American Horror Story, Starting from Falls Town

Chapter 353 The Blood of Jesus
After hearing Saltana's story, Roy was speechless.

"Why keep these remnants of the old era around? Why not just eliminate them?"

Saltana shook her head helplessly.

"Things aren't that simple. The history of vampires is almost as long as that of humans. They have deep-rooted connections with European powers, and digging them up brings up all sorts of complexities. Moreover, these vampires are indeed very wealthy, and money can solve most problems."

Well, vampires, being long-lived species, do indeed have an easier time accumulating wealth. After all, any items left behind by a third-generation vampire would be antiques by today's standards.

"Aren't there any vampires around America?"

"Yes, there are some, but due to some historical reasons, the vampires here are relatively well-behaved, and most of them are not vampires belonging to the 13 clans."

At this point in the conversation, Saltana looked at Claire.

"Madam, you are in a very dangerous situation. Would you like to accept FEA protection?"

Claire hesitated for a moment. She clearly didn't have much trust in the FEA, a government agency she had never heard of before. Roy seemed more reliable in comparison.

"Can I accept Blake's protection? He seems to be an agent of your FEA as well."

Saltana gave a knowing look.

"That's fine, but you have to be ready to be summoned by the FEA at any time."

Claire nodded, then another thought came to her mind.

"There's one more thing. My mother, Jocelyn, seems to be in danger as well. Could you help me find her?"

Where does your mother live?

Claire gave an address; she wasn't a native of Los Angeles, but lived in Oregon.

After learning Claire's address, Saltana could only call the FEA in Oregon to check on her mother's situation.

"Alright, we've pretty much finished our work. How about we go to a bar for a drink now?"

Roy made a suggestion, mainly because he noticed that Saltana had been under a lot of pressure lately and wanted to help her relax, and also to calm Claire down.

"Isn't this a bit much? These vampires..."

"Just have your men take them back to FEA. They won't wake up anytime soon, so you won't be able to interrogate them."

Roy knew his fists all too well; these vampires would be unconscious for at least a dozen hours before they could wake up.

"Phew, alright then, where shall we go for a drink? Zangie Vicki?"

"No need to go to Sangeviki, there's a nice bar behind this wall, and I know the bar owner."

Roy had promised Lucifer he'd go to his bar for a drink, and he thought he'd introduce Saltana to him.

Marian was in a terrible mood today. After taking some painkillers when she got home, she didn't even feel like eating dinner.

Feeling depressed, Marianne finally decided to go out for a drink.

"Hey, when did a new bar open here?"

Seeing the sign for Time Bar, Marianne went inside for a look and found that the bar's decor was quite stylish, without that smoky and chaotic feeling, so she decided to patronize the place.

"Madam, what would you like to drink?"

A handsome middle-aged man stood behind the bar, exuding a mysterious aura.

For some reason, seeing this middle-aged man inexplicably reminded Marian of Roy, who had given her a hard time, and her mood immediately worsened.

"Strong liquor! I need strong liquor! The higher the alcohol content, the better!"

The middle-aged man looked at Marian with a meaningful smile on his face.

"Madam, higher alcohol content doesn't necessarily mean better taste."

Marian slammed her credit card on the bar.

"Never mind that! It's not like I'm not going to pay!"

The middle-aged man shook his head helplessly. He could tell that Marian didn't understand wine at all and only knew how to measure it by alcohol content.

"Alright then, I'll personally mix you a strong drink. I hope you like it."

The middle-aged man took out a metal cocktail shaker with strange patterns from under the bar and then added various liquids that Marianne had never heard of before. Some of them smelled particularly strange, making Marianne wonder if they were alcohol.

But in the end, when the middle-aged man poured the golden liquid from the cocktail shaker into the glass, Marianne could smell a mellow and fragrant aroma.

The smell made Marianne momentarily disoriented, and for a fleeting instant, she seemed to recall her past.

What's the name of this wine?

Its name is Pride.

Marianne frowned; she felt the middle-aged man was hinting at something.

