Deadman's Blood by T. Lynne Tolles Page B

didn’t touch it with his fingers but instead asked Bernard to get him his gloves from the top drawer of his desk.
    Bernard was back in a flash and Dominic put on some pristine white gloves and gently pulled the parchment from the tube. Trying very hard to be as gentle as possible to the ancient scroll, he opened it to its full extent. It wasn’t large. Many of the table’s guests were now huddled around and behind Dominic as he started to translate the ancient vampiric language.
    Dean’s impatience got the better of him. “What does it say?”
    “Well, it seems to be in a lost language that combines the ancient vampiric with that of some of the old crone’s witch-lore writings. From what I can tell, it is she that is writing it and it seems to be one of her prophecies. I don’t think anyone has ever seen anything like this in hundreds, maybe thousands of years. I’m not sure this is the exact translation but I’ll improvise.” He shook his head, in awe of what he was holding and reading, then continued.
    “Four brothers of the same high court will be brought together once more to build a just and noble kingdom that binds the supernatural with the natural. But a dark one lurks in the shadows as he’s done for centuries, ensuring they not know of their destiny and that their numbers never reach four.
    “Unbeknownst to all, including the dark one, the fourth brother and the other three know not of one another and this is what has kept him safe from harm. A quest of his own will draw the fourth to his lineage and all will be set in motion. The dark one guises himself as a friend, but the blood on his hands will be revealed when archives of the Ancients are opened once more.
    “The four will have allies with great power and that power will be quadrupled by the destruction of ‘one’s heart’ as payment for their good deeds.
    “The battle with the dark one will be most ferocious and when the dust settles the dark one will be no more. The four will bring together all of earth’s creatures as one to live in harmony and without fear for centuries to come. Their family name will live on as the kind and noble ‘Lion’ for all of time.” Dominic stopped and pondered what he had just read aloud to his family.
    “I don’t get it? Why do prophecies always have to be so cryptic? Why can’t they just say, Joe Smoe kicks Bob Blob’s butt because he is a bad, bad man. Then everyone will live happily ever after,” Dean said.
    “Look at that, fuzz face likes fairy tales,” Blake said.
    “Don’t start with me, Bat Bean...ooooh I like that. It rolls right off the tongue. Giant green bean meets bat boy to make giant bat bean,” Dean said, rather proud of himself.
    “I like it,” Mark roared in laughter.
    “You are such a moron, Dean,” Blake said snidely. Blake shook his head as Rowan buried the smile she was hiding from Blake behind her hand.
    Melanie asked, “What does it mean, Dominic? Is it about the Larsens?”
    “I’m not sure,” Dominic admitted.
    Devon said, “It can’t be about us. We’re not four brothers.”
    “That isn’t exactly true. In vampire history, I have found that cousins in the same family are often referred to as brothers. Like two families forming a clan. If that is the case, then we...you are four now with Josh,” Dominic explained.
    “Is the dark one the Dark Angel?” Rowan asked.
    “I don’t know. Maybe. But that would mean the true identity of the Dark Angel is a friend or a colleague.”
    Anton said, “That’s not good. Not looking forward to going up against the Dark Angel.”
    A knock came at the front door and Bernard jumped to his feet to answer it.
     
    *****
     
    The rest of the group had started to stir when Bernard peeked his head into the dining room and asked Josh to join him. Josh got up and headed for the door, holding onto Melanie’s hand and pulling her behind him.
    “What’s up, Bernard?”
    “Well, I called Dr. Rowe here to check on your hand. I