Blue Bloods: Keys to the Repository Read online

  Current Status: Finished. Slain by Venator Martin.

  THE SEVEN RULING HOUSES

  OF THE CONCLAVE

  Blue Blood society is hierarchical and organized. The Conclave is the highest ruling body of the Coven. There are seven main houses that serve on the council as an homage to the seven original ruling families who founded it. Conclave members may also include Elders and Wardens who are not affiliated with any particular house but who have been nominated to serve by its current membership. However, the Code of the Vampires mandates that a representative from each of the seven houses is needed for a quorum of seven to pass changes to the Code of the Vampires and to call for a White Vote, the election of a new Regis.

  Domus Magnificat: House of Riches Traditionally the seat of the wealthiest family in the Coven, the House of Riches is currently represented by Josiah Rockefeller Archibald, whose family built Rockefeller Center. The House of Riches is responsible for the health of the Coven’s financial security. Other families who have held this position include the Schlumbergers and the Whitneys.

  Domus Stella Aquillo: House of the Northern Star The House of the Northern Star spearheads one of the biggest benefactors of art programs in the country, and is currently represented by Ambrose Barlow.

  Domus Veritas: House of the Venators Represented by Abe Tompkins, the House of the Venators is the voice of the Truth Seekers on the council and responsible for the security and protection of the Coven. Other families who have held this position include the Van Horns.

  Domus Preposito: House of the Stewards The seat on the council traditionally awarded to the family of the Regent, the House of the Stewards was represented by Forsyth Llewellyn until his disgrace and disappearance, and before him by Nan Cutler. Other families who have held this position include the Stewart family, who derived their last name from having held this post for many centuries.

  Domus Domina: House of the Gray Lady, also known more commonly as the House of Records The position in the council that oversees the records of the cycles of Expression, Expulsion, and Evolution. Currently represented by Minerva Morgan, this seat was formerly filled by the Carondolet family.

  Domus Lamia: House of the Vampyres The House of the Vampyres oversees vampire–human relations, and its representative is also the head of the Conspiracy Subcommittee, which keeps the false myths and misleading legends about the Blue Bloods alive in Red Blood society. Currently represented by Seymour Corrigan, who is cousin to Edmund Oelrich, the Chief Warden who perished in the Rio massacre.

  Domus Fortis Valerius Incorruptus: House of the Pure Blood, of the Uncorrupted, of the Valiant and the Strong, Protector of the Garden, Commander of the Lord’s Armies The seat on the council given to the family of the reigning Regis, since the beginning of time the seat has been held by Michael and Gabrielle’s line; the Van Alen line is currently represented by Mimi Force since Charles Force’s disappearance.

  THE COMMITTEE

  “The Committee” is Blue Blood shorthand for the vast number of charitable causes, educational institutions, and foundations that are run by the Coven membership. The Committee has been responsible for the preservation of some of New York’s most important landmarks and has funded many of the city’s most prestigious cultural institutions. Under its official public name, the New York Blood Bank, it has raised money for blood research, HIV and AIDS, and hemophilia. To outsiders, it appears snobby, cliquish, and exclusive to the extreme; to insiders, it is sovereign.

  Committee members are called Wardens. All Blue Blood families registered with the Coven are invited to join; most individuals receive their membership invitation around the age of fifteen, coinciding with their Transformation into immortal. Under his tenure as Regis, Lawrence Van Alen opened the Committee membership to include human Conduits; this policy was quickly revoked by Forsyth Llewellyn. It has yet to be reinstated.

  The Committee’s Chief Warden is in charge of educating and ushering the newest generation of vampires to adulthood and imbuing them with the spirit of the vampires’ mission on Earth: to bring light, truth, beauty, and art, and to bring Paradise to their Earthly home.

  APPENDIX A:

  List of Secondary Characters

  Abeville, Toby: Blue Blood groom who gets bonded in Bali to Daisy Van Horn.

  Adriana: Housekeeper at the Duchesne school

  Almeida, Don Alfonso (“Alfie”): An Elder from the South American Coven, his family is part of the Blue Blood contingent that moved to Brazil in 1808, when the Portuguese royal family and many nobles chose to flee from, rather than fight, the Red Blood conqueror Napoleon. The Rio Conclave said he went missing during his yearly sojourn into the Andes, and it was suspected that he had fallen victim to a Silver Blood attack. He returned seemingly unharmed, but we now believe he had been Corrupted in a Silver Blood ruse to bring the New York Conclave to Rio for slaughter. He hosted the dinner party where they were all murdered.

