Ancient Blood: A Novel of the Hegemony (The Order Saga Book 1) (35 page)

After another minute or so, I’d used up my last strand but saw the orange energy swirling more vigorously than it had been when I arrived. Weary but strangely exhilarated, I pulled myself back and relaxed. I had no idea whether it worked or not but I felt pretty damn pleased with myself.

As I opened my eyes, Caroline sat on the edge of my bunk, watching me. “I hope we’re not boring you.”

“No, I was just…” She tended to dismiss any of my explanations of ritual magic as “silliness.” Sounds funny coming from a vampire, but it’s true. “Well, actually, I was, uh, praying.”

She raised an eyebrow. I sat up and flexed my hands, which had fallen asleep during my exercise in trying anything once.

“Not a bad idea at all,” Ash said, surprising me. “I might give it another go before long.”

“Anyway,” Caroline said, drawing my attention back. “The council session has started and Jade Tiger’s not there. They’re debating whether to proceed without her or not.”

I just drank in the sight of her from head to toe, happy to be here with her just in case this was the end. “What do you say we go out with a bang?”

It got a laugh out of her, at least, followed by an ‘Avery, get serious’ look. She gave me a kiss and pushed a bit of hair back behind my ear. “If I believed we were doomed, you know I’d take you up on the offer. But I’m not ready to admit defeat yet, are you?”

I sighed but shook my head.

“Good. We’ll consider that a rain check then. Since we can’t count on the DeWinter cavalry coming to our rescue, I wanted to go over some thoughts and questions I came up with based on what you told us about the Shen. See if we might get something there.”

I nodded and she questioned me about specific details of things I’d seen in Jade Tiger’s suite and I elaborated on what I’d already told her. Then she would start asking me my opinion on a theory she’d developed to explain the disparity between what I’d seen and what we originally thought.

I remember Caroline went off on a tangent about reconciling how the bioplasmic entity can maintain the static physiology of the organic form while still coordinating or mimicking life processes like breathing, eating and sleeping.

“What if it’s all sort of an illusion?” I countered. “I mean, all matter is energy, right? So, what if the bioplasmic entity converts the matter of the body into energy like itself over time? But because it’s taken on the shape of the human consciousness for so long, it still thinks of itself as that person. You know, a mind over matter sort of deal. It would explain the rumors of them being able to shape-shift and go insubstantial, wouldn’t it?”

Caroline’s doubtful look made me abandon the argument.

“My God, conversations like that are enough to make a man look forward to the end of the world,” Ash muttered.

“So, what’s the story over in Bureaucracy Land?” I asked.

Ash sighed. “Jade Tiger’s majordomo told them she was indisposed and unable to attend the session. The Judicis did his best to argue that all Hegemons are required for something like this but Sebastian argued that this was a Vampyr matter and, if she didn’t want to take part, so much the better. Draco just ruled in favor of beginning the trial.”

“Of course,” Caroline said. “Sebastian played right to his prejudice.” She got up and joined Ash to watch, so I decided to follow her. Wasn’t like I had anything better to do and if my prayer and accompanying energy manipulation had worked, we might see some evidence of it soon.

“I can’t tell whether Iago told Julia about his evidence or not, she’s so guarded. But he would have to, wouldn’t he?” Caroline seemed to be attempting to make conversation more than anything else.

“Does it make a difference either way?” Ash asked, walking back to one of the bunks and lying down.

On screen, Sebastian poured heart and soul into his speech, ranging from knowing irony to raging indignation and then back to wounded sorrow. Even in Latin and with a static camera angle, I could appreciate how effective it was. “So, he’s going through with the whole trial thing?”

“I think he needs to have it out against Iago once and for all,” she said. “He wants to win ‘fair and square’ before pulling the rug out from under them all.”

“He’s buying time for Wilkes and his men to secure the house,” Ash declared from his bunk. “Now that they’re in session, the council chamber is audibly isolated from all the suites. As long as there isn’t automatic weapon fire in the halls, his voice should drown out everything else.”

