Keys to the Repository Part 8

Dimidium Cognatus: A being who is half human, half vampire.

Unlike the other Blue Bloods, this is a new spirit without a past. The only example in current history is Schuyler Van Alen.

Dissipation: Another term for Full Consumption Dormi: A spell to put someone instantly to sleep Elder: The t.i.tle of Elder is given to a Blue Blood who has served the Committee well for many cycles. This t.i.tle is usually given upon the one hundredth Cycle of Expression.

Emeritus Member: A Conclave member who has retired. Many were called back to duty after the Rio ma.s.sacre.

Enmortal: Vampires who choose not to rest and keep the same physical sh.e.l.l over many centuries. They are exempt from the reincarnation cycles; they also do not require the proximity of other vampires in order to live. Some Elders are Enmortals, but it requires a special dispensation from the Conclave.

Eversor Lumen (Light-Destroyer): Azrael's sword, which she receives at every bonding to Abbadon. To be used only in direst need, to be kept hidden from foes, and to strike to kill.

Eversor Orbis (World-Breaker): Abbadon's sword, received at every bonding to Azrael. To be used only in direst need, to be kept hidden from foes, and to strike to kill. Unlike the archangels'

swords, which are a bright white flame, this sword is dark gray and edged with silver, with terrifying black marks. It looks more like a primitive ax than a sword.

Evolution: The pa.s.sive resting stage of the vampire's life, while the spirit awaits its next incarnation. The foremost mission of the vampire race is to evolve to a point where G.o.d can forgive them and welcome them back into Heaven.

Expulsion: What the vampires call their experience of "death." The expulsion of the spirit from the physical world.

Facio Valiturus Fortis: A blessing meaning, "Be strong and brave" The Four Hundred: According to the Code of the Vampires, only four hundred vampires from each coven are allowed to express at one time. There was some confusion in Blue Bloods: Repository Records #101, which incorrectly stated that there are only Four Hundred vampires in the world. This is wrong and a clerical mistake on the part of overworked Repository scribes.

Four Hundred Ball: Known as the Patrician Ball in the nineteenth century: the vampire-only, multimillion-dollar party of the year. A tradition that reaches back centuries, where new Committee members are presented to Blue Blood society. An event that celebrates status, beauty, power, money, and blood-Blue Blood.

Frango: A counterspell that breaks a ward on a place Full Consumption: When a human or vampire is drained of all of his or her blood through the Sacred Kiss. To do this to a human is the biggest taboo of the Code of the Vampires; to do it to another vampire is Abomination.

The Gates of h.e.l.l: The seven gates forged by the Blue Blood Order of the Seven to secure the Paths of the Dead. They are meant to keep Lucifer and the Silver Blood demons imprisoned in the underworld.

Their physical manifestation in the glom appears to be twelve feet wide and forged into the crust of the earth, but the true barrier is the spirit and protection of Michael.

The Glom: The vampires use the word "glom" to describe two things: a direct line of consciousness that can be used for vampires to commune with one another, or to control the minds of other humans or vampires. It also describes the twilight netherworld that vampires can access-an alternative plane in the universe.

There are five factors to the glom: 1) Telepathy, the ability to read minds, 2) Suggestion, the ability to plant a seed of an idea in another mind (it must be done subtly, so the other believes it's his or her own), 3) Compulsion, the ability to issue a direct order to another's mind, 4) Suppression, the ability to overcome the will of another, and 5) Consummo Alienari, the little-known fifth factor, allows complete control over another's mind, but is highly dangerous.

Hibernation: A prolonged sleep that vampires enter at the end of a cycle, when they are weary of immortality Human Familiar: These are the "lovers, friends, and vessels" on whom vampires feed and rely. According to the Code of the Vampires, familiars are never to be abused, and under no circ.u.mstances fully drained; they are to be treated with affection and care for the service they provide, as once taken as a familiar, the human will always feel a special bond with the vampire.

Illuminata: The vampire gift of glowing in the dark, which makes them recognizable to one another Incantation Demonata: The spell to call a Silver Blood Infractio: "A breaking." Lawrence uses it to describe what he fears has happened in Corcovado.

Inquisitor: The official prosecutor in a Committee investigation Intersection: A part of the glom where Silver Bloods can enter but never leave. A limbo between worlds, hidden in the tunnels of Lutetia.

