Fratelli: The Awakening (The Vampire Cartel #1)

31. Sisters United

Chapter 31

Sisters United

B aton Rouge, Louisiana

April 14, 2018

(8 Days Before Death)

“I’m here to humbly ask for your help. We need you if we want to end this war.”

Sonya glanced at Charmaine, then back at Nzinga. “Will the vampires know who we are?”

“Yes,” Nzinga replied, “but they won’t know what you are. We’ll equip you with powerful defenses—techniques to block them from your thoughts. But you’ll need to use your wits to avoid their traps because we don’t know them all. Avoid any submissive role, including sex. I can’t stress this enough. If they taste your blood, they drink your light. They’ll know everything you know, including this conversation. Stay away from the brothers. Get to her, get her out, and move fast.”

“What the hell?” Charmaine asked, disbelief colored her tone.

“They’re seductive beings, master manipulators, ruthless. But they’re also attuned to your needs—as a mortal and as a woman. They entice more than they frighten. Stay scared,” sand Nzinga.

Sonya and Charmaine exchanged uneasy glances.

“They can make you crave the unthinkable, make you die believing in the sacrifice. So, under no circumstances are you to go after the brothers. With them, there is no defense—only the powers Darlene has for self-preservation. Nothing else works,” Nzinga warned.

“Then who do we connect with?” Sonya asked, her voice steady.

“There’s a hierarchy within the organization. They call it the Fratelli of the Draca—a brotherhood. Vittorio Di Salvo refers to himself as Don Vittorio, and each of his sons does the same. It’s a moniker, a false flag for those trying to understand their power. According to our records, Don Vittorio introduced himself to the Draca while he was in the Senate during the Roman Empire—thousands of years ago.”

“Right, of course. Makes perfect sense that he’s thousands of years old,” Sonya muttered. She rolled her eyes.

“Older than that,” Nzinga corrected. “Vittorio Di Salvo is the last Master Vampire we know of. His four sons became squires from his rotten bones. He defeated his life sentence of walking the earth alone by making each of his son’s master’s as well. These men claim dominion over every continent—far wider than when Vittorio first became a vampire. Each son was gifted dark power. Think of it like a Mafia organization. There’s a Don, or boss—the capo di tutti capi , or Godfather. That’s the Master Vampire. Under each brother is the consiglieri. These men are powerful, but not as powerful as their Don.”

“Slow down, please,” Sonya requested, her mind spun over the details.

Nzinga paused. She let her words sink in.

“What are their powers? The ones the consiglieri have and don’t have?” Charmaine asked. She leaned in.

“The Don and consiglieri can walk in daylight, but only in the mid-day and evening hours, and only after drinking the blood of the melanated.”

“Are you saying that they drink from black people to walk in the daylight?” Charmaine repeated.

“People with deep melanin aren’t always black people, but yes. That is what I’m saying,” said Nzinga. “It’s a source they tapped into, but not all of them indulge in it. Most of the masters prefer to be creatures of the night. Some use it as a weapon when needed. They have their reasons. We don’t understand why.”

“That’s fucking insane,” Sonya mumbled.

“What else can they do?” Charmaine asked.

“They can read minds, and they possess immense strength, most times the darkness is their energy. They can even eat meals to fake mortality, though I doubt they taste much. They can go longer without feeding their Draca because they need to blend in with mortals. I believe the Don and brothers can levitate, fly, and turn into smoke. They can hear conversations from miles away and communicate that way, too. They are seen on camera and mirrors, so don’t look to the movies to think of who and what they are,” she warned.

“Holy water? Garlic? Stakes to the heart?” asked Sonya.

Nzinga smirked. “We think those things may have worked at a time long ago. The story of Dracula comes from somewhere. Draca and Dracula sound so familiar. We don’t know if Vittorio can drink a gallon of holy water or eat a clove of garlic and survive. What we do know is the brothers are different. Julia Brown and Papa Legba made them different. So, they can sit on the first pew of the church and take communion without issue. In fact, Lucio met Wanda at a church service,” Nzinga said.

“How do you know this?” Sonya asked.

“Most of what we know comes from what Wanda told us about Lucio when he let her escape. But those who’ve been close enough to witness the full extent of their powers… didn’t live to tell the tale.”

Nzinga continued, “Lucio’s consiglieri is a man named Tristan. A Spaniard whose life he took sixty years ago. He’s fiercely loyal, acting as Lucio’s left hand, bodyguard, and driver. He runs their criminal operations.”

“Why do crime on top of everything else?” Sonya asked.

“Why not? The underworld is layered with creatures beyond your understanding. Crime is a cover and a lucrative business that influences politics, religion—everything. Crime sets the rules of society on each continent. These cartels are the lifeblood of capitalism.”

“Damn, this gets worse and worse,” Charmaine mumbled.

“There are underbosses, known as sotto capo . These men and women are lieutenants who oversee the vampire soldiers. A consiglieri doesn’t create underbosses—the Master Vampire does. They can switch roles within the organization, meaning an underboss could become a consiglieri and vice versa.”

“They mix it up, huh?” Sonya scoffed, the absurdity of it all almost too much.

Charmaine giggled—a rare moment of levity between them, though they both knew it wouldn’t last.