Caroline stared hard at the screen. “This is the critical time then. There’s still a chance that if one of them realizes there’s something going on, they could over-power Sebastian and prevent his plan from succeeding.”

So Sebastian continued his one man show and we waited. I put my arm around Caroline as she grew more anxious. Ten minutes went by like this. Then twenty. There was no sign of Jade Tiger.

The whole energy thing had probably been my imagination. Or maybe it worked and Flea just pumped her full of more sedative.

By the time half an hour had elapsed, I was almost eager for the apocalyptic doom portion of the program. Finally, Sebastian returned to his seat and Draco called on Iago to present his defense. From his seat at the foot of the table, the same chair I’d occupied during my interrogation, Iago de Medici flowed to his feet, skin flush with life and health, hair a gleaming mane of oak and steel and eyes like polished silver reflecting the sun. The gray was gone, replaced by a brilliant white suit in a contemporary cut accented with tie and pocket square in navy blue. He looked as stylish as Geoffrey but the addition of his natural majesty brought the effect to a unique level.

He opened softly, drawing in his audience with a warm tone, gracious manner and relaxed gestures. Over the next few minutes, he brought the energy up a few degrees at a time, with a sudden gesture here to punctuate a joke, a gradual rise in cadence there to change a simple statement into a cutting indictment. Caroline translated a few of his better lines for me with the admission that it worked better in Latin but even I could feel his charisma.

He never indulged in the sweeping movements and grand gestures that had been the hallmarks of Sebastian’s speech, preferring to remain still and make the listeners concentrate on his words. He also didn’t restrict himself to Latin. He transitioned to Classical Greek or French and back again, using whatever language best suited the topic.

Within ten minutes, he had the other Hegemons chuckling at some subtle barb he’d worked in—even Sebastian. By the twenty minute mark, a stirring note crept into his speech that allowed him to show off his full range of vocal proficiency. This feeling built, becoming strident and unquestionable, the voice of passionate justice itself. When he dropped to a near whisper for the conclusion, I had to fight the urge to applaud.

After a dramatic pause, Iago continued in a grave tone. “He’s introducing the subject of the disc and photos,” Caroline explained.

We watched as Iago addressed Julia, obviously asking her to vouch for the time and place shown in the footage. With stiff formality, Julia did.

Sebastian shot up out of his chair, denying the charges.

Slick as buttered grease, Iago took the floor back and called on Geoffrey to explain how the footage came to be in his possession, which the British Hegemon did with aplomb.

Next came Julia’s big moment. Rising, she played the part of the betrayed ally and disappointed mentor to perfection as she charged Sebastian with breaching her guest rights at a Gathering and violation of a Blood Pact.

Then of course, it was time for Iago to put the final nail in the coffin by accusing Sebastian of falsifying evidence and unjustly prosecuting him.

“See, my plan worked perfectly,” Caroline observed.

I pulled her close and kissed her. “Yup, all except for the part where Sebastian hoses us.”

She managed a laugh as Draco gave Sebastian his chance to speak. The Hegemon of North America just clapped his hands together in slow, sarcastic applause.

That was the signal for Wilkes and his men to burst through the council chamber doors with their short range flamethrowers, stunners and automatic rifles. Wilkes and the two guys with flamethrowers stayed in the doorway to provide cover while the others fanned out to cover the Hegemons, two per council member, shouting: “Hands on the table, now!”

Draco alone leapt to his feet to fight but one of the guards hit him with a stun charge and he dropped, flailing. Wilkes closed the doors again, leaving the flamethrower guards free to cover the room.

“Bold as always, old friend, but I suggest keeping to yer seat now,” Sebastian told Draco before addressing the others. “The next one of thou who moves shall receive lethal attention from my men. I do wish to keep ye alive for a time to bear witness to the birth of a new world but do not think to test me!”

Behind me, Ash whispered, “Dear Lord, it’s really gonna happen.”

