Shadow Born: Book 1 of the Shadow-Borne Chronicles (13 page)

Marcus was in mid-sentence when we stopped talking and cocked his head.
 
He listened intently for a moment and then said, “Shit.”
 
Silas spoke a moment and then hung up the phone looking displeased.

Marcus looked at Alec and spoke quickly and quietly.
 
“Listen, we have a problem.
 
I don’t have time to explain so I’m going to give you the quick version.
 
There is someone here that we don’t trust.
 
Speak as little as possible to her and try not to get on her bad side.
 
She will do everything in her power to get you to snap so that she can make you her enemy.
 
Try to ignore her and let Silas and me handle this.
 
Okay?”

Alec wasn’t sure what was going on but he nodded.
 
The double doors opened into the room and a gorgeous woman with dark brown hair, wearing a brown dress that hugged her curves, entered the room followed by several attendees.
 
She walked regally as if she were a queen and as if the room she were entering was her own.
 
She crossed the room walking quickly, but gracefully, her expensive heels clicking quietly on the hardwood of the floors.
 
When she approached Silas she approached him as an equal, her back straight and her gaze unwavering.
 
They kissed each other on each cheek and Silas smiled.

“Cassandra, what an excellent surprise.
 
To what do I owe this honor?” Silas asked, not sounding at all like he didn’t trust her.

“I am on business, Silas.
 
You know Laramie keeps me busy.”
 
Laramie?
 
Hadn’t Alec heard that name before?
 
Wasn’t that the vampire that allegedly sent the thugs that had attacked Marcus and himself the night before?

“Of course,” Silas said, his words clipped.

Cassandra turned to review Marcus and Alec.
 
“Marcus,” she said dismissively.
 

Marcus nodded formally and stood quietly.

“I see you’re still around,” she said unpleasantly.
 
“I’ve come to see this new pet you’ve acquired.”
 
She looked at Alec then, up and down, scrutinizing him hard.
 
“Is this…him?” she said as if she expected something different.

“It is.
 
Cassandra, this is Alec Carson.
 
Alec, this is Cassandra St. James, Laramie’s second.”
 

Alec nodded shyly and opened his mouth to say something pleasant but before he could, Cassandra frowned distastefully and addressed Silas.
 
“This is the one everyone is talking about?”
 
She sounded incredulous.
 
Everyone was talking about him?
 
He snapped his mouth shut.

Silas kept a straight face but a look of admonishment was in his eyes.
 
“It is,” was all he said.

Cassandra walked to Alec and then reviewed him up and down.
 
She motioned with a well-manicured finger that he was to turn.
 
He did so without question.
 
He felt like he was some sort of animal on display and wanted to cover himself.
 
It took all of Alec’s willpower not to.
 
She shook her head.
 
“Not much to look at is he?” she asked grimacing.
 
Silas frowned.

Alec was mortified.
 
His face burned in shame and he lowered his head, tears stinging his eyes.

She tuned suddenly and addressed Silas.
 
“I need to speak with Claus.
 
If you don’t mind…” she motioned with her hands.
 
Silas turned and nodded to Xavier who in turn approached the Service phone and made a call.

While they waited Xavier handed Cassandra a glass of red wine and made sure her retinue had something to refresh them.
 
He also filled everyone else’s glasses as well.
 
After a moment the double doors opened and Doctor Schubert walked in.

“Ah Claus, finally,” Cassandra said as if she’d been waiting forever.
 
“I’ll need to see Alec’s files immediately, if you’ll…”

Doctor Schubert didn’t give her a chance to finish.
 
He simply said “No.” and then stood looking at her.

“Excuse me?” she said.
 
Her voice sounded very dangerous.

“I said, ‘no’.”

Cassandra narrowed her eyes and sat up a bit straighter.
 
“I’m here on behalf of Laramie, and he demands…”

Again he interrupted her.
 
“Yes, well Laramie is not here himself, is he?”

“No, he isn’t.
 
He sent me,” she said from between gritted teeth.

“Then the answer is no.
 
And he certainly can’t
demand
anything if he didn’t bother to come himself.”

“As his second, I speak on his behalf and I want to see those files.”

Doctor Schubert chuckled quietly.
 
“Cassandra dear, you are indeed Laramie’s second.
 
However, I cannot just turn over Alec’s files to you.
 
Patient-doctor privacy.
 
I’m sure you understand.”
 
His face remained completely neutral.
 

“That is ridiculous.
 
Those stupid rules only apply to
human
doctors and patients.”

“I’m afraid in that you are mistaken, my dear.”

“I am here on behalf of council member Laramie and he wants those files.”
 
Her voice was starting to rise a little.

“If Laramie had wanted to see the files himself, he should have come himself,” he said logically.

“Laramie is busy and…”

“Well, there you go.
 
If he’s too busy to come for the files himself then they obviously aren’t that important to him.
 
I certainly hope you didn’t waste a trip just for this,” he said frowning.

Cassandra frowned as well.
 
She was used to getting her way and didn’t like it when she didn’t.
 
“You will hand those files over to me now or…”

“Or what?” Doctor Schubert interrupted quietly.
 
There was something dangerous in the way he quietly asked the question.
 
“Let me make something completely clear here, Cassandra.” He said her name as if there were something foul tasting in his mouth.
 
“You have no authority here other than what little your master has given you.
 
Furthermore, you do
not
come in here and make demands, certainly not from
me
.
 
