Part 5, Chapter 3 Summary

Armand's story begins when he is a young child, kidnapped by Tatars in his homeland of Russia, and auctioned off as a slave in Venice. He is trained as an apprentice painter and his patron is a vampire who is quite taken with Armand. It is years before his master makes him a vampire. There are secrets that his master keeps from him and Armand does not understand. A few months after he is made immortal, other vampires come, kidnap Armand, and burn Marius and his whole house down. These vampires attempt to get answers from Armand about Marius's secret of Those Who Must Be Kept, but Armand knows nothing that can help them. He joins their coven and learns their satanic rituals. Years later, Armand goes abroad to teach other covens the rituals to live by. All during this time...