We watched while on screen, Sebastian strolled back over to where Iago sat, hands flat on the tabletop. “Well, Medici, it appears that thou would have bested me yet again. I don’t claim to be surprised, for I did hope thou’d return to us the grand and cunning Iago of old but ’twould have amused me to best thee on thy home ground ‘fore springing my trap.” He shrugged and slipped out of his coat to reveal the English broadsword that hung from his belt.

Iago just stared at him.

It’s funny how at the big moment when he was about to start a destructive nuclear war, Sebastian seemed more relaxed and sane than he ever had before.

“Expect no help either from beyond these walls or within,” Sebastian continued, tossing the fur coat aside and rolling his head to crack the tension out of his neck. “All thine servants are, by now, eliminated or locked away.” He gestured to Wilkes, who slid aside some kind of trick wall panel to reveal a large flat screen which, from our angle, we couldn’t see. “This screen shares the image of that in my Emergency Command Center where, at this moment, my Admiral of the Northern Pacific fleet resides. Those points ye see blinking are my submersible boats, each complete with a cache of missiles. Each awaits only the order to strike.”

“Oh, Christ, could he act more like a James Bond villain?” I said, hoping to break the tension a little. No one even smiled.

As Sebastian explained the chain-reaction which would result from his launches, in terms very similar to those Ash and Caroline had used, I studied Valmont. The smug bastard just lounged there, trying not to smile. Did his bizarre nature make him immune to Sebastian’s death threats, or did he have something in the works? Was Jade Tiger dead?

“Something’s up. Look at Wilkes,” Ash said and I had to search for a second to find the man in question. He stood away from the action, in the shadows near a pillar and appeared to be listening to his Secret Service earpiece.

“You’re right.” Caroline stepped out of my embrace to look back at him. “Jade Tiger’s group?”

“I don’t see who else it could be.”

Caroline nodded. “Draco always used to say the
Guaiwu
are difficult to kill. He claimed they had to be dismembered to stop them. After battles, he always made his men burn any remains just in case.”

“The question is,” I added, looking back at the on-screen antics, “whether my prayers were answered, or is this the beginning of Valmont’s plan…?”

I trailed off, as on screen, Geoffrey interrupted Sebastian’s description. “Yes, I think we all have the idea, Bastian, so let’s cut to the quick, shall we? What’s your price?”

I felt, more than saw, Sebastian’s calm façade flicker. “My price?”

“For calling it off?” Geoffrey prompted. I couldn’t believe my ears.

Julia cleared her throat, sitting up straighter. “Certainly we are all much impressed with the cunning thought and flawless execution of this maneuver but pray, do not think our patience endless. The
judicatus
can be yours, of course, along with the traditional amnesty. However, I shan’t even discuss such things until you first remove these men so that we may do so like civilized creatures. I do not parley at sword-point.”

Sebastian trembled in fury but they weren’t paying attention. I found myself hoping Sebastian would kill them all.

“Well put, good Lady,” Geoffrey said. “Yes, the
judicatus
is well-earned, perhaps a small concession or two but no more. After all, you have rather bluffed yourself into a corner here, haven’t you? You can’t launch and you certainly can’t kill us—”

“Cease this witless prating this instant or I’ll take the poxy heads from thy shoulders in the next!” Sebastian shouted, yanking his sword out of its scabbard. The Feral was out now and there was no putting it back. Glancing at Caroline, I saw my fears reflected in her expression.

“My price, ye dare ask!” Sebastian strode across the room and back again in semi-crouch, slashing the air around him. He came close to chopping down his own men a couple of times but they never even flinched. Fanatics, every one. “My price is the everlasting silence of each of thee! Have ye not the wit to discern I am as good as my words after our long acquaintance? My man shall see to the launch apace and ye shall all be witness to the end of The Game! Thee shall all go to thine desserts with the bitter knowledge that ‘twas simple Sebastian engineered thy undoing!”