I ate and Doc talked. “We’ll start with the stuff I kinda sorta knew just cause I know you. You’ve dragon blood in you. Being Cesari that makes sense. But what doesn’t is that you look more like a nether-dragon than half human half Venatori that you are. The other oddity is the theranthropy mutations you carry.”
“My mother was a carrier. Both Rider and Laker carry too at the very least.” I added between bites.
Bryan nodded. “If they’ll give me permission I’d like to take samples.”
“Their call.” I said.
“But you are their legal guardian.”
“If they say it’s okay you can do it.” I said.
He nodded again and kept going. “There are genetic markers for primeval vampire in your DNA. The Venatori didn’t see it, but I’ve seen enough of them to know. How the fuck that got there I don’t know. But that would explain the immortality.”
“The what now?” I said with my fork halfway to my mouth.
“How do you think you came back to life?” Ryan laughed. “It wasn’t some fluke. You can’t die, bro!”
“I’m not doubting it’s primeval, but the Venatori came from the Aeternus. We lost the ability for immortality when they breed with humans to expand the mind.”
“And as with all things, they weren’t gone, but hidden. I’d love to get my hands on your father’s DNA.”
“The Venatori didn’t have that information? Asher Eriksen, is a lead genetic engineer and he routinely intervenes in pairs so that he can see what two specific bloodlines combine do. The ruling families specifically are almost always told who to fuck.” My tone was almost lecturing. It was just common knowledge in the Venatori.
But we weren’t with the Venatori now.
“I will have to ask The Wicked Truth if he has any other genetic material in his findings?”
“He didn’t give it all to you?”
“I don’t know what he gave Alex. They only gave me information relevant to you.”
I finished my plate and Ryan was shoving another one across the counter at me. He didn’t seem to be phased by the amount of food I was eating. But the look on everyone else’s face was ‘holy shit’.
I ate more and Doc talked more. He told me percentages, and said he could draw diagrams for me. But it was his conclusion that had me convinced, “I’ve never seen anything like it. I thought you were just some stupid kid who was playing with things he didn’t know about, and then all this happens. We’ve never been able to studdy any other Ascendant. And as far as we know no one has ever been able to read that book you got there.” He nodded to the origin of species lying on the counter next to me with Hunter’s dream log on top of it. “You aren’t something old, you are something completely brand new, your kids in that other room, no telling what they will be capable of. And any kids you have in the future no one is going to know. You are the fucking start of a new god damned race and I’m the one to find it!”
The whole thing made me laugh and shake my head. This man was happy I was a fucked up mess.
“So what did you want me to do?”
I sighed, “I think you pretty much just said it all. But the sample is yours, the kids too. Though if you draw blood from the little ones make sure they aren’t alone when you do.”
“I would never.” Bryan said. “I’ll make sure they have someone they trust with them.”
“Thanks.”
I finished off another plate and Ryan was shoving yet another one at me, “We getting close?”
I shrugged. “I dunno.” My stomach rumbled in response. It wasn’t painful, but I didn’t feel like I needed to stop either. so I didn’t. I ate the next plate of whatever Ryan was making me.
“He’s very trusting.” Cari said.
“I’m hungry I don’t care what it is right now.”
Ryan smiled, “Nothing he doesn’t like I promise.” Ryan said as he started making another batch.
“Terry, ” turning to the lawyer who was sitting on the opposite side of Cari almost asleep on the stool. He jerked awake and looked at me.
“Sorry, Doc’s speeches bore me. I’m awake I swear.”
“If you need a nap that’s alright.” I said.
He shook his head, “Nah, I’m good. What did you need?”
“I want to form a council, not of rulers, of advocates. I don’t care how the communities choose them but they can’t be the leaders. I don’t want Dom or Adrian.”
“Adrian is no longer leader of the Lone Wolf Pack.” Ryan said.
I sighed. “We’ll deal with semantics later. I want people who will stand up to me, and stand up for their people. If I’m going to be leading anything, then I need to know what the little people want not just the big wigs.”
“I don’t think there is a single person in New York City that is going to stand up to you Nox. Not after they find out you rose from the ashes.”
“There has to be people who don’t care the fuck who I am or what I can do.” I said.
“But Terry, what I need you for is I want to do what the Night Life building does for vampires. I need permits and the whole city crap to build something. At the meeting they said they’d all chip in. So we need agreements knocked out, and legal. I don’t want anyone getting screwed over or thinking they are. We aren’t human but we live in a human world. We can make the things work in the legal system and be persecuted just the same.”
“Jail won’t hold most of them.”
I smiled. “Not yet anyway.”
“Allison, you and Jin get the leaders back here anyway possible. If nothing else works tell them if they don’t Il Cane will find them. It’s that important.”
“Are you willing to kill a leader who won’t come?” Cari asked.
“No. But you can’t threaten them with me, so you are the next scariest thing. I might make you drag them here though.”
Cari smiled, “That would be a fun hunt.”
I added, “Allison, make the threat but not that we’ll kill them, that Cari will hunt them down. Don’t mention the dragging part.”
Allison nodded, “I think I’ll enjoy that.” I think I had a bunch of crazy friends.
The Mind of Nox 