Lucifer's Bane (a.k.a. the Rose of Lucifer): A giant emerald necklace that Forsyth Llewellyn gave to Bliss. It is supposedly made of a stone that fell from Lucifer's crown when he fell from Heaven.

Also known as the Holy Grail, Bliss wore it continually until the day of Mimi's bonding ceremony to Jack, when she ripped it off, rejecting any more a.s.sociation with her father.

Lutetia: The ancient Gallic city under what is present-day Paris, it was built by Blue Blood Romans as a ma.s.sive underground network of tunnels. It is also the location of one of the seven Paths of the Dead and a Gate of h.e.l.l. The tunnels are like a maze, enchanted against the animadverto, where a vampire could be lost forever. The center is under the Eiffel Tower, where all tunnels eventually lead.

There are seven corridors radiating from the center, representing the seven ruling houses of the Blue Bloods. When Gemellus moved the Gate of Time, he left an intersection there.

Mark of Lucifer: A five-pointed star on the neck of a vampire who has been Corrupted by a Silver Blood. It looks like a burn or a cattle brand.

Mark of the Archangel: A mark on the wrist of the Uncorrupted archangels, in the shape of a sword piercing clouds, identifying the archangels as children of the Light. It cannot be duplicated or falsified.

Materia Acerbus (Dark Matter): That from which the Silver Bloods come. The opposite of the White. Also the name of a book of black spells in the Repository.

Modo Caecus: A blinding spell that makes humans forget what they've seen Mutatio: The vampire ability to change into the elements of fire, water, or air, including smoke and fog Mutatus: The shape a vampire s.h.i.+fts into "Nexi Infideles" : "Death to the traitors!" A Blue Blood war cry Obsido: An obstruction brought about as a ward Occludo: Closing your mind to external influence in order to resist the glom The Order of the Seven: The seven guardians of the Gates of h.e.l.l, chosen during the Crisis in Rome and composed of the seven original ruling Blue Blood families. The gatekeepers scattered far and wide and are now unknown to one another and the Conclave leaders.h.i.+p for their own protection.

Palaver: A conversation between those of different status: angel vs.

demon. Bliss demands a palaver of the demon in her dreams.

Pa.s.sive State: The resting state vampires enter between cycles.

Also called Evolution.

Paths of the Dead: The only remaining pa.s.sageways between Earth and the underworld, they are now secured by the Gates of h.e.l.l, forged by the Blue Bloods at Michael's command after the battle in Rome. In the glom they look like paths of molten lava, hissing with steam.

"Phoebus ostend praeeo" : "The sun shall show you the way." It is the cryptic message Jordan leaves for the Venators searching for her.

"Propon familiar" : "Tell your friends." The Compulsion Mimi uses to get the little slum girl in Rio to tell the Venators of Jordan's whereabouts.

Quadrille: An old-fas.h.i.+oned figure dance at the Four Hundred Ball lead by the Committee members being presented; the teens in the foremost quadrille are chosen because of their family's hierarchy in the Committee.

Regenerative Memory Syndrome: The process during a vampire's Transformation when a Blue Blood's memories of past cycles return; the young vampires feel as if they are actually experiencing the memory again.

Regent: The second-highest ranking member of the Conclave. The Regent is responsible for the Coven when the Regis is unable to fulfill his/her duties. Also, when the Regis is in the pa.s.sive/ hibernation state, a Regent is chosen to lead the community.

Regis: Head of the Coven and the Conclave, the Regis can only be elected unanimously and blessed by the seven Wardens representing the seven ruling houses. The Regis's orders are law.

Regression Therapy: The process in which vampires learn to access past lives and the acc.u.mulated knowledge available to them from their vast past-life experiences The Repository of History: The Committee headquarters and Blue Blood archives, it holds all the knowledge and secrets of their race.

Its towering stacks were once located several stories below the Blue Bloodexclusive nightclub Block 122, but after Kingsley called forth a Silver Blood, it was moved to a "coresc.r.a.per" below Force Tower, miles underground.

