Shadow Born: Book 1 of the Shadow-Borne Chronicles (46 page)

Jacob shrugged.
 
“As far as I know.”

“When did this happen?”
 
Alec was turned facing the man and held his shirt in his hand.
 
He noticed that the charcoal Jacob had used to sketch him was covering the man’s hands and had also smudged his white shirt.
 
Jacob took note of the smudges and motioned for Alec to follow him.
 

Passing the sketch Alec glanced at it quickly and was surprised by what he saw.
 
Jacob was an amazing artist.
 
His sketch almost looked real enough to walk off the page by itself.
 
The sheet that Alec had been wearing flowed out from around his feet like it was caught in some sort of ethereal breeze and two huge, broad wings stretched from Alec’s broad back and were open wide.
 
He hoped at some point he got to see the finished piece.

“It was about two hundred years ago, give or take.”
 

Jacob led Alec through the mansion and down a long hallway.
 
As they walked, lights flickered on and back off again after their passing.
 
Jacob tugged his shirt over his head and threw it into a room as they passed and eventually the two men ended up at a lone oak door at the end of a long hallway.
 
Jacob opened the door and invited Alec in.

The room Alec stood in was spacious, as he’d come to expect from a mansion of this size.
 
There was a comfortable couch against the far wall and a large desk with several monitors and computers opposite it.
 
Jacob walked over to a large dresser and began rummaging around in a drawer for a shirt.
 
When he turned, Alec could see a light dusting of dark hair that covered the man’s muscled chest.

“How old were you when you were turned?” Alec asked without thinking.

Jacob chuckled quietly.
 
“I was sixteen.
 
I had been studying with the Church for several years at that point.
 
I may look young, but my mind is quite mature.”
 
He looked at Alec and winked.

“What’s it like being sixteen for hundreds of years?”

Jacob shrugged.
 
“Not bad.
 
People often underestimate me.
 
For obvious reasons I have to lie about my age.”
 
He finally found a shirt and tugged it on.
 
“So, tell me your story.
 
I’ve heard all the rumors but what actually happened?”

So, Alec told his story from the beginning as they walked back through the huge house and to the room where they’d left Silas.
 
Jacob stopped Alec several times to clarify points, but other than that, he let Alec tell the story at his own pace.
 
Alec realized that his story was as horrific as Jacob’s though there were no mass killings along the way.
 

Jacob just shook his head when Alec concluded.
 
“I’ve heard everything from you being a mindless pawn of Silas’s to your creation being a hoax.
 
You can really walk in the sunlight?”
 
Jacob looked wistful as he asked the question.

Alec nodded.
 
“Yeah.
 
I’m also immune to silver.
 
I have all the abilities of a ‘normal’ vampire.
 
But whereas you instinctively know how to use your abilities, I had to learn.
 
The only time my abilities seem to work for me is when I just react to a dangerous situation without thinking.” Alec shrugged his shoulders.

“Interesting,” Jacob said, thinking.

“So, not to beat a dead horse,” Alec stopped and swallowed as Jacob met his eyes.
 
“Do you believe what happened to you was real?
 
I’m not saying it wasn’t…”

Jacob smiled at him.
 
“It was real.
 
I don’t know how to explain it to you or why it happened, but it was real.
 
There is no damnation of our soul when we die just because we are vampires.
 
If you live a good life then you are good.
 
If you live an evil life, you are evil.
 
It’s that simple.
 
Intent and action define us.”

“I appreciate the information, Jacob.
 
I have a lot to think about.”

“And I appreciate your company Alec.
 
It was nice to get to talk to someone that’s been through something no one else has.
 
It’s refreshing.”

A thought occurred to Alec.
 
“Why haven’t you told others your story?
 
I’m sure there are those out there that would love to hear that they aren’t some sort of damned creature bound for the pit of Hell when they die.”

Jacob was quiet for a moment.
 
“When it all first happened, I did tell my story.
 
There were many that came to me with questions and searching for what lies beyond death.
 
The problem was, most didn’t take it seriously.
 
They scoffed at what I had to say or made light of my experience saying I was lying in order to gain attention.
 
There were many challenges by other vampires trying to make a name for themselves.
 
I eventually gave up and went into seclusion.
 
It was the only move that made sense.”

“But you had to have helped some of them.”
 

Jacob shrugged.
 
“Maybe.”
 
A confused look crossed his face for a moment.
 
“There was one…that seemed to be very interested in how it happened…like maybe he wanted to try it himself.”
 
His face clouded over with pain and he licked his lips and was quiet for several moments.
 
“Anyway, like you said, maybe it helped someone.”
 
He smiled at Alec.

Suddenly Silas walked back into the room interrupting the conversation.
 
“You about ready to go?
 
We need to leave before we run out of time and the sun rises.”

“You are more than welcome to stay if you like,” Jacob said standing.

“I would love to, but I have other duties to attend to that won’t wait.”
 
Silas walked over and embraced Jacob warmly.
 
“It was so good to see you again.”
 
Jacob hugged the man back.

“You know you are always welcome here Silas, as are you Alec.
 
Please return anytime.
 
My house is yours.”
 
Jacob held his hand out and shook Alec’s.

“Thank you Jacob.
 
You’ve helped me more than you’ll ever know.”
 

Jacob and Alec exchanged email address so that they could keep in contact.
 
It was very strange for Alec to be trading information with a being that was several hundred years old and agreeing to email him if anything came up.
 
He could only shake his head and laugh.
 
