Shadow Born: Book 1 of the Shadow-Borne Chronicles (49 page)

Laramie hadn’t said anything more to Schubert but he was glaring balefully at Silas.

“This is getting us nowhere,” Silas said into the silence.
 
“This is an official meeting of the council and I will not tolerate this behavior in my house.”
 
He met each of their eyes to make sure everyone understood.

“Cassandra, you knew full well what you were doing when you put yourself in Steven’s way.
 
Doctor Schubert was right; no one here believes that a mortal tripped you up.
 
If such as this happens again, you will be in my detention cells until the council decides what to do with you.
 
My patience with your antics is at an end.
 
Do you understand me?”

Cassandra looked like she was going to retort with something nasty but she finally dropped her gaze to the floor and nodded once.

Silas met Laramie’s glare with one of his own and finally Laramie moved his gaze elsewhere.

“Steven, please have Xavier take you to your chambers so that you can change.
 
We will start again once you return.”

Steven nodded his head once, afraid to speak.
 
He looked at Alec who nodded to him.
 

No one spoke while they waited for Steven to return.
 
Silas walked over to the bar and downed two large glasses of blood.
 
Alec assumed it would help replenish him from his earlier exertion of power or hopefully help calm him.
 
When Silas came back and sat on the couch he looked more in control of himself.
 
Alec could tell that Silas wasn’t happy with what had happened.

Steven finally came back into the room, his hair wet from where he’d showered in his chambers.
 
He’d also completely changed clothes.
 
Alec could smell the minty mouthwash that Steven had used to cleanse the taste of blood from his mouth.
 
He didn’t look too happy but he didn’t say anything to anyone.
 
He only nodded once to Silas to let him know he was ready to continue.

Everyone sat down and Dorn started the camera again.
 
Silas didn’t waste time with niceties as he began the second half of the meeting.
 
Silas had Alec and Dorn recount what happened the day Nancy Farris attacked Alec and how she died when her heart simply stopped.
 
Dorn, with Steven’s help, played the footage of Miss Farris’s death.
 
Everyone there looked upset at the implications of the woman’s heart just stopping.
 
It was unprecedented.
 
No one, as far as they knew, had the ability to compel someone’s heart to stop once a predetermined event had taken place.

That, of course, led them straight into the subject of the Devil and who or what he could be.
 
Alec recounted every experience involving the messages sent to him by this entity.

“I have had my team working on the Devil trying to figure out who or what it is but we’ve found nothing of note,” Silas said sighing heavily.

Sabina looked worried.
 
“Do you think this person, or group, is responsible for Miss Farris’s heart stopping and the five vampires that were sent to kill Alec?
 
Who or what could make five vampires attack during the daylight?
 
Do we know who they were?” Sabina asked looking at Silas.

“We have compiled a list of vampires that have been missing since the date of the attack.
 
There are exactly five of them.”
 
Silas motioned to Dorn who pulled out a file and handed each of the vampires a single piece of paper with five names.

“Are they all male?” Alec asked.
 
Silas nodded once.

“I know two of these men, Silas,” Sabina said worried.
 
“They would never take a chance like this and be caught out in the sun.”

“I know,” Silas said quietly.

Laramie looked worried as well.
 
“You are saying that someone, or something, forced these men to follow and attack Carson and Reynolds at the expense of their own lives?”

Before anyone else could answer Alec said, “They didn’t act like they even knew that the sun had risen.
 
They acted possessed.
 
They kept attacking even though they were clearly being affected.”
 

Steven nodded.

Everyone sat quietly digesting the information and implications of what had happened.
 
Alec had had time to think about it but still didn’t understand.
 
He knew little of vampires and their actions but everything he’d seen and learned told him that what had happened was unheard of.

“These are five vampires with full Lineages of their own,” Anya said into the quiet room.

“That’s what makes this even more disturbing,” Silas said quietly.
 
“My people are still looking into it, but no one close to them has any clues as to what happened.
 
They were acting normal.
 
No one had approached them or sent them anything from what we’ve gathered.
 
They just all disappeared as soon as the stand-off in Chicago happened.”

“How did they get there?” Sabina asked frowning.

“They were in Chicago for a meeting with VonBell,” Silas said significantly.

“Has he said anything of note?” Laramie asked folding the paper with the five names on it and placing it in the breast pocket of his jacket.

“He hasn’t said anything much since Chicago after Senator Taylor stabbed himself in the mouth repeatedly,” Silas said shrugging.
 
“He hasn’t even made demands of any sort.”

“That’s not like Vincent,” Sabina said worried.
 
“He is very vocal about his rights and privileges.”

“I know,” Silas said uncomfortably.

“Do you think he knows something and is afraid to talk?” Cassandra asked.
 
“We could always…make him.”

Silas rolled his eyes.
 
“I hardly think that’s the answer here.
 
If we are dealing with a force that can cause people’s hearts to stop and make others stab themselves repeatedly, I don’t think you’ll be able to
make
him talk.”
 

Laramie scoffed.
 
“You’re talking about a human’s heart stopping and a human mutilating himself.
 
They could have both had nervous breakdowns.
 
Humans are such delicate creatures and sometimes they break, when you least expect it” Laramie said looking at Steven.
 
“Vampires are stronger.
 
And can’t be compelled.”

“You weren’t there.
 
Senator Taylor clearly didn’t want to stab himself repeatedly.
 
He was crying and begging for help with his eyes,” Marcus said uncomfortably.

