his arm across her body to restrain her.

  "No, Renata, we won't give a very good impression if we eat their human servants," he said.

  Renata seethed with the rage of unsatiated lust and hunger, but she remained where she was, unmoving. The human now stood at Victor's side of the car, peering through the window at him. Victor also felt the power of hungry lust build up within him, but he tried to control it. He opened the car door and stepped out, his boots crunching as they hit the frosty ground. As he stared at the human, he became aware both of the distinct puncture marks on his neck and of the human's complete awareness that both he and Renata were aching to touch him, to taste him. The human actually found their desire for him amusing.

  "This way," the human said, and he led them around to the side of the building, where he unlocked a padlocked door.

  They entered the building, but the human remained standing where he was.

  "You'll find your way without me," he said.

  As Victor and Renata stepped forwards, they heard the padlock click shut again behind them. In the darkness, they made their way to a door and opened it. In front of them sat twenty nine vampires, all of whom observed the newcomers with interest.

  The coven's sire stood up. "Who are you?" he said.

  "I'm Victor and this is Renata; we have come from Paris with a proposition," said Victor.

  ***

  "I couldn't bear it, sitting on that filthy floor, Renata," Victor said as he turned to kiss her bare shoulder, "and it transpires that we suffered in that way for nothing. Helmut had no interest whatsoever in our plan for world domination."

  Renata lowered herself down onto the mattress covered with a worn linen sheet, intense desire for Victor growing within her. Victor lay down alongside her, and caressed her as he continued to complain, his contempt evident in his tone of voice.

  "So these are the so-called vegetarian vampires, who never kill humans, but prefer instead to live off their livestock. Legend has turned out to be true, they are absolutely stunning. Did you
see the female sitting next to Helmut? I would love for her to join us tonight. But they do dress so distastefully, Renata. They're so drab."

  "Sh, Victor, you know they can hear your every word."

  Victor lowered the tone of his voice to a barely audible whisper before continuing, "I thought we should come here first, because if I could convince the vegetarians to join us, I could persuade any coven. But Helmut was resolute; not interested. And can you believe it - we had to feed on a sheep, Renata, a sheep. I just can't understand why a vampire would choose such a dull, austere lifestyle over decadence. I can't imagine what it must be like for them to never experience the climax of a real kill."

  "But legend also has it that they're renowned amongst local humans as exceptional lovers, so it can't be all bad for them," said Renata. "In any case, gorging on that sheep has left me with an insatiable lust."

  As Renata said this, she moved so that she was above Victor and began to kiss him, her mouth moving deftly across his chest, down over his stomach, and he quickly forgot his disdain for the vegetarian vampires as he, too, became consumed by dark lust, and they levitated upwards in a tight embrace.

  ***

  Location: London

  Saturday, 20 December 2025

  Sunrise: 08:03

  Sunset: 15:53

  Katie didn't notice him at first, but as the evening made its nonchalant way towards midnight, and she became more accustomed to the buzz that the wine aroused within her, her eyes began to wander. He was coolly leaning against a wall, silently observing her. Their eyes met. Katie felt a strange sensation, a tingling in her skin. She looked away, startled at the feelings that had been evoked within her by this stranger. She didn't recognise him - she had long since forgotten the sensation of his lips on hers when she had been awakened by his kiss in the darkness of the night. The stranger had not spoken to her and yet, it was as though at the moment of eye contact, he had been communicating with her telepathically. For that brief moment, it had seemed as if she had known him for millennia. Katie turned to Sharon and began to chat animatedly about the painting they had paused to look at, in an attempt to ignore the stranger.