Essence (Nectar 3)

Tristan snickered.

Constantin let out a huff of impatience, trying to act superior, but Tristan knew how freaked the asshole was.

Tristan sat on the edge of the coffee table in front of him. He felt serious anxiety waves rolling off Sam. He looked at him and jerked his chin toward the bottle of booze. Sam’s face was impassive but Tristan could feel the tension. Sam moved to the booze and poured a glass for Adrian and then one for himself.

“Spit it out,” Tristan said.

“You’re reading and programming Samuel. And myself?”

Tristan glanced at Sam again. Sam shrugged and then said “I’m aware. I’m on your side, Tris. Mesmerize away…”

“It’s new,” Tristan admitted.

“Since you fed today?” Adrian asked.

“No,” Tristan answered.

“He nudged hard yesterday, too,” Sam said, “And I now have no influence over him.”

Adrian’s brows shot up in surprise.

“None,” Tristan confirmed.

Tristan glared at Sam and understanding passed between them. Sam pretty much admitted he’d been working Tristan. Maybe not blatantly, full out, but Tristan knew for certain that Sam had been subtly working Tristan all this time. It wasn’t the same as mesmerizing, not as hypnotic, but it was a charisma some vamps used to their advantage on other vamps. Tristan now knew he had the ability to do it, with Adrian, even, and it wasn’t easy for younger vamps, royal or not, to influence elders.

“What else is new? Anything since feeding from her today?”

“You’ll get no more information from me, Constantin. You start giving me information. Now.”

Adrian shrugged, “The scientist in me. I’d really like to assess how different her blood composition is.”

“Talk,” he said, through clenched teeth, “For the last time. I lost patience with you and your bullshit a long time ago so I suggest you start fuckin’ talking.”

Adrian took a big breath, “The way I think I can help is through her brother.”

Tristan did a double take.

“Her brother?”

“She has a twin. We’ll need to find him. And perhaps Samuel can help with that. Find him for me, Samuel, and I might be able to help.”

Sam let out a big breath and then muttered, “Fuck me.”

The panic ceased coming from Sam. The guy was now resigned; it was like he knew this was coming and now that it had, he was just resigned to whatever it was. Sam downed the last swallow of his drink and poured another.

“How does Sam help?” Tristan tilted his head at Adrian and felt anger rising at Sam. More secrets?

“Sam, too, is a twin. He and his sister were products of another breeding program. True vamp, as you know, and a very specific bloodline. Low level royals. Many in Samuel’s bloodline have been used extensively as concierges to royals. All royal vamps are assigned a concierge chosen from specific blood lines that tend to be highly protective, strong, and very intelligent vampires with protective instincts…”

“I’m aware,” Tristan interrupted impatiently.

Adrian nodded and continued, “He’s aware of your programming, can’t stop it, but unlike most, he is aware. He has some distinct abilities, problem-solving skills, physical strength, influence, the ability to wipe memories. This twin split is generally divided between what becomes a concierge and a breeder female vamp. Few female vamps are able to breed but this line has been resulting in virile twins, both genders. Sam’s twin, she wasn’t successfully bred. She was barren but she was so precocious, such intelligence, that I chose to make her my protégé and was investigating ways to give her the full strengths of her vampire DNA without losing her ‘essence’ as you’d call it. When Samuel was turned, Samantha was not. I couldn’t find a way and she began to age, began to become impatient. Things went wrong.”

“Shocker,” Tristan mumbled.

This vampire royalty hierarchy was a fucking caste system, for fuck sakes.

Constantin blathered on, “She wasn’t happy. Things were different with her after that. She was resentful. We looked for solutions but she ran out of patience and two years ago she had herself turned, against my wishes, and as you know, female vampires are unruly, true and royal vamps particularly so.”

“Get to the fucking point,” Tristan rolled his hand forward.

“Samuel had turned Jackson, Kyla’s boyfriend, when he was brought here brain dead and Samantha was in charge of caring for him. Once he recuperated, given that he was newly vamp she wasn’t mesmerized so she was able to convince him to turn her. We had a tough time with her for a time but then she vanished and with her, she took Kyla’s brother. She knew his blood was enchanted and I suspect that she’s used him as her pet all this time. If he’s alive and un-turned we could possibly do a blood transfusion, play with DNA, perhaps. Test some options to see if we can bring her back. His and Kyla’s genetic make-up are very close, or was the last time I tested. When Kyla was abducted we had Kyle taken and wiped Katya and Lyle’s memories at that point. He was raised here and sequestered until Samantha took him. I had tests planned for them both for when Kyla would’ve hit puberty but I didn’t have access to her so had very little knowledge of the way things would be split DNA-wise.”