I received an unusual invitation today. A vampire wants to hire me for some reason. I am still staring at its invitation. It obviously didn’t write it as the paper and ink have no connection to it. Or it’s smart and knows not to give me a connection to it. Probably the latter. I don’t like how it knew about me. It knew the proper code words to tell me its true intention at the meeting. This isn’t something my coven knows about and so far, it has been discrete. I must research this vampire before I decide. Besides, I am not sure I want to stop my research now. I found some interesting ruins here that might yield some results. It does say I will like what it has to offer but gives no other indication.
7 March 2005
Athens
The vampire won’t take no for an answer. It is still working through intermediaries, which is fine, but now claims to have the book I wanted! As these ruins haven’t been touched, I don’t believe him and dismiss him.
8 March 2005
Athens
The ruins didn’t hold my treasure, as it knew they wouldn’t but was hoping I was wrong. We breached an inner sanctum and it was exactly as the vampire described. Further, we did find a book, but not the correct book. The vampire says he will send proof.
9 March 2005
Athens
The vampire did have it!
I don’t know how, unless it is that old, which is a bit unnerving. I am making arrangements to go to it and hear what it has to say. It asked me to research something and I couldn’t believe what it wanted me to research. Fortunately, the other mages here have very meticulous records and I should be able to find what it wants.
11 March 2005
Athens
I found the record the vampire talked about. I can’t believe the Raijnes agreed to it but they did. They sealed their fate on this one themselves. Anything that happens to them is karma, regardless of who the instrument is. I am only glad that the council distanced themselves from it all or we might have had a war on our hands.
**
I sent the information to the vampire and it sent me more proof. I have made all of the arrangements and should see it tomorrow. I will leave my plans and all my proof in several secure locations for my coven to find if something goes wrong.
12 March 2005
Bucharest
I walk into the room and look around. It is a well furnished study but an old fashioned style. The chairs are Victorian in style but have been reupholstered since. The desk is big and ancient, made of mahogany. There are several chairs, also from mahogany, and tables as well. One side table has several books on it. I try not to linger but I can’t help it. They could be what I have been after for almost a decade.
The vampire sitting behind the desk looks irritated as I finally look back at it, or him rather, as he was a man. He is too used to intimidating those who come here, I think, and not happy that I ignored him and looked around. I like to know who, or what, I am dealing with and their tastes can help with that. This is old world money and power, here, and I am impressed. Most vampires don’t have lots of wealth. It’s too easy to trace and be caught. It takes some real acumen with money to be able to amass such wealth.
“I hope the trip wasn’t too bad for you,” says my host, standing and coming around the desk to shake my hand. I walk forward and we shake. He exerts a bit more pressure than he needs to as he turns his steely gaze onto me. His hand is cold but not as cold as I would have thought. I don’t flinch from his gaze or grip and let him win the test of strength. I can’t defeat a vampire by raw strength and we both know it.
“No, not at all,” I reply, sitting in a chair as the vampire walked back to sit behind the desk. He wore a suit and was comfortable in it. My own suit was older and worn at a few of the edges but as we weren’t here to talk fashion, I didn’t care.
“What have you found out,” he asks in his slight accent. He takes his time in speaking to hide the accent. I don’t know why he bothers but I don’t say anything.
“It does exist but it is with your enemy, the Raijnes,” I answer calmly.
My answer doesn’t please him. He can’t help but get angry and his open palm slams down onto the desk. I think he may have cracked it. He curses in his native tongue for a bit and I can’t follow it all. He calms himself with great effort before looking at me. “I want them dead as well.” His voice is filled with rage.
“That’s not part of our deal,” I say, calmly. Well, not completely calm. I mean, for all my power, I am still a mortal. If he wanted, he could kill me before I cast a spell. I have a few defensive measures in place but if he was determined, I don’t know that I could stop him. I think it shows that I am nervous, for he smiles. When he speaks, though, he is still struggling to control his anger.
“Then we must renegotiate. I found the tome you wanted, and an older Egyptian version of it. In fact, my own research indicates that your text used the Egyptian as a source.”
