The Midnight Breed Series Companion Page 3

  Stories of these “demonic” rapes and resulting cursed births were passed down as warnings from woman to woman, until, finally, a small number of pregnant Breedmates found each other and formed a pact to protect themselves—and their children—from the superstitions of humankind and the monstrous savagery of their babies' then-presumed demon fathers. These women loved their babies regardless of their origins, and banded together in secret, hidden enclaves.

  Circa 1000 CE. One rare exception to the aliens-as-rapists dynamic was Lucan's own parents. His Breedmate mother and Ancient father actually came to care for one another. Narok (the father) separated himself from the rest of his kind and, for a time, made a home with his lover (Etain). Tragically, Narok's alien genes proved too strong, and he ended up killing Etain while feeding from her in a state of severe physical injury following a battle. [Author’s note: This incident was referenced more than once in the novels, however, in compiling this Companion, I realized I never specifically mentioned Lucan’s parents by their names in the novels. I’ve included it here because I thought readers might find it interesting to have this info.]

  As the series evolved, it has been revealed that Breedmates are not merely human women born with inexplicable genetic properties and true ESP talents. They are, in fact, the daughters of mortal, Homo sapiens women and men from a hidden, immortal race of beings popularized in human mythology as Atlanteans.

  Breedmate life events: Blood bonds, child-rearing and death

  A Breedmate’s life expectancy is equivalent to a human female’s, unless and until the Breedmate forms a blood bond with one of the Breed. Then, she will cease aging at her prime (roughly the age of thirty) and remain youthful for the duration of her blood bond.

  A blood bond provides all the nourishment a Breedmate needs to live, although they can (and do) continue to enjoy human food when they wish, unlike the Breed, who cannot consume human food except in extremely small quantities and only in rare instances.

  Breedmates nourish their young with blood, not by breastfeeding or synthetics. A Breed child will drink from his mother’s vein (usually the wrist) from the moment of his birth until around the time he is four or five years old and able to hunt and feed on his own. If a Breedmate mother should die before the child is ready to be weaned, a Breedmate surrogate can feed him.

  If a Breedmate’s partner should be killed, her blood bond is broken and her body will resume aging unless she takes another Breed male as her mate. A widowed Breedmate never loses her place in the vampire community, even if she loses her mate.

  As the widow of a Breed male, she has a couple of options. She can choose to continue to live without taking another mate from within the community. This will mean that her human biology will kick back into gear, and she will begin to age normally (and eventually die) like any other human. Alternatively, a widowed Breedmate can decide to take another mate at some point in time. She would then begin a new blood bond with that Breed male. Her aging process would again slow and cease, reverting back to her youthful prime, should she be advancing in physical age at the time of the new bond.

  Rituals

  Mating and fertility

  There is no true “wedding” among Breed males and their Breedmates. The blood bond and the binding ceremony are the closest they have to the human equivalent of a wedding. There are no papers, religion, or legalities involved; only a heartfelt commitment and a pledge to share the rest of their lives together—a sacred, eternal vow sealed with blood. This is an intensely private, intimate affair between the mated pair only. It isn't until after a formal binding is complete that the couple announces to friends and/or family. The binding is a cause for celebration, and, given its intense sexual nature, a cause for ruthless ribbing amongst the Breed males of the community.

  The binding ceremony is a symbolic and literal declaration that the mated pair intends to live for each other from this night forward. The ceremony is conducted during the eve of a crescent moon, with the mated pair sneaking off to some undisclosed location where they will make love beneath the crescent moon, exchange blood (may or may not be for the first time) and pledge their undying devotion.

  [Author’s note: Lucan and Gabrielle’s binding ceremony was shown in Chapter 34, the closing scene of Kiss of Midnight.]

  Infant presentation ceremony

  Breed tradition dictates that by the eighth night after an infant’s birth, he should be formally named and presented by his parents to the members of their Darkhaven. In contrast to the binding ceremony and blood bond, the infant presentation ceremony is a public affair and great cause for celebration. Godparents are designated and present for this ritual, as they will be responsible for the upbringing of the child, should anything happen to his mother and father before the infant is old enough to feed and support himself.

  As part of the ritual, the baby is presented to the gathering by an officiant who asks, “Who brings this child before us tonight?”

  The parents reply that they do, and announce the baby’s name. They then take the infant and hold him up for all to see, with the couple reciting in unison:

  “This babe is ours. With our love, we have brought him into this world. With our blood and lives we sustain him, and keep him safe from all harm. He is our joy and promise, the perfect expression of our eternal bond, and we are honored to present him to you, our kin.”

  To which, the gathered reply, “You honor us well.”

  From there, the officiant then asks, “Who pledges to protect this child with blood and bone and final breath should duty call upon it?”

  The godparent (or godparents) come forward and reply, “We do.”

  To conclude the ceremony, the officiant places the infant in a cloth cradle made of strips of white silk, woven together at the start of the ceremony and now held suspended by the child’s parents. The Breed godparent then bites his own wrist (and that of his Breedmate, if he has one) and let their blood drip onto the baby’s naked body, signifying their commitment to surrender their lives for the protection of his.

