Sundowners: Vampire Secrets

By Jeffrey Yorio

The secrets that Agate knows keep surfacing; the unknown vampire organization that rescued her, Zephrin and Laurent’s relationship, and a cure that saved her life but has unintended consequences for humans and vampires. These are only a few of the flowers that have bloomed in Agate’s garden of secrets.

Unfortunately, secrets are a cancer that needs treatment. They are a terrible thing to keep. They are seeds of mistrust and confusion. The doubts about a person’s sincerity that spreads with time and revelation. Even Agate’s daughter is a victim of these ever-growing vines. When a representative of the Catholic Church shows up, looking for Agate under an alias she once used, further complicates an already unpleasant situation.
The compelling sequel to Vampires Are Only Human is an ingenious take on vampires, shattering the myth we all have come to believe. This adventure takes us beyond anywhere we expected. Fiction and fact become entwined as history isn’t what we thought.

Rejoin your favorite vampire family and their friends as they resolve personal issues, discover what blood means, and attempt to stop a second vampire civil war, which would expose the existence of vampires.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jeffrey Yorio
• Release date: Sep 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9798218070106

Jeffrey Yorio

Jeffrey lives in Spencerport, New York. He is married with three children and a Pomeranian that was there one night when he got home. He retired from his management career. Jeff has had several stories published.Unexpected Opportunity (February 2015, Aphelion), Dandelion Dreams (Flash Fiction Press 11-23-2015), Umbrae Calling (Flash Fiction Press 1-25-2016) Their Very First Battle (Flash Fiction Press 1-31-2017), poem: To Meet Others (The Question of the Day: The Andre Polk Memorial Anthology, Clayborn Press, 9-2017) The Time of Their Lives (12-7-2021, https://stoneydegeyter.com/blog)His first book, Sundowners: Vampires Are Only Human, was published in October of 2020. Jeff’s new book, Sundowners II: Vampire Secrets, continues the struggles of a prominent vampire family. He enjoys reading, science fiction, fantasy, and historical genres. It was his enjoyment of history and the question, how did the myth of vampires originate, that led him to write the SUNDOWNERS series.

Book preview

Sundowners

Vampire Secrets

By Jeffrey V. Yorio

Cover by Juan Padron @ juanjpadron.com

Editing by Bambi Sommers

©2022 by Jeffrey V. Yorio

All rights reserved.

Special thanks to:

Writing a book was hard, writing a Sundowners sequel, was harder. For the family and friends, I know and those who I’ve met on this journey, my thanks. 

I’ll start with my wife Shaun and daughter Tempest. They’ve been with me since the beginning of my writing journey. Shaun, for allowing me the time to stay up late while writing, your skill at formatting, and for locating the perfect cover. Tempest, for not minding my spur of the moment questions and ‘Would you read this section’, requests. 

To my beta readers; Summer Oaks; E.C. Yoho; C.S. Ratliff; Court Ellyn; Lady Wolfen Jorden; and Ken Biltz, my deepest thanks for your support, comments, questions, and observations. Thank you for seeing what I didn’t. You all helped bring this book to the stretch lap. 

To my editor, Bambi Sommers. You brought this book across the finish line. Your tutelage in helping me reply to the comments, patience with my writing style, and an early morning phone call, sorry that I hadn’t had my coffee yet. 

PREFACE

I call this the about us section, where I explain about vampires.  We’ve been around for a very long time. How long? I was told that the Zanclean Flood saved us from slavery when it wiped out this planet’s first civilizations. You’ll hear a mention of one of them in this book, but I digress. The only way for vampires to survive was to interbreed with humans. We were never a populous people. The story we created about us, the myth if you will, is based in fact.  When some of us get old, we can go a little bat-shit crazy. Those who do must be put down. I do like the term day-walker you humans came up with. Our own myth and your imagination. The afflicted may not like sunlight very much because it’s painful, but they can rip the arm off a person.

For us regular Vlad’s, we’re fine at the beach in the summer and love walks in the parks under a blue sky, but we do need a good sunscreen. Garlic gives us agida due to how our digestive system works, like how many humans are dairy intolerant.  The need for blood to survive has always been with us. We are a mutation of anemia and blood solves that need. Fortunately, science has made that unnecessary, but every myth has some truth to it. Sometimes older vampires have issues. The smell of blood flips a switch in our brains. We become like the vampire of myth. We call this going feral or The Fangs of Death. It’s not pretty and it gets messy. We have little, if any, memory of what we do when this happens. Think of an alcoholic or drug addict. They will do anything to get their fix, satisfy the craving, once we’ve had our fix, we’re normal, until the next time the craving strikes. People who suffer from anemia have an excess of immature white blood cells. Ours are mature white blood cells. Those help our immune system very well.