With that they said their goodbyes and Silas led Alec out into the darkness where he adjusted his vision and followed the older vampire back to the car and back to the hotel where they were staying.
 

Alec had a lot of information to digest and think about.
 
He felt better after having talked to Jacob, but now he had several obstacles in his path that had to be dealt with.
 
He didn’t look forward to what might happen next, but when it came down to it, he really had no choice.
 
The next week loomed ahead of Alec like a foreboding storm cloud, but he had no choice but to move forward and deal with the council.
 
Maybe now he could get some sleep before the storm cloud burst without worrying about his soul and what came after death.
 
Maybe.
 

Alec had never been so happy to return home, or to Silas’s mansion as it were.
 
He was so tired of traveling and just wanted to rest in his own rooms.
 
Instead, he found Steven and Marcus waiting for him once he and Silas entered the mansion.
 
Both were eager to talk with him and find out where he’d been.

Alec sighed inwardly but led Steven and Marcus back to his place in the mansion so that they could talk and catch up on what was going on.
 
There he detailed all he’d learned from Jacob about his experience.

“Do you believe him?” Steven asked once Alec was through telling the tale.
 
Steven looked none the worse for wear from the two days he’d spent alone with Marcus at the mansion.
 
He had showered and shaved and looked like a new man with some sleep behind him.

Alec sighed heavily.
 
“I think so.
 
I know
he
believes what he says actually happened.
 
And Silas confirmed on the trip back that Jacob had started to…you know, decay.”
 
Alec said the last word distastefully.

“Silas is not known for exaggerating or making things up.
 
If he says that Jacob was dead and came back, then that’s what happened,” Marcus said, shaking his head.

“And there’s no other possible cause for what happened?” Steven asked.

“None that I can think of,” Marcus said shrugging.

The three men were silent, each lost in his own thoughts.
 

Finally Alec broke the silence.
 
“So how far along are we on the gathering of the council members?”

“Well,” Marcus began, thinking, “One of the council members is here.
 
The other three are making arrangements.
 
Some are finishing up business elsewhere.
 
Reginald, the head of the council is actually out of the country and flying back soon.
 
We aren’t really sure when he’ll be here but we can’t start the council without him.
 
Of course the council meeting for something like this is open to whoever would like to attend so others are trickling in as well.”

A buzzing sound from the desk interrupted their conversation and Alec moved to answer the service phone.
 

“That was Silas,” Alec said when he’d hung up.
 
“He wants the three of us to meet him in his sitting-room office.”

Marcus just chuckled but the three of them navigated the hallways and worked their way to Silas’s sitting room.
 
The doors were opened for them as soon as they arrived and the three men stepped in.

Alec was surprised to see Doctor Schubert was present with Silas, along with Dorn.
 
There were three others that Alec didn’t recognize; the fourth caused his breath to catch in his throat.
 
It was Cassandra.
 
He looked at Marcus who shrugged slightly.
 
So, Marcus hadn’t known she was there.
 
She must have just arrived.
 
Xavier stood by the bar waiting to fill glasses as necessary.

“Come in please,” Silas said motioning for the three men to approach and sit.
 

Another leather sofa had been brought in and placed opposite the original, offering more seating space, along with a few comfortable looking chairs.
 
Doctor Schubert, in his usual lab coat and dark slacks, sat to Alec’s left in one of the chairs.
 
To his right occupying the only other chair in the room was Silas, in an expensive looking black suit and ocean blue tie.
 
On the opposite couch sat a well-dressed man in a dark gray suit and dark red tie.
 
He had dark blonde hair like Alec, but his was not as thick.
 
His vibrant blue eyes didn’t seem to miss a thing as he scanned Alec.
 

On the other side of the couch was a woman that Alec didn’t recognize, but she was wearing an expensive looking plum colored dress and shoes that probably cost more than Alec’s entire wardrobe combined.
 
Her dark hair hung down in a luxurious curtain to her shoulders.
 
She looked to be in her early forties and was Middle Eastern, with dark almond shaped eyes and high cheekbones.
 
Between the woman and the man sat Cassandra in a dark blue dress with a low cut neckline.
 
She was barely covered.
 
If she moved the right way everyone would get a show.
 
Standing behind the woman in plum was a young looking woman with red hair and green eyes.
 
She wore a dark gray pin-striped business pantsuit, but she wore it well.
 
Dorn stood off to the side in his usual tactical vest but he nodded at Alec as he entered.
 
Beside him was a video camera on a tripod.

As Alec, Steven and Marcus sat, Silas said, “Everyone this is Alec Carson, and Steven Reynolds.
 
You all know Marcus.”
 
There were a couple of nods from the other side of the room.

“Alec and Steven, this is Laramie, council member and Protectorate of Georgia,” Silas said nodding to the man on the couch.
 
Laramie merely narrowed his eyes, studying Alec.
 
“And this is Sabina Esi, Protectorate of California and her second, Anya McNeal.”
 
Both women nodded politely to Alec and Steven, who in turn nodded back.
 
Alec wasn’t really sure what else to do.

“And of course you remember Cassandra, Alec, Laramie’s second,” Silas said, heavy with meaning.

“Of course,” was all Alec said.
 
She merely smiled slightly at him.

“Now that the introductions are over, this is a pre-council meeting.
 
We will be recording your depositions of the events that have transpired and will use this information along with the rest to catch Reginald and Victoria up to date.”
 
Silas clasped his hands in front of himself.