From a young age, Marianne was a prodigy, excelling in both looks and academics, the kind of child everyone envied.

This upbringing instilled in Marianne a very high level of ambition. Whether in her studies or at work, she had to strive to be number one and would never allow anyone to be ahead of her.

As a result, Marian always treated her colleagues in a condescending manner, which is why she had such poor relationships at the TV station; basically, only Mike and Franklin would talk to her.

Mike was a relative of Marian, while Franklin had been Marian's neighbor for many years.

Even so, the two of them occasionally couldn't stand some of Marian's behaviors, like this time when she insisted on following Roy's news.

Although Marianne knew that some of her choices were wrong, as the old saying goes, "It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature."

Marian didn't want to change herself, so things have turned out the way they are now.

"Have I seen you before?"

Marianne felt as if the unfamiliar middle-aged man in front of her knew her.

The middle-aged man smiled.

"No, this is the first time I've met you. But the moment I saw you, I knew this drink was perfect for you."

Marian frowned deeply. Based on her work experience, she could tell that the middle-aged man in front of her wasn't lying. Could it really just be a coincidence?

"Madam, you should try this drink now. It tastes best now, and the flavor will change if you leave it any longer."

After much hesitation, Marianne finally picked up the wine glass, and just as she was about to drink it all, an arm reached out from behind and snatched the glass away.

"Mr. Lucifer, I never expected that a bar owner like you would also work as a bartender. This drink smells quite good!"

Lucifer crossed his arms and looked at the newcomer.

"Mr. Blake, you got it done so quickly?"

“Yes, I happen to know someone at the FEA. Let me introduce you. This is Saltana Rivera, a senior agent at the FEA’s Los Angeles office. You can contact her if you have any trouble here. This is my friend, Claire Frey.”

"Hello there!"

Saltana greeted Lucifer. Seeing Roy's polite attitude, she knew that this bar owner was definitely not simple.

Given that this guy's name is Lucifer, could he be...?

At this moment, Marianne finally realized that the person who had taken her wine glass was the same person who had caused her so much trouble that day.

"Roy Black, what are you doing here? Give me back my drink!"

Give it back to Marian? Don't even think about it!

Roy downed the golden wine in one gulp, and immediately felt as if his entire body and mind had been cleansed.

“This is excellent wine! Mr. Lucifer, this is much better than the Sin Wine you gave me last time!” Lucifer’s gaze swept over the somewhat exasperated Marian.

"That's because you're not the right person for this wine. Only the arrogant can truly appreciate its flavor."

Roy raised an eyebrow. It was a wine similar to the Original Sin Wine, but it shouldn't be as strong, since it was meant for ordinary people.

"And what about you? How do you feel when you drink this glass of wine?"

Upon hearing this, Lucifer was visibly taken aback for a moment, then revealed a faint smile.

“Few people ask me this question, but I have indeed drunk this wine, and it was incredibly bitter, full of regret.”

Roy's continued ignoring of Marian was getting to her breaking point, and she stood up and glared at Roy.

"Roy Black, what exactly do you mean? Did you orchestrate all of this? This eccentric bartender, and this bizarre drink!"

It seems that the series of events that happened today caused Marian to lose control of her emotions.

Roy pressed down on Marian's shoulder.

"Don't get agitated, ma'am, what's your name again?"

Marian glared at Roy through gritted teeth, furious that he didn't even know her name.

“Marianne Morgan! My name is Marianne Morgan!”

“Oh, well, Ms. Morgan. You don’t need to be so self-conscious. I’m not so bored as to set up a whole thing to mess with you. It’s all just a coincidence.”

Roy's explanation made Marian even angrier.

"What do you mean? Are you saying I'm not good enough for you? I don't care! You have to do my interview!"

Roy noticed a sly glint in Marian's eyes. Was this woman still thinking about work even when she was angry?
That's a real workaholic!

Roy rolled his eyes, not wanting to talk to Marian anymore, when Lucifer spoke up.

"Gentlemen, if you don't mind, we can chat in the booth. There's no need to stand here."

