From GIDEON REDOAK by Anne Fraser
Evan then examined everyone’s wounds. We vampires, of course, needed nothing more than blood to restore us. I could already feel my injuries healing under the influence of the blood I had drunk. So Jean, Alexander and I disposed of the bodies by tossing them into the inferno that was now the White Lion, while Evan tended the others. He stitched whatever needed stitching, and soon the Druids joined us in watching the inn burn to the ground.
“This should not be the end of it,” Michael said. We all looked at him. “We worked well together. Perhaps everyone was so afraid of vampires joining with magic users simply because it had never been tried. Our powers and abilities complement each other. There is much evil in this world. We’ve proven that by working together, we can defeat it.”
“I agree, this shouldn’t end here,” I said. “What do you suggest?”
“A covenant,” the Archdruid said. He leaned on the stick that Evan had cut for him. “That we set darkness against darkness—vampire and Nameless and Druid against whatever is out there that abuses power and makes the night a thing to fear.”
“A brotherhood, of darkness,” I said.
“That’s it, exactly. The Brotherhood of Darkness. We should remain together, or at least in communication, so that whenever the need arises, we can join once more to fight.”
I could see nods of agreement, although Alexander looked dubious. Even Jean was rubbing his chin, which I knew meant he was at least considering the idea.
A Brotherhood of Darkness, banded together to save the world from those like my own bloodmaster. I silently savoured the irony. This could be a new purpose for me, something that would take me out of my grief and let me go forward, as my friends urged me to do. Between this covenant and my responsibility to see that Alexander became a decent vampire who obeyed the simple rules that made our lives bearable, I could move on. “I think it’s a splendid idea.” I clasped Michael’s hand.
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