Blood-borne

Trial

Jaxton jumped back at the booming voice. "Yes," he said quickly. The five Elders hissed at him. The Shadows behind Adam and Jaxton growled deeply. "But it's because we're in love."

The woman stepped forward one more time, narrowing her eyes at him. "You and a mortal are in love?" Her voice was doubtful. 

Jaxton didn't think that they would believe him. Their views were very black and white, never any gray. He looked at the five Elders nervously. The woman laughed loudly, forcing the other four to laugh awkwardly with her. "You expect us to believe that you found a mortal that would love you?"

"We're unlovable to mortals," she went on, stepping forward until she was right in front of Jaxton, towering over him. He wanted to shrink away. 

"It's true. I've seen her around him," Adam stated daringly. Although he stayed as far back as the shadows would allow him. They were like the barrier, growling whenever someone got too far from the Elders. An intimidation tactic. The woman studied Adam intensely. Then she went back up to stand beside the other four Elders. 

Another Elder to the left scoffed. The older man beside him narrowed his eyes. "You are Adam. Your brother was killed two centuries ago by a mob after he outed himself to a woman he said that fell in love with him." 

Adam didn't respond. Jaxton looked from Adam to the Elder. There was something that both knew about that day, but neither was saying anything. The woman that was obviously the head of the Elders looked at both Jaxton and Adam, as if she was trying to decide if they were telling the truth. Her jaw clinched and unclinched in annoyance as she looked to the other Elders for a hint. 

The other four shrugged. She growled angrily and waved her hand as she turned to go sit in her chair. "Get them out of my sight! I'll decide what to do with them later," she snarled. 

Without another word, the Shadows each grabbed Jaxton and Adam. Adam hissed loudly as his Shadow handled him roughly. Jaxton's simply started shoving him towards the door. Two random humans that were kept around to deal with the fireplaces in the castle opened the doors and the Shadows tossed them out hard. Usually vampires were able to catch themselves and at least land gracefully. However, this time the strength was intense that Jaxton and Adam tumbled down the stairs towards the town center. 

The Shadows narrowed their solid black eyes at them as the doors closed with a loud clunk. Jaxton got up and dusted himself off as Adam growled a little farther away. Adam lead the way passed the fountain at the center towards his house on the west side. He growled loudly as he entered his living room. If Jaxton wasn't following behind him, he knew that Adam would have slammed the door. 

"What was that look between you and one of the Elders?" Jaxton asked as Adam paced the room. He stayed near the door, giving the angry man plenty of space. 

"He was there when my brother died. He did nothing to save him. He could have helped save him, but that man chose to save himself!" Adam's eyes were blood red from fighting off tears. 

"I'm sorry," Jaxton said softly. 

Adam waved him off, restarting his pacing. "He knows that love between a mortal and immortal is real. He saw it himself with my brother. Its her. The witch leader. Ceirdwin should be the one put to death. She's killed so many of our kind that according to the mortals, she's started a genocide of her own kind."

"The rules are there to keep us safe. We live longer by obeying the rules that they set for us." Jaxton  believed the rules were there for a reason, but he also believed they were meant to be broken at times. Like with him and Rose. 

Adam scoffed. "The rules were made to be broken and you know it."

Jaxton didn't respond. "Well we're in the clear for now. I'll head back home and talk to Rose. Maybe if we move things up then they'll back off." 

"No, don't talk to her. You shouldn't have to do anything different. Rose isn't a threat to you or our secret. We'll fight this," Adam said with aggressive breaths.