"Great idea, let's have a booth then."

Roy put his arm around Saltana's waist and walked towards the booth, with Claire following closely behind him.

Marian's expression shifted unpredictably, but in the end she chose to follow Roy.

What are you doing following us?

Marianne was a complete outsider, and there were many things I couldn't say when she was around.

Lucifer smiled.

“It’s alright. If Ms. Morgan would like to join our discussion, then let her come.”

Marian nodded eagerly.

"I am indeed quite curious about your topic, and I promise I will absolutely not tell anyone!"

Hearing this, Roy's expression became strange.

"Ms. Morgan, are you sure? It's not too late to back out now!"

"Why are you withdrawing? Are you going to talk about something illegal or disorderly?"

"It's not exactly illegal or disorderly conduct, but it will definitely shatter your worldview!"

Marian thought Roy was just trying to scare her again and insisted on coming along.

"I'm not afraid!"

Well, there's nothing we can do. Since Marian is determined to do something reckless, Roy has no choice but to respect her opinion.

"up to you."

The group sat down in a booth at the bar, and as Lucifer snapped his fingers, the surroundings seemed to change.

The voices of the other guests became muffled, as if someone had put a cover over the booth.

Saltana and Claire both knew that Lucifer's identity was extraordinary, and that he was likely a legendary demon king of hell, but Marian was completely unaware of this, so she was somewhat surprised and uncertain.

Lucifer got straight to the point and told Roy why he wanted to have a drink with him.

"Mr. Black, is what's going on up north related to you?"

Lucifer was referring to the commotion in Washington state. The impact of War Knight Ash was so great that even the Arrogant King in Los Angeles could vaguely sense it.

Roy made no attempt to hide it and admitted it directly.

“That’s right. War Knights appeared then, and then Leviathan descended. It was only with great difficulty that Uriel, Raphael, and I defeated the War Knights and Leviathan.”

Upon hearing this, Lucifer showed a thoughtful expression, Claire seemed very surprised, while Saltana had an expression of indifference.

The most outrageous one was Marian, who first burst into laughter, then looked at the others with feigned ease.

"Hahaha... You guys must be joking, right? Lucifer, Uriel, Raphael, are you playing a role-playing game?"

Well, the names Lucifer and Uriel are relatively uncommon, but the name Raphael has been used in history. Raphael was one of the three masters of the Renaissance, a famous Italian painter.

Lucifer looked at Marian with surprise.

"What's wrong with this woman? Doesn't she know anything?"

Roy shrugged.

"Actually, I don't know her very well. I've only met her three times, including tonight. You were the one who agreed to let her participate in our conversation."

Marian grew increasingly uneasy. As a news anchor, she was very good at observing people's micro-expressions, but through her observation, Roy and Lucifer did not seem to be joking or acting.

Could all of this be true?

At this moment, Lucifer spoke.

"Let's not talk about such unpleasant topics. Since we've managed to get together tonight, we should at least have a good drink. What would you all like to drink?"

Roy thought for a moment.

"I've tasted the finest wines of hell before, I wonder if I'll have the honor of trying the finest wines of heaven?"

Lucifer smiled.

"Although I would love to grant your wish, I regret to inform you that the only wine in that dull and tasteless place like Heaven is the blood of Jesus."

This was a joke, because in Christian Mass, wine is used in the ceremony as if it were the blood of Jesus, which is why Lucifer said that.

"But I was bored in Hell, so I used some materials to simulate the effects of Jesus' blood. Would you like to try it?"

Roy looked at Saltana and Claire, both of whom had eager expressions, while Marian looked hesitant to speak.

"Then give it a try."

Then, Lucifer snapped his fingers, and a red wine bottle and several wine glasses appeared on the table.

Marian's eyes widened; this scene was beyond her imagination, causing her mind to freeze for a moment.

Lucifer picked up the bottle and poured a third of a wine glass for each of the four men.

"Enjoy the blood of Jesus."

Jocelyn Frey (Lina Headey)

(End of this chapter)