The Sacred Language (the Old Tongue): The ancient, heavenly language of the vampires. Latin is the b.a.s.t.a.r.dized, awkward Red Blood version of the language, as the sacred language is not Latin, per se, and does not adhere to Latin structure or grammar. Its historical roots trace even beyond Sumarian script or Egyptian hierogylphs. According to the laws of Heaven, every creature on G.o.d's earth must obey commands given in this language.

Sanctus Balineum: The ritual cleansing a Blue Blood bride undergoes before her bonding. Surrounded by her bondsmaids and the female Wardens, she dips into an ice pool, a steamy vapor bath, a relaxing harmony pool, and finally a fire pool, all of holy spring water.

Sangre Azul: The blue blood: it is as old as time and a living database of the vampires' immortal consciousness. It contains their wisdom, vast intelligence, and memories.

Sending: A manipulation sent through the glom Shapes.h.i.+fters: Vampires able to change their physical sh.e.l.l at will, for example, into another human figure or an animal.

Unlike mutatio, not every vampire can do this.

Sigul: A telltale mark or signal, as the emblems of each of the seven ruling houses Silver Bloods: Immortal enemies of the Blue Bloods who have sworn allegiance to Lucifer, the exiled Prince of Heaven. Like the Blue Bloods, they are fallen angels, but refuse to live by the Code of the Vampires. Enslaved instead to a bottomless appet.i.te of greed, s.e.x, and desire, they now hunt the Blue Bloods. They are insane with the legion of memories they hold. Their eyes are crimson with silver pupils. They each have the strength of a thousand vampires.

Solom Bicallis: A one-way path from the underworld, as in Leviathan's prison at Corcovado. Once it is used, it is closed to all.

Stasis: A locked-in state of paralysis that inhibits motion Subvertio: A spell that unlocks what can not be unlocked, that destroys what can not be destroyed. A white hole of death. Also called the White Darkness, a vacuum of s.p.a.ce and time.

Sunset Years: The years between fifteen and twenty-one-the most vulnerable time for vampires, during which their Transformation from human to vampire takes place and their Blue Blood a.s.serts itself as they come into their full powers. This young generation of Blue Bloods does not use this term, as they find it "corny." The Uncorrupted: Angels who were not cursed and banished by the Almighty, but chose to leave Paradise out of love for their kind.

They are Michael and Gabrielle, the most powerful Blue Bloods on Earth.

Velox: The vampire ability of superhuman speed, so fast that they are undetectable, which leads most Red Bloods to think vampires have the ability to be invisible.

Venatio: The practice of memory hunting Veritas Venator (Truth Seeker, Truth Teller): The highest order of the Committee's secret police. Fearless warriors in the fight to keep the Blue Bloods safe from harm and discovery, they are able to decipher dreams and access human and vampire memories.

V.F.E. (Vessel for Evil): What Bliss calls herself when the Visitor takes over. A way for her to laugh when she really wants to cry.

"Vos vadum reverto" : The words spoken at a funeral for a vampire who has left this cycle: "We await your glorious return." Ward: A secure protection placed on a location by incantation Warden: t.i.tle given to senior members of the Committee and the Conclave The Watcher: The Elder of Elders is an eternal spirit, born with her eyes wide open, in full consciousness of her memories. She holds vigilance against Blue Blood enemies to sound the alarm should Lucifer return to Earth. She can be called up in a cycle to take human form, but if threatened, can switch human sh.e.l.ls. She was the one who first discovered the Croatan betrayal in Rome. Able to see the future, she also foresaw the breaking of the bond between Gabrielle and Michael and predicted that Gabrielle's daughter would be the salvation of the Blue Bloods.

White Darkness/White Death: The result of the subvertio spell.

Leviathan released it into the intersection in Lutetia, creating a time vacuum that possibly swallowed or destroyed Charles Force. Kingsley called it forth to destroy the Gate of Time and one of the Paths of the Dead.

Wisdom Teeth: A vampire's fangs (the Red Bloods took the term from the Blue Bloods). They are not, as the Conspiracy has spread, in the front canines, but actually on the side. With practice, they can be extended and retracted.

Author's Note: I am currently in the process of writing the fifth Blue Bloods book, Misguided Angel , coming Fall 2010, and thought it would be fun to share the first two chapters.

MISGUIDED ANGEL.

ONE.

The Cinque Terre.

