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I do believe it would have been better if the others had been included. As a group, non- Invitus are far more likely to be in favor of your position. After all, it is they who will reap most of the benefits of it.”
    Conrad waved her concerns away. While it was true that Invitus , vampires like themselves, were naturally more powerful than ordinary vampires, the vile process that made them that way was nothing short of torture. It needed to end. “Non- Invitus are far from the only ones who will benefit. Think of the future and all those we will be sparing. Besides, you are missing the point. While it might have been easier to achieve victory if everyone were allowed a vote, ultimately it would have been meaningless. It matters not how or whether anyone else will be affected by the decisions we make here tonight; this is a choice that can only be made by those of us who are Invitus . Only we can end this practice. And the decision to do so must be unanimous.”
    â€œUnanimous?” Georgia shook her head. “Oh, my love! You were ever a dreamer, but this is impossible! I’m already concerned that you will not even get a simple majority of the council to vote in your favor; you will never convince all of them to do so.”
    â€œYou don’t think so?”
    â€œNo, Conrad. I’m sorry to say it, but I don’t.”
    â€œI would not concern myself with it overmuch if I were you.” He eyed her thoughtfully for a moment before continuing. “Tell me something, Georgia. Did you not find it strange, you who know me so well, when I so willingly accepted the role that the council foisted upon me—that of chief executioner for all those afflicted by the plague?”
    â€œStrange? No, not really. I found it worrisome. You took a great risk—to your health, to your life, to the well-being of all of us who depend upon you. If you had become infected…”
    â€œIf I had become infected, those I care for would have been fine. Did you imagine I did not envision such an eventuality, or plan for it? I assure you that was not the case. If I had become ill, I would have immediately asked you to end my life and take over the leadership of my House.”
    â€œMe?” Georgia’s face went white. “Dear heavens, surely you jest. Why, pray tell, would you choose me for so onerous a task?”
    Conrad smiled. “Why not you? I can think of no one better suited to see to the safety of my family—or to continue the work I’d begun.”
    â€œI suppose I should be honored by your trust in me,” Georgia replied, still shaking her head in bemusement.
    â€œWe’re straying from the point,” Conrad said. “Do you wish to know how I can be so certain that I will carry my point tonight without outside support? It’s very simple. What I am now is exactly what the council has made me. They were content to be lazy and complacent, to sit back and let someone else do their dirty work for them—to let someone else take the risk for them. They thought to use me, never even noticing that I, in turn, was using them. I took advantage of the opportunity they gave me to consolidate my position. What they all failed to realize was that with every life I took, my strength increased, my wealth increased, my House grew ever greater. It was they who gave me much of the power I intend to wield over them tonight.”
    â€œThey didn’t all fail to realize it,” Georgia corrected. “I know for a fact that there were several of them who eyed your growing wealth with greedy eyes. They were counting on you becoming afflicted, on your House devolving into chaos upon your death. I have no doubt they’d planned to descend upon us like vultures, to pick over your still-warm corpse, as it were, and redistribute your wealth among them.”
    â€œTruly?” Conrad shook his head. “Well, well, I suppose that does not really surprise me overmuch.