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“Mikhail?” I asked, hearing the elevator come back to life.
“The fourth son of President Swan,” he answered. “I, personally, do not wish to go, but I also should not be rude as they have taken care of you.”
I wanted to ask if they had taken care of him when the elevators doors opened to reveal Charline, who carried everything in her arms with ease. She did not step in but placed the bags at Theseus’s feet and stepped back, bowing before closing the door, leaving without any further word. I guessed she figured if either of us wanted anything, we would have already asked.
Just as quickly as she came, she was gone. It would take me a while to get used to that. But I didn’t comment, and instead, I walked to the bags. “Yes, I got a dress, but it wasn’t for anyone. I just bought it. It’s silk. I think most of the things Lucy asked for were silk. It won’t look right in this weather.” I glanced back to the snow that now fell over the city, blanketing it in white.
“It will feel better on your skin,” he explained. “My mother and sisters swear by it.”
At the mention of his family, I glanced back up. “Were you able to speak to them? Did they help explain anything?”
A frown marred his lips. “Yes, I spoke with my sister-in-law, Melora and my mother, but the more they explained, the more confused I became. I was truly hoping to speak with my father; however, he’s traveling with one of my brothers. President Swan was not much help, either. I was in the process of piecing together more when you arrived.”
I followed his gaze to the low table, where a few sheets of paper were sprawled out around the desk.
“May I see?”
“Please.” He moved for me to walk toward the table as it sat in front of the large windows and to the left of the waterfall and fire. Kneeling in front of it, I saw dates and locations written on a series of maps of all over the world.
“What is all this?” I questioned, looking down at the map of North America.
“Would you like to learn some vampire geography?” he questioned, kneeling beside me.
“Vampire geography?” I repeated, stunned and a bit excited.
Theseus brought a map from the bottom up to the top, spreading it over the desk. It was of the Balkan Republic Countries: Greece, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, and the eastern tip of Turkey, stopping where the Black Sea meets the Marama Sea.
“To the mortals,” he spoke gently as he drew a line all around the Balkan Republic, “These are all individual nations and people. But vampires have our own boundaries and nations. This one is mine, it is called Ankeiros, and it has been ruled by my family, the Thorbørns since it was established in Greece in the late 850s.”
“That’s a lot of land,” I whispered.
“It is less than America.” He moved the second map. “Mortals call this North and South America. But Canada, the United States, Mexico, and all of the islands around it are the Americas for vampires, and they are under the Swan Republic. What you know as South America is actually called Amaresos, and that land is the one divided, into north and south, through Bolivia, specifically from the very tip of Chile. The north is under the control of the Guiomar Republic and the south under the Nanook Family.”
“And Africa?” I questioned, looking at all the land on the continent, pointing to Nigeria. “I did one of those DNA tests once and found out my family, or mortal family, traces back to the Igbo people of Nigeria.”
“Really?” he asked, shocked.
“Why? Do I not look African?”
“That is not what I am stunned by,” he said. “
One of my sisters-in-law happens to be from the same people, which makes her not only your sister-in-law but your princess.”
“Princess?” I questioned, confused. “Like how people consider you a prince?”
He nodded. “But in her own right, not by mating. She is the daughter of King Orie.” He took the pen and drew borders. “All of the western nations of here in Africa, are known as Maduka. Northern Africa from Sahara to Egypt is controlled by the Asnofre Family.”
“And from beyond? Central Africa?”
He shook his head. “I do not know who controls it now. There was a massive war beginning last I remembered. Some powerful Wiccans massacred the former families. I do not know what the outcome was or if it is even over.”
“You mean they could be still fighting? A hundred years later?” I stared wide-eyed at the large scope of land still left.
“If humans can have a war for a hundred year amongst themselves, we most certainly could.” He frowned at the map. “The Wiccan are dedicated, and their magic is like a memory. It passes through one generation to the next. Even if those who started the war are long since dead, their children or grandchildren shall carry it on.”
“Wow. So, what does it mean to be rulers of a land as vampires? Stopping or winning wars?” I stared amazed, leaning forward.
“Yes, it is the same as if you were human. Ruling families control everything within it, and your law is the only law. But most importantly, it is who controls the recourses.”
