Chapter 6

~~Jack~~

Jack had never known dread until that moment.

It was a large, modern room with a massive wooden table in the middle and massive windows overlooking the city at night. The ceiling was adorned with an array of LEDs in ornamental designs, and the floor was made of the same black marble as the rest of the space. It didn't appear like a conference room designed for typical high-level business meetings. 

A quick glance around the table showed several objects that appeared to be religious in nature, though he couldn't place them. There were also folders and mountains of paper, as well as photographs of people and objects. TVs on the walls broadcast streams of data, analytics, and telemetry. Some he recognized as stocks and other economic angles, others as crime reports, and still others as product usage data. It was the head of the Xnomina corporation and all of its authority. It was tough for him to look away.

But it was the folks inside that scared him.

The room had only three individuals in it. The first was a tall guy with broad shoulders and a black suit that read 'kneel before me' on the breast. Jack guessed Viktor. Despite his youthful appearance, his black hair was tied into a ponytail behind his head, and his face was obviously from an older age. He appeared to be able to pull off wearing a cape and wielding a sword with ease.

Another man stood beside him, but this one was dressed to murder. Jack surmised his motifs were mafia-esque, with a blazer suit, open neck, and a chain piercing connecting nose to ear, all under a shaved head. He was enormous. That had to be Michael, the Gangrel.

There was also Maria. She was a little short and had a slim and tiny body. Her hair was long and black, covering her pale complexion, and it obscured much of her face. She appeared to be a specter in her white dress, which appeared almost lifeless to the naked eye. When she turned to face him, he felt himself trembling. She didn't just appear to be an apparition; she also felt like one. The air around her was cold — he could feel it from far over by the entrance — and the moisture in the air had condensed into mist around her.

Nosferatu was her name.

"Ah, Mr. Julias. "Please come in and introduce your friend," said Viktor. His voice was smooth, with a strange mix of foreign accents, but every word was pronounced clearly. Jack figured to be a master in communications and, by extension, manipulations. The other two stood there staring at Jack, making him feel even smaller than normal.

That new feeling inside him screamed to be let go.

"Alder Viktor, please accept Master Terry, my childe." 

"I had no idea it would happen so soon," Viktor said as he began to move toward the small Ventrue. Jack didn't look him in the eyes and chose to keep his head down completely. He bowed slightly.

"Unexpected events occurred, and I was forced to embrace him early." He was attacked."

"Was he there now?"" This time, it was Maria Nosferatu who spoke up. When her hoarse, raspy voice struck him, he felt a chill run down his spine. He imagined that if someone had been thrown into a basement and left to die without water, their concluding words would have sounded something like that.

“Yes. "I think it was Rebecca," Julias stated. Jack thought he heard a moment of hesitation in his friend's answer.

Alder Viktor, whatever that meant, approached Jack and peered down at him. The word "down" did not do it credit. A king was gazing down at his servant's servant. A god gazing down on a commoner. He smiled, but Jack didn't venture to look any higher than his lips and fangs. 

The quantity of reading body language was overwhelming. It was business, and he knew business, but these gods were all staring at him, and even a child could tell that they were planning thirty moves ahead based solely on how he moved or didn't move.

"I'm regretful, Master Terry, that your embrace had to be dealt with so harshly. I'm confident Mister Mire did everything he could to save your life. Tell me, what do you recall about the person who attacked you?”

The gods desired that he talk. Fuck.

“... I recall, your Excellency... "A woman of my height, with red hair," he said, lowering his head. His voice shook and he couldn't hear himself. He was certain he heard Michael stifle a chuckle.

"That definitely sounds like Rebecca." Viktor stepped in front of Jack and Julia. His wrists were netted behind his back, and his visage had hardened into a small grimace. "A perilous charge. We'll take it into account. In truth, it could have been related to your mission, Mister Mire."

"Alder Viktor, a mission?"

"Yes, it... you should probably send your childe home." We have a meeting." Viktor gradually lowered his attention to Jack, who averted his gaze with a snap. If he could avoid making eye contact for the rest of the night, he might make it out alive. He could still feel something new and unbridled inside him pleading with him to flee these giants.

Julias nodded, placed his hand on Jack's shoulder, and led him out of the room, shutting the doors behind them. They came to a halt in front of the lift, and Julias turned to face Jack.

"That went well," Julias commented.

"It did? I was ejected. "That lasted exactly two minutes." As they waited for the lift, Jack squirmed. Someone had to have called it back, and now they had to wait, with those terrors behind him.

"Believe me, Jack, that was a great first impression." Take the lift back to the lobby and proceed to my apartment. Wait for me while you drink more of the blood I have in the freezer."

"How long are you going to stay?" Jack stated.

"I'm not sure, but—" The elevator stopped him. "Just hurry home and drink as much blood as you want." I really shouldn't be leaving you like this on your first night, and Viktor knows it. It's critical if he has something I need to do right now."

"Are there any concerns I should have on my first night?"

"Not if you hurry back to my place and stay in my apartment." I'll get back to you later."