A Private Meeting
by Soledad
A Swordfeast universe story Timeline: about a year after ''Finally'' Third part of the Cameron-storyline, between my own SWF-stories, ''Suspicions'' and ''Blood Relatives''.
Disclaimers: None of the ''Kindred''-vampires belong to me, and the background situation and the Richmond Tremere belong to the Swordfeast Universe. Cameron's bloodline, however, was created by me. I took his ancestors from the Brujah genealogy on the web-site White Wolfe Online. Some of the blood relations are authentic, others I simply made up. All the L.A. Kindred can be found in my original stories of the ''Pathways in the Dark'' universe, as well.
Note: for better visualisation, Alonzo Solace is ''played'' by Antonio Sabato, Jr.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lady Abigail arrived on time, just as she'd promised. She was accompanied by a young-looking, extremely beautiful Spanish Kindred, who wore black jeans and a blood red silk shirt and had a profile like a young falcon. There wasn't any doubt about him being a Brujah - but he seemed to be a surprisingly cultivated one... and old, at least two centuries old. He moved with the easy grace and sleek strength of a matador or a professional dancer, and his eyes positively drank up everything he saw.
Daedalus and Thorne were already waiting in the library. The witch introduced her companion as her pilot and driver, one Alonzo Solace, then accepted the offered seat and the glass of excellent bloodwine and looked questioningly at the obviously worried Prince of San Francisco.
''What kind of information do you want from me, Mr. Luna?'' This being an informal meeting, she didn't bother to address Julian as Lord or Prince, but the Ventrue knew better than fight her about such petty things.
''I'd like a general picture of the L.A. situation'', he answered, ''and I'd like to know who Cameron's grand-Sire is and what his or her plans might be. We never heard anything about Sorrel's bloodline. I need to know whom I'm up against.''
''The man in question is called Salvador Garcia.'' Lady Abigail picked up the last question first. ''He is the Minister of the Eastern City of Angels and used to be the leader of the Anarch strike force La Hermandad which overwhelmed the last legally elected Prince of L.A., the Toreador Don Sebastian. He was Embraced in Barcelona, in the 19th century, and took part in the attack against the Prince of the City, during which his Sire, Don Fernando Almadóvar, was destroyed. He diablerised at least twice, as far as I am informed (although Alonzo here could certainly tell you a lot more, having fought alongside him all the time): once during the Spanish Civil War and once in 1944 when he killed Don Sebastian in an open duel. He comes from a very old and respected Spanish noble family, had a classical education and is very rich.''
''An Anarch? And a diabolist?'' Julian paled considerably hearing these news, which was a rather interesting sight for those who knew him.
''Don't be so touchy'', the beautiful Spaniard spoke for the first time, with a predatory smile on his hawk-like face, ''most of the Kindred wo are old enough had been involved in diablerie once or twice. Besides, Salvador has converted to the Camarilla about a decade ago, because of the Sabbat threat... well, partially.''
Julian rolled his eyes. ''And what, exactly, does that suppose to mean?''
Lady Abigail took the word back from her companion. ''Salvador follows the Rules and Traditions rather stricktly, among the borders of his own Domain, which is quite large, by the way. He does, however, keep spitting into Cyrus' face. He doesn't acknowledge Cyrus' claim of princedom. Their bloodlines have benn in quarrel for centuries, after all.''
''How can he not acknowledge the Prince and still follow the Rules of the Camarilla?'' Daedalus asked.
The witch shrugged, despise clearly written on her aristocratic features. ''Cyrus isn't a legally elected Prince. He took the City by muscle, with the help of Eddie Fiori's mob, but he could never get quite a grip on it as the whole.''
''Why not?''
''You have to understand one thing about L.A.: it's an open city. It has ever been, even under Don Sebastian. The Domain is so huge, its parts geographically so separated, it would need a very strong Prince to keep it under control. One who has the support of all the Ministers. Cyrus doesn't have it.''
''Who, exactly, are the other ministers?'' Daedalus continued asking questions, since he was the one the ancient Tremere Methuselah seemed to tolerate the best.
