Excerpt: 1. Hide Me 2. Just Five More

From Hide Me, Hideaway Inn.

Kristofer stalked back and forth along the length of the basement meeting room. As usual, Magdelena, one of the newest vampire leaders, was running late. Even though just being a vampire naturally enhanced their looks, she still would not come out of her room until she knew she looked absolutely perfect. There were times he wanted to kill her for the time she wasted.

“Where is she?” He muttered under his breath, just as she came in.

“Sorry I am late darlings.” Magdelena drawled in her southern belle voice as she walked gracefully into the meeting room. Dressed in a long flowing scarlet red gown with white lace in the grand fashion style of the eighteen hundreds, with long blonde hair curling down her back like a waterfall, she looked more ready for a debutante ball, not a serious meeting.

Kristofer took a deep breath to calm himself. “If you are ready, Magdelena, we will get the meeting started.”

“Of course darling.” Magdelena sat down next to Veronika and immediately pulled a bottle of nail polish out of her purse. “What do you think of this shade? Too red?” she asked Veronika. Veronika shifted in her seat and looked straight at Kristofer and ignored Magdelena’s question.

Stopping at the head of the table, Kristofer spared a glare for Magdelena before addressing the leaders of the various vampire sects. “Welcome to the Hideaway Inn. We all know each other so we will spare the introductions. You all know why we are here. The Hunters have been seeking and destroying every were-creature that they can find. They have decimated entire families. They—“

“Why do we care? We are not were-creatures.” Phoenix slouched down in his chair.

Kristofer turned to Phoenix, addressed him, “You are correct, we are not were-creatures. But we are still part of the magical community.”

“I do not see why. We are not witches or warlocks. We are vampires, not magicians.” Phoenix said.

Valarie turned to Phoenix, “And how long do you think you will be welcome here in the sanctuary of the Hideaway Inn, if you have that view of the magical community?”

“Like I care? I do not need sanctuary. I can deal with any threat that comes at me.” Phoenix sneered.

Nickolas jumped to his feet, leaned over the table and yelled at Phoenix, “If the Hunters come after you, you will wish you did have sanctuary.”

“Does anyone else think this nail polish is too red? I do not know if I like it.” Magdelena asked the room.

Silence fell over the room as the vampire leaders all turned to look at her.

“What?” she asked, puzzled by the silence. “So, what are we here to discuss?”