My mouth hangs open for too long before I remember to shut it. An older source? And Egyptian as well? My mind whirls at the possibility. I turn to my right and look at the books there on the table again. I strain to see more than the sides of them but they are too far. I restrain myself from moving, even to get a better look at them.
I finally pull my eyes away from them and look back at my host. His eyes betray the fact that he knows I am interested and will do it. I don’t bother to refute that point.
“Very well. I will need the help of your clan in the United States. I can’t use my coven or it will involve them. Neither of us wants that.“
He nods at me. “Is that all?”
“I would like to take the lesser work with me.”
“Of course. Anything else?”
“I will need the blood we talked about.”
A shadow passes over his face and he leans back in his chair, staring at me. I force myself not to squirm or give anything away. He stares at me silently for several minutes and I can’t help but notice how inhuman he is. He doesn’t breath as he looks me. He doesn’t blink. It’s as if a statue and I are having a contest of wills. I don’t know if I can win it. I have to, though, for my own needs.
Five minutes. Ten. I have blinked by now but we still stare at each other in silence. Finally, he leans forward.
“One vial.”
“I will need all five.”
“That is too much,” he replies. I interrupt before he can say more.
“I will give three of my own in return, kept by you to do as you want.”
That stops him. He think about it again, going as still as a statue. I have wondered if they can speak to each other as mind mages do and if he gets, or gives, instructions then. I don’t say anything, merely return the stare.
“You will give it now, in front of me?”
“Yes.”
“Very well. Let us do that and get you on your way.”
23 March 2005
Istanbul
I finally have a few moments to breathe. I have had a “bodyguard” ever since I left the vampire’s place. They have been with me 24/7 and I wasn’t sure I would get any time to myself. They finally had to feed and left me, thinking I would do nothing against them. Well, I won’t. I want, no need, the other book. He knows it.
But, I did need some distance from vampires for a bit. I wasn’t sure the spell I had prepared would work or if it would fool them. It did, though. Well, I think it did or otherwise I don’t know why they allowed me to breathe for this long. At least I know that they don’t have my blood. And I am reasonably sure I have theirs. I will have to test it.
30 March 2005
Istanbul
We would have left already but I do have their blood. I used it to power a spell to command one of the vampires that was traveling with me. I forced him to give me some more blood and then to seek out and replace it from someone local. He did it and doesn’t remember my part in it. Of course, he went too far and killed someone over the blood. We had to stay some extra days while they smoothed things over with the local prince as well as covered up the death. I have my answer, at least.
2 April 2005
London
I am finally back in civilization. The Eastern bloc countries, I still think of them in this way, are barely above third world countries. They might not even be that!
No more escorts, either. They think they have me but I know better. Just in case, though, I will perform a cleansing ritual on myself. I doubt they know of it or can do it themselves.
7 April 2005
Glasgow
I am back researching the Raijnes. It’s not an uncommon name but there are still many families I have to dismiss. At least my earlier research gives me an area on which to concentrate.
9 May 2005
Glasgow
I just heard from my coven. They want me back in a few days. They have accepted a job and need my help. I am looking forward to the distraction and getting back to the states.
17 May 2005
New York
There is another job. This one sated me but the others are following the trail of something and want me to stay. I can’t make them suspicious, so I agreed. I have a shadow and had to talk to him to back off. I tell him that his leader knew this would take time and he has plenty of it. Further, one of them was noticed by my coven and now they are asking questions. I tell him we can’t afford that. It takes several minutes of heated discussion before he realizes that I am correct. They agree to leave me alone provided I give them updates. I agree to that.
5 January 2006
Los Angeles
The second job turned into another. And another. I have found them interesting but I don’t get time for my research. I tell them this and they tell me the next one is it for a while.
8 April 2006
Chicago
I was ready to leave the coven. Again, more jobs than they said. However, perhaps Fate finally turned my way. One of the jobs brought us to Chicago where I noticed several articles in the paper about some local people who died, including a Kurt Rayne. I will need to check these out. There are a lot of Rayne's, so I don't think it is the one I want, but it's a lead.
