The Hospital had everything needed for any vampire or human who was injured. Roman made sure of that. He staffed the hospital with nothing but the finest doctors, nurses and technicians to have ever lived and died.
Roman went from room to room checking on his men, making sure each one had everything they needed or wanted. He needed them back out on the streets to do what they were trained to do. Fight.
Doc Stevens practically lived in surgical scrubs. Since rumors of a revolution had leaked its way out into the universe, more and more of Roman’s fighters were injured. Each day worse than the day before. It was time to have a serious talk with his friend; Doc Stevens thought as he waited for Roman in the hallway.
Stevens had nothing but the utmost respect for his master, the man who gave him new life. When he got his diagnosis of terminal cancer, he went to Roman and asked for help. He was not ready to die; he was only fifty-five, but he felt like a man in his twenties.
It took two years for Doc to take his last breath. Once pronounced dead, Roman appeared and turned him. Doc felt he owed his master everything- Even the truth.
He stood outside the door waiting as Roman exited the last room. He led him around the corner and into his office; closing the door behind.
“Take a load off.”
Roman took a seat across from his desk. He had never stepped a foot in a school building, but he imagined that this is what it must feel like to be called into the principal’s office for being bad. He prepared himself for the lecture he knew was coming.
The Doc Stevens would never hold his tongue when he had something important to say. Even with Roman as his master, he still never held back, he was always blunt and to the point, and Roman respected him for that. Whenever he closed the door, it was never good.
“I hope it’s not bad news, Doc.” Roman said as he rubbed his hands over his tired face. “I’ve had enough of that to last me a while.”
“Naturally your men will live. They will all be just fine. The problem is that each attack wears on them. They are not as strong as you, my friend.”
“They are vampires,” Roman said with pride and as if that should be enough to save them.
“And Kourosh is their master. Each time they fight against him, he takes a little of their supernatural powers away.”
This was becoming a serious problem for Roman and his followers. Each time his men fought against Kourosh’s demons their powers weakened, Kourosh took back what he had given them. When wounded it weakened them even more. It did not kill them, but they would soon be virtually useless in a war.
Roman took a deep breath and lowered his head in his hands. Kourosh had become a major pain in his ass. Kourosh had managed to stay three steps ahead of him at every turn.
“How goes the revolution?” Doc Stevens asked as he took a seat behind his desk. Even for a vampire the man looked tired.
“Each day we face a new war,” Roman answered.
“And every day another battle must be fought. That was to be expected. Kourosh will never give up. You are trying to take away his legacy, something that belongs to him.”
Roman didn’t give a fuck about his legacy. The man had to be stopped. He was the only one in the position to stop him. He had a goddess on his side.
“The abuse of dominant power is dangerous. One man should not control all.”
“I agree. So are you telling me that you are willing to share the position of ruler with Kourosh?”
Not a chance in hell, Roman thought. It was all or nothing. He wanted the title of sole ruler of the underworld. There was no such thing as co-ruler.
“It is not that simple, Doc.”
“Why is it not that simple? Are you a better man than Kourosh?”
“I would like to believe so.”
“Actions speak louder than words. Prove to me that you are the better man?”
“How?”
“Let this revolution go. Save the many men who are willing to face death for you; the longer this goes on, the numbers increase.”
This was something Roman could never do. If the doctor thought for one second that he would give up his dream, then the man sitting across from did not know him at all. Roman didn’t even consider it. Instead, his thoughts went to Desiree and her powers. Once she was his consort, they would belong to him. All he had to do was to make her his consort and then his submissive. That should be easy he thought.