To answer a few questions. Does a wooden stake in the heart kill us? Yup, sure will, along with any other living creature. Why do we fear the cross? We don’t, we fear a byproduct of silver that was used in holy water, Luna Caustic. It doesn’t kill us, but it hurts like hell. I love this next question. Why do we sleep in a dirt filled coffin? We don’t, and never have.

This is a more modern question I’ll address. We don’t have harems of the opposite or same sex. I never allowed my significant others to have such nor they me. Oh, a dalliance is fine, those happen all the time. About fangs, they don’t suck blood because they aren’t hollow. They’re a vestigial remnant and occur when we go feral. Fangs are nothing more than neck openers.

I think I’ve covered the basics. Oh yes, one other thing, there are no half-breed vampires, so if you have a vampire parent, you’re a vampire. I forgot to mention my name. I was once called Henriette Tangre, now I go by the name, Agate d’Estange. Now, I must talk with your author about a few things in this book he’s been writing.

PRELUDE

Lake Saint Anna on the Tinovu Mohos Reservation

The divers had been exploring the pristine lake, its water only supplied by precipitation. Swimming had been prohibited four months ago. But they were experienced divers and geologists from the University of Bucharest. They’d been checking for any underwater springs that would be supplying water to the lake. They’d found what might be such. An opening, three meters wide, where the water was only waste deep and went about thirty meters, coming to a wide opening with a small shoreline, a dead end. No water was coming from the channel. There was a hut, in perfect shape, wooden roof shingles, wattle and wood exterior. The front door and its two windows were covered by wood planks that had been nailed over them. These each had a Kabbalah Tree of life symbol, made of pure silver inside of a triangle with a swirl pattern, Triskelion, at each of its points. Their desire to explore such a fantastic find overcame them. They removed their tanks and swimming fins but kept their head masks on for the built-in flashlights and approached the hut. Radu and Mircea walked around the hut up to the door. There were some words above the Kabbalah symbols.

I know its Latin, but I can’t read it, Radu said.

The top three words, ‘morte et magicae,’ that’s magic and death. The next line, I only recognize Solomon, Joshua, and Moses. Radu, look at the Triskelion. One has a silver circle; another has silver horn and the last a silver shepherd’s staff.

Let’s open it and see what's inside. Maybe it’s some old Bulgar Khan’s tomb with its treasure.

Mircea turned his head towards Radu. Why would an old Bulgar Khan’s burial hut only have Latin written on the door?

They used their diving knives to remove the boards that were over the door. It opened with ease. They saw five mummies on the floor and a sixth sitting in a chair. It was in a tattered dress with a necklace that had a symbol

of some type on it. Tattered robes hung on all the bodies. There were no other furnishings beside the chair.

Let’s check it out, Radu was eager to see what they would find.

Are you out of your god dammed mind? There are six dead bodies here. We need to call the authorities. How long have they been here? Why? We’re professors, not detectives. Mircea took one step back from the door.

Okay, I get it. Let’s go in and just have a little look around and see if there’s anything that might identify them. Come on. We may never get another chance like this. We’ll leave in five minutes. Is that okay?

Mircea hesitated, looking between Radu and the door. He saw the look in Radu’s eyes but didn’t see his logic. They needed to call someone. When Radu pleaded again, he gave in and nodded. They had only taken three steps inside when the door slammed shut and a female voice said.

Feed, my Grigori, feed well.

The emaciated mummies on the floor stood up and jumped on the two men, taking them to the floor, where they ate them alive, leaving the bones and some skin and flesh on the heads and extremities. The five looked surprisingly alive, their faces covered with blood, which had dripped onto their old clothes. They had saved the two hearts; two of the mummies carried them to the chair.

Mother, here is the best blood and food from them for you.

They squeezed the blood from the hearts into the mummy’s mouth. As it began to move its jaw, they tore pieces from the hearts and fed them to the mummy. It began to change, to fill out, soon becoming an attractive woman looking to be in her forties. She stood with very little effort before speaking.

Now my grigori, we need to find out when and where we are. We need to learn what the world is now like. First, we need food and a place to live. My children, its harvest time.

CHAPTER 1 (Eight months after prelude)

The Marie Curie Institute for Advanced Physics and Radiation Study; Warsaw, Poland

Six months since rescue

The alarm chimed and the door locks released on the studio quarters. A pair of curtains hung over the window of the metal security door and two French provincial paintings hung on the inside walls. All to mask the otherwise spartan design of the lady’s quarters. Agate rubbed her eyes and face, got out of bed, and headed for the bathroom. Another restless night with a cloudy memory. I need a special cup of coffee. She walked over to the auto coffee maker and placed a bowl in it. Then in French she said.

Computer, café Parisienne please.

