"What typically happens there," he continued, "is that a vampire bites the human, drains enough blood to stop the heart, then forces the victim to ingest his blood. Vampire blood has rapid regenerative properties and will almost immediately restart the human�s heart and begin transforming his remaining blood into vampire blood, thus initiating the change." Dorian leaned back, bracing his hands against the cold rock slab. "On the plus side, our blood allows us to heal quickly, and can also heal human wounds, provided the human isn�t already near his death."

"What if he is near death?"

"If a human has lost enough blood for his heart to stop, vampire blood will take over his system and turn him, as I�ve described. But if the injury is less severe, it will simply aid in the regeneration process, allowing human blood to replace itself and fight off the transition before it happens."

"Sounds risky."

"It is. And many humans who do begin the transition don�t survive it." An old, familiar chill gripped his heart, but he shook it off, continuing. "Many people believe vampires are soulless, but that�s not true�we retain our human souls, even after transitioning. We�re immortal, but that doesn�t mean we can�t be killed. Doesn�t mean our souls aren�t bound for hell, destined to an eternity of demonic enslavement right alongside the human sinners."

Next to him, Dorian sensed the skip of her pulse. Unsurprising, given the subject matter. It was a miracle she hadn�t yet run for the hills.

"Tell me about the demons," she said instead, her tone dark but nevertheless eager for more.

"Demons are entities of hell, capable of possessing human hosts�either by force or through a demonic deal."

"How does the deal work?"

"In rare cases, a human willingly offers to share his body, allowing a demonic entity to hitch a ride, but still retaining his human life. The human is able to access the demon�s powers, and the demon has a physical body in which to carry out his bidding. When the human dies, the demon takes over the vessel completely. In a more typical deal, however, a human signs over his body and soul for collection at the end of a set time period�five or ten years, usually�in exchange for a short-term gain, like fame, money, a political appointment, that sort of thing." Dorian thought of Jonathan Braynard, the NYU student whose soul he�d spared in the alley last week. "When it�s time to collect, the demon takes residence in the body, and the soul is sent to hell."

Charlotte gasped. "I can�t believe anyone would willingly sign up for that."

"They don�t always read the fine print. But even when they do�" Dorian shook his head. "Desperation is its own form of insanity, Charlotte. It can drive people to do a great many things they might�ve once called irrational or even suicidal."

She shuddered beside him, rubbing her arms. "Demon deals� Hell slaves� Shit. They really didn�t teach us this stuff in Catholic school."

"It�s not in the interest of religious institutions to delve too deeply into the supernatural. They pick and choose from myriad myths and histories, twisting them just enough to brand us all as evil and keep you on the righteous path, stuffing their coffers in exchange for answers they don�t actually have."

"That about sums it up." She let out a faint laugh. "How did they even get here?"

"The demons?"

"Yes. And the shifters. And the vampires. And the witches. All of you. You said the religious institutions pick and choose, but do you even know?"

"We have our histories and legends, just like you." He finally turned to face her again, reaching up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. "Most of it, as you might imagine, can be traced back to witches."

"Tell me," she said, completely captivated.

"Witches are the world�s oldest magicians, guardians of elemental magic and the liminal spaces between all realms. As such, they are tireless explorers and experimenters. It�s said they created the first vampires through complex blood rites, all in service to deepening their practice of healing magic and immortality spells. Their deep connections with animal familiars allowed them to literally experience the lives and gifts of these creatures, and from there, create the first shifters."

"And the demons?"

"The demons are creatures of hell, but the witches�eager to access and experiment with their dark and immeasurable powers�opened the gates that allow demons to pass between realms."

Charlotte�s eyes were full of wonder. "So all of these beings� they�re here? Around us?"

"Constantly, though humans greatly outnumber us, and rarely learn of our existence. It�s better for everyone that we remain a secret."

"But still! This is one town, in one state, in one country, and I�ve already encountered more vampires than I can count on one hand. How are you all not killing each other or trying to take over the world?" JrNovels.com