Alec narrowed his eyes at Laramie and glared at the implied threat he’d made to his friend.
 
Laramie’s lips quirked up slightly but he didn’t say anything.
 
He would definitely
love
to show that arrogant ass just exactly how fast and strong he was by bashing his face in.
 
He needed to remember to warn Steven and Silas about the threat, if Silas wasn’t already aware.
 
Silas did know Laramie better than he did after all.
 
Nothing would probably surprise him about the vampire.

“This does bring several uncomfortable thoughts to mind, though,” Sabina said, thinking.
 
“This doesn’t sound like any sort of breakdown I’ve ever heard of.
 
And it would certainly be a huge coincidence if they weren’t related.
 
We also have to take into account five vampires that kept up their attack even after the sun had risen.”
 
Sabina just shook her head.

“We can’t find any information on this Devil character,” Silas said frowning.
 
“I’ve had my people scouring the Internet for anything they can find.”

“I might be able to help there,” Steven said regaining his composure.
 
He grabbed his computer and began typing away.
 
“I’ll set up a search algorithm.”

“So, the Devil sent Miss Farris to attack Alec and then compelled her heart to just stop when she failed, then sent five powerful vampires into the sun to attack Alec and Steven and killed Victor,
and
caused Senator Taylor to stab himself repeatedly when he offered to tell you everything?” Sabina asked looking worried.
 
“That’s pretty powerful by
anyone’s
standards.”

“More or less,” Silas said sitting back in his chair.
 
The room was completely quiet for several minutes while they all digested what they’d heard.

“I say we question VonBell and damn the consequences,” Laramie finally said into the quiet room.

Sabina frowned at him.

“We need information and he’s the only one that seems to have any,” Laramie said reasonably.
 
Alec wasn’t fooled at all.
 
Laramie didn’t care what happened to VonBell.
 
There was nothing reasonable about his motives.
 
He wanted answers at any cost.
 

“Where was the rest of the money that was stolen from the blood collecting facilities being diverted?” Laramie asked.
 
“Why were he and Taylor working together?
 
They had to have known we would catch them eventually.
 
Who’s behind all of this?”

“You think they might have been coerced?” Silas said surprised.

Laramie shrugged.
 
“If you believe this Devil character is capable of
forcing
people to die when a certain set of events transpire and you yourself said that VonBell looked very upset and refused to answer your questions, why wouldn’t it stand to reason they were forced into their actions.”

Marcus narrowed his eyes.
 
“Remember back at VonBell’s when you asked him if he wouldn’t or couldn’t tell you what had happened?”

“He said he couldn’t,” Silas said quietly.

Laramie held his hands out.
 
“See? We can question him and put this to the test right now.”

Alec frowned and looked at Silas.
 
“I know you’ve probably already realized this but the only reason we know about the Devil is because he’s sent me messages.
 
He could as easily have remained hidden and just tried to kill me from the shadows.”

“True,” Silas said looking back at Alec.
 
“He wants us to know he’s after you, as well as possibly stealing money from us.
 
We are dealing with someone that thinks very highly of themselves and their abilities.”

“I would think highly of my abilities too if I could stop a person’s heart by remote command,” said Marcus.

“So?” Laramie said impatiently.
 
“Are we questioning Vincent or not?”

“I think we should,” Sabina said reluctantly.
 
“The sooner we know what’s going on the better.”

“I agree,” Silas said and motioned Dorn over.
 
“Have Vincent brought here please.”
 
Dorn nodded and exited the room to see to his orders.

“We are done with you, you may go.
 
This is vampire business now,” Laramie said addressing Alec and Steven.

Alec narrowed his eyes at Laramie.
 
“I don’t take orders from you,” he said coldly.

Laramie started to retort but Silas beat him to it.
 
“If it wasn’t for Alec and Steven we wouldn’t know half of what we do about the Senator or Vincent’s goings on.
 
I don’t see the harm in having them here,” Silas said looking directly at Laramie.
 
“Sabina, do you have a problem with Alec and Steven being here for the questioning?”

Sabina shrugged her shoulders.
 
“It’s highly unusual, but as you said, without them we wouldn’t know the things we do.
 
I hardly see how their presence could jeopardize anything, especially since the Devil seems to be focused on Alec.
 
I think he has the right to know what’s going on. And maybe one of them can trigger a response from Vincent.”

“You are getting soft, Silas.
 
I can’t believe you are allowing humans so many leniencies.
 
I would
never
allow something like this to take place.
 
If we were in my protectorate things would have never gotten this far.
 
This is ridiculous.
 
This is
all
completely your fault Silas for not taking matters into your own hands the way you should have,” Laramie said in disgust.

“Insult me again and let’s see who’s lenient,” Silas said looking directly at Laramie.
 
“I’ve had quite enough of your impertinent attitude.
 
If you insult me or my guests one more time, I promise, you will spend the remainder of time before the council meeting in a cell.”

Laramie gritted his teeth but didn’t say anything.
 
Instead he picked up his glass of blood and took a long drink.
 
Cassandra looked like she wanted to say something too but she knew Silas’s patience was wearing thin with the both of them.

After several quiet but tense minutes, Dorn entered with several heavily armed security guards and VonBell in silver cuffs looking very weak and sickly.
 
The guards were taking no chances and had their guns drawn.

Silas nodded towards a chair and Dorn brought it over and shoved VonBell into it.
 
VonBell was immaculately dressed as usual but there were bloodstains on his shirt and knees of his pants.

“What happened?” Silas asked Dorn when he saw the stains.