“The underbosses could work for Lucio and then move to serve any of his brothers if released by him. They’re as powerful as the consiglieri, and there are many of them. Wanda only knew of three in Lucio’s organization. The three are called the Triad. Now pay attention—no more jokes. I’m serious. Beneath the underbosses are the capo or capo regime—what they call soldiers. Everything you’ve seen in horror movies about vampires applies to them. They can only come out at night, sleep underground or in fortified tombs, and are ruthless. They’re blood beasts in human form, committing unimaginable crimes. The hierarchy controls them, but not always. Sunlight, silver swords, wooden stakes, dead blood, religious sanctuaries or practices, and decapitation can be used to kill them - that’s the good news. The better news is, if we destroy the brothers, every vampire they created—the underbosses, the consiglieri, the soldiers—will die with them. It ends. Forever.”

“So, the upper-class vampires can be out in daylight?” Sonya asked.

“Yes, though not for long periods. They usually wear sunglasses to cover their eyes and gloves, but yes,” Nzinga confirmed. “Oh, and the morning sun is the worst for them all, unless they feed on the chosen and gain immunity. And maybe not even then.”

“If we can’t get to the brothers, who are we going after?” Charmaine asked.

“Two men,” Nzinga said, her voice steely as she gestured toward the coffee table. A sapphire-blue light display illuminated the room. “This is Tristan. He’s Lucio Di Salvo’s consiglieri. He’ll be your assignment, Charmaine.”

Sonya and Charmaine exchanged glances. Their eyes widened at the sight of the man before them. He was more handsome than they had imagined, especially given the horrors they’d just heard.

“And you, Sonya, have the tougher job.” The light display shifted to reveal another man—more muscular, with a tattooed neck. One of his eyes was a piercing grey, the other dark as night. Sonya felt a chill rush through her, a mix of dread and exhilaration.

“His name is Shakespeare,” Nzinga continued. “He’s the consiglieri to Lucio’s twin brother, Domenico. We don’t know much about him or his origins, but he’s crafty and older than Tristan. He once served Lucio before switching allegiances. He’s been undermining Lucio’s business dealings, and that’s where his rivalry with Tristan comes in. Wanda said the twins have a weakness—only one. It’s their rivalry. When Domenico found out about Wanda, Lucio knew he had to let her go. His brother would’ve killed her or taken her as a prize for his Draca. That’s how she ultimately gained her freedom. Focus on Shakespeare. But there’s one more complication…”

The image morphed into a striking blonde woman. “This is his mate—or so she claims. Wanda said Domenico made her for Shakespeare to keep him on a leash. But she lives to serve Shakespeare, and he’s anything but loyal. She’s viciously jealous. If she sees you near him, it’s war. We’ll move on him slowly. My advice? Let him come to you,” said Nzinga.

“This is suicide,” Sonya muttered.

“It’s a rescue mission,” Charmaine corrected, nodding to Nzinga. “We’ll do it.”

“What?” Sonya gasped.

“We’ll do it,” Charmaine repeated, her tone resolute.

“I need Sonya’s agreement too,” Nzinga said. “I’ll need seven full days to train and prepare you both—mentally and physically. You’ll have to quit your jobs, break family ties, or else put them at risk. And understand this: if you deviate from the plan, I can’t save you. If you do, you won’t survive.”

Sonya closed her eyes. She refused to speak; the weight of the decision pressed down on her.

“C’mon, girl. You’ve dated some of the worst bastards in the game, Sonya. We can do this. We can get our girl and get out,” Charmaine urged.

Sonya opened her eyes, tears welled. “My life? For Dolly? That’s some bull?—”

“Your sacrifice is for the world,” Charmaine interrupted. “Dolly can save us from whatever the hell is coming next.”

Sonya felt her resolve waver. She thought of her mother, who had already buried one child. If she disappeared, it would shatter her. “What about my mom?”

“We can take her,” Nzinga offered. “To Australia.”

“My mom would never go to Australia! She wouldn’t leave Baton Rouge,” Sonya scoffed, shaking her head.

“We can be persuasive. We’ll protect her, keep her safe,” said Nzinga.

Sonya shook her head in disbelief, but Nzinga’s voice was steady as she continued. “We’ll work on healing any illness she has, give her care that modern medicine couldn’t provide. You complete this mission, and afterward, you and your mom can have the life you’ve always dreamed of.”

Sonya looked at Charmaine, who gave her an encouraging smile.

“I have one more question,” Charmaine said.

“Go ahead,” Nzinga replied.

“Are you absolutely sure we can’t kill or even hurt these underbosses? The ones who work under the Master Vampire?” Charmaine asked.

Nzinga hesitated. “We’re not sure. All our information is secondhand. The rules changed with Julia Brown’s Hoodoo curse. Wanda didn’t believe they could be hurt, but she was never tested the way you would be. We’ll learn from your successes—and your mistakes.”

Sonya rolled her eyes, the frustration clear in her voice. “Perfect. Just perfect. Char, can you grab some Henny? I need something stronger than tea.”

Charmaine shrugged and nodded toward the kitchen. “In the cabinet.”

Sonya turned back to Nzinga. “Alright, Ms. Nzinga. Do you drink?”

Nzinga nodded. A faint smile tugged at her lips.

“I’ll pour,” Sonya said. “You win. Teach us the melanin trick. And it better be good,” she added as she made her way to the kitchen.

Nzinga’s smile broadened as she watched Sonya go. “You’re going to love it.”