In French, the computer said.

Good morning, Agate d’Estange, the coffee will be ready shortly. Your vitals are normal, though you have a slightly elevated heart rate of 97.3 and temperature of 37.5 Celsius. The results of yesterday’s blood test are a .79 percent increase in normal RBC’s and WBC’s. This has been an increasing trend for seven days on this version of the medication. Today’s weather is a high of 22 Celsius with a 25 percent chance of showers. Did you sleep well?

Good morning, Marie, and no, I didn’t.  Do you have pointed ears? I had a dream that I vaguely remember. Please let my sister know I’d like to talk with her.

She took the bowl of coffee and sat at the small table.

I don’t understand the reference to my ears, as I have none, unless you were making a reference to my audio sensors. Doctor West has been informed of your request; she’ll meet you in the executive dining room.

Thank you, Marie.

It took but a half hour to finish her coffee and shower. Agate left her room, entered the hallway, and went to the elevator.

Marie, main floor.

Maybe a minute later the doors opened to the hustle and bustle of the Marie Curie Institute. Scientists, students, medical staff, even a group of tourists on a tour. Worker ants doing the bidding of their queen. I shouldn’t be too harsh on her. She did save my life by rescuing me and preventing me from killing my two grandsons. If she had agreed to go with us on that trip, maybe some people would still be alive and others dead.

She arrived at the executive dining room; Maven was already at her table. Lt. Garibaldi got up from his chair and left. He greeted her with a hug and a kiss on each cheek. Good morning beautiful.

I bet you say that to all lady vamps under five hundred. Lieutenant, are you flirting with me?

Only with the ladies that respond. He gave her a brief hug and left.

Good morning, Agate, Maven said as they hugged. Is everything alright?

I think so. I’ll explain after breakfast. I’d be remiss to let the Galloping Gourmet’s skills go to waste.

I postponed an important meeting because you wanted to talk.

We will, I promise. A good breakfast is the key to a good day. An exceptionally good doctor friend of mine told me that, several hundred years ago. However, the past three nights haven’t been the most restful. I don’t know why but I can’t remember a dream I had.

All test results indicate that your memory is unimpaired, yet there are several factors that affect remembering a dream. Let’s see what Marie can show us.

Maven pressed a button, and a screen came up from inside the table.

Marie, scan the last three nights of Agate’s sleeping, looking for any events that are similar.

Yes, Doctor West, Marie replied. They waited a few seconds. Doctor West, there are three instances that are ninety-three percent identical.

Show them on the monitor, please.

Of course, Doctor West.

Marie, can you have some buttered popcorn brought to me please?

Agate I don’t understand the reference.

Never mind. Maven, Zephrin at least had the wisdom to provide his A.I. with a personality.

I didn’t see the need to waste space and money on anything extraneous, when she was designed, Maven said.

The recording they saw was time stamped at zero five twenty-three. Agate was speaking in a mixture of French and Gaelic. She began crying, almost sobbing, as she spoke yet still asleep. 

No Jee Kul, why the servants…she was pregnant …It didn’t kill her?... I’m no longer a vampire!... You wrote it down?

Each night the same basic words and it always happened at zero five twenty-three. Agate’s face had become ashen. Her eyes fixed on the screen, her hands were trembling, and perspiration had formed on her forehead.

Agate, what did you mean, you’re not a vampire?

Let me explain. She wiped her forehead with a napkin.The time stamp corresponds to the date something happened, May twenty-third. What do you know about William Brodie?

Didn’t he make all your furniture? He was a cabinet maker, woodworker, and locksmith.

Those were his cover jobs; he was a doctor and vampire. He treated vampires when needed. In Gaelic, his name is Jee-kul. You know him as Dr. Jekyll.

I never met him or knew that William Brodie was a cover name. I remember you saw him hanged for murder.

Yes, that’s the short of it.She took both Maven’s hands in hers. What I’m telling you now makes you the second living vampire to know this. About eight years before he went feral, he saved my life. That’s why it was so painful to hunt him down and put him out of his misery.

How did a cabinet maker and part time doctor save your life?

I had contracted anthrax.

Anthrax! We don’t contract diseases, it’s impossible.

Hearing you, the theoretical physicist, say something is impossible is priceless. A vampire contacting a disease, even anthrax, is exceedingly rare.

How did you get it?

The Charbon had ravaged several farms and a couple of villages. The cattle and sheep were all dead within two weeks. As best as I can figure, some bad meat must have been used as food. None of the local doctors whom I saw could do anything. My servants were dying, I was dying. I knew of his specialty, as I’d spent some time in Edinburgh visiting a good friend. I sent a message to him asking him to come and save us. He came to see me and said he could make a potion but would need some time. I don’t know how many he made but he had one he was rather sure of. I was delirious with the disease. He tested it on the wife of one of my servants. It didn’t kill her, so he gave it to me, and I recovered. It’s where I got this white swath in my chestnut hair.

