Masks: The Blood Dynasty Chronicles, #3

By David L Dawson

Part 3 of "The Blood Dynasty Chronicles", a new serial for young adults based on the legend of Sleeping Beauty, only with added vampires and dystopian futures!

It's Vienna's birthday, and the Sublime family celebrate with a ball that is the party event of the season.  Ashlyn, meanwhile, decides to host a party of her own for the slaves, and Union Jack has a plan that could end the so-called blood dynasty forever.  But at what cost?

• Language: English
• Publisher: David Dawson
• Release date: Jul 14, 2013
• ISBN: 9781497795297

Book preview

Masks

The Blood Dynasty Chronicles, Volume 3

David L Dawson

Published by David Dawson, 2013.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

MASKS

First edition. July 14, 2013.

Copyright © 2013 David L Dawson.

ISBN: 978-1497795297

Written by David L Dawson.

Also by David L Dawson

The Blood Dynasty Chronicles

The Girl From Yesterday

The Streets Are Paved With Blood

Masks

Movie Night

New Whitby

The First Vampire

Shadow of the Snow Queen

The God Slayers Quartet

The Fall

Chasm

Standalone

The Blood Dynasty Chronicles - Volume One Boxset

Beautiful Skye (A novella prequel to The Fall)

The Book of Fire Trilogy Boxset

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Also By David L Dawson

Masks (The Blood Dynasty Chronicles, #3)

Further Reading: The Fall

1

Tea, Ashlyn? Dotrice inquired.  Her civility was on the border of contempt but Ashlyn ignored it.

Ashlyn nodded her head awkwardly.  Yes, please.

Dotrice scowled as she poured the tea.  Ashlyn felt like cringing.  She positively hated her little tea parties with Catherine.  She knew her vampire mistress was up to something and that her attitude of being nice to her was all a façade.  She would never say anything, of course.  That would be rude and might likely get her killed.  The fact that Dotrice resented pouring tea for another slave made it all the more awkward.

Milk? Dotrice asked.  Sugar?

Ashlyn nodded again as Dotrice added the milk and one lump of sugar.

I hate this as much as you do, Dotrice.  Please don’t resent me for it.

Lady Catherine Sublime’s parlor was a sumptuous room, fitted with exquisite oak furniture, detailed landscape paintings and an air of rich indulgence.  Even sitting in there made Ashlyn feel like she was sipping tea with the queen.  Of course the vampires had massacred the royal family a long time ago and torn down Buckingham Palace.  She supposed the Sublime family were the nearest thing to royalty the vampire world had now.  They were certainly seen that way by the media.

The two of them sipped their tea in silence as Ashlyn’s eyes wandered over to a tapestry on the wall.  It seemed to depict a battle, like the many stained glass windows did around the mansion.  She didn’t recognize the battle, and Ashlyn was quite decent with history.  When she peered closer she thought she saw the Empire State Building in New York City.  It appeared to be toppling over as a group of humans, maybe vampires, cheered its destruction.

It must be part of the war the vampires fought to claim the planet.

You mentioned you had a brother a week ago, said Catherine. 

He’s...he was called Harry, said Ashlyn sadly.

Catherine smiled.  If you’re willing to share I’d like to hear more about him.

She thought about Harry every day.  His bravery at standing up to his terminal illness had inspired her to be brave when she was first thawed out.  She owed a lot to him.

He was called Harry, named after my father’s father, Ashlyn explained.  She barely remembered her paternal grandfather.  He’d died when she was just six months old.  He was six years younger than me, just a child really.

Catherine smiled genuinely.  You don’t see many children these days.  I kind of miss that.  I’m just lucky that I was one of the vampires that didn’t end up sterile.

Harry had bone cancer.  At the time of my freezing he’d just been told that his treatments weren’t working and that he only had a few months left to live.  We skipped school and went to the fair.  That was a great day.

Do you know what happened to him?

Ashlyn wiped at her eyes.  I don’t know what happened to any of my family.  I wish I did.

She hated not knowing.  It was like a festering wound that wouldn’t heal.  If she could just find out the fate of her family then she might just be able to get on in this crazy new world.  She’d still hate it here but at least she’d have closure.

I just wish there was something I could do to help, said Catherine.

Catherine sounded like she genuinely wanted to help but Ashlyn knew that her mistress was a master liar and manipulator.  Vampires seemed to be bred for lies and deceit and Catherine was the worst of the lot.  There was nothing she could do anyway.  All records of pre-vampire days had been erased.

Wait a minute...

Do records exist of all vampires? Ashlyn wondered.

Yes, said Catherine.  Of course they do.  They’re kept in the main archives in the London library.  I should know: I did a short college course in records keeping when I was bored a few centuries ago and I ended up interning in the library.  They have me to thank for the order their files are kept in.

Ashlyn had trouble seeing Catherine as a librarian.  It actually hurt her brain to even consider it.

Maybe a member of my family or one of their descendants actually became a vampire! said Ashlyn.  I can’t believe I never thought of that before.

I could find out for you, Catherine offered.  Give me a list of names and I’ll give them to Renaud, the archivist at the library.  He owes me a favor.

Really?  Thank you, Catherine.  I’d appreciate that very much.

It’s my pleasure.

I might find out what happened to my family at last!

*****

Dotrice pulled Ashlyn to one side as they exited the parlor.  There was a concerned look on the woman’s face that Ashlyn knew was the prelude to some sort of extended lecture.

This is going to be tough. 

I’m sorry about that, said Ashlyn.  I don’t like it when she orders you to serve me tea but...

Don’t get your hopes up about Catherine searching for your family, Dotrice told her.  She may forget or she may have ulterior motives.

I think she really wants to help, said Ashlyn.

Dotrice sighed heavily.  She’s up to something.

Ashlyn regarded Dotrice and said, I do know that.  I may have been frozen for a thousand years but I’m not naïve.

When it comes to people like that you are.

Ashlyn didn’t like the way Dotrice was talking to her, like she was an idiot.  Being condescended to didn’t sit well