Shadow Born: Book 1 of the Shadow-Borne Chronicles (53 page)

Marcus sat forward at that point.
 
“Guys, we will be serving wine and other beverages, but just so you are aware, we will be serving and drinking blood as well.
 
Just wanted you to be prepared.”

The two young men nodded their understanding.
 
“Just as long as Cassandra doesn’t decide to throw blood in my face again,” Steven said annoyed.

“That won’t happen,” Silas promised.
 
He sighed and looked at his watch.
 
The door opened and Xavier walked in.
 

“Sir, the people are beginning to arrive.
 
The council will be ready soon.”

“Thanks Xavier, please let the council know I will be there shortly.
 
Are there rooms prepared for our guests?”

“Yes, sir.
 
For those staying, rooms have been prepared.”

“Excellent.”
 
He turned to Alec, Steven and Marcus.
 
Dorn excused himself and exited giving Alec the thumbs up.

“Gentlemen, please do behave yourselves tonight.
 
I’m talking directly to you, Alec,” Silas said smiling at the young man.
 
“Don’t let anyone goad you into saying or doing anything rash.”
 
Alec nodded that he understood.

“On a serious note, Alec and Steven, be careful tonight. If you need security do not hesitate to let them know, okay?”
 

The two young men nodded and Marcus said, “I’ll look after them, Silas.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Silas said smiling and turned to go.
 
“We will get through this.”

Once they were alone and the doors were closed, Alec got up and poured himself some scotch and downed it.
 
It burned, but in a good way.
 
Alec did not share Silas’s optimistic views on the situation.
 

“Nervous?” Marcus asked coming up behind him and pouring himself a drink as well.
 
Alec filled his glass and downed it a second time.

“Nah, what makes you think that?”
 
He laughed and poured a third glass but just sipped on this one.
 
Steven sat quietly on the couch watching the amber fluid flow as he twirled it, lost in thought.

“Well, if it helps, you look really nice tonight.”

“Thanks, Marcus. So do you.”
 
They clinked their glasses together.

Marcus took a step back to look Alec up and down.
 
“You know, you really have changed.
 
And not just physically.
 
You’ve grown too, as a man.”

Alec tried to hide his embarrassment.
 
“I know,” he said quietly.
 
“A lot of it is thanks to you and Silas.
 
You’ve helped me in so many ways.
 
Provided I survive this I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”

“Oh, I can think of a few ways,” Marcus said smiling.

Alec burst out laughing.
 
“Should I even ask?”

Marcus grinned.
 
“Not if you don’t want to be embarrassed,” he said winking.
 
Marcus gripped Alec’s shoulder and squeezed it.
 
“Just be respectful of the council, even if you are disagreeing with them.
 
Fuck them if they think they are getting rid of you.”

Alec was surprised at Marcus’s language.
 
He’d never really heard him curse.

“Just saying.”

Alec laughed and rolled his eyes.
 
It felt good to have a friend like Marcus.

Marcus looked at Alec.
 
“I’m behind you one hundred percent. And Silas has done everything in his power to keep you safe.
 
If anything major comes up, let Silas handle it, okay?”

Alec nodded once.

The two men chatted a bit more when the door opened and Xavier came in.
 
He approached them and bowed.
 
“The council is ready,” he said to Marcus.
 

Marcus turned to Alec.
 
“Don’t be nervous.”
 
He smiled that cocky smile of his and clapped Alec on the shoulder.

“That’s easy for you to say,” Alec said grinning.
 
“Thanks Marcus, for everything.
 
You’ve been a good friend.
 
Just in case…tell Silas I said thank you.”
 
Alec grabbed his friend and hugged him tight, feeling the hard muscles of Marcus’s chest pressed against him.
 
He wasn’t used to having friends that looked out for him and didn’t know if this was appropriate or not, but it felt right.
 
Marcus returned his hug.

“Don’t think like that,” Marcus said quietly into his ear.
 
“We will get through this.”
 
He pulled back and smiled at Alec, who only nodded.
 
“You and Steven both have friends on the council.”

Xavier led the three men down a hallway and through several doors.
 
Alec was burning blood and memorizing the twists and turns in case the council voted against him and he had to fight his way out.
 
He didn’t think he could handle that many vampires at once but he planned on making it a costly endeavor to subdue him.

Marcus stopped at a hallway and turned to the young men.
 
“This is my stop.
 
I’ll be with Silas during the proceedings but I’ll keep an eye on the two of you.”
 

Xavier led them further down to the end of the hallway and to a double set of doors thrown wide.
 
As the two young men entered, Alec could see the chamber and it took his breath away.
 
The room itself was large and to his left were rows and rows of stadium seats, which were filled with hundreds of chatting vampires.
 
The floor was black and white marble with an emblem emblazoned in the middle, below it a phrase that Alec assumed was Latin.
 
A raised dais occupied the right side of the floor, upon which sat a large semicircular table with chairs on the back side.

There was an air of excitement in the room.
 
Alec supposed when you were immortal something like this would get rid of the tedium of eternity.
 
The room fell silent as Alec and Steven were escorted in and shown where to stand.

Xavier nodded to the two young men and exited the way he came.

Alec squared his shoulders, straightened his back and walked to the spot that Xavier had pointed to, just the way he had practiced with Marcus.
 
He followed everything Marcus told him to do.
 
He walked in slowly and confidently, meeting everyone’s eyes and nodding here and there if he recognized someone.
 
Hisashi was in the front row and nodded back.
 