Damn, I thought that was a fashion statement. So, what’s the big deal?

Maven, you never knew this but, not only did it cure the anthrax, it also temporarily cured my vampirism!

What? That’s impossible. What in God’s name made you decide not to tell me or a few other vampires about that?

Oh my god, Maven, that’s twice within five minutes. I was a human for about seven years as my vampirism slowly returned. The servant he tested the potion on wasn’t the first. Eight of my servants died from earlier attempts. The one that lived was the wife of my best coachman. We didn’t know it for another two weeks, but she was pregnant. She gave birth to a healthy baby girl and, she, the mother, had become a vampire. Her diet changed, like ours was back then, but not as…severe. She was stronger than a human but not as strong as us. She would get tired quickly and, after eight years, her heart gave out. Was that due to that potion or was her heart bad already? I don’t know.

A human becoming a vampire? But that’s also impossible!

Look here, Maven. Am I going to need an abacus to keep count? It happened, so it isn’t. I kept it to myself as I didn’t want any other vampires to know about it. I’ll come back to that. If you had helped me with a problem named Bathory when I asked, you might have been more up to date about the family. You refused to help and stayed locked up in that damn library.

Yes I did and you’re reaping the benefits of my refusing to help you, a possible way to solve the Fangs of Death. Did you kill the baby later?

Maven, you of all people know my opinion on infanticide.

Yes, I’m sorry, sis.She made a downcast glance at the table.

I raised that girl, but she showed no signs of being a vampire, save one. She lived until the age of eighty-five, looking as if she was in her mid-forties, and a nice looking fortyish, if I can say. I’ve traced all her descendants, only the females showed this trait. It also skipped a generation or two. I found her most recent descendant in America and now she’s teaching art at a college in Ohio.

Maven’s eyes widened as she covered her open mouth with a hand.

Brielle is the descendant, isn’t she?

Agate’s eyes looked at her coffee cup, her voice softly said Yes, but she and Zephrin don't know this.

Agate, this is what the Traditionalists want, to make humans vampires.

That and make vampires stronger, like when we develop the Fangs of Death, but without the negatives. That’s why I moved to America, to protect my little angel. Zephrin now has that job. However, we need to find Brodie’s formula; he told me he wrote it down. Laurent and his Traditionalists will backtrack about my rescue, my history, and the vampires who were there.  If they find out about my history, they could find out about that formula. Then they could also find out about you. Humans are very much xenophobic, and many vampires are paranoid. That combination isn’t a good one.

Do you know where it is?

I know where it isn’t, which is a good place to start.

CHAPTER 2

Ashland, Ohio-Three Days Later

It had been seven months since the events at Seneca Caverns. Zephrin had taken over Agate’s old chateau in Ashland, adding a power generator, security lights and cameras. ISIA had opened a branch office in Chicago and San Francisco, in his first month after Agate’s rescue. Brielle had made it clear she would and did date others and he could as well. One of the reasons he went home and busied himself in company matters. Zephrin had gone back to Venice and Europe for two months checking up on his company, I.S.I.A. or International Security and Investigation Agency, and missed being there for Brielle’s birthday. While back in Venice, he made sure he called Brielle once each day and twice on her birthday. Once in the morning and the other at night to see if she got the present he’d sent. He made her a multi-colored glass crystal butterfly. His collection was jealous or maybe perhaps glad that it didn’t join them in the menagerie. She realized he was a keeper, despite his stubbornness, idiosyncrasies, and being an introvert. Brielle and Zephrin had gotten to know each other a lot better in the three months since he returned from Italy. Oh, he was excellent about knowing his way around a woman’s body but how to treat them wasn’t his strong suit. Never rude but he’d mansplain things at times and seemed uncomfortable with her. Much more in the beginning, than now. She’d decided years ago that not perfect was okay, provided most other boxes had been checked.  Zephy had checked most of them, but the remaining boxes would take a little time. She still had no idea what to make of him being a vampire…or was it she believed that Zephrin believed that. No, too many people she’d recently met were vampires and her dear friend, Agate d’Estange had called to explain things and say that she was a vampire. No, she’d finally decided and accepted that vampires existed and Zephrin was one. The school year had recently ended, and she was glad he’d returned. In fact, he was in the kitchen making gnocchi with stuffed tomatoes, a white bean salad and some pizzelle’s for dessert. She sat at the island enjoying the spicy aromas and thinking about later when Gina interrupted. What does Gina want now?

"Zephrin, an FYI but three people are sneaking toward the back of the house and some unauthorized work