''Now, that is not an easy question to answer.'' Lady Abigail thought for a sec. ''Officially, there are only two of them: Louis Fortier, the Ventrue Primogen, who's been officially elected for the Western City of Angels, and Salvador, of course. But West-Hollywood is my Domain, having been Tremere territory for several centuries, longer than I've been Regent of the L.A. Chantry; and I haven't been elected yesterday, you know. Then there's Koreatown, which is run by the Kuei-jin, specifically by one Lee Kim Soon, who isn't even nominally under Kindred rules. The Gangrel have been chased away from the inner City, many of them got killed, but, as I said earlier, they share territory with the Garou; the Uktena, to be specific, that none of Cyrus' thugs would dare to approach. Most of them are Native Americans or gypsies and so are the Uktena... it's a tribal thing, I believe.''
''What about the other parts of the City?'' Daedalus inquired. ''They're fairly large, too, as I've heard.''
''They are, but most of them are held by various Anarch groups - or Sabbat packs. There's even a Sabbatt bishop in L.A., a former Black Muslim preacher, and I know about at least two Setite temples and some Ravnos activity as well. Cyrus had considerable financial powers and a lot of influence thank to his lawyers, but the real financial genius is his Sire, who prefers to work from the background. So he doesn't have a tight grip on the City. With L.A., it's just not possible. It has been open far too long for that.''
''What about the other Clans?'' Julian asked.
The witch made a face. ''Well, the place is crawling with Toreadors, of course, Hollywood and the whole movie industry being heaven for them. The Malkavians are just as strongly present, which might have the same reason, I guess... although their new Primogen, The Preacher, is more of the religious sort. The Nosfreatu are very few, though.''
''Why is that?'' Daedalus asked.
''We have a serious demon infestation, and most of these beasts live in the sewers. It's not a safe place for Nosferatu. Many of them migrated to Sunnydale decades ago.''
Daedalus shivered, hearing the infamous name. ''Sunnydale? As in the Hellmouth?''
''Isn't a safe place, either'', Lady Abigail agreed, ''but it has better hiding places. And the Kine living there are so accustomed to monsters, they don't even blink when they see a Nosferatu. No offense intended'', she added, looking apologetically at Daedalus. ''Sunnydale is the ultimative breeding place for the True Undead - your kind looks harmless comparing to their game face.''
''None taken'', Daedalus thought about it for a moment. ''Can you tell us something about Cameron's blood relatives? Does this Salvador Garcia have any Childer?''
''Several, in fact'', Lady Abigail said. ''The eldest ones, Valeria Annunciata and Carlyle, are married to each other. Technically, they are both Anarch, with Carlyle being the actual leader of La Hermandad, ever since Salvador became Minister. Gloria's a doctor, running a Kindred clinic, and Allison used to be trained as an assassin for a secret government organization before she defected to the Dark. They are both Camarilla, as well as Sorrel's only remaining Childe in L.A., who's an officer of the LAPD.''
''Cameron still has a sibling alive?'' Julian hissed in surprise. [And a police officer, no less!] That could have meant unexpected trouble.
The witch raised an elegant eyebrow. ''Well, it's a matter of perspective, of course. Undead would be more correct, but yes, Sergeant Sánchez is a Childe of Sorrel. He'd been Embraced almost a decade before Cameron, being related to Sorrel's mortal family somehow, and left San Francisco shortly after you wiped out his whole bloodline. He never lived in Manzanita, though, probably that's why he survived your... cleansing action.''
Julian digested the information in silence for a while. ''What I still don't understand'', he said then, ''is, why we never heard anything about Sorrel's Sire. He always acted as if he hadn't any family left, aside of his clan in Manzanita.''
''He had been disowned'', Lady Abigail answered. ''Salvador never agreed with his crusade against Archon.''
''Why not? The two of them surely couldn't have been friends...''
''No, but Salvador realized very early that the Brujah never had any chance in San Francisco. This has always been a tight city, firmly under Ventrue rule. Salvador hates waste. He emphatically advised Sorrel against this fight and disowned him when he didn't listen.''
''What about Sánchez?'', Daedalus asked.
''He was more interested in the safety of his mortal family. He moved with his children to L.A. and transferred to the police there. His children know what he's become, but they don't care. It's a very close-knit family, although none of his descendants have chosen to be Embraced... so far. Sánchez has a Kindred Childe, though; a young officer who was mortally wounded and accepted the Embrace in order to survive.''
''Have you any idea what this Garcia might want from Cameron?'', Daedalus continued with his inquiry.
The witch nodded. ''It's not a secret. He wants the kid to go and stay with them for a while. Sergeant Sánchez is coming to San Francisco for an officer exchange program, he could take over Cameron's duties for the time being.''