Schuyler Van Alen walked up the polished bra.s.s spiral stairs leading to the upper deck as quickly as she could. Jack Force was standing at the edge of the bow when she caught his eye. She nodded to him, s.h.i.+elding her eyes from the hot Mediterranean sun. It's done.

Good, he sent, and went back to setting the anchor. He was sunburned and s.h.a.ggy, his skin a deep nut brown, his hair the color of flax. Her own dark hair was wild and unkempt from a month of salty sea air. She wore an old s.h.i.+rt of Jack's that had once been white and pristine and was now gray and ragged at the hem. They both displayed that laconic, relaxed air affected by those on perpetual vacation: a lazy, weathered aimlessness that belied their true desperation. A month was long enough. They had to act now.

They had to act today.

The muscles on Jack's arms tensed as he tugged on the rope to see if the anchor had found purchase on the ocean floor. No luck.

The anchor heaved, so he released the line a few more feet. He raised a finger over his right shoulder, signaling to Schuyler to reverse the port engine. He let the rope go a little farther and tugged at it again, the stout white braids of the anchor line chafing his palm as he pulled it toward him.

From her summers sailing on Nantucket, Schuyler knew that an ordinary man would have used a motor winch to set the seven-hundred-pound anchor; but of course Jack was far from ordinary. He pulled harder, using almost all of his strength, and all eight tons of the Countess's yacht seemed to flex for a moment. This time, the anchor held, wedged into the rocky bottom. Jack relaxed and dropped the rope, and Schuyler moved from the helm to help him twine it around the base of the winch. In the past month they had each found quiet solace these small tasks. It gave them something to do while they plotted their escape.

For while Isabelle of Orleans had welcomed them to the safety of her home, once upon a time, in another lifetime, she had been Lucifer's beloved, Drusilla, sister-wife to the emperor Caligula.

True, the Countess had been more than generous toward them; she had blessed them with every comfort-the boat in particular was fully staffed and bountifully stocked. Yet it was becoming clearer each day that the Countess's offer of protection was morphing quickly from asylum to confinement. They were as far from finding the Gate of Promise as they had been when they left New York.

The Countess had given them everything except what they needed most: freedom. Schuyler did not believe that Isabelle, who had been a great friend to Lawrence and Cordelia, and one of the most respected vampire dowagers of European society, was a Silver Blood traitor; but after Forsyth Llewellyn's treachery in New York, anything seemed possible. In any event they couldn't afford to wait and find out if the Countess was planning to keep them prisoners in perpetuity.

Schuyler glanced shyly at Jack. They had been together a month now, but everything was still so new-his touch, his voice, his companions.h.i.+p, the easy feel of his arm around her shoulders. She stood beside him against the rail, and he looped his arm around her neck, pulling her closer so he could plant a quick kiss on the top of her head. She liked those kisses the most, found a deep contentment in the confident way he held her. They belonged to each other now.

Maybe this was what Allegra had meant, Schuyler thought, when she told her daughter to come home and stop fighting, stop fleeing from finding her own happiness. Maybe this was what her mother wanted her to understand.

Jack lowered his arm from her shoulder and she followed his gaze to the small rowboat "the boys" were lowering from the stern onto the choppy water below. They were a jolly duo, two Italians, Drago and Iggy (short for Ign.a.z.io), Venators in service to the Countess and for all intents and purposes, their jailors. But Schuyler had come to like them almost as friends. The thought of what she and Jack were about to do set her nerves on edge. They would not get another chance. She marveled at Jack's calm demeanor; she herself could barely keep still, and was bouncing up and down on the b.a.l.l.s of her feet in antic.i.p.ation.

She followed Jack to the edge of the platform. Iggy had tethered the little boat to the yacht, and Drago reached forward to help Schuyler step down. But Jack slipped ahead and brushed Drago aside so he could offer Schuyler his palm instead, ever the gentleman. She held his hand as she climbed over the rail and into the boat. Drago shrugged and steadied the boat as Iggy brought the last of the provisions onto the bow.

Schuyler turned to look closely at the rugged Italian coast for the first time. Ever since they had learned of the Venator's affinity for the Cinque Terre, they had been advocating for this little day trip.