  Almeida, Doña Beatrice: The wife of Alfonso Almeida, suspected to have also been Corrupted by the Silver Bloods

  Amory, Summer: A Blue Blood debutante found drained by a Silver Blood in her penthouse apartment in Trump Tower. Her last name is frequently misspelled as “Armory” in the Repository Files (interns: please correct immediately).

  Anders, George: One of the former Conduits who now serves as a librarian at the Repository

  Anderson, Christopher: Lawrence Van Alen’s human Conduit for almost seventy years. After Lawrence’s murder on Corcovado, Anderson chose freedom and forced amnesia rather than a position as a Repository scribe, but not before sending Schuyler and Oliver to Countess Isabelle for help.

  Andrews, James, M.D.: Dr. Andrews was the doctor in charge of Dylan Ward at Transitions rehabilitation center.

  Anka (No Last Name Given): The designer of Stitched for Civilization, a high-end jeans line. She hired Schuyler and Bliss for an advertising campaign.

  Archibald, Josiah Rockefeller: Retired from the Conclave for years, he was called back to serve as Inquisitor after the Rio Massacre. As one of the seven ruling Wardens, he represents Domus Magnificat, the House of Riches.

  Bank, Charlie: Another teenage vampire sent to Transitions for “rehab” during his Transformation

  Barlow, Ambrose: One of the oldest living Elders in this cycle, Ambrose Barlow was relieved from emeritus status and called back to duty in the Conclave after the Rio Massacre. In Rome he was Caligula’s foreman Brittanicus before Caligula’s Corruption was discovered. In The Van Alen Legacy (Repository Record #404), when Bliss Llewellyn heard Forsyth and the Visitor mocking him, she assumed he must be one of the good guys and sent him an anonymous letter warning him that Forsyth was dangerous. Though Ambrose shared this letter with Minerva Morgan and Mimi, he was not strong enough to vote against Forsyth in the White Vote. He represents Domus Stella Aquillo, House of the Northern Star.

  Barlow, Margery: Elder emeritus, wife of Ambrose

  Campbell, Superintendent: Police official assigned to investigate the disappearance of Maggie Stanford

  Carondolet, Augusta (“Aggie”): A Blue Blood student at Duchesne and one of Mimi’s crew of clones (platinum hair, spoiled-brattitude), Aggie was the first victim of the New York slayings. The Red Bloods were told her death was caused by a drug overdose, but in reality she was found fully drained in a back room at Block 122.

  Carondolet, Cushing and Sloane: Aggie’s parents; they were kicked out of the Conclave for a time following her death for showing anti-Committee sentiment and calling for the White Vote. They returned to serve on the council after Lawrence Van Alen was made Regis. The couple perished during the Rio massacre.

  Carter, Muriel (“Muffie”) Astor: One of most popular Blue Blood socialites, she was educated at Miss Porter’s and Vassar and enjoyed a successful career in public relations before marrying Dr. Sheldon Carter. She is the hostess of an annual fashion show at her Hamptons estate, benefiting the New York Blood Bank, where Bliss made her return to modeling after the tragedy in Rio.

>   Carter, Sheldon, M.D.: A Blue Blood plastic surgeon and Muffie Astor’s husband

  Castañeda, Don Alejandro: Blue Blood heir to his father’s sugar and beverage fortune, whose bonding to Danielle Russell was planned by Lizbet Tilton

  Chantal: The booking editor of Chic magazine; a small, short, pinched-looking woman with a pixie haircut and cat’s-eye glasses

  Chen, Dehua: A young vampire from the Blue Blood coven based in Shanghai. Xi Wangmu, Angel of Immortality, was presented at the Four Hundred Ball along with her twin, Deming Chen.

  Chen, Deming: A young vampire from the Blue Blood Coven based in Shanghai. Kuan Yin, Angel of Mercy, was presented at the Four Hundred Ball in New York. Twin to Dehua Chen.

  Corrigan, Seymour: A Warden emeritus called back to duty in the Conclave after Rio. He led the proceedings at the White Vote called by Forsyth Llewellyn.

  Coubertin, Baron de: The baron served as human Conduit to the Countess of Paris and was the key to an audience with her. The demon Leviathan shape-shifted into his form at the Bal des Vampires, and the real Baron de Coubertin was found dead in the River Seine the next day.