Alec didn’t see Jacob but he hadn’t really expected the recluse to show up.
 

Every eye in the room was on him and Steven, but mostly him.

Some of those present smiled back at Alec and nodded a greeting in return.
 
So far so good, Alec thought to himself.
 
He stood in the center of the floor as Marcus had instructed him and put his hands behind his back.
 
He saw Steven do the same thing from the corner of his eye.
 
He turned his head and winked at the young man, making sure no one saw him.
 
He didn’t want anyone to mistake the wink for arrogance.
 

Alec looked to his left and saw the five vampires that had attacked him and Jake.
 
As Dorn had explained they were chained to the wall with silver manacles and armed guards standing in front of them.
 
Alec turned and walked towards the shackled men. The guards nodded to Alec as he approached.
 
They didn’t try to stop him but then again, he didn’t attempt to get to close.
 
All five of them looked weak and sickly from the silver.
 

They were wearing clean clothes and none of them looked unkempt.
 
They had obviously been feed and cared for and showed no signs of neglect.
 
Other than the effects of the silver, they all looked just fine.
 
With Alec’s heightened senses he could smell the silver chains that bound the five men.
 
It had an acrid, metallic smell to it.
 
It was slightly bitter and unpleasant.
 
After a few moments, he walked back to stand beside Steven. He wanted everyone to see him facing his attackers.
 
Several people had been watching him as he approached and reviewed the men.
 
Alec could hear whispering.
 

What did the others think of him viewing his attackers?
 
Did they think he was taunting them with their failure or did they think him brave for boldly walking to where they were chained and meeting their gazes?
 
Alec didn’t really care what they thought.
 
He had done it to see if any of them showed any remorse for their actions.
 
The only thing he saw in their eyes was hatred.

Alec watched as Marcus appeared behind the large table and began arranging papers and paraphernalia that Alec couldn’t make out.
 
A woman in tight leather with flame colored red hair caught Marcus’s eye and with is heightened senses he heard Marcus say, “Oh holy hell.
 
What is
she
doing here?”

Alec found the woman Marcus was looking at.
 
She definitely stood out.
 
She was the only woman not dressed elegantly.
 
Instead she looked like she had just ridden her motorcycle in and was still wearing her riding leathers.
 
Her flame colored red hair was pulled back into a ponytail that reached to the middle of her back.
 
Her skin was very pale and she looked like a hard wind might blow her over.
 
Her features had a sort of pixie-like look to them.
 
She was beautiful.

Alec looked a question at Marcus who pulled out his phone and sent Alec a text.
 
He obviously didn’t want to be overheard.

Aleisha Night…Nightshade.
 
She’s an assassin of sorts. Probably hired by Laramie to show off and make you nervous.
 
Don’t be!
 
Marcus had sent.

The woman in question looked up like she had heard her name and nodded once to Marcus who nodded back.
 
She then focused her piercing gaze on Alec and stared at him as if she were memorizing his every move.
 
It was very unnerving.
   

A hush fell over the crowd and Alec looked up to see the five council members walking to their respective positions.
 
The five stood there and another vampire dressed in a black suit with a shield emblem of black with five blood red slashes down the front, pinned to his lapel raised his hand for attention.

“The council would like to thank you all for coming this evening.
 
This meeting is to determine what actions to take in the unprecedented case of Alec Carson and to determine what is to be done regarding his attackers.
 
This evening we shall also discuss the human Steven Reynolds, and his outcome will be decided.
 
We are represented on the council by Laramie, Victoria, Reginald, Silas and Sabina.”
 
As their names were called each nodded and sat at his or her chair.
 

Alec had met Laramie and Sabina, but Victoria and Reginald were new to him.
 
Victoria looked like she had just walked out of a fashion shoot.
 
Her blonde hair hung past her shoulders in long luxurious curls and her blue eyes sparkled alluringly.
 
She was breathtakingly beautiful.
 
In contrast, Reginald looked like something out of a Tolkien novel.
 
He was roughly five and a half feet tall with a mass of curly brown hair on his head and inquisitive brown eyes that seemed to take in everything at once.
 
He certainly wasn’t what Alec had been expecting.

“As usual,” the announcer continued, “there will be no interruptions to the proceedings and no one will be allowed to talk save that they are called to do so by the council.
 
We are begun.”
 
He bowed to the assembled crowd and turned and bowed deeper to the council.
 
He then backed to his position beside the dais and waited.
 
Alec noticed that the council’s seconds were standing behind their respective council members.
 
Marcus looked at Alec but there was no indication of any favoritism.
 
Alec knew Marcus well enough by now that he saw his feelings in his eyes.
 
Be patient and don’t speak out or be disrespectful.

Reginald stood and viewed the assembled crowed and then his eyes dropped to study Alec and Steven.
 
His voice when he spoke was much deeper than Alec had expected.
 
He almost imagined that the man would sound like a chipmunk.

“We are come upon interesting times and find ourselves at a crux in the history of vampire kind.
 
Mister Carson and Mister Reynolds, please step forward.”

Alec and Steven nervously walked forward to approach the dais and table, which Reginald was standing behind.
 
When they were close, closer than Alec would have thought they would have been allowed, Reginald nodded that they should stop.

Reginald thought for a moment choosing his words.
 
“Your testimonies as well as others previously recorded, have been viewed and weighed accordingly and it has been decided by this council that said testimonies will be the evidence by which we make our decisions.
 
Do you understand?” Reginald looked at each man in turn both of whom nodded once.