9 April 2006
Toledo
I almost left the coven. Again. I think they think my threat to leave is hollow now, after all of these years of saying it but not doing anything. I find the articles about this Rayne who died but before I can even look them up in the phone book, we are chasing after something and end up in Ohio. I have to do all my checking via the internet and it’s not as effective as going to a records hall. It’s probably nothing. There are many areas where I see the name Rayne. It’s not even the spelling used in most “Americanizations” of the name I found. But something is telling me this is correct.
I will do more research as soon as I can.
6 June 2006
Chicago
More jobs and then another one that almost cost us a coven member to violence. She is laid up in a hospital and will need a month to recover from the physical injuries. The mental ones may never be cured. However, it did give the excuse I needed to come back to Chicago. As long as I make regular calls to see how she is doing, the rest of the coven won’t think anything of it.
I contacted the vampires again and told them I was on their case and had a lead. I told them where I was and they sent me some help. That’s fine. From what I have read, the Raynes are powerful. Having some “muscle” will prove invaluable.
14 September 2006
Chicago
I have wasted my time. I was sure these were the correct Raynes. So sure, in fact, that I have stayed a month longer than I should, watching them and seeing them in action. They use guns. They can’t be the ones I want.
She has mostly recovered including her magic. I thought she might have stilled herself. They are talking about some jobs again and I readily agree. The vampires with me aren’t happy but I tell them it will be the perfect cover for my research. It could be the Raijnes set these guys up to look legitimate while they hid more.
8 February 2007
Edinburgh
I have come back to the beginning. I am starting with the earliest record we have on the Raijnes. They were not typical mages. They didn’t like the formal hierarchy and resisted it often, especially Seamus. Hm. I think I could have worked with the Raijnes, especially what I read about Seamus They were guided by their own moral compasses and stuck to them, even in the face of opposition. Even if they didn’t follow the traditions, they did what they thought was correct.
But what did they do about the towers?
4 March 2007
Lockerbie
I am surprised it took this long before the coven contacted me. More jobs. I am sure it will be a while before I can get back.
25 September 2007
Lockerbie
We have a stop in Britain for a few weeks, so I came up here to do some more research.
I think I have found something. Unfortunately, it's not helpful. There seems to be nothing prior to 1812. However, they have records in the council going back as far as the incident in 1687. They exist in other council records as well. I found Stewart, Drew and Fiona. But there is a gap I can't explain and nothing going any further back than this among sleepers.
19 March 2008
Lockerbie
The jobs of my coven were a welcome break. Researching the book wasn’t as tough as researching the Raijnes. I finally figured out they used some sort of magic to hide themselves but it’s old and it can’t be undone. Everything has to be done by hand. Even trying to use Names to try and find a descendent doesn’t work.
So, I am back at Lockerbie and looking for more clues.
I know the family was here for a long time but can't find much of a record. Several castles, well fortified manors, have been destroyed and rebuilt several times over the years and I think one of them might have been the Raijnes. I also think they had to hid after the job they accepted. I mean, that only makes sense. But, I can't find where they went from there.
9 May 2008
New York
I am sick at looking at records. I have been here several months and trying to decipher the handwriting as well as follow the path the Raijnes took has been eye numbing. I finally broke one code. The Raijnes “went native” so to speak. They did as much as they could as if they were sleepers. No magic so nothing to trace that way. And to try and read everything is headache causing.
12 May 2008
New York
Well, a few breakthroughs. This time I was helped by my vampire comrades. Maybe they are more human, or can act more human, than I thought. They wanted to help and I was glad to a break looking at the records. They realized that some of the entries were fakes. Somehow, not using magic, the Raijnes managed to insert into the record nearly ten extra Raijnes. Further, they Americanized the name differently in various groups. So, some were Raines, Raynes, Raiynes and one Raijnes. Now it gives me specific families to follow but also made gave me five times more to research.