  Cushing, John, Reverend: Officiated at the wedding of Caroline Vanderbilt to Alfred, Lord Burlington

  Cyrus: Rolf Morgan’s “spastic showrunner” who runs and produces Rolf ’s fashion shows

  Danilo: Mimi’s hairdresser

  Devonshire, Duke and Duchess of: The parents of Alfred, Lord Burlington

  Doris: Forsyth Llewellyn’s secretary

  Duchesne, Margeurite: Belgian governess to the Flood heiresses who founded the Duchesne School

  Dupont, Eliza: Priscilla’s niece who took her place on the Conclave after Priscilla’s untimely demise

  Dupont, Gina: Charles Force’s human familiar, whom Mimi understands is more than her father’s mistress. Gina is unrelated to the Blue Blood Duponts.

  Dupont, Priscilla: Chief Warden and head of the Committee, she was a well-known Blue Blood socialite whose regal visage regularly graced the weekly social columns. Her untimely death during the attack at the Repository ushered in the rule of Lawrence Van Alen, as the Coven could no longer deny the return of the Silver Bloods.

  Essex, Marquis of: Best man at the wedding of Lord Burlington and Caroline Vanderbilt, following the disappearance of Lord Burlington’s former fiancée, Maggie Stanford

  Farnsworth, Linda: A short, squat woman with crinkly hair and an overall dowdy appearance, which is surprising considering her position as founder of Farnsworth Models. Linda’s girls, including Bliss, Mimi, and Schuyler, grace the runways of Bryant Park, the billboards of Times Square, and the pages of Chic magazine.

  Flood, Armstrong, Captain: Founder of the Flood Oil Company

  Flood, Rose Elizabeth: Wife of Captain Armstrong Flood who donated the family home (Flood mansion) to the Duchesne School when her three daughters died during the sinking of the S.S. Endeavor during an Atlantic crossing.

  Frost, Brannon: The Blue Blood editor in chief of Chic magazine

  Getty, Natalie: A Blue Blood teen killed by Silver Bloods in the New York slayings

  Hazard, Patricia, M.D.: Oliver’s aunt and the Blue Bloods’ trusted doctor, she watches over the New York Coven’s health at her posh Fifth Avenue office. In particular, she observes their Transformations, especially Schuyler’s unusual case as half vampire, half human.

  Henri of Orleans, Crown Prince of France (deposed), also known as Henri Bourbon and Henri, Count of Paris: The late Blue Blood husband of Countess Isabelle, he would have been heir to the French throne had the Revolution never happened. Isabelle took his position as Regis of the European Conclave after his passing from the current cycle.

  Isabelle of Orleans, the Countess of Paris: Hostess of the Bal des Vampires and former owner of the Hôtel Lambert, the countess is the Regis of the European Conclave and former friend of Lawrence and Cordelia Van Alen. Schuyler and Oliver traveled to Paris seek her aid when the New York Conclave decided that Schuyler was responsible for Lawrence’s death. The American and the European covens became estranged when the Blue Bloods left the Old World. Isabelle never had much faith in Michael as Regis. She is an imposing woman, regal and beautiful, with coal-black hair. At the end of The Van Alen Legacy, Schuyler, now with Jack, finally was granted an audience with the countess, who gave them refuge and protection. However, in a twist, it was revealed that the countess was Drusilla in a past cycle, Caligula’s beloved sister, and perhaps her old allegiance to Lucifer still runs deep.

  Jackson, Hattie: Cordelia and Schuyler Van Alen’s loyal maid, she and Julius watch over the house on Riverside Drive and essentially raised the (for all intents and purposes) motherless Schuyler.

  Jackson, Julius: Cordelia Van Alen’s personal driver. Married to Hattie.

  Jones, Jonas: The famously incorrigible Blue Blood fashion photographer and Duchesne alum; also a filmmaker and painter

  Keaton, Alice: Chantal’s assistant at Chic, who goes by her last name

  Lennox, Sam and Ted: Twin brothers and Venators on Mimi and Kingsley’s team

  Leslie, Honor: Another teenage vampire sent to Transitions for “rehab” during her transformation

  Llewellyn, Dennis (Pap-Pap): Bliss’s beloved grandfather and Forsyth’s father, he was a rebel from a Texas oil family who stayed East after boarding school, married a Connecticut debutante, and raised his family on Fifth Avenue until the stock market sent them back to the Texas homestead.

  Manuela: The Llewellyn family’s maid who works in their Hamptons property

  Marie: Lawrence Van Alen’s Italian landlady whom he impersonates when Schuyler chases him through the canals of Venice

  McCall, Wesley: Another vampire teen at Transitions. He told Ally Elli about Dylan’s memorial service, who in turn told Bliss.

  Morgan, Minerva: Along with Ambrose Barlow, one of the oldest living Elders, Minerva Morgan was called back to duty in the Conclave. She was one of Cordelia Van Alen’s oldest friends and former chairwoman of the New York Garden Society. Like Ambrose, she was suspicious of Forsyth but too weak to vote against him in the White Vote.

  Morgan, Randy: Rolf ’s wife and first model, the quintessential “Morgan” girl

  Morgan, Rolf: A designer of preppie, old-boy style. He selected Bliss as the new face of his line.

  Oelrich, Edmund: A famous art historian and gallery owner in his private life, in the Blue Blood realm he replaced Priscilla Dupont as Chief Warden after she was killed by a Silver Blood. Perished in the Rio massacre.

  Phillips, Henri: Bliss’s modeling agent, who visits her to lend his condolences and to offer her a job

  Potter, Charlotte: The woman Bliss was told was the mother she never knew. She was supposedly a schoolteacher her father met on his first campaign trail, but there are no wedding albums or heirlooms. It is the Repository’s belief that Charlotte Potter is a fictional creation, a lie told by Forsyth Llewellyn.

  Renfield: One of the older and more crotchety human librarians at the Repository. He takes his job very seriously.

  Riberio, Yana: A young vampire of the Rio Coven. She was feared missing but had only absconded with her boyfriend. This may have been a Silver Blood ruse to bring about the Rio massacre.

  Rockefeller, Dorothea: Conclave Elder who perished during the Rio massacre. She also guest-lectured at a Committee meeting and taught the fledging vampires how to transform themselves into smoke, fog, or air (the mutatio).

  Russell, Danielle: Another of Lizbet Tilton’s Blue Blood clients. A recent Brown grad bonded to her twin, Don Alejandro Castañeda.

  Schlessinger, Landon: A Blue Blood teen killed during the New York slayings

  Schlumberger, Esme: Conclave Elder who perished during the Rio massacre. She called Alfonso Almeida an “old coot” during a Conclave meeting.

  Shriver, Morgan: The cute nineteen-year-old college student who became Bliss’s first human familiar on a photo shoot in Montserrat. Bliss came close to draining him accidentally, but he recovered, only to be
come infatuated with her.

  Smith, Perfection: The makeup artist on Bliss and Schuyler’s Stitched for Civilization shoot

  Sorboba, Sarina: Incredibly tall Eastern European model who was much favored by fashion designers

  Stewart, Brooks: Conclave Elder who perished during the Rio massacre. Had a coughing fit when Kingsley Martin appears, alive and unharmed, during a Conclave meeting.

  St. James, Grayson: A Blue Blood teen killed during the New York slayings

  Sully: Mimi and Jack’s chauffeur

  Tilton, Elizabeth (Lizbet): The event planner Mimi hired to plan her bonding to Jack; famous for her lavish events

  Tompkins, Abe: An Elder, once emeritus on the Conclave, called back to duty after the slaughter in Rio. As a former Venator he represents Domus Veritas, House of the Venators.

  Vanderbilt, Ava: Younger sister of Caroline and maid of honor at her sister’s wedding to Lord Burlington in 1872

  Vanderbilt, Caroline: Eldest daughter of Admiral and Mrs. Vanderbilt who marries Lord Burlington after the disappearance of his fiancée, Maggie Stanford

  Vanderbilt, Admiral Sloane and Elizabeth: Parents of the Vanderbilt girls, Ava and Caroline

  Van Horn, Daisy: Blue Blood bride who has a destination bonding to Toby Abeville in Bali

  Van Horn, Dashiell: Conclave Elder who persished during the Rio massacre. Daisy is his daughter.

  Verdugo, Balthazar: The designer at Muffie Astor Carter’s annual Hamptons fashion show

  Whitney, Alice: Conclave Elder who represents the House of the Seven Sisters

  Wilcox, Patrice: The stern, no-nonsense, all-black-wearing fashion director of Chic

  Partial List of Duchesne Students

  Blue Blood Students

  Applegate, Cicely: Part of Mimi Force’s crew of clones

  Crandall, Piper: The school’s biggest gossip and a valuable Repository intern