The Cinque Terre was a strip of the Italian Riviera populated by a series of five medieval towns. Iggy, with his broad face and fat belly, spoke longingly of his memories of running along the paths at the cliff's edge before coming home to outdoor dinners overlooking sunsets above the bay.

She had never been to this part of Italy and did not know too much about it-but she understood how they could use Iggy's affection for his hometown to their advantage. He had not been able to resist their suggestion to visit, and allowed them a day ash.o.r.e, off their floating prison. It was the perfect spot for what they had planned, as trails ended in ancient stairs that stretched upward for hundreds of feet. The paths would be abandoned this time of year- tourist season was over as fall brought cold weather to the popular resort towns. The mountain trails would lead them far from the s.h.i.+p.

"You are going to love this place, Jack," Iggy said, rowing vigorously. "You too, Signorina," he said. The Italians had a difficult time p.r.o.nouncing "Schuyler."

Jack grunted, pulling on his oar, and Schuyler tried to affect a festive air. They were supposed to be getting ready to enjoy a picnic. Schuyler noticed Jack brooding, staring at the sea, preparing himself for the day ahead, and she swatted his arm playfully. This was supposed to be a long-awaited respite from their time on the s.h.i.+p, a chance to spend a day exploring.

They were supposed to look like a happy couple with not a care in the world, not like two captives about to execute a prison break.

TWO.

The Getaway.

Schuyler felt her mood lift as they pulled into the bay at Vernazza.

The view could bring a smile to anyone's face, and even Jack brightened. The rock ledges were spectacular, and the houses that clung to them looked as ancient as the stones themselves. They docked the boat, and the foursome hiked up the cliffside toward the trail.

The five towns that formed the Cinque Terre were connected by a series of stony paths-some almost impossible to climb, Iggy explained as they walked past a succession of tiny stucco homes.

The Venator was in a jubilant mood, telling them the history of every house they walked past. "And this one, my auntie Clara sold in 1977 to a nice family from Parma; and this right here was where the most beautiful girl in Italy lived ( kissing noise), but . . . Red Blood lady, you know how they are . . . picky . . . oh, and this is where . . ." Iggy called out to farmers they came across as they walked through the backyards and fields, patting animals as they snuck through their pastures. The trail wound back and forth from gra.s.sland to homes to the very edge of the sea cliffs. Schuyler watched tiny rocks tumble over the side of the hill as they made their way forward.

Iggy kept the conversation flowing, while Drago nodded and laughed to himself, as if he had taken the tour one time too many and was merely humoring his friend as Iggy's long-winded tales took most of the morning. The climb was hard work, but Schuyler was glad for the chance to stretch her muscles, and she was certain Jack was too. They had spent too much time on the boat, and while they had been allowed to swim in the ocean, it wasn't the same as a good hike in the open air. In a few hours they had worked their way from Vernazza to Corniglia, and then Manarolla. Schuyler noticed that they pa.s.sed the day without seeing a single car or truck, not a phone line or power cable.

This is it, Jack sent. Over there.

Schuyler knew he meant he had judged their distance to be nearly halfway between the two towns. It was time. Schuyler tapped Iggy on the shoulder, and gestured toward a craggy outcropping that hung over the cliffside. "Lunch?" she twinkled.

Iggy smiled. "Of course! In all my exuberance, I forgot to let us stop to eat!"

The spot to which Schuyler had led them was in a peculiar location. The trail stretched out toward a promontory, so that there were cliffs on either side of the narrow path. The two Venators spread one of the Countess's spotless white tablecloths over a gra.s.sy plateau between the rough stones, and the four of them crammed in the small s.p.a.ce. Schuyler tried not to gaze down as she snuggled up as close to the edge as possible.

Jack sat across from her, gazing over her shoulder at the sh.o.r.eline below. He kept his eye on the beach as Schuyler helped unpack the basket. She brought out salamis and prosciutto di Parma, finocchiona, mortadella, and air-cured beef. The meat came in long rolls, or cut into small discs wrapped in wax paper. There was a loaf of rosemary cake, along with a brown paper bag full of almond tarts and jam crostata. It was a pity it was all going to go to waste. Drago pulled out several plastic containers filled with Italian cheese: pecorino and fresh burrata wrapped in green asphodel leaves.

Schuyler cut into the burrata and took a bite. It was b.u.t.tery and milky, rivaling the view in splendor.