28 June 2008
Milwaukee
The vampires had to arrange something here and since there was a group of Raijnes, well Raynes, that had come to the Chicago/Milwaukee area, I came along. When they told me they were setting up some kills, I suggested they add one, to see if this would flush our prey out. I picked one of the names at random. Benjamin Rayne. I don’t know why but that name came to me without looking at my notes.
18 August 2008
Milwaukee
The vampires messed up. They let some lackeys, ghouls I think they are called, do a hit and none of them came back. They wanted me to go to the scene and see what I could find. I agreed. It was better than the research.
When we arrived, it was a mess. Bodies and blood everywhere. I had to send them away while I was searching the place as I didn’t like the looks they were giving me. I think it was the blood. I find some hair of the one that got away and we start chasing him.
28 September 2008
Chicago
I am back to the wrong Raynes. Of course, I put in the name that sent the wolf here and now I don’t know why. The wolf is hiding, though, and not making contact. I don’t know why. I still think these guys can’t be the ones we want. They use guns. They are sleepers. They are nothing. Yet, here we watch them as they run around trying to stop a summoning.
**
They managed to stop a coven. I can’t believe it. They are either very good or very lucky. I need to question the one in custody. I arrange for a local law firm to help her out and then question her. She didn’t know anything, though. And I didn’t care about what they were doing. I try and make her forget about me. I don’t know if I was successful and can’t stick around to find out.
3 October 2008
Chicago
Holy Shit!
Itwas them!
I was back to watching the Raynes and what they were doing. It was the only lead I had, although there were a few more in the Chicago area. I was about to leave when I felt a sleeper awaken. And it was right next to me! In the house! And they are powerful as well. This awakening will certainly raise some issues among the local mages. Anyway, I looked truly at the house and that’s when I saw it’s protections. Why didn’t I use my sight two years ago? I would have been able to get it from them with no problem. Now, though, it will prove difficult.
5 October 2008
Chicago
My patron is happy and has decided to orchestrate demise of the Raijnes, well Raynes, himself. It will take him a week to arrive. They would have me as an ally and I must admit that it is tempting. The magic I sense from within their house is old and powerful. I am sure I could learn a lot. Am I willing to sell an Awakened to the vampires for this knowledge?
Then, the big reveal happens. The vampires who had been with me had the Egyptian book the whole time! The whole time! I nearly cried when they held out my payment and handed it to me. Just like that. I had wanted to find them as it was a puzzle. The Raijnes had disappeared and I wanted to know how. Now that the mystery was solved, I was happy to walk away.
Now I could.
13 November 2008
Chicago
For being at least centuries old, my patron is not very patient. He tried to assault the Raynes at their house. I told him it would do no good but he did not listen to me. They nearly fried him and killed some of their clan, bloodline, whatever it’s called. Further, the wolf finally made contact with them, they tell me. They accepted him and allowed him entrance to the house. I don’t think of that. I don’t think of asking. It will probably be my downfall.
They called me for advice. I told him they need to have patience and wait until they are weak.
“You must help us,”
“No, I don’t.”
“I think so,” he said. “Unless you want them, and others of your kind, to find out you sold them out.”
“So, that’s the way it’s going to be?” I say to the phone. I don’t like where this is going but want to hear him say it.
“That’s the way it has to be. Help us or face your own kind. I am sure they won’t be happy, and neither will the Raynes, when they find out about your involvement. Now, come to me so we may talk.”
I hold the phone to my ear but say nothing. I know I will go there but I don’t know if I will help him yet. I don’t know if I can.
“I will be there soon,” I mutter in the phone and break the connection. What do I do?
I think about calling my coven but I don’t want to involve them. I gather a few things, including some items I can use against the vampire, and then I write this entry.
I will send this to my coven. It will take them some time to decipher it. By then, I will have the answer to my dilemma.
Notes on the notes
I had fun writing this, which is also why I do it.
I hope to use this as a way to give family information to them and have it be fun.
I want to get the group back into the mood. I might try and do a few more updates like this.
I thought I had a lot more of their family history done than I did.
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