I would not hand over the files to Laramie himself if he were here.
 
Right now, this is Silas’s issue to deal with.
 
And he is doing such.
 
Until this becomes a council matter, then Laramie has
no
say in this.
 
And even were it a council matter,
you
are
not on the council.
 
You do
not
give orders to me or anyone else.
 
You may request the files if you like, however at this point I am still doing research and this is a matter for the District Protectorate, and that is Silas.
 
As I have stated Silas is dealing with it.
 
Laramie’s assistance is not required and he needn’t have sent his lap dog.”
 

Cassandra was livid.

Schubert didn’t give Cassandra a chance to respond, “If there’s nothing else?”
 
When no one responded he turned and walked towards the double doors.

“I did
not
dismiss you,” she said loudly. He didn’t respond to her words but simply walked out.

“Are you going to let your servants speak to me that way Silas?” she demanded, her face a mask of anger and hate.

“You know as well as anyone that Doctor Schubert is not a servant and per the council, answers to no one.
 
Coming in to my house and making demands was not a good idea and you knew it before you tried.”

“Laramie is concerned about this situation and has sent me to monitor your progress.”
 
She took a sip from her wine glass to give herself a moment to regain her composure.

“I assure you,” Silas said slowly, “that we have everything well in hand.”

She smiled a tight little smile.
 
“Laramie isn’t assured.
 
He believes, as do
many
of us,” she said smirking, “that you should have taken care of this little problem well before now.”
 
She was attempting to calm herself after her utter failure with Doctor Schubert.

Silas’s face never changed.
 
“Well, thankfully, as Doctor Schubert stated, this is not Laramie’s business yet.
 
It’s mine.
 
And do remember please, Cassandra, that I don’t answer to you or Laramie.”

She had regained at least part of her composure and smiled sweetly.
 
“No Silas but you do answer to the council, even if you are on it.”

“I’m well aware,” he said.
 
“It’s highly…unusual for you to concern yourself with such weighty issues.”

At this she frowned.
 
Something behind her eyes hardened.
 
“This is going to become a council matter, soon, and Laramie wants to be prepared.”

Silas chuckled quietly.
 
“That’s as may be.
 
I have called a council, yes.
 
But until I bring it before them and formally state the issues at hand, this is still in my district and I will explore it as I see fit, without Laramie’s permission or knowledge.”
 
There was steel in his words when he spoke them.
 
“You may run back to Laramie and tell him that things are well in hand and that your…assistance, wasn’t needed.
 
Or wanted.”
 
He looked her directly in the eye.

For a moment she looked as if she was going to make a very negative retort.
 
Alec almost wished she would so that Silas would bitch slap her all the way back to Laramie.
 
Instead she lowered her eyes and nodded once.
 
“I’m sorry, it’s been a long trip and I haven’t fed.
 
Please forgive?”
 
She looked up at Silas and fluttered her lashes a bit.
 
His face softened and he nodded. “I’ll have rooms prepared for you and make sure there is sustenance made available.”
 
He stood then and walked to the intercom behind his desk to make the arrangements.

As soon as he turned his back, Cassandra’s demeanor changed and she glared at both Marcus and Alec.
 
Her look was downright hateful.
 
Marcus merely smiled that cocky smile of his and winked.
 
Alec couldn’t meet her eyes but did his best to hide his unease.
 
He was quite certain she could hear the pounding of his heart.

After a moment, the double doors opened and several wait staff members entered.
 
Silas came back around the couches.
 
“If you will please follow my staff they will take you to your rooms and see to your comfort.”

Cassandra had changed her demeanor before Silas could see her glaring.
 
“Of course, Silas.
 
Thank you for your hospitality… and your understanding.”
 
With that she and her retinue of hangers-on exited the room, closing the doors.

As soon as the doors closed Marcus said, “I hate that bitch.”
 
Alec merely nodded whole-heartedly.
 

Silas sighed.
 
“Gentlemen if you don’t mind, I have some work to do.
 
I’ll call on you later.”

And with that, Alec and Marcus were dismissed.
 
He and Marcus exited the sitting room.
 
They stood outside the double doors, the guards paying them little attention.

The night was young and Alec wasn’t sure what to do with himself.
 
Before he could open his mouth to speak, Marcus said, “Follow me,” and walked off down the hallway.
 
Alec shrugged his shoulders and followed his friend to see what he had in mind.
 
This was only his second day here and he already had enemies.
 

This is great.
 
Just keeps getting better and better.

Marcus led Alec back to the gym and told him to wait while he set up some sort of an experiment.
 
While he waited, Alec pulled out his cell and checked his email.
 
He was surprised to see that Jake, his friend from the orphanage, had emailed to check up on him.
 
He had seen on the news what had happened to Alec and was upset that Alec hadn’t called him.
 
According to this, Jake had been waiting on a phone call from his friend but now was on his way to visit him and make sure he was okay.
 

Shit, what am I going to do?
Alec wondered.
 
If he didn’t show up in person and talk to Jake he would suspect something.
 
And once Jake got something in his head, he didn’t let it go.
 
He was going to have to talk to Silas and let him know he’d have to meet Jake somewhere.
 
Not at his apartment in case it was being watched.
 
But out in public and during the day should be okay shouldn’t it?

Marcus got Alec’s attention and called him over.
 
He had set up a small obstacle course of hurdles, chairs and floor mats.