''Why does he want to see Cameron?'', Daedalus wondered. ''They never had any contact.''
''Salvador didn't even know about Cameron, not until Sorrel's death'', the witch explained. ''But after he had learnt about him, through Sergeant Sánchez, who came for the funeral, he kept an eye on the boy through Clan grapewine. And after he detected the trap the kid had let himself maneuver into by Tenisor here'', she nodded towards Thorne with obvious disgust, ''he decided to intervene. He intends to adopt Cameron instead of his Sire... and Sergeant Sánchez is strong enough to keep the Brujah of San Francisco under his iron fist until Cameron returns. After all, he's the living nightmare of all police newbies.''
''Garcia can't change the Primogen in my city'', Julian growled menacingly.
''He can't'', the witch agreed, ''and he won't. Cameron won his seat through very tough dogfights; he has earned the right to keep it as long as he can. Sergeant Sánchez is only a temporary replacement. As the patriarch of the family, Salvador has the right to summon his progeny to his headquarters.''
''So, you intend to take Cameron with you?'' Thorne asked.
Lady Abigail shook her head. ''No, Salvador wants him in L.A. ASAP. That's why he sent his chief bodyguard as driver with me. Alonzo will take the kid tomorrow, the latest.''
''Without a replacement?'' Thorne started to contemplate the possibilities in the Brujah Primogen's absence.
''No, Sergeant Sánchez came with us, as well. At the moment, he's rearranging his old home for a longer stay.''
''Shouldn't he have presented himself to the Prince first?''
''Oh, he will, Shortly. But I asked him to let me come first.... I knew I'd find you here, after all.''
''Lady Abigail'', Daedalus injected smoothly, ''is there a rason for you extreme hostility towards Severan... other than the fate of that young priestress?''
''Yes'', the witch said bluntly, ''a very good one. It's called Davic Ellysson.''
''His second?'', Julian asked in surprise. They all knew the soft-speaking, kind young Tremere magus who was practically an extension of his powerful and rather ruthless Sire.
''His victim'', Lady Abigail corrected icily. ''Davic is the only mortal descendant of Alric DuLac, a gentle, tormented soul of our Chantry. They even look very much alike. Alric was always looking for his mortal family, having lost almost anyone during the fall of Montségur Castle; they belonged to the so-called kathar heresy. Alric was overjoyed finding Davic; the boy was orphaned and grew up in our Chantry House.''
''That is most unusual'', Daedalus remarked.
Lady Abigail shrugged. ''We are a somewhat.. unorthodox Chantry. Anyway, we all loved Davic as if he were our own child. He didn't know what we were, but he was so close to us, Alric planned to tell him the truth when he returned from Europe where he studied almost ten years long. Then, about sixty years ago, poor Davic happened to run into Tenisor here, who never hesitated a second to seduce him and Blood Bond him, although he knew very well who he was.'' The witch paused for a moment then added in an infinitely sad voice. ''Alric never recovered from this... cruelty. He has been but a shadow of himself ever since. As if he hadn't suffered enough before.''
Heavy silence unfolded over the Prince's library. This news seemed to shake everyone, even the usually unflappable Daedalus. Stealing a possible Childe from someone who already had raised and cherished the candidate was considered a capital offense among Kindred. Especially when it was a mortal descendant form the betrayed one. The very same thing fueled Julian's unforgiving hatred towards Eddie Fiori, considering Sasha's forced Embrace.
After a moment Lady Abigail turned to Thorne and added in a cold, terribly calm voice: ''I advise you never to set foot in L.A., Tenisor. There is a prize on your head in my Domain... a very high one. My fellow Ministers and their allied Anarch forces knew that I'll pay it twice when they bring you me alive.
'' Thorne paled but didn't finch. ''I'm not afraid of you.''
''Then you're a fool'', the witch responded. ''If I were you, I wouldn't trust my thaumaturgy. My Sisters all possess the Wild Power, and there are other forces in L.A. you can't even imagine. Salvador Garcia is one of them - and not one to be taken lightly.''
She paused, shooting a look at the Prince, then turning back to the magus. ''I won't touch you here, where I'm a guest myself, but never ever come even near to L.A. if you appreciate your unlife. What you did... could - and would - never be forgiven.''
With that, she stood and left the Camera della Luna, leaving a deeply worried Daedalus, a confused Prince and a fuming Thorne Severan behind.
The End