Blood Revealed by Tracy Cooper-Posey Read Free Book Online

that are indistinguishable from the real thing. If they see a man with fangs on their television screen, they’re going to figure he’s got a really good set of prosthetics, or it was digitally added to the footage.” Sebastian shook his head. “We can’t prove we’re vampire in any way that humans are going to believe. They’ve become so sophisticated, they’re outsmarting themselves.”
    “Then how…?”
    Sebastian shrugged. “Time. Time will prove everything for us. The media are going to dig into our lives, turn them inside out and report on everything they discover, including the serial identities we’ve all used. And sooner or later, the Others will show themselves and do the work for us.”
    Dominic recalled Sebastian’s prediction as the question period moved into the second hour. The rate and intensity of the questions did not seem to slow at all and despite the sometimes sharply personal aspect of them, the four people behind the microphones answered all of them.
    From where he was sitting, Dominic could see the screen of the laptop sitting on the table in front of them and it seemed that the other conferences around the world were continuing for just as long as this one. No one had moved from behind the microphones. All of them were still busy speaking and taking questions.
    Dominic wondered how the general public was reacting to this. Were the networks still airing the conferences? Or were they just recording for later? Either way, it would help spread the facts, as the footage would be analyzed and discussed on late night shows, daily shows and news channels everywhere, as well as filtering out onto the social networks on-line, where they would be even more thoroughly filleted, shared and liked…or not liked.
    Then Patrick Sauvage stepped up to the microphone as one of the reporters shouted at him.
    The question sounded aggressive even to Dominic.
    “Patrick! We want to hear it from you. Tell us. What’s it like being a vampire?”
    Dominic found himself dipping into the actor’s mind, even though he didn’t want to. In a big room like this, with nearly five hundred people reacting to bad news, it was difficult to focus on just one person and sample their thoughts. Patrick seemed different. His thoughts were clearer than anyone else’s. Maybe, because he had been rehearsed to death, he was thinking in a well-worn channel that made his thoughts uncluttered as a result.
    Dominic could feel the man’s fear blooming underneath the almost meditative calm of his superficial thoughts. Patrick had been dreading having to answer truthfully about his private life and thoughts. He had been hiding the truth about himself for decades, just like the vampires had been. Now he had to come clean and it was terrifying.
    None of his fear showed on his face. He gave the reporter a grim smile. “It’s a relief in many ways. I haven’t had to stave off cravings for a drink for months, just to start.”
    There was something like a soft breezy wash of laughter from around the room. Tension was still too high for everyone to have a good belly laugh, though.
    “Is that why you asked to be made a vampire?” Howard demanded and the room fell completely silent, except for electronic cameras humming. “So you would stop drinking?”
    Patrick didn’t blink. His pleasant expression didn’t change. “Among other things, yes, that was one of the reasons.”
    And Dominic could almost feel the man’s fear rise up like mercury in a thermometer, almost overwhelming him. Yet he didn’t move or flinch as the babble of reaction exploded over the room like fireworks.
    And even though the man had a baby grand piano sitting gathering dust in a forgotten corner of his house, Dominic felt a keen moment of empathy for him and a grudging respect for his courage.
    * * * * *
    Simone wandered into the kitchen, her bunny slippers slapping the tiles softly. She yawned as she opened the fridge and looked inside. Then she glanced at