[center][b][color=FF0000][sup][h1]N I C H O L A S  B L A C K T H O R N[/h1][/sup][/color][/b][/center]

[COLOR=FF0000][INDENT][B][SUP][SUB][H3]Special Zone, 2021[/H3][/SUB][/SUP][/B][/INDENT][hr][/COLOR][INDENT][INDENT][sup][color=darkgray]High Town, 8:45pm[/color][/sup][/INDENT][/INDENT]


Solitude was the last thing Nicholas Blackthorn wanted to leave behind. He stared outside the window of the car that had picked him up from the airport. He was glad that his host had chartered a private plane for him to travel in. While a commercial flight would have been acceptable in economy or first class. Nicholas didn’t think he could handle his first interaction with a group full of people being on a cramped plane. He smiled to himself. The irony of his thoughts not lost to him. He was a four century old vampire who’d seen a lot of horrors in his days walking on this rock. Yet the idea of being around  a group of people, let alone humans put him on edge. It was an amusing yet sobering thought. Nicholas looked down at his hand and squeezed it closed. He felt anxious but then that was nothing new. 

Calm wasn’t a state he had felt in the last fifty years. Sure he had known moments of reprieve, but true peace of mind was alien to Nicholas these days. He had lost that. When he’d lost her. [i]Audrielle.[/i] Nicholas sighed, berating himself mentally. He had promised himself a new start, a new beginning. The past...would be the past. He could not change it. Audrielle was gone. He could not change her fate. He could only live with it, accept it. At least that is what he had promised himself when he had made the decision to agree to his host’s invitation. His life could no longer remain stagnate. Nicholas needed a new purpose and Special Zone was a good enough place as any to start. He only hoped that his less than reputable reputation didn’t hinder things too much. Which was where his esteem host came in. 

[i]Lord René Belmont[/i] 

He was an old [i]friend[/i] to put it mildly. Nicholas didn’t trust him and for good reason. Rene was one of the oldest vampires in existence, source blood of the fire god Asura bloodline, and the biggest pain in the ass he had ever met in his immortal life. Rene never did anything unless it benefited him. Which was why despite his offer to play host for him. Nicholas pondered how it benefited the elder vampire. Rene never did anything out of the goodness of his heart. He was a slippery bastard that way. Nicholas had witness many times how far Rene would go to achieve his goals. So his invitation hadn’t been looked upon without suspicion. Nicholas adjusted himself in his seat as he removed his phone from his jacket pocket. It was a new device provided to him before he had boarded the plane. He hadn’t wanted the object but Rene’s handler sent to facilitate his traveling arrangements had insisted.  

Nicholas frown, remembering the moment. He wondered if there was more to it now looking back. Rene never left even the smallest detail to chance, everything was apart of his plan. Nicholas was leisurely studying the screen on his phone when the image changed as a familiar name appeared. He groaned as Rene’s tag flash between rings. Nicholas thought about not answering. It would not be the first time he had ignored the older vampire. It certainly would not be the last. He sighed. Nicholas was so tempted but he thought better of it. Rene might be in pain but he had helped him enter the city with any issue. It would be detrimental to sour his host good will before they parted ways. Sliding his finger over the touch screen, Nicholas lifted the phone to his ear and answered. “What do you want?” Almost immediately he could sense the elders vampires amusement. 

“That's no way to speak to your host.” Rene replied. His laid back tone was hard to read. Nicholas was unsure what was Rene’s angle but he was definitely certain there was one. “After all that I have done for you Nicholas.” Rene continued his voice sounding playfully hurt. “You wound me.” Nicholas doubted that. The older vampire didn’t know the meaning of such emotions. “Get to the point Rene” He pressed. Nicholas wasn’t in the mood to play games. He had just arrived from a long flight and barely had the patience. “Your not any fun but have it your way old friend.” The source blood sulked but gave in. “I have a meeting tonight.” He paused. “With the [i]four[/i] covens.”  

Nicholas stilled at Rene’s words. That was the last thing he had wanted to hear. “I thought you kept my arrival secret.” Rene smiled on the other end of the phone. That is what he liked about Nicholas. He was always straight to the point and quick on the up keep. “I have kept your arrival from the council’s notice.” He replied. “However we both know that you will have to meet with the council sooner, or later.” Which was true Nicholas could not remain hidden forever. Sooner or later someone would notice him and report back to the coven. This meeting would lay down the groundwork, so that when the time came they would have the upperhand. It would also play into some long terms goals Rene had in the works. He only needed Nicholas to play his part when the time came. “Don’t worry old friend I have everything handled.” That is what Nicholas was afraid of.