  [Author’s note: The presentation ceremony for Xander Raphael, Dante and Tess’s son, was shown in Chapter 28 of Darker After Midnight.]

  Breed funerals

  When it comes to paying respects to the fallen, Breed tradition dictates that the deceased be given up to the sun the first morning after his death. To prepare for this solemn event, the body of the dead is anointed with eight ounces of perfumed oil, wrapped from head to toe in eight layers of white silk, then taken outside by an appointed honor guard who will attend the body for eight minutes in full morning sunlight, before leaving the dead to burn to ash.

  Prior to the release of the body, a ceremony is held, where the dead’s kith and kin, and his Breedmate if he had one, gather to pay their last respects. If the dead was not mated, his parents or siblings will speak to the gathering of his honor then say their good-byes.

  If the dead was mated, his Breedmate will wear a hooded scarlet tunic, representative of her blood bond with the deceased. She will go to the body on the altar and speak the following words: “This male was mine, and I was his. His blood sustained me. His strength protected me. His love fulfilled me in all ways. He was my beloved, my only one, and he will be in my heart for all eternity.”

  To which the gathered reply, “You honor him well.”

  The Breedmate will then accept a ceremonial blade from the officiant and carry it with her to the body of her mate. Private words of good-bye are spoken, not meant for outside ears, then the Breedmate scores her lip with the knife and places a bloodred kiss on the white silk covering the mouth of her beloved.

  When she is ready to let him go, she moves aside and the Breed male appointed to carry the dead up to the daylight steps forward to begin his sober duty.

  [Author’s note: Funeral rites were first depicted in Kiss of Midnight, Chapter 12, after Conlan’s death, and again in Shades of Midnight, Chapter 31, following Kade’s brother, Seth’s demise.]

  Bree
dmate funerals

  Breedmate funerals follow the ritual for those of the Breed, with the exception of how the body is released following the ceremony. Breedmates do not turn to ash under direct sunlight, so their remains must be cremated. Ritual dictates that a Breedmate’s ashes be kept by her mate until his death, if she has a mate, or with her Darkhaven family, if she dies unmated. The practice of keeping ashes is very old, and is usually followed only by the most traditional of Breed males.

  Significance of Eight

  The number eight, the symbol for infinity, is present in Breed rituals and in other aspects of Breed life throughout the series. In addition to eight factoring into birth and death rituals, it is also no accident that the Ancients arrived on Earth as a group of eight, or that the Order first formed with eight Gen One sons.

  The Order

  The founding of the Order

  In the mid-1300s in Europe, violent attacks by the Ancients and Rogues were on the rise. A Gen One Breed named Lucan (Thorne) refused to stand by and let it go unmet. His mission took on a firmer, more resolute shape when his father, an Ancient, murdered Lucan’s mother in a fit of blood hunger gone too far. Lucan took his alien sire’s head that same night, then razed the family castle and declared all-out war on the remaining Ancients.

  Original members

  Joined with Lucan in this fight were seven other Gen One Breed males including Lucan’s eldest brother, Marek, a deadly individual named Tegan, and another of the original eight named Dragos (the elder). They succeeded in obliterating the last of the Ancients…all, save one, that is. But it was not until hundreds of years later—in modern times—that the secret of that hidden, surviving Ancient came to light.

  Of the original founding members of the Order, four remain unnamed in the series, their current whereabouts unknown. Dragos the elder and Marek are both dead, the former having been killed during the time of the old war; the latter meeting his end at Tegan’s hand during the timeline of the series. Lucan and Tegan are both current members of the Order in present day.

  Establishment of the Boston headquarters

  The original eight members of the Order disbanded after the war with the Ancients had ended. They drifted apart, seeking their own paths in life, some never to be heard from again.

  Lucan and Tegan were at odds following the abduction and death of Tegan’s first Breedmate, Sorcha, during the Middle Ages. The thread of friendship—of a brotherhood forged by war—stretched thin, then severed. Tegan wandered for many long years, spending some time in Germany and elsewhere, before resurfacing in the late 1890s to seek out Lucan once again.

  As for Lucan, his personal mission following the war with the Ancients had been to combat Rogues wherever he found them. That goal eventually brought him to America, and in 1898, he decided to reform the Order with new members and establish a Boston headquarters, joined by a younger Breed male from London named Gideon. Tegan came on soon afterward, followed eventually by several other courageous modern-day warriors: Conlan, Dante, Rio, Nikolai, Kade, Brock, Hunter and Chase.

  The secret, underground Boston compound thrived for more than one hundred years, until finally being compromised by one of the Order’s chief adversaries.

  Glossary of Terms

  Terms used in the Series

  (alphabetical order)

  Ancient Term used to describe one of the eight male vampire-like conquerors from another world who crash-landed on Earth thousands of years ago and eventually sired the race of alien/human hybrid beings known as the Breed. The Ancients are not Breed, and vice versa.

  Atlantean Term used to describe the race of male and female immortals who formed a secret, highly advanced colony on Earth thousands of years ago. This colony eventually came to be referred to in human mythology and legend as Atlantis. It was destroyed by the Ancients, in a catastrophic offensive strike that sent the Atlantean queen, her legion and subjects into hiding, where they remain to this day. A small number of Atlanteans defected from their colony over the years. It has recently been revealed that these defectors went on to father children with human women, creating the genetically and extrasensory gifted female offspring known as Breedmates.

  blood bond The deep, unbreakable physical and emotional connection that forms between a Breed male and a Breedmate upon the exchange of ingested blood. A blood bond gives a Breed male added strength and healing power, and in a Breedmate, the bond enhances and stabilizes the power of her ESP talent, provides healing and nutritive strength and also gives her near immortal longevity. Blood bonded couples can sense heightened emotion in each other, and can sense their mate's presence and proximity in their veins. A blood bond initiates upon the first drink (whether it's a Breed male drinking from a Breedmate, or vice versa) and is sealed when the other member of the pair drinks from the other, completing the connection. A blood bond is severable only by death, even if only half of the bond has been initiated. For example, if a Breed male drinks from an unbonded Breedmate, he is inextricably connected to her, until one or the other of them dies. He cannot bind himself to another, and will sense this Breedmate in his blood for the duration of that bond. This same rule applies if a Breedmate drinks from an unbonded Breed male. Further, only blood bonded pairs are capable of conception.

  blood club An illegal hunting sport, whereby Breed vampires collect a group of humans to be used as live game (see Renata, Mira) in a chase to the death. Blood clubs have long been outlawed, but there is still an element of the Breed who feel entitled to indulge their predator natures. The Order has broken up blood clubs during the course of the series.

  Bloodlust An addiction in one of the Breed to drinking blood. Bloodlust is generally irreversible, but depending on the severity or length of the addiction, there have been rare instances of rehabilitation and cure (see Tegan, Sterling Chase). Once a Breed's Bloodlust passes the tipping point, where his blood system is fully corrupted by the disease and he can no longer control the transformation of his eyes or the presence of his fangs, he is considered to have gone Rogue and is beyond saving.

  blood reader The ability to siphon thoughts or memories from the blood of the individual from whom one is drinking. This talent can work on humans, Breed, or Breedmates, in combination or exclusively one or the other (see Hunter, whose ability works on Breed and Breedmates, but not humans).

  Breed The resulting offspring of an Ancient and a Breedmate. Like their alien forebears, the Breed lives on blood, possesses superhuman strength and speed, and can only be killed by prolonged sunlight exposure, decapitation, or catastrophic bodily injury. On the distaff side, a Breed male inherits his mother's eye, hair and skin coloring, as well as her unique Breedmate ESP talent. Breed offspring have always been born exclusively male due to the genetically dominant DNA of their Ancient fathers, however, experiments conducted in private by an individual named Dragos have resulted in the first laboratory-created Breed females (see Tavia Fairchild).

  Breedmate The resulting offspring of an Atlantean male and a human woman. Called Breedmates because of their unique genetic and blood properties that make them capable of reproducing with one of the Breed, these women typically demonstrate flawless health and are psychically gifted in some unique way, and usually artistically gifted as well. Breedmates are born exclusively female due to the genetically dominant DNA of their Atlantean fathers.

  Breedmate mark A small red birthmark present somewhere on the body of every Breedmate. The mark is a teardrop falling into the cradle of a crescent moon. This mark is also a significant symbol to the Atlantean culture. It has recently been revealed that Atlanteans bear this hidden symbol in their palm, an indication of their life's energy, which extinguishes with their death.

  Crimson A club narcotic created and distributed by a human named Ben Sullivan (see Kiss of Crimson). This red powder drug had unfortunate side effects when taken by members of the Breed, inciting a fevered blood thirst that in many cases resulted in a swift spiral into Bloodlust, and, in some cases, turned individual
s Rogue (see Camden Chase).

  Darkhaven A civilian Breed residence or commune. Darkhavens exist in most cities around the world and in some rural areas. Each Darkhaven has a leader, usually the senior member of the family or head of household. This Breed male is responsible for the safety and wellbeing of all who live under his roof.

  dermaglyphs A pattern of skin markings appearing on an Ancient or one of the Breed, which change colors according to the individual's emotional or physical state of being. Dermaglyphs present in swirling, flourish and arc patterns and can be plentiful, covering an individual from skull to ankle (as seen in Ancients and some Gen One Breed vampires) or more sparsely distributed (as seen in subsequent generations of the Breed).

  dreamwalk The ability to enter the dreams of another person and "walk" through what the dreamer is doing, seeing, etc. (See Claire Reichen)

  Enforcement Agency The Breed's self-governing law enforcement arm. The Enforcement Agency is mired in political jockeying, personal empire building and corruption, often resulting in ineptitude and ineffectiveness in protecting the Breed's civilian populations. The Enforcement Agency usually runs counter to the Order, and while animosity on both sides is common, there have been instances of alliances and helpful partnerships between the two organizations (see